Lobojo's Den

Monday, November 3, 2008

I've Been Tagged!
Stranded on a desert island I've been tagged by Trixies Home for this meme.
First off, the rules:
You are stranded on a desert island for an indefinite amount of time. You can bring along five food items and are allowed one sentence to justify your decision. It is an island so assume plentiful fish, coconuts, and sea salt. Storage is not an issue, as you also have a large solar powered refrigerator.
Play along, tag who you want, and link back!

Assuming that there is no limit on volume and that the refrigerator has a freezer, I would choose the following.

1. Delmonico beef steaks: Can be cooked several ways, or turned into jerky for convenience.

2. Bisquick: Can be used many different ways with just water or coconut juice for breads or beer and will make grease gravy with the steak juice..

3. Tony Chachere's seasoning: makes anything palatable.

4. Apples: Food, raw or cooked, plus cider.

5.Twinkies: If I am alone no else would eat them.

Crushed Leviathan , Carol , BB-Idaho Ya'll are tagged.

As part of an Automated Meter Reading/Advanced Metering Infrastructure

"As part of an Automated Meter Reading/Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMR/AMI) solution, cities can move away from manual utility meter reading or drive-by solutions to digital meters that link wirelessly to a central network - saving time and cost while improving customer service and ability to accurately monitor and control valuable resources.
Lower operating costs - Fewer personnel required in the field, lowering transportation, insurance, and medical costs. Detailed data uncovers problems quickly and reduces fraud.
Encourage conservation - Customers can see their usage at any time, helping conservation efforts, and quickly detecting water leaks or faulty thermostats so corrective action can be quickly taken.
Improve customer service and satisfaction - Utilities can pinpoint system problems - leaks or outages - before customers report them, reducing downtime.
Reduce customer complaints - High-quality, real-time data increases billing accuracy, eliminating estimated bills, and unpleasant surprises for customers.
High-speed wireless broadband access with Tropos and its MetroMesh Solution partners are being used to centralize meter reading, achieve significant cost savings and meet conservation goals. Some examples include:
Corpus Christi, Texas expects to save $30 million over the next 20 years with their AMR system for gas and water
Anderson, Indiana expects to save $18 million over the next 15 years with their AMR/AMI system
Burbank, California has completed an assessment phase and is installing a pilot program to create a smart electrical grid which is targeted at reducing peak load and response time to address outages solution, cities can move away from manual utility meter reading or drive-by solutions to digital meters that link wirelessly to a central network - saving time and cost while improving customer service and ability to accurately monitor and control valuable resources.
Lower operating costs - Fewer personnel required in the field, lowering transportation, insurance, and medical costs. Detailed data uncovers problems quickly and reduces fraud.
Encourage conservation - Customers can see their usage at any time, helping conservation efforts, and quickly detecting water leaks or faulty thermostats so corrective action can be quickly taken.
Improve customer service and satisfaction - Utilities can pinpoint system problems - leaks or outages - before customers report them, reducing downtime.
Reduce customer complaints - High-quality, real-time data increases billing accuracy, eliminating estimated bills, and unpleasant surprises for customers.
High-speed wireless broadband access with Tropos and its MetroMesh Solution partners are being used to centralize meter reading, achieve significant cost savings and meet conservation goals. Some examples include:
Corpus Christi, Texas expects to save $30 million over the next 20 years with their AMR system for gas and water
Anderson, Indiana expects to save $18 million over the next 15 years with their AMR/AMI system
Burbank, California has completed an assessment phase and is installing a pilot program to create a smart electrical grid which is targeted at reducing peak load and response time to address outages."

http://www.tropos.com/solutions/AdvancedMeteringInfrastructure.html

NOW THE REST OF THE STORY:

"Utilities are becoming more aggressive about collecting money from delinquent customers, leading to a surge in service shutdowns just as economic woes are pushing up the number of households falling behind on bills...."

