The Earth IS flat!

Silly title... I know, more about it in a moment.

My first idea was to do a "2010 Year in Review" post since this is the last post I'll enter in 2010. This post could easily turn into a book! We hit the ground running in 2010 and it was GO GO GO for most of the year. There was the STP, the blog for the STP, here a blog, there a blog, everywhere a new blog!

My resolution for 2011 is to stick with one blog, this one for an entire year. Also, only one more domain name. I'm keeping the "Trinity" site of , Old iSkool.com, BobBlahblogs.com, and TheGoalFarm.com. The Goal farm will stay up to gather goals. There were 10 added this year, I'm hoping for 100 more by the end of 2011. It's a farm, it needs time to grow.

Back to, "The Earth IS Flat". This statement sums up current politics in America and the media coverage of it. 2010 has been shouts of "The Earth IS Flat". The fact that it isn't true doesn't have a single thing to do with it. Just keep shouting it louder and louder, you don't have to be correct these days, you just have to be the loudest!

"Wingnuts: How the Lunatic Fringe is Hijacking America." states this much better than I can ever hope to. Politics have turned into a circus with the house and senate playing the part of the clowns. Both parties are guilty of childish and unprofessional behavior. But this is America, and we are known for fixing things that are broken. I hope we move in that direction in 2011.

Social media was more in my life than I thought it would be. This is proven by my Facebook and Twitter account.

My best wishes to all the good people in this world next year. A lot of bad has happened in 2010, 2011 will hopefully be kinder to a lot of us.

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Snow in the forecast

We are facing a chance of snow for tomorrow. Not more than an inch most likely. The west coast is looking forward to snow while the east coast is thinking, "forget-about-it!". It was nice that a lot of folks had a white Christmas.

The stores are already packing out the Christmas stuff and it won't be long before the Valentine's Day stuff fills the isles.

It is so close to "resolution" time that I practiced staring on my resolution. I've got about 11 pounds to get rid off when the new year starts. I'm going to be ambitious this time around and go for losing about 2 pounds a week. That means I'll have to focus and stay on track for five or six weeks then go back into "maintain" mode.

This year it was the sweets that got to me. I seemed to have gotten a sweet tooth or two back for this Holiday season.

FYI - the old beast is in the shop but it should be ready to roll again by tomorrow afternoon. Equally important, it will be able to stop again too!

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The last Monday in 2010

Mondays are not usually my favorite day of the week so this being the last Monday in 2010 is not really a major mile stone. It is just an observation and he first thing I picked for the title of this blog. We are at home today because it is a "Furlough" day. "They" want us to call it a "temporary lay-off" day but since I'm off the clock and off the books, I'll call it whatever I want.

"I wish it was warmer so I could go on a bike ride day" works for today too. It is pretty cool outside and the forecast has a chance of snow in it by Wednesday. I think this will be short because I'm not feeling very gabby today.

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Merry Boxing Day!

Guess who didn't get a Christmas Day post on their blog yesterday?

Well, today is Boxing Day and I've got a few minutes to add an update. I hope that all had a great day yesterday and got what the wanted or needed for Christmas. Joanne and I attended the Christmas Eve service at The Tapestry Friday night. We then had breakfast and opened gifts Christmas morning. Then we loaded up the jeep and had Christmas lunch with Duane & Emmy (we're still full! Thanks for all the great food mom!). We attended services today along with a birthday celebrate for our friend Bear. Next up is celebrating with my brother, sister and kids two houses down from ours!

There will be more celebrating tomorrow night too, it is truly a wonderful time of the year! Merry Christmas, Blessed Boxing Day (Aye) and best wished for you and yours in 2011.

It struck me today that we are blessed with such a great number of true friends and family. I bet that anyone of you would be an instant celebrity if the rest of the world got to know you. We are lucky to have each other in our lives and that is a real reason for the reason.

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Meet me in the Middle

Thanks to those who have taken the time to check out the "No Labels" website. Also, thanks to those that signed up too. It is another password to remember and it is pretty close to Facebook, another social network.

OK, here is my blah blah for tonight.

If a republican found a cure for cancer, half the country would be against it and demand it be band from distribution. The same is true if a democrat came up with a pill to end obesity or diabetes. That just how it seems to go today.

This is a bad example because the drug companies would never let their puppets take the credit for something before they get every penny out of it that they can.

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Hospital High Rollers

Hospital High Rollers

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An update... a day late.

It looks like things are happening at work. We were scheduled for a "Elimination of Basic Health and employment options" meeting for January 4th. This seems a little premature since the Legislature doesn't meet until January 10th. It will not be official that Basic Health is going away until they meet and hold a vote.

If you haven't been following this, the Governor wants this to be part of her supplemental budget. Moral around the office is pretty low and that is to be expected. I image the moral of the 10 of thousands losing their health insurance isn't too high either.

I'll update this blog as I hear more. For now I'm trying to get through the Holidays in a good mood. This means that I'll lay low on the politics for the next few weeks. What the heck, if Jon Stewart can take this time off, I can lay back a little. I'll check back to see if there are any comments to respond to.

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A good idea

This was discussed on "Meet the Press" today. http://www.thetakeaway.org/2010/dec/13/no-labels-political-movement-launches-today/ It sounds like a great idea. This is the link to the main website No Labels

I'm checking it out and will add an update to today's post when I'm done.

OK, I am back from spending some time on this website. So far it seems like pretty good stuff. They need money and are working to get the first 25K folks involved. It is pretty cool to get involved with something early in the start up. 

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Isn't that what we said?

Too tired to fight about it.

Joanne and I took a road trip today to visit with family. Traffic moved pretty good all the way up and we had a great visit. Family, food, and good times. Traffic didn't move as good on the way back so we turned on the radio to listen check the traffic. It was the usual delays due to rain on I-5.

We left the radio on and listened to a "money line" type of talk show. I forget the guy's name, some dude that goes back to the Reagan era. He called the latest actions Reaganomics 2.0 and Tea Partyonmic 1.0. What struck me odd is the fact that he stated the changes were approved on Thursday and he was already stating that they are responsible for things getting better financially already. About 1.5 days later. OK, I know this is bullshit but it is they way things are played in politics and media these days.

What really shocked me was this guy describing the benefit to "personal income" by the extension of the Bush tax cuts. They were rarely referred to as personal income before the big compromise package was passed but it was a surprise to hear them referred to this way so quickly.

Yes Virginia, there is Santa Clause. He has a sleigh pulled by the working class to deliver bags of cash to the rich.

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No holds barred - Politicians against WWE Superstars

Do you follow politics?

Do you watch wrestling or seen ads for the WWE?

I haven't always been one that followed politics. To be honest, I pretty much listened with one ear and voted "my gut" at election time. An interest in politics for me started in the fall of 2008. I was working from home, alone, so I'd have CNN on the tube while I worked. Daytime TV didn't offer a lot so it was CNN or Comedy Central. CNN got tiring to watch because they would be talking about the same stories at 4:00 in the afternoon that they were talking about at 7:30 in the morning. I turned to listening to KIRO radio while I worked. They have different view points and discussed the topics of the day. They were pretty good but not as entertaining as The Daily Show.

I did follow wrestling when I was younger, being in the South and having TBS was very entertaining! I could go on for hours on the plots and sub-plots acted out by skilled and loud-mouthed athletes. This dates me, but most of my favorite wrestlers where close to retirement by the time Hulk Hogan came on the scene. Heck, Jerry "The King" Lawler was just a kid. That guy is still at it though, he is the living version of "The Wrestler!".

OK, back to the point. It seems to me that the WWE is more believable and credible than the stuff coming out of the mouths of the politicians. It's great that they forget themselves and that we live in the day and age of everything having a video camera strapped to it. At first this seemed like an error in their judgment but now I'm not so sure. It seems the whacker their speech is, the livelier the reaction is. Yes, I am specifically talking about Palin and the Tea Party. These folks have there, "Wrestling Rap" done by golly the do. These are the "dirty" wrestlers, they ones that are not shy about sneaking up from behind and whacking the good guys with a chair. With all due respect to Senator McCain, his roll seemed to be similar to "The mouth of the South"!

