Month: September 2016

California’s Pending Computer Mandate

Many years ago, Bill Bright wrote the gospel tract, The Four Spiritual Laws. In this booklet he states “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.”

The secular version of this is “Government owns you and has a plan to run every aspect of your life.”

The interesting thing about the ruling Elites, is that they seem to find a way to exempt themselves from the rules they impose on everyone else or at the very least, refuse to lead by example.

Here’s another case in point. The California Energy Commission is trying to roll-out energy efficiency standards on computers. Why, because of the myth of Global Warming.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – California regulators moved a step closer on Friday to the first mandatory U.S. energy efficiency standards for computers and monitors, gadgets that account for 3 percent of home electric bills and 7 percent of commercial power costs in the state.

The latest draft standards issued by the California Energy Commission, marking the second revision of rules first proposed in March 2015, would save consumers an estimated $373 million annually when fully implemented, the agency said.
Link: California Energy saving rules on Computers

The practical effect California enacting these regulations is that it will impose a national energy standard on the entire United States. So what happened to the beloved Interstate Commerce Clause of the US Constitution?

The latest rules could set a new standard for computer manufacturers everywhere by virtue of California’s size as a consumer market.

Here is another unelected body making law with no accountability to the people. I find it ironic that government wants to tell everyone else what to do when they are doing the exact opposite.

Please note that at the agency where I work—the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation—that we are instructed to leave our computers on during nights and weekends in case the IT department wishes to push out updates to our PCs. Also, please note that this rarely happens and the only thing keeping our network secure is an extensive array of firewalls because the desktop machines here rarely get security patches. For example, many users are running Internet Explorer 9, Java 6, and Adobe Acrobat 9. None of these programs is supported by their software companies because they are too old. All are riddled with known security flaws that could allow people to gain complete access to individual computers and possibly our network as well.

Just once it would be nice if government would lead by example instead of have one rule for themselves and a different one for everybody else.

97 Reasons to Like Chick-fil-A

As happens about every two years, the drain in the kitchen sink is plugged-up. As a result, cooking and washing dishes is all but impossible at the moment. The plumber can’t be here until tomorrow.

Please note that this is a good thing. If you need a guy to do work on your house and he can start immediately you should not employ them. Those with skills are in demand and those without are anxious to start now. Hiring second tier people in construction trades usually ends badly. They have your money and you have a partially completed project.

Since the kitchen is out of order, Mrs. ReallyRight said, I don’t want to cook so let’s go out. I agreed and suggested Chick-fil-A. Four of us trekked over to our local Chick-fil-A.

Here was our dine-in order:
• Chick-fil-A Sandwich
• Deluxe Chick-fil-A Sandwich
• Harvest Kale Salad
• Spicy Southwestern Salad
• Three large waffle fries
• Large Diet Coke
• Large Sprite
• Large Dr. Pepper
• Medium Diet Lemonade

Total Price $0.97

Yeah ninety-seven cents.

Every few months we get a cheap date by “going to see the cow”.

So how did I do it? Simple
• Three Calendar cards –this month is free large waffle fries and large drink
• Two Chick-fil-A customer surveys—each good for free entrée
• One free entrée card due to slow service on a previous visit
• Plus $1.29 remaining on my McAfee rebate card

This company rewards their regular customers and I’m glad they can help a family on a budget.

Communist California Wants to Control your Retirement Savings Now

Fellow readers, X made the long drive from his underground bunker to meet the Blog Father, the great William, for lunch at an undisclosed location.  Upon approaching the counter to place an order, both X and said Blog Father realized neither had a working credit card. Apparently both of us bank at Wells Fargo, or maybe Wells Fargo’s bankers bank with us?  Anyway, we had to settle this one way or another. Since neither of us are republicans or CRA members and we wished a resolution and not a filibuster, we decided to play; rock, paper, scissors.  The clash was epic! What started as best out of 3 eventually became best out of a 100.  As the competition increased, the crowd was chanting, and people began placing side bets. This led to confrontations amongst the spectators.  Glasses were thrown, a small child was hit by a cheese quesadilla, the margarita machine broke, and the salsa bar was in shambles!  Finally X lost and was forced to pay the bill with an IOU, and his girlfriend behind the counter broke up with him!

