Shuttersparks

Welcome to my musings on whatever topic catches my eye, plus stories, recipes, handyman tips, welding, photography, and what have you. Oh, and analog/digital hardware design, and software. Please comment on the blog post so everyone who visits can see your comments.

Author: Phil (Page 43 of 51)

Hello. I'm a retired electronic hardware, software & mechanical engineer. My hobby is making metal art. My interests range across writing, economics, politics, history, photography, fountain pens, languages, ham radio, and music. I've been writing software since 1968.

The Paradox of Tolerance: If a society is tolerant without limit, its ability to be tolerant is eventually seized or destroyed by the intolerant. --Karl Popper

$146 Million in Unauthorized Travel Expenses

October 20, 2007 / / 0 Comments

It’s nice to know that our mid-level government employees are traveling in style. The GAO so far has uncovered $146 million in unauthorized or inappropriate air fares in the first half of 2007. The cases involve the breaking of rules such as those requiring federal employees to travel in business-class at $800 and not first-class at $6,000 and so forth, which happened 44,000 times. but the rulebreakers feel they are worth it ‘cuz their work is so important.

http://www.govexec.com/features/0104/0104travel.htm

shuttersparks

Unintended Consequences

October 17, 2007 / / 0 Comments

It’s interesting to observe that states like Oklahoma and Georgia, that passed laws cracking down on illegal aliens, are noticing a significant drop in tax revenues. Why? Because those people are moving away to other states and taking their tax revenue with them. Another side effect is more houses showing up for sale, also because of illegal aliens moving away. This comes at a rather bad time though because the sub-prime mortgage crisis is already causing distressed houses to come on the market and depress home prices. This is now being aggravated by all the non-distressed homes belonging to illegal aliens that are also coming onto the market.

But in these cases, the system is actually working as the Founders intended. If a state implements foolish laws, people will vote with the feet and that state will get smacked in the pocketbook. It’s working.

shuttersparks

Tattle on Your Neighbors

October 15, 2007 / / 0 Comments

Have a neighbor you don’t like? Now you can go to this web site, mark their house on the map, and write an anonymous report on their nefarious activities.

http://www.rottenneighbor.com

I’m sure the cops are very pleased with this web site and will be watching it closely. It reminds me of what neighbors did to each other in the Soviet Union, only in the United States we choose to do it voluntarily. Haha. But what happens when people post phony accusations, which they surely will? Now you can anonymously defame anyone.

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