Walt Schmidt

LeBron to Miami ... please!

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 19:36:00 -0400

Anyone who knows me will tell you there’s no ambiguity in how I feel about LeBron James. He’s right up there with the NFL’s #1 diva, Brett Favre. In a basketball world full of egos, he stands alone. Plenty of people excuse him because of how super-awesome he is. But that’s a weak excuse. Kevin Durant doesn’t need that excuse.

LeBron’s grin hasn’t charmed everyone, though.

Kevin Hench:

It’s like LeBron is a rock god, auditioning groupies to see which will debase herself most thoroughly for his gratification and ego satisfaction.

Gregg Doyel:

He hasn’t killed any man, any woman, any dog. He hasn’t been arrested on charges of domestic violence. He hasn’t brought a loaded pistol to the arena. So why am I starting to loathe LeBron James?

Bleacher Report:

There are “kryptonites” that every human beings share. Is LeBron James’ “kryptonite” his ego?

Adrian Wojnarowski:

All those teams that marched into the presentations and listened to some of the foolish and naive questions asked of them believed these kids had no idea what they were doing, or what they had gotten themselves into.

Marla Ridenour:

If there’s a happy ending to the 2010 free-agency frenzy, it will still leave the impression that the King’s head has gotten too big for his crown.

Bob Berghaus:

LeBron James, a free agent after playing seven years with the Cleveland Cavaliers, is just 25, but he’s taking this diva stuff to a new level.

So, goodbye LeBron. Or, welcome back. Doesn’t matter to me. Either way, I’ll always remember you for treating others with respect and your good sportsmanship.

Be sure to check out the Twitter account of LeBronJamesEgo.

Arizona's Un-American Immigration Law

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 17:01:00 -0400

Arizona's Un-American Immigration Law:

Why aren’t anti-ObamaCare conservatives outraged by this intrusive move?

topherchris: (Re: Police Seize Jason Chen’s Computers)

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 20:14:05 -0400

topherchris:

(Re: Police Seize Jason Chen’s Computers)

If the Huffington Post was honest.

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 17:21:00 -0400

If the Huffington Post was honest.

GM Pays Back TARP Loans With ... TARP Loans

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 17:10:00 -0400

Americans across this great land beamed with excitement when GM announced that they paid back their government loans ahead of schedule. Until, that is, someone had the nerve to ask where they got the money to pay it back. Turns out, GM paid back the TARP money using TARP funds from an escrow account at Treasury.

This must be a misunderstanding. Maybe GM can clear it up:

Question: Are you just paying the government back with government money?

GM Vice Chairman Stephen Girsky: Well listen, that is in effect true, but a year ago nobody thought we’d be able to pay this back.

Or, maybe not.

GM Pays Back TARP Loans With … TARP Loans

"I’m fascinated at how Libertarians are always derisively painted ‘idealists.’ In..."

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 17:00:00 -0400

“

I’m fascinated at how Libertarians are always derisively painted ‘idealists.’ In this economic climate, it is realism to urge cutting of budgets and taxes.

The ones wearing the tinfoil hats in dreamy idealism are those who want to preserve full funding at the levels of prosperous times despite the economic reality.

”

- Mike Kole

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Travel

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 12:00:00 -0400

Thomas Jefferson wrote that all men “are endowed by their Creator with inherent and inalienable rights; that among these, are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

Here in America, we’re in the midst of an intense, but quite healthy, debate over health care reform. Part of the debate is whether access to health care is one of those inherent rights.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich released a statement last month where he said, “I believe health care is a civil right.”

But if you think the health care debate is explosive, imagine a Congressperson trying to sell what Antonio Tajani is pushing.

Tajani, the European Union commissioner for enterprise and industry, said, “Traveling for tourism today is a right.”

The leadership in Brussels agrees. If you’re retired, young, or too poor to afford it yourself, you should have your travel subsidized by the government.

I think Glenn Beck’s head just exploded.

"Having a Hummer is stupid. It’s stupid to waste that much gas. It’s stupid to waste that..."

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 09:18:47 -0400

“Having a Hummer is stupid. It’s stupid to waste that much gas. It’s stupid to waste that much money on gas. It’s stupid to parade your insecurities on public roads. Hummers are stupid looking. You don’t need an attack vehicle for the Krispy Kreme drive through.”

- Penn Jillette

Tea Party supporters hold favorable opinion of Bush

Sun, 18 Apr 2010 16:22:10 -0400

The percentage [of Americans who identify themselves as Tea Party supporters] holding a favorable opinion of former President George W. Bush, at 57 percent, almost exactly matches the percentage in the general public that holds an unfavorable view of him.

(source)

Is the Tea Party movement really an uprising born from the election of Barack Obama? Not if the majority hold a favorable opinion of George W. Bush. As evidenced by their actions, both President Bush and President Obama believed in increasing the size and reach of federal government. Both Presidents pushed reckless financial policies that included increasing debt. Frankly, they have more in common than most Tea Party supporters would care to admit.