Finally, the commotion settled down and we sat down for lunch. During our meal, the conversation turned to discussing the various bills making their way to Chairman Jerry Brown’s desk in Sacramento.  One that stood out to both X and the Blog Father was a bill designed to force small businesses to set up retirement plans for their employees!  By the way, California defines a small business as a shop with as many as 100 employees.  Here is an excerpt of the bill,

California: Lawmakers just passed a bill that, if signed by Gov. Jerry Brown, will go into effect Jan. 1, 2017 and require a business with five or more workers, and no retirement plan, to participate in a new payroll-deduction savings program run by the state. The money will go into individual retirement accounts (IRAs) managed by a state-picked financial company. Larger companies with 100 or more workers will have to comply first. They will have one year from the time enrollment opens to sign up their workers or set up their own plan. Businesses with 50 to 99 employees will have two years after enrollment opens and small businesses with 5 to 59 workers will have three years to comply.

Yes this is the new Ponzi scheme to stave off bankruptcy folks. Just as state sponsored pension plans begin to dry up and ungrateful SEIU workers are threatening a strike and demanding a 22% pay hike, the state now wants to balance the budget literally on the backs of working people.

Anyone want to take bets on whether or not this money will be diverted to cover current pension costs?  Social security redux is what X calls this.

But have no fear, the republican groups in California will take up our cause, right?  If nothing else, they are the loyal opposition, aren’t they? Is the defense being led by the two idiot brothers with the no impact republicans?  The State run California GOP? The do nothing group of clowns sometimes referred to as the TEA Party?  Anyone in the assembly or state senate?  Figures the CRA isn’t leading on this one, I heard the Ted Cruz for President 2020 committee recently began campaigning.

Herein lies the problem faithful followers, the people who create jobs or want to create jobs continue to have their hands tied by government red tape and other so called good laws to help the working man.  Why would anyone want to open a small business in California?  Honestly I will hang up and listen on this one.  Could you imagine trying to run a fast food restaurant; dealing with staffing, quality control, inventory, payroll, and now this state run Ponzi scheme?  (Laws like this make replacing people with automation cheaper every day.) Talk about a cluster flip!

Here is the bottom line and the dirty little secret folks; the Republican Party does not oppose bills like this nor do they want to put up an alternative.  All the local CRA units and central committees want to do is keep the same family dynasties in office and allow them to rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic every election.  It’s sad to watch… A member gets into the state senate, then runs for something statewide to boost name ID and raise money, loses, then runs for re-election, terms out, then runs for Board of Equalization, then runs for county supervisor, ad infinitum. Meanwhile, the lemmings over at CRA worship these clowns like they are the Messiah resurrected. Sad state of affairs folks! Thankfully for our dedicated reader base, X and William will not allow these bills to be signed into law or propositions go unchecked and under the radar ever again.

But for some modicum of good news, I heard through the grape vine CRA is chartering a new unit in South Watts!

Until next time “X”

PS “X” stuck William with the bill and there is no word on the wellbeing of said small child hit by the flying discus.

Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came?

Link: IMDB

This movie title from the 1970’s is what I think of when I keep reading the nonsense spewing out of the Service Employees International Union concerning their threatened strike of state workers.

Does anybody think nonessential state workers deserve a 22 percent across the board pay increase over four years?  Especially in this economy?

Yet look at this week’s missive from their Grand Poobah.

And as we show our strength and pledge our support to take all Local 1000 authorized actions, management will threaten and try to intimidate us in an effort to weaken our cause. We’re not falling for it.

Standing up for a strong contract is our right. We won’t be intimidated for participating in actions or using our voice to stand up for what we believe in.

This is our Union. This is our Contract. This is our Future.
Link: our hard earned contract rights still in force

This strike idea makes no sense in the present economy. Furthermore, what is the compelling reason for the strike? Does the Union want to fully fund the woefully underfunded pension plans? (Speaking of which, who in the private sector even has any hope of a retirement anymore?) Heck no, they want the taxpayers on the hook for even more loot when this is all over with.

They still haven’t even called for a strike vote yet. Perhaps the outcome is predetermined so why let folks vote?

Unfortunately for the SEIU, I can’t find a state worker yet that feels the need to strike. Yes, people would like more pay but many are realists and know that state employment is one of the last bastions of benefits and pensions.

Worse for SEIU is that many state workers don’t even know a strike is being contemplated by the union until I ask them how they feel about it.

If I was SEIU, I would make a two year contract with Governor Brown and take my chances for a better deal with the next guy in the corner office at the capitol. Instead, SEIU wants state workers to get in Lemming Mode and charge off the cliff when the order is given.

