First Blog

If you need an online calculator, one for just about anything, check out this website https://goodcalculators.com/ ----------------------------  Blame it on the Physics The first multiple choice tests were developed in about 1915 by Frederick Kelly, an education specialist.  This test was a timed reading test, produced because Kelly viewed human judgement of reading skills fundamentally flawed.  The idea was to make testing more objective.  This worked and was widely adapted. Just 22 years later physics teacher Reynold Johnson devised a method of identifying pencil marks against a key to automatically grade them, saving countless hours of hand grading. Johnson was hired by IBM to develop the device.  Multiple choice test became the premier testing vehicle – to this day. This first device recognized the marks electronically. However, in 1955, the first patent to recognize marks optically was issued to Everett F. Lindquist, an education professor.  The rest is history, and m

Facts: 1. There have always been loners with mental illness problems. 2. There have always been guns readily available. 3. There have always been youngsters expelled from the schools for anti-social behavior. 4. What is new is the many social media sites that nurture and encourage the mentally ill toward horrific acts - including terrorism.  Recommend: A. Suspend Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and all other social media sites. B. Increase the minimum age to purchase firearms. C. Increase the number of law enforcement individuals specializing in online potential threats. Now, if mental health professionals are given "veto" authority on gun possession, you have invented a new court system with no laws, and no case system.  Probably not good.  

Costco Membership. I've had a Costco membership since 2013.   I've bought a bunch of stuff valued in the thousands over that time.  But yesterday, when I added something to my "cart,"  Costco decided to verify me.  BTW, always paid all bills at the register, no exceptions. This process asked a lot of questions about me, things I could not imagine they even knew, and certainly I never told them. An example is the question they asked about the state of my residence in 1961.  Yes, 57 years ago!  This was a concern to me. I called Costco about this.  After three levels of supervisors I learned that Costco has contracted with another company to perform these verifications.  The last supervisor I talked to had no clue what the questions were, only whether I passed their test. What this means to you and to me is that there is a database of information out there about your information, past and present, your buying habits, your ability to pay, your credit score, and ju

Paying more for the same thing does not improve the product. OR A product does not improve simply by paying more for it. You can't entertain yourself to a good education.  (Now and then you need to work. Now and then you need to think.) Standardized tests will not go away and not get any better. Things that immobilize or paralyze the soul:  self-doubt, self-pity,regret, doubt, indulgence, hate guilt, failure, hopelessness, false words Things that nourish the soul: love, confidence, purpose, success, hope, work. Things that are past the point of no return:  road & bridges, honesty, compromise, good will, respect. Many are the people with great potential, but no direction.  Their course often follows a random path of great leaps. Achievement is an accumulation of many, often minute, steps toward a single goal.  Nothing great can occur in a single day without many months or years of careful preparation. The diary is a wonderful way of talking to your future self.  Mostly, it is no

Post-modern Sports. In the beginning, like when I was a kid, sports was completely devoted to sports. I read about who’s doing well, whose not.  I read about trades and how they might affect the team.  I read about the draft and the talents of the draftees.  Rarely did I read about money, except for the superstars.  But now, we see less of this as sports has evolved.  The evolution?  Here's a sketch. Sports teams, talent, prospects, achievements, hopes, potentials, front-runners. Sports money, who’s making the most, minimal salary scales, how much this player can demand, owner’s net worth, league’s rulings on player behavior. Sports personal issues such as domestic abuses, arrests, dress style, diverse opinions, executing contract options. Sports and politics, athlete’s opinions, athlete’s political expressions, athlete’s standing on personal principles, league rulings on politically oriented dress. Only tangential these days is a discussion of the issues

Dear Kids,  Experts recommend you save 10% of your income each year for retirement. Do you? This is just the beginning.  Make sure you put the money into a 401K plan, the only way you can build a substantial nest egg.  For me, I would need $500,000 in savings just to pay my property tax with the 1% interest, if I invested in a bank savings account.   Put your money where you can't get at it .  Not banks. "Banks shaft you in two ways, high interest when you borrow and minuscule interest when you save." Only 39% of Americans can meet a $1000 emergency.  Can you?  If you cannot, you are in dire straits.  About 80% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck.   Is you, then ditto.  Have a two month minimum, hopefully eight month financial cushion. Actually, much more if you're in your forties. About 38% of Millennials believe $200,000 is enough for retirement.  Do you?  Of course, this is ridiculous.  You need at least $1,000,000 just to begin thinking about ret

