Tuesday, July 8, 2003

I got this today in my email... It is said that 86% of Americans believe in God. Therefore I have a very hard time understanding why there is such a mess about having "In God We Trust" on our money and having God in the Pledge of Allegiance. Why don't we just tell the 14% to Sit Down and SHUT UP!!! [attached picture showed two kids praying in front of an American Flag with the words "Under God" above them] If you agree, pass this on, if not delete... No, I do not agree!! This was a nation founded on the principle that we are free to practice our faith as we see fit, not to have it imposed on us by any group, be they a majority or minority. My opposition to the use of these phrases has nothing to do with your faith, or desire to worship, it is simply an honest expression of true patriotism. Men and woman have died to secure us the freedom to practice the varieties of faith that gives this nation it[base ']s strength, and it[base ']s character. Why diminish it? Most of the Founding Fathers were Humanist and not religious in the way that fundamentalist would like us to be. It is for this reason that you see the separation of church and state in the Constitution. They remembered why this nation was founded, and why so many came to this land to flee the religious oppression of Europe. Why would we want to turn the clock back by imposing on others. If you take away their right to believe as they choose, then you are just as bad as those who forced your ancestors to this country. What if this nation became majority Muslim, would you feel the same when they changed the pledge to read Under Allah? What if we became majority Atheist, would you like it to read Under No God? I am proud that the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned this obvious attempt to add religion to a pledge that has nothing do do with God. The pledge is a statement of belief in the founding principles of this nation. It should have been left exactly as the original writer intended, but in our desire to wipe out Godless Communism we had to make it a public prayer. By that act we sought to say that you were not an American if you did not 'believe' in the approved fashion. That attitude defies the very foundation of this great nation...mj 10:56:12 PM

Sunday, July 6, 2003

City all shook up over cabbie's attire Only three customers have ever refused to take a ride in Cab Elvis. One of them called Dave Groh, Seattle's Elvis-impersonating cabbie, a rude name and stalked off. Two others were too drunk to deal with being all shook up, he says. Most of the rest recovered from the sight of Groh with a laugh. Or a sing-along. Or questions about "The King." But to the city's taxi inspectors, who enforce 6-year-old dress codes for cabbies, Groh simply is a law-breaker...more [Seattle Times] Long live the king!! Someone at the City of Seattle needs to get a sense of humor. I think they missed the point of the dress code. It was to keep people from looking like bums, not from entertaining their passengers. You have to love it when some moron takes something like this to the point of making the city look like fools...mj 11:10:38 PM

Saturday, June 21, 2003

SHOCKING!: Americans are ignorant Please ponder these poll results: 33% of Americans believe that weapons of mass destruction have been found in Iraq. 22% think that Iraq used biological, or chemical weapons during the recent Gulf War. Almost 50% of those polled prior to the recent Iraqi war, said that Iraqis were among the 9/11 hijacker. The problem here is that none of this is even remotely true. How is it that so many Americans could be walking around with so much incorrect information? What is it that allows a society to be so ignorant of reality? The article goes on to say that Americans "may avoiding having an experience of cognitive dissonance." This happens when the lies, and the facts are so out of sync that you create reality to fit the events. People do not want to believe the idea that this administration lied to get us into a war, and has lied to try and justify the original rationale. People try to support the truths they want to believe, and deny the possibility that they were wrong from the start...mj 11:58:11 AM

Friday, June 20, 2003

Martin Reynold...DOH! On Monday Apple will put Steve Jobs on stage and roll out the new G5 processor (also known as the Power PC 970). It appears that someone at Apple goofed and the specs for the new machine got leaked. As usual, we have one of the Gartner Group Mac-Doomsayers speaking up about why this event doesn't mean much. Gartner analyst Martin Reynold says that "Although it's a new processor, I'd expect to see less brandishing around the processor and more around the features and packages that the systems come in. I expect to see more about the Mac than I do about the processors. The challenge that Apple has had is that they've occasionally pulled past Intel on pure speed -- I think those days are behind us now. I don't think we'll see them crowing about raw performance; instead, they're more likely to stick with Apple's core values where they have a real advantage in terms of usability." I have one word for Martin...WRONG!! Apple will talk about the nice new case, we will be awed by the new design, and we'll debate it's merits. What we will not debate is the G5/970. This is all about speed, and this chip will be faster then any Intel processor, in terms of real world speed, not CPU speed. I expect that we will see our first bake-off in more then two years, and the new Macs will bury the Intel systems. They will crow about the speed from the top of the hills to the lowest of valleys. These new machines will ROCK!! If this is not the case, then I expect that this could well be Apple's last dance as a computer company...mj 10:02:09 PM

