I Think, Therefore I Rant!

This is very bad.

I am so happy that I live in the USA where the pursuit of one’s religious belief is supposed to be accepted. I acknowledge that even in the US, it is not always easy to pursue one’s beliefs. I also acknowledge that there is still bigotry and racism, but in general, we are much more free than most places in the world.

Shame on the Belgium Parliament for passing this bill.

From FOXNews:

Belgium is set to become the first ever country in Europe to ban the burqa being worn in public places.

The vote in Parliament for a nationwide ban on Islamic clothes or veils that do not allow the wearer to be fully identified was almost unanimous.

The full-face niqab and burqa worn by some Muslim women are not a mandatory requirements of Islam, but a personal choice.  

Click here to read the rest of this article... (245 words, 1 image, estimated 59 secs reading time)

I am sure that you have heard of the current oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico.  If you haven’t, here is a link – please come back after you have caught up with current events.

I am just aghast at how stupid these companies are. Current reports are that they didn’t install an “acoustic switch” on the well. From NewsInferno:

The Deepwater Horizon oil rig that exploded last week was not outfitted with a safety device that might have prevented the massive oil spill now nearing the U.S. Gulf Coast. The device, known as an acoustic switch, is a last-resort protection against underwater spills, and is required by regulators in Norway and Brazil. Unfortunately, the U.S. has no such regulation for oil wells operating off of its shores.  

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I do not fly on Spirit Airlines. They don’t have regular service to the city that I live in so I have not had an opportunity to board one of their planes. I say this simply because my comments below need to be put in context.

I agree with their policy of charging for carry-on luggage.

I am sick and tired of getting to the airplane on time, quickly and efficiently getting to my seat with my one computer bag, settling in with a good magazine and my iPhone, and then watching all of the other idiots try to stuff all of their earthly possessions into the overhead compartment.  

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You know it is bad when one of the greatest founders of a technology company says the following (from a Fortune interview):

It must be private, never go public. There will be no upside investors other than me and the employees. . . . I hope we can pull it off under those conditions because I would be thrilled to lead another group of smart engineers, without all the crap that goes into running a company today. I just don’t want Congress telling me how much I should be paid or firing me. I want to pretend I am back in the 1980s again.

Scott McNealy – co-founder of Sun Microsystems

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On this tax day, I think this opinion from the Wall Street Journal is excellent.  It appears that Mr. Donohue is a 2 or 3 years older than I am but, other than that, his life and mine are very similar.  Not surprisingly, so are our opinions.

I would add that there is another huge tax that I am paying that many people that are poor do not pay.  My oldest son is in college.  Because I work very hard and make a very nice income, I pay list price for college education. My son is not eligible for financial aid simply because his old man works too hard. Luckily, he understands the value of hard work as well and has earned some merit based grants based on his academic credentials. He also works at part-time jobs to help pay the way. Anything in excess of that, Dad pays for.  

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Sorry if the women that read this site don’t get this topic.

Men – have you ever noticed the puddle of liquid that is often under a urinal in a public restroom?  What is it?  Is excess spray or missed streams from lazy and careless men that have come before you?

Is it natural condensation from all the cold water that has cooled the urinal and then dripped on the floor? This would mean it is not urine but just pure water that condensed from the humidity in the air.

The next time that you take a leak and you see that small puddle of moisture that you are afraid to put your feet in, ask yourself – how did it get there?

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I know that I am showing my age but I distinctly remember watching TV when the famous astronaut, Neil Armstrong, took the first steps on the Moon. Ever since that day, Mr. Armstrong has been a hero of mine. Of course it helped that he was from north central Ohio which is less than a hundred miles from where I grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Neil and others recently wrote an open letter condemning the new budget for NASA. I thought I should reproduce it here.  

Click here to read the rest of this article... (942 words, 3 images, estimated 3:46 mins reading time)