We use airbeds in our home. I don't sleep on one, but we do keep two or three around.
Between children and grandchildren, family gatherings can be a lot of people. More people than we have beds and couches for. I think for a few days in late spring there were twelve or thirteen extra people in the house. So out come the airbeds.
I have successfully patched airbeds with a leak, but kids just seem to have this deep seated need to make new leaks. I have one of those right next to me. It is fully inflated, standing up against a wall, unwilling to reveal where the latest (I have patched it twice previously) leak might be. I think this one is toast.
And that brings me back to the question I have been pondering. What to do with the pump?
It is a perfectly good pump, probably designed to last much longer than bed itself. It seems like there should be something to be done with it, that it could be re-purposed is some way.
I have a treasure chest full of cables and electronic components of one sort or another that I keep, I suppose it could go in there. But everything in there I have an idea of what I could use it for. The pump? Not a clue.
I have tried a few different google searches, and so far all the results have been about the PVC that most airbeds are made from, and the difficulty of recycling that. It seems like there should be some useful purpose for a perfectly goods electric pump.
Tweet
Monday, October 14, 2013
Sunday, September 15, 2013
There is something you can do
When I commute into the city, I drive the casual carpool. I pick up riders at the Park and Ride in the morning, and on Beal Street in the afternoon. On the return trip I use the carpool on ramp, and it is one of those ramps with two lanes that merge into one. It also has three lanes feeding into two at the beginning of the ramp. So those of us coming from the Beal Street pickup point have to merge twice.
Every now and then some asshole in the lane to my right will tailgate the car in front of him, making the merge impossible. They refuse to let a car merge in front of them. Yes, this is rude behavior, and I try to never reward rude behavior, but in these circumstances there is nothing I can do. The key word of the phrase is 'I', there is nothing that I can do. That does not mean there is nothing to be done.
As we were approaching the entrance to the freeway, I noticed it happening again. Not to me this time, but to the car to my left. The car following me was right on my ass, doing everything they could to prevent the car in the other lane from merging. So I did something about it.
Although the white line was gone, the lane was still wide enough for two cars. I moved to the right, as far as I could. I slowed down (hard to slow down much more, it was stop and go already). I did that until the car on my left realized I was making space for them, and they pulled up beside me.
They were not even with me, they were about a third of a way from parallel. It was enough. I slipped in front of them and they followed me onto the freeway. There was nothing that they could have done about it, but there was something I could. So I did.
You could too.
Tweet
Every now and then some asshole in the lane to my right will tailgate the car in front of him, making the merge impossible. They refuse to let a car merge in front of them. Yes, this is rude behavior, and I try to never reward rude behavior, but in these circumstances there is nothing I can do. The key word of the phrase is 'I', there is nothing that I can do. That does not mean there is nothing to be done.
As we were approaching the entrance to the freeway, I noticed it happening again. Not to me this time, but to the car to my left. The car following me was right on my ass, doing everything they could to prevent the car in the other lane from merging. So I did something about it.
Although the white line was gone, the lane was still wide enough for two cars. I moved to the right, as far as I could. I slowed down (hard to slow down much more, it was stop and go already). I did that until the car on my left realized I was making space for them, and they pulled up beside me.
They were not even with me, they were about a third of a way from parallel. It was enough. I slipped in front of them and they followed me onto the freeway. There was nothing that they could have done about it, but there was something I could. So I did.
You could too.
Tweet
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Brief thoughts on SNAP
There are a lot of people who work full time, but qualify for food stamps. That, all by itself, is a damning indictment of their employers, and our society at large. And there are others (Walmart comes to mind) who intentionally hire multiple part time employees to fill a single full time position, in order to avoid having to treat those employees as human beings.
So the business model is to pay wages that nobody can live on, and let the taxpayer pick up the tab for the difference. And we do, with food stamps, WICK, section 8 housing, and the rest of the taxpayer funded safety net.
And the right (particularly those who suck their livings off the public tit) has be demonizing these people as somehow less moral, less deserving, less human, than the rest of us, because their employer is an asshole. To some degree this works, a lot of people buy into the 'welfare queen' fiction. But too many still notice that is the employer who denies people a living wage who is really at fault.
Of course the moral solution is to raise the minimum wage, and to enforce that labor laws for businesses like Walmart, so that the employees are actually able to organize without retaliation and intimidation. The right of course would never buy into that, because their constituency does not include people who do actual work.
But fear not, they do have a solution! Kick people off SNAP! Sure their children will be even more malnourished than they are now, but the workers will not be living on the public safety net. No more evil employers!
Don't you wish you had thought of this?
