Posts from — October 2012

On my sample ballot for the election there are a dozen names listed as running for President, not just Zero and Rmoney. CBS has a piece, So who else is running for president?, that offers short descriptions of four of those candidates: Green Party candidate Jill Stein; Justice Party candidate and former Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson; Libertarian Party candidate and former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson; and Constitution Party candidate and former Congressman Virgil Goode. [My list is in political order from the Left to the Right.]

The Republicans are worried that Gary Johnson will pull votes away from Rmoney in several states, and about the effect of Virgil Goode in Virginia. The Party worked to keep Gary Johnson out of the debates during the primary, and tried to block him from qualifying in several states.

The two major parties do everything they can to preserve their lock on power.

Jill Stein keeps getting arrested for trying to break into the process. The major parties don’t want that to happen.

Ellroon wondered if today’s cat was a “Grumpy Cat”, so I went back to the original photo to get a larger version of just his face … and yeah, he looks grumpy.

He isn’t really, but that down-turned mouth is part of the Siamese-Persian cross that produces a Himalayan. While he was spared the Persian nose, he definitely has the mouth along with the fluffy coat.

Neighborhood Watch-er

I see everything…

[Editor: This gentleman arrived at my next door neighbor’s house one day and decided it met his requirements. As he looked well cared for and had no fear of people, I assume he was abandoned by his former ‘staff’.]

Friday Ark

The Miami Herald reports on another plan to privatize government functions: Tax collectors fight state plan to outsource license-tag sales

[State highway safety chief Julie] Jones said that PRIDE, the nonprofit prison labor firm that now makes Florida license tags, charges the state 5 cents a tag to ship tags to tax collectors. Hiring a private vendor would eliminate that fee, she said.

The tag redesign is needed, Jones says, because Florida’s current tags with their raised letters are difficult to read by automated cameras at toll booths and red-light intersections. A state study said illegible tags on Florida’s Turnpike costs the state $4 million a year in lost revenue.

In her preliminary budget proposal, she is asking for $23.6 million more next year to re-issue 8.2 million license tags next fiscal year.

So the equipment used by the company that was contracted to collect tolls on the Florida Turnpike doesn’t have the right equipment it uses to charge people for using the road, and apparently the company that runs the ‘red light camera’ operation is just as bad, so the state needs to create a new license plate that their equipment can read with more accuracy [see one of the design suggestions above] and to privatize the issuance of the plates, rather than letting local government continue to provide the same service they have provided since Florida first introduced license plates.

I’m sorry Ms Jones, but I can assure you that the person who buys a Florida license plate pays the cost of shipping, since the state doubled the price of registration last year, so your complaint about 5¢/plate for shipping is really stupid, especially in view of the $23.6 million this plan is going to cost in the first year. This really sounds like something that can wait until the economy improves.

If you are going to redesign the plate, why not find someone who knows the difference between an orange and a peach to create it.

According to the CBS post-‘debate’ snap poll “Obama edges Romney in second debate”

Poll of 525 uncommitted voters
Margin of error: ± 4%

Who Won the Debate?:
Obama 37%
Romney 30%
Tie 33%

Directly answered the questions he was asked:

Obama 55%
Romney 49%

Would do a better job helping the middle class:

Obama 56%
Romney 43%

Would do a better job on the economy:

Obama 34%
Romney 65%

How can some of these people say that Obama will do more for the middle class, but Romney would do a better job on the economy? If the middle class isn’t doing well, neither is the economy, because the middle class is the core of the economy. We aren’t going anywhere because there is no demand, and there is no demand because the middle class is losing ground and can’t afford to buy things.

According to the Santa Rose Press Gazette report Milton Planning and Zoning Director Randy Jorgenson proved that he had real consideration for the city because he called in ‘sick’ and then went on the bender that resulted in his Driving Under the Influence arrest at 2:19pm. If he hadn’t cared he could have gone in a taken a city vehicle to drive around with a Blood Alcohol Concentration of .15+ %, almost double the Florida limit of .08%.

If he is convicted the city says they won’t let him drive city vehicles.

The police were responding to complaints from the public about Mr. Jorgenson dangerous driving.

Position: 40.2N 56.5W [ 4PM CDT 2100 UTC].
Movement: Northeast [035°] near 35 mph [56 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 75 mph [120 kph].
Wind Gusts: 90 mph [145 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 310 miles [500 km].
Hurricane Wind Radius: 80 miles [130 km].
Minimum central pressure: 972 mb.

