Nomic

This is something really cool that people should take a look at...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nomic

Basically, you start out with a default set of rules and the game involves making changes to the rules and proposing new rules. It is really interesting how different things happen in different games, as people learn from previous games. I've contemplated using the Nomic style of rules for multiple things, including sports simulation leagues, household rules, homeowner associations, and local governments.

After 13+ years as a Wachovia customer...

...it is time to move on, it seems.

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Wachovia Corp. expects to generate savings of up to 30 percent by moving some of its technology work to India, chief information officer Martin Davis said.
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I hope they enjoy the savings and it does them a whole lot of good. I can't look at myself in the mirror and continue doing business with a company like that. It is bad enough that I work for a company that has engaged in that sort of activity, but I'm not going to spend my little bit of money financing something like that. Not that it will matter, but I will do my part to educate the executives that what they are doing is considered wrong and dishonest. They have no bank branches in India, so shipping off the bank's work to India is unethical, regardless of the savings they think they can realise. It is time for people in America to take a stand on things instead of just going with the flow while we are sold out by corporations AND our government.

Smith: No Force, No Fraud

Anyone who happens to come along and see this blog, should definitely check out the following site:

http://babelogue.citypages.com:8080/bsmith/

His writings are generally spot on and shed some light on events that really should be on the radar of every individual in the United States. In particular, his response to the U.S. Supreme Court giving away our property rights this week is worth your time.

China begins their takeover of the US...

No, they aren't invading. That wouldn't really work. How are they doing it then?

They have made a bid to buy UNOCAL, a significant oil company. This would give them control of oil and natural gas reserves in Texas, as well as in other places around the world. No doubt they feel empowered by their role in making the flags that fly over most government buildings in the US, as well as being a major supplier to Walmart. I would be willing to bet that most households have a few items in it that were made in China. Let's not forget that China is a communist nation that not-too-long-ago was running over some of its population with tanks.

We've already willingly stood by and watched our manufacturing sectors go overseas. If we were to go to war with a major enemy, we would be hard-pressed to meet its demands on our own soil. If we sell our own oil reserves on our own land to a communist government on the other side of the planet, we might as well start counting our days. It is time to find out if this board of directors and shareholders have any sense of patriotism in their bodies, or if they are beholden only to the dollar bill. Is it ok to sell critical resources to the Chinese government just because they offer more cash than another company? What good would that cash do when the Chinese government cut us off from our own oil?

Michael Jackson is found not guilty!

I never felt like writing about this until I heard a lengthy discussion on the radio this morning. I don't really understand all the outrage about it. The people in the jury found him not guilty. Not everything goes the way you want it to. I wish everyone had voted for Michael Badnarik for President of the United States of America, but I'm not saying that everyone who didn't is stupid, or out to screw everyone. It's the way that the system works. It's not the JURY who messed up. It sounds like a lot of people should be upset with a DA who could not, beyond a reasonable doubt, prove their case.

This is the way things have worked for a long time in this country. I just keep thinking that people may finally understand the system, but they never do. Even supposedly educated people act like children when things happen that they do not agree with. It is really getting old. Grow up and suck it up.

And Bill O'Reilly, if you think cash settlements are equivalent to guilt, you should look in the mirror. Remember your cash settlement in a sexual harrassment matter recently? I guess you did it too!

KPMG only has to say they're sorry...

http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2005/06/17/kpmg_offers_apology_over_illegal_tax_shelters/

Ah, apparently, if you are a major corporation providing a vital service to other major corporations you can break the law and won't be indicted. That's a brilliant idea. What is the incentive for any corporation in a similar sort of role to stay clean, then? If one of the Big Four is allowed to make up their own rules, why should the other three play by the rules? The attitude here is that the Big Four accounting firms are far too important to indict, so all they need do is apologise and let people resign everytime they get their hands dirty. Sounds like a brilliant scam to me.

Terri Schiavo's parents disbelieve in all science...

