Hip Argot, Categorical Imperatives and Other Ideas of Import
It’s not uncommon, and frankly it seems increasingly more common, to see in a newspaper or elsewhere in “mainstream media” some crushing criticism of “blogs.” The first such criticism I saw in it’s full vitriolic glory was in the Boston Globe. Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy and Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling haven’t been what one might call friends almost from the moment Schilling arrived from Arizona. Last year, when Schilling started his own blog,...
Earlier in the year, Jose Canseco appeared on the radio while plugging his new book and from apparently thin air he announced Roger Clemens was the only athlete he knew that hadn’t cheated on his wife. Huh? Well, now we know what Jose was getting at and every radio producer in the country is scouring recordings of Canseco interviews he’s done recently to look for other odd remarks – of which I am sure there are many, Jose’s not exactly known for his…um, coherence...
I'm almost - ALMOST - ashamed to admit this. It’s one of those things: I KNOW what I should do, I just can’t quite bring myself to do it is all. I’m conflicted. I like trucks. I like my truck. I like big toys that aren’t particularly good for either the environment or my wallet. This is my - well, it's registered to me - Truck. 4x4. Trailer hitch. Mag wheels. Yeah baby. I remember, it was perhaps my freshman year...
So, as if oil weren’t already horrifyingly expensive on the world markets, according to Bloomberg, British Petroleum shut down a North Sea pipeline due to a strike at a Scottish refinery and, in separate news, gunmen attacked a Nigerian export terminal in an area already beset by strikes and terrorism. At the end of the day, the world was paying up to $119.93 for a barrel. Trading is up 79% over a year ago with 25% of that increase coming this month. The British...
Despite the heated Presidential primaries, Senators Clinton and Obama (along with Senator Kennedy and a host of others) introduced the Civil Rights Act of 2008, S. 2554, demonstrating that there can be things done while on the campaign trail. These changes would have a demonstrable effect on how employers train their supervisors and will affect the calculus behind allowing cases to go to trial. In other words, if you're an employer, these changes affect the ability to defend and protect...
You never know who knows whom. If there is no other reason to treat other folks well, it’s that you don’t know who knows whom, or who you may run into. Case in point, I had a job interview not long after I had gotten out of college. I was asked to go to the front desk, and complete an employment application. I asked the receptionist for an application, made some small talk, and went about my business. I got the job and I came to find out that...
Today marks the real start of the NFL season – the start of the draft. The Dolphins have taken the suspense out of the number one pick by signing Jake Long earlier in the week, but they have also made a few trades: Cowboys send tight end Anthony Fasano and linebacker Akin Ayodele to the Phins for a fourth round pick. How big an indictment is that: One team will package up two guys and get 1 pick, meaning that they’ll have to pick someone else up somewhere else and those guys...
In July 1996, a bomb was detonated in Centennial Park in Atlanta during the Summer Olympics. Two people died, and 111 were injured. My daughter had just turned one a few days before. In September 1972, a group kidnapped and murdered 11 Israeli athletes and coaches in Munich, West Germany. I was almost 3. My son will be turning 3 this summer. This summer, in case you hadn't heard, the Summer Olympics will be held in Beijing, China. With the protests surrounding the carrying of the torch,...
We packed up the fam and went to Six Flags yesterday. A couple of observations: I'm standing there reading an advertising sign - "Advertise in an fun and exciting environment." Then I flushed the urinal - I didn't realize the men's room was a fun & exciting environment. My daughter and her friend went on a ride. "What ride did you go on?" The Mind Eraser. "Oh, was it good?" I don't remember My sunglasses flew off during a period of "zero gravity"...
Today is Earth Day – the 38th anniversary of the political teach in founded by Senator Nelson of Wisconsin. Leaded gasoline was about $0.34. Today’s regular unleaded is running almost $3.50 with oil running approximately $116 a barrel. The Oldsmobile Cutlass was one of the best selling cars that year – 3340 pounds of pure gut wrenching V-8 engine power. The American Motors Company released the Gremlin on April 1 – “Detroit Fights Back”...
The James Bond Aston Martin heading for the set of 'Quantum of Solace' – the new Bond film – slid off an Italian road and plunged into Lake Garda. I guess this means the DBS will be making a return appearance – but I would hope a car that costs some $265,000 would be able to hold the road in a rain storm. In Massachusetts, it was Patriots Day – not New England Patriots Day – tomorrow it’s Earth Day. Today’s concerts in Washington fizzled...