One thing as sure as death and taxes in the world of wrestling is that sooner or later the favorite "good guy" wrestler is going to go dirty, switch sides, do his best to agitate the crowd. This was one of the best ways to keep the crowds coming.

It seems to me that some of the politicians are doing the "switch" here in Washington State and in DC. The latest match with the extension of the Bush tax-cuts.

What the hell? Obama is all of a sudden in the other corner drawing the other side into the ambush! This was so much like watching professional wresting in the late '70 and early '80's. The fans new that the dirty guys were planning to gang up on the good guy. The good guy always came out alone with his chest out and head held high just to get jumped and beaten up by the bad guys. Beat up so bad but not bad enough to keep them from their matches coming up this week, see you at the armory!

We pretty much knew that the wrestlers most likely got together after the matches for a few cold ones. Do you think the politicians do that too? It is all a show "for their fans" and all the grand standing is just for show?

Maybe we'd all be happier if the show didn't cost us so much money. Here's a great "Pay per view" idea. Let's put 5 politicians against "Single Payer" in a cage match with 5 politicians for "Single Payer". Winner takes all, only $49.95!

Then again, maybe we just don't need another scripted match where the good guys are beaten by dirty tricks and incompetent referees (ones so bad they could make the right call even with instant replay).

It is getting hard for me to tell the difference between politics and wrestling. Wrestling is more entertaining and unlike politics, most of the time no one gets hurt.

And now for my second thought.

A word of advice to those newly elected politicians. Just because you are elected it doesn't mean that you can pursue every whack-job idea you have. You represent the people, they elected you to represent them. The fact that the elected you does not mean they are behind every whack-job, crack-pot, insane idea you can come up with.

So, if you are a vegetarian it doesn't mean you should be in hot pursuit of legislation to force everyone to be one too. If you have health care provided to you now and think you deserve it because you are more special than anyone else, you are not, you need to pursue health care for everyone.

Has anyone else noticed this trend?

These nut jobs get into office and all of a sudden everything is about their own personal agenda.  They don't have the common courtesy to at least pretend they give a shit about those that put them in office. John Boehner can cry on demand with the best of them but I don't buy it. But he does a better job then Glen Beck's sissy snivel.

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ALIENS ABDUCT POLITICIANS AND RETURN THEM SCRAMBLED

What the heck happened in DC?

Democrats voting for tax breaks and Republicans voting for increasing deficits. My guess is that this is just a trick similar to "War of the Worlds".

Don't panic, it is all a hoax. Your politicians will be returned to their party lines.

It looks like the Bush tax-cuts will live on at least for the next two years. I think they will live on long past the two year agreement. The rich seem to have a strangle hold on the G.O.P. and for some reason they have brainwashed a lot of the working Americans into supporting their agenda. I guess hoping for scraps to trickle down is a comfort for some.

My vote is to let them expire. I'm not a fan of taking home less money but it is just crazy that the G.O.P. can keep anything from getting done in DC.

In the same news cycle I hear that the Senate approves extending the tax-cuts one minute then I hear that CEO's are getting $144 Billion in bonuses this year. The top 5 banks are reported to have set aside $89.5 Billion in bonuses.  The share for the executives is larger because their were larger number of employees laid off. I would think layoffs would be a good indicator whether to give executives a bonus. Basically, if you have to layoff employees to balance the books you do not deserve a bonus. I get that layoffs could happen when companies streamline production. However, good growth should offset the layoffs. Layoffs due to outsourcing are a subject for another post!

This might be a good point to wrap up since I'm starting to piss myself off and that's not good for the blood pressure.

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If you believe in God and in Jesus Christ His Son, send this to all on your buddy list.

There were dozens of titles for the post today. They started coming to mind early this morning and a flood of them came to me after meeting some friends of ours to bowl this morning before church. There were some ideas on integrity and honesty that came to mind when I heard the guys on the radio talking about Mike Singletary. The Hawks are playing the 49ners today so Mike came up in the discussion. The comment was made that perhaps he has too much integrity and is too honest for the NFL. If this is true, I'd like to see him run for office somewhere in this country. We seem to elect folks that understand laws but most of them seem to lack honesty and integrity. It looks like I've abandoned my title already.

OK, why did I use the title I did today?

I decided to check my email before beginning this post. A friend of mine forwarded a cute Christmas story. The story was cute and worth sharing but I wasn't sure of what to make of the last sentence in the email. It is the title of this post, If you believe in God and in Jesus Christ His Son, send this to all on your buddy list.

If I don't forward this does it mean I do not believe in God and Jesus or that I didn't care for the story?

If I do forward this does it mean I do believe in God and Jesus or that I thought the story was cute?

It almost seems like the note ends with pass this on or go to hell.

Do I want to send this my buddy list with the suggestion that they go to hell?

I am sure that my friend that forwarded this to me didn't mean for me to take it this way, at least I like to think so. I am not a big fan of these notes that end with:

• Forward this if you love your country
• Forward this if you love God and Jesus
• Forward this to warn all your friends
• Forward this and cc me if you think I am your friend
• Forward this if you want all your wishes to come true
• Forward this if you don't want a rash on your privates
• Forward this, to everyone in your address book

You get the point, there are a lot of these types of emails going around. Now, we know what is coming next. "Like" this and share it with all your "Face Book" friends or just delete it and (very similar to the list above!).


That's about it for this subject. The bottom line for me is that I do not think it is fair to do this to our friends and family. If you agree, send this to everyone on your buddy list so they know you respect their feelings. If you do not agree, send this to everyone your buddy list so they know you think they can go to hell if they do not agree with you.


This seems like a good place to end this post and call it good. It ended on a little sarcastic vibe which was fun for me. There really isn't much more to add other than maybe we should forward things we enjoy, like, or feel passionate about after taking a moment to remove thinks like,If you believe in God and in Jesus Christ His Son, send this to all on your buddy list.


That's just my suggestion. If you agree...


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It was over before it started

We headed out in the "Pineapple Express" rain storm to get our Christmas tree and the legislature in Olympia was done and heading home before the lights were plugged in. Wow, that's was an amazingly quick session.

Wait a minute, they voted on $588 million when the shortage is $1.1 billion. That seems like solving 1/2 of the problem. It is really less than half of the short fall. They are going to cut another $27 million from the Basic Health Plan. I can't figure out how they plan to reduce the number of those enrolled from the plan other than not offering any new enrollment. The last time the wanted to reduce membership they doubled the premiums.

I must admit that where and how they are coming up with their savings does not seem like a solid foundation. There is a lot of stuff that they are hoping on like more money from the Feds, more revenues, and folks behind on their taxes sending money to Olympia (a pay now and be forgiven plan).

The big surprise is the lack of any more layoff days or pay-cuts. I'll have to wait to hear the "English" version of the new operating budget. And I'll have to wait and hear what $27 million less to Basic Health means to where I work. At this point it just seems like reducing membership but there wasn't any mention of reducing the cost of maintaining the program. Not makes very much sense right now.

More later.

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Starting my New Years Resolution Early

It is actually yesterday (by the time you are reading this). The other title just came to mind so I started this post with the title and this sentence to job my memory for the post tomorrow.

It is actually today now. To be honest, the steam behind "Starting my New Years Resolution Early" had cooled just a bit. It is tempting to log the title ideas but the posts would be a better read if I just talked about what is on my mind at the time instead of serving up left-overs the next day.


The most pressing thought I have today is from the movie "Full Metal Jacket", "It's a huge shit sandwich and we all have to take a bite.". 


Great line, but how does this relate to "Starting my New Years Resolution Early"?


First off, these posts will be how I talk normally not edited because they are going to be published. Second, these posts will be completely honest and nothing will be held back. It doesn't make much sense to wait until the new year to remove the filters.


On the national level, the extension of the tax cuts for the wealthy pisses me off. On the local level, reducing the membership in the Basic Health also pisses me off. It is as though everything our government does goes to benefit the rich and take from everyone else.


I don't have the answer or solutions but I know electing folks that just become puppets for the rich and powerful isn't in our best interest. It blows my mind that the rich have so many of the working class convinced to fight for the rich to get richer at their own expense.


The special session in Olympia tomorrow will be the subject of my post tomorrow. Well, if those jack-wagons do something besides pad their pockets and extend the session.

