Labor Force Participation

My wife is a stay at home mom. That is a full time job, but the pay sucks.

Bill, Elle’s grandfather, is retired. He is indispensable help taking care of Elle.
My mother and father are both retired.
Two of my friends are cops. There is no such thing as part time police.
One is a nurs. I don’t know how that works but the work will increase without pay increasing to compensate just like everywhere else.
One friend owns his own metalwork business and has several employees. He kills himself to make things work. his employees are friends.
We have one person working part time at work who wants to work part time. That I know of, everyone else works full time and then some.
I’m in the labor force. I am technically disabled and could probably eek out a living on some kind of SSI or disability. I choose not to do so for as long as I can.
This morning I heard a couple numbers that make me worry. Something like 7 out of 10 new jobs added this year are part time. This removes people from the labor force, but may not provide a living. 90 million Americans are out of the labor force. I’m not sure of the criteria for those numbers. This cannot be the new way of things. People can’t live for long periods of time not making any money. They will starve. Who is going to pay all these new taxes and for healthcare?
Many of the part time jobs are due to the new healthcare reforms slamming into the economy this year. The minimum wage will go up soon if history is an indicator. That will hit people who can least afford to lose their job. Well, who can afford it?
Between large vending machines replacing fast food joints and autonomous cars replacing professional drivers, swaths of the labor force will be hitting the bricks in the next couple years.
It is going to be an interesting next ten or twenty years.

Field	Data
Title	Healthcare and robots #politics
Description	Me complaining about politics and the future. My Links * Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/zhsy00001 * Google+ https://plus.google.com/110920679448216202152/posts/p/pub * Blog http://plastickelly.blogspot.com * YouTube RSS http://gdata.youtube.com/feeds/api/users/zhsy00001/uploads
Tags	vlog, vlogging, work, labor, labor force, unemployment, part time, full time, employment, working stiff, complaining,
Bullets
Link	Link

Notes

I’m not a big believer in turning off advertisement. I do believe in not clicking on it. I have never deliberately clicked on an advertisement. That said, I did switch off scripting in the browser recently on my work computer. There was one site that popped up an advertisement and would not let me get to the content. It is a site I go to for research. I’m sure it was just another case of not testing in Firefox on Linux. The advertisement would pop up and take me to the page without clicking on the ad.  You click the back button and repeat the exercise. Killing scripting fixed the issue. I’ve noticed how much faster surfing the net is with scripting turned off. Everyone suffers because of one asshole. Such is the way of things.

There is a bag of pork jerky at the house. I had another bag of the same jerky. I ate the first back in 3 days. I’ve been trying to hold off on the second bag. I need to get the family to hide it from me.

People in the UK are arguing that antiterror laws be used to stop investigative journalists. That is, shut up the people working for the citizenry to keep an eye on their government. “States have to keep secrets.” This is evil. The people who think this should be removed from the governing class. This movement of a class of people taking over the world by edict has to stop. This kind of tyranny is becoming mainstream. The elite class of people think it is a good idea because they have walled themselves off from the people and want to reinforce the wall. The biggest punishment would be to remove them from inside the wall.

The Lone Ranger first popped up on radio in 1933. -Journey Into Podcast

The coffee machine at work is full of soap. I cannot drink the coffee out of it or I get diarrhea. TMI, I know. I got so fed up with not having coffee today that I just took my over sized coffee cup and put a filter full of coffee in it and boiling water.You know what, it worked. Not too bad. I know that cup has not had soap in it. I just use hot water to blow it out. It took too long and I burned the shit out of my fingers. next time I’ll tie a knot in the filter and dangle it from more of a distance. Lessons learned.

“You go to war with the president you have.” This is the battle cry for Syera. Not quite awe inspiring.

“When casting Batman, the chin is everything.” -Mark Kermode Put your hand over the top part of Ben Affleck's face and check out the chin. Don’t prejudge. I think Ben will suck just as bad at Batman as he has in pretty much everything else I’ve seen him in.

Every single version of the code is a release candidate until it isn’t. Everyone wants to add their number to the version number until you have a string that means nothing to anyone that you call the version of your software.

“The road to peace is paved with arms agreements.” Some U. S. government official on NPR. he was talking about the aid given to the Egyptian military.

