Brain Seepage

"Ah, gravity - thou art a heartless bitch."

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 10:37:22 -0600

“Ah, gravity - thou art a heartless bitch.”

- Sheldon - Big Gang Theory

This is great!

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 22:21:40 -0700

This is great!

"I understand, but it was between you and the Museum of Natural History, and frankly, you don’t..."

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 20:42:52 -0700

“I understand, but it was between you and the Museum of Natural History, and frankly, you don’t have dinosaurs.”

- Sheldon - Big Bang Theory

die Bitch!

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 21:42:23 -0700

die Bitch!

Photo

Sun, 08 Feb 2009 20:20:05 -0700

http://www.wikihow.com/Toilet-Train-Your-Cat

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 19:07:43 -0700

http://www.wikihow.com/Toilet-Train-Your-Cat

Back from Macworld

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 19:53:13 -0700

Ok so I’m back from Macworld 2009. I had to attend at least one of these. I doubt I would go again but it was worth doing once. Woz signed my Macworld badge and that was worth the trip all by itself. Yes, that means I’m a certified geek and if you recognize the folks in the pictures below than you are too!

Book signing with Andy Ihnatko

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 19:47:32 -0700

Book signing with Andy Ihnatko

Leo Laporte’s presentation…

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 19:45:38 -0700

Leo Laporte’s presentation…

Got to meet Woz at Macworld.

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 19:44:13 -0700

Got to meet Woz at Macworld.

A mouse in the house ?

Sat, 03 Jan 2009 07:16:28 -0700

My two cats have started behaving oddly. Both have been staring intently at the crack under the couch. I tilted the couch back and found nothing, but the cats continue to stare. I suspect a beastie has intruded upon my domicile…

Photo

Sat, 27 Dec 2008 09:59:50 -0700

"Maxwell Smart: Are you thinking what I’m thinking? The Chief: I don’t know. Were you..."

Wed, 24 Dec 2008 19:59:00 -0700

“

Maxwell Smart: Are you thinking what I’m thinking?

The Chief: I don’t know. Were you thinking, “Holy shit, holy shit, a swordfish almost went through my head”? If so, then yes.

”

- Get Smart Movie

Photo

Wed, 24 Dec 2008 19:34:53 -0700

Man melting snow with blowtorch ignites home

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 15:49:59 -0700

Man melting snow with blowtorch ignites home

I'm a statistic!

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 21:43:09 -0700

So after 15 years with my current employer I was laid off Monday along with 250 of my unlucky co-workers. Merry fricken Christmas. So at 40 its time to look into a career change. I have always wanted to go to law school but after looking at the cost of tuition thats simply out of the question. For now I think I’ll kick back and watch Big Bang Theory Re-runs…

Photo

Sat, 20 Dec 2008 08:42:55 -0700

Photo

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 17:27:38 -0700

UAW $70 hour myth

Sat, 29 Nov 2008 14:24:08 -0700

Recently I have seen this $70 hour number in numerous articles relating to the auto bailout. I’m not supporting the bailout.. I don’t, and I’m not supporting unions, I don’t, but these numbers are completely bogus and that pisses me off. Below is an explanation of how they are comming up with this number. You could argue that a fair discussion might be had as to why public employees enjoy old fashioned retirement plans when virtually no-one in the private sectors gets one. Fireman, Police, Senators, Congressman, postal workers, civil service employees, they all enjoy retirement benefits that most of us could only dream off.. Particularly Congress who only works a few years to qualify for them…

$21 - $29 dollars an hour.
Entry level is now $12 an hour.

Average UAW Pay: $28, Not $70
During Government Bailout Talks, Wages of Auto Workers Are Exaggerated
By Michael Thompson, published Nov 22, 2008
Published Content: 322 Total Views: 128,941 Favorited By: 56 CPs

Nonunion people who work in places like big-box stores and fast-food restaurants and nursing homes are wondering why the government should bail out those highly paid United Auto Workers members. Indeed, financial aid for General Motors, Ford and Chrysler would spill down into the UAW ranks, the same as a bailout is preserving jobs on Wall Street for the likes of AIG and so forth. The problem is that average UAW pay is highly exaggerated.

Auto workers aren’t making $70 an hour. Some were known to work 70 hours a week during peak production of the past, but no, $70 an hour is a myth that somehow is lodging as fact among much of the general public.

Leaders of the United Auto Workers are striving to combat this myth. The UAW reports, and news organizations have confirmed, that the average wage for a veteran auto worker is $28 per hour. Many cashiers and nurse aides and burger flippers still will perceive that this is too high, but at least the number is in perspective. Furthermore, the Big Three automakers have negotiated to bring general entry level wages down to as low as $12 per hour.

As for generous benefits, yes, UAW members have some of the best benefits of any union. They don’t have to worry about visiting the doctor or paying for prescriptions. The cost of these benefits is the equivalent of roughly $10 per hour. Add the “bennies” to the base wage of $28 an hour, and you get a total of $38 per hour. When the Big Three auto executives state that the cost of health care adds up to $1,600 per vehicle sold (or unsold), they’re telling the truth.

How did the $70 per hour myth grow roots? Conservative analysts have chosen to divide the automakers’ total personnel expenses by the number of active workers. This means that $70 per hour statistic includes all pensions and benefits being paid to retirees - in other words, other people.

"Any clod can have the facts, but having opinions is an art."

Sat, 29 Nov 2008 14:17:49 -0700

“Any clod can have the facts, but having opinions is an art.”

- Charles McCabe