tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66355752024-03-04T21:04:21.457-08:00Thoughts of Dana personal and public white boardDan Fishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04523601323250034654noreply@blogger.comBlogger75125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635575.post-79238596842011728832024-02-29T08:13:00.000-08:002024-02-29T08:13:40.521-08:00Parking at the Baltimore Greyhound<p>There is no overnight parking at the Baltimore Greyhound station, but 200 yards away is the Horseshoe casino, which has $5 a day parking, and free for Caesars Reward Clubs members. The free parking is fine, but the Rewards parking is monitored. </p><p><br /></p><p>You can get a rewards card for free in the casino, or at any other Caesars casino. Mine is from Vegas.</p>Dan Fishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04523601323250034654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635575.post-30091032069076480702023-10-30T12:01:00.001-07:002023-10-30T12:08:33.357-07:00It's always ok to negotiate.<p>When I was a kid we went to Congregation B'nai Israel in Galveston, Texas. You wouldn't think it, but Galveston has an old congregation by Texas standards and a beautiful Temple built by one of the great leaders in Texas Jewish history, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Cohen_(rabbi)">Rabbi Henry Cohen</a>.<br /><br />Every year we would do the first Passover seder at the Temple with a hundred other people. It was wonderful to share this OLD tradition and hear from elders in the temple about their Passovers in the past.<br /><br />But of course kids look forward to one thing more than anything else during Passover.<br /><br />I remember Rabbi Stahl in 1974 standing in the center of the room, surrounded by the children, their eyes wide with anticipation. "Children, the afikomen you are about to search for is not just a piece of matzah. It represents a significant part of our Passover tradition. The seder, this special meal that tells our story of freedom, cannot continue without the return of the afikomen. It's a symbol of redemption and hope, reminding us of our journey from slavery to freedom. And just as our ancestors awaited their liberation, we too await the return of the afikomen to complete our seder. So, search with enthusiasm, joy, and understanding of its importance. May the one who finds it be blessed with the wisdom of our tradition and the joy of uniting us all once again in our celebration.<br /><br />"The afikomen is hidden either in the music room, the library or my office. Please be very careful as you look to leave the room exactly as you found it. Whoever brings back the afikomen, will in addition to our thanks, be given ONE DOLLAR. Now GO!!"<br /><br />All the kids raced out in every direction. I was six at the time and my brother was four, and though my mother told me to look out for him, he was too slow and I left him behind. I raced through the music room and make a quick look, but found nothing, I went to the library but there were too many people there and too many books. In the rabbis office there was nothing. I ran back to the music room just in time to see my brother, who was too slow to keep up, look UNDER the piano bench, where the afikomen was taped. He pulled it out, and I may have tried to persuade him to give it to me to take back, but he was cunning, even then.<br /><br />We walked back into the giant dining hall where all the adults were still seated and chatting and I yelled "JEREMY FOUND THE AFIKOMEN!!!" <br /><br />People started clapping and the Rabbi said "Bring it on up Jeremy, and claim your one dollar prize! We can't restart the seder until you do!"<br /><br />As my brother approached the center table, the grizzled hand of one of the temple elders, Sly Ehrlich, reached out and grabbed him - the boney fingers and numerical tattoo on his outstretched arm is a memory burned into my mind. He pulled my brother in and said "They can't restart the Seder without it? Kid! You're Jewish! Don't take the first offer! I've got another dollar right here for you to return the afikomen. Will anyone else match it?" <br /><br />In the end Jeremy got $12, of which my mother made him put $2 in the Tzedakah box, and everyone learned a valuable lesson about not taking the first offer.</p>Dan Fishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04523601323250034654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635575.post-83641716905901240582023-09-27T11:33:00.000-07:002023-09-27T11:33:54.639-07:00Star Wars Theory: An Unintentional Force Bond - Did Padmé Truly Love Anakin? <p>Throughout the Star Wars saga, the Force manifests in various mysterious ways. It guides, it connects, and sometimes, it influences. One of the most controversial and debated relationships in the series is that of Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala. Their love story seemed rushed and, to many fans, somewhat inauthentic. Was it truly love or was there an unseen Force at play?</p>
<h2>Unintended Influence and Late Training</h2>
<p>Anakin Skywalker was discovered by Qui-Gon Jinn at a much older age than most Jedi initiates. As a result, Anakin began his training with a raw, uncontrolled connection to the Force. Unlike his peers, who were trained from infancy to hone and control their abilities, Anakin had unknowingly relied on the Force in various aspects of his life, sometimes not for the better.</p>
<p>It is entirely plausible that his strong and uncontrolled emotions towards Padmé inadvertently created a Force bond. This bond may have made her feel a deeper connection to him than she otherwise would have. <b>While it's clear that Padmé cared for Anakin, the true depth and nature of her love could have been unconsciously swayed by Anakin's latent and unintentional Force manipulations</b>.</p>
<h2>Awkward Intimacy</h2>
<p>Many fans have commented on the seemingly awkward romantic scenes between Anakin and Padmé. What if this awkwardness wasn't just a filmmaking choice, but rather a portrayal of a relationship influenced by a force (no pun intended) neither party fully understood? Their interactions might have felt 'off' because, at some level, they were. Anakin's untrained power could have been unintentionally nudging Padmé's feelings, making them more intense than they would have been organically.</p>
<h2>The Crushing Realization</h2>
<p>In "Revenge of the Sith," as Anakin's visions of Padmé's death become more vivid, his desperation to save her grows. What if this desperation was not only fueled by his love for her, but by the dawning realization that he had unintentionally used the Force on the woman he loved?</p>
<p>When Palpatine seduces Anakin with the promise of the power to prevent death, it isn't just the allure of saving Padmé's life that tempts him. It's the hope for redemption — a chance to make right the wrong he had unknowingly committed by influencing her feelings. When faced with this internal conflict, Anakin's transformation into Darth Vader becomes not just about power or fear of loss, but also about self-loathing.</p>
<p>In this light, Darth Vader's journey is even more tragic. The dark path he chose was not only driven by external factors and manipulations, but by the internal agony of realizing he might have unknowingly robbed the love of his life of her agency. By becoming Vader, he embraces the monster he believes he has become, further isolating himself from any chance of redemption or genuine love.</p>
<p>While this is just a theory, it adds a layer of depth and tragedy to Anakin's character and makes his descent into darkness even more profound.</p>
<br />Dan Fishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04523601323250034654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635575.post-37797705459866205672023-08-04T18:25:00.001-07:002023-08-04T18:31:29.938-07:00White Paper: Secure Multi-Vendor Supertoken Authentication<h2 style="text-align: left;">Abstract</h2><p>This white paper proposes a novel "<b>supertoken</b>" authentication system that incorporates multi-vendor verification. The supertoken system allows users to authenticate with multiple authorities, and then utilize this supertoken to verify their identity across various web platforms. This enhances security measures and mitigates the risk of a single password compromise or impersonation, by leveraging multi-vendor checks for user validation.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">1. Introduction</h2><p>As the digital landscape continues to expand and evolve, the need for robust and secure authentication mechanisms has never been greater. Traditionally, users log in to each platform separately, exposing them to multiple points of vulnerability. A breach in any single platform could potentially lead to unauthorized access to user's data. Our supertoken system addresses this challenge by introducing multi-vendor authentication, creating a unified and secured method of user verification.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">2. Multi-Vendor Authentication</h2><p>Upon initiation of an internet session, a user authenticates with five different authorities. Each authority verifies the user's credentials and provides a token. These tokens are used to create a unified "supertoken" which encapsulates the user's verified status across all participating authorities. This supertoken can then be presented to any website the user visits subsequently.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">3. Supertoken Usage and Validation</h2><p>Websites requiring user authentication can use this supertoken in addition to their own authentication methods. By validating the supertoken, websites can ensure the user's authenticity across multiple authority platforms, thus, adding another layer of security. The validation process includes decoding the supertoken, verifying signatures and checking validity with each of the original five authorities.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">4. Enhanced Security</h2><p>This approach presents several benefits. First, by dividing the authentication responsibility among multiple authorities, we mitigate the risk of a single point of failure. A compromised password at one authority would not allow access without the valid supertoken from all authorities. Second, the supertoken system reduces the chances of successful impersonation. Since the supertoken requires validation from multiple authorities, faking authentication would require breaching all authorities simultaneously, a significantly more challenging feat.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">5. Privacy Considerations</h2><p>Supertoken does not compromise user privacy. The data shared with each authority is limited to what's necessary for authentication. Furthermore, when a website validates a supertoken, it only receives a confirmation of validity, not the specific details of the user's credentials with each authority.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">6. Conclusion</h2><p>The proposed supertoken system offers a new standard for user authentication, significantly bolstering security across multiple platforms while maintaining user privacy. Its implementation can strengthen trust in digital transactions and reduce the risk of data breaches and impersonation attempts.</p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">7. Future Work</h2><p>The development of the supertoken system is only the beginning. As we move forward, we'll explore potential partnerships with various authorities and platforms, enhancing interoperability and further strengthening online security. We also plan to review the potential for further privacy enhancements and the feasibility of integrating two-factor or multi-factor authentication methods into the supertoken system.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">8. Call to Action</h2><p>As we strive to build a more secure and trustworthy digital landscape, we encourage platforms, authorities, and developers to embrace this new paradigm. Together, we can redefine user authentication for the modern web and protect users' digital identities in this rapidly evolving digital era.