tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59563794875569757072024-03-13T21:11:16.247-06:007 Degrees off RealityI'm pretty certain that there's a mismatch between me and the rest of humanity - one side or the other is about 7 degrees off from Reality.Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622350905746514412noreply@blogger.comBlogger339125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956379487556975707.post-52687573122755497682010-08-13T10:48:00.002-06:002010-08-13T10:58:17.318-06:00Why does gov't law enforcement have to be secret?In <a href="http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/08/nsl-gag-order-lifted/">this Wired article</a>, we are reminded that one of the neat things the FBI has been involved in has been the abuse of National Security Letters:<br /><blockquote>A national security letter is an <a href="http://www.wired.com/politics/security/news/2004/01/61792">informal administrative letter the FBI can use</a> to secretly demand customer records from ISPs, financial institutions, libraries, insurance companies, travel agencies, stockbrokers, car dealerships and others. NSLs have been used since the 1980s, but the Patriot Act, passed after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and a subsequent revision in 2003 expanded the kinds of records that could be obtained with an NSL.</blockquote>There are a couple of really fun parts to this story. First, it took <span style="font-weight: bold;">six years</span> for the courts to decide to lift <span style="font-style: italic;">part</span> of the "no telling anyone" ban, EVEN THOUGH the FBI dropped it's demand for some of the information.<br /><br />Seriously, go read the article and find out what kind of crap our government is allowed to pull on us mere citizens.Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622350905746514412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956379487556975707.post-69753328694667732622010-06-21T06:37:00.002-06:002010-06-21T06:40:25.147-06:00And that's the way it is...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/public_opinion.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 349px; height: 363px;" src="http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/public_opinion.png" alt="" border="0" /></a>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622350905746514412noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956379487556975707.post-84192132913293988552010-05-08T10:36:00.003-06:002010-05-08T10:44:25.390-06:00Off the gridFirst, The News: I've suffered multiple catastrophic hardware failures, and am uncertain when I will be able to resume quasi-regular posting. I <strong>hope</strong> it'll be in a week or so when a friend is able to let me borrow an (old, antique) laptop, but no promises express or implied.<br /><br />Since my last post, however, I've had the adventure of making one of my infrequent (and <em>very</em> reluctant) forays into Wal*Mars. While there, I was tooling down one of the aisles when a couple of standard hippo-hipped Wal*Martians pulled out in front of me and opted to simply STOP in the aisle so they could exchange weight-gaining tips. I, trying to be polite, said "Excuse me...", only to be ignored. A second, louder, attempt got one of them to turn her head and suggest "Why don't you just go around?"<br /><br />Annoyed, I responded with "Going around that ass of yours would put me in a different time zone, and it's too much trouble to adjust my watch..."<br /><br />That earned me a Hateful Look (hurt my feelings terribly), and an outraged snort (I swear I could feel the air move) before the two of them lumbered down a sub-aisle. As I went by, one of them muttered something about rude assholes. Must've been talking to herself, I guess....Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622350905746514412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956379487556975707.post-91078437465376651752010-04-15T13:18:00.002-06:002010-04-15T13:27:35.464-06:00"Healthcare Max"For those that didn't see it the other night, it seems that our esteemed Max Baucus played a significant role in the Obama administrations healthcare reform plan.<br /><br />Not all of it was necessarily beneficial, however: there's reason to believe that Max was instrumental in killing the nomination of Tom Daschle, among other things.<br /><br />For <span style="font-style: italic;">anyone</span> interested in what the hell happened that got us the "reform" plan is encouraged to <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/obamasdeal/view/">go have a look at it yourself</a> (it's viewable online), and see what transpired. It'll take less than an hour of your time, and you'll see how our government <span style="font-weight: bold;">really</span> "works".Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622350905746514412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956379487556975707.post-50321863408090963162010-04-14T23:57:00.003-06:002010-04-15T00:13:46.408-06:00Bringin' home da porkSeems our esteemed Denny Rehburg is tops (in a way) of "bringing home the bacon" to Montana.<br /><br />According to <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/04/14/earmarks.report/index.html?hpt=Sbin">this CNN Politics news story</a>, Denny is <span style="font-weight: bold;">Number 1</span> in the number of pork-barrel projects he directs back to Montana - at <span style="font-style: italic;">88</span> of them.<br /><br />Way to go, Denny! Woo-hoo!<br /><br />If you're interested to see the full details of the "Pig Book" that reports on pork-barrel projects, you can find them <a href="http://www.cagw.org/reports/pig-book/2010/">HERE</a>. I promise, you'll never look at a pig the same again...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">UPDATE</span>:<br />The site has a nifty "search by" feature that lets you hunt down what projects a Congressrodent has earmarked. Denny? Here's what he was involved in:<br /><table border="0"><tbody><tr> <td rowspan="12" colspan="3"><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;"><!-- #BeginEditable 'List' --> <!--- <img src="'../../images/spaceh2v450.gif'" width="'450'" height="'2'" /> <!--> --->88 record(s) for a total of $100,514,200 <a href="'javascript:alert("> <input name="print" value="Print" onclick="'javascript:alert(" type="button"></a><br /> <table id="tbl_cagw" class="tablesorter"> <thead> <tr> <th class="header">ID</th> <th class="header">State</th> <th class="header">Cost</th> <th class="header">Description</th> <th class="header">Status</th> <th class="header">Appropriation</th> <th class="header">Fiscal Year</th> <th class="header">Party</th> <th class="header">House</th> <th class="header">Senate</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr class="odd"> <td>10198 </td> <td>* </td> <td>$650,000</td> <td>Greater Yellowstone Interagency Brucellosis Committee, MT, ID, WY (Animal Plant Health Inspection Service: Salaries and Expenses)</td> <td> </td> <td>AG</td> <td>10</td> <td>M </td> <td>Rehberg; Simpson </td> <td>Barrasso; Baucus; Crapo; Enzi; Risch; Tester </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <td>10420 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$3,654,000</td> <td>Animal Bioscience Facility, Bozeman (Agricultural Research Service: Buildings and Facilities)</td> <td> </td> <td>AG</td> <td>10</td> <td>D </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Baucus; Tester </td> </tr> <tr class="odd"> <td>10421 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$682,000</td> <td>Sustainable Beef Supply (National Institute of Food and Agriculture: Special Research Grants)</td> <td> </td> <td>AG</td> <td>10</td> <td>D </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Baucus </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <td>10422 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$270,000</td> <td>Invasive Plant Management (National Institute of Food and Agriculture: Special Research Grants)</td> <td> </td> <td>AG</td> <td>10</td> <td>D </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Baucus; Tester </td> </tr> <tr class="odd"> <td>10423 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$305,000</td> <td>Brucellosis Vaccine (National Institute of Food and Agriculture: Special Research Grants)</td> <td> </td> <td>AG</td> <td>10</td> <td>D </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Baucus; Tester </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <td>11410 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$100,000</td> <td>Montana State University Billings, Billings, Academic & Workforce Development Program at the Montana Women’s Prison (Byrne Discretionary Grants)</td> <td> </td> <td>COM</td> <td>10</td> <td>M </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Tester; Baucus </td> </tr> <tr class="odd"> <td>11411 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$600,000</td> <td>Montana Youth and District Court Services Bureau, Helena, MT MONTS-Juvenile Justice System (Juvenile Justice)</td> <td> </td> <td>COM</td> <td>10</td> <td>R </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <td>11415 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$250,000</td> <td>City of Kalispell, Public Safety Building Modernization (Byrne Discretionary Grants)</td> <td> </td> <td>COM</td> <td>10</td> <td>M </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Tester </td> </tr> <tr class="odd"> <td>11417 