The Warp - Misc

Why I voted...

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 07:29:00 -0700

Last night was historic, I will give you that. Unfortunately though I couldn't see myself supporting Obama and his policies of wanting to expand the federal government and its control in Washington, D.C. The Constitution and the founders of this country never wanted a huge federal government as can be seen by their writings and even by the Constitution itself. The Constitution of the United States plainly states: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people." That is often overlooked, but it does mean that the power of the government should rely in the states and not with the federal government. If a state lets say decided to make a law lets say that made gay marriage illegal or even legal, that is their decision to make, not the federal government to force on every state. Voters of that individual state according to the Constitution should be able to make that decision on their own. I think as a nation we have gotten way too far away from the founding principles of the Constitution. Unfortunately the candidate that I supported, Ron Paul, wasn't able to make it through to the election. Ron Paul is all about restoring what the constitution set forth... freedom from a bunch of old men sitting in Washington, D.C.

TSA's Security Theater and huge gaps in security

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 05:00:00 -0700

The TSA has passed a new law that won't let you on a flight if you have forgotten your ID. Doesn't this seem like a no-brainer? You shouldn't let anyone on a flight without an ID, but there is another big gap in security right now. The big gap in security involves allowing individuals to print boarding passes from home. The reason why it is a problem is that the TSA does no verification to actually see if the name on the printed boarding pass is actually a valid passenger on a flight. All I would need to do to get past the TSA screening station would be to create my own boarding pass and go to the airport. I don't even need to buy a ticket and I can go through screening like any other passenger. I think that this is a real threat that has to be dealt with. Especially since that once you are past security you don't have to verify that the ticket you are holding is your own. There would be nothing stopping someone with trading their fake boarding pass with a real one that someone else had. With the current method that we have now it wouldn't matter if I was on a TSA watchlist or not. The TSA needs to tie into the airlines passenger lists or start some other secure method of verifying passengers. There also needs to be better verification at the gates to see if the ticket holder is the person boarding the plane. One method of verification would be some sort of Airport ID system. It would be an ID that is issued at the TSA screening checkpoint that you would have to turn in when you boarded the flight. This of course would still have to tie into the airlines passenger listings to only allow those with valid boarding passes past security. What the TSA is doing now is just Security Theater and doesn't do anything to protect us.

Politics: D.C. police to search your home for firearms if you volunteer...

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 06:47:00 -0700

With the gun laws that Washington D.C. has in question right now with the Supreme Court it seems that the city is trying to make a mad grab while it is still "legal" for them. There has been tremendous outrage in the D.C. community about the plans for the police to go door to door and ask if they can search your home for firearms. First of all the gun law that D.C. is using to seize the firearms is in question. Secondly this falls into the category of the government performing searches that are unreasonable. The government has no right to enter your home and perform a search without a warrant from a judge. The police have to provide evidence proving that you in fact have a gun. While it is true that the search is voluntary, just the fact they are asking to search your home is a problem. It shouldn't happen. Going door to door by the police leaves a lot of room for intimidation by the police. I can imagine police telling people that if they don't comply and let them search then they will look suspicious and they will have to come back with a warrant, but if they let them search now it will be all better. Warrantless searches are not only bad, they are unconstitutional.

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. "

I am not even going to get into the gun control issue here, but I do believe that you should be able to defend your home with whatever force you find necessary. The police don't protect you when you are in your home, they will investigate a crime that has happened, but they can never be there in the moment when someone is coming into your home to harm you. So if you live in D.C. and the police ask if they can search your home, just say NO. Source http://www.nbc4.com/news/15688264/detail.html

Golf...

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 07:22:00 -0700

I was reading an article in the New York Times about how more Americans are giving up golf. I for one haven't played in a few years. I was introduced to golf in high school where I played for nearly 4 years on the varsity golf team. We played golf almost everyday after school for hours on end. The endless practice on the range along with playing 4-5 holes a day was great at the time, but I didn't have much else going on. When I got into college I was asked to try out for the university team a few times, but I found that I didn't have the time to commit to it like I used to. Now that I am out of college, I played a few times over the past 8 years, but only enough to count it on one hand. I really do miss going out on the course and driving that ball down the fairway. With my current work hours though I am in the same situation I found myself in college, no time. Did anyone used to play all the time and now can't find the time? Or if you can find the time, what is your secret? Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/21/nyregion/21golf.html?ex=1361336400&en=8f31c41d9d3fcf06&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Happy President's Day

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 15:36:00 -0700

"We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good." -- Hilary Clinton, San Francisco, CA, June, 2004

The start of the recession?

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 21:46:00 -0700

Are we looking at the beginning of rough waters. With the markets starting to decline and companies starting to layoff workers we may be entering a recession in the US... Yahoo to lay off hundreds: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/22/technology/22yahoo.html?ex=1358658000&en=a9617f20470b78a3&ei=5089&partner=rssyahoo&emc=rss Stock rout deepens with slide of Asian stocks: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080122/bs_nm/markets_global1_dc_15 European stocks tumble: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080121/bs_afp/stockseuropeclose;_ylt=AloDZ12ABIlhLvNucNKS2tbv5rEF Sprint cuts 4,000 more jobs: http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/telecom/2008-01-18-sprint-jobs_N.htm?csp=34

Order your gifts today...

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 12:44:00 -0700

Today is the last day to order items from Amazon and have them delivered by Christmas eve on standard shipping...

Nov. 15, 1864: Sherman's March to the Sea Changes Tactical Warfare

Thu, 15 Nov 2007 07:43:00 -0700

1864: Union troops under Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman burn the heart of Atlanta to the ground and begin their March to the Sea. By the time they're done, the tactics of warfare will be changed forever. [More]

Light the Night... Fight to cure cancer...