Currently about 475 miles [ 760 km] Southeast of Halifax, Nova Scotia.

As forecast, Rafael has become a Post-Tropical Cyclone. This is the last NHC advisory.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

Apparently there was another of those joint press conferences that they call ‘debates’ in US politics. They are organized by the two major parties to get free media time to sell their approved, tested fabrications. The candidates of the other parties aren’t allowed to participate after Ross Perot proved it makes a difference to the success of minor party candidates.

Apparently Zero did well enough that Andrew Sullivan has been taken off the suicide watch list. [If you don’t know who Andrew Sullivan is, be glad, and don’t spoil your luck by finding out.]

Ringo won parole from the vet and is now out and about in the house. Actually, while she go anywhere in the house now, she chooses to sit on my wrist rest to prevent me from typing. I am hopeful she will decide she wants to go outside tomorrow.

Real Life is still busy, so I can’t spend a lot of time on the ‘Net, but it doesn’t seem like much of importance is happening.

Position: 32.4N 62.5W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: North-Northeast [030°] near 29 mph [46 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 85 mph [140 kph].
Wind Gusts: 100 mph [160 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 205 miles [335 km].
Hurricane Wind Radius: 35 miles [ 55 km].
Minimum central pressure: 970 mb ↑.

Currently about 135 miles [ 215 km] East of Bermuda.

At 10PM CDT the storm was due East of Bermuda and beginning to move away after its closest approach. All Watches and Warnings have been canceled.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

The Local Puppy Trainer reports that Republican Congresscritter Jefferson Beauregard Miller of Chumuckla [Santa Rosa 850] is being challenge this time by three people: Libertarian Calen Fretts of Valparaiso [Okaloosa 6336], Reform Party’s William Drummond of Chipley [Washington 3592], and Democrat James Bryan of Paxton [Walton 753]. The district was redrawn and now includes more rural areas. All three are running to the right of Miller, including the very Blue Dog Democrat James Bryan who has challenged him before.

Fretts was quick to point out that he was running because Miller voted for $5 trillion of the deficit. Fretts vowed to vote against all spending.

All but one of these guys are from North of I-10 and all live in small towns and villages. The information in the brackets is the county and population of their towns. Valparaiso is the only town on the coast.

Lots of names, but not much difference.

Position: 25.1N 65.5W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: North [010°] near 12 mph [19 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 85 mph [140 kph].
Wind Gusts: 100 mph [160 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 205 miles [335 km].
Hurricane Wind Radius: 45 miles [ 75 km].
Minimum central pressure: 974 mb.

Currently about 500 miles [ 805 km] South of Bermuda.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Bermuda.

An aircraft found that the storm had achieved hurricane strength, as it has been on the verge of doing for some time.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

Position: 21.6N 64.8W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: North-Northwest [330°] near 10 mph [17 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 70 mph [115 kph].
Wind Gusts: 85 mph [135 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 175 miles [280 km].
Minimum central pressure: 989 mb ↓.

Currently about 740 miles [1190 km] South of Bermuda.

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for Bermuda.

Rafeal is still strengthening and will probably be a hurricane tomorrow.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

The Miami Herald reports that the state says everyone does it:

Florida Division of Elections spokesman Chris Cate told reporters last week that forms filed by the state Democratic Party, the Florida New Majority Education Fund and the National Council of La Raza involved “potential irregular voter registration activities” that “constituted a legally sufficient complaint of voter registration fraud.”

Representatives for all three deny fraud took place and say the state has yet to contact them about the allegations.

In the case against the Republican Party of Florida. the party was notified and was allowed to investigate and then file charges, and Supervisors of Elections around the state told the media that they found hundreds of faulty registrations.

In this case the Division of Elections announced that there were allegations against the three groups, but still hasn’t told them what the allegations are, or who made them.

No double standard here, nothing to see, go about your business, citizens.

The Local Puppy Trainer reports on the latest local official to be arrested:

MILTON — Edward Collinsworth, Santa Rosa County’s chief deputy tax collector, has been place on annual leave after being arrested Wednesday and charged with 10 counts of sexual assault on a victim younger than 12 years old.

Yes sir, nothing but G*d fearing Republicans in Santa Rosa County. I’m sure that no one could have imagined that he would do such a thing… 👿

Note: He is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.