Tuesday, June 17, 2003

Dead corporations... Cluetrain: I see dead corporations. Questioner: In your dreams? [Cluetrain shakes it's head no] Questioner: While you're awake? [Cluetrain nods] Questioner: Dead corporations like, in bankruptcy? In foreclosure? Cluetrain: Walking around like regular people. They don't see each other. They only see what they want to see. They don't know they're dead. Questioner: How often do you see them? Cluetrain: All the time. Thanks to Thomas Vincent on the Cluetrain mail list. This is too true. One example has to be MCI. I have been job hunting for a while, and I keep getting spam emails offering me a chance to work in their new Small/Medium Business unit doing outside sales. Based on my experience it would be a natural fit. So I visited their job site, and tried to apply for the job. I input my resume, and personal information. Then came the questions. That was my undoing. If you have ever seen one of these, you know exactly what I mean. You never know if they want you to say what they want to hear, or if it really has any meaning. I was informed when I was done that I did not meet their qualifications. This in spite of over 13 years of sales and service experience with US West (now Qwest) in their Small Business unit. I wrote it off and went on looking when a few days later I got a phone call from a recruiter. She told me that she was going through the rejects because she found that a lot of them were mistakes (why have the system in the first place then?). I did the phone interview and it went really well (I think). In the meantime I got at least 3 more of the spam mails offering me a chance to apply for this exciting opportunity. So why had the questions rejected me? She told me that it all came down to one question: How much money is acceptable to earn during your first year? The options were, less then 30k, 30-60k, or more then 60k. Having been in sales I know that it takes a year in any real sales job to ramp up your sales, I answered 30-60k. They wanted to hear 60k. I was unacceptable. This morning I answered my ringing phone to get a REALLY LOUD recorder voice informing me that this was NOT A SALES CALL, and that I could go to the MCI web site and apply for an exciting job opportunity selling to the Small-Medium Business market. I hung up. So what does this all say about the company formerly known as Worldcom?...mj 12:21:35 PM

Monday, May 19, 2003

Computer failure on Saturday - I am slowly rebuilding it. No fun at all...mj 8:20:48 PM

Monday, May 12, 2003

...Bush Speech Will Cost Them President Bush plans to speak at an Omaha plastics factory today to sell his message that his tax cut plan will put money in workers' pockets. But some workers at the factory, Airlite Plastics, are complaining that Mr. Bush's speech will have the opposite effect. They are unhappy because Airlite's chief executive, Brad Crosby, has announced that more than 300 hourly workers might lose all or part of a day's pay unless they work next Saturday to offset the time lost when the plant closes for the speech. An Airlite spokesman said in a telephone interview last night that most workers would be given four options when the plant is partly closed for one and a half shifts during the speech: They can take an official day off whether or not they attend the speech and make up the work on Saturday to receive full pay. They can use a paid vacation day. They can work their regular shift in part of the plant that will remain open. Or they can take an unpaid day off... ...The company's decision not to pay most of the workers during the Bush visit was first reported on Friday in The Omaha World-Herald. The newspaper said a man who said he was an Airlite employee, but did not give his name, complained to an editor in a voice mail message that some longtime employees would lose more than $130 in pay. "It's not a great thing for us employees," the man was quoted as saying. "We're losing a lot of money because of his visit. His speech is supposed to be about what the family can get from his tax breaks. It doesn't really make sense."... .....Mr. Crosby told The Associated Press that he had not spoken to any employees who disliked the options. "I think the overwhelming majority of our employees are just very excited about seeing the president," he said...more [NY Times] Anyone who doesn't see the stupidity of this is blind. Of course Mr. Crosby hasn't talked to anyone who is unhappy about what the company is doing! They would be too afraid to speak for fear of getting fired. Just another fine example of corporate america and the insanity of our economy. There are a lot of companies who do not need unions because they have management who thinks. It is exactly this kind of stupid move that leads to a union drive. It is also just another example of why Bush and the Republicans need to be removed from power. We have a President who is busy with wearing flight suits, while the economy burns around him. We have a party in power that thinks welfare should go to corporations, and the rich. I just love how they get all the angry white anti-tax voters to line up and sell themselves down the river, never understanding the real implications of what they do, and support. How much you want to bet it gets changed before The Shrub arrives to give his speech...mj 7:29:05 PM

Friday, May 2, 2003

Justice does happen I smiled from ear to ear when I read this! I have blogged this story in the past. On April 29 the Supreme Court of Missouri handed down a Writ of Habeas Corpus in the case of Joseph Amrine. The net result is that he is a free man. The state has the option of putting him back on trial, but with no evidence, it would be tough to find a jury to convict him again. This is a fantastic case of justice being served. I find it disgusting that the State of Missouri spent so much energy trying to execute this man even when it was obvious that he did not commit the crime. It's also a nice belated slap to the face of John Ashcroft, who decided to oppose Amrine's appeals even after the evidence fell apart. The three judges who ruled against Amrine are all Republicans. They did not all agree that he should be executed, but wanted a new review of the evidence. You can read the decision of the court at this location. More information is also available at these locations: Dead Man Walking Home Professor's film may free inmate 108th death row conviction overturned Man...looks forward to freedom The sad footnote to this story is that the man who most likely was the killer, killed another man a year later. That man died due to the state of Missouri persuing a case against an innocent man...mj 2:21:31 AM

Tuesday, April 29, 2003

Saddam's mouthpiece 'seeks surrender' Former Iraqi Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf is attempting to surrender to US forces, according to a London-based Arabic newspaper. But Al-Sharq al-Awsat says the Americans have refused to arrest Mr Sahhaf - who became a familiar face during the war with his upbeat assessments of Iraqi military "successes" - because he does not appear on their "most wanted" list of 55 former regime officials. An Iraqi Kurdish official told the newspaper that Mr Sahhaf was staying at his aunt's house in Baghdad, and was under surveillance by US forces. He said the former minister was still trying to negotiate his arrest, fearing for his safety in the Iraqi capital...more [BBC News] This is just too damn funny. He was such a clown that we don't feel like arresting him. Kinda sad if you think about it...mj 9:37:07 PM

Friday, April 25, 2003

Little Enrons [morons] Not everyone is a Fastow, or in charge of Qwest. Not all business people are brazen enough to commit criminal acts on the scale they did. Take the story of L90, a once booming (well perhaps booming) internet advertising company. It's actually funny to imagine these people sitting around planning this. Proving once against hat the vast majority of criminals are idiots...mj 10:09:53 AM

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