My stupidity is well documented – When it comes to things like yard work, I’m not a very smart man. I tend to live by the idea that I’m not real smart, but I can lift heavy things. That’s a pretty serviceable motto. I’ve been mulching the yard like a mad man over the last week or so. It now looks like a well mulched dirt patch. What will usually happen is that throughout April and through mid-May, it will rain enough to have some grass...
I bought gas yesterday at $3.29/gal. This morning at the same station it was $3.39. Oh, yeah, can’t forget the 9/10 of a cent. Anyway, a week ago that gas was $3.19. I know, I know – that’s below the national average, but when the price goes up $0.20 in about a week, and you’re driving 100 miles a day, you tend to notice these things and it doesn’t matter if you were paying less or not – an increase is an increase. Less than...
More properly categorized as "Business," but I sped around youtube to gather these up for the sheer entertainment value. If they sell you a credit report, great - I don't get anything out of it. Eric Violette is the actor/entertainer behind the commericals - sadly for this American (you know the old joke: if someone who speaks two languages is bi-lingual, what do you call a person who speaks one language? An American) his website is in French. Seems they speak...
Those of us who live in the Boston area remember at least two things from the 2007 World Series: Jonathan Papelbon striking out the last batter on a called strike three in game 4 to win the championship - a feeling of unbridled joy and; realizing that we hadn't bought any furniture at Jordan's Furniture during their free furniture promotion if the Red Sox won it all - a feeling of unbounded regret. This year, the furniture store is running a similar promotion - if the Red Sox win it all in...
Hey, this is pretty cool. The Marketplace has been added to alltop, along with Fragnoli’s “Reel to Field” Blog. Today’s the last work day before a week off. Thank goodness for that one. The Red Sox are playing Texas over the weekend after a rather successful 4 game trip – 2 in Cleveland, 2 in New York – going 3-1. Manny hit career homer 495 last night, 5 away from the most common benchmark for Hall of Fame consideration. Meanwhile...
Talk about malaise. Somewhere in the back of my mind I understand the Red Sox are playing baseball in New York. Emotionally, I just can't seem to get myself up for it. THe landscaping in my yard is coming along nicely. When all is said and done, there will be no question whether or not it was professionally landscaped. It wasn't. I took delivery of 5 yards of mulch the other day; it's been wonderful weatherwise, I know because I can see the sun from my office window. Any way, upon my arrival...
This is pronkrageous. The urban dictionary defines pronk as "jump straight up" or otherwise the equivalent of the word "stotting." The urban dictionary defines pronk as "jump straight up" otherwise known as the equivalent of the word "stotting." There is also Travis Hafner who goes by the nick name "Pronk," for a combination of "Project" and "Donkey," and it is for that meaning that I should out npc and...
Here's an interesting tidbit - the world's population will hit 6,666,666,666 some time in in May, deduced from population estimates for May 1 and June 1. Perhaps you're in the "final destination" business and are looking to set yourself up with a website. Here are a few suggestions that were available as of April 15 - yesterday. An issue near and dear to my heart, taxes - or perhaps put another way, the limiting of their applicability - may be coming soon to interstate commerce...
This is about as bad as it gets as a sports fan. Antonio Narainasami fell to his death off an escalator last night at Shea Stadium. It gets worse because his wife is pregnant with their third child and his two other kids were right behind him, walking down the powered-off escalator.
His cousin said he just lost his footing, but authorities believe he was goofing around, trying to slide down the handrail. According to Fox Sports, the only other fans to have died at a New York baseball game died because they had fallen off escalator rails. The last one was in 1999.
As a dad, I think the thing I worry about most is setting an example for my kids. It's okay to be silly and fun loving, but it's really not okay to do stupid things...like sliding on an escalator railing 30 or so feet in the air. I worry about doing the right thing, sometimes it's just hard to know. My thoughts are with those kids right now...I'm so sorry for their loss.
As an aside, The Mets won 6-0 over the Nationals.
In other, less important, news the Bruins are but one game away from succumbing to the superior power that is the Montreal Canadiens.