So, now that the ultimate truth has come out about the state of Terri Schiavo's brain, her parents simply refuse to believe it. It is as if medical science is now the same as religion, and that it is simply a matter of belief or faith that determines whether it is true or not. They choose to not believe in medical examiners, autopsies, and the weight of brains. This is not really surprising. All along they knew they were throwing out the truth. They made a decision a long time ago to argue based on emotion and not on the facts. They made allegations that they knew were false, with the hope that it would drive them to victory. Unfortunately this is a trait that too many people share with them. The ends justify the means. It doesn't matter what it takes, and whether it is even true or not. You should do whatever you think it takes to win at any cost.

Their opinions and views on the subject are worthless. All along they have shown a complete disregard for the facts and even as more facts stack up against them, they refuse to believe. This is like someone who has an undying belief in some deity. You cannot sway them with any arguments because their belief is not based on any fact. It is not based on any truth. It is an emotional bond to some myths that they cannot shake. Their entire sense of being is attached to this belief, so arguing the matter is pointless. They will never change that because to do so would shatter them.

So, how do you hire a midget?

I know someone who wants to hire a midget for a night out on the town in Manhattan, NY. Anyone know how you might go about doing that?

Just out of general curiosity, don't you think midgets should have a yellow pages listing? Don't they need the work?

:)

Patriot Act dies at the end of this year... Oh wait, we found some terrorists!

How surprising is it that the US government found some terrorists right about the time that Bush has started campaigning for the extension of 16 or so provisions of the Patriot Act? Very convenient, I'd say. Despite the FBI stating this fellow was on the verge of carrying out his jihad here on a mission from Al-Qaeda, he has only been charged with making a false statement. Go figure. Let's extend the Patriot Act simply because some Arab in California made a false statement.

The KLF...

What a brilliant piece of work those guys were...

Well, it's not all over yet. Years after having huge hits, and then burning a million pounds sterling in protest of their success...

Bill Drummond has some interesting websites that everyone should check out and explore...

http://www.penkiln-burn.com/
http://www.youwhores.com/
http://www.mydeath.net/index.html

And Jimmy Cauty, the other half of the famous duo, is busy here...

http://www.blacksmoke.org/

New CBA for the NHL?

Another set of rumours hit the Internet over the past few days, indicating that the NHL and the NHLPA had reached an agreement on a salary cap. Yeah, right. Until you hear it directly from representatives of the two groups, you can bet that nothing has been decided. Just like the false stories of agreements that swept around when last season could have been saved, these too appear to be lies. It would involve a salary cap structure that was set team-by-team based on individual team's revenues. I don't see how this helps the league going into the future, but the end agreement may very well involve something like this. I just don't believe they are this close right now and that anything serious is actually on the horizon.

There is also talk that TNT is interested in the NHL in the future. That would work. TNT would probably do a better job than ESPN does, which isn't saying much actually.

Fairly major accident in Atlanta...

Yeah, I was watching some of the video of this bad accident on I-85 yesterday afternoon. A tractor trailer was off to the side in a raging fire, with the flames spreading off of the interstate. A little white car off to the side eventually caught fire and burned up. It wasn't even clear if this car had simply been abandoned on the emergency shoulder or was a part of the accident (although it is now!). A van was a little smashed up and sitting in the middle of the lanes. Another car with damage was ahead of the main accident area.

I have little doubt that this accident was caused by some asshole VIP who could not be bothered to drive sensibly and properly on the highway. Almost all problems on the streets are caused by some jerk who is simply too important or stupid to do the right thing.

Christian drivers...

Is it wrong to expect that Christians would hold themselves to a high standard of behavior? Perhaps not. Maybe their "faith" lends itself to a complete disregard of everything else in the world, because they "know" their religion will bail them out at the end of time. It is disturbing just how many times I have watched a vehicle with a Christian bumper sticker giving a clinic on bad driving. If your boss is a Jewish carpenter, don't you think he would rather you not try to kill a dozen people on your way to work? If God is your co-pilot, as the sticker says, why isn't he helping you keep the car in your own lane? It's all well and good that, in the case of a rapture, your vehicle will be empty...but why don't you at least pretend that your head is not already empty?

What to write about...

I once was posting real articles here, and real thoughts...but I grew tired of where it was going, and what it was about...and wiped out everything... I then left it entirely blank for months. It is probably by mere chance that anyone comes by and sees this tripe anyway, right? Oh well. I do plan on getting back into this soon...as a means of venting all the rants that build up on a daily basis. :)