Notes

Here lately, I’ve been getting in to work about 8:30 and leaving around 17:00 or 17:30 or so. It has been wonderful. I’m putting in an 8 hour day. It has been a while since I did that consistently. Now, there is a hitch to this. I have been putting in some hours from home. That is wonderful too. This allows me to catch rides when they are available. Most of my work can be done from home if need be.

Gun Control doesn’t work. Yet more proof.

The new Japanese constitution will put public order before individual liberty. What is the point in having to the constitution if it just says “We are in charge and fuck you if you don’t like it.”? japan needs a new constitution because their current one says they have no ability to raise an army. They need one to fend off China.

China is cranking out college graduates. They suffer the same problem we suffer here in the States. There are simply not enough jobs to go round. China needs plumbers and they have droves of accountants. The blue collar jobs do not appeal to the graduates. The Chinese economy is cooling off over all. China is looking to automate their manufacturing just like the U. S. has done. Some day soon, you will use a vending machine to get a hot berger instead of a fast food joint. That kind of thing will happen all over the world.

Bill Gates didn’t invent anything, except for a time machine. Who knows when he will get round to that.

I should’ve bought a Hyundai.

I should’ve bought a Hyundai.

I should’ve bought a Hyundai.

I should’ve bought a Hyundai.

I should’ve bought a Hyundai. (Penn Sunday School)

Red Hat 7 will be based on Fedora 19. I have to remember this fact for work. it ends up paying off in the long run. It helps when deciphering what programs need what libraries and such. No end of online support for Fedora. Red Hat is a pain in the ass to get support for without paying directly. My company has support, but only for our stuff it seems.

To anyone reading this blog, do not read a text messages from me while driving. I do not care if you don’t know it is from me until you read it or not. I refuse to take responcability for you being an assheole and taking your messages while driving.

Blog

At lunch today, I sat with a buy who know the system I’m working on much better than I do. i bugged him about  works tuff at lunch. I try no to do this. Then, someone else came by and asked him basically the same question I asked only for a different “thing” that he has also set up in the first place. It sounds like the poor guy is the go to everything guy.

Look for distance learning in the next few years to implement teaching our children with teachers in countries across the planet. The technology is being perfected in Australia where they just don't have dense enough learning environments. I’m not saying this is a bad thing by any measure. I think it is a good thing. I also think that people will flip their shit for no good reason over it.

My nice watch is covered in tape. The band has a loose pin. I’m afraid of losing it. Thus, I wrapped the band in clear tape. no ducktape. That would look far too obvious. I do intend to get my watched fixed at some point.

At work we use Red Hat for our desktops. We can switch to Ubuntu if we want. sounds like a lot of work to me. However, there is one feature I need that I cannot keep working on Red Hat that I know works in Ubuntu. It is the ability to zoom and pan the desktop. How does Red Hat get away with not supporting this kind of feature?  I’m going to switch. That is, I ‘m going to try the VM first then switch.

Notes

2013-08-26

When you go round the world and apologize for being strong don’t shit yourself when everyone assumes you have become weak, Mr President.

Expect to have blood or urine tests to tell if you have smoked tobacco to get and keep a job soon. Obama Care will let insurance and employers jack up prices for people with unapproved behaviors.

Folger’s has a 15% share of coffee. Blue mountain has 4.x. Starbucks has 3.x. People flip out that Folger’s is number one, but they are “coffee”. You go elsewhere to add an adjective in front of that word.s. I drink coffee. I drink Folger’s and others. Frankly, I’m surprised Folger’s is not 45% of the market.

I ran across the street from work today at lunch. I needed to get some bank documents. Normally when on that wrote, I’m headed to the Chinese place round the corner. It was raining today. I think I made record time on the way back. Didn’t get soaked. Got my paperwork. Even had noodles beforehand. All in all, a productive lunch.

it is slightly depressing listening to podcasts from Friday on Monday. “Happy Friday ...” Bah!