The flip side is that in 4 games, 3 of them have been decided by 1 goal and 2 have gone to overtime. Fact is, though, that the B's are completely outclassed by the Habs....hard as it is for me to admit that, having grown up a Bruins fan...The B's lost 1-0.
The Red Sox won last night in the second of two games in Cleveland, and in the second of two games in Cleveland, a 9th inning homer sealed the deal for the Sox. This time it was Jason Varitek who did the Indians in. The night before it was Manny Ramirez.
Varitek came in to pinch hit for light hitting Kevin Cash while Varitek was on his off night.
Jed Lowrie, the Pawtucket call up - and uberprospect - filling in for Mike Lowell, had a memorable debut driving in 3 runs on a fielders' choice and a 2-run single.
The NFL released the 2008 season schedule yesterday. The Pats have Week 4 as a bye week??? Are you (expletive) kidding me? Man, looks like the league is particularly interested in having the Pats go away....I didn't even know a Week 4 bye was even possible. The schedule is up at Patriots.com
"What at first was plunder assumed the softer name of revenue. "
~Thomas Paine
Today is April 15 - Tax Day in the United States. If you haven't yet filed your taxes, the clock is ticking.
The IRS Website is filled with information on how to pay your taxes, forms to use, identity theft information. Even better and more informative, the IRS gives us a page of nothing but quotes about taxes, as perhaps an attempt to put a smiley face on a the greyest of grey, drab government agencies - as if calling it the "Internal Revenue SERVICE" somehow makes it something other than the official money grabber of the government.
The "Service" includes a disclaimer at the top of their quotes page: "When it comes to taxes, everyone has an opinion. These quotes reflect the opinions of their authors; their inclusion here is not an official IRS endorsement of the sentiments expressed."
Surprisingly, though, while the IRS rejects the notion they endorse the expressed sentiments, there doesn't seem to be any truly anti-tax sentiments expressed, unless you consider this Gerald Barzan quote anti-tax: "Taxation with representation ain't so hot either."
Funny, they don't consider this Will Rogers' quote worthy of their page: "If you make any money, the government shoves you in the creek once a year with it in your pockets, and all that don't get wet you can keep."
Or this William Simon quote: "The nation should have a tax system that looks like someone designed it on purpose."
Why Move the Date
When the 16th Amendment was passed on February 3, 1913, March 1 was chosen as the tax reporting day. In 1918, that day was moved to March 15 where it stayed until 1955, and hence the reason Ogden Nash discusses March as "that month of wind and taxes" when he wrote "Thar She Blows" in 1949. Why move the date?
When it was moved to April 15, the rationale was to give the IRS more time to handle the work. However, when the government collects payroll taxes - whether or not those taxes are equivalent to the individual tax payer's tax burden - that which is collected over and above the actual tax liability is essentially a 0% interest loan to the government. The longer that the government can avoid repaying that additional money, is money the government has at its disposal that it doesn't have to pay for.
April 23 - Tax Freedom Day
This year, federal income tax filers with income of more than $3000 will receive an economic stimulus check from the government. Because of this "largess" from a government returning money to its citizenry, "Tax Freedom Day," the date on which Americans have earned the equivalent of their yearly tax burden. According to The Tax Foundation, in 2008, "Tax Freedom Day" is April 23.
In 2008, taxes will amount to 30.8% of our income, April 23 is 30.8% of the way through the year. This is 3 days earlier than in 2007, largely because of the anticipated "economic stimulus" checks the government will be mailing later on in the year. On a state-by-state basis, the date changes. The latest is May 8 in Connecticut; the earliest is March 29 in Alaska.
Despite the relative labor peace and the long, sustained increase in the NFL’s popularity, the owners may be heading on a different tack. In February of this year, it was reported the Owners were considering opting out of the current collective bargaining agreement, which would put the league’s salary cap in jeopardy for the 2010 season due to their belief the arrangement agreed to in March 2006 has created a financially untenable situation for the league.
In 1993, the National Football League and its Players Association – the NFLPA – agreed to terms on a successor collective bargaining agreement that included a salary cap. In the years since, competitive balance in the league has changed such that season-to-season changes in the success of previously unsuccessful franchises has made for an increase in popularity of the game and league, which has had the effect of increasing revenues. Increased revenues – the criteria on which the salary cap is based – has led to increased player salaries.