The number of shutoffs could rise further, as new technologies such as digital meters make it easier for utilities to cut off late-paying customers.
Digital meters allow power companies to do things remotely that previously required sending out work crews. For example, utilities can take meter readings wirelessly and switch a customer's power off or on without having to send a crew to a house. They also can use a "service limiter" feature to cut power flows to a trickle until customers pay up. Utilities are installing millions of these meters across the U.S.
Southern California Edison, a unit of Edison International of Rosemead, Calif., currently disconnects late-paying customers owing as little as $30, but that could drop lower in the future. That usually would be a money-losing proposition, because it requires a crew to be sent out to disconnect service manually. But the company is in the process of installing 5.3 million digital meters, at a cost of $1.63 billion, which will allow remote, wireless shutoffs, making it economical to take action even for tiny amounts owed. In a recent filing with regulators it said it could adopt "rigid enforcement" of payment rules in the future for those owing less than $30. It hypothesized it could cut off an additional 129,000 people a year.
Lynda Ziegler, senior vice president of customer service at SoCal Edison, said the utility doesn't have enough wireless meters to support a policy change yet. She added that notification requirements mean it still could take nearly three months to sever a delinquent account. But she said the utility may seek authority from the Public Utilities Commission in the future to act more quickly or to convert certain customers to prepaid service because "one of the struggles people have is catching up when they get behind."
The ease with which utilities can use digital meters to cut off service has alarmed some consumer advocates. "Just because you can do it doesn't mean you should do it," said Irwin Popowsky, head of the Office of Consumer Advocate in Pennsylvania. "From my perspective, they're creating a reason to not have smart meters."

http://www.tropos.com/solutions/AdvancedMeteringInfrastructure.html

Of course they will use a protocol, or equation in their computerized system to determine who is cut off and why. So none of the human beings at the utility will have the vaguest notion as to why you are disconnected. Perhaps it might be that your name is on the TSA no-fly list or your voter registration doesn't match letter for letter with you bank account or some random cosmic ray has changed you into a female or male on the computer, so you don't match what the computer/computers believe you to be. Perhaps if you don't pay that monthly rental for the heart-lung machine to which you are permanently attached then they can tap you bank account which brings your balance down so low that the electric utility doesn't get paid and they cut off the juice to the machine. Of course you will have a digital cable connected phone that only works when the electricity is on so you can't call them. Even if you did call them, your utility access code was in your computer which isn't working anyway because the VISTA program won't allow you access to the computer if your electric bill isn't paid because Microsoft is the major stock holder of the utility.

Vote Obama!

Nov. 5, 2008: What Kind Of America Shall It Be?

Eight years ago Tuesday I was at special committee meeting to decide data elements for a National Post-secondary Education Data Report. The meeting ran until 7 p.m. and was scheduled to start up at 7 a.m. the next morning. We were a small group and we were meeting in the Mayflower Hotel in Washington D.C.. It was a really swanky place, but had a bunch of "small" room clustered on one floor that used to house the servants the guest brought along with them. That was where we were housed. As it turned out the Mayflower was the site of the DNC's scheduled Victory Party. The VIPs were in one closed access ballroom and the worker bees were in a more open access, cash bar, free food, ballroom. So after dinner, three other data geeks and I wandered into the Worker Bee Party. Man everybody was feeling good. About 9 p.m., the Democrats decided they had won and paired up and went towards private places. My little group continued to graze the cheese and crackers and bummed a couple or four of "open" bottles of wine from the cash bar as it closed up.

We were still watching the big screen TVs when things began to get hinky. All of a sudden Bush had won. Then maybe he didn't. Maybe they tied.
The open wine attracted a half dozen of 40 type worker bees that had not paired up and we kind of created a "group" of moaning, pissing, cussing, Democrats.
This went on until 11:00 when the clean up staff swept us out into the hall. The hard core, went into the Hotel Bar and I went up to bed. I Turned on the TV to hear the latest while I got ready for bed. I shouldn't have ought to have done that. At 12:30 I got dressed and went down to the bar so as to have company during this morbid wait. At 1 a.m. the bar was supposed to close. It didn't. There we were a dozen hard core DNC staff, a few errant Democrats form wherever, the hotel cleaning staff, the night doorman, the night desk people etc.. At 3 a.m. I gave it over to history and went to bed.

In 2004 I went to a watch party at a neighbors. It was over quicker.