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The Effects of Gluttony and Greed

I had another title for this post but once again I failed to write it down and have once again forgotten another title. Titles are important for me because they remind me of my line of thought earlier in the day.


Today's title came to me as I was snacking on some grated cheese after work. I made sure that I left enough for dinner tonight which worked as a good reminder to not polish it off. There have been times in the past when I have over indulged in something and decided to finish it off and hope that it won't be missed. I'm not proud of the times I have done this and can report that most of the time it does not work.


It struck me that just maybe that is what is happening to the wealth in America. Maybe the rich and powerful got into a feeding frenzy on our money and decided to polish it off in hopes it would not be missed. Obviously, they haven't finished it off but we can see more of the container than we can the ice cream. Sorry to switch snack foods in the middle of this post.


On second thought, maybe the rich and powerful have finished it off. It being the balance of our collective money. We still have the potential to earn more wages if we are employed but the country as a whole is in serious debt. 


Do we collectively have enough money to be able to pay off our debt if we needed to?


I'm a software developer not an accountant so I can't answer the question. I can just offer my opinion or feeling about the situation. There isn't a warm feeling when I think about the current economic crisis we are in. The report is that the Great Recession has already ended but that isn't the feeling my gut gives me.


My take on letting the Bush tax cuts expire is to keep the lower brackets for $1,000,000 a year and to extend the unemployment benefits. Must of us have seen a reduction in pay already and will see more after the special session taking place on Saturday. My guess is that my pay/benefits have been reduced around 7.5 to 10% so far and there is talk about an addition 2.5 to 6% coming after this weekend (a rumor that the rate is 10% is going around too).


I'm not a big fan of losing money but I am in an odd situation. The pay cut could be slated to keep subsidized health insurance (Basic Health) around longer. This is a good program but it keeps getting whacked more and more every session. I would be OK with losing more money to keep the program around but here are two concerns.

• Will the money taken from me actually go towards Basic Health or the general fund?
• Am I for funding Basic Health because it is a good program or to keep my job?

Past experience has been that once the money gets taken it goes up for grabs in the general fund. I'm not one of the folks that can site all the times this has happened but I believe it has happened and continues to.

The second question is pretty easy to answer. I thought Basic Health was good program when I worked went to work for it in 1996 and still think (what is left of it) is still a good idea. What really bothers me about the reaction around the office has mostly been, "Save our jobs! What about our jobs?!". So much for public service being about dedication to serving the public. Sadly, I think Basic Health has been kept around just as a campaign bullet point. It keeps getting watered down and whacked away at but kept on life support just so some one can say "Look what I've done for you poor person!".

It's all just bullshit isn't it?

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Facebook Facelift

60 minutes had an interview with the kid from Facebook. It was a good interview and the guy seemed alright to me. I haven't seen the movie but I will see it once it makes it to cable. The interview mentioned the "New Layout" coming soon to Facebook so I thought I'd give it a try. It's seems alright to me, not amazingly great, but not bad over all. I had to go out to Facebook to add a comment about it.

OK, the initial switch went pretty good. One of these days I'll have to check out more features available in Facebook. I have two pages set up but don't seem to find the time to keep them updated. There is not much time between getting off work and hitting the sack. Activities have to rotate in and out of the schedule.

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A weekend away from the PC

OK, it wasn't completely free from the PC. There was an eBay item I checked in on for Joanne. We were out when the auction ended but it was fun to check in on it.

For the most part, it was a good break from the PC. There were times when subjects came to mind that I thought would be fun to share but then I thought I'd hold off until today. Monday, it is now Monday and I wish I would have written a few of my thoughts down.

We got together with family over the weekend. Joanne had a class to go to so she missed the Toy Run at lunch time. My folks and I got boxed in at the restaurant so we hung out and watched all the different motorcycles go by. It is a great cause and these folks are great to participate. There were some bikes/trikes/trailer/and sleighs that you can tell folks put a lot of time and effort into.

We got a chance to catch the Banff film festival on Saturday night (Thanks again for the tickets Shannon). The Banff film festival is pretty much about outdoor activities. There are always a wide variety of sports represented. The fishing film was very funny as well as amazing.

Seeing the motorcycles and outdoor activities in December is pretty inspirational. There was snow and sleet at the last Toy Run we watched. That was in 2007, the riders had good weather this year for the run.

Then is was back to work today for another day of "as the budget turns". The good news is that we should know more by next Monday (13th). At this point I think it will be better to know one way or the other. Not knowing is the worst part. I'll add information and how it relates to me as I learn more.

The latest rumor is that Basic Health is soon to become history.

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Good stewards of Public money?

Today was day two of "Budget Slashing in the News" and it got me to thinking about how good we (state employees) have been with the public dollar. It's our dollar too but I'll grant that the majority is from non state employees, the private sector.

It will be easier to start backwards, with the current state agency that I work for. The legislators are proposing cutting the Basic Health plan because it will save $33 million. The sad thing is, we spent around $50 million on a project to replace the eligibility system and never finished the project. I'm not saying we failed, we were told that there wasn't enough money to complete the project. OUCH!

Did the system need replaced?

No, it was fine and is still in place today. Here's what happened. The executive management would tell the legislature that we could complete any of their requests because the system (PAY1) was too old and inflexible. Every response was, "The system was built 30 years ago and all the developers died 10 years ago.". OK, I made up the part about the developers. The system is alive and well and is one of the most stable systems in Washington State because it is a mainframe system. Big Iron old Blue IBM ASCII kicking day in and day out!

Here's where management went wrong. I'll say management because it was not the Information Technology (IT) folks that perpetuated the lie. The economy was strong and state agencies, the Health Care Authority included, was pissing through money like it was a 30 pack of Busch beer. They bought new everything, new overhead projectors, new flat screen TVs, new software, new, new, and more new everything.

Each time a request would come in, it was exaggerated and justified by adding "the system is 30 years old and guarded by evil trolls", or something like that.

I was asked to give estimates for legislative request and always given the "wink wink" which was code for, price it out of this world. It was fun to give an actual and honest estimate just to see the reaction from management. Thinking back on it, this could have been where I fell from grace. If I thought it would take 40 hours, 40 hours was my estimate. I would not budge and turn the estimate into 400 hours.

This post has caused me to answer my own question. No, we have not been good stewards of the public's money. That's my honest answer.

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Tax increase of 3% or 4.6%

The news about the House passing the tax break for the middle class but not for those making over $200,000 is being posted around the web. It is hard to believe that the big uproar is over 33% going back to 36% and 35% going back up to 39.6%. This is on taxable income we are talking about.

I think I should have been more outraged when they cut my gross income 5%. There is now talk about taking another 2.5% of my gross to fund the "Basic Health Plan" (BHP). So here I am, already down 5% gross and the GOP thinks I should be behind keeping the wealthiest from paying an additional 4.6% of their taxable income. No sleep is going to be lost for those folks.


Now, about this new pay cut to fund BHP. Here's the interesting pickle I am in. If I do not support the pay cut of 2.5% I could be facing a pay cut of 100%. The 2.5% cut in pay is in addition to the higher premiums and co-pays in 2010 plus even higher premiums and co-pays in 2011.


The bottom line is that I won't have much of a say on whether I lose the 2.5% or my job. It is up to the folks in Olympia to figure that out.


One thing is sure, the cost to run processing for BHP is getting cheaper since we keep covering fewer and fewer members. Part of my job has been to focus on being a good steward of public money but I try to do that by keeping processing costs down not processing less members.


Today is the second day of December and that means there are 10 more days to wait out to see if we'll know the fate of BHP one way or the other. I can't help but think "why bother" if we keep covering fewer and fewer member. The Washington Health programs seems to be a flop too (you can't sell more expensive coverage to folks that can barely afford the lowest rate coverage).


More later...

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I am sticking with this hands-free data-entry device and still would like someone to volunteer to edit this blog. I'm doing the best I can but it's hard to catch my mistakes and all the times the software doesn't understand me.

Passing skills to the next generation

Imagine a seasoned blacksmith bringing along a young apprentice. His days are numbered so he his passing knowledge and years of experience to the next generation. Now picture “the last blacksmith”. His days are numbered but he doesn’t have anyone to pass his knowledge and years of experience to. The coals will go out forever once he stops stoking the fire.

