tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91718944240568382922024-08-28T12:21:28.184-04:00squiggleslashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10471342214168806487noreply@blogger.comBlogger101125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9171894424056838292.post-3185977807062811822016-07-26T13:54:00.005-04:002016-07-26T13:54:54.156-04:00

I'll likely be voting for Hillary Clinton in November. I'm not happy about it, but Trump. Florida's a swing state, the polls are (currently) showing the two neck and neck, there just isn't another choice right now. I'd vote for Richard Nixon if he was standing as Trump's opponent right now. I'd even vote for George W. Bush. And God bless you (figuratively, I'm an atheist...) if you're a

squiggleslashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10471342214168806487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9171894424056838292.post-12118778503306732072013-10-26T12:23:00.002-04:002013-10-26T12:23:42.728-04:00

Google became useful and popular because it created tools that people want to use. Since Google+, however well intended that project may be, Google has shifted to creating tools that it wants people to use. Couple that with the fact that their search engine reached an apex some years ago and that virtually every change since has damaged it and made it less useful (particularly the insistence

squiggleslashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10471342214168806487noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9171894424056838292.post-9861685300263658682013-10-06T08:43:00.006-04:002013-10-06T08:44:21.886-04:00

(Note - I'm strictly non-ideological when it comes to how to provide a quality passenger train. For profit? Government subsidized? Don't care. I just care it happens. This rant will concentrate on attacking those who demand profits for their apparent complete silence when it comes to a railroad that's trying to do exactly that.) Given the attacks on Amtrak by the "free market" right over the

squiggleslashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10471342214168806487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9171894424056838292.post-22618602074530862902013-07-27T11:18:00.001-04:002013-07-27T12:06:56.589-04:00

I'm a little staggered by the fallout over the accident at Lac-Mégantic. In theory, most of what happened is open and shut. An accident happened - a tragic disastrous accident - when an unattended train rolled away and derailed in the middle of a city with its cargo catching fire.The CEO of the railroad has claimed the engineer that was responsible for the entire train failed to set the correct

squiggleslashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10471342214168806487noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9171894424056838292.post-84738483634341647362013-04-15T10:39:00.001-04:002013-04-15T10:39:05.235-04:00

I guess I'm reacting to our friends at /. obsessing over Bitcoins again, but I'm finding it hard to take the idea seriously. At the same time, readers should be aware that I'm not exactly a great predictor of stuff: - I thought the iPhone wouldn't happen, and when it did I couldn't see how a $600 locked down EDGE-only device could possibly be successful. - I still don't understand why people

squiggleslashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10471342214168806487noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9171894424056838292.post-2200492180965541622013-01-23T07:35:00.003-05:002013-01-23T07:35:52.302-05:00

Mike DeAngelo has an excellent contribution to the gun control debate, and he seems to go further than I did, which suggests I may be more liberal (not in the Dems vs Reps sense) than many gun owners on the issue. While I drew a line between "Dangerous" and "More dangerous, requiring more responsibility" weapons, Mike wants responsibility tests for any kind of gun ownership, and wants large

squiggleslashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10471342214168806487noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9171894424056838292.post-4355447494181996882013-01-02T09:30:00.000-05:002013-01-02T09:30:02.709-05:00

Kinda something that's been kicking around in my head since Wayne LeOutoftouch made his infamous post-Newtown speech blaming video games and Hollywood for the massacre. I can't honestly say that either of the movies Wayne picked depicted violence positively. In both cases, violence was depicted as insane, horrible, and unpleasant. But I can say numerous John Wayne movies have depicted it

squiggleslashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10471342214168806487noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9171894424056838292.post-73612992865188594182012-12-23T08:46:00.001-05:002012-12-23T08:46:11.144-05:00

Let's accept the following premises: 1. The AWB is a load of crap. It involves weapons not involved in most of the infamous shootings of this decade. While it was internally effective (it did reduce the number of the weapons it targetted circulating), it was ineffective at its intended ultimate goal (reducing gun violence or making it less lethal - there was no reduction in the amount of gun

squiggleslashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10471342214168806487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9171894424056838292.post-44380756059284485962012-12-17T20:41:00.003-05:002012-12-17T20:41:40.046-05:00