At the time of the March 2006 agreement, the owners and players agreed to an increase in the sharing of qualified league revenues to 60%, ostensibly to maintain the salary cap. Now, it seems the League and some owners are publicly taking the position a salary cap is not absolutely necessary, although it is the preferred approach. The NFLPA, for its part, has said that if the salary cap is allowed to expire, it will never accept another.
While the owners are publicly taking the position that the salary cap may not be that important, the NFLPA has some internal unrest upon which the owners are likely to be seizing.
NFLPA Executive Director Gene Upshaw is scheduled to leave office in 2010 with some apparent movement on his part to influence succession planning and with some internal dissention as to organizational status of some positions within the NFLPA.
Currently the Players Association is looking at the various scenarios which could be at play if/when the owners exercise the option to cancel the collective bargaining agreement: negotiating a successor agreement, strike vs. lock out, and decertification. If the players were to decertify the NFLPA as the exclusive bargaining agent of the players, the NFL could be in violation of anti-trust statutes.
The NFLPA has already decertified once in 1989, which led to player anti-trust suits and eventually to the 1993 collective bargaining agreement granting free agency rights in return for a salary cap.
We all remember that in 2004 the Yankees helped the Red Sox break an 86 year curse in the most remarkable of fashions. I don’t know what’s more remarkable this time – that some idiot buried a Sox jersey in the cement under what would be the visitors clubhouse of the new Yankees Stadium, that he told anyone about it before the place even opened, or that the Yankees actually called him on it and spent 5 hours – and heavens knows how much money – on digging it up,...
I guess this falls under the category of not biting the hand that feeds you, but if you read my recent entry on "Blogging for fun and profit", you'll recall that it's not a terribly big hand that's giving me some snacks every now and again, so I don't feel too badly about this one. Yeah, I run some Google Ad Sense ads on these pages...never really amounts to much, and for the most part they're unobtrusive and kind of relevant - although when you're all over the place with your subject...
"Dumbo" is my son's current favorite movie. Before bedtime, we often wind up snuggling up with some warm milk and "Dumbo." My children are some years apart and when my oldest was young, we bought a copy of the 1941 Disney movie when it was out on DVD. I've never really felt 100% comfortable with the movie, but have only just now started putting together some of the lessons "Dumbo" has been teaching children for the better part of the last 70 years. Here are some...
So, I'm looking at these old commercials on YouTube. I was actually looking for one to link in my last entry about the possibility of using paranormal infestation as a legal defense at the NLRB - if you're in your late thirties to mid-forties or so, you might remember this Tootsie Roll commercial, "How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?"
"The World May Never Know."
YouTube is nothing if not ingenious about the way you can get sucked into related items. I quickly found another one I remembered from my childhood....
"Whatever it is I think I see, becomes a Tootsie Roll to me...." Yup. You don't get that high quality stuff on Saturday morning anymore.
Anyway, sometimes the items aren't always "related" in the sense you might expect.
I guess this is a bit "Old School" - hockey sweaters aren't really "in" anymore are they? - but I thought this was just some good time fun...
"And you over there with the long hair, keep workin that derriere..." Yup. That's some good stuff.
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruled on "Brian David Sanderson d/b/a ABS Heating and Cooling and Local 7, Sheet Metal Workers International Association, AFL-CIO" on April 7, 2008. The decision can be found at the NLRB website. On April 2, NLRB Chairman Schaumber, testified to a congressional subcommittee that 15% of the NLRB's cases are being turned away because of unfilled vacancies on the board, and that those vacancies are limiting decisions to opinions on which he...
This is at once a case of "what else can happen" and of good planning. Oh sure, what else can happen. Mike Lowell hits the 15 day DL with a sprained left thumb. Since they have a roster spot, the Sox have promoted shortstop Jed Lowrie who is on the roster tonight, wearing an uncharacteristically low number for a guy in his position - 12. Good planning When the Sox signed Sean Casey, it was seen pretty much as a no brainer - a high quality guy off the bench to spell Youkilis...