<br /><br />______________________________<br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This supertoken system concept is open to the public and available for use, distribution, and modification under the terms of the MIT License. We invite and encourage developers, tech enthusiasts, and all interested parties to leverage this idea to foster a safer digital landscape. The MIT License ensures that this concept remains free for all, allowing for extensive collaboration, innovation, and widespread adoption in various digital environments. Our hope is that this idea will catalyze advancements in digital security, offering robust user authentication for an increasingly interconnected world.</i></span></p><div><br /></div>Dan Fishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04523601323250034654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635575.post-77033827351198174302023-05-22T07:07:00.001-07:002023-05-22T07:10:46.951-07:00Shield Your Wallet: The Importance of RFID Blocking Cards in Preventing Remote Skimming<p></p><h2 style="text-align: center;"><br /></h2><h1 style="text-align: center;">Shield Your Wallet: The Importance of RFID Blocking Cards in Preventing Remote Skimming</h1><h2 style="text-align: center;"> tl;dr Buy this for $10, protect 4 wallets.</h2><h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07T8PYBKM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1&_encoding=UTF8&tag=fishdan-20&linkCode=ur2&linkId=195b320d3566d72e817851c8356bf13e&camp=1789&creative=9325" target="_blank">RFID Blocking Wallet Inserts</a></h2><h2 style="text-align: left;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07T8PYBKM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1&_encoding=UTF8&tag=fishdan-20&linkCode=ur2&linkId=195b320d3566d72e817851c8356bf13e&camp=1789&creative=9325" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm3d56JQZq89T613ktIzU7-tS1Qd3hXWRdbK4bvAEAVi-n8KN2gk4gRVnSN4gpD_5taS_JXeTzy8M895AJEvUok6oHAjJ_Z8TnZtfNQ8SqIDxvFRF5jQ4Kif61VvdFhe3vVNNtEXphMR3Vpb9UWAP4dgn8D8YDURD78kgQemzQbwGhux5X_Lw/s1024/1024px-WalletMpegMan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm3d56JQZq89T613ktIzU7-tS1Qd3hXWRdbK4bvAEAVi-n8KN2gk4gRVnSN4gpD_5taS_JXeTzy8M895AJEvUok6oHAjJ_Z8TnZtfNQ8SqIDxvFRF5jQ4Kif61VvdFhe3vVNNtEXphMR3Vpb9UWAP4dgn8D8YDURD78kgQemzQbwGhux5X_Lw/s320/1024px-WalletMpegMan.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></h2><p>In our increasingly connected world, technological advancements have revolutionized the way we carry out daily tasks. From contactless payments to smart transportation systems, convenience has become paramount. However, as we embrace these innovations, we must also remain vigilant about the potential risks they may pose. One such risk is remote skimming, a threat that can compromise the security of our financial information. Thankfully, there is a simple and effective solution at hand: <b>RFID blocking cards</b>. In this blog post, we'll delve into the world of remote skimming, exploring why you should consider adding an RFID blocking card to your wallet for enhanced protection.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Understanding Remote Skimming:</h3>Remote skimming, also known as RFID skimming, is a technique employed by malicious individuals to steal sensitive data from RFID-enabled cards without direct physical contact. RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology utilizes radio waves to transmit information wirelessly, allowing for seamless communication between devices. While this technology brings convenience and efficiency to our lives, it also introduces vulnerabilities that can be exploited by cybercriminals.<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">How Remote Skimming Works:</h3>Remote skimming operates by utilizing a concealed RFID reader, which captures the data transmitted by RFID-enabled cards. These readers are capable of scanning cards from a short distance, typically a few feet or meters, without the cardholder even realizing it. Criminals can employ this technique in crowded places, such as public transport hubs, cafes, or shopping malls, where they can inconspicuously skim data from unsuspecting individuals.<br /><h4 style="text-align: left;">The Risk to Your Financial Security:</h4>The information compromised through remote skimming includes credit card details, debit card numbers, expiration dates, and in some cases, even personal identification information. Armed with this data, criminals can clone cards or engage in fraudulent transactions, potentially causing significant financial loss and wreaking havoc on your credit history. Given the prevalence of RFID-enabled cards, it is vital to take proactive measures to protect ourselves from these evolving threats.<br /><br /><h2 style="text-align: left;">Enter RFID Blocking Cards:</h2>RFID blocking cards provide a simple yet effective solution to counter the risk of remote skimming. These small, slim cards are designed to fit seamlessly into your wallet alongside your existing cards. They work by creating an electromagnetic shield that blocks the radio waves emitted by RFID readers, effectively rendering your cards invisible to potential skimmers. This protective barrier prevents unauthorized access to your card's sensitive data, safeguarding your financial security.<br /><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Advantages of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07T8PYBKM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1&_encoding=UTF8&tag=fishdan-20&linkCode=ur2&linkId=e4cd4c6a80bbe761dbe024b7669c4dab&camp=1789&creative=9325">RFID Blocking Cards</a>:</h3>Enhanced Security: By employing an RFID blocking card, you can proactively shield your cards from remote skimming attempts. The secure barrier ensures that your financial information remains confidential and protected from unauthorized access.<br /><br />Ease of Use: RFID blocking cards are incredibly user-friendly. You simply need to place one in your wallet alongside your RFID-enabled cards, and the protective shield becomes active. No additional steps or setup procedures are necessary, making it a hassle-free security measure.<br /><br />Cost-Effective: RFID blocking cards are an affordable investment compared to potential financial losses resulting from unauthorized access to your cards. It is a small price to pay for the peace of mind and security it provides.<br /><br />Compatibility: RFID blocking cards are compatible with all types of RFID-enabled cards, including credit cards, debit cards, access cards, and even passports. Therefore, you can protect multiple cards within your wallet using a single RFID blocking card.<br /><br />Conclusion:<br /><br />In an era where technology is an integral part of our lives, it is crucial to prioritize the security of our personal and financial information. Remote skimming poses a tangible risk that can compromise our financial well-being. By incorporating an <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07T8PYBKM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1&_encoding=UTF8&tag=fishdan-20&linkCode=ur2&linkId=e4cd4c6a80bbe761dbe024b7669c4dab&camp=1789&creative=9325">RFID blocking card</a> into our wallets, we fortify our defenses against this threat, ensuring that our sensitive data remains confidential and secure. Investing in an RFID blocking card is a small small step that can make a significant difference in safeguarding your financial security and granting you peace of mind in our increasingly connected world.<br /><br /><p><br /><br /></p>Dan Fishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04523601323250034654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635575.post-60802636006972450982023-05-09T12:38:00.003-07:002023-05-09T12:44:10.598-07:00The Best Deal in Non-Profit Banking<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-yI4mXbmyU6RHYDTHdSTuy1-JH9i_ew6nka9LSjaabHWHgQa0RvTpHKe5OfU3CYDAxC-rar8eQZqZvOatpuGhvUrmP0iXCCfMYtMn1UHpFMaLQY8agB2XwnNTizo_CUpCm1kHqMOsOhxZmji7TC-En2VW-JCzn3slDkRNN2XA-VZKy4RaX2o/s639/640px-Kiloware.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="639" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-yI4mXbmyU6RHYDTHdSTuy1-JH9i_ew6nka9LSjaabHWHgQa0RvTpHKe5OfU3CYDAxC-rar8eQZqZvOatpuGhvUrmP0iXCCfMYtMn1UHpFMaLQY8agB2XwnNTizo_CUpCm1kHqMOsOhxZmji7TC-En2VW-JCzn3slDkRNN2XA-VZKy4RaX2o/s320/640px-Kiloware.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br />One of the big hassles in starting a non-profit is the pain in the ass of setting up a bank account. Most of the big players have high fees. In my last nonprofit we were constantly being hamstrung by Truist, who is among the worst banks in the world, at least for nonprofits. I'm not kidding when I say I had to go into their physical office over 8 times.<br /><br />So this time I recently opened an Business Advantage Fundamentals account with <a href="https://www.bankofamerica.com/smallbusiness/deposits/business-advantage-banking/">Bank Of America</a> for my new non-profit <a href="http://Let.Live">Let.Live</a>. BoA is a giant multinational bank -- but that has some good and bad this associated with. Some of the best things about a giant bank are excellent security, stability and services. BofA isn't going to do a First Republic on you. The bad things about BofA<br /><br />And because they are really a big bank, they know how to do everything WELL. I never had to go into an office -- we did everything over the phone. Contrast that to Truist where I had to be physically in a branch in Virginia at the EXACT same time my partner was in a bank branch in Houston. I could not believe that was happening in 2021.<br /><br />You CAN open a BofA account online, but I'd recommend calling if you're a nonprofit because there's a part where they have to look up your business status with the Secretary of State, and I had to help them find my business. Once that was done it was clear sailing. The whole thing took 30 minutes. Oh, and if you're doing it over t3eh phone, you need to fund the account with a debt card.<br /><br />The downside of all those services is that there is a hefty fee, BofA changes $16/month for their banking services for the CHEAP account, which is what I got. However you have no monthly fee if your balance is over $5k OR if you have $250 in transactions on your banks debit card.<br /><br />Here's where we get clever. There's a new donation portal called <a href="https://www.zeffy.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Zeffy</a>. They charge nothing. If someone donates $250 to you, you get $250. That's huge to begin with. But now, pair it with your BofA account. Sign up with your debit card for a $250/month donation. <b>Now, you have a zero fee bank account, and a zero fee donation processor. You just have to make sure you keep $250 in your bank account.</b><br /><br />If you don't like Zeffy, you can use <a href="https://donately.com/" target="_blank">Donately</a> or <a href="https://stripe.com/">Stripe</a> or whatever for your main donation page.<p></p>Dan Fishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04523601323250034654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635575.post-31486207547147807892023-01-03T07:36:00.001-08:002023-01-03T07:36:29.964-08:002023 And Me<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg321HVlK0qDJx3ZXRaSgwsxo_4Ax5eM_JzJPotgzZo9YIQtAGo7pjkdv42WYsVo0C0HHFkjveZsgAKGJsxAs7PFl0UtIJ5EElWJkMfJyF-iAKKsxLbOm1VB9_83Og8HpiX521IKZC2LxwsFwOoM9knSk0oeVtIdFos5iB_tAUD_Cjuo36lJ0g/s1280/20141112_131008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg321HVlK0qDJx3ZXRaSgwsxo_4Ax5eM_JzJPotgzZo9YIQtAGo7pjkdv42WYsVo0C0HHFkjveZsgAKGJsxAs7PFl0UtIJ5EElWJkMfJyF-iAKKsxLbOm1VB9_83Og8HpiX521IKZC2LxwsFwOoM9knSk0oeVtIdFos5iB_tAUD_Cjuo36lJ0g/s320/20141112_131008.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Friends,<br /><br />My time at People for Liberty has come to an end. I'm very proud of the work I did there and what I accomplished with my colleagues. PFL is continuing on, and I wish them every success.