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$147,000</td> <td>Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office, Billings, Yellowstone County Mobile Digital Video Camera (COPS - Law Enforcement Technology)</td> <td> </td> <td>COM</td> <td>10</td> <td>R </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <td>11418 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$185,000</td> <td>Gallatin County, Bozeman, Gallatin County Treatment Court (Byrne Discretionary Grants)</td> <td> </td> <td>COM</td> <td>10</td> <td>M </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Tester; Baucus </td> </tr> <tr class="odd"> <td>11419 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$400,000</td> <td>Missoula County, Missoula, Missoula Public Safety Operations & Training Center (COPS - Law Enforcement Technology)</td> <td> </td> <td>COM</td> <td>10</td> <td>M </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Tester; Baucus </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <td>11420 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$250,000</td> <td>Billings Clinic, Billings Clinic Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (Byrne Discretionary Grants)</td> <td> </td> <td>COM</td> <td>10</td> <td>M </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Tester; Baucus </td> </tr> <tr class="odd"> <td>11422 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$60,000</td> <td>East Helena Police Department, East Helena, East Helena Community Policing Hiring Effort (Byrne Discretionary Grants)</td> <td> </td> <td>COM</td> <td>10</td> <td>R </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <td>11427 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$250,000</td> <td>University of Montana, Missoula, Montana Safe Schools (Juvenile Justice)</td> <td> </td> <td>COM</td> <td>10</td> <td>M </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Tester; Baucus </td> </tr> <tr class="odd"> <td>11428 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$500,000</td> <td>Montana Meth Project, Missoula, Montana Meth Project (COPS - Methamphetamine)</td> <td> </td> <td>COM</td> <td>10</td> <td>M </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Tester; Baucus </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <td>11429 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$500,000</td> <td>Watson Children’s Shelter, Missoula, Western Montana Children’s Safety Initiative (Juvenile Justice)</td> <td> </td> <td>COM</td> <td>10</td> <td>R </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr class="odd"> <td>11431 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$300,000</td> <td>Montana Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association, Helena, Montana Offender Notification and Tracking System—Juvenile Justice System (MONTS-JJS) (Byrne Discretionary Grants)</td> <td> </td> <td>COM</td> <td>10</td> <td>M </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Tester; Baucus </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <td>12356 </td> <td> </td> <td>$4,800,000</td> <td>Titanium Extraction, Mining and Process Engineering Research (Research, Development, Test and Evaluation - Army) </td> <td> </td> <td>DEF</td> <td>10</td> <td>D </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Baucus; Tester </td> </tr> <tr class="odd"> <td>12383 </td> <td> </td> <td>$4,000,000</td> <td>SOVAS-Hand Held Imager / Long Range (Procurement - Defense Wide)</td> <td> </td> <td>DEF</td> <td>10</td> <td>D </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Baucus; Kerry; Kirk; Tester </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <td>12494 </td> <td> </td> <td>$2,400,000</td> <td>NAVAIR High Fidelity Oceanographic Library (Research, Development, Test and Evaluation - Navy)</td> <td> </td> <td>DEF</td> <td>10</td> <td>R </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr class="odd"> <td>12584 </td> <td>* </td> <td>$800,000</td> <td>Compliance Tools Development for Metals in Antifouling Paints (MT, NY) (Research, Development, Test and Evaluation - Navy)</td> <td> </td> <td>DEF</td> <td>10</td> <td>M </td> <td>Bishop (UT); Rehberg </td> <td>Tester </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <td>13241 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$2,000,000</td> <td>Defense-Critical Languages and Cultures Program (Operation and Maintenance - Defense Wide)</td> <td> </td> <td>DEF</td> <td>10</td> <td>D </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Baucus; Tester </td> </tr> <tr class="odd"> <td>13243 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$2,400,000</td> <td>Materials Technology for LED Lighting Applications (Research, Development, Test and Evaluation - Army)</td> <td> </td> <td>DEF</td> <td>10</td> <td>M </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Tester </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <td>13244 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$2,400,000</td> <td>Marine Expeditionary Rifle Squad Reconfigurable Vehicle Simulator (Research, Development, Test and Evaluation - Navy)</td> <td> </td> <td>DEF</td> <td>10</td> <td>D </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Baucus; Tester </td> </tr> <tr class="odd"> <td>13245 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$6,400,000</td> <td>Cryofracture / Plasma Arc Demilitarization Program (Research, Development, Test and Evaluation - Army)</td> <td> </td> <td>DEF</td> <td>10</td> <td>D </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Baucus; Tester </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <td>13246 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$1,600,000</td> <td>Next Generation Simulation Training for Pararescue Forces (Research, Development, Test and Evaluation - Air Force)</td> <td> </td> <td>DEF</td> <td>10</td> <td>D </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Baucus; Tester </td> </tr> <tr class="odd"> <td>13247 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$2,800,000</td> <td>Adelos Program: Nuclear Security Sensor System (Research, Development, Test and Evaluation - Navy)</td> <td> </td> <td>DEF</td> <td>10</td> <td>D </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Baucus; Tester </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <td>13248 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$3,200,000</td> <td>Low Acoustic and Thermal Signature Battlefield Power Source (Research, Development, Test and Evaluation - Navy) </td> <td> </td> <td>DEF</td> <td>10</td> <td>D </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Baucus; Tester </td> </tr> <tr class="odd"> <td>13249 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$7,600,000</td> <td>Mariah Hypersonic Wind Tunnel Development Program (Research, Development, Test and Evaluation - Army)</td> <td> </td> <td>DEF</td> <td>10</td> <td>D </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Baucus; Tester </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <td>13250 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$1,600,000</td> <td>Watchkeeper (Research, Development, Test and Evaluation - Air Force)</td> <td> </td> <td>DEF</td> <td>10</td> <td>R </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr class="odd"> <td>13251 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$3,200,000</td> <td>Adaptive Lightweight Materials Technology for Missile Defense (Research, Development, Test and Evaluation - Army)</td> <td> </td> <td>DEF</td> <td>10</td> <td>D </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Baucus; Tester </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <td>13252 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$1,600,000</td> <td>US Army Vascular Graft Research Project (Research, Development, Test and Evaluation - Army)</td> <td> </td> <td>DEF</td> <td>10</td> <td>D </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Baucus; Tester </td> </tr> <tr class="odd"> <td>13253 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$1,600,000</td> <td>MilTech Expansion Program (Research, Development, Test and Evaluation - Defense Wide)</td> <td> </td> <td>DEF</td> <td>10</td> <td>D </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Baucus; Tester </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <td>13254 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$800,000</td> <td>Advanced Helicopter Landing Aid (Research, Development, Test and Evaluation - Navy)</td> <td> </td> <td>DEF</td> <td>10</td> <td>M </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Tester </td> </tr> <tr class="odd"> <td>13941 </td> <td> </td> <td>$491,000</td> <td>Geothermal development in Hot Springs Valley (Department of Energy: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy)</td> <td> </td> <td>ENERGY</td> <td>10</td> <td>R </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <td>13966 </td> <td> </td> <td>$3,000,000</td> <td>Center for Zero Emissions Reseach and Technology (Department of Energy: Fossil Energy R&D)</td> <td> </td> <td>ENERGY</td> <td>10</td> <td>D </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Baucus; Tester </td> </tr> <tr class="odd"> <td>13986 </td> <td> </td> <td>$500,000</td> <td>Synthesis of renewable biofuels from biomass (Department of Energy: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy)</td> <td> </td> <td>ENERGY</td> <td>10</td> <td>M </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Tester </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <td>14439 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$4,844,000</td> <td>Rural