This is the feeling that passes over me as a mainframe programmer. It appears that layoffs are looming in the weeks to come. There is no young or new developer to pass my skill and knowledge to. No one has come to me seeking knowledge on JCL, Natural/ADABAS, or any of the tools used on IBM z/OS.

The next thing I ask myself is, “So what?”.

The blacksmith went away but iron/metal working is still around. “Dude, ditch the anvil and get a torch!” The same applies to me. “Dude, ditch the 3270 emulator and get a host!”.

This was a decision I made over 11 years ago. I was ready to become a “web master” back before all the click and drag editors came out. The need for mainframe developers kept me busy. Except for personal use and a few stints as a web developer here and there, it’s been all EBCDIC, not ASCII. Throw in some MS ACCESS, SQLServer, MySQL, and Oracle here and there and that’s been pretty much my career.

It’s time for me to learn the lesson of the blacksmith and get some new skills. I don’t have a spare IBM390 laying around so I’ll stick with Brinkster (my favorite hosting service!).

Maybe I’ll find some young web developer to pass their skills and knowledge to me. That’s still “Passing skills to the next generation”.

Take a minute to visit Old iSkool and The Goal Farm too!
I am sticking with this hands-free data-entry device and still would like someone to volunteer to edit this blog. I'm doing the best I can but it's hard to catch my mistakes and all the times the software doesn't understand me.

The end of a good intentions, good-bye Basic Health

I will be the first person to announce the good news if this post turns out to be completely false. It doesn’t look good for Basic Health but I still hope my making the call this soon is false. Basic Health (part of the Health Care Authority) hired me the first time in 1996. One of my first projects was to solicit accounts that inquired about Basic Health Plan (BHP) but never followed through. The good old, “X04” accounts. There was a marketing team ready to ask for the persons business as soon as I provided them with a list of names and addresses.

Health Care Authority hired me the second time in 2006. The marketing team was no longer here because there wasn’t a need to seek new business. There were over 100K enrollees on BHP if I remember correctly. This figure could be over stated but I do remember a population of 107K or more in 2006. The first project I did was to code up a new insurance offering, Small Employer Health Insurance Program (SEHIP). The system was completed ahead of schedule and ready for implementation. The Health Care Authority pulled the plug on it by telling the legislature we needed six more months (don’t ask, it’s a “government” thing).

Fast forward to today and there are about 58K subsidized members on BHP. There are 200K folks on the waiting list to get on BHP but no new accounts are being added. The lowest cost premium went from $17 to $34 and most rates were doubled one of the last times the legislature cut back on BHP. The discussion from the legislature and governor isn't about how much to cut from BHP it is about eliminating BHP by Feb 1, 2011.

There isn't much more they can cut from the program since the last round. The rates were doubled so there where some that didn't think insurance was important enough to keep or, most likely, it was priced out of reach. Doubling the rates could lower enrollment even more but it wouldn't be "trimming the fat" it would be "sanding down the bone".

I don't want to see the end of Basic Health. But in the grand scheme of things, having coverage for 58,000 when there are 200,000 on the waiting list and an estimated 1,000,000 uninsured in Washington State, the administration is entirely too expensive for the number of those being served.

It will be bad news to the 58,000 on Basic Health and the 3,300 on Washington Health (a post for a different day!).


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I am sticking with this hands-free data-entry device and still would like someone to volunteer to edit this blog. I'm doing the best I can but it's hard to catch my mistakes and all the times the software doesn't understand me.

Is there still room for improvement?

Can you imagine if we had looked at the rotary phone and claimed that this was the best the phone can be?

Imagine if we had been so in awe of the 8-track that we thought it was the best media for music we would ever need.

What about the camera?

Technology has gone leaps in bounds in so many areas of our lives that it is amazing to compare what we

had 40 years ago to what we have now. Everything is getting portable, rechargeable, and disposable at a

lightening fast pace. I've lost track of the number of personal computers available to me at work and

at home. Look at what we have today compared to just 10 years ago.

You might remember that 40 years ago a middle class family could get by on one income. Uh oh, it seems

that we have lost serious ground here. If the middle class had improved at the same pace as our gadgets,

just imagine where we would be. There is still room for improvement when it comes to putting in a good

days worth of work.

Is our ability to earn a living, maintain a roof over our heads, putting food on the table and provide for our

families going to be the final payment for all the advances in technology?

Time is running out on us fast. Share holders and CEOs love the money they are bringing in from imported

goods when they exported our jobs. It's too bad the middle class didn't keep pace with technology and

the wealthiest in America.

Where can I get an "United We Stand" bumper sticker made in the USA?

Take a minute to visit Old iSkool and The Goal Farm too!
I am sticking with this hands-free data-entry device and still would like someone to volunteer to edit this blog. I'm doing the best I can but it's hard to catch my mistakes and all the times the software doesn't understand me.

Not quite as long winded today

The Post yesterday was a fairly long post as it seems I had a lot to say but I might've just said a lot not actually said what I intended that. I should remember to keep the posts similar to setting a goal. It is too easy to ramble on when I do not stay focused on what I want to say or discuss.

So what is the purpose behind the post today besides being briefer than the one yesterday?

The title of this post only indicates that is to be shorter than the post I made yesterday. This post is being made on the 27th but it will not be published until the 28th. The only reason for this is to keep the longer post out front a little longer than usual. Most posts are published and replaced fairly soon by my next ramblings.

My observation for today is that politics seem to be less authentic than professional wrestling. It is almost as though they have decided to use professional wrestling style entertainment. This is obvious in the comments readers leave on online newspapers. There is always the back-and-forth, Ford versus Chevy, Steelers versus Cowboys, it's your fault not my fault, type of antics in the responses. It is easy to look back and find fault in anyone's actions, the hard part is finding the right solutions for tomorrow. There is a lot at stake and we all have an interest in the future. It's like we're backing out of control gamblers who keep playing double or nothing with our money.

The goal of this post is to put the tax cuts that are about to expire up for discussion. Oh sure, it will most likely be a discussion with myself unless somehow someone finds this post and feels compelled to leave a comment. It escapes me when people say jobs will not be created if we let the tax cuts expire.

If the tax cuts are in place now shouldn't we see these new jobs?

This is my point, we're not seeing the jobs growth in the tax cuts are in place at this time. If we increase the tax on the wealthy's net income, money they take home as profit or wages, to we expect the wealthy to be creating jobs out of their net pay?

The point must be that if a person with well loses 50 or $60,000 to taxes they will lay someone off to offset their lower net income. This is the only way saying we will lose jobs if we do not extend the tax cuts make sense to me. I should point out that I am all for extending the tax cuts in place for the middle class. It is not hard to figure out why I would be in favor of this. Yes, it is because it has to do with my money. It would not be fair to me to say that because I will not be losing the money someone who has more money deserves to lose theirs. Where I began to favor the wealthy paying more is when we talk about the super wealthy. It blows my mind that there is a yachting industry, an industry based mostly off the personal purchases. I've seen the yachts that cost more money than I could make doing what I do now if I lived 10 lifetimes.

To put this in perspective, I drive a 1995 Astro van that just turned over 275,000 miles. In increase gas tax of five cents a gallon is much more of an impact to me that it is to someone driving a car that cost over $275,000. We could throw in the person driving a 1974 Chevy Caprice and compare them to me. I could be all wrong on this, but I don't think Bill Gates Senior is driving around in a 1974 Chevy Caprice, though it is quite the fine piece of American workmanship. I know when I was younger I was driving the 1969 Mercury Montego, 1974 Pontiac Grand Prix, then a 1950 Chrysler Windsor ( which I still own today). Suddenly I'm not sure what the point is I am trying to make. It has been my experience that when you're not earning as much you can only afford the older less fuel-efficient vehicles. Once you are doing better, you can afford an average vehicle with average mileage. Once you have a lot of money, you can drive an expensive horrible mileage sports car. The point is, I think I just remembered it, we always hurt the lowest earners when we raise taxes. It can be said that it is fair for everyone to pay an extra five cents per gallon of gasoline but this will never be equitable.

Gas taxes suck! I guess this was my point, just kidding. Taxes at the time of purchase are not as fair as taxes on income earned. I think a flat tax, at some rate determined by someone smarter than me, that everyone pays is a fair and equitable way to fund government.