<br /><br />I am seeking new adventures. I'm available for contract work or potentially more. I've also got a few irons <br />that have been in the fire for quite a while, and I'm looking forward to turning them.<br /><br />I'll be writing more on <a href="https://twitter.com/fishdan">twitter</a> and here. <p></p>Dan Fishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04523601323250034654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635575.post-81068610131141834982022-05-30T15:13:00.000-07:002022-05-30T15:13:04.363-07:00<p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Friends,</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-9ed4ac27-7fff-e045-657b-36f77ceb6feb"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yesterday, May 29th, 2022, the Libertarian Party changed. I knew it was coming. I have always accepted that people of good conscience can differ in their understanding of the world. And while I do ascribe much more sinister motives to the forces behind the change, I see the honest and sincere belief in many of the foot soldiers of the new party that they are doing a good thing. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The last hour of the convention however was one of the most revelatory moments in my life. To lay the background for people who weren't there, there were 20 plus proposals to change the Libertarian Party platform, and they were left for the last hour of the convention.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For those new to the machinations of Libertarians, let me lay some background:</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We revere the platform. Every word, comma and punctuation mark has been vigorously debated. The group crafting of the platform is one of the most unifying experiences for libertarians because we are forced to work together because of the 2/3rd majority of the entire body required to change the platform. Prior today, optimistically, most experienced convention attendees would argue that any significant change would take about an hour.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The end result had been one of the most perfect political documents I had ever had the pleasure to read.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A new political party has arisen within our political party and as always happens, an organized political party in a democratic process will defeat individuals, because that's how we count votes. The new party calls itself a caucus, for those who aren’t into the intimate elements of the party.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Electing the chair and party officers, the caucus had specific candidates, as you would expect a party to do. They elected their chair candidate on the first ballot with ~70% of the vote. The same was true for all the other officer candidates save Vice-Chair, where the caucus had 2 candidates.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And I think that’s ok, even though none of the candidates I supported got elected. If you’re organized enough that you can get a 2/3rds majority in the electoral process, you should get what you want – with one small exception:</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jefferson wrote:”Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will, within the limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add ‘within the limits of the law’; because law is often but the tyrant’s will.”</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you have ever wondered how bad democracy can get, you’ve understood the problem of a tyranny of the majority. And to be fair to the caucus, they weren’t voting to suppress anyone’s rights. But they were voting as a bloc to get what they wanted.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">They used their political might to remove our perfectly crafted abortion plank which read: “Recognizing that abortion is a sensitive issue and that people can hold good-faith views on all sides, we believe that government should be kept out of the matter, leaving the question to each person for their conscientious consideration.”</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">They also removed the sentence: “We condemn bigotry as irrational and repugnant.” and replaced it with a (imho) mealymouthed affirmation that people should not be judged by their identity.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I was unhappy to see those changes happen, and we fought to delay procedures as much as we could – but in the end a 2/3rd parliamentary majority can do what they want in an organizational meeting. And I was at peace with that part of the process.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But then we got to the end of the day. There were ~20 changes to the platform, but only an hour left. To make sure they got everything leadership wanted done, they proposed that</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> each platform change be read aloud and then passed or blocked with an up or down vote</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">No debate allowed. No time allowed for the body to actually consider the changes. Just a vote after the leader read the new change. And we had no AV so there was no way to see the changes that were proposed. I will contend that it was impossible to truly consider the changes</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And I got to witness the foot soldiers blindly stand up and vote for each platform after it was read out. There were signs and group leaders in the body instructing the soldiers of the caucus, and they all obeyed.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stand up.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sit down.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stand up.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sit down.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I couldn’t take it any more. I left the floor before the end.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And that was the thing that made me realize </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the change I need to implement is more than political – it has to be cultural too</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. If a group of Libertarians could blindly follow orders when voting, then my vision of a world where people are dedicated to respecting each other’s liberty.
And that only happens through education. To that end I am proud of the work I am doing with <a href="http://home4liberty.org" target="_blank">Home For Liberty</a>, where I am the Executive Director. We're a 501(c)3 dedicated to the idea that people who are well educated about Liberty won't blindly stand up and sit down when authority bids them. We're in our soft launch week right now. -- If you want to sign up for a Premium membership, use the discount code IAMHOME for a free 6 months. The site is light on content right now, and on members, so come on in and make sure that your voice is part of the solution.</span></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>Dan Fishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04523601323250034654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635575.post-7401445704445798672021-09-24T20:09:00.002-07:002021-09-24T20:11:39.273-07:00Making an item "Sold Out" in Gravity Forms<p><a href="https://www.gravityforms.com/" target="_blank">Gravity Forms</a> for Word Press is pretty awesome, especially with <a href="https://stripe.com/docs/plugins/wordpress">integration with Stripe</a> for selling things. The only problem I've run into is when I have a thing with a limited quantity and it sells out. There's <a href="https://gravitywiz.com/better-inventory-with-gravity-forms/" target="_blank">a great snippet</a> if you want to install some extra php. Best practices would be to use the snippet. I strongly encourage you to do so -- it's a better solution.<br /><br />But if you want something faster to implement that can be installed by a developer who doesn't have the ability to upload/create php, you're going to need to use Javascript.<br /><br />So adding a little javascript gets us there pretty easily:<br /></p><br /><span style="font-family: courier;"><script type="application/javascript"><br /></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: courier;">//get the existing quanity field you want to hide<br /> var myfield=document.getElementById('ginput_quantity_12_7');<br />//create a span for the message<br /> var soldoutSpan = document.createElement('span')<br />//make the message<br /> soldoutSpan.innerHTML = '<b>SOLD OUT</b>';<br />//add the message AFTER the quantity field<br /> myfield.parentNode.appendChild(soldoutSpan);<br />//hide the quantity field (you could delete it if you wanted to)<br /> myfield.style.display="none";<br />//make your text red<br />soldoutSpan.style.color="red";</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: courier;"></script><br /></span><br />Of course you want to make sure you are validating your inputs for obvious reasons.<br /><br /><p> </p>Dan Fishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04523601323250034654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635575.post-39795429765613196082019-03-13T17:16:00.001-07:002019-03-13T17:16:24.603-07:00New Public Key<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">-----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">xRoIqut8pkLI702ORMDJu54lw1oyZOpRduZUWnCwgB7GMgtRwRu1hAUSQGnd</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">6+AJXhU+FKJPdVWNYIbKqkRvUESalavQ3Yrwot4CqakWiC0GuPdd+99uns+9</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Cw==</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">=nXnz</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">-----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----</span>Dan Fishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04523601323250034654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635575.post-7158578634984799332018-05-02T13:06:00.000-07:002018-05-02T13:07:28.246-07:00<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Cut and paste the below camel into a PERL environment. Press return and then ctrl-d. Enjoy!<br /><br /><br /><br /> #</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> sub j(\$){($</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> P,$V)= @_;while($$P=~s:^</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> ([()])::x){ $V+=('('eq$1)?-32:31</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> }$V+=ord( substr( $$P,0,1,""))-74} sub a{</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> my($I,$K,$ J,$L)=@_ ;$I=int($I*$M/$Z);$K=int(</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> $K*$M/$Z);$J=int($J*$M /$Z);$L=int($L*$M/$Z); $G=$</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> J-$I;$F=$L-$K;$E=(abs($ G)>=abs($F))?$G:$F;($E<0) and($</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> I,$K)=($J,$L);$E||=.01 ;for($i=0;$i<=abs$E;$i++ ){ $D->{$K</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> +int($i*$F/$E) }->{$I+int($i*$G/$E)}=1}}sub p{$D={};$</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> Z=$z||.01;map{ $H=$_;$I=$N=j$H;$K=$O=j$H;while($H){$q=ord</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> substr($H,0,1,"" );if(42==$q){$J=j$H;$L=j$H}else{$q-=43;$L =$q</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> %9;$J=($q-$L)/9;$L=$q-9*$J-4;$J-=4}$J+=$I;$L+=$K;a($I,$K,$J,$ L);</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> ($I,$K)=($J,$L)}a($I,$K,$N,$O)}@_;my$T;map{$y=$_;map{ $T.=$D->{$y}</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> ->{$_}?$\:' '}(-59..59);$T.="\n"}(-23..23);print"\e[H$T"}$w= eval{</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> require Win32::Console::ANSI};$b=$w?'1;7;':"";($j,$u,$s,$t,$a,$n,$o</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> ,$h,$c,$k,$p,$e,$r,$l,$C)=split/}/,'Tw*JSK8IAg*PJ[*J@wR}*JR]*QJ[*J'.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> 'BA*JQK8I*JC}KUz]BAIJT]*QJ[R?-R[e]\RI'.'}Tn*JQ]wRAI*JDnR8QAU}wT8KT'.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> ']n*JEI*EJR*QJ]*JR*DJ@IQ[}*JSe*JD[n]*JPe*'.'JBI/KI}T8@?PcdnfgVCBRcP'.