Goodbye PlayStation 2, Hello Atari

Not really. But since it looks like Atari is re-releasing the classic 2600 console (sans cartridges due to technology allowing all games to be stuffed onto an embedded chip) complete with classic joysticks, I felt an instant yearning to pack my PlayStation 2 away and go buy one of these. Please don't mind me as I drift off into a haze of reminiscing the time I spent honing my skills on this piece of hardware...

Dvorak: Use Technology to Decentralize D.C.

John Dvorak, one the most prolific columnists in the IT world, is suggesting that the all US Senators and Representatives use technology such as, laptops, teleconferencing systems, BlackBerrys and VPNs, to work from thier home districts. What a great idea.

I usually find Dvorak to be insightful, but contrarian. Of course, that is his job as an analyst.

Top 50 Sci-Fi TV Shows of All Time

The Boston.com website has decided to rank the top 50 best science fiction shows of all time. Not exactly how I would've picked them, but it was fun to stroll down memory lane and remember some of the best and some of the worst.

All R's and No D's

I ran across this article that highlights the 13 most corrupt polititicians. I found it interesting that the author of the article always put an R by the name of all the Republicans on the list, but did not put any D any of the Democrats on the list. I wonder why?

Rita Ruined Relief Roadtrip

Well, we got a call on Friday afternoon and the trip was cancelled due to the weather caused by Rita. I was very disappointed because I knew that it the weather would not affect the work in the area of Mississippi we would be in other than just being rainy. However, it was not my call to make...

I guess we will be making plans to go back in two or three weekends.

Heading Down to the Gulf

At church on Wednesday night my father-in-law was asked what he was doing to assist the victims of Hurricane Katrina and the disastrous flooding that followed. He quipped that his part is a blessing because he is taking care of his two grandchildren this weekend to assist in the effort. That is because Erin has organized a group of 20-25 high school students from Prattville Christian Academy to join the Hunter Hills Youth Group to go down to Mississippi and Louisiana and assist in the clean up efforts. I will be helping her chaperone as will three or four other people from our small group. So, Maw and Paw-pah are keeping the two little ones.

Right now everything is a go, but we will only be working in Mississippi due to Hurricane Rita slicing into Louisiana. However, if Rita takes a more northern-eastern turn, we might have to cancel.

Please keep us and the grandparents in your prayers as we work this weekend.

Another Reason I Don't Like Lexmark

I have not ever been a big fan of Lexmark printers. To me, they are over-priced, slow, and unreliable. I have installed hundreds of HP printers of all price ranges with nary a problem. Every single Lexmark I install for a client has issues, either driver incompatibility (actually had to hack the registry to get the Spool Service back working) or jams consistently.

I NEVER recommend Lexmark printer and always steer people to either an HP printer or an Epson printer (HP has better LaserJet printers than anyone, I find the Epson and HP ink jets comparable, but I like the multi-separate color cartridges that Epson's mid-range ink jets have that HP usually doesn't have). Well, now I have another reason to not like Lexmark. They want to sue their customers, and have won the right to do so.

Any company who wants to make me read fine print before using an ink cartridge and then will sue me if I misuse it does not deserve to have me as a customer. After I use my money that I earn to buy a product, I OWN the product and should have full rights to do whatever I want with the product. If the manufacturer can tell me how I can use their product, then I don't own the product, the company does. This is not right. If you want to ensure that you have a good printing experience and are using a company that respects you, then I would encourage you to stay away from Lexmark.

Without Q, He can't be Bond

They are "reinventing" James Bond according to writers of the newest Bond film. The "reinvention" removes Q and gadgets from Bond's arsenal of tricks. This is a BAD, BAD idea. Now, while I understand that Q has passed on, we still need a Q-type character (call him "Z") who provides 007 with neat gadgets that allow him to get out of some bind in a quick moment.

Bond has been successful because it follows a very simple formula:

Gadgets + Girls + Cheesey puns and one liners + Martinis = 007

Removing one of the pieces of success is akin to shooting yourself in your foot (which brings up an interesting question: Is a gun a gadget? Will he be allowed to have a gun?)

This just goes to show the idiocy of the Hollywood filmmakers. See, people love formulaic storytelling. Steven King learned this years ago and got quite wealthy with the technique. Most of the good Sci-Fi writers follow the same formula in thier series. Too much change here and you will have a flop.

Bush Takes Blame

In an MSNBC article reporting that Bush is taking the blame for federal agencies' weaknesses, a serious flaw in the reasoning of reporters was extremely obvious.