• You earn $10,000 you pay 18% towards taxes.
• You earn $100,000 you pay18% towards taxes.
• You earned $1 million you pay 18% towards taxes.
• You earned $1 billion you pay 18% towards taxes.

Oh crap, I'm starting to get long-winded again so I'll leave this post at this point. Let me say in conclusion, this is just one goofy guys idea so I'm sure there are plenty more good ideas out there. I'd love to hear them.


Take a minute to visit Old iSkool and The Goal Farm too!
I am sticking with this hands-free data-entry device and still would like someone to volunteer to edit this blog. I'm doing the best I can but it's hard to catch my mistakes and all the times the software doesn't understand me.

Ramblings from an Army Brat

It's the day after Thanksgiving and most of the turkey is still here and the snow is gone. I look out the window, it's clear day and warmed up just a hint of snow here and there. My yard looks like it needs mowed. I hope everyone had a good holiday with their friends and family arriving safely where they  wanted to be this Thanksgiving.

The first paragraph was a warm-up to see how Dragon is understanding me today and if I'm speaking clearly. There are some very funny results when Dragon does not understand me clearly. I am not making it easier on the software by always chewing gum. It helps if I try to remember to speak or like Jeff Gordon rather than some of the other drivers in NASCAR. Okay credit goes to Jeff Foxworthy for that last line. There is one word I have not been able to get Dragon understand, it is the word that means I am speaking clearly. Here is what I get when I try to say Enon CA. I just can't seem to get that word across to Dragon. I decided to go ahead and name the product I'm using, Dragon, so I don't have to keep saying hands-free entry device or voice recognition software. Most people guess that I'm using Dragon to make these posts.

It looks like I'm already rambling more than I had hoped to. The idea behind the title for this post came to me this morning thinking about Washington state's budget crisis. A lot of people don't understand the accumulative affect of saving a little here and there. I see a lot of little waste where I work every single day I am there. Most of my coworkers say to me it's only a few pennies here and there. A few pennies here and there add up to real dollars and as public servants it's not our money to waste. I remember living on base at Fort Campbell Kentucky in Fort Lewis Washington and it was common to see science by every light switch that read "Off if not needed". Someone understood that saving a few pennies add up to the saving real dollars. I don't think we had to pay for electricity living on base so I can see where people would be tempted to overlook conserving electricity. If you lived off-base and had to pay the Tennessee Valley Authority for your power you understood the need to save electricity. Your electric bill was a good reminder to make sure things were off if not needed.

This is a unique situation growing up with out having to pay for power and learning to conserve an early age. I would see those signs on light switches all over the base. I did not have to live on base to get the message because it was made clear to me every time I was at a base facility.

The second situation I was exposed to growing up on base was the constant reminder to buckle your seatbelt. Fort Campbell Kentucky had these signs in the 70s. This was long before the "Click it or ticket" campaigns that came about the last few years. To this day I still cannot get into a car without buckling my seatbelt. I had even buckle my seatbelt when I'm in the car to do auto repair with no intention of going anywhere. That is an effective campaign and seatbelts have saved my life on a few occasions.

The third situation I was exposed to growing up on base is cultural diversity. Army brats expect to see diversity, we find it strange when we do not. Joanne and I went to a sales presentation in Reno Nevada in the 90s so we can get free tickets to a comedy show and a free bottle of champagne. The sales presentation was for pie shaped lots in Reno. The presenter wanted us to believe that buying if you pie shaped lots in their development would lead to us being able to write checks for $80,000 without a second thought. We realize this sounded too good to be true but hung around to get our free stuff nonetheless. The last part of the presentation was a video of what the new community that would look like. They showed neighbors, kids on school buses, and children playing at the park. The first thing I noticed was a complete lack of diversity in this community. Oh sure,  this was only a promotional video but it gave me a creepy feeling to think about living in a community with no diversity.

The fourth situation I experienced growing up was free access to healthcare. I never liked going to the doctor unless it was for an emergency, for stitches in such. It it wasn't until I had to get my own insurance I realized what a benefit it was to be an Army brat. I like the access to all the swimming pools. The craft shops were great place to play. The Fort Campbell Falcons always had great looking uniforms, free band equipment, and plenty of textbooks to go around. In fact, my last few years of high school I started keeping a set of books at home and he set in my locker so I could bring my homework back and forth in a back pocket. I was able to learn to play a trombone, a tuba, and a sousaphone without paying one penny towards rental. The jazz band had a PA system, microphones, and amplifiers for us to use. I feel guilty that I did not realize how fortunate I was to have access to all this while I was growing up. Yesterday was Thanksgiving, it got me to reflect on my life so far. I can truly say, most of my misfortune has been brought on by myself.

It was important for me to look back so I know where to look when I look forward. I hope this makes sense that looking where I came from guides me to where I want to go. I have always been a strong supporter of the military because I've been part of that community. The American Armed Forces are in place to keep peace and sustain our freedom. Our forces are not to go out and conquer other civilizations. Okay, I don't think this is entirely true for how we got Hawaii. But since then we haven't been in the business to go and conquer other civilizations. I cannot completely say that we are not free from trying to acquire their natural resources. I believe there has been some greed that has influenced our dealings with other nations. This is a gut feeling as I don't have any specific examples to cite. But I don't think our hands are completely clean rather there could be some oil stains. We might have even sold a slingshot or two to some reckless people to make a buck. But these are not actions of our military, these are actions of our politicians and the businesses that control them. I will leave this subject here for now, it could be the subject of many more posts.

Washington state has a budget deficit of $5.7 billion for the next biennium. I have some ideas on how we can save money to bring the deficit down. But what I would like to really have his input from my friends not in Washington state as well as those that lived here. Having an outside perspective, a diverse perspective, is a great way to get a lot of good ideas. Washington state does not have an income tax which is great for those making large incomes. Washington runs on revenue. Washington needs its residents to spend a lot of money. If you look at the fact that the sales tax is roughly 10%, that is a lot of spending to come up with $5.7 billion over two years. I know that gas tax and sales tax is not fair taxation to the residents of Washington state. An increase of five cents a gallon of gasoline is twice as painful to someone making half the money I make a month. It is twice as expensive to me as it is to someone making twice as much as I do.

I am starting to wander all over the place again, and not controlling my ramblings. The focus of this post is to solicit new ideas on bailing out Washington state and getting Washingtonians access to healthcare. Access to healthcare is something I find very important for all residents in Washington state, the United States, and around the world. As a lot of you know, I had a chance to give my insurance a good test drive in 2008. A motorcycle accident is expensive if you live through it. I will save the wearing a helmet for another day. Two things I noted be true, the first is that I am here making this post because I wore a helmet April 18, 2008. The other truth I know is that I can make this post today, having a whole to make it in, having this PC to make it on, is because I had health insurance on April 18, 2008. Health insurance does not save your life, it saves your wallet. It was the Army nurses that came to my aid immediately after the crash and the doctors at Harborview that saved my life. I have become a big fan of Group Health since my crash, they have allowed me to to maintain my financial health at the time of the crash. Group Health physicians and medical staff have helped my health after being released by Harborview, so I didn't get to experience their medical expertise.

There are some folks that believe access to healthcare is some privilege, something that must be earned, and that if you don't have it is your own fault and you deserve the consequences of not having health insurance. I do not share this believe, because I get my health coverage for $22 a month. $22 a month seems like an incredible bargain for health insurance. I do have higher co-pays and deductibles but these only kick in when I access healthcare. I cannot in good conscience say to someone that their life or quality of life is not worth the $22 a month I pay. If someone was to get robbed and killed for $22 in their wallet we would all say it is great injustice and outrage.

Why would we let someone die or live an agonizing line for the lack of $22 a month?

The first answer I usually hear is that it is a benefit of my work and that my insurance is inexpensive because might pay is not equivalent to the public sector. $22 a month is not a big deal for me, again it is bigger for someone making half as much as I do and just about nothing for someone making twice as much as I do.

Is this making any sense?