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> '?ABKV]]}*JWe*JD[n]*JPe*JC?8B*JE};Vq*OJQ/IP['.'wQ}*JWeOe{n*EERk8;'.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> 'J*JC}/U*OJd[OI@*BJ*JXn*J>w]U}CWq*OJc8KJ?O[e]U/T*QJP?}*JSe*JCnTe'.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> 'QIAKJR}*JV]wRAI*J?}T]*RJcJI[\]3;U]Uq*PM[wV]W]WCT*DM*SJ'. 'ZP[Z'.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> 'PZa[\]UKVgogK9K*QJ[\]n[RI@*EH@IddR[Q[]T]T]T3o[dk*JE'. '[Z\U'.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> '{T]*JPKTKK]*OJ[QIO[PIQIO[[gUKU\k*JE+J+J5R5AI*EJ00'. 'BCB*'.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> 'DMKKJIR[Q+*EJ0*EK';sub h{$\ = qw(% & @ x)[int rand</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> 4];map{printf "\e[$b;%dm",int(rand 6)+101-60* ($w</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> ||0);system( "cls")if$w ;($A,$S)= ($_[1], $</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> _[0]);($M, @,)= split '}';for( $z=256</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> ;$z>0; $z -=$S){$S*= $A;p @,} sleep$_</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> [2];while ($_[3]&&($ z+=$ S) <=256){</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> p@,}}("". "32}7D$j" ."}AG". "$u}OG"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> ."$s}WG" ."$t","" ."24}(" ."IJ$a"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> ."}1G$n" ."}CO$o" ."}GG$t" ."}QC"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> ."$h}" ."^G$e" ."})IG" ."$r",</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> "32}?" ."H$p}FG$e}QG$r". "}ZC"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> ."$l", "28}(LC" ."" ."".</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> "$h}:" ."J$a}EG". "$c"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> ."}M" ."C$k}ZG". "$e"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> ."}" ."dG$r","18" ."}("</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> ."D;" ."$C" )}{h(16 ,1,1,0</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> );h(8, .98,0,0 );h(16 ,1,1,1)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> ;h(8.0 ,0.98,0, 1); redo}###</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> #written 060204 by</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> #liverpole @@@@@@@</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> #@@@@@@@@@@@</span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Dan Fishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04523601323250034654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635575.post-46214166051787520752017-10-01T17:55:00.000-07:002017-10-01T17:55:44.066-07:00I don't make many windows scripts so here's one.<br /><br />To delete everything in your Downloads folder older than 30 days save the following into clearDownload.bat on your desktop and then click it when you feel happy<br /><br /><br /><br />forfiles -p "%userprofile%\Downloads" -s -m *.* /D -30 /C "cmd /c del /F/S/Q @path"Dan Fishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04523601323250034654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635575.post-57146485859871522892016-12-09T13:00:00.003-08:002016-12-20T04:55:29.775-08:00The National Popular Vote is a Fake News Story<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and you’re helping to spread it!</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">)</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you are talking about the popular vote as something real, you are helping to spread fake news. I'm not a Trump supporter. I'm not trying to justify the electoral college. I don’t dispute that if if you add up all the votes cast for all 18 candidates on the ballots in the combined 50 states, Hillary Clinton’s total is higher than any other candidates.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I'm asking you to look at the reality of how our elections work. Whether you like it or not, the electoral college is how the winner of the election was determined and that's the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ONLY</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> race the candidates were trying to win.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What do California and Wisconsin have in common? Neither one was considered a "battleground" state, and as such both states were ignored by one campaign. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Could Trump have campaigned more in California (which is </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the most expensive state</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> for media buys) and done better? Certainly. Could he have hypothetically cranked up the negative Hillary ads in California and knocked her total down? Probably. Could he have won California? Of course not. So is anyone surprised that Trump didn't care about the California results? Does anyone think the numbers that came in in California are a representation of the BEST the Trump campaign </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">could </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">have done in California? Of course not. So Hillary won California by 4 million votes. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In Wisconsin, Trump won by 24000 votes. Jill Stein had 31000 votes and Gary Johnson had 106,000. The Clinton campaign chose not to campaign in Wisconsin, believing it to be a safe state. Does anyone believe that if the Clinton campaign had chosen to focus on Wisconsin, they could have won? Milwaukee had record low turnout. If perhaps Hillary had come to Wisconsin we'd have a different President. But certainly the vote would have been different.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Which leads us to this myth of "The National Popular Vote." There is no such thing. No one adds up the votes for the Presidential candidates in all the states. And in fact very few states had the same candidates on the ballot.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Only Trump, Clinton and Johnson were on the ballot in all 50 states. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> In Utah, Evan McMullin was on the ballot. In California Gloria La Riva was on the ballot. In New Hampshire Rocky De La Fuenta was on the ballot. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In South Carolina there were 8 Presidential candidates for the voters to chose from.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is why the idea that there is a "National Popular Vote" is pure fiction -- because people in different states were voting in different elections with different candidates. And the campaigns were very different in each state. People who voted for the Trump and Clinton campaigns in New York were voting for</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> very different campaigns</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> than people who voted for the Trump and Clinton campaigns in Montana.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So the "National Popular Vote" is a perfect example of a Fake New Story because it cobbles together unrelated facts as a way to prove something. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>T</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">he facts have nothing to do with the conclusion of the story. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It's also a fake news story because people keep sharing it and talking about it. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-16aedd20-e563-2839-4645-02a71c2fdbc5"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So help us fight against fake news. If you want to argue the electoral college is rubbish, you have plenty of ammunition. You don't need imply that using fake news for your point is ok. The story that Hillary Clinton won the popular vote is fake news, because </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">there is no such thing as a National Popular Vote. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">No one tried to win the national popular vote, and vote totals from different states are truly not the same election. The fact that Hillary Clinton won California by 4 million votes is not relevant in any way to the idea that there was a national consensus about who should be the President. <b>Hillary Clinton got less than 50% of the total votes cast in all states. That doesn't mean she lost the popular vote either. </b>It means there is no such thing as a "National Popular Vote."</span></span>Dan Fishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04523601323250034654noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635575.post-27750088274549414352016-03-01T04:47:00.004-08:002016-03-01T04:47:38.801-08:00Baffling post errorMy wife was working on her windows based PC when suddenly it started making what she described as a weird beeping. She shut it down and tried to restart, but the beeping was constant at boot, so she powered it off and left it for me. <br /><br />Having recently tinkered with this PC (added an SSD and upgrade the RAM) I was familiar with the insides. I immediately reseated the RAM, reset the CMOS. Power on, same constant beeping.<br /><br />I looked up the post codes and the closest was 4-4-4, which is cache error, but this seems much faster than any post code I had heard before. So I turned it on, and let it keep booting -- and it actually did boot! Kept beeping though.<br /><br />To make a long story short, I finally figured out there was a key stuck down on the keyboard.Dan Fishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04523601323250034654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635575.post-63812881454066020212016-01-07T14:15:00.003-08:002016-01-07T16:42:13.688-08:00The Militia is not the PeopleThe original text:<br />
<br />
A well regulated <b>militia </b>being necessary to the security of a <b>free State</b>, the right of the <b>People </b>to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.<br />
<br />
My reading:<br />
<br />
There are two sets of citizens discussed in the Second Amendment.<br />
<span style="line-height: 19.2px;">One group is the set of ALL citizens, named "</span><b style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 19.2px;">the People.</b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.2px;">" </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.2px;">The other set is those who bear arms in the service of the government. This includes armed police officers, National Guardsmen, Sheriffs, FBI agents etc. They are named "</span></span><b style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 19.2px;">the militia</b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.2px;">." It seems crystal clear to me that the militia and the people are two different groups. When the Constitution is written there are no public police forces -- policing is usually a soldiers job. </span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.2px;">2A states that that in order for a </span></span><b style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 19.2px;">State</b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.2px;"> to be secure in it's <b>free</b>dom, the <b>militia </b>cannot be out of control -- they must be regulated. The only check (regulation) on the <b>militia </b>is to make sure that the <b>People </b>have the ability to confront the <b>militia</b>. They can of course do this through laws -- but since the militia is charged with enforcing the laws, to whom can the <b>People </b>turn when the <b>militia </b>is breaking the laws?<br /><br />The people must be able to defend themselves against the militia with force and confront the militia with force. And since the militia is armed by definition, to ensure the <b>People </b>can perform this regulatory function, the right of the <b>People </b>to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.</span></span>Dan Fishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04523601323250034654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635575.post-58305169182725313902015-12-26T07:26:00.001-08:002015-12-26T07:26:42.286-08:00Windows 10 Download Folder Blues<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Like most people I leave my browsers download folder to the default "Downloads" on Windows 10.<br />
