This ATM keypad looks a bit dirty but not quite as dirty as a toilet. This article says "the bacteria we detected on ATMs were similar to those from the toilet". Talk about dirty money!
Color me grossed out.
Bacteria, ATMs and Public Toilets
This ATM keypad looks a bit dirty but not quite as dirty as a toilet. This article says "the bacteria we detected on ATMs were similar to those from the toilet". Talk about dirty money!
Color me grossed out.
Is the Fair Tax fair?
- Why not call it a fair consumption tax? At least the name would actually mean something. And, in this era of "spin", that would be refreshing.
- The "everyone gets the same level of prebate" and everyone pays the same 23% sales tax on new items is an interesting concept. Wonder what kind of shift there would be to used (vs new) cars. Maybe a whole new cottage industry of used stuff would surface.. might free us from China/Walmart? May not be good for manufactuing though?
- Still don't understand what incentive I would have to buy new and pay 23% when I could buy used and pay no tax. And how will people pay taxes on things bought via the internet from other countries? Seems like the idea of this taxis based on the idea that people are stupid and are not frugal in their spending. What happens when folks figure this out?
- I think that people who repair cars, shoes and the like might benefit a lot. But it doesn't seem to be good policy because it seems to exploit people's weaknesses. It seems that the ultra-rich would benefit the most, the poor would probably not be affected but the middle class would bear more of a tax burden because they will be purchasing the most - until they figure it out.
I thought that I might try to evaluate the pros and cons of the Fair Tax but I doubt that I could do this much justice. So, in lieu of that, I invite you to let me know what you think. Do you think that you would personally benefit? Do you have any concerns about it? What are your pros and cons regarding a federal consumption tax?
We are not Labels
From the No Labels website:We are not labels – we are people.
We care deeply about our country.
We are frustrated and concerned about the tone of politics.
We are passionate about addressing America’s challenges.
We are Democrats, Republicans and Independents.
Most importantly, we are Americans.
We believe hyper-partisanship is destroying our politics and paralyzing our ability to govern.
We may disagree on issues, but we do so with civility and mutual respect.
We believe in the vital civil center — a place where ideas are judged on their merits.
We believe that together we can make the future better and brighter — and give us what we all deserve — a government and a political system that works — one driven by shared purpose and common sense.
We believe our politics can change, so that government will work again and produce better results.
The consequences of inaction have never been greater, because the issues we face have never been more serious, more complicated, or more dangerous.
And yet, we have a crisis of governance – A crisis that compels us to work together to move America forward.
We must put our labels aside, and put the issues and what’s best for the nation first.
A promising future awaits us.
Driving in Snow
Do you like snow? What kind of vehicle do you drive in it? Any snowy stories to share?
To Know and Be Known
I guess I am not sure about that but I do think that Adam may have been a bit more relational before he took a bite of that proverbial apple. Eating the apple seemed to put a wedge between he and Eve.. wonder what their relationship was like after they left Eden.
Speaking about leaving Eden, consider this story that Ezra Klein describes in a Washington Post article titled Being 'fully human' online:
Consider the case of the CEO whose testimony persuaded Cooper to embark on this project: "He told me that he used virtual world games to play with his children," Cooper remembers. "He was divorced and had bad access to them, so he would meet them every evening in 'Everquest,' where they could play and chat. I asked him, what did they talk about? He told me they discussed things like homework, school, their mother; the normal stuff of humdrum reality."I like this story because it conveys to us the idea that "being" human is all about "being" in relationship with others.. even if the relationship is virtual. I loved the idea that a dad found a way to interact with his kids via an online game. I know that he would prefer something different but liked how he embraced an alternate way of having a relationship with his kids.
I think that somehow we sometimes get the idea that "being" is all about "being" alone. Even religious people sometimes embrace an idea that all they need to be fully human is God in their lives. This idea gets wings when our relating to others wounds us deeply.. in pain we react by isolating ourselves. Yet in truth, God has designed us to be fully human "together". He looked at Adam and said that it was good not for him to be alone. Consider this quote:
Dialogue starts from the courageous willingness to know and be known by others. It is the painstaking and persistent effort to remove all obstacles that obscure our common humanity. -Daisaku IkedaKnowing and being known communicates a deep level of relationship. I like how Ikeda says this kind of relationship takes a courageous and painstaking willingness. I agree with him that this kind of relationship is not quickly built. Removing obstacles like anger, hurt and unforgiveness (to name a few) take time and requires a lot of persistence.
Having transparent and vulnerable relationships with others can help us to know ourselves in a way that nothing else can. When we share our hurts and failures we can experience a deep level of vulnerability. Revealing our fears to another can expose those fears to the light of humility. Sharing our hearts with another can strengthen us on the inside. Having the courage to be open helps us to be real - and it helps others to be as well.
Got Prejudice?
Prejudices are what fools use for reason. -VoltairePrejudice is the child of ignorance. -William Hazlitt
Hypocrisy: prejudice with a halo. -Ambrose Bierce
Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness. -Mark Twain
Prejudice squints when it looks, and lies when it talks. -Duchess de Abrantes
Prejudice is a great time saver. You can form opinions without having to get the facts.