The president was asked whether people should be worried about the governmentÂ’s ability to handle another terrorist attack given failures in responding to Katrina.

The big problem is the assumption that the government has the ability to handle any situation. My libertariantendenciess always makes me suspicious of the government's ability to handle anything. As a government worker I know firsthand the problemsbureaucracyy creates. Everyone is so apprehensive that they will do something wrong, that they fail to make decisions. Government is so worried that it might exclude somebody or hurt someone's feelings (thus causing a lost vote) that it dare not make radical decisions that rock the status quo. To get any decision made requires the forming of a committee, the consulting of experts, and the building of a consensus (so that no one person is held responsible for the decision).

Neal Boortz has used an illustration on his radio program that explains the difference between government and private enterprise. Imagine living in the year 1900 and someone saying which of these three things is possible to accomplish in the next 100 years, 1) Build a system of roads and bridges that connect the east coast to the west coast, 2) Transport people and goods across the Atlantic Ocean in under 6 hours, or 3) Create a machine that perform a billion calculations per second. In the year 1900 none of these existed. Two of them were nothing better than science fiction. Government only achieved one of the goals. The other two were created by privateinitiativess. While government could not have performed two of the tasks, it could have impeded them. So often today we see good ideas stopped and blocked, not by technology, but by government.

Government, by its very nature, is not designed to move forward nor is it designed to move quickly. Government is designed to maintain the current state of things. (Please note that I am speaking in generalities here. There are some, miniscule parts of government where this is not case, for instance, our military. By in large, though, what I am saying is true.) Government does just enough to get by. In times of tragedy, you need more than that.

That is why self-reliance and private organizations are better able to respond to tragedy. I can make quick decisions for myself on how to handle a situation. A private organization, unencumbered by the fear of being voted out, can make hard decisions very quickly. Anyone at anytime that depends ongovernmentt to handle the situations that arise intheirr lives is going to be disappointed, let down. And what government does handle for them, will only be mediocre at best (No one will get wealthy on welfare, it is just enough money toekek by on. Public housing: barely a roof over your head. Medicare: just enough coverage to keep you alive).

As a country, we need to return to our roots of self-reliance. Sure, not everyone is equipped to make the decisions and take responsibility for themselves. When that is the case, it is up to the person's family andtheirr church to take responsibility for them. If a person does not have family or church, then private organizations can assist them.

After comparing how the government handled the Katrina Crisis with how organizations such as the American Red Cross and churches have handled it,ist should be clear that the apersonal approach of government is a failure while the others have been able to respond to individuals in a humane and personal way.

Anyone who relies on government will be disappointed at every turn. So, to answer that reporter's question: Yes, people should be worried about the government's ability to respond and prepare for disaster themselves. The only person you can rely on to look after your interests is yourself. That is a fact of this life. If you don't like it, you can only pray for the next life.

New Orleans is a man-made disaster

If you are like me then you have been in shock as you watch the New Orlean's people response to the destruction and devestation of Hurricane Katrina. Something has been amiss. Looting, raping, shooting at resucusers. These are not part of the character of Americans in times of crisis. We are supposed to be better than this. We are supposed to rise to the occasion and see heros, sacrifice, and cooperation.

I have not been able to put words to those feelings until after reading this insightful opinion piece by Robert Tracinski. He writes that at it isn't a natural disaster we're dealing with in New Orleans. It's a man-made disaster that is direct result of the welfare state. The hurrican is just responsible for exposing the problem.

I would encourage you to take the time to read his views.

Hunter Hills Disaster Relief Efforts

The church I attend, Hunter Hills in Prattville, Alabama has set a plan for assisting in the disaster relief efforts. We have ties to a church in Sidell, Mississippi and will be focusing our efforts to help in that area. To that end, the plan that has been laid forth is to repair the Gulf Port Bible camp and then use it as a place to house evacuees (I don't like the term refugees...it sounds so 3rd worldish) as well as a base camp for volunteers who goe down to work.

Because the camp is rural, the water is clean (unlike all the communities that use city water) and the electrical system can be unhooked from the city and be run on a generator. We already have sent a team down there to survey the damage and determine a plan to rebuild. They will return today, gather supplies and then head back down and fix the camp. Once the camp is back up, there will be a place for evacuees to get hot meals, hot showers, and drinking water. I think it is a great idea. A central location that is up and running will act as an organizational point for cleanup and restoration.

Anyway, you can keep tabs on the status of this project or assist in anyway, please go to http://www.hunterhills.org/hunterhills/katrina/index.htm.