Montana (Corps of Engineers: Construction)</td> <td> </td> <td>ENERGY</td> <td>10</td> <td>M </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Tester; Baucus </td> </tr> <tr class="odd"> <td>14440 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$500,000</td> <td>Montana algal biodiesel initiative (Department of Energy: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy)</td> <td> </td> <td>ENERGY</td> <td>10</td> <td>D </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Baucus; Tester </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <td>14444 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$1,000,000</td> <td>Wind turbine development (Department of Energy: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy)</td> <td> </td> <td>ENERGY</td> <td>10</td> <td>D </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Baucus; Tester </td> </tr> <tr class="odd"> <td>14950 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$137,500</td> <td>Great Falls Development Authority, to support the administrative costs of the Central Montana Growth Fund, Great Falls (Small Business Administration)</td> <td> </td> <td>FINSER</td> <td>10</td> <td>D </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Baucus; Tester </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <td>14952 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$134,000</td> <td>Montana World Trade Center, Missoula, for Montana Growth Through Trade (Small Business Administration)</td> <td> </td> <td>FINSER</td> <td>10</td> <td>R </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr class="odd"> <td>14953 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$137,500</td> <td>Montana Technology Venture Center, Bozeman, for expansion and operations of the TechRanch next step program (Small Business Administration)</td> <td> </td> <td>FINSER</td> <td>10</td> <td>D </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Baucus; Tester </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <td>14954 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$133,000</td> <td>Montana State University, Bozeman, HTAP: High-Technology Assistance Program (Small Business Administration)</td> <td> </td> <td>FINSER</td> <td>10</td> <td>D </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Baucus; Tester </td> </tr> <tr class="odd"> <td>15177 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$800,000</td> <td>Emergency Operations Center, Butte-Silver Bow (FEMA: State and Local Programs)</td> <td> </td> <td>HS</td> <td>10</td> <td>M </td> <td>Dennis Rehberg </td> <td>Jon Tester </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <td>15360 </td> <td>CO </td> <td>$1,700,000</td> <td>Water Research Foundation (EPA - Science & Technology)</td> <td> </td> <td>INT</td> <td>10</td> <td>M </td> <td>Kissell; Rehberg; Moran (VA) </td> <td>Kennedy; Kerry; Reid </td> </tr> <tr class="odd"> <td>15400 </td> <td>GA </td> <td>$1,000,000</td> <td>Consortium for Plant Biotechnology Research (EPA - Science & Technology)</td> <td> </td> <td>INT</td> <td>10</td> <td>M </td> <td>Towns; Rogers (MI); Rehberg; Stupak; Conyers; Price (NC); Abercrombie; Lewis (GA); Rogers (KY) </td> <td>Hagan; Levin; McConnell; Murray; Stabenow </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <td>15540 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$1,500,000</td> <td>Lewis and Clark National Forest (US Forest Service - Land Acquisition)</td> <td> </td> <td>INT</td> <td>10</td> <td>M </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Tester, Baucus </td> </tr> <tr class="odd"> <td>15541 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$200,000</td> <td>City of Missoula for wastewater facility improvements (EPA - State and Tribal Assistance Grants - Water and Wastewater Infrastructure)</td> <td> </td> <td>INT</td> <td>10</td> <td>M </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Tester </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <td>15543 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$150,000</td> <td>City of Bozeman Main Street Historic District Restoration (National Park Service - Save America's Treasures)</td> <td> </td> <td>INT</td> <td>10</td> <td>R </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr class="odd"> <td>15544 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$500,000</td> <td>Butte-Silver Bow Consolidated Government for drinking water improvements for the City of Butte (EPA - State and Tribal Assistance Grants - Water and Wastewater Infrastructure)</td> <td> </td> <td>INT</td> <td>10</td> <td>D </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Baucus; Tester </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <td>15545 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$290,600</td> <td>Em-Kayan County Water and Sewer District for infrastructure improvements (EPA - State and Tribal Assistance Grants - Water and Wastewater Infrastructure)</td> <td> </td> <td>INT</td> <td>10</td> <td>R </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr class="odd"> <td>15546 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$500,000</td> <td>City of Bozeman for water treatment facility improvements (EPA - State and Tribal Assistance Grants - Water and Wastewater Infrastructure)</td> <td> </td> <td>INT</td> <td>10</td> <td>D </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Baucus; Tester </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <td>16784 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$250,000</td> <td>Billings Clinic, Billings, MT for a rural health outreach program, including facilities and equipment (HHS - HRSA Health Facilities and Services)</td> <td> </td> <td>LABHHS</td> <td>10</td> <td>D </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Baucus; Tester </td> </tr> <tr class="odd"> <td>16785 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$400,000</td> <td>Daniels Memorial Hospital Association, Scobey, MT for facilities and equipment (HHS - HRSA Health Facilities and Services)</td> <td> </td> <td>LABHHS</td> <td>10</td> <td>R </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <td>16786 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$200,000</td> <td>University of Montana—Mike & Maureen Mansfield Center, Missoula, MT, to establish the Institute for Leadership and Public Service to fulfill the purposes of the Mansfield Center, including the creation of an endowment (Education: Higher Education)</td> <td> </td> <td>LABHHS</td> <td>10</td> <td>M </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Tester </td> </tr> <tr class="odd"> <td>16787 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$500,000</td> <td>Community Medical Center, Missoula, MT for facilities and equipment (HHS - HRSA Health Facilities and Services)</td> <td> </td> <td>LABHHS</td> <td>10</td> <td>D </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Baucus; Tester </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <td>16788 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$550,000</td> <td>CARD Clinic, Libby, MT, for facilities and equipment related to an asbestos surveillance initiative (HHS - HRSA Health Facilities and Services)</td> <td> </td> <td>LABHHS</td> <td>10</td> <td>D </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Baucus; Tester </td> </tr> <tr class="odd"> <td>16789 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$500,000</td> <td>Benefis Health System, Great Falls, MT for facilities and equipment (HHS - HRSA Health Facilities and Services)</td> <td> </td> <td>LABHHS</td> <td>10</td> <td>D </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Baucus; Tester </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <td>16791 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$500,000</td> <td>Easter Seals-Goodwill Northern Rocky Mountain, Inc., Great Falls, MT for facilities and equipment (HHS - HRSA Health Facilities and Services)</td> <td> </td> <td>LABHHS</td> <td>10</td> <td>R </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr class="odd"> <td>16792 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$300,000</td> <td>Northern Rockies Educational Services (NRES), Missoula, MT for the Taking Technology to the Classroom initiative, including purchase of equipment (Education: Elementary and Secondary Education)</td> <td> </td> <td>LABHHS</td> <td>10</td> <td>R </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <td>16793 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$100,000</td> <td>Lewis and Clark County, Helena, MT, for facilities and equipment at the City-County Health Department (HHS - HRSA Health Facilities and Services)</td> <td> </td> <td>LABHHS</td> <td>10</td> <td>M </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Tester; Baucus </td> </tr> <tr class="odd"> <td>16794 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$400,000</td> <td>St. Vincent Healthcare Foundation, Billings, MT for facilities and equipment (HHS - HRSA Health Facilities and Services)</td> <td> </td> <td>LABHHS</td> <td>10</td> <td>D </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Baucus; Tester </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <td>16795 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$100,000</td> <td>Flathead Valley Community College, Kalispell, MT, Career Opportunities through Retraining and Education (Labor - Employment and Training Administration)</td> <td> </td> <td>LABHHS</td> <td>10</td> <td>M </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Tester; Baucus </td> </tr> <tr class="odd"> <td>16797 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$100,000</td> <td>Youth Dynamics, Inc, Billings, MT, for a training program to help meet the mental health needs of those living in rural or frontier States (HHS - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)</td> <td> </td> <td>LABHHS</td> <td>10</td> <td>M </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Tester; Baucus </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <td>16798 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$100,000</td> <td>Youth Dynamics, Inc., Billings, MT for facilities and equipment (HHS - HRSA Health Facilities and Services)</td> <td> </td> <td>LABHHS</td> <td>10</td> <td>D </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Baucus; Tester </td> </tr> <tr class="odd"> <td>16800 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$300,000</td> <td>Saint Patrick Hospital, Missoula, MT, to implement an electronic health record system (HHS - HRSA Health Facilities and Services)</td> <td> </td> <td>LABHHS</td> <td>10</td> <td>D </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Baucus; Tester </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <td>16801 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$100,000</td> <td>Montana Tech, Butte, MT, to expand health informatics training, including equipment (HHS - HRSA Health Facilities and Services)</td> <td> </td> <td>LABHHS</td> <td>10</td> <td>M </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Tester; Baucus </td> </tr> <tr class="odd"> <td>16802 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$100,000</td> <td>Montana Wyoming Tribal Leaders Council, Billings, MT for facilities and equipment (HHS - HRSA Health Facilities and Services)</td> <td> </td> <td>LABHHS</td> <td>10</td> <td>D </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Baucus </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <td>16803 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$100,000</td> <td>Montana State University, Billings, MT, for job training (Labor - Employment and Training Administration)</td> <td> </td> <td>LABHHS</td> <td>10</td> <td>M </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Tester; Baucus </td> </tr> <tr class="odd"> <td>17688 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$10,600,000</td> <td>Malmstrom Air Force Base to upgrade weapons storage area (Air Force)</td> <td> </td> <td>MILCON</td> <td>10</td> <td>D </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Baucus; Tester </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <td>17689 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$1,750,000</td> <td>Fort Harrison to add alter a troop medical facility (Army National Guard)</td> <td> </td> <td>MILCON</td> <td>10</td> <td>D </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Baucus; Tester </td> </tr> <tr class="odd"> <td>17778 </td> <td> </td> <td>$200,000</td> <td>Pantry Partners Food Bank for a building project (Economic Development Initiative)</td> <td> </td> <td>TRANS</td> <td>10</td> <td>D </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Baucus </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <td>18573 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$292,200</td> <td>High Bridge Renovation (Surface Transportation Priorities)</td> <td> </td> <td>TRANS</td> <td>10</td> <td>M </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Tester </td> </tr> <tr class="odd"> <td>18574 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$500,000</td> <td>Mill Creek Highway, Anaconda- Deer Lodge County (Transportation, Community, and System Preservation)</td> <td> </td> <td>TRANS</td> <td>10</td> <td>R </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <td>18577 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$487,000</td> <td>homeWORD, Missoula, for development of rental housing that is affordable to working families (Neighborhood Initiatives)</td> <td> </td> <td>TRANS</td> <td>10</td> <td>M </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Tester; Baucus </td> </tr> <tr class="odd"> <td>18579 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$1,461,000</td> <td>I-90 Belgrade East Interchange (Interstate Maintenance Discretionary)</td> <td> </td> <td>TRANS</td> <td>10</td> <td>M </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Tester; Baucus </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <td>18580 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$300,000</td> <td>Great Falls Development Authority for Great Falls Industrial Park infrastructure improvements (Economic Development Initiative)</td> <td> </td> <td>TRANS</td> <td>10</td> <td>R </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr class="odd"> <td>18581 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$200,000</td> <td>City of Shelby for Shelby Downtown District Revitalization Project building renovation (Economic Development Initiative)</td> <td> </td> <td>TRANS</td> <td>10</td> <td>R </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <td>18582 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$584,400</td> <td>Livingston Railroad Grade Separation Undercrossing (Surface Transportation Priorities)</td> <td> </td> <td>TRANS</td> <td>10</td> <td>D </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Baucus </td> </tr> <tr class="odd"> <td>18583 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$974,000</td> <td>Shelby Intermodal Hub (Rail Line Relocation and Improvement Program)</td> <td> </td> <td>TRANS</td> <td>10</td> <td>D </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Baucus; Tester </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <td>18584 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$200,000</td> <td>Rocky Mountain Development Council for Caird Iron Works Redevelopment (Economic Development Initiative)</td> <td> </td> <td>TRANS</td> <td>10</td> <td>R </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr class="odd"> <td>18585 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$450,000</td> <td>Billings Food Bank for the Billings Food Bank Montana Harvest Kitchens Project building expansion (Economic Development Initiative)</td> <td> </td> <td>TRANS</td> <td>10</td> <td>R </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <td>18586 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$500,000</td> <td>Black Eagle Road Reconstruction (Surface Transportation Priorities)</td> <td> </td> <td>TRANS</td> <td>10</td> <td>M </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Tester; Baucus </td> </tr> <tr class="odd"> <td>18588 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$323,000</td> <td>City of Billings for Business Consortium Project for the Homeless building purchase and renovation (Economic Development Initiative)</td> <td> </td> <td>TRANS</td> <td>10</td> <td>R </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <td>18589 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$100,000</td> <td>Yellowstone Boys and Girls for ranch building renovation Ranch (Economic Development Initiative)</td> <td> </td> <td>TRANS</td> <td>10</td> <td>R </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td> </td> </tr> <tr class="odd"> <td>18591 </td> <td>MT </td> <td>$625,000</td> <td>Western Montana Children’s Safety Initiative for construction of a children's shelter facility (Economic Development Initiative)</td> <td> </td> <td>TRANS</td> <td>10</td> <td>M </td> <td>Rehberg </td> <td>Tester; Baucus </td> </tr> <tr class="even"> <td>19278 </td> <td>* </td> <td>$547,000</td> <td>Barley for rural development (ID, MT) (National Institute of Food and Agriculture: Special Research Grants)</td> <td> </td> <td>AG</td> <td>10</td> <td>M </td> <td>Rehberg; Simpson </td> <td>Baucus; Crapo; Risch; Tester </td> </tr></tbody></table></span></td> <!--- <td rowspan="'12'"> </td> <td width="'10%'"><img src="'../../images/spacenavbar5vh.gif'" width="'5'" height="'5'" /></td> --> </tr> </tbody></table> <table width="100%" border="0"><tbody><tr valign="bottom" align="center"> <td colspan="2" height="14" width="100%"><br /> <img src="http://publications.cagw.org/pigbook/images/redline.separater.jpg" height="2" width="612" /> </td> </tr> <tr valign="top" align="center"> <td colspan="2" height="14" width="100%" align="center"><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:78%;color:#003344;"><b> © Citizens Against Government Waste | 1301 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Suite 1075, Washington, DC 20004 | 1-800-BE-ANGRY </b></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622350905746514412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956379487556975707.post-69452827051305799732010-04-14T22:30:00.000-06:002010-04-14T22:32:33.637-06:00'Nuff Said<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0mYxznXYP2liQw9qiZyylMYdEFFLF9YMIv0lGzjW9ODgTbme2qnPT4L3HQfEhw7xb705GysPlkUGhxUNVYnn6di9IGBrtvJEqrp4QUP27p9qR_Yi6-ndjE2o9DZbzJKHof5YQI3JU-Xwu/s1600/129132560679102810.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 387px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0mYxznXYP2liQw9qiZyylMYdEFFLF9YMIv0lGzjW9ODgTbme2qnPT4L3HQfEhw7xb705GysPlkUGhxUNVYnn6di9IGBrtvJEqrp4QUP27p9qR_Yi6-ndjE2o9DZbzJKHof5YQI3JU-Xwu/s400/129132560679102810.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460217350067509186" border="0" /></a>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622350905746514412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956379487556975707.post-27748610428425652672010-04-09T09:20:00.001-06:002010-04-09T09:20:55.528-06:00Top 10 reasons why Beer is better than Religion...10. No one will kill you for not drinking Beer.