It is not unreasonable or despicable to, in the wake of a horrific tragedy, demand changes to the law you think will prevent it from happening again. That said, it is unreasonable and despicable to demonize your opponents who have done little but disagree with you, and thus far won the arguments, as responsible for that tragedy. It also doesn't mean you're right. Also the world of politics is a

squiggleslashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10471342214168806487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9171894424056838292.post-87930781897035493652012-12-07T09:01:00.001-05:002012-12-07T09:01:13.482-05:00

There seems to be a little confusion as to what the effects of the Fiscal Cliff are, so here's some help. 1. What is the Fiscal Cliff? It's a package of spending cuts and tax hikes that'll take effect on the 1st of January unless Congress acts to overturn it. 2. I've spent my entire career protesting about the deficit. Is the Fiscal Cliff bad? Can you clarify your question? 2.1 OK, I'm

squiggleslashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10471342214168806487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9171894424056838292.post-12463607391514905432012-10-13T22:17:00.001-04:002012-10-13T22:17:54.650-04:00

Some time ago, but after my daughter's birth, my mother related to me a tale of a neighbor who, one day, ran out into the street crying and screaming. She banged on the hoods of nearby cars, and continued to scream, and people ran out to see what was going on. SIDS. The story terrified me. I honestly had a three day anxiety attack. I read up on SIDS, and read everything I could possibly find on

squiggleslashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10471342214168806487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9171894424056838292.post-43346200271977250172012-09-30T18:20:00.004-04:002012-09-30T18:25:39.445-04:00

What's the origin of the 47% remark? Well, it's a combination of a fact mixed with a lot of prejudice and served with a thick helping of wilful blindness. Let's go over it. The fact that all of this is based upon is the observation that between the effect of the recession on household incomes, and the raising of income tax thresholds since Reagan, around 47% of households pay no Federal income

squiggleslashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10471342214168806487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9171894424056838292.post-69477174514173564732012-05-06T12:48:00.001-04:002012-05-06T12:48:55.290-04:00

(Spoilers in yellow to make 'em easy to skip) After more or less avoiding them for a long time, I've been diving back into computer games for the first time in many years. As I've said before, walking into Gamestop, for me, gave me the same kinds of feelings as I'd expect to feel walking into a Swedish Porn Shop. Not knowing the language. Feeling out of place. The paranoia of feeling that any

squiggleslashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10471342214168806487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9171894424056838292.post-58867677789917836972012-04-06T11:49:00.002-04:002012-04-06T11:49:43.400-04:00

As I get older, I become more misogynist. I think in part it's being married and listening to the horror stories of my (wonderful - don't misunderstand me - she's the exception) wife about how women treat one another, and the degree to which apparent friendliness and warmth men think they sense from women is faked. So with a daughter on the way, I worry about being unable to connect, and being

squiggleslashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10471342214168806487noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9171894424056838292.post-3941666590891525452012-04-03T10:52:00.000-04:002013-07-27T20:46:50.928-04:00

Some years ago, I had an epiphany about John Major, Britain's first post-Thatcher Prime Minister. One of Major's signature achievements was the privatization of British Rail, Britain's battered state-owned railway company. British Rail was a textbook example of how taking an industry into state ownership and then subsidizing it can cause it much harm. Originally intended to be profitable, the

squiggleslashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10471342214168806487noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9171894424056838292.post-38470748830409649622012-04-01T16:07:00.002-04:002012-04-01T16:07:26.605-04:00

I've come to the conclusion that Illinois has the least corrupt government in the US. "But Squiggie!", I hear you pretend to say, "That's so corrupt the governor was put in Jail last month!", to which my answer is "Exactly". Blagojevich sits in jail because he demanded a reward for picking Obama's choice of Senator, it's not clear what kind of reward, it might have been spending money, or it

squiggleslashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10471342214168806487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9171894424056838292.post-68145569642001860252012-03-28T11:44:00.001-04:002012-03-28T11:44:08.393-04:00