Road Trip

Field	Data
Title	Road Trip
Description	Observations making the run back home to Houston from Austin this Sunday. My Links * Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/zhsy00001 * Google+ https://plus.google.com/110920679448216202152/posts/p/pub * Blog http://plastickelly.blogspot.com * YouTube RSS http://gdata.youtube.com/feeds/api/users/zhsy00001/uploads
Tags	vlog, vlogging, road trip, Austin, Houston, Texas, on the road, fun, lost, no GPS
Bullets
Link	Link

Field	Data
Title	Austin - A random block in August
Description	Walking around a kind of random block in Austin in August. My Links * Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/zhsy00001 * Google+ https://plus.google.com/110920679448216202152/posts/p/pub * Blog http://plastickelly.blogspot.com * YouTube RSS http://gdata.youtube.com/feeds/api/users/zhsy00001/uploads
Tags	vlog, vlogging, austin, texas, walking, walking around the block, hot, august, freeway, pedestrian, scrub,
Bullets
Link	Link

Notes

When I name the file every morning where I store my blog entries on Google Drive, I constantly want to call it notes now instead of blog. this is very telling. I don’t really put a lot more information up here than I do on Twitter. Still, I trudge forth and continue to post.

I’m fat. I am officially not trying to not lose weight. I am of course doomed to failure.

Listened to alternative music all day today while working. I think it helped my productivity. Normally I listen to podcasts. I only listened to a couple today. I think it is easier to ignore music. I only listen to interesting podcasts so my brain is stops to listen to them.

I have an ear infection. I go to the doctor. I get drugs. The drugs have to be strong enough to get into the ear. This is no easy task .You have to use a steroid. The steroid affects your whole body. The side effects are aching joints. My neck is killing me. Only a couple more days I tell myself. Then my head will explode and I’ll feel much better.

Summer

Field	Data
Title	Summer
Description	When I was a kid... My Links * Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/zhsy00001 * Google+ https://plus.google.com/110920679448216202152/posts/p/pub * Blog http://plastickelly.blogspot.com * YouTube RSS http://gdata.youtube.com/feeds/api/users/zhsy00001/uploads
Tags	vlog, vlogging, summer, summer vacation, board, summer school, anecdote, story, aging, kids, reminisce,
Bullets	What we didn’t have Cable (others had cable) Mobile phones Internet What we had Bicycles Pool BB guns Things to mention Boredom (what I remember most) Short summer Summer school (still have)
Link	Link

Apple's Cheap Phone

been a premium brand. Apple is all about sexy. A cheap plastic phone with a shit screen is not sexy. Speaking of bling, there is supposed to be a gold version as well. Not buying that either.

Apple is also getting some good bleed numbers from Android right now. I think what is happening (because a couple of my friends did this) is people buy a crap Android phones, hate them, and when they upgrade, they go for an Apple because it is the premium brand. Certainly, not everyone upgrading does this. I will not. I have a grudge against Apple for being so freaking posh and just working.

Notes

Europe has an average of 70% of working age people working. Sweden has 85%. The Swedes hav cut unemployment and other benefits and taxes pensions and their form of welfare. Maybe we should look at  these ideas in the U. S. to increase the employment rolls.

When you get a bunch of unemployed people start screaming about more affordable housing. The minute you have more affordable housing people start screaming “We need to do something about that slum.” The problem is resource management and the will to do more than survive.

Notes

Normally it depresses me when a poet or author dies without  being recognized for their work. Walden however deserved to die broke.

When I was something like twelve, I used to ride my BMX bike up and down the two bayus that ran round my parent’s house. We were in East Texas. I once walked across a frozen lake in East Texas. Not many people can say that. Lately, I feel I’m hitting that middle aged slump. I would not cross the lake today.

One church in Egypt canceled mass for the first time in 1,600 years. Tell me things are not falling apart.

The Whitehouse in the form of the DOJ is telling police to break the law.

Field	Data
Title	Lost Dolly Crisis
Description	A simple story of being a man an a father. My Links * Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/zhsy00001 * Google+ https://plus.google.com/110920679448216202152/posts/p/pub * Blog http://plastickelly.blogspot.com * YouTube RSS http://gdata.youtube.com/feeds/api/users/zhsy00001/uploads
Tags	vlog, vlogging, dolly, crisis, story, daughter, father, family,kids,
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Link	Link

Notes

I just watched my first Duck Dynasty. I did not think I would like it. I did like it. I may go back and watch the episodes available online.

One more thing they are not telling you about Obama Care.

Today a miracle happened. A fire truck tried togo through the intersection below my work window. One asshole cut off the fire truck. A cop pulled the asshole over from behind the fire truck. I nearly cheered.