<br /> 9. Beer doesn't tell you how to have sex.<br /> 8. Beer has never caused a major war.<br /> 7. They don't force Beer on minors who can't think for themselves.<br /> 6. When you have a Beer, you don't knock on people's doors trying to give it away.<br /> 5. Nobody's ever been burned at the stake, hanged, or tortured over his brand of Beer.<br /> 4. You don't have to wait 2000+ years for a second Beer.<br /> 3. There are laws saying Beer labels can't lie to you.<br /> 2. You can prove you have a Beer.<br /> 1. If you've devoted your life to Beer, there are groups to help you stop.Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622350905746514412noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956379487556975707.post-1639086562826921502010-04-07T16:25:00.004-06:002010-04-07T16:30:12.170-06:00Welcome, Aliens!If, by chance, you're ever the one to come into first contact with space aliens arriving on Earth for the first time, please be prepared to greet them properly by reviewing the following materials.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Make with the clicky to </span>Biggie-size<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2oYNcovRIqJdHqg9RzPARMdMkHD9WukyhonICwEe8SqwGcmq_otRD9fcDWq0BY_JIJHUUyz9JXHZvzJhWHAmNcrYYZ5utfIGvCdgKUoFcWm1cLG5fZaqYd8YMazmeO34-TXGeal-Bn7e_/s1600/first-contact-alien.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 156px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2oYNcovRIqJdHqg9RzPARMdMkHD9WukyhonICwEe8SqwGcmq_otRD9fcDWq0BY_JIJHUUyz9JXHZvzJhWHAmNcrYYZ5utfIGvCdgKUoFcWm1cLG5fZaqYd8YMazmeO34-TXGeal-Bn7e_/s400/first-contact-alien.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457525923652602434" border="0" /></a>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622350905746514412noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956379487556975707.post-87042931856704286442010-04-05T17:52:00.003-06:002010-04-05T17:55:09.844-06:00Reporting from a war zoneYou may have heard about the Reuters team that was killed by a gunship in Iraq, and that the video from the helicopter is available. I've got my own opinion about what happened, but for those that want to decide for themselves, here it is.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">WARNING: GRAPHIC VIOLENCE<br /></span><br /><br /><object width="660" height="525"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5rXPrfnU3G0&hl=en_US&fs=1&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5rXPrfnU3G0&hl=en_US&fs=1&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="660" height="525"></embed></object>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622350905746514412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956379487556975707.post-33077768391580324172010-04-05T11:17:00.000-06:002010-04-05T11:18:56.002-06:00TOP 10 SEXY LINES FROM STAR WARS10) "Get in there you big furry oaf, I don't care what you smell!"<br />9) "Luke, at that speed do you think you'll be able to pull out in time?"<br />8) "Put that thing away before you get us all killed."<br />7) "You've got something jammed in here real good."<br />6) "Aren't you a little short for a stormtrooper?"<br />5) "You came in that thing? You're braver than I thought."<br />4) "Sorry about the mess..."<br />3) "Look at the size of that thing!"<br />2) "Curse my metal body, I wasn't fast enough!"<br />1) "She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid."Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622350905746514412noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956379487556975707.post-62873120663539941952010-04-01T14:45:00.004-06:002010-04-01T15:03:13.741-06:00Giant Noisy Cat-EaterI haven't been happy with my "old" vacuum cleaner (isn't "vacuum cleaner" a misnomer? I mean, by definition, isn't a vacuum already clean?), and got <a href="http://www.target.com/Bissell-82H1-Cleanview-Bagless-Upright/dp/B00284BM3A/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&searchView=grid5&qid=1270155350&frombrowse=0&fromGsearch=true&node=1038576%7C1287991011&keywords=bissel&searchSize=30&id=Bissell%2082H1%20Cleanview%20Bagless%20Upright&searchBinNameList=subjectbin%2Ctarget_com_age%2Ctarget_com_gender-bin%2Ctarget_com_character-bin%2Cprice%2Ctarget_com_primary_color-bin%2Ctarget_com_size-bin%2Ctarget_com_brand-bin&searchNodeID=1038576%7C1287991011&searchRank=target104545&sr=1-3&searchPage=1">a shiny new one</a> with a couple of additional features some time ago. It isn't a heavy-duty industrial strength job, but that's okay - my apartment is less that 500 square feet, and only a little more than half of that is carpeted.<br /><br />Today, I took it out on its maiden voyage and commenced to discover that the old machine had left behind enough cat hair that I could easily make a whole new cat if I wanted to. The spiffy attachments for it also made short work of previously troublesome areas. For the price, I'm rather pleased with it.<br /><br />The cats, however, were considerably less than impressed with it. Elf took station at the farthest point in my apartment from it, while Radar sought refuge in the bathtub (!). It took a good twenty minutes before either of them was willing to see if the Giant Noisy Cat-Eater had gone away, and both of them are <span style="font-style: italic;">still</span> a bit skittish.Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622350905746514412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956379487556975707.post-33916428568937445332010-03-30T23:19:00.001-06:002010-03-30T23:21:15.833-06:00The Top 10 Things You Don't Want To Hear From Tech Support10.) "So... what are you wearing?"<br />9.) "Duuuuude! Bummer!"<br />8.) "Looks like you're gonna need some new dilythium crystals, Cap'n."<br />7.) "Press 1 for Support. Press 2 if you're with 60 Minutes. Press 3 if you're with the FTC."<br />6.) "We can fix this, but you're gonna need a butter knife, a roll of duct tape and a car battery."<br />5.) "I'm sorry Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that."<br />4.) "In layman's terms, we call that the Hindenburg Effect."<br />3.) "Hold on a second... Mom! Timmy's hitting me!"<br />2.) "Okay, turn to page 523 in your copy of Dianetics."<br />1.) "Please hold for Mr. Gates' attorney."Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622350905746514412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956379487556975707.post-4992795171770120892010-03-30T17:38:00.004-06:002010-03-30T17:47:37.554-06:00Where the fuck is Max?During the current recess for Congress (bearing an uncanny resemblance to recess for grade-schoolers), half of our Senatorial allotment is actually out among the public, actively soliciting input from the folks that voted him into office.<br /><br />The other half -- HMFIC of the Finance Committee, Max Baucus -- has yet to turn up at any similar kind of venue. After all the <span style="font-style: italic;">sturm und drang</span> of the healthcare reform process, a body might think he'd have some interest in knowing what his constituents have to say -- but it's tough to tell, since we haven't heard anything from or about him.<br /><br />Thus, my question above...Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622350905746514412noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956379487556975707.post-15880139867815135402010-03-23T22:38:00.003-06:002010-03-24T00:42:30.651-06:00I think America is screwed.Since even before the Presidential elections, I've been thinking off and on about politicians, the political system, the parties, voters and non-voters, and a bunch of other related stuff.<br />I'm still trying to get it all neatly organized and arranged in my mind, but thought I'd take this opportunity to toss out a few of the things that seem most pertinent to me.<br /><ul><li>We don't seem to have a whole lot of political involvement by the teeming masses of citizens. The ones most likely to consistently vote are those of advanced years, with a significant drop in percentage of active voters as one goes down the age scale. The way I see it, this is perfectly reasonable: older citizens are still of the mind that their votes actually count for something, because they were raised to believe in the government (they're the ones that the old "We're from the government, and we're here to help" was effective on). However, as the years have passed since those folks were young, the American public has been treated to innumerable reports of government ineptitude, incompetence, malfeasance, outright chicanery of different kinds, and generally been given plenty of reason to be suspicious and mistrustful of our elected officials. Amusingly, it's a Catch-22: people don't vote because nothing changes, and nothing changes because people don't vote.</li><li>Another reason that things don't change is because too many people have gotten too damn lazy to maintain the kind of on-going pressure needed to effect change. This year's Teabaggers? See how many of them are still around <span style="font-style: italic;">after</span> this coming November. Or February next year.