Tweet
So the business model is to pay wages that nobody can live on, and let the taxpayer pick up the tab for the difference. And we do, with food stamps, WICK, section 8 housing, and the rest of the taxpayer funded safety net.
And the right (particularly those who suck their livings off the public tit) has be demonizing these people as somehow less moral, less deserving, less human, than the rest of us, because their employer is an asshole. To some degree this works, a lot of people buy into the 'welfare queen' fiction. But too many still notice that is the employer who denies people a living wage who is really at fault.
Of course the moral solution is to raise the minimum wage, and to enforce that labor laws for businesses like Walmart, so that the employees are actually able to organize without retaliation and intimidation. The right of course would never buy into that, because their constituency does not include people who do actual work.
But fear not, they do have a solution! Kick people off SNAP! Sure their children will be even more malnourished than they are now, but the workers will not be living on the public safety net. No more evil employers!
Don't you wish you had thought of this?
Tweet
Friday, August 23, 2013
I was reminded today...
why it is, I will almost never yield the right-of-way to a taxi.
I was driving down Mission Street during rush hour. Traffic was not awful, but it was not light either. I was stopped at a traffic light. The cross street was a two way street, I think it was 4th but it could have been 5th or 3rd. It was a block from the Metreon.
A taxi was approaching in the right lane, and as the car in front of me was not tailgating, he managed to wedge his nose into the space between him and the car in front of him. When the light changed and the lead car entered the intersection, the taxi finished pulling into the lane and promptly signaled for a left turn.
Of course, nobody else made the light. This is Mission Street at rush hour, the taxi was not going to be able to make the turn until the light changed. I knew it, the driver in front of me knew it, the taxi driver knew it.
So he knew before he did that he was not going to make his turn any faster, but he would block anyone else from making the light. There was nobody behind me when he got there, he could have easily pulled in there. But that did not give him the opportunity to be an asshole.
What can we do about it, other than encourage everyone to tailgate? How about this.
If you are in a taxi, and the driver does something like that, something rude and completely unnecessary. Don't give him a tip. And then, when you pay him, tell him why you didn't give him a tip.
A long time ago, I read a quote from Larry Ellison. I do not know if it was a real quote, or something made up by someone who didn't like him. The quote was, "It is not enough to win, somebody has to lose". But my point is that there are enough people with that attitude, that taxi drivers will still get tips from people who think being an asshole is manly. So maybe it will not change anything.
But wouldn't it feel great?
Tweet
I was driving down Mission Street during rush hour. Traffic was not awful, but it was not light either. I was stopped at a traffic light. The cross street was a two way street, I think it was 4th but it could have been 5th or 3rd. It was a block from the Metreon.
A taxi was approaching in the right lane, and as the car in front of me was not tailgating, he managed to wedge his nose into the space between him and the car in front of him. When the light changed and the lead car entered the intersection, the taxi finished pulling into the lane and promptly signaled for a left turn.
Of course, nobody else made the light. This is Mission Street at rush hour, the taxi was not going to be able to make the turn until the light changed. I knew it, the driver in front of me knew it, the taxi driver knew it.
So he knew before he did that he was not going to make his turn any faster, but he would block anyone else from making the light. There was nobody behind me when he got there, he could have easily pulled in there. But that did not give him the opportunity to be an asshole.
What can we do about it, other than encourage everyone to tailgate? How about this.
If you are in a taxi, and the driver does something like that, something rude and completely unnecessary. Don't give him a tip. And then, when you pay him, tell him why you didn't give him a tip.
A long time ago, I read a quote from Larry Ellison. I do not know if it was a real quote, or something made up by someone who didn't like him. The quote was, "It is not enough to win, somebody has to lose". But my point is that there are enough people with that attitude, that taxi drivers will still get tips from people who think being an asshole is manly. So maybe it will not change anything.
But wouldn't it feel great?
Tweet
Thursday, August 8, 2013
The other shoe
So now we know that the target was not only terrorism. It may have started that way in the minds of some., but that NSA data is finding it's way into other hands.
The DEA and the IRS are getting this stuff. Does anyone care to wager that this is not the last recipient that we will find out about.
To paint a broad brush that everyone is a potential terrorist, and therefore all of their electronic communications are fair game, but only for 'national security' of course, was already a stretch. But of course it was never going to stop there.
And of course it will not stop with the DEA and the IRS either. We are all suspects now, and for the moment it is about whether or not we may be committing a crime. The more people get there hand on this information, it will be used for more and different purposes.
Just the way San Diego Mayor Bob Filner used information he gained as a member of congress to target women who had been victims of sexual harassment and rape, to help select his own targets, so you will find others with access to the NSA data using it for their own purposes.
Got any secrets? Not anymore!