If those in the Tea Party really believed what their signs said, they would hold similar opinions of Obama and Bush. Very little separates the political principles of these two men and of most elected Republicans and Democrats. Another reason why real alternatives brought by the likes of Ron Paul are so refreshing.

Heidi

Sat, 17 Apr 2010 18:58:15 -0400

Election 2012 Poll: Barack Obama 42%, Ron Paul 41%

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 18:00:00 -0400

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of likely voters finds a hypothetical 2012 election match-up between Republican Congressman Ron Paul and President Obama to be virtually dead even.

This is encouraging to those of us who are frustrated with business as usual.

Paul gets knocked for being too idealistic and not living enough in the real world. But it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Even embracing the spirit of some of his ideas would be an improvement.

Congressman Paul’s son, Rand, is seeking the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in Kentucky. He recently commented on “extreme” ideas.

“People sometimes say to me, ‘Aren’t your views a little extreme?’ ” Paul recounted. “I say to them that I don’t think a balanced budget is extreme. I think a $2 trillion deficit, now that’s extreme.”

The Gradual Disappearance Of Flash Websites

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 20:14:00 -0400

The Gradual Disappearance Of Flash Websites

Ron Paul chastises at GOP conference: Conservatives ‘like the empire’

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 08:30:43 -0400

Ron Paul chastises at GOP conference: Conservatives ‘like the empire’:

The Republican Party can’t handle the truth.

Video Review of new Panasonic HPX 370/371 House season finale shot entirely with Canon 5DmkII

Sat, 10 Apr 2010 18:05:11 -0400

Video Review of new Panasonic HPX 370/371 House season finale shot entirely with Canon 5DmkII

A sad reflection

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 17:00:00 -0400

The Coalition Opposed to Additional Spending and Taxes is helping two Cleveland area groups in petition drives aimed at ridding Cleveland and Garfield Heights of traffic cameras.

It seems that Cleveland Law Director Robert Triozzi is a bit taken aback.

“It’s a sad reflection when liberty is equated with the ability to break the law at will. If motorists slow down, don’t run through red lights, and obey the traffic laws, then the issue of traffic enforcement cameras is moot.”

How conveniently simple.

See, what Mr. Triozzi and other city officials will tell you is, it’s all about the safety. And about the children, too. Perhaps cute puppies.

What they won’t tell you is this they view this as an easily defensible tax on drivers. What kind of malefactor would be against saving lives and punishing those who are wrong?

But is it really about the safety?

I’m not a fan of traffic cameras, but I certainly don’t mind speed traps. What ultimately bothers me is their use as revenue tools, especially considering the conflict of interest.

Imagine this scenario. Let’s make all traffic fines payable to an unrelated state fund. That money can be spent on highways, transportation, widgets or whosiewhats. The point is to eliminate the conflict of interest.

With money going elsewhere, do you think the City of Cleveland’s interest in safety stays the same? Do you think North Olmsted police officers will live in blind spots on I-480?

Until that happens, you’re not a public servant. You’re just a politician.

Adobe.com, now supporting Windows XP!

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:03:33 -0400

Adobe’s John Dowdell: “I know that a number of good people work at Apple. If you’re seeking a more ethical company, Adobe is hiring: adobe.com/aboutadobe/careeropp” (link)

Adobe’s Career Page: “Adobe has a new talent acquisition system. This system is optimized for performance on IE 6 or IE 7, running on Windows XP. Unfortunately it is not supported on Firefox, nor is it supported on a Mac at this time.”

John Gruber: “A new system optimized for a 10-year-old version of Windows.” (link)

Gruber 1, Adobe 0.

"When we first opened, the Pentagon called and said, “We want 15 hamburgers; what time can you..."

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 14:54:43 -0400

“When we first opened, the Pentagon called and said, “We want 15 hamburgers; what time can you deliver?” I said, “What time can you pick them up? We don’t deliver.” There was an admiral running the place. So he called me up personally and said, “Mr. Murrell, everyone delivers food to the Pentagon.” Matt and I got a 22-foot-long banner that said ABSOLUTELY NO DELIVERY and hung it in front of our store. And then our business from the Pentagon picked up.”

- How I Did It: Jerry Murrell, Five Guys Burgers and Fries

You may not have the best burger in Nashville Mr. Murrell, but I love your restaurants.

(via neuski)

"This was the weekend those of us with high standards lost their remaining residue of patience for..."

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 17:00:00 -0400

“This was the weekend those of us with high standards lost their remaining residue of patience for ideologues who hyperbolize about open systems without actually creating something people want to use.”

- Joe Clark, on the iPad
Denial of expertise

Presidential Interns

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 14:40:22 -0400

Presidential Interns:

Oh great and powerful leaders, please protect us from our helpless selves.

An alarm clock in Ginza

Tue, 06 Apr 2010 20:30:59 -0400

An alarm clock in Ginza:

Ryan Singer from 37signals talks about a brilliantly (simply) designed alarm clock that was in his Tokyo hotel.