Hey SEIU, if the order is coming then just give it already.  Quit posturing like a rooster in the barnyard. Enough crowing, if you really believe all this bluster then get going. What are you’ll waiting for?

A glance at the calendar shows that there is no good time for this to happen this year.
• October voting begins
• November is election and Thanksgiving
• December is Christmas
• January is Governor’s first draft of the next budget (2017-18)

So back to my original question, Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came?
• The membership doesn’t want it.
• The general public won’t support it.
• The politicians don’t want it to happen.

One way to be outstanding in your field is to be the only one in it but the concept of a union is a group of people banded together for a common purpose. The disconnect of the SEIU leadership from the rest of the world is breathtaking.

Credit Theft: A Victimless Crime?

I recently got a new bank card because my bank said I had purchased something from a store that had a security breach. In this case I think it was Wendy’s. I was told that the card I was using would stop working on August 25th and needed to activate the new card before then. So I dutifully activated the new card on August 24th.  The new card had a different account number and expiration date than my previous card.

On Labor Day morning (September 5th ), my wife comes into the bedroom saying the bank is calling with a fraud alert. Every few months I get a call like this because my purchasing habits go outside their normal parameters but I did nothing that would trigger such a call. I went on the Internet and sure enough several fraudulent charges had been made using my brand new bank card.

The second attempt at Rite Aid is likely what triggered the fraud alert.

Being that Labor Day is a bank holiday, all I could do was cancel my bank card. I had to wait until the next day to dispute the charges.

After the payments posted on the first three transactions, the declined withdrawal dropped-off the bank record and only the pending Walmart.com remained. The transaction said it would not post until September 7th. (I could only dispute the charges that successfully removed money from my account and not the pending Walmart charge.)

On September 6th, I contacted Walmart and my bank, hoping to thwart the last remaining transaction by these thieves. Even with the date, approximate time of the fraudulent purchase, and confirmation number of the purchase, neither was able (or willing) to help me.

Walmart said that without the actual order number that they could not stop the transaction. My bank said that they not only couldn’t block it but they couldn’t even tell me how much the final transaction would be until it posted. The lady at the bank couldn’t even see the pending charge until I pulled up my account on my cell phone and showed it to her.

Furthermore, they told me not to take money out of my account because they couldn’t promise me that any of my pending transactions would go thru if I did that. In short, I was told to take it in the shorts and just let the fraudulent charge happen and then I would get the money reimbursed from the bank in about ten days.

Being that my mortgage payment and other large transactions had not yet cleared the bank, this charge at Walmart.com could have been very substantial and depleted my bank account to the point that everything would bounce anyways. Faced with this nightmare scenario, what would you do?

The more I thought about it, the more violated I felt. As often happens in our country, you are first violated by the criminal and then a second time by the system.

I left the minimum amount necessary to cover all the outstanding checks that I had already mailed in my account and transferred the rest of the money to my wife’s account. Early this morning, I awakened to find that all pending transactions except Walmart had posted. At that point, I further reduced my bank balance to $75. When I got up to go to work, I decided I needed to transfer an additional $200 to my checking account. My bank separately posted one check later in the morning. They did ding me for a fee to cover the check but as of this writing, Walmart has dropped off my account.

I’m hoping that the worst is behind me now. It appears that the Walmart purchase was aborted; probably overnight. If the thieves had spent a small sum on my card, the transaction likely would have gone thru but I have the feeling that they “went for broke” or more literally tried to make me broke.

Of interest to me is the fact that two of the fraudulent orders that they charged to my account were intended for delivery at a physical address. The food order and Walmart order both had to go somewhere. A reasonable person would think this would make it easier to catch these guys but neither my bank nor Walmart indicated that law enforcement be notified of the fraud.

It reminds me of the time we got robbed and the policeman asked if we had insurance and as soon as we said yes, they were done looking for the crooks.

It really bothers me that such fraud is tolerated and so commonplace that nobody even seems interested in pursuing the thieves. For my bank, it is just an allocation in their general ledger and a cost for doing business.

My final thought on this is that God is watching and our family has asked Him to mete out a little justice now on these thieves and not let it wait until the next life. And yes I do believe that divine intervention prevented this from being as harmful to us as it could have been.