Even with the corruption and death involved America chose the path of Cheney and Bush again.

Now here we are in 2008. Wife and I will most probably watch the election returns alone this time.

We expect the best and fear the worst.

All I know for sure is that what ever happens, America will NOT wake up on November 5th and say, oh well, maybe next time.

This is a definitive historical moment.

From here forward we will not be the same.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Vote Our Values: False Witness In Jesus' Name

Are You A Values Voter?

First, view this video:

http://97.74.65.228/high_res.php

Rousing and Magnificent Propaganda!

Then ponder the "Law":

Exodus 23:1"Do not spread false reports. Do not help a wicked man by being a malicious witness."

Deuteronomy 19:18 "The judges must make a thorough investigation, and if the witness proves to be a liar, giving false testimony against his brother,Deuteronomy 19:17-19 (in Context)"

Psalm 27:12 "Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing out violence.Psalm 27:11-13 (in Context) "

Then read their position on Obama /McCain.

BARACK OBAMA
Protecting Infants born alive: Opposes (A False Witness)

Prohibiting Partial Birth Abortion: Opposes (A False Witness)

Constitutional Right to Abortion: Supports ( It is the Constitutional Law of The United States)

Nominate Pro-Life Supreme Court Justices: Opposes (assumed)

Teaching Homosexuality in Public Schools: Supports (False Witness)

Federal Protection of Traditional Marriage: Opposes (False Witness)

Homosexual Adoption: Supports

JOHN MCCAIN
Protecting Infants born alive: Supports

Prohibiting Partial Birth Abortion: Supports

Constitutional Right to Abortion: Opposes (If So, he would not be able to take the oath of office. except with his fingers crossed)

Nominate Pro-Life Supreme Court Justices: Supports

Teaching Homosexuality in Public Schools: Opposes

Federal Protection of Traditional Marriage: Supports

Homosexual Adoption: Opposes

Christian?

Is it Christian to knowingly swear False Witness on four out seven positions held by a man and ignore the reality of one? Is it Christian to lie to yourself to such an extent that you believe you own lies?

Is it Christian not to pay taxes and yet demand that your position become the law of the land?

Here is what they are doing.

"Show this Video at your Church!7,000+ Churches have downloaded in 10 days!It's estimated that several million Christians will watch the video this Sunday at Churches across America!
How can I show this video in my Church?Call your Pastor today and tell him that your Church needs to show this video on Sunday morning! We need to inspire others to VOTE VALUES on November. 4th! Then proceed to download the high-resolution video."

"Is it Legal to show the Video in Church?Yes. This video does not violate 501-c3 laws because it does not endorse a political candidate. The purpose of the video is to demonstrate there are more concerning issues at stake during this election other than gas prices and the economy."

Orwell really had the "Double Think" thing down did he not.

Who's Values are these really?

Thanks to http://eruditeredneck.blogspot.com/ for the source and information

Addendum:

My daughter has sent me an antidote for all of the soul pollution above. Check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbuLchsauKs

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Obama Want's To Bring All Of America Together! (BAH!)

Source below:

Some people just Never want to be Together! Obama is wrong about one thing, he will not heal the divide between the two Americas. Why because it is a divide between two types of humans.

It is a divide between incompatible temperaments or personality. In every race, in every culture, in every country you will find the great divide.

Here is an example from the NYT:

Japan Fires General Who Said a U.S. ‘Trap’ Led to the Pearl Harbor Attack

By NORIMITSU ONISHI
Published: October 31, 2008
TOKYO — A high-ranking Japanese military official was dismissed Friday for writing an essay stating that the United States had ensnared Japan into World War II, denying that Japan had waged wars of aggression in Asia and justifying Japanese colonialism.

source:http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/01/world/asia/01tokyo.html?th&emc=th

There are history books in conservative Japanese schools that claim Japan won WWII, and never did any of the things the did in WWII. All that is American and Chinese propaganda. That's all crazy, right?

Who hasn't heard all about "Holocaust Deniers"?

What Democrat recently hasn't hung their head in wonder at the weird stupidity of the hard rights's hatreds of Obama?

What Republican has not been aghast at the suggestion that we "Share The Wealth!"?