<br /></li><li>Related to the above is the fact that we have what amounts to a professional politician class. Does anybody <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span> believe that some putz that has spent the last 20+ years in Congress has any concept of what it's like for an ordinary citizen? Particularly when those politicians grant themselves perquisites that distance them even more from real Americans? It's funny that damn near every poll on the subject comes back with the result that most folks think all the rascals in Congress need to be voted out of office - except for their own, of course. Um... people? Everybody in the other 49 states feels the same way about YOUR Concresscritters, too. If we really believed in "majority rule", then in every state, it's 49-to-1 that your Congressrodents need to go... so how about it, huh?</li><li>There's also a growing sense of entitlement among the American people. Part of this is from our professional politicians enacting giveaways in an effort to stay in office, but it's also the fault of those that are all too willing to make demands of the government instead of taking responsibility for themselves and their actions. And as long as they CAN get their demands met, they'll keep at it; unfortunately, there's a hell of a lot more people (mostly younger ones) that are willing to claim what they haven't earned than there are ones willing to tell them "no".</li><li>Our election process is <span style="font-weight: bold;">seriously</span> skewed due (in part) to the insistence on continuing to use the Electoral College system, where a few states with high E.C. vote counts can essentially take control of how an election turns out. Sure, the E.C. made great sense when the fastest and most efficient means of communicating and tallying election results for a large area was a hand-written page carried by someone riding a good horse; these days, we've got the means and methods to make truly representative and popular vote possible. How about if we drag our voting system into the technology age?<br /></li><li>Something else that screws up the election process is those incompetent jackasses that are referred to as "single-issue voters": the ones that vote a candidate or party for just ONE reason, instead of taking the time and making the effort to consider a broader range of matters and integrating them as a WHOLE. Screw the budget, screw the deficit, screw too much government involvement in our lives, screw too-high taxes, screw <span style="font-style: italic;">anything</span> except the <span style="font-weight: bold;">one, single thing</span> that matters to a particular voter the most. Look, if someone is going to vote just to make themselves heard on one issue in particular? Do the country a favor and chain them to something immovable. Preferably heavy, and in the middle of a deep body of water.<br /></li><li>The political <span style="font-style: italic;">process</span> is being seriously fucked up by the limitation of having just two political parties - every single issue boils down to "us" or "them", which is steadily polarizing them more and more. I genuinely believe that the country needs at least one or two additional political entities so as to allow a more diverse and nuanced response to various issues. Speaking for myself, for example, I'm neither Republican nor Democrat, but bits of both: I'm socially liberal (Gay marriage? Knock yourselves out. Abortion? Sorry, I don't have a dog in that fight; but I'm in favor of leaving it up to those that CAN get pregnant to decide <span style="font-weight: bold;">for themselves</span>), but fiscally and politically conservative (Government should be as small as we can possibly manage, kept on a DAMN short leash, and made to pay as it goes along - NO DEFICITS!).</li></ul>The reason I'm so pessimistic about America's future is really pretty simple: to effect ANY changes in the above will require a sustained interest and effort - and I don't think there enough people in the country able and willing to do it. Sure, there's plenty to cheer at the rallies, but damn few that will stick around afterwards to help clean up. Simply put, there aren't many people left that are interested in taking on a long-term project and capable of engaging in the day-to-day grind needed to make the changes happen.<br /><br />What happens, then?<br /><br />The way I figure it, most likely to happen is that the country will just collapse. There will be more and more people demanding (and getting) benefits from fewer and fewer people able and willing to provide them; the government will step in to make up the difference. Except that sooner or later, somebody (most likely a foreign government [*cough*china*cough*] that has bought our T-Bills or other "stock") is going to decide that it's time to get paid what they're owed - and when they don't get it (because the government doesn't have it), the whole bread-and-circuses deal will fall apart - with much anguish, furor, and unseemliness when our economy and political institutions come to a literal halt.<br /><br />There <span style="font-weight: bold;">is</span> a chance that some group(s) of people will decide that enough is enough and attempt some dramatic change in how government operates - and it might even be big and soon enough to have the desired impact. Otherwise, it's only going to be a relatively minor event that won't appreciably change things.<br /><br />I just hope it doesn't happen until after I'm dead and buried - it's bad enough just watching this much of it happen.Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622350905746514412noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956379487556975707.post-15601125232655561742010-03-23T07:39:00.001-06:002010-03-23T07:41:38.768-06:00Spare TimeThink some people have too much time on their hands? You ain't seen nothin' yet - check out the Sashimi Tabernacle Choir, courtesy of the Presurfer:<br /><br /><object width="853" height="505"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kYlSTvAW1Po&hl=en_US&fs=1&hd=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kYlSTvAW1Po&hl=en_US&fs=1&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="853" height="505"></embed></object>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622350905746514412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956379487556975707.post-27044684984053758592010-03-18T15:00:00.003-06:002010-03-18T15:13:35.216-06:00Problem solvingJust finished watching "Die Hard With a Vengeance" (the one with Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson), and noticed that the director did a piss-poor job of showing how McCain and Zeus got the 4 gallons of water into a 5 gallon jug when the only other container was a 3 gallon jug. So for the benefit of any math- or logic-impaired out there, here's how it works:<br /><ol><li>Fill 3-gallon container.</li><li>Empty 3-gallon into 5-gallon</li><li>Refill 3-gallon</li><li>Pour into 5-gallon until it's full. </li><li>[3-g now contains 1 gallon: filled twice with 3 gallons (steps 1 and 3), emptied of 3 gallons once (step 2), then emptied of 2 gallons (step 4)]</li><li>Empty 5-gallon.</li><li>Pour rest of 3-gallon into 5-gallon.</li><li>Fill 3-gallon, empty into 5-gallon</li><li>[5-g now contains 4 gallons: 1 gallon (step 7) + 3 gallons (step 8)]</li></ol>Simple, no?Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622350905746514412noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956379487556975707.post-67233831076991591552010-03-15T12:56:00.003-06:002010-03-15T13:08:55.150-06:00inCENSUSedGot my 2010 Census form in today's mail. Thankfully for all concerned, it was the short form. Still, there were a few troubling things that I dealt with appropriately:<br /><ul><li>They wanted my phone number: "We may call if we don't understand an answer". Tough shit; should've made the question clearer.</li><li>Last and first names. Pbbbbbbbbbbbt! Don't need this to count me.</li><li>My race. I'm not White (more of a pale tan), Black/African Am./Negro (um... aren't those all the same thing?), American Indian or Alaskan Native, Asian Indian, Japanese, Native Hawaiian (last time I checked, even the original inhabitants were imported. No?), Chinese, Korean, Guamanian or Chamorro, Filipino, Vietnamese, Other Pacific Islander (to be specified), Other Asian (to be specified), or some other race. Screw it - I'm Human.</li></ul>Other than space for an additional 11 people the might be in the household, that was it.<br /><br />Oh, and here's something amusing: the FIRST question was the number of people in the place; question TWO was if there were any additional people not included in question one. WTF?Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622350905746514412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956379487556975707.post-58531552939668704802010-03-15T08:48:00.001-06:002010-03-15T08:50:21.309-06:00It's not pr0n, otherwise...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/porn_for_women.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 740px; height: 275px;" src="http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/porn_for_women.png" alt="" border="0" /></a>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622350905746514412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956379487556975707.post-46409766766884520782010-03-13T00:06:00.003-07:002010-03-13T00:17:07.722-07:00PayPal updateOh, goody, goody, goody. After reading a couple of documents about PayPal that I retrieved from Cryptome, I've got some <span style="font-style: italic;">more</span> good news for anyone with a PayPal account.