660,000 2003-2004 vehicles manufactured by the New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI) plant, a joint venture of General Motors and Toyota Motors, are being recalled due to bolts in the power window system that may loosen and cause the door glass to separate from the window regulator. Replacement of the driver and front passenger door glass bolts will be done at no charge. Cars with manual windows are not affected by the recall. The recall affects 539,500 Corolla and Matrix passenger...
Drivers have long been crafty at hiding what they've been doing from public safety officials. The latest product to sell itself as being able assist them in doing so is "AntiPoleez." Have one of these mints and "no one will know that you've been drinking." Sen-sen gum was a common masking agent for alcohol on the breath back in the day, and over time breath sprays have been used with the intent of masking alcohol on one's breath to avoid a driving under the influence (DUI)...
Today is a bittersweet day for me. On April 9, 1993 my nephew James was born - a beautiful little boy joined us in this world. On April 9, 1969 my very first friend in the world also joined us in this world. Happy Birthday, Dave. I miss you. It is a bittersweet day in that on July 29, 2002, Dave left us. Not feeling well that Saturday afternoon, he went to lie down to tape a nap, a nap during which he suffered an aneurism. His brain swelled and he never regained...
Holy crap – oil prices are up to $112.21 a barrel today. It really wasn’t that long ago that OPEC suggested that the optimum price for a barrel of oil was $25 – anything more would have the tendency to negatively affect the US economy. Over this year, oil has increased by 80% and has increased by 9% THIS MONTH. According to Bloomberg, that’s the second only to wheat’s increase on an index of 19 commodities. Wheat has doubled, but when...
I stumbled upon an interesting article on ZDNet about the world of blogging and how stressful it can be. While my page views and certainly any advertising revenue are miniscule, I can't imagine being stressed out over this, but then again, this isn't my life; it's not my career, not my job. It's my hobby. Over the lifetime of this blog, my AdSense effective earnings per 1,000 page views is $0.29 and there have been 15,925 views . For the uninitiated, that means over a...
Today's World Series - the World Championship of Baseball - is a given. Except for the truncated 1994 season, a championship series has been played between the National League and the American League since 1905, with the first series between the two leagues having been held in 1903. Over the 103 World Series; 99 have been a best-of-7 affair. What of those other 4-series and why are there 7-games in the series? The first World Series in 1903 was a best of 9-game arrangement between the American...
Seven years ago, Mrs. Mo and I were married. SEVEN! Doesn't seem that long. As soon as I met her that I knew I was going to marry her - it's called kismet. No, no. Not THAT kismet - the concept of fate...that we were just meant to be together. It was that little something that fired off - we'd known each other a hundred years. Like we were two old souls that had just found each other again. I'd never felt like that before. It was a beautiful spring Saturday sandwiched between two...
Visit the official campaign headquarters of Ending the Income Tax in Massachusetts What Are the Benefits of Ending the Income Tax in Massachusetts? 1. The Ballot Initiative will give back over $3,600 each to over 3,000,000 Massachusetts workers. $3,600 average. Each worker. Not just once. Every year. 2. It will take $11 Billion out of the hands of Massachusetts Big Government – and put it back into the hands of the men and women who earned it. Not just once. Every year. 3....
n testimony to a Senate subcommittee on April 2, the newly appointed chair of the National Labor Relations Board Peter Schaumber, revealed that about 15% of the NRLB's cases are being turned away because of vacancies on the board. These vacancies are not likely to be filled any time soon, due to political posturing. The NLRB should have 5 members appointed to 5-year terms, with a staggered expiration schedule such that a members' term expires each year, however currently there are 3-vacancies...
"The New Employee Verification Act" (H.R. 5515) was introduced by Rep. Sam Johnson of Texas February 28, 2008. "NEVA" would amend the Social Security Act and the Immigration and Nationality Act to prevent unauthorized employment, and it would improve coordination of the provisions of these laws. It creates a mandatory employment verification system for all US employers. This bill, sponsored by the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) led interest group "Human...
hushed tones) Mo: Mo’s Marketplace! SIR Larsen B: Mo’s Marketplace! Lanz-a-lot: Mo’s Marketplace! Pattyboy: “…it’s only a model…” Mo: Shhh…. I've spent a fair amount of time being quite PO'd today, dealing with these stupid April Fool's Day gags. I'm reading my email at google at come across this new little feature they've added. Well, my first inclination was to be irritated - how can they do this...then I wanted to play with...
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