Tweet
The DEA and the IRS are getting this stuff. Does anyone care to wager that this is not the last recipient that we will find out about.
To paint a broad brush that everyone is a potential terrorist, and therefore all of their electronic communications are fair game, but only for 'national security' of course, was already a stretch. But of course it was never going to stop there.
And of course it will not stop with the DEA and the IRS either. We are all suspects now, and for the moment it is about whether or not we may be committing a crime. The more people get there hand on this information, it will be used for more and different purposes.
Just the way San Diego Mayor Bob Filner used information he gained as a member of congress to target women who had been victims of sexual harassment and rape, to help select his own targets, so you will find others with access to the NSA data using it for their own purposes.
Got any secrets? Not anymore!
Tweet
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Who stood up for you, who stood up for the corporations
There has been a lot written about the Monsanto Protection Act, that was slipped into Farm Bill in a house committee before passage. If you don't know much about it, you can read about it here, here, and here. Opposition has appeared from both the left and the right on this one, but that has not stopped Republicans from lining up to support it.
When Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) introduced an amendment to strip that from the bill in the Senate, it was blocked by Ayotte (R-NH), Burr (R-NC), Coburn (R-OK), Crapo (R-ID), Cruz (R-TX), Enzi (R-WY), Fischer (R-NE), Graham (R-SC), Grassley (R-IA), Heller (R-NV), Inhofe (R-OK), Johnson (R-WI), Kirk (R-IL), Lee (R-UT), McCain (R-AZ), Paul (R-KY), Portman (R-OH), Risch (R-ID), Roberts (R-KS), Rubio (R-FL), Scott (R-SC), Tester (D-MT), Toomey (R-PA), Vitter (R-LA), Flake (R-AZ),and Moran (R-KS). Yes, there was one Democrat on the list too.
There was another attempt to amend the bill, one that would have allowed individual states to have GMO labeling requirements. This amendment (refer to SEC. 12213 on this page) would protect states from being sued for enacting DMO labeling laws. The amendment was resoundingly defeated, and the opposition included a number of surprising names.
Voting against were Alexander (R-TN), Ayotte (R-NH), Baldwin (D-WI), Barrasso (R-WY), Baucus (D-MT), Blunt (R-MO), Boozman (R-AR), Brown (D-OH), Burr (R-NC), Carper (D-DE), Casey (D-PA), Chambliss (R-GA), Coats (R-IN), Coburn (R-OK), Cochran (R-MS), Collins (R-ME), Coons (D-DE), Corker (R-TN), Cornyn (R-TX), Cowan (D-MA), Crapo (R-ID), Cruz (R-TX), Donnelly (D-IN), Durbin (D-IL), Enzi (R-WY), Fischer (R-NE), Franken (D-MN), Gillibrand (D-NY), Graham (R-SC), Grassley (R-IA), Hagan (D-NC), Harkin (D-IA), Hatch (R-UT), Heitkamp (D-ND), Heller (R-NV), Hoeven (R-ND), Inhofe (R-OK), Isakson (R-GA), Johanns (R-NE), Johnson (D-SD), Johnson (R-WI), Kaine (D-VA), Kirk (R-IL), Klobuchar (D-MN), Landrieu (D-LA), Lee (R-UT), Levin (D-MI), McCain (R-AZ), McCaskill (D-MO), McConnell (R-KY), Menendez (D-NJ), Moran (R-KS), Nelson (D-FL), Paul (R-KY), Portman (R-OH), Pryor (D-AR), Risch (R-ID), Roberts (R-KS), Rubio (R-FL), Scott (R-SC), Sessions (R-AL), Shaheen (D-NH), Shelby (R-AL), Stabenow (D-MI), Thune (R-SD), Toomey (R-PA), Udall (D-CO), Vitter (R-LA), Warner (D-VA), Warren (D-MA), Wicker (R-MS).
Now the bill has not yet cleared the Senate, it will be taken up again after the June recess. You know who they are now, time to hold their feet to the fire.
Tweet
When Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) introduced an amendment to strip that from the bill in the Senate, it was blocked by Ayotte (R-NH), Burr (R-NC), Coburn (R-OK), Crapo (R-ID), Cruz (R-TX), Enzi (R-WY), Fischer (R-NE), Graham (R-SC), Grassley (R-IA), Heller (R-NV), Inhofe (R-OK), Johnson (R-WI), Kirk (R-IL), Lee (R-UT), McCain (R-AZ), Paul (R-KY), Portman (R-OH), Risch (R-ID), Roberts (R-KS), Rubio (R-FL), Scott (R-SC), Tester (D-MT), Toomey (R-PA), Vitter (R-LA), Flake (R-AZ),and Moran (R-KS). Yes, there was one Democrat on the list too.