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Per official PayPal doctrine</span>, PayPal cheerfully helps law enforcement retrieve information about PayPal users:<br /><blockquote>B. eBay User Contact Details and limited transaction history (12 months maximum)<br />Please submit a signed fax (non-subpoena) on department letterhead stating specifically what you require.<br />eBay can provide the following information for users under investigation of illegal activity only:<br />• Contact Name, City, State, Zip, and Telephone Number<br />• All email addresses and eBay User ID's added to account with date/time stamps<br />• eBay Fraud complaints (*lf Requested)<br />• Account listing/bid history dating back one year (*lf Requested)<br />To assist us in searching for records, the following data must be included in your data request (if available):<br />- All known names, aliases, street addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers<br />- Known eBay ID(s) and Item Numbers<br />- Statement relating to the illegal nature of the activities being investigated<br />Please fax data request to: Fax: 408.967.9915 Turnaround Time: Typically within 15 business days</blockquote>It's worth noting that PayPal doesn't require any actual proof or evidence of any wrongdoing; it's enough for them that whatever law enforcement organization that's making the request <span style="font-style: italic;">says</span> there is.<br /><br />It's even worse if the cops actually take the time and trouble to get a subpoena.<br /><br />If you're so inclined, you can read the whole document on how PayPal interfaces with cops in <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/adifferentlemming/Home/paypal-guide.pdf?attredirects=0&d=1">this document</a>.<br /><br />If you want to see what you agreed to when you set up an account with them, <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/adifferentlemming/Home/paypal-spy2.pdf?attredirects=0&d=1">this is what you're looking for</a>.Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622350905746514412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956379487556975707.post-40821929903083718072010-03-11T19:38:00.003-07:002010-03-11T20:46:17.956-07:00PayPal - Stupid or Criminal?I haven't been exactly overjoyed with PayPal, even from the time I first signed up with them. It hasn't been any one thing in particular, but more of a general we're-too-big-to-have-to-pay-attention-to-you attitude almost any really large organization eventually takes on.<br /><br />Over the years, I've also heard (and read about) the stories of PayPal summarily and somewhat arbitrarily freezing accounts without ever providing any <span style="font-weight: bold;">real</span> explanation as to why, how it could be resolved, when it would be resolved, or other actual details. Recently, however, I ran across <a href="http://cryptome.org/0001/cryptome-sar.htm">this story</a>, and something about it just set my teeth on edge.<br /><br />Since the only thing I really used PayPal for was buying stuff on eBay, and eBay has finally managed to aggravate me sufficiently enough to <a href="http://7dor.blogspot.com/2010/03/ebay-is-teh-suxx0r.html">close my account with them</a>, it seemed like as good a time (and reason) as any to close my PayPal account, too. A couple of days ago, I tried to do just that - only to be told by PayPal that there was some kind of activity still unfinished with my bank.<br /><br />Fine, whatever. The last eBay purchase I made was on the 6th, and I've already received the item, so I figured PayPal would get caught up in the next couple of days. This evening, when I logged in and tried to close the account, I still got the same message. After carefully checking that all my transactions showed as "completed", I called PayPal support.<br /><br />For the love of God, Cthulu, the Flying Spaghetti Monster, Allah, or anything else you hold dear, <span style="font-style: italic;">don't ever do that</span>. Their automated voice response system is <span style="font-weight: bold;">seriously</span> fucked up. After telling me that it couldn't understand me (despite my speaking <span style="font-family:courier new;">carefully and clearly</span>) after too-brief response periods, it insisted on trying to foist me off to departments that were completely irrelevant to what I wanted to discuss. Having no other alternative, I simply started pressing "O" until it concluded I wasn't playing nice and handed me off to the generic WTF line. Cindy, or Sue, or whatever the hell her name was kept saying "Bayble" for PayPal (among other language and accent defects), necessitating I ask for someone that actually spoke English.<br /><br />The young fellow I ended up with was actually helpful, and tried to explain to me how, although PayPal was telling ME that everything was "completed", it really wasn't: that the requisite time (3 to 5 business days) hadn't passed between my last PayPal-based purchase, and the removal of funds from my bank. <span style="font-style: italic;">Strictly speaking</span>, "completed" on MY end actually sometimes meant "still processing" on THEIR end. In response to that, I suggested that if that was the case, then either PayPal didn't know what it was doing by telling me that the transaction was complete, or it was deliberately lying to me - and asked which it was. He was unable to answer that question, and elected to explain the situation again. Just as he did when I asked additional questions that he didn't have answers for.<br /><br />The bottom line is that I'm likely to have to wait until Saturday before their computer decides that it has received the $2.25 in question, and it's okay for me to close my account.<br /><br />I would suggest that anyone with a PayPal account <a href="http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source=hp&q=paypal+freeze+account&aq=8&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=paypal+fre&fp=439483403d199a5c">have a look at the things that PayPal has done</a>, and decide if they <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span> want to entrust their money with such an operation.<br /><br />Oh, and just to make SURE everyone understands: <a href="http://news.cnet.com/2100-1017-858264.html">PayPal is <span style="font-weight: bold;">not</span> a bank</a>, it is a "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PayPal">payment processor</a>". In other words, they are <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> subject to all those nifty banking regulations about access to your money, business practises, and the like. <i>Caveat Emptor!</i>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622350905746514412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956379487556975707.post-63901829953336804652010-03-11T17:30:00.003-07:002010-03-11T17:36:23.308-07:00eBay is teh suxx0r11 March, 2010<br /><br /><br />eBay – Customer Service<br />2145 Hamilton Ave.<br />San Jose, CA 95125<br /><br /><br />Sirs:<br /><br />A few days ago, I began the process of closing my eBay account. As I have received no inquiry to date as to why I would choose to take such an action, I am taking the liberty of writing this letter to advise you as to my reasons.<br /><br />When I first started using eBay nearly fifteen years ago, it was a wonderful resource for anyone wishing to save money on items they wished to purchase. For a number of reasons, I've been obliged to establish and use several different log-ins on eBay, but have been a fairly frequent buyer.<br /><br />The last few years, however, the eBay experience has become progressively less pleasant. Recently, I found myself sufficiently annoyed and aggravated with it to come to the conclusion that it simply wasn't worth the bother using eBay any longer:<br /><ul><li>Sniping has become a much greater problem on eBay as time has passed; it's now at the point that there are actually Firefox web browser plugins to facilitate the process. This, despite the fact that I offered a simple and direct suggestion that would make sniping an untenable activity: if a bid is received within some small time (I suggested 30 seconds, as I recall) before an auction ends, then extend the auction time by some small fixed amount of time to give the non-sniper time to respond. While my suggestion was acknowledged with a generic platitude, I doubt that it was ever given the consideration that I believe it should have. I can only wonder at how many people have given up on using eBay when an item they had legitimately bid on and “won” went to someone that “sniped” them in the last two seconds without them having an opportunity to re-bid.</li><li>Mis-listed items are now a much greater problem than they were when I first started using eBay. Some weeks ago, I reported a grossly mis-listed item and (again) got a generic non-committal response. Annoyed, I then took the time to submit roughly a hundred such instances in an effort to get somebody at eBay to realize how aggravating it is for us users to have to try and wade through all the inappropriate items in a category. I wasn't surprised in the slightest when absolutely nothing happened regarding the items that I reported; they remained in a patently wrong category for the entire duration of their respective auctions. Clearly, I can't know how many warnings a seller may get before being penalized for mis-categorizing items; what seems fairly apparent is that the number is too high to be effective, and that the actions taken by eBay lack sufficient impact to prevent recurrences. I would think that if eBay were to implement a graduated scale of punishment, such violations would drop dramatically: a first offense simply has the item de-listed with a warning to the seller. A second offense, and the item is not only de-listed, but not allowed to be auctioned again for some fixed period of time (a few days, perhaps). If there should be a third violation, ALL listings by a seller are removed. A fourth results in all listings being removed and the seller being blocked from posting new items for several days. Finally, a seller that commits a fifth offense could have all listings removed and banned from eBay completely. Please note that such a progression gives sellers ample opportunity to learn from honest mistakes, and greatly discourages DIShonest activities.