Tuesday, November 27, 2012

AMC buys BR Rave theaters | News | The Advocate — Baton Rouge, LA

AMC buys BR Rave theaters | News | The Advocate — Baton Rouge, LA

Yeah, yeah.  Not really a big deal but I am trying to change settings on AddIt at TheAdvocate.com with little success so far.

Friday, October 12, 2012

Group opposes gun law changes | News | The Advocate — Baton Rouge, LA

Group opposes gun law changes | News | The Advocate — Baton Rouge, LA

Comments:

4) Comment by markedwardmarchiafava - 10/12/2012
Bearing arms has nothing to do with fighting crime. Bearing arms is about protecting ourselves from tyrannical government, which is exactly what we have today. If the government can tell you what you can and can't own, what you can and can't carry on your person, it's no longer the land of the free.

5) Comment by J.R.Madden - 10/12/2012
Yeah, the government tells me I can't own slaves, Who are they to tell me what I can and can't own. That issue should just be between me and the slave trader. What ever happened to free enterprise? Darn, can't I at least have minions? I really need some minions. Oh ... the government probably would want me to pay them minimum wage.

 

Monday, September 24, 2012

Revolution - the TV series

Just thinking ... (always dangerous)!

Revolution - the failure of electricity. Someone, somewhere wrote "Government worked before electricity. Why wouldn't work without it?" If electricity did fail and gasoline engines would not work then no transport network and no food distribution from farm to city and from processing plant to city. Millions would starve. Millions in care facilities, diabetics, those waiting on organ transplants would die before a new infrastructure could develop. The practice of medicine would devolve as stocks of medicine and disposable everythings were used up.

On the other hand, diesel engines could work if an alternative to electrically-heated glow plugs could be devised; I was thinking about replacing the plugs with gas-fired elements. Steam engines for railroads could make a comeback but would require time. The US Postal Service ... back in business ... with steam engines and horse & buggy (requisitioned).

However, unless diesel engines would work, lots of folks in the US would starve as our population is too large to be supported by a "man behind a plow on 140 acres of land" agricultural system. The Amish and the like would be retraining a large part of the surviving population as it moved back to the farm as tenants/sharecroppers. Cities would definitely downsize.
 
I don't know if any of this is part of the TV series as I have not watched.

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Tuesday, September 18, 2012

What is a Troop?

 
I have seen the transition! 

About three weeks ago, I read the second news article in which the word "troop" was used in the singular to mean "one soldier."

Originally, a troop was a group of armed men that fought on horseback, a cavalry unit.  This is opposed to a group of men mounted on horses to move rapidly about the field of battle but who would dismount and fight on foot -- dragoons or mounted infantry. 

A member of a troop of cavalry was a trooper (or horseman or cavalryman).  Since 1910 in the USA, a member of a troop can also be a Boy Scout; Girl Scouts came along shortly thereafter.

Somewhere along the line, the word "troops" came to be used to "our fighting men" as in "Support our troops!"  So, if "troops" were many soldiers, then it must follow a single soldier would be a "troop."

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Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Dead ... but only temporarily

A few years ago, I was dead for several days.

As I recall, my bank called to ask about my death. I responded I wasn't and who said I was.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) said so. "Someone" had told them I was dead and so they corrected my record to match the information supplied. The SSA would not tell me just who told them I was dead; that must be privileged information. The SSA did not have to verify the actual fact of my death; they were told I was dead and that was that.

On the other hand, my physical presence would not be proof of my non-deadness to the SSA. An official SSA form along with supporting documentation had to be presented at the local office before I became undead ... not dead ... resurrected.

And, after a bit of Googling, I learned this is not an uncommon event. Some 14,000 non-dead folk are listed as dead each year by the SSA.

Damp but not down,
J R "Mad Dog" Madden


Originally posted at SouthernFandomClassic at Yahoo! Groups.

Delta Diamond status attained ...

On Monday, 03 September, I completed my currently usual two flights from Baton Rouge to Atlanta and from Atlanta to Huntsville.  My assignment is at Redstone Arsenal with the GFEBS Project.