They are Lost and We are Found!

The World is truly Them and Us.

The more sophisticated of "Them" or is it "Us" say well I don't like their "philosophies", or "ideologies", their "viewpoint" or whatever euphemisms. Bullshit, they just don't like that kind of person.

What kind of person is that you say? Well that's easy it is those like "Them".

I blogged in general about this on October 9th:

http://lobojosden.blogspot.com/2008/10/political-parties-childhood.html

There are serious and real difference in those humans who call themselves Democrats and those who call themselves Republicans. For real guys. They are not like us!

Ask Dick Armey one of the Republican leaders of the 1990 Republican "Revolt": "... more interesting is Armey's non-apology apology the following day, when he told reporters he was simply making a broader point about liberals' wrong-headedness. "If you were a southern Anglo Baptist liberal, I promise you I would say you were not well educated and probably not a very deep thinker, because that's what liberals are," he said. "Liberals are, in my estimation, just not bright people. They don't think deeply, they don't comprehend, they don't understand a partial derivative, they have a narrow educational base as opposed to the hard scientists." (Washington Post September 25, 2002)

Now Armey is not a dumb guy. He is an academician, and has worked with "Liberals" his whole life. But this is what he believes them to be. Being a "Liberal" most of the time I don't quite recognize myself in Armey's description however.

You see we can not come together! We can't even work together. At best we may be able to work around each other in both senses of the word. That hard core 20% and their interbred 30% leaner's are not going to join us in celebration. So our hard core 20% and 30% interbreds shouldn't even think that they will come around. They won't.

The Pakistanis have a saying: It is all about Zar, Zan, aur Zamiin : Land, Women, and Gold.

You need Women to make more like you and land to live on and provide for you and fight from and gold to fund it all.

Class warfare ? You betcha baby. It always has been. It is either them or us. Don't ever trust Them and don't betray Us. No Kum By Ya. They/Us can't be changed. There will be no conversions.

On November 2nd I'm going to my doctor and up my meds. Not because I'm wrong to rant like this, no not at all, but because no matter what happens all I can do is rant. So, better to be a mellow fellow than sprout like a dragon's tooth.

Image Source: Armoured men sprouting from the dragon's teeth. Ancient Greece sand sculpture on Great Yarmouth beach, Norfolk. by StewieD http://flickr.com/photos/17553537@N00/203697485/

Thanks Stewie perfect shot needed.

Friday, October 31, 2008

Early Voting In Oklahoma, Jeez!

So wife and I eat breakfast and and go over the Oklahoma County Election offices to vote early.
There about 40 acres of parking at the election office, because it used to be some kind of super box store location. The cops were out directing traffic and half of the lots was already full of cars.
We parked and sat there kind of stunned. Dang the line is a mile long my wife said. OK it wasn't a mile, but it was LLLOOONNNGGG.

This is a picture of the line at 12:30.

Next picture.

Next Picture.

Next picture.

Now all you are seeing is the front of the building. The line stretches across the building front, around the corner down the side through a door and well into the building.

So I got out of the car and took pictures and counted people in line. It figured out to between 400 and 500 in line. So I watched the speed of the line and figured that it was a one and a half hour line. Trouble is I've got 45 minute knees. The weather was nice though.

Now if I were truly handicapped instead of old and dysfunctional I could simply do a drive up voting at the side of the building. But there is no provision for just being a woos. So we decide to wait and vote at our local polling place(and take a chair just in case).

Early voting started at the 77 County Election Boards in Oklahoma on Halloween. Voting will be allowed Friday from 8 to 6pm. On Saturday the polls will open at 8 and close at 1, and on Monday they'll be open from 8 to 6.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Burroitos Are America's Hope

In honor of the Democrats Donkey I'm publishing some of my wild burro pics from Nevada this August. Yes, it was hot about 106 degrees. Yes, it was dry. All good democratic weather.

Enlarge this picture and take a look at this old leader of the herd. He is cut and scared and scraped, the result of many old wounds. Look at those jaws. Vegetarian though he be, I'll bet his bite would be very bad. Those muscled withers probably have delivered many a lethal kick.