Disney Subsidiary gets it Wrong on Politics

Disney has reported for the last several years problems in its ESPN (Sports Programming) division.
(For low information readers, Disney owns the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) and ESPN is a subsidiary of ABC.)
Much of this stems from the high cost of producing live events and declining subscribership due to cable and satellite cancellations.  Much of the price you pay for subscription television is a subsidy for the minority that watches sports programming. If only those that actually watched ESPN paid for it, their business model would collapse and the entire network would be gone before the end of the month.

X is going to break down why there is an easy answer for their woes and Fox Sports 1’s gain in viewership: politics.

I am not talking about Republican versus Democrat. I am referring to people wanting to watch sports as their way to relax from everything going on in our world.  ESPN—led by John Skipper, and Disney led by Bob Iger—have been forcing their liberal agenda on its viewers for around two years now.  X believes this is a main reason for people to decide to cut the cord with ESPN.  When X tunes into ESPN, he wants to watch Aaron Rodgers throwing touchdown passes, not listen to Caitlyn (Bruce) Jenner get the Arthur Ashe courage award at the ESPY’s, or Colin Kaepernick spew his vile garbage that he calls an opinion.

Colin Kaepernick—the quarterback of the San Francisco 49er—for the last three weeks has not stood during the playing of the national anthem.  Kaepernick claims his reason for dissing his country is due to bodies lying in the streets and rogue cops getting paid while a bogus investigation takes place.  X just about spontaneously combusted when he heard this load of meadow muffins. This is so far from the truth it’s laughable.

You see Kaepernick makes 18 million a year playing football. This amount is more money than an average person—plus one or two generations in their family—will ever earn in their lifetime!  X suggests Kaepernick do something for the communities he feels are oppressed by this “violent policing.”  However therein lies the question that no Black Lives Matter activist wants to answer, they do not want any change.  Sadly ESPN—much like the democrat party—has rushed in to help them out.  Witness Sports Center anchor and resident Braying Shitheel Stan Verrett who went on this rant the following night about Kaepernick, saying …

“I’ve always stood for the anthem because I believe in the promise of America, what the flag is supposed to symbolize even though America often falls short of what it’s supposed to symbolize. I mean, my dad served in the Army, dealt with discrimination in the Army, came back from his service in World War II and was not afforded the same rights as a U.S. citizen after his service, so don’t talk to me about sacrifice and the military. My mom was the valedictorian of her high school, couldn’t go to college in Louisiana and other mainstream universities because they were segregated. They didn’t want to hear about her grades. You can’t go because you’re black.

“There’s still (discriminatory) problems in housing, hiring, the justice system. These are real problems. People aren’t making this up and they’re trying to find ways to speak out about it. You’re not always going to agree with the method. But let’s pay as much attention to the substance as we do to the symbol.”

That’s what you call a Braying Shitheel folks. He speaks about past events thinking they still exist in the present.  I doubt wholeheartedly any Black Valedictorian in high school couldn’t get into the college of his/her choice.  Regarding the completely out of line World War II comment…..Verrett get with the program; many people’s parents/children did not come back from that war or several others before and since.  Verrett and his fellow blowhards at ESPN think they are pushing social justice, but they could not be more wrong.  X does not agree with many aspects of this country’s past nor present doings, such as; war, slavery, Japanese internment camps etc. but he can still see the forest through the trees. So Kaepernick had a postgame press conference and what did he wear for a shirt, see for yourself.

Photo from Snopes.com Castro Shirt

Yes, folks that is a Fidel Castro T-shirt.  Yep THAT FIDEL CASTRO … interesting choice of apparel Kaepernick.  So what say you Stan Verrett?  All of a sudden the cat seems to have got your tongue?  Folks, Kaepernick is a very troubled young man but he is the perfect surrogate speaker for Black Lives Matter, they protest/burn things, and cause so much mayhem that the Allstate Insurance spokesperson is jealous, yet they have no stated goal or outcome they want.  This brings everything back to ESPN. Stan Verrett thinks he is doing right by the black community but in reality he is stirring the racial pot and viewers are fleeing ESPN in droves.

X has some advice for ESPN; namely, stay the BLEEP out of my sports watching experience.  I could not give half a damn about your current tabloidal reporting format, I could care less about whether Caitlyn Jenner (your network hero) stood or sat while using the restroom today, and I really could care less about your views of America, Verrett.  Personally—and this goes for everyone that apparently believes this country is no good—find a country where you have it better, and move there.  I heard North Korea, and some parts of the Middle East are great this time of year, and I’ve heard they love Americans over there.

Until next time……X