Month: April 2015

Why I block Ads on the net

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It has it’s foundation in the fact that I find most ads abhorrent due to the fact they don’t apply to me. Hulu is famous for this. But they are assholes with ads – they can detect you blocking and so they make the countdown period several times longer if you block the ads. Hence why I curtail my hulu usage.

But here’s the theory in why I block ads. I pay every month for a network connection and I can manage the traffic in any way I see fit. If I deem not to watch of view ads then it is MY prerogative.

I’ve had people tell me that it wasn’t fair since the advertisers paid to get their ad out to the public. I tell them I couldn’t give a rats ass about that.

That usually shuts them up.

If you are sick of the monetization of YouTube

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I can recommend something – I don’t know how long it will work. But this definitely blots out all the ads, both in the videos and the static ads. Fuck google for trying to make more money off YouTube.

I believe that the add-on is available for Chrome and possibly Firefox. It’s called ScriptSafe.

Its amazing. YouTube is much more to my liking now.

MBTA Commuter Appreciation Day

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Or as I call it their Mea Culpa for a few months of services that were slow as shit running down a wall and at times didnt even run at all.

And what was going on – on the commute home both yesterday and today I noticed an inordinately high number of kids on the train. Not something you see all the time. Was it bring your son/daughter to work Thursday and Friday or something? I can understand why I didn’t get the memo – the fantasy of having kids is vastly overruled by the old frontal cortex that chimes in about how expensive a kid can be and all the attendant grief that ensues.

Anyhow back on topic – the Commuter Appreciation Day. The nice part was the flow at South Station. Much better when they leave the gates open. In fact that got me to thinking, where does the command for the gates to stay open come from? And it is it possible to say hack into that system from my phone and well you get the idea right?

Something I’ve noticed on YouTube comments

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Whenever you talk about positive economics say food stamps for instance, or a federal minimum wage of $14-$15 per hour injecting more money into the economy it’s inevitable you get an ad hominem attack directed at you.

The most recent said I was retarded. My response was “And by resorting to ad hominem you prove that you are the mentally challenged party.”

I wonder if the nitwit will reply?

Slightly hellish commutes and the reason for them (MBTA Commuter and Red Line)

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So this evening I get to Central square and the next train isn’t for another ten minutes. What the fuck? Get to South Station with seven minutes to spare, or so I thought. The 4:08PM commuter from Boston to Wickford Junction didn’t leave until 4:23PM.

It pulled into Providence at 5:45PM. But the beautiful part – for once the RIPTA #27 bus was on schedule.

Now why does this happen, particularly to the MBTA commuter side? Its because the signalling and switching on the tracks is in serious need of replacement/improvement. Of course those objects don’t belong to the MBTA – they belong to Amtrak, the same Amtrak where Congress refuses to inject money.

Meanwhile in Japan they’re testing out a Magnetic Levitation train that does 313MPH. I would love to lobby congress to fund something like that that starts in Boston, stops at Providence, Hartford, NYC and DC. Build it right above the current track right of way. You realize – at 313MPH Boston and Providence become bedroom communities for NYC because a ride into the city is about 40 minutes at MagLev speeds.

So to start I’m tagging my federal elected congress critters on this post. Maybe, just maybe that will get their attention.

Part of dinner tonight – roast beets

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I love roasted beets. Particularly with an acidic quality. Found a recipe that requires peeling the beets and chopping them into big pieces, then adding salt, pepper and thyme along with olive oil and toss to coat. Into a 400F oven 35 to 40 minutes. When they come out add vinegar and fresh squeezed orange juice – just a few tablespoons of each.

Of course the recipe calls for raspberry vinegar which I’m fresh out of at the moment. I guess I can use either cider vinegar or balsamic. I’m leaning toward the cider vinegar.

Now the fresh squeezed Orange Juice – I have some from Market Basket. Yippee!

Michigan Judge says the state has no obligation to educate kids

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This is crazy. I wonder if the judge even thought about the potential consequences of his ruling.

I’ll explain a bit.

If you don’t educate the kids then they have no prospects for employment beyond subsistence and poverty wage jobs.

Now I’ve long known the desire of the moneyed class is to create of us serfs. But what they don’t realize is that some of those serfs – they occasionally rebel.

The other thing is we’ll see rates of property crime go up. I’m sure the rich will just love the raids on their castles.

And one other little thing – the U.S. is armed to the teeth. Do you think some groups are going to sit silently by and let the rich just get away with what is essentially the murder of the economy?

And don’t the rich bastards understand that they made their money on the backs of those serfs. So for example when everyone is poor who will be able to afford the homes, cars, electronics, food, etc. ? Nobody – and what good will all that money do for the rich then? It will become a diminishing pool over time.

And it sort of surprises me the Geek Group in Grand Rapids didn’t lobby this one. I mean prime of their mission is education.

Currently Reading: Frank: A Life in Politics from the Great Society to Same Sex Marriage

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So I picked up Barney Frank’s book “Frank: A Life in Politics from the Great Society to Same Sex Marriage”. I’m only 20 or so pages into the book so far but I can already say that Barney Frank has had a remarkable career.

I’d actually rank Frank up there with Ted Kennedy – a lion of the House. I’ve seen videos of Frank and he has an iron wit. My favorite is when he chides a woman. Oh hell – here’s the video:

Yeah. I’ve never met him – which is odd but I deal mostly in local politics.