Those two flights (AKA segments) put me at 140 segments for the calendar year.  Therefore, I qualified for DIAMOND status as a Delta Frequent Flyer.  This is for the second year in a row.

Is it worth it?  Well, if the aircraft has a first class section, I usually get upgraded which is nice.  If the aircraft does not have first class seating, and my usual aircraft, the CRJ-200 doesn't, then it is not much of an advantage.

Oh, the complimentary SkyClub membership is nice on occasion when I have time between flights in Atlanta which is the case about half the time.


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Wednesday, August 29, 2012

TO: AVIS Customer Service Comments & Feedback

RA 555167001
Reservation Nr 07238339-US-3

I continue to be aggravated with the service staff at HSV.

When I turned the key in my KIA OPTIMA SILVER Sunday, 26 Aug evening, two (2) indicators on the dash let me know the vehicle suffered from LOW TIRE PRESSURE: the tire icon on the tachometer was lit and the words LOW TIRE PRESSURE were glowing inside the speed indicator. Why can I see these signs and the driver who takes the vehicle to the service area as well as the driver who returns the vehicle to the pickup slot do not?

 I drove about looking for the service area in hopes of "airing up" but did not find it. The lone agent on duty was behind the counter in the baggage claim section of HSV; he would not have been able to assist.

I considered not bothering with proper inflation for the week ... if it doesn't bother them, why should it bother me? But, I relented, invested a dollar in quarters, and added air to all tires in hopes of getting the one or more that was low.

This is not the first time I have reported low tire pressure on my rental units from HSV AVIS.

 I may have to move to another agency if your HSV staff can't get it together ... soon.

Submitted ~0700 CT, Tue, 28 Aug 2012

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Louisiana Taxes Too Much ... NOT!

From huffingtonpost.com ...

"9. Louisiana  [9th of 10 U.S. States With The Lowest Taxes]

"Taxes paid by residents as pct. of income:   8.2 percent
"Total state and local taxes collected:     $44.2 billion
"Pct. of total taxes paid by residents:     54 percent
"Pct. of total taxes paid by non-residents: 46 percent


"Despite having the fifth highest average state and local sales tax rate, residents of Louisiana have a relatively low tax burden. A leading reason for this is the simple fact that, on average, residents pay one of the smallest amounts of total state and local taxes in the country. According to the Tax Foundation, property taxes in the state are $565.23 per capita, the fifth lowest amount among states. Louisiana also collects $1.78 in federal spending for every dollar spent on federal taxes -- the fourth highest ratio. This rate of federal spending helps offset the need for higher state revenue from taxes."

 

COMMENT:  So, if the Federal Government spending is cut as apparently a lot of folks in Louisiana want, especially Governor Jindal, that $1.78 back per $1.00 sent will change downwards.  Will Louisiana make up the difference with higher taxes?  Not according to Governor Jindal.


Source:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/08/france-income-tax_n_1757139.html?1344453539&icid=maing-grid10%7Chtmlws-main-bb%7Cdl1%7Csec3_lnk2%26pLid%3D190145#slide=746246

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

... not founded on the Christian religion ...

... from the Treaty of Tripoli ratified unanimously by the U.S. Senate on June 7, 1797 and signed by Adams, taking effect as the law of the land on June 10, 1797:  “As the Government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquillity, of Musselmen (Muslims); and as the said States never have entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.”

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Tuesday, May 8, 2012

DELTA: Have a Comment or Complaint?

The Delta Messenger eamil notifying me of the delay of my flight leg from BTR to ATL ...
Monday, May 7, Flight Delta 5371, Operated by ExpressJet Airlines
Departs 4:25 pm Baton Rouge, Louisiana
    (was) 4:00 pm
Arrives 7:05 pm Atlanta, Georgia
  (was) 6:34 pm

was sent "5/7/2012 7:48:19 P.M. Central Daylight Time"

Getting a notice more than three (3) hours after the new departure time is really not helpful.

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