<br />
I have on occasion had an issue where I download something and then want to upload it somewhere else right away, but when I browse to my Downloads folder Windows Explorer does not show me the contents of the directory, Instead it says "Working on it."<br />
<br />
This time it frustrated me enough I decided to fix the problem. It turns out the reason what it that Windows 10 optimizes folders for certain types of data. In my case (and probably yours too) my Download folder was set to type "Pictures." What this means to Windows aside from "be slow" I don't know. I assume there is a thumbnail generation process, indexing and other things that are technical but would add value to a folder filled with pictures.<br />
<br />
But I don't need to wait for that, and as an engineer, I download a ton of stuff that are not pictures. And you probably do too -- music, games, apps, documents, pdfs.... And Windows 10 already comes with a premade optimized folder for Documents, Pictures, Music and Videos. So why should your Downloads folder be slow to access?<br />
<br />
There is a simple fix.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table border="0">
<tbody>
<tr><td valign="top">Open up Windows explorer by pressing Windows-E</td><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkJoPTaZErVgIHjXNSxLjELlkygSwXQ0vSNqHmDtLKRxvF2v746UvPFcEQ5WFEKGO14Ynt1inqf6snWXkoTf-e3LUHnkpp3BVojKvrY7zLpe-0pugd8tvF-PfkU3Tx_YyD3NeELQ/s1600/WindowsKey-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkJoPTaZErVgIHjXNSxLjELlkygSwXQ0vSNqHmDtLKRxvF2v746UvPFcEQ5WFEKGO14Ynt1inqf6snWXkoTf-e3LUHnkpp3BVojKvrY7zLpe-0pugd8tvF-PfkU3Tx_YyD3NeELQ/s320/WindowsKey-.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top">Right click on you "Downloads" folder on the left and choose "Properties"</td><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigF_EVVw-fU7GSj9lBJuIUtheCqt2tI7sOCdRWlI4RTCa1GB4zyNP0haqe5jEudnff8Fl0fIOUAVywEy1Bh1xJovf9sVMyV5Pq5IyVqsXAjEqOe_aEbTMh0utmtxB4mw3XmsSnkw/s1600/download_properties.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigF_EVVw-fU7GSj9lBJuIUtheCqt2tI7sOCdRWlI4RTCa1GB4zyNP0haqe5jEudnff8Fl0fIOUAVywEy1Bh1xJovf9sVMyV5Pq5IyVqsXAjEqOe_aEbTMh0utmtxB4mw3XmsSnkw/s320/download_properties.png" width="208" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top">Go to the "Customize Tab" and under "Optimize Folder" chose "General Items"</td><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3-tKFjXLP0mDH2UIN6RAFRj_oJtjyYbtXhHAjzsFtG4RLUKMzYdNrdI6yPENdYAUqhAttmv6rMMCDJQV35R02GQ3svxd5rRCqx7zN481B99JPFNwYFjvQY5t8CBfPmsfEkQrzDA/s1600/folder_properties.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3-tKFjXLP0mDH2UIN6RAFRj_oJtjyYbtXhHAjzsFtG4RLUKMzYdNrdI6yPENdYAUqhAttmv6rMMCDJQV35R02GQ3svxd5rRCqx7zN481B99JPFNwYFjvQY5t8CBfPmsfEkQrzDA/s320/folder_properties.png" width="232" /></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
What are the consequences for this in terms of seeing thumbnails? Probably significant -- but I would suggest that if you want to see thumbnails put your pictures in a folder that is optimized for pictures. Likewise I notice that there are optimizations for Documents, Music and Videos. And Windows 10 by default provides folders for all of those sort of things. I suspect putting things in their right place will help you with searching you media as well as other things.<br />
<br />
So the best practice imho is to download things and then if you intend to keep them, move them into folders for that type of content, and leave your Download optimized for general content.</div>
</div>
</div>
<br />
<br />Dan Fishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04523601323250034654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635575.post-67696981892350486572015-10-12T09:02:00.000-07:002015-10-12T09:02:04.562-07:00October is Cyber Security MonthThe President has declared October as Cybersecurity month. It's not a bad idea -- just like you change the batteries in your smoke detectors once a year, maybe you should review your electronic vulbnerabilities?<br /><br />My top ten security tips:<br />
<br />
<b>1) Change your passwords. </b> You've had them too long, you use the same password in too many places. Somewhere someone has hacked a site that has your username and password in plain text. Now they are getting ready to try that username/password somewhere else. Beat them to the punch.<br />
<br />
<b>2) Use a safe browser.</b> That means anything that's not Internet Explorer. <a href="https://www.google.com/chrome/browser/desktop/" target="_blank">I prefer chrome.</a><br />
<br />
<b>3) Use 2 step verification for your email account.</b> If your email doesn't provide <a href="https://www.google.com/landing/2step/" target="_blank">2 step authentication</a> consider switching.<br />
<br />
4) Get a <a href="https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0155-free-credit-reports" target="_blank">free credit report</a> and review it. You are entitled to one free report a year. <b>BE VERY CAREFUL! There are man scam sites that offer free credit reports. Go through the site I linked to, which is maintained by the US Government.</b><br />
<br />
<b>5) Upgrade your home wifi to WPA2</b><br />
<br />
<b>6) Phone security:</b><br />
<ol>
<li>Lock your phone with a password </li>
<li>install <a href="https://www.lookout.com/download" target="_blank">Lookout</a> on it so you can find it if it's gone, </li>
<li>make sure you have a <a href="https://support.google.com/a/answer/173390?hl=en" target="_blank">remote wipe capability</a></li>
</ol>
<br />
<b>7) (Windows only) Install a good <a href="http://www.lavasoft.com/products/ad_aware_free.php" target="_blank">anti-virus/malware</a>.</b><br /><br />
<b>8) Review your last two sets of credit card bills</b> and actually look at them and validate each transaction. It's common for hackers take out a small amount once to verify that they actually have a valid card, and then sell the verified number to an actual thief.<br />
<br />
<b>9) (expert level)Move to a secure chat client</b> like <a href="http://www.bbm.com/bbm/en.html" target="_blank">BBM</a> or <a href="https://wickr.com/" target="_blank">Wickr</a>. Stop texting and using Facebook messenger, Google hangouts, AIM etc.<br />
<br />
<b>10 (expert level) use a PGP (pretty Good Protection) client</b> like <a href="https://www.mailvelope.com/" target="_blank">Mailvelope</a> to start encrypting your email<br />
<br />Dan Fishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04523601323250034654noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635575.post-14052936631189972352015-09-11T11:58:00.003-07:002017-09-11T07:19:34.926-07:00I know I have a problemThe other day I was opening a packet of ketchup and on one side it said "open here." I said aloud "You're not the boss of me!" and opened the packet from the other end, which worked just fine.<br />
<br />
It is not in me to submit to authority. I will HAPPILY put my shoulder to the wheel to help anyone do almost anything. But if you tell me I HAVE to do something? I'm going to at best resent it, and at worst try to make it obvious that compelling me makes us enemies. If you try to harness me, I will spit the bit.<br />
<br />
I'm different. I mean we're all different, but I am *different.* I grew up playing Dungeons and Dragons. I competed in soccer and lacrosse as a young man, not football or baseball. I had a Bar Mitzvah. I spent a year studying in Europe. I can get my face slapped in several languages. "<i>In toto nusquam corpore menda fuit</i>." I love football, action flicks, science fiction and musical theater. I have an appreciation of art, cars, science, literature -- pretty much anything that involves the esoteric. <br />
<br />
I'm proud to let my freak flag fly. Of course you probably already knew all this. Why do I bring it up today?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5nwX4UgfP1K_M3ysqMC0MtYbu2OkPP4bw1wmSjFTZ3Z901kZgG6QYgeih3_0VhleFayn-F_mlKtxbCBl8n9R15eZO41aCu507eRGRNMQugrVrlf27wj1zc41-PM5v9PFZj28O5Q/s1600/per_collapse_091111_190453a_8col.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5nwX4UgfP1K_M3ysqMC0MtYbu2OkPP4bw1wmSjFTZ3Z901kZgG6QYgeih3_0VhleFayn-F_mlKtxbCBl8n9R15eZO41aCu507eRGRNMQugrVrlf27wj1zc41-PM5v9PFZj28O5Q/s320/per_collapse_091111_190453a_8col.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Because today is 9/11.<br />
<br />
And as much as I bitch about this, that and the other thing, I am grateful to live in the United States. Any other country would have locked me up by now. I love our land. But I understand that we are engaged in a conflict.<br />
<br />
The strongest weapon we have in this conflict is our culture. It trends, like I do, towards rebellion. We are in fact a nation birthed in rebellion and it remains central to our character. If the arc of history tends towards tolerance, we Americans have been outside of the standard deviation, but almost always the indicators of the curve. For a society to become more tolerant, it needs behavior different from the norm to tolerate. And here we lead the world.<br />
<br />
I recognize that what happened on 9/11/01 was an attempt to change that. When photos of Britney Spears' bare midriff started showing up in authoritarian homes, the abstract threat of American tolerance and permissiveness was brought home to tyrants everywhere. When movies like "The Last Temptation of Christ" showed how willing we were to attack our own culture -- tyrants realized we were inspiring other to attack THEIR culture. Every time America criticized itself or lead itself to reform -- tyrants noticed. And as the internet age dawned our trend of rebellion and of tolerance of rebellion started to really spread.<br />
<br />
And in September, at the beginning of the new century one tyrant struck back.<br />
<br />
I wanted to do something. I was too old for military service. I thought perhaps I could join the FBI or an intelligence service. In the end I stayed in my job, and became more involved in civics.<br />
<br />
And today, 14 years later, I think I'm helping...though it's often a pain in the ass. I hate politics and the political process. But I could not hate politics so much I did not love my country more. I have the liberty to be Dan, and I love that.<br />
<br />
So on this solemn day I wish us all peace of mind and health of body and I wish us all the wisdom to recognize that we are all minorities of one. When we practice tolerance anywhere we make our own lives more free. When we seek to restrict other's liberty -- even with the best of intentions -- we eventually limit our own.Dan Fishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04523601323250034654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635575.post-51670532128232089432015-09-01T06:17:00.002-07:002015-12-29T10:57:00.435-08:00<h1 class="yt watch-title-container" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #222222; display: table-cell; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 24px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 13px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top; width: 824px; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span class="watch-title " dir="ltr" id="eow-title" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" title="ДО СВИДАНИЯ ЛЕТО 1 (Goodbye, Summer episode 1) Russian subtitles">ДО СВИДАНИЯ ЛЕТО<br /><br /><span id="docs-internal-guid-32deb63c-86c8-f1a1-c54b-077ba90f21f2" style="font-weight: normal;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Doh Svedanyah Lyeto
(Poet's note -- to be read aloud)
</i>
Charge your glasses and toast the summer 'Fifteen</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Gone much too quickly, as if never been.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Yet hints of it linger to buoy the keen</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> As Autumn approaches and changes the scene.