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 08:09:00 -0700

Hello Everyone,

Many of you may not know this, but my wife is a cancer survivor. When she was only 17 she had two deadly forms of Leukemia at the same time, which is rare. She was treated and even though she has been in remission for 14 years, she is still affected by the disease everyday. In 2002 and in 2004 she had hip replacement surgery due to the steroids she had to take when she had cancer. We need your to help find a cure so that future generations won't have to go through any of this or even know what the word cancer means.

Here is the message from my wife:

I am walking in honor of myself and in memory of all the friends I have lost along the way. I am walking so my daughter may never know what the word cancer means. Please help us raise money to fight this horrible disease. A little about me: I was diagnosed with Leukemia during my junior year of High School. I was diagnosed with two forms of Leukemia ALL and AML. I underwent a bone marrow transplant and chemotherapy shortly thereafter. I have been in remission for 14 years. If it wasn't for the money raised by people to sponsor research I would not be here today. Today I have a beautiful family and I am planning on walking with them. Please help fight this horrible disease with me. I was actually the LLS (Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) Woman of the Year a few years ago and on the Gelatin Slide Committee for many, many years. This year I look forward to joining many people as they "Light the Night" for people who have been affected by blood related cancers like me.

Research is responsible for increasing survival rates for these diseases; the battle is far from over. Did you know that:

· Every five minutes, someone in this country is diagnosed with blood cancer: Every ten minutes, someone loses the fight.

· Leukemia causes more deaths than any other cancer among children.

· Lymphomas are the most common blood cancers.

· The myeloma survival rate is only 32 percent.

Please make a donation to support my participation in the Light The Night Walk. By doing so, we'll both be helping save lives and I'll be getting a work out! Be sure to check my Web site frequently to see my progress. Thanks for your support!

Help us to collect money that can be used to find a cure for cancer.

http://www.active.com/donate/ltnMelvil/2074_jaimefall

Your help is greatly appreciated,

-jeff

IT's future--how about 20-hour work weeks?

Thu, 31 May 2007 09:20:00 -0700

"CIOs need to prepare for the 20-hour working week as social models and technologies change to promote a work-light future, analyst house Gartner predicts. By 2015, more people will spend less time in work as companies surrender to individual demands to retain more experienced and skilled workers." My question is why would anyone ever want to take half the pay to not be at work. I mean how could one afford to live? I might take a bit of a pay cut if that meant I could work from anywhere I wanted to, but I would never switch to working half time. Does anyone know of any company that lets its workers work from home full time? Do they take a cut in pay to take advantage of that? I would love to hear from anyone out there that knows of someone in that situation. source: http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9589_22-6187506.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=zdnn

REVIEW: My Verizon XV6700...

Wed, 14 Mar 2007 08:31:00 -0700

I have been using my new phone now for a couple of weeks and I thought I would give my user experience with this cool phone. Let me first say that I have never owned a PDA phone before and because of this I didn't go in expecting certain features. The first thing that really stuck out with me about this phone was the keyboard. The keyboard is very nice and easy to use. It makes typing emails and text messages a breeze. When the keyboard is slid out it makes viewing websites easy because of the wide format. My phone has the unlimited web package from Verizon and let me tell you this is a must for this phone. I have used the internet on this phone almost non-stop since I got it. You can also use the browser in wifi mode. I have done this many times when I can find an open hotspot. [More]

My Star Wars Stuff up on Ebay...

Sun, 11 Mar 2007 16:27:00 -0700

I am cleaning out a lot of my Star Wars stuff I collected when I was working as a web developer at Hasbro. If you are into Star Wars check it out: http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQfgtpZ1QQfrppZ25QQsassZledge001 I will be adding more and more stuff this week so check back.

CompUSA Closing More Than 50 Percent of Stores

Wed, 28 Feb 2007 11:32:00 -0700

CompUSA said in a statement it would close 126 of its stores and would receive a $440 million cash capital infusion, but it was not specific as to the source of the cash. The company also said it would cut costs and restructure. The company operates 225 stores, which its Web site says are located in the United States and Puerto Rico. All I have to say is why?? I understand why they have to do it, but it is disappointing at the same time. Their product line was much better than Best Buy or Circuit City and their staff was always much more knowledgeable. Source: http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,2099068,00.asp

My New Phone, the Verizon XV6700...

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 15:27:00 -0700

In the next few days I am going to be writing a full review of my new phone I got yesterday, the UTStarcom BTR6700. From the amount I have been able to use it so far I have enjoyed using the pda/smartphone. There have been some things I have had to get used to with the phone, mainly because I am not used to having a pda/smartphone. I guess that is why my review will be at least a little interesting, this is my first device like this so I will not be expecting features that exist on other phones. Look forward to seeing a full review in a week or so. [More]

NPR: Online Ad Agencies Face Shortage of Workers

Thu, 22 Feb 2007 18:33:00 -0700

Looking for a new job opportunity? According to this NPR item, online ad agencies are hiring qualified candidates like gangbusters. Apparently many people involved in digital advertising fled after the dot.com boom deflated, leaving a gap in the industry that is now waiting to be filled by a new crew savvy to emerging media and, in ways, more professionally adaptable than the previous generation of employees. Worth a listen. Here is a quote from the transcript: "RENEE MONTAGNE, host: On Mondays we focus on technology; today job opportunities. The Internet is sweeping away jobs in old media, such as newspapers, even as it is creating jobs in new media, such as digital advertising. As companies pour more ad money into the Web, digital agencies are rushing to hire more people to meet the demand. NPR's Frank Langfitt reports. FRANK LANGFITT: Traditional ad agencies have shed tens of thousands of workers in recent years. But digital firms,..." Audio: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7486686