If the $22 a month was a percentage of my pay instead of a percentage of the premium amount, the cost for insurance could be spread equally through all salary ranges. The cost of insurance would be half as much for someone making half as much as I do and twice as much for those making twice as much as I do. I think I beat this point into the ground long enough for now. There is talk about increasing what I pay for my health insurance to twice what it is now or a little more. The $22 a month reflects my portion of 12% of the premium. That means I would have to pay $45-$50 based on the proposed increases. I don't like giving away my money or losing what I take all any more than anyone else does but I have to say $50 a month is still dirt cheap. If $50 a month is still dirt cheap for me but a hardship for someone making less than me and chump change to someone making more than me, I don't think the budget writers, the politicians, or the unions are even close to a fair distribution of cost.

Trust me, I am not for losing my money. But I can be realistic and objective when it comes to what I pay for health insurance. I was hoping that healthcare reform would lead to a single-payer. I believe single-payer is where the great United States of America should be for healthcare. You get sick you go to a doctor. You get sick and you keep your home. You get sick and you can afford food as well as your medicine. Single payer did not make it in this last round and now there is discussion on losing ground on the reform implemented so far.

How can people be against something that will be to their benefit?

If you feel your access to healthcare is a privilege, like being able to drive a exotic luxury sedan, and something you are deserving of more so than someone else because of what you were born with or able to acquire, you are only in this life for yourself. I do not believe there is an abundance of folks who would walk by someone bleeding and have a sucks to be you attitude. Most of us would act out of kindness and concern for fellow human beings and help the person. But some of those that would stop and help a person during an actual crisis, would say the person does not need help if they cannot afford health insurance. I do not get this philosophy.

The last thing I want to say on health insurance and healthcare, is this. Health insurance is not healthcare. Health insurance is like auto insurance. Health care is like auto repair. Drs. are your mechanics. You see a mechanic to get your car running properly again you do not call your insurance agent because it will not idle. Insurance is for financial health.

I've got to take a quick break then I like to get to the second point of how you bail out the state of Washington. I thank you if you've stayed awake long enough through this blog to be at this point. I really want to get your input and ideas. It is the diversity of the audience that is going to provide the most solutions and ideas. When people ask me, "Duane are you a Republican or a Democrat"? My answer is always, no. I don't believe the solutions are all with one party or one candidate or one initiative. I think it is unfortunate the candidates have to pick a party to align with. It is especially unfortunate when politics gets in the way they are today where candidates line up along party lines rather than being flexible and cooperative. I don't think the Libertarians have all the right answers. I don't think the Independents do either. The right answers belong with all of us the tricky part is getting all of us to be in more agreement with each other. Most of us get along just fine until somebody brings up religion or politics. I think most of us get along better on the subject of religion but go to opposite corners when it comes to politics. The rambling is really rambling now, but my point is the solution is somewhere in the middle, in the center, where most of us are. It is time for the extreme left and extreme right to listen to the rest of us for a while. This is not to say that if you are extreme left or extreme right you need to change your core believes, it is to say the time to compromise and work together is now. If you cannot budge even a bit that is okay, because your point is valid and deserves consideration as well is anyone else's.

---

I've notice a slight change from the absolute I don't want to pay a penny more to a I'd be willing to pay a little more if I could trust them. There is a lot of good that can be done and I too would be willing to pitch in a little more if that good would be done. There is a serious problem when it comes to trust with our money. This is a truth that most of us can agree on. We all want good roads and good schools and we've already been paying serious money towards both of them. But they keep coming around with her had their hand and want more money from us. Washington state started lottery to fund education but all we hear is that there is not enough money to fund education. I don't think there's a lack of funding for it administration of education but I know from the fundraisers that there is still a serious lack of funding for education. We used to pay huge renewal fees before the $30 only tabs was implemented. No, they are no longer $30 only tabs but I'll have to leave it at this if I'm ever to complete this post. The voters kept saying we were okay with paying a percentage based on the value of our vehicle by DOL needed to be realistic on the value they placed on our vehicles. I got pissed off every time the tabs came up for renewal when I saw the vehicle value. The value was incredibly more than the bluebook value of my truck. The government did not listen and the initiative to set tabs of $30 was approved. Sometimes it takes a big knock in the head for government to get the point.

The last election was another knock in the head. The voters said no more new taxes. Voters like myself said practice back in our control and it was a mistake for you to reverse or suspend I-960. So here we are now with even a greater budget deficit and no new way to pay for it. The voters said quit taxing and cut the spending. Bill Gates Senior had good intentions, I believe. The real issue comes down to trust with our money. If there was a guarantee that all of us bailing out Washington state for the $5.7 billion that the next budget would be realistic we would go for. But it is like giving more lunch money to a kid who keeps spending their lunch money on video games. Nobody wants the kid to go hungry but we can't keep giving them money for the video games and lunch. No more money is the solution and letting the kid missed a few meals is how the point was made when I was growing up. Make good choices and be responsible is the message. I don't want to go on too much about how bad I think the budget was handled because I am not in any way an expert in budget writing. My point is that I see waste here and there every single day I go to work. We are not doing our best to save the pennies that amount to real dollars. I know that turning off every light to save on the power bill is a very small step towards coming up with $5.7 billion. My point is, that it is a small step towards coming up with the $5.7 billion.

I have seen serious money being wasted in the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars. Most of us in information technology can name off plenty of acronyms that have ended up costing the state of Washington hundreds of billions of dollars in failed IT projects. I know there's nothing we can do about the millions wasted last biennium but we can change our mindset. It is the mindset that allowed us to waste millions of dollars that needs to be changed. I'm sure everyone in other professions has their own story of money that's been wasted that could have gone a long way towards the budget deficit.

Let's break this budget deficit down a little. the budget is short $2.85 billion for the first year of the next biennium. That is about $238 million a month that needs to be made up. that equals out to about $37 a month for every citizen of Washington state. In the grand scheme of things that is not very much money. A single person should be able to afford the $37 a month and I will grant you that this would be harder for a low income family of four to pay an extra $148 a month. This is how I want you to think of the problem, save $37 a month over the next two years. I am not great at math so I better for the numbers out for those who are. My Google search indicated that there are about 6.5 million citizens in Washington state. This is a figure I used to do my math. The first step was to take $5.7 billion divided by two. Then I divided that amount by 12 to come up with the monthly figure. Then this amount was divided by 6.5 million.

I believe the way the Legislature would look at tackling the problem is finding out what they could tax to come up with the shortage. They no longer have a way to tax away the deficit. As far as I know, there isn't any law against the citizens of Washington pitching in extra money to help reduce the deficit. My portion of the shortage is $444 for the first year or $888 for the whole biennium.

Who do I make the check out to?

I realize this solution doesn't work because there are 10% Washingtonians out of work and the money would have to come from their unemployment. There are a lot of Washingtonians too young to work so their parents would have to pick up their portion of the bill. The biggest drawback to the solution is the fact that we do not want to bailout Washington state and the legislators by giving them $5.7 billion. Most of us believe that the state of Washington is already spending too much. No one wants to give up their job or stop providing the service that they support. We keep hearing time and time again that there is no more fat and that we are to the bone. Well Virginia, if we're to the bone then there is a Santa Claus, a tooth fairy, any creature in the black lagoon.

Is there fat everywhere, no. Are some places to the bone, yes. Out there in the middle between the fat and the bone there are places to trim. I hear suggestions of combining agencies and centralizing functions and it makes good sense to me. This might not make sense to anybody but a software developer, but in a object oriented world there is no reason why a software developer could not be a statewide software developer. In my world, a person's first name and the name of a bottle of brandy are just text variables. A software tester of one system could be a software tester of any statewide system. A product manager of one product could be a product manager of any state or Washington product. There are payroll systems and their accounting systems.

Why isn't there a single state of Washington payroll system?

Why isn't there a single state of Washington accounting system?

Okay, I know everyone is going to respond that the office of financial management and their AFRS system is the statewide accounting system. Having worked at OFM, I know there are too many satellite accounting systems that feed into the state of Washington statewide system.

There is a department of personnel, I know because I spent the first 10 years of my career at the Department of personnel. They are now called human resources in almost every agency has a department personnel division, or human resources division. This is not acceptable in an object oriented world. I know I am being unrealistic to say that we could live a life in an object-oriented world but I hope you see my point.