</span><span class="watch-title " dir="ltr" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" title="ДО СВИДАНИЯ ЛЕТО 1 (Goodbye, Summer episode 1) Russian subtitles"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="watch-title " dir="ltr" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" title="ДО СВИДАНИЯ ЛЕТО 1 (Goodbye, Summer episode 1) Russian subtitles"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I have counted days passing, while sat at the shore</span></span><br />
<span class="watch-title " dir="ltr" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" title="ДО СВИДАНИЯ ЛЕТО 1 (Goodbye, Summer episode 1) Russian subtitles"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I have slept in the sunshine and woke wanting more</span></span><br />
<span class="watch-title " dir="ltr" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" title="ДО СВИДАНИЯ ЛЕТО 1 (Goodbye, Summer episode 1) Russian subtitles"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I pondered the Pleiades and wondered "What for?"</span></span><br />
<span class="watch-title " dir="ltr" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" title="ДО СВИДАНИЯ ЛЕТО 1 (Goodbye, Summer episode 1) Russian subtitles"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I will not leave summer, like the party's last boor.</span></span><br />
<span class="watch-title " dir="ltr" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" title="ДО СВИДАНИЯ ЛЕТО 1 (Goodbye, Summer episode 1) Russian subtitles"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="watch-title " dir="ltr" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; line-height: 1.38; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" title="ДО СВИДАНИЯ ЛЕТО 1 (Goodbye, Summer episode 1) Russian subtitles"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span></span></span><span class="watch-title " dir="ltr" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" title="ДО СВИДАНИЯ ЛЕТО 1 (Goodbye, Summer episode 1) Russian subtitles"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="watch-title " dir="ltr" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; line-height: 1.38; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" title="ДО СВИДАНИЯ ЛЕТО 1 (Goodbye, Summer episode 1) Russian subtitles"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline;"> I secure the lee line and make everything fast</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="watch-title " dir="ltr" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" title="ДО СВИДАНИЯ ЛЕТО 1 (Goodbye, Summer episode 1) Russian subtitles"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="watch-title " dir="ltr" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; line-height: 1.38; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" title="ДО СВИДАНИЯ ЛЕТО 1 (Goodbye, Summer episode 1) Russian subtitles"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline;"> The fisherman throwing the redemptive cast.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="watch-title " dir="ltr" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" title="ДО СВИДАНИЯ ЛЕТО 1 (Goodbye, Summer episode 1) Russian subtitles"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="watch-title " dir="ltr" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; line-height: 1.38; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" title="ДО СВИДАНИЯ ЛЕТО 1 (Goodbye, Summer episode 1) Russian subtitles"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline;"> And though I deny it, the truth outs at last</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="watch-title " dir="ltr" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" title="ДО СВИДАНИЯ ЛЕТО 1 (Goodbye, Summer episode 1) Russian subtitles"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="watch-title " dir="ltr" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; line-height: 1.38; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" title="ДО СВИДАНИЯ ЛЕТО 1 (Goodbye, Summer episode 1) Russian subtitles"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Fewer days lie ahead than exist in my past</span></span>
</span></span><br />
<span class="watch-title " dir="ltr" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" title="ДО СВИДАНИЯ ЛЕТО 1 (Goodbye, Summer episode 1) Russian subtitles"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="watch-title " dir="ltr" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; line-height: 1.38; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" title="ДО СВИДАНИЯ ЛЕТО 1 (Goodbye, Summer episode 1) Russian subtitles"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span></span></span><span class="watch-title " dir="ltr" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" title="ДО СВИДАНИЯ ЛЕТО 1 (Goodbye, Summer episode 1) Russian subtitles"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> The dripping faucet gets the plumber</span></span><br />
<span class="watch-title " dir="ltr" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" title="ДО СВИДАНИЯ ЛЕТО 1 (Goodbye, Summer episode 1) Russian subtitles"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Behind the beat the lazy drummer</span></span><br />
<span class="watch-title " dir="ltr" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" title="ДО СВИДАНИЯ ЛЕТО 1 (Goodbye, Summer episode 1) Russian subtitles"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> The silent rock grows ever dumber</span></span><br />
<span class="watch-title " dir="ltr" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" title="ДО СВИДАНИЯ ЛЕТО 1 (Goodbye, Summer episode 1) Russian subtitles"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> A muted witness to the last of summer.</span></span><span class="watch-title " dir="ltr" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" title="ДО СВИДАНИЯ ЛЕТО 1 (Goodbye, Summer episode 1) Russian subtitles"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">
</span></span><span class="watch-title " dir="ltr" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" title="ДО СВИДАНИЯ ЛЕТО 1 (Goodbye, Summer episode 1) Russian subtitles"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="watch-title " dir="ltr" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" title="ДО СВИДАНИЯ ЛЕТО 1 (Goodbye, Summer episode 1) Russian subtitles"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Our youth is betrayed by our bodies last treason</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> So put down your labor and come join with me son</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
Time marches on without rhyme or reason</span><br />
<span class="watch-title " dir="ltr" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" title="ДО СВИДАНИЯ ЛЕТО 1 (Goodbye, Summer episode 1) Russian subtitles"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I mourn the passing of more than the season</span></span></div>
</span></span></h1>
Dan Fishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04523601323250034654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635575.post-45245108037814409062015-06-19T14:54:00.002-07:002015-06-19T15:44:43.468-07:00On South Carolina, violence, power, and a flag. Today is <a href="http://www.theroot.com/articles/history/2015/06/juneteenth_150_year_s_ago_black_america_got_its_own_independence_day.html" target="_blank">Juneteenth</a>, and on the heels of a racially motivated massacre, we are forced to ask ourselves once again -- when can we end this violence? When shall we know peace with our brothers? When will we achieve the dream that we all judge each other by the content of our character? How can we end the hate?<br />
<br />
The traditional thinking is that prior to the civil war, the North was enlightened and the South was filled with bigots. Of course the truth is never so absolute. We know that Thomas Jefferson was in fact a slave owner. We know that he also wrote the following passage, that was later removed from the Declaration of Independence:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>He has waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating its most sacred rights of life and liberty in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating & carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere or to incur miserable death in their transportation thither. This piratical warfare, the opprobrium of infidel powers, is the warfare of the Christian King of Great Britain. Determined to keep open a market where Men should be bought & sold, he has prostituted his negative for suppressing every legislative attempt to prohibit or restrain this execrable commerce. And that this assemblage of horrors might want no fact of distinguished die, he is now exciting those very people to rise in arms among us, and to purchase that liberty of which he has deprived them, by murdering the people on whom he has obtruded them: thus paying off former crimes committed again the Liberties of one people, with crimes which he urges them to commit against the lives of another. - </i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
See more at:<a href="http://www.blackpast.org/primary/declaration-independence-and-debate-over-slavery#sthash.qhLieB7x.dpuf" target="_blank"> http://www.blackpast.org/primary/declaration-independence-and-debate-over-slavery#sthash.qhLieB7x.dpuf</a></blockquote>
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Jefferson later in life blamed the removal of the passage on Delegates from Georgia and South Carolina, but also on Northern Delegates who profited from the slave trade. The famous Triangle Trade depended on Yankee ships as much as it did southern slave markets. This debate is famously depicted in the Musical 1776 (which if I think every American should see), though they cut the critical song from the movie.<br />
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And the song:</div>
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<h2>
So what?</h2>
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Well, one of the things you hear people railing about is how the South Carolina flag is still contains Confederate Battle flag, which is widely (though falsely) believed to be the flag of the Confederacy. In most southern states the Rebel Battle Flag has been removed from the state flag. It's been taken because those states viewed their past connection with slavery to be shameful<br />
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But the northern states should not be exempted from that opinion.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>The first recorded New England slave voyage
sailed from the city of Boston, Massachusetts in
1644. By the 1670s, Massachusetts traders were
regularly carrying slaves between Africa and the
Caribbean. Rhode Islanders entered the trade
in about 1700. By the middle of the eighteenth
century, upwards of twenty ships per year sailed
for Africa from the tiny colony, most of them from
the city of Newport. Two-thirds of Rhode Island’s
fleet was engaged in the slave trade...By the 1760s, the Rhode Island city of
Newport alone boasted nearly two dozen distilleries,
transforming Caribbean molasses into rum. <span style="font-size: xx-small;">This reading is excerpted from<a href="http://www.choices.edu/resources/documents/slavery_reading1.pdf" target="_blank"> A Forgotten History: The Slave Trade and Slavery in NewEngland</a>. Copyright - Choices Program, Watson Institute for International Studies, Brown University.