-E. B. White
Many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices. -William James
Prejudices are the chains forged by ignorance to keep men apart. - Countess of (Marguerite Gardiner) Blessington
Bobby | ★★★★★★★
Just a casual glance at this image gives you a feel for the star power that was involved in this movie about the happenings at the hotel where Robert F Kennedy was shot. The actual shooting of Kennedy was somewhat incidental to the story that focused more on the culture and atmosphere of the late 1960s.
I enjoyed it but wonder if younger people would.. not sure that non-boomers would catch the nuances of life during those years. I thought the decision to use actual footage of Bobby Kennedy instead of an actor helped give a bit of reality to the story. A few of subplots were a bit over-the-top but even so I give the move a thumbs up and, on a scale of ten, I give it ★★★★★★★.
Eleven for 11 and a Dancing Governator to boot!
I may be a few days late on this but I thought that it might be fun to look at, and comment on, some of the things that folks are predicting for 2011:
- E-Books will outsell paper books
I think that this prediction may be a bit of a stretch. But heck, even I bought Ann a Nook for Christmas. - Alternative iPad-like Tablets will proliferate stores
No-brainer here. Like the e-readers these devices are the new cool thing and everybody wants one. - The Patriots will play either the Falcons in the Super Bowl
One thing certain is that the Chiefs will probably not go to the big dance in Dallas. - Airlines will have extra fees for In-Person Check-Ins and carry-on bags
Guess I have gotten used to this idea of airlines bilking us for (not really) extras. - A new third political party will emerge
I seriously doubt that there is a group or famous person that can pull this off. - Romney, Huckabee, Palin, etc will declare their intentions to run for president
My thinking is that a relatively unknown will eventually secure the GOP nod as folks like these have to much negative political baggage with voters. - Hillary Clinton will step down as Secretary of State
I rather doubt that she will unless she tries to take another run at the presidency - which is highly doubtful.. yet she could probably beat Obama. - The Supreme Court will agree to hear the California gay marriage case
Not sure that the courts are the right place to determine this kind of an issue but they may anyway. If they do I predict that they will rule in favor of gay marriage. - Inception will take the Best Picture Oscar.
Have to admit that I have not seen most of the movies that are not out on DVD.
I actually did see Inception this summer and would be very surprised if it won. - Cash-strapped states like California, Illinois, and New York will beg for a bailout
I think this will come true and we may the the autonomy of state governments challenged in the same way that the leadership of GM was when we bailed them out. - Former Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger will be Dancing with the Stars
I am still laughing about this prediction.. it is sooo funny.. the images that come to mind.. I think it could cause me to reverse my decision to boycott the show.
Do you have a Home Office?
Got me to wondering how many people have a separate room in their home that they call an office. We used to before we moved. Ann had a desk, computer and a bunch of files in the room.. and sometimes it got a bit cluttered.
Do you have one? Do you actually work in the office or just mess around?
Christophobia
Before today I had never heard of this word. Yet, there is a wiki entry for it. Here is how it describes Christophobia:Anti-Christian sentiment is an opposition to some or all Christians, the Christian religion, or the practice of Christianity.Now I have to admit that, using this definition, the phobia aspect of the word doesn't seem to fit.. of course it rarely does.. but maybe the phobia part has more to do with the fear of Christian influence in society? Even so, the wiki expands the definition to include:
"every form of discrimination and intolerance against Christians"DefendChristians.org cites these examples of Christophobia:
Department of Homeland Security’s report on “Rightwing Extremism” that labeled conservative Christians as potential terrorists. Or when the police were called to a middle school in Kentucky to stop 8th graders from praying during lunch for a student whose mother was tragically killed. Or the murder of pro-life activist Jim Pullion in front of his granddaughter’s high school for showing the truth about abortion.These things seem a bit extreme to me. Yet maybe that is the whole point of attaching phobia to words. Maybe it is a way to marginalize a large segment of society by equating adherents to the most extremes of the sect. Consider how Islamophobia has it's roots in the terrorist acts committed by the most extreme factions of it. Or how Homophobia incorrectly lumps all homosexuals in with it's most radical segments.
I guess I don't like the phobia suffix because it gives people a way to incorrectly, and unjustly, stereotype a large mass of people. It makes us suspicious of each other and it often brings out the worst in us. And the words are usually pretty imprecise.. at first glance you might think that Christophobic folks were afraid of Christ.
Bored Collies
Here is the way it ends:
Border collies appear willing to herd until they drop. In fact, they never appear to grow bored of organizing sheep. If they do, for an extra $5 dogs at Fido's Farm can also herd ducks.
Take Time to Smell
I love Ziggy and I love clichés like this one. Even so, I love the idea of putting time in our schedules to slow down and experience the smaller beauties and wonders that life offers us. Here is the Walter Hagen quote in full:
You're only here for a short visit. Don't hurry, don't worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way.”
Sign me Just Visiting.
Kissing in the New Year
I cannot think of a better image to start our year off than this heartwarming front page image of a sailor and his sweetheart kissing in the new year in Times Square.
May 2011 bring much encouragement and blessings to those who serve in uniform.
May 2011 bring much encouragement and blessings to those who serve in uniform.
Blogging the Beatitudes
Not sure if it is the beginning of the new year or if it is simply God inviting me to press in a bit more but I am planning to blog at my other blog a bit more in 2011. Most of what I write will be pretty short and focus on one or two verses. My initial plan is to post about the words of Jesus and begin with The Beatitudes. I would love for you to follow, and comment on, my postings there.
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