I think I'm just about rambled all I can for today but a few more points I'd like to make is that the state of Washington needs to come up with a realistic budget based on realistic dollars. Being revenue based is tough especially when everyone has less money to spend. The other issue, the major issue I believe, is that the legislators and budget writers cannot spend every penny they receive. The current crisis cleared out the rainy day fund but I think that was due to happen sooner or later because government continued to grow and grow when the money was rolling in. I have been around and seen the "spend it like it's going out of style" budget  philosophy. We have not always been the best stewards of the public's money. We can look back and realize where we made our mistakes and refocus on where we need to be in the future.

I sure have strayed far from the intent of the original post so let me go back and ask again. Please add your two cents, ideas, and thoughts to the comments. You can e-mail me or Facebook them if you do not want to print them out into cyberspace. I understand your reservations as I have mine about adding this to cyberspace. We seem to use technology things like Facebook and twitter to live our lives 144 characters at a time. Others like to use Facebook and twitter to get the dirt on those that use social networking. I think if there's any value to social networking is being able to work collectively on issues. I know the features and fun parts of Facebook keep people interested and coming back to it but I like to think that working together and collectively would draw people to Facebook too. I am really impressed with Google and in particular blogger. I'm amazed that they give me so much space to ramble on and on and this is just one post. At this point I imagine a lot of you might be thinking it would be better if Google didn't give me so much space.

Enjoy the rest of your holiday and keep in touch.


Take a minute to visit Old iSkool and The Goal Farm too!
I am sticking with this hands-free data-entry device and still would like someone to volunteer to edit this blog. I'm doing the best I can but it's hard to catch my mistakes and all the times the software doesn't understand me.

Thanksgiving Day

Nothing warms the heart and fills the belly like Thanksgiving day. It is my hope that everyone arrived safely at  their destination and were able to enjoy today.

My thanks go out to all those who ended up working today. I think it is a raw deal to have to work today and on Christmas. I also know that many of those working today do not have an option. Thanks for doing what you need to do to provide for yourself and family.

Take a minute to visit Old iSkool and The Goal Farm too!
I am sticking with this hands-free data-entry device and still would like someone to volunteer to edit this blog. I'm doing the best I can but it's hard to catch my mistakes and all the times the software doesn't understand me.

Thanksgiving Eve

We have had a little bit of ice and snow to deal with the last few days. It was still pretty slick going to and from work today. We had to take an alternate route due to what we believe was an accident ahead on the road. The traffic was backed up and stopped so we were just able to turn onto one of the few roads that lead to an alternate route home.


It doesn't make much sense to me that employers would rather have their employees risk injury or death to come into work than pay them for the day. It was senseless for me to make the 14 mile drive into work since I could have done what I did at work, from this very chair at home. My employer does allow me to take leave if I don't think I can make it in. There are other workers that do not have the same advantage I do. They must take the risk or face not making any money for the day.


We used to get the afternoon off on the day before Thanksgiving. The snow and ice could have given the executive management a good reason to let us go on an early release. The missed a chance to give a little boost to the morale with a valid reason to give the public. I don't think they care much about morale or the safety of their workers.


I suppose someone will tell me that I should be thankful to have a job. This is true in these tough economical times. It does bother me that some businesses and bosses are taking advantage of the job shortage to take advantage of their employees. That's alright, they will pay for this once the job market turns around.


I've go some of the driveway shoveled and hope the rain predicted for tomorrow finishes the rest for me!


Happy Thanksgiving!

Take a minute to visit Old iSkool and The Goal Farm too!
I am sticking with this hands-free data-entry device and still would like someone to volunteer to edit this blog. I'm doing the best I can but it's hard to catch my mistakes and all the times the software doesn't understand me.

Water leaks happen even when it isn't freezing

We've been having snow and cold temperatures the last few days. We remembered to disconnect the hosed and to cover the outside faucets the night before. I heard the sound of water spraying or escaping when I was in the kitchen after work last night. At first I thought it was the ice maker in the fridge making the noise. It wasn't so I checked under the kitchen sink. Then I realized it was louder when I got closer to the "wall".

I looked outside and saw the rag hanging out of the box we made around the faucet in the backyard. My heart sank and regret started to set in. The next steps were to turn off power to the hot water tank (to keep the element from burning out) then shutting off the main water supply to the house.

The towel used to protect the faucet was soaked and there was a large puddle of water next to the side of the house. I removed the towel to see if I could find the crack and what was needed to repair it. The first thing I noticed was that the faucet was not all the way turned off. 

"That butt-head dog!", was my next thought. I checked the rag and the end of it was chewed up a bit. This wasn't the first time a certain yellow lab caused me to crawl under the house to make plumbing repairs.

I tightened the value all the way down and turned the water main back on.

NO LEAK! What a relief! I turned the hot water tank back on and put a new towel in the box and taped it in place this time. I also taped the hose pass threw hole to make sure the towel didn't get out or the dog gets in.

This "box" around the faucet was built because the butt-head dog broke the faucet assembly when she was a pup. 

Take a minute to visit Old iSkool and The Goal Farm too!
I am sticking with this hands-free data-entry device and still would like someone to volunteer to edit this blog. I'm doing the best I can but it's hard to catch my mistakes and all the times the software doesn't understand me.

Blah-Blah or Blab-Blab

The holiday seasons are in full swing it's hard to believe that next week is Thanksgiving already. It was fun yesterday helping out at the Thurston County food bank to distribute meals for next Thursday. If I remember correctly they will distribute about 3000 meals. This distribution is on top of the food they give out day-to-day or week to week. I'm not sure when they distribute food if it's daily or how often they do it I should know but I don't. I should be thankful that I don't know the schedule because that means I don't have to rely on them for food and that my closest friends and neighbors do not rely on them. I know the local churches give out at least one meal a day I think a couple even give out two. Places like the union gospel mission might even give out three meals a day as well is a place to sleep.

Our area is finally seeing temperatures below freezing and this morning there's a little snow blowing around. this is a tough time a year from a homeless around our area. It seems we always lose a few of them to the extreme temperatures or illness this time year. Overall we have a lot to be thankful for. This is something we should remember next Thursday before we have our feast.

The title this post blah blah or blab lab doesn't have real meaning to me. Blah blah seems to be repeating the same things over and over. Things that people already know really don't need to hear again. Blab blab seems to be more like gossip or useless conversation. If I have my choice I like to keep this blog lost rather than blab blab. Blah blah is not the ultimate goal of this blog. But I'd rather be repeating things people already know that repeating gossip or useless stuff.

There seems to be a lot of repeated themes over and over and a lot of blogs and news articles and TV shows. It is a lot of the same old stuff repeated over and over again. I think the daily show with Jon Stewart does the best job of digging these out. It is great the way they show the same points being made over the years and through the months by the same old tired politicians. I guess a comment blah blah from me is the notion that it's time we focus on something other than party differences. You know, the things that used to make this country great, or at least a lot of us a lot better off than we are now. I think I'm too young to be thinking about the good old days but it seems that's what they were years ago, the good old days.

It is still the goal of this blog in the Trinity website to bring people together to more common ground. Useless bickering about which party or candidate is better is nothing more than the old Ford versus Chevy argument. It is time we get ourselves moving together in one direction instead of always coming head-on at each other.

Wouldn't it be great to have a president elected with more than 60% of the vote?

Wouldn't it be great to have legislation, meaningful legislation, passed with over 70% of the vote?

This might seem to be as hard as getting everyone to pick one football team, baseball team, or automobile manufacture as a favorite. It would be rewarding if we could get it done though. Imagine having a topic the vast majority of us agree on. I had hoped health care reform would be something a lot of us agree on because I feel it is something everyone deserves. It was disappointing to learn that so many people feel that access to health care is a privilege that only a few deserve. I guess being healthy or have to be left up to clinics and shelters for the poor as well as those working that cannot afford health insurance. My stance is that if you work full-time in the great United States of America you should have at access to health care. You should not face financial ruin because of an illness or accident. We as a nation, should see to it that everyone that wants to get back on their feet and be productive has access to the help they need.

This is no more of a socialist program than dialing 911. We all pay for the service and we all have access to it.

Wow, am I making an argument that we should all have a phone so we can call 911?