All rights reserved.</span></i></blockquote>
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And in fact protection for the slave trade was written into the US Constitution in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Article_One_of_the_United_States_Constitution#Section_9:_Limits_on_Congress">Article 1 Section 9 of the United States Constitution</a>.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>The Migration or Importation of such Persons as any of the States now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the Year one thousand eight hundred and eight, but a tax or duty may be imposed on such Importation, not exceeding ten dollars for each Person.</i></blockquote>
So why don't we ask for a new flag for the state of Rhode Island, which profited so much from slavery? New Jersey's state flag was created when New Jersey was still a slave state. Should they be ashamed of their slaver past? Texas was a slave state, but no one has asked Texas to change it's flag.<br />
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<h3>
But doesn't the Confederate Battle flag stands for slavery?</h3>
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<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/da/Flag_of_the_Confederate_States_of_America_(1861-1863).svg/295px-Flag_of_the_Confederate_States_of_America_(1861-1863).svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/da/Flag_of_the_Confederate_States_of_America_(1861-1863).svg/295px-Flag_of_the_Confederate_States_of_America_(1861-1863).svg.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The First Confederate Flag aka the Stars and Bars</td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/97/Battle_flag_of_the_Confederate_States_of_America.svg/200px-Battle_flag_of_the_Confederate_States_of_America.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; font-size: 18.7199993133545px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: start;"><img border="0" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/97/Battle_flag_of_the_Confederate_States_of_America.svg/200px-Battle_flag_of_the_Confederate_States_of_America.svg.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Battle Flag of the Army of Northern Virginia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Not intentionally. As I pointed out, Texas was a slave state and never incorporated the Confederate Battle Flag. Virginia and Maryland too never had anything about the Confederacy in their state flags.. Georgia's current flag (that over 70% of the voters approved of in a recent election) includes 13 stars in a circle to commemorate the Confederacy.<br />
<h3>
But Rednecks use the Confederate Battle flag as a rallying symbol? And the Klan displays it prominently at their rallies?</h3>
Yup. And that has tainted it forever in my opinion.<br />
<h3>
Is there anything in southern culture worth celebrating?</h3>
I think so. I'm biased having grown up in Texas, but ask people from Florida or Alabama or Virginia, and regardless of race, religion or gender -- they'll tell you the same thing. But saying the flag has become a symbol of hate doesn't end Southern Culture.<br />
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<h3>
So what should happen to the South Carolina flag?</h3>
If it were my decision, I'd take it down and replace it with a Palmetto. Yet as much as I dislike the flag, I wouldn't tell anyone that I thought they had to take it down. Me telling them what to do would be an exercise of power. And power is what kills. <br />
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Tolerance is me tolerating you doing stuff that I don't agree with. I don't agree with displaying the Rebel Battle flag, and certainly not as the official flag of a state! I don't agree that the flag is just a symbol of Southern Culture. I agree with most people, that the flag is now and forever associated with the Peculiar Institution, and as such it is a symbol of the worst in our nation's history.<br />
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And while we may mull over the nuances of the motivations behind the tragedy in Charleston, the one thing we know is that the shooter was an intolerant person. If we taught more tolerance in our society, we would have less tragedy. Too often people think that they do not have to stand for things that offend them, and they are within their rights to use the power of government to set things right. <br />
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We set too many examples of people being able to use power to force others to live the way they see fit. The power of government is available to some. The power of wealth is available to others. Some use legal power to get their way. And to some desperate few, power comes from violence.<br />
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When we use power to suppress the liberty of others, we set an example. Most parents no longer spank their children, because we've come to realize that the only thing a child learns from being spanked is that violence is an acceptable way to solve problems. And that it's ok to wield power to end disputes.<br />
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So why do we continue to spank our society with trivial laws that we must use power to enforce. Mandatory recycling. Laws against gambling. The War on Drugs. The Affordable Care Act. All examples of using power to forbid or require people to behave in a certain way, because some majority once thought their way was best.<br />
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When we use the power of government in this way -- to suppress the liberty of people -- we make a society that covets power. We teach people that acquiring power and using power against others is the proper way to resolve disputes.<br />
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Where does a mass murderer come from? A place of evil surely. And a place of intolerance. Imagine if we lived in a culture of "live and let live," where we actively taught people that they were required to learn to live with each other. Imagine a society where your recourse to being unhappy with your neighbor was not to use power to resolve your dispute, but to accept your differences.<br />
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One evil man in Charleston could not accept differences and he tried to resolve them with the only power he perceived to be at his disposal. Was he a racist? Yes. Was he intolerant? Yes. And he was terrible.<br />
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I don't want to practice intolerance. <br />
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I don't want that to be the legacy of this tragedy. <br />
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So I tell you South Carolina <b>I find that flag offensive</b>. I view it as a symbol of the worst of the South, and when I see it flown it taints every thought I have about the best of the South. When you fly that flag you are doing so deliberately to cause pain and suffering to others because you don't care. When you fly that flag you reveal yourselves to be ignorant of the realities of our shared history. <b> And when you fly that flag you tacitly support the idea that there is a place for racism.</b><br />
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So I ask you South Carolina -- <b>please change your flag</b>. But I'm not telling you. I want to persuade you -- but I don't want to use force against you. I want to live by the non-aggression policy and will live my life to the ideal that it is never ok to use force against another person, except in self defense.<br />
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And I hope that in living a life to that standard, I can do a small bit to reduce the violence and lust for power in our society today.<br />
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I wish us all peace.Dan Fishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04523601323250034654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635575.post-22197555350910593702015-05-22T16:17:00.001-07:002015-05-22T16:18:32.049-07:00Free Chuck Hobbs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0PJSSwioOhf86v8-tf3DFoXfTxG77tR1pcRiViyN6hXM_Vi-nvYFnt_V8kLFuATYWxiqmJZ2MeeunyN7AHyiKPiXxRceuvtpvW_dz7njbMH_wri9aPhR8vL7EAwQEZF_jPH5dVA/s1600/220px-Chuck_Hobbs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0PJSSwioOhf86v8-tf3DFoXfTxG77tR1pcRiViyN6hXM_Vi-nvYFnt_V8kLFuATYWxiqmJZ2MeeunyN7AHyiKPiXxRceuvtpvW_dz7njbMH_wri9aPhR8vL7EAwQEZF_jPH5dVA/s1600/220px-Chuck_Hobbs.JPG" /></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 6px;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, 'lucida grande', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">My friend</span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, 'lucida grande', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"> </span><a class="profileLink" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=100002144882481" href="https://www.facebook.com/RealChuckHobbs" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: helvetica, arial, 'lucida grande', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-decoration: none;">Chuck Hobbs</a><span style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, lucida grande, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">, a frequent and eloquent writer to places like <a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/civil-rights/238348-walter-scotts-killing-shows-need-for-body-cameras-and-federal" target="_blank">The Hill</a> posted a photo on facebook which included a naked breast to make a point. Facebook responded by suspending his account and silencing an eloquent voice.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, lucida grande, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">In particular Mr Hobbs is a voice of reason regarding the state of race relations in our country and a proponent of peaceful interaction. Because he refuses to preach hatred he is an enemy of those who wish for us ti implode. I suspect that someone like this complained about his post.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, lucida grande, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">Facebook! Give up the censorship! You're making a mistake in this specific case as well as in general. Trying to censor the web is a ridiculous idea -- people will always be able to get around whatever guardianship you try to implement. You are making an admirable attempt to curtail hate speech, and I appreciate your motive -- but the greatest gift Facebook has given to us is the ability for diverse people to come together for sophisticated conversations.<br /><br />Don't take back your greatest gift by trying to censor these conversations. It's better to let us converse freely.<br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Hobbs" target="_blank">Read more about Chuck</a></span></span></div>
Dan Fishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04523601323250034654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635575.post-64158464243913216012015-05-20T11:23:00.003-07:002015-05-20T11:23:46.824-07:00Things that are free have no value<span data-reactid=".8a.1:4:1:$comment10153034688419753_10153034763179753:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-reactid=".8a.1:4:1:$comment10153034688419753_10153034763179753:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.$text0:0:$text0:0"><b>When
something is free, it has no value and people treat it as such.</b> When I
worked at a great hospital in Boston, we used to offer free printing to
everyone in our small division -- 1000 people were generating printing
costs of $100,000 per year.</span><br data-reactid=".8a.1:4:1:$comment10153034688419753_10153034763179753:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.$text0:0:$text1:0" /><br data-reactid=".8a.1:4:1:$comment10153034688419753_10153034763179753:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.$text0:0:$text3:0" /><span data-reactid=".8a.1:4:1:$comment10153034688419753_10153034763179753:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.$text0:0:$text4:0">So
we put a program in place so that when people sent a job to the
printer, they had to go to the printer to release the job with their
username/password (this was also important for HIPPA reasons -- can't
leave patient records on the printer tray). This allowed us to see how
much people were printing.</span><br data-reactid=".8a.1:4:1:$comment10153034688419753_10153034763179753:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.$text0:0:$text5:0" /><br data-reactid=".8a.1:4:1:$comment10153034688419753_10153034763179753:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.$text0:0:$text7:0" /><span data-reactid=".8a.1:4:1:$comment10153034688419753_10153034763179753:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.$text0:0:$text8:0">After
one year we had some pretty good stats on how much everyone printed, so
we told people that we were going to start charging $0.01 per page for
back and white prints and $0.07 for color. We also gave everyone an
"allowance" of $50 a year, and we displayed their balance on the screen
when they released their print jobs.</span><br data-reactid=".8a.1:4:1:$comment10153034688419753_10153034763179753:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.$text0:0:$text9:0" /><br data-reactid=".8a.1:4:1:$comment10153034688419753_10153034763179753:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.$text0:0:$text11:0" /><span data-reactid=".8a.1:4:1:$comment10153034688419753_10153034763179753:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.$text0:0:$text12:0">Out
printing dropped by 75%. It wasn't that anyone was deprived -- no one
ended up having to pay us for more printing -- but <b>because we assigned a
value to something that was previously free -- people treated it like a