Notes

I had a dream last night that someone hired a hitman on me. I was flattered someone would bother if I’m honest.

The Whistler, one of the old radio stories I listen to, was about Milton. He was a 45 year old accountant who was making $35 a week. The company retired hm at half salary. When was the last time someone could be expected to live on $17.50 a week? You can barely get a burger for $17.50 these days. He ended up taking it out on his wife by skipping out on and stealing her inheritance. He lost it all on some land prospect scam and getting pinned with a murder charge that he didn’t commit. Worse, the wife drags him back home.

Where are all those watch/phones I’ve read so many leaks about? I remember watching a Jetsons where Elroy watched a Flintstones cartoon on his watch in class and got in trouble. I need this to happen in my lifetime. ... They better be waterproof or no sale.

We had a pizza party thing at work today. I had a couple slices. I think they under bought because some folks were turned away. not sure what happened there. I think someone said they got 35 pizzas. I would have guessed that was enough. I didn’t stick around for the raffle. Someone said I won, but I had to be there to collect. Doh! I had gone back to work. Still, better than a stick in the eye. Once I heard what the prize wsaa, I was glad I missed out on it.

Some study said that students who take notes on a laptop or tablet end up learning less than people who take notes on paper. They said it boils down to distractions. I believe it. Maybe the problem is wifi and not note taking.

Armed woman takes on 6 armed men in Houston.

Notes

I argue that leaving debug code in the project commented out for future archaeological bug hunters to stumble across is time saving and constructive. If one programmer had to figure it out, so will the next one. It does make for ugly code. Perhaps one of the code hiding tools should be implemented.

Lot of dark fictional podcasts lately. Not sure what is going on. Need to find something a bit lighter. Even the light podcasts feel like a downer lately. maybe it is me.

The DOJ is finally catching on that letting all the airlines combine down to 2 or 1 might cause the airlines to start acting like monopolies. Good old competition keeps the airlines honest and the politicians in the air. They have to deal with airlines every day after all.

There is a movement to hold bankers responsible instead of banks themselves for all the crap they pulled in the recent collapse. What a novel idea. If you fine a bank, it is a cost of business. If you toss some rich prick in the klink, it becomes a message. Maybe, the next rich prick will think twice before screwing millions of people at a throw.

There is a story on Marketplace about country club dorm rooms. I would have loved this stuff. You have shuttles for one thing. The rooms are geared for busy rich students. I think I could have concentrated much more on my studies in one of these places. Just saying.

Marketplace attributed 17 billion dollars to Apple’s value based on 2 tweets from just the right person. I think I got that right. What is the record for cush social manipulation? I need to wrangle more followers.

Spent half my day today tracking down version number issues. If you are not a programmer who works on projects touched by committees, you may not understand the version number conundrum. You would think the next number in the progression made sense for the next version of the software. No. You have to have digits that mean things. I don’t know why. A unique identifier is all that computers need. Only humans insist on having an at a glance use for the numbers in the version string.

Notes

2013-08-12

Too freaking busy today to even think about writing anything. So was Nat. She got a bunch done. How do families make it without someone doing the working and someone doing the running around?

2013-08-13

Blackberry is up for sale. I remember people flipping their shit over Blackberry phones. They were the executive toy. The commentators are calling this the end of Blackberry. It looks like Android is the current winner. Apple is sliding off a cliff and no one seems to notice. The minute my parents bought iPhones, I knew the end was near for Apple.

Hassen, the guy who shot a bunch of people on a military base, says that the military pursuing the death penalty give him a second chance at martyrdom. His lawyers want out because he has said as much and they cannot help him achieve his goal in good faith. Mr Obama, are you sure this is workplace violence and not terrorism?

I am getting past the whole zombie thing. nearly done with it. The only long lasting exception is Walking Dead.

“I love animals. They’re delicious.” Ted Nugent.

My head hurts. It is sinus and/or ear infection. It will end up in the doctor’s office. I’ll end up on antibiotics. My life will boil down to stuff oozing out of me. ... again. It is just not fun.

I am not one in one thousand. I am not one in a million. I am myself. There is no on else who is me. I am unique. I am one of a kind.

One of the big bosses came round this afternoon just to shoot the breeze for a sec. Crazy. Don’t mind. She was just looking for a minute away from her desk. Made me feel better for some reason.