There was another attempt to amend the bill, one that would have allowed individual states to have GMO labeling requirements. This amendment (refer to SEC. 12213 on this page) would protect states from being sued for enacting DMO labeling laws. The amendment was resoundingly defeated, and the opposition included a number of surprising names.
Voting against were Alexander (R-TN), Ayotte (R-NH), Baldwin (D-WI), Barrasso (R-WY), Baucus (D-MT), Blunt (R-MO), Boozman (R-AR), Brown (D-OH), Burr (R-NC), Carper (D-DE), Casey (D-PA), Chambliss (R-GA), Coats (R-IN), Coburn (R-OK), Cochran (R-MS), Collins (R-ME), Coons (D-DE), Corker (R-TN), Cornyn (R-TX), Cowan (D-MA), Crapo (R-ID), Cruz (R-TX), Donnelly (D-IN), Durbin (D-IL), Enzi (R-WY), Fischer (R-NE), Franken (D-MN), Gillibrand (D-NY), Graham (R-SC), Grassley (R-IA), Hagan (D-NC), Harkin (D-IA), Hatch (R-UT), Heitkamp (D-ND), Heller (R-NV), Hoeven (R-ND), Inhofe (R-OK), Isakson (R-GA), Johanns (R-NE), Johnson (D-SD), Johnson (R-WI), Kaine (D-VA), Kirk (R-IL), Klobuchar (D-MN), Landrieu (D-LA), Lee (R-UT), Levin (D-MI), McCain (R-AZ), McCaskill (D-MO), McConnell (R-KY), Menendez (D-NJ), Moran (R-KS), Nelson (D-FL), Paul (R-KY), Portman (R-OH), Pryor (D-AR), Risch (R-ID), Roberts (R-KS), Rubio (R-FL), Scott (R-SC), Sessions (R-AL), Shaheen (D-NH), Shelby (R-AL), Stabenow (D-MI), Thune (R-SD), Toomey (R-PA), Udall (D-CO), Vitter (R-LA), Warner (D-VA), Warren (D-MA), Wicker (R-MS).
Now the bill has not yet cleared the Senate, it will be taken up again after the June recess. You know who they are now, time to hold their feet to the fire.
Tweet
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Try this and watch Corporate America run away from Citizens United
OK, I know Americans have short attention spans so here is a brief recap.
A little after 6 in the evening, on September 9th, 2010, there was an explosion in the California city of San Bruno. A gas line exploded, killing 8 people and destroying 38 homes. The owner of the was pipeline was Pacific Gas and Electric. It was later revealed that 100 million dollars that was supposed to be used for safety operations was diverted to executive pay, including bonuses.
The California Public Utilities Commission is considering levying a 2.25 billion dollar fine against Pacific Gas and Electric. That is exactly the wrong thing to do.
They correct thing to do? Charge Pacific Gas and Electric with negligent homicide, or even first degree murder.
The Citizen's United decision says corporations are people. If people commit murder, they go to jail, even face the death penalty. Here is the perfect case to put a lie to that.
The San Bruno district attorney should be filing murder changers against Pacific Gas and Electric. It was their job to ensure the safety of the pipeline, they had the money to do it, they used the money for something else.
When people are killed in a bank robbery, it is first degree murder. It does not matter if the robbers planned to kill someone. They walked into a bank with guns prepared to kill someone.
This is the same. The corporation stole money, and in the process, and as a consequence, people died. If a corporation is a person then that corporation must face the same penalties as any other person would face.
Tweet
A little after 6 in the evening, on September 9th, 2010, there was an explosion in the California city of San Bruno. A gas line exploded, killing 8 people and destroying 38 homes. The owner of the was pipeline was Pacific Gas and Electric. It was later revealed that 100 million dollars that was supposed to be used for safety operations was diverted to executive pay, including bonuses.
The California Public Utilities Commission is considering levying a 2.25 billion dollar fine against Pacific Gas and Electric. That is exactly the wrong thing to do.
They correct thing to do? Charge Pacific Gas and Electric with negligent homicide, or even first degree murder.
The Citizen's United decision says corporations are people. If people commit murder, they go to jail, even face the death penalty. Here is the perfect case to put a lie to that.
The San Bruno district attorney should be filing murder changers against Pacific Gas and Electric. It was their job to ensure the safety of the pipeline, they had the money to do it, they used the money for something else.
When people are killed in a bank robbery, it is first degree murder. It does not matter if the robbers planned to kill someone. They walked into a bank with guns prepared to kill someone.
This is the same. The corporation stole money, and in the process, and as a consequence, people died. If a corporation is a person then that corporation must face the same penalties as any other person would face.
Tweet
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)