precious resource</b>.</span></span>Dan Fishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04523601323250034654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635575.post-67652260018317132792015-03-17T07:15:00.001-07:002015-04-04T07:32:53.984-07:00New public key<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I attended the Massachusetts Libertarian Party state committee meeting last Saturday, and as always I left thinking: "I know I'm being paranoid, but am I being paranoid enough?"<br /><br />To that end, I have generated a new 4096 bit public key. Scroll down further for my 2048 key.<br /><br />If you want to know how to use it, check out <a href="https://www.mailvelope.com/" target="_blank">Mailvelope</a><br /><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Comment: https://www.mailvelope.com</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>Dan Fishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04523601323250034654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635575.post-70832794961134556322015-01-21T07:52:00.002-08:002015-01-21T11:22:26.623-08:00Balls lose pressure in the coldRegarding deflate-gate<br />
<br />
Amounton's Law says <br />
<br />
<i>"The pressure of a gas of fixed mass and fixed volume is directly proportional to the gas's absolute temperature."</i><br />
<br />
So P/T = Constant<br />
<br />
For comparing the same substance under two different sets of conditions, the law can be written as:<br />
<br />
P<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1</span>/T<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1</span> = P<span style="font-size: xx-small;">2</span>/T<span style="font-size: xx-small;">2</span><br />
<br />
I'm also going to do this in metric to avoid other potential errors. And I apologize that I am 30 years from doing this sort of work<br />
<br />
<br />
12.5 psi = 86.18 kPa ( kiloPascals)<br />
75F=23.89C = 297.04K<br />
30F=-1.11C = 272.04K<br />
<br />
<br />
So<br />
<br />
86.18/297.04 = P<span style="font-size: xx-small;">2</span>/272.04<br />
0.29= P<span style="font-size: xx-small;">2</span>/272.04<br />
P<span style="font-size: xx-small;">2</span>=78.93kPa<br />
78.93kPa= 11.45PSI<br />
<br />
<br />
Temperature change from 75F to 30F degrees would result in a football ball losing ~1 pound of pressure per square inch.<br />
<br />
Now this does not account for ALL of the claimed 2lbs PSI that was measued as having been lost -- but we don't know that the ball began at 12.5 -- what if they began at 12? What if they were inflated in a 78 degree room?<br />
<br />
I think early calls dismissing temperature as a force are hasty.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay-Lussac%27s_law#Pressure-temperature_law">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay-Lussac%27s_law#Pressure-temperature_law</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">UPDATE</span></b><br />
Someone pointed out that<br />
<br />
Pressure <span style="font-size: xx-small;">gauge</span>= Pressure <span style="font-size: xx-small;">absolute</span> - Pressure <span style="font-size: xx-small;">atmosphere</span><br />
which means I need to do my calculations with absolute pressure to use the Ideal Gas Law<br />
<br />
Atmospheric pressure is 14.7 psi<br />
<br />
<span data-reactid=".7q.1:3:1:$comment10153042969177277_10153043186012277:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.0.$end:0:$0:0" style="background-color: #f6f7f8; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15.3599996566772px;">12.5 + 14.7 = 27.2psi = 187.54 kPA</span><br />
<br />
187.54/297.04 = P<span style="font-size: xx-small;">2</span>/272.04<br />
0.29= P<span style="font-size: xx-small;">2</span>/272.04<br />
P<span style="font-size: xx-small;">2</span>=171.76kPa<br />
171.76kPa= 24.91psi<br />
subtract atmospheric pressure and<br />
24.91-14.7= 10.21psi<br />
<br />
!!!!<br />
<br />
<h2>
<b>A ball inflated at 75 degrees to 12.5 psi will be 10.2 psi at 30 degrees!!! This matches the readings by the NFL Officials!!<br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">UPDATE REDUX</span></b></h2>
<div>
Temperature at game time was 50F, which is 282K<br /><br />187.54/297.04 = P<span style="font-size: xx-small;">2</span>/272.04<br />
P<span style="font-size: xx-small;">2</span>=178.07kPa<br />
171.76kPa= 25.82psi<br />
subtract atmospheric pressure and<br />
25.82-14.7= 11.15psi<br /><br />
<h2>
<b>A ball inflated at 75 degrees to 12.5 psi will be 11.15 psi at 50 degrees!!! </b></h2>
</div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<br />
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<br />Dan Fishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04523601323250034654noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6635575.post-29087338209873690612014-12-10T05:50:00.001-08:002015-03-13T06:01:34.192-07:00The Crony Capitalism of Common Core<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When people talk about </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><b>having standards</b></i></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, it’s with the shared assumption that standards are a “good thing.” When we talk about minimum standard for something, we’re talking about a baseline, below which is considered unacceptable. When we use the phrase “a standard of excellence” we associate the word standard with an ideal that we should all strive for. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s not accidental then that the Federal government, in a well intentioned attempt to direct the path of education in the country, used that word to introduce the Common Core State Standards. Common Core is a set of standards for elementary and secondary education that are meant to provide a guide to educators and parents as to what should be taught in schools.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">According to the Common Core <a href="http://www.corestandards.org/read-the-standards/" target="_blank">website</a>, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-771c003e-3471-678e-cec4-9fed228d73c0"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Building on the excellent foundation of standards states have laid, the Common Core State Standards are the first step in providing our young people with a high-quality education. It should be clear to every student, parent, and teacher what the standards of success are in every school.”</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The statement alone makes it clear that the goal is to provide young people with a high quality education. And this is a laudable goal. Who would not want to provide students with a quality education? When is anyone ever against education? Education is another word, much like “standards” that has become loaded. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In America, we are the greatest bastion of capitalism -- and that’s a good thing. We use market forces to drive many of the decisions in our economy. We understand the benefits and efficiencies of “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economies_of_scale" target="_blank">economies of scale.</a>” We understand that if you buy a truckload full of pencils, you get a better price per pencil than if you are just buying one.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Taken to the extreme, we see <a href="http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article/85508/wal-mart-used-technology-to-become-supply-chain-leader?page=all" target="_blank">Wal-Mart as a model of efficiency</a>. They have a database that connects every warehouse to every cash register. Every day they analyze what sold in a store and based on sales and inventory they send price adjustments to the store to move things that they need to sell, and they send trucks to replace the items that the store is running low on. Managers don’t order what they need -- they open the trucks from the warehouse and find exactly what they need in them.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s a model of efficiency, and it has made Wal-Mart the most successful retailer in the history of money. Yet inspite of this success, when Wal-Mart comes to a town it is often faced with opposition from locals who know that Wal-Mart can sell bread cheaper than the local baker. Wal-Mart can sell paint cheaper than the local hardware store. Wal-Mart can sell clothes cheaper than they local dress shop. All these businesses will be forced to adapt to a Wal-Mart in their midst. And as a result, some may have to change the way they do business. Some will be forced to lower their standards to provide a cheaper product.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i>And in business, that’s an appropriate adjustment to make. </i></b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mark Twain famously wrote “I never let my schooling interfere with my education.” Education has become BIG business here in the United States. We have a Higher Education industry fueled by government loans that has been increasing tuition and profits steadily. According the Department of Education the average cost of a 4 year degree has doubled over the last 10 years.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And Elementary and Secondary education are no different. Textbook contracts are worth millions. School spending is typically are HALF of a city’s budget. Massachusetts spends ~$14,000 per student per year. It would be a huge boon to business to be able to apply economies of scale to that money. The Wal-Marts of education are champing at the bit for the application a single purchasing directive to schools.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But Walmart clothing, though cheap and sufficient, is meant for for the lowest common denominator. And it’s not built to a standard of quality, but to a standard of immediacy. While consumers are welcome to satisfy immediate needs, when paying for our childrens’ education we should be concerned with quality.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And as economies of scale take over, smaller competitors are driven out of the market. There are currently THOUSANDS of small businesses that facilitate educational advancements (full disclosure, I work for one). The plethora of options benefits school systems in that they are able to chose a system that fits them well, and then frequently is custom tailored to their specific needs. The adoption of common core by most states threatens the ability of individual states to customize their education system.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Oversight from the Federal level is abstracted. Oversight in your own neighborhood in personal. What has made education work in the United States is the idea that a local School System has a better idea of what its population needs. In Massachusetts, where 83% of graduating seniors take the SATs focus on college preparation makes a tremendous amount of sense. In Illinois, where 5% of graduating seniors take the SAT, they might determine that more vocational training is a better implementation.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“The Common Core is about raising the bottom half,” <a href="http://www.usnews.com/news/special-reports/a-guide-to-common-core/articles/2014/03/04/common-core-myths-and-facts" target="_blank">says Common Core Development Team member Mark Bauerlein.</a> “One problem is the broader issue of trying to equalize school situations. We need to do so, but we will never equalize home situations.”</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I would argue that if this were true, there would be no need for standards for the states that are currently excelling. Why then is there pressure on Massachusetts to adopt standards that are less than the current state standards? If the standards are so good, why wouldn’t states voluntarily choose to adopt them? Why the pressure for the Federal government? The Race to the Top initiative awarded more than $4 billion in federal grants to 19 states that demonstrated a commitment to education reform and innovation. Race to the Top applicants who agreed to adopt the Common Core standards had points added to their score.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So the Federal government is collecting $5b in taxes from the people to return $4b (I’m assuming 20% waste as the money passes through the bureaucracy). This coercion is subtle, but key to the way Federal oversight worms its way into local issues.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A school system that operates locally and is responsive to the parents operates best. Absolving localities of responsibility for curriculum by presenting them with a “common core” will be detrimental to the quality of many local school systems. Undoubtedly there are school systems for whom Common Core will be beneficial. In states like Mississippi the emphasis on communication skills and math will certainly benefit many student.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But the fact that a curriculum will benefit some students -- even MOST students, does not mean it should be required. And while common core adoption is not forced upon school districts, they are now disadvantaged in their ability to get Race To The Top money. And as common core text books come out, the financial pressure to buy the cheapest books will also mount. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Common core is an attempt to apply economies of scale to education. Small business that cater to their customers are vanishing before the expansions of the megastores. While we gain cheap products, we lose quality craftsmanship. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Is this the direction we want elementary and secondary education to take?</b></span></div>
Dan Fishmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04523601323250034654noreply@blogger.com1