A young man is walking through a neighborhood on his way home from buying a drink and snack from a nearby store. It's dark and raining. He's suddenly aware that he's being followed. He stops his conversation on his cellphone, his heart racing he asks his stalker what's going on. It's dark, but the man following him is armed, and starts to ask threatening questions. The young man realizes he's

squiggleslashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10471342214168806487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9171894424056838292.post-71952598780352111502012-03-20T09:02:00.001-04:002012-03-20T09:02:28.886-04:00

Many progressives are demanding the head of Staff Sgt. Robert Bales after the recent massacre in Afghanistan. I'm not going to go there at this point: my problem is that - with, obviously, all due respect to the vast majority of soldiers who are able to cope with conditions in that country - it's not immediately clear whether Bales is psychotic, or someone who's exploded after extreme pressure.

squiggleslashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10471342214168806487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9171894424056838292.post-28024035762135354632012-03-01T21:15:00.000-05:002012-03-01T21:15:03.080-05:00

I prefer not to speak ill of the dead, but it would stand to reason that if, say, Bernie Madoff were to die tonight, very few people would be eulogising him. They wouldn't claim that his frauds were legitimate because they were in support of some greater goal. And so I have to admit to feeling somewhat nauseous hearing even my fellow liberals pretend that there was anything good to say about

squiggleslashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10471342214168806487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9171894424056838292.post-8299005968157340472012-01-26T07:31:00.003-05:002012-01-26T07:31:41.341-05:00

Getting rather annoyed about the use of the phrase "class war" to describe those arguing that the wealthy should pay more in taxes. Leaving aside the motives of those spreading it as a meme - a rather transparent yet successful attempt to discredit the argument by pretending it's something else - it's also wrong. As an ex-Brit, I know what classes are, and being rich or poor doesn't determine

squiggleslashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10471342214168806487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9171894424056838292.post-48164767943569876492012-01-19T10:56:00.000-05:002012-01-19T10:56:18.400-05:00

I'm going to preface this with a summary because this is such a hot button issue, that it's likely to get misunderstood. The position described by this blog entry is this: I am pro-choice, despite misgivings about the morality of abortion. I consider the legalization of choice important, but there are issues I care much more deeply about, that are more black and white, and my support for those

squiggleslashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10471342214168806487noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9171894424056838292.post-85980824769965331552012-01-16T13:53:00.001-05:002012-01-16T13:53:33.005-05:00

Some news about my finances made me buy a laptop just after Christmas, not because they're good, but because this'll probably be the last time I get the chance to buy one for the next five years or so. Don't worry, the news is good news. I'll share more in a few weeks. What I got was a Dell. Yes, I voluntarily went out and bought a Dell. Nobody buys Dells except (1) corporate IT departments and

squiggleslashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10471342214168806487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9171894424056838292.post-1163468312770092592012-01-08T13:04:00.000-05:002012-01-08T13:04:07.281-05:00

Losing your job is a terrible thing. I should know. I've been laid off twice in the last two years. I wasn't fired, I remained on good terms with both companies, and the first, an automotive business consultancy, even contracted me to do work for them while I was looking for work. But it still sucked. And so you might expect me to join the chorus of those attacking Mitt Romney for his stint at

squiggleslashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10471342214168806487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9171894424056838292.post-16646683966091926582012-01-01T11:25:00.003-05:002012-01-01T11:25:42.301-05:00

One of the people I read who generally tends to be fairly on the ball about things (Glenn Greenwald) is insisting we should take Ron Paul seriously purely because he says some good things on the subject of foreign policy. The argument goes "Sure, he says some stupid stuff too, but why aren't you saying the same thing about Obama?" Well, with respect, I am, which is why Obama isn't going to get

squiggleslashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10471342214168806487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9171894424056838292.post-55950335631107284872011-12-31T14:10:00.000-05:002011-12-31T14:10:11.489-05:00

It's hard to know what's going to happen even three months from now, but I'm going to stick my head up and make some predictions about what will happen over the next year. Let's see what I get right! January The little known "Year 2012" problem causes problems with the Pontiac Aztec's onboard computer. There is much celebration as every Pontiac Aztec in the country blows up simultaneously.

squiggleslashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10471342214168806487noreply@blogger.com0