To friends of course, and to foes where ever.... I have given to political parties in the past.  The downside of so doing is that the parties then have your contact points and contact they do, over and over and over again.  Also, these become part of the public record, accessible to all.   This last point is my issue today.  The party is irrelevant. Let me list a few observations. I get frequent follow-up emails, sometimes a dozen per day from various named or unnamed senders.   This morning one identified himself as Bob.   That’s it. I get several phone calls every week asking for contributions. I often get multiple mailings from congressional candidates looking for contributions. This goes on and on, day in and day out, weekly, monthly, and so on.  OK, these folks want money.  That is my value to them.  But where is the scam? Finally, my point.  Two days ago I got a phone call from a friendly fellow supporting the governor, and asking for money.  Just a hundre

Not supporting but...  Oprah has business experience, is practical, is possibly not an ideologue, lives in this world not an alternate, theoretical world, understands meeting expenses/payroll, knows media incantations.  Compare her with Elizabeth Warren who is a few pages of talking points and little depth.  Compare her with Bernie Sanders, who is a pure ideologue believing only in giving away free stuff.  Compare her with Andrew Cuomo, who micromanages everything, including the color of toilet paper in the men's room. Compare her with any of the players in the Dem field!   This is partly a consequence of Hillary and company for not allowing any others at the top.  We might call this an aspect of the  tyranny of the old age . Oprah just may be  seduced into running by her financially and morally bankrupt party.  There we would have it.  Two billionaires competing on platforms of helping the poor and middle class.  Neither professional politicians, neither lawyers, neit

Listen all.  NOKO has no industry, no research, no university system, and no technology.  Yet, they are world class in ICBCM and nuclear weapons technology?  SOMEBODY  is helping them.  Their only problem is rolling it out slow enough so everyone thinks they are doing the research. Why does everyone talk about giving or not giving them more time in process?   They do have, however, world class hackers.  A lot cheaper.

James Comey - former FBI director turned author.  His editor must be tearing his hair these days with new testimony and discovery requiring new chapter versions.  Likely his staff is sub-titling the future book, “Revelations then Rewrite.”  Cheer up, Jim! The truth is there; you may find it yet. For the Dems, it has been a love-hate-love-hate, and now love affair with hate just around the corner.  For the Reps, it’s been mostly hate all the way.  ----------------- On the Trump foreign policy: We may ask if President Trump is taking us to the edge of the volcano to see what’s there, or if he has some plans for quenching the fires down below. In a way, it is good news he has top generals guiding his moves.  These guys understand the horror of war, and do not celebrate “glorious death.”  They also understand that weakness invites reckless adventures by bold despots who themselves are guided by the simplistic policy to “hang on and they’ll cave.” A game difficult

New York Andrew Governor Cuomo has suggested an exit tax for all residents emigrating from New York.  He proposes all New Yorkers with a net worth of $500,000 or more are to be taxed a flat rate of 20% of net worth to exit residence from the State.  Said Cuomo, "They may move, but we'll get one last shot at their money." He added, "at least until I'm President." de Blasio and Sanders echoed support. salivating at the thought of a new form of tax revenue.  NOKO strong man Kim Jong Un concurs indicating mere taxation is not enough, muttering something about consequences to their whole family. Just kidding… ------------------- BTW, Cuomo just pardoned 61 convicted felons. What a humane fellow.  I do suggest someone would tally up the costs of arrest and prosecution of these “now good citizens.”  Perhaps the good governor should intercede for every conviction deciding those just and those unjust – saving taxpayers yet another cost – incarceratio

Why will North Korea’s strong man dictator Kim Jong Un will never permit any sort of coorperation with South Korea or inspection of his country by outsiders? It's all about the consequences of exposure.  Many of his sins are hidden because of total news blackouts.  His master state, China, may be aware of many of his sins, but for them it becomes a conviction by proxy should the sins become known. Thus Kim is indirectly protected.  Both China and Russia (thought to be Kim’s supplier of rocket engines) are aware and dread the day Kim is exposed.  Such is Kim’s buffer. Kim’s sins and secrets: Nuclear weapons – the open sin Offensive ICBM and other missiles – the delivery vehicles of choice Weapons export – to Iran and elsewhere Radiological contamination – almost a certain consequence of nuclear testing* Biological testing – e.g. possible Anthrax experimentation* Slavery – export of his own to forced labor in China and other countries Torture – of prisoners, e.g. W