</li><li>The ability to customize my eBay activities is something that I greatly miss. For example, I refuse to purchase items sold out of China and Hong Kong; each time I search for a tech or computer item, I have to explicitly go into an “advanced” search and indicate a maximum distance for sellers to try and block results from those areas. Sadly, eBay does not provide any mechanism by which I can set any kind of baseline criteria to be used for all my searches.</li></ul>The above is not an exhaustive list of my reasons for closing my eBay account, but rather just examples of the most egregious.<br /><br />I don't have any reason to think that eBay will change any of the above just for me; all I hope to accomplish with this letter is to bring the matter to the attention of someone that might accidentally have the power and authority to see that the issues are looked into, and perhaps even addressed.<br /><br />In addition, I will be closing my PayPal account, as well. My reasons for taking such action is simply that I wish to express my objections to the gross lack of openness, fair play, and responsibility demonstrated by the mishandling of the situation that cropped up with <a href="http://cryptome.org/0001/cryptome-sar.htm">Cryptome</a>.<br /><br />Finally, I would like to say that while established policies and procedures are good things to have, they are best supplemented with common sense and good judgment.<br /><br /><br />Sincerely,<br /><br /><br /><br />David K. MerrimanDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622350905746514412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956379487556975707.post-3191310062274736482010-03-10T15:36:00.004-07:002010-03-10T15:47:04.404-07:00Laundry DayIt was, as the title of this post might lead you to believe, Laundry Day here at The Hovel.<br /><br />Three loads were run, with the usual Whites and Colors (that's as discriminatory as I get), plus a Miscellaneous category that consisted of some towels, cleaning (shop) rags, and a light blanket that I use when the temperature is only <span style="font-style: italic;">close</span> to Winter.<br /><br />Of course, this was all met with considerable interest by the cats -- as long as nothing got actually tossed ON them during the sorting process, they felt obliged to make sure the dirty clothes didn't float up to the ceiling. Radar DID develop a fixation on one of my socks, making it necessary for me to mount a rescue operation when she ran off with it.<br /><br />After I brought the dry stuff back, it was obligatory to lay on the warm piles while I hung and folded, then put things away.<br /><br /><a href="http://icanhascheezburger.com/2010/03/10/funny-pictures-warm-up-the-couch/"><img title="funny-pictures-cat-has-a-suggestion-for-you" src="http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/funny-pictures-cat-has-a-suggestion-for-you.jpg" alt="funny pictures of cats with captions" /></a><br />see more <a href="http://icanhascheezburger.com/">Lolcats and funny pictures</a>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622350905746514412noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956379487556975707.post-70575195081080246282010-03-09T10:25:00.003-07:002010-03-09T10:48:24.773-07:00UpdatesFirst, I've neglected to mention that I do have <a href="http://7dor.blogspot.com/2010/01/of-by-and-for-people-resolved.html">the GIS data that the City of Billings promised me</a>. First thing I noticed was that there wasn't anywhere <span style="font-style: italic;">near</span> as much as the GIS manager tried to tell me there was; second, it didn't take anywhere near as long for them to provide it as he suggested it might. I've had the chance to go through and have a look at it, and I'm actually somewhat impressed with the attention to detail and thoroughness the city is showing.<br /><br />Second, as regards my <a href="http://7dor.blogspot.com/2010/02/one-where-i-do-good-deed.html">Good Deed</a>, I got a letter in the mail a few days afterwards -- from the pastor of the church the lady goes to. In it, he thanked and congratulated me on being a decent human being (my words), and wished me well. Apparently, she told pretty much everybody in the congregation about what happened.<br /><br />Finally, my <a href="http://7dor.blogspot.com/2010/02/why-ebay-sucks.html">blitzkreig of eBay</a> doesn't seem to have done the slightest bit of good; not only did the stuff remain listed until the respective auctions ended, but even MORE unrelated crap turned up. Between eBay's unresponsiveness and PayPal's willingness to <a href="http://cryptome.org/0001/cryptome-sar.htm">summarily freeze accounts without explanation</a>, I'm about <span style="font-weight: bold;">this</span> far from telling both of them to get stuffed.<br /><br />So, it's been a mixed bag since my last post. :-)Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622350905746514412noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956379487556975707.post-17465656712661720802010-03-02T21:58:00.005-07:002010-03-02T22:38:09.766-07:00Suicide TouristThat's the name of the <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/suicidetourist/?utm_campaign=homepage&utm_medium=bigimage&utm_source=bigimage">PBS Frontline program</a> that I watched (you can watch it online) tonight.<br /><br />You can probably figure out that it had something to do with suicide, but are somewhat baffled about the "tourist" part. Well, Switzerland has laws in effect that allow assisted suicide for non-Swiss residents. It isn't <span style="font-weight: bold;">that</span> simple, of course, but do-able without being overly difficult.<br /><br />This particular program was about a man that was in the advanced stages of <a href="https://health.google.com/health/ref/Amyotrophic+lateral+sclerosis">ALS</a> (Lou Gehrig's disease); he needed assistance even with breathing. Rather than wait for the disease to play out "naturally", he (after discussing it with his wife of 37 years) decided to end his life. It began shortly before he actually travelled to Switzerland, and ended shortly after his death. It does an <span style="font-style: italic;">exemplary</span> job of presenting HIS views and reasons for making such a choice, and how it affected his wife and two grown kids.<br /><br />I'd like to take this opportunity to point out that the man opted to end his own life by taking the voluntary action of sucking an overdose of a prescription sleeping compound through a straw; it was not "dispensed" or "given" TO him. Great care was taken to ensure that HE was the one that took the actions that would end his life, and that he was free to change his mind at any point for any reason,<br /><br />For a long time, there has been an ongoing debate regarding the subject of assisted suicide, with side arguments regarding the morals, ethics, and legality of the matter.<br /><br />Myself, I'm of the opinion (and do my very best to live that way) that people should be free to do pretty much any damn thing they want, so long as they don't cause harm to those unwilling to accept it. That is, each of us has to make our own decisions for our own reasons, and accept the consequences of our choices -- and that we should be free of interference from those that disagree with our choices.<br /><br />What this program did was to remind me of some of the questions that I've never heard properly addressed amid all the other discussion on suicide (assisted or otherwise).<br /><ul><li>Why, exactly, are so many so ready to automatically and universally decide that suicide is absolutely <span style="font-weight: bold;">wrong</span> for everyone, all the time?</li><li>What makes the above individuals think that they have the right/obligation to make such a decision for someone else?</li><li>If a person's physical body isn't <span style="font-style: italic;">theirs</span> as the most basic and fundamental example of "property rights", making them the ultimate arbiter of what to do with it, then who the hell DOES it belong to?<br /></li></ul>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622350905746514412noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5956379487556975707.post-73998938394027898952010-03-02T03:09:00.001-07:002010-03-02T03:11:19.841-07:00Time is running outWell, <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-03-01/chilean-quake-likely-shifted-earth-s-axis-nasa-scientist-says.html">kind of</a>.<br /><blockquote><i>The recent earthquake in Chile shifted the planet's axis by about 8 cm and shortened days by 1.26 microseconds </i></blockquote>Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06622350905746514412noreply@blogger.com0