The point is, we should not be the type of people that ignore others who are suffering, who are hungry, who are cold, or just need a helping hand. Most of us take care of our friends and family. The church used to be the primary source of funding for the poor but now a lot of it goes to the government. I could get out my guitar and write a protest song reminiscent of the 60s as long as I can find someone to sing it for me. It would not be fair to subject people to my vocal stylings. Maybe my first CD for the Trinity site should be titled, "We are Still the World".

I understand the fear of those afraid to give government any more money. I fully agree that money is wasted and spending for needless and useless things are out of control. However, I think a lot more people would be willing to pay a little more for the benefit to all of us if we trusted the government with our money. There is a given be one libertarian or tea party supporter to agree with this last sentence at all. They want no government, no taxes, and think capitalism solves every problem. I don't know who they thinks will pay for the roads and infrastructure, or for the military, or the state services. We all have to pay for fire, police, emergency aid, and even things like libraries. The idea that one should be able to keep every cent a person makes and that everyone else is on their own just doesn't work for me. I don't want to pay 90% of my income to have services and things I feel we need. Nor do I want to only pay 1% for services at things I feel we need.

We all have ideas and none of us has all the answers by ourselves. I believe we can come up with answers that most of us can agree on if we work together. The folks we have elected do not seem capable of getting this done. We can help them out by demanding they quit acting like children and bickering like brats. We can no longer let them distract us from the real issues while they are picking our pockets.

Take a minute to visit Old iSkool and The Goal Farm too!

I am sticking with this hands-free data-entry device and still would like someone to volunteer to edit this blog. I'm doing the best I can but it's hard to catch my mistakes and all the times the software doesn't understand me.

Giving back a little

Joanne and I will help prepare Thanksgiving meal boxes tomorrow morning. We are each going to donate three hours of our time to the Thurston County Food Bank. It was fun to help out last year. My job was to open a bag and put one onion inside it then pass it on to the "potato" people.

I remember thinking that I need to get more involved after helping last year. I didn't stay focused on my commitment to help out more and now here it is a year later. There is so much good that we could all do either with a little bit of time or a little bit of money.

The news reported that the budget for Washington State is looking worse than projected. We could just add a one time tax for every Washingtonian to make up for the shortage. It's not as bad as it seems, really. To fix the $1.2 billion shortage, each Washingtonian throws in $184.62. A family of four would need to pony up $738.48

$5,700,000,000 / $6,500,000 = $876.92 per Washingtonian. The would do for the 2011 - 2013.


You heard it hear first friends!

I might have gotten a little carried away with the blogs

OK, as of a few minutes ago, this is a combination of

• The Goal Farm (original blog)
• The Goal Farm Blog
• Old iSkool Blog
• We Work For Idiots Blog

Team Rock Ranch is still a separate blog. I have deleted all the other blogs after rolling them into this one. If you are new to Bob Blah Blogs, the early posts will seem very schizoid!

The idea behind "The Goal Farm Blogs" was to be a positive blog.The "Old iSkool Blog" was to be about cars, bars, guitars... Rock and Roll Dude! The "We Work For Idiots Blog" was to be used to unite all those sick of the way politics are going and tired of being robbed by both parties.

Well, I am one person and I usually have one attitude and mood at one time. It was too difficult to try to mood swing to make an entry into each of them each day.

One blog, one person, that works for now!

Day two of Blah-ogging

No comments yet.

No followers yet.

What to do?

I'll have to get those free t-shirts and bumper stickers out to the masses ASAP.

He with the most blogs wins!

Last night when I was updating 4/5 blogs I have always thinking myself this is a lot to try to keep up on so what do I going do today I added another blog to update!

First I need to say thanks to Google for providing blogspot at no cost with some really cool features. If you know me you know I'm not a big fan of visual editors and like to look at the code itself. That is how I prefer to do my webpages in my program coding but I am more than happy to let blogspot provide an easy interface to maintain these blogs.

I've come to realize, that being old school means I don't communicate with the hundred and 40 characters or less. I find myself limited by the amount of characters Facebook lets you use also. I'm not sure how many characters they give you for each status update but I do find myself running out but I can get by with it a lot better than I can on twitter.

I have to admit I'm not a big text user either or texting as it is called. I began to notice that a lot of us are starting to communicate or trying to communicate at 140 characters or less. It's as though people only read that much of an e-mail or reply to that much of an e-mail. Most people will only answer one or two questions in an e-mail even if there are four or five or more. It could be that communication is just getting too easy and so our attention spans.

Okay enough about being old school I have a whole other blog for that. I should get to what the point of this new blog is about. First of all it's just a ramble and ran, blah blah blah, yada yada yada, etc. blog.

The fun little twist with this blog is that I only make entries using the microphone input device. So this is my hands-free blog. This is actually very helpful for two reasons: it is easier on my hands and arms since they tire from being used all day at work, the second is that it helps me concentrate on enunciating. Overall this device is working pretty good despite my constant mumbling and gum chewing. I think it's starting to understand my mumbling and ignoring the gum chewing most of the time.

There are currently no followers on any of my blogs except for team rock Ranch. I will try to drum up some interest in Bob Blah blogs.com by handing out bumper stickers and free T-shirts someday soon. My marketing and advertising budget is pretty low so I'll have to Google the best prices for T-shirts and bumper stickers. I'm thinking about standing on the street corner or freeway exit with a cardboard sign that says for free nobody accepted until gone.

I'm just trying to drum up some comments and followers to this blog because blogging by yourself gets pretty boring. Team rock Ranch was a fun blog because the teammates would add comments or a contribution. I need to create an e-mail address related to this blog and website so visitors can communicate with me. I will be working on a registration page first, a voluntary registration page, in case I want to send out free T-shirts or bumper stickers to those that follow this blog. If this works out I will try with my other blogs.

Please feel free to use the comments section at this time if you run across this blog and want to give your opinion or impression of it. This is about it for my ramblings for tonight, I have to check the news and see if there is something worthy of my rants on my political blog, We Work For Idiots Blog

For now I say goodbye to myself and hopefully do somebody else someday soon.

To strike or not to strike that is the question

Well it is not the question for me, it is a question for those working at Safeway, Fred Meyer, QFC, and Albertsons.

On one hand it is really scary to think about someone going on strike in this economy there are probably hundreds of people waiting to take a job. The workers have my full support if they decide to go on strike but I will worry about them. I can't help but think that management is using this bad economy to hold back on their compensation package. In my eyes this makes them idiots to do so. You can't tell me that executives making as much as $10 million a year are in their right mind to deny their workers pay increases.

I am not a member of the union and never saw the need to be one even though the state of Washington together with the union have tried to make all state employees mandatory union members. I have been able to dodge the union tax. I am not against unions I just have never seen the need to join one working in data processing or information technology as it's called today.

The unions served a very good purpose back when employers would abuse their employees, abuse children they employed, so much so that working for some of these folks was not real far from slavery. I know they serve a purpose today only because management or employers will act like idiots if not kept in check.

This is where I stand with the workers not with management or even the union bosses.

Keeping it old school even with new technology

Today I spent some time reviewing HTML and XHTML, CSS, and a touch of JavaScript. It's funny how for a while technology kept coming up with new and new acronyms but things have seem to stabilize the little.

I did not even know that HTML 5 was out. It's not leaps and bounds but it is pretty fun nonetheless. I did a quick review of the new features but don't have too much of a need for them at this time. This website is switch to PHP again and I think I might abandon ASP.net since I do not use it very often.

I prefer using a text editor instead of a visual editor, I believe this is old-school. I even like formatting my code differently than the code generating tools like Visual Studio and such create. You can drive yourself crazy if you use the code Microsoft converts to HTML from Word. Sure, the visual tools save a lot of typing and being able to double-click a button to code your event is pretty handy. I tend to hold out on the visual tools because I like knowing the steps involved to generate the code. This goes back to the days of IBM COBOL, TSO, Natural & ADABASE.

If you're reading this and have had a chance to see the website I put together, I'm sure you think I need the aid of a visual tool!

I will get around to making visual adjustments to the website. There are some graphic things that I want to play with and I still enjoy frames even if they are more work. I still haven't decided if I will go with a third website or just keep the Trinity site as to domains and the blog log or list.

That's about it for tonight I'm going to go and add an update to my other blog before calling it a night.