Phil's Observations

OK. It's time to get a new puter. Mine really isn't that old, a 2001 Compaq Presario. It's got a 900Mhz processor, 256Mb memory, and Windows XP. It runs alright, but it's not as fast as I would like or have the memory I'd like. The thing I love about the system - even though its not actually part of the computer, is the 21 inch crt monitor. I love big monitors.

Here's what I want, and I want it. Please, if you have any good ideas, share them. Here's what I don't need: a printer and scanner. Everything else is up for grabs. Oh, one more parameter: I don't want to spend more than $1500 for the thing. Yeah, I know, I am probably dreaming. LOL.

1. At least 512Mb RAM. I'd like 1GB, but am not sure if I really need it. I usually run multiple applications at once, often times Office apps.
2. I'm not sure exactly what I want for hard drive(s). I've got two thoughts, but I am not sure which way to go. The first idea is to have two drives, one for media storage and the other for the operating system and general work & stuff. The other idea is to have two drives, but have it set up that the second just operates as a backup to the primary.
3. I really, really want a huge monitor. I'm interested in a LCD-TV, but that alone will probably run me over my budget. I'll probably settle for a simple flat panel. BUT, again costs plays a big factor here. It would have to be a 19+ inch flat panel.
4. I definitely need two optical drives, for the simple fact that I want to be able to copy data from one to the other. So one of them is going to be a CDRW. The question at hand is should the second one be a DVD or a DVD recorder? Too bad I don't have all the cash I would need to get the ultimate system for me.
5. I haven't used a floppy in years. I guess there's no need for one of them any more.
6. Oh, I need a new speaker system. The one I have is dying. I really don't need a whole heck of a lot here, just a couple of speakers and a subwoofer.
7. I need a lot of USB drives. I've got 6 devices that use USB.
8. I don't need a firewire... at least not yet.
9. I definitely need to go beyond intergrated graphics and sound. Here, though, I am not an expert and need to think about what I need or want here.
10. Did I cover everything?

There are so many choices when it comes to computer manufacturers. Do I go with a national brand or go customized? Of course, Dell, Gateway (yuck), and HP come to mind. I need to look over my PC World magazines and refresh my memory.

LMAO. How that I think about it, I'd better start saving up for this new puter.

See what happens when I take a day off of work and spend time in front of my puter? This blog thing is getting funner and funner!

Here's an article posted by the AP courtesy of FoxNews . I wonder how many people are still going to bitch and continue to argue that the US is stingy?

U.S. Boosts Tsunami Aid to $350M
Friday, December 31, 2004

WASHINGTON — The United States is pledging $350 million to help tsunami victims, a tenfold increase over its first wave of aid, President Bush announced Friday.
Bush also is sending Secretary of State Colin Powell to areas ravaged by earthquake and tsunami to assess what more the United States needs to do. The president's brother, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, will travel with him.

The newly announced aid came after some critics claimed that the initial U.S. contribution of $35 million was meager considering the vast wealth of the nation.
France has promised $57 million, Britain has pledged $95 million, Sweden is sending $75.5 million and Spain is offering $68 million, although that pledge is partly in loans.

"All Americans are shocked and saddened by the tragic loss of life and the destruction around the Indian Ocean," Bush said Thursday in a statement read by White House deputy press secretary Trent Duffy in Crawford, Texas. Bush is on vacation there.
"To coordinate this massive relief effort, first-hand assessments are needed by individuals on the ground."

A congressional delegation headed by Rep. Jim Leach, R-Iowa, a former U.S. foreign service officer, is scheduled to visit Thailand and Sri Lanka next week.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, who often travels to blighted areas, said Thursday he plans to visit India to try to help victims of tsunamis that have left millions of people at risk of disease.
"I feel like I've been hit in the stomach," Frist, R-Tenn., said in an e-mail to friends and supporters. "It is like 9/11 but so different. There is no one to blame."
Powell was traveling to New York on Friday to discuss the crisis with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

The United Nations was added Thursday to the core group of countries and organizations planning relief efforts. The others are the United States, Japan, India and Australia, which raised its pledge to $27 million, just $8 million below the initial U.S. pledge.
The U.S. death toll rose to 14, with seven dead in Thailand and seven in Sri Lanka. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said some 600 Americans who were listed as missing have been found, but several thousand had not been located four days after the disaster struck.
In Sri Lanka, Boucher said, Americans have been showing up at U.S. consular offices wearing bathing suits, with no money and no clothes.

Responding to persistent criticism that U.S. pledges have been slow to materialize and deliveries of aid not fast enough, Boucher ticked off a string of relief flights and declared: "Any implication we are not leading the way is wrong."

The Pentagon is also spending millions on relief, but that figure could not be calculated quickly. The relief included the arrival of four C-130 cargo planes in Thailand loaded with food, water and sheltering material, and a large supply of rice and other food and assistance was due to arrive in Indonesia by Friday.

The World Bank announced it would make $250 million available as an initial contribution for emergency reconstruction. The amount is for the next six months.
With the global death toll rising above 117,000, European governments discussed holding an international donors conference Jan. 7. Boucher said the United States would participate in any such gathering, but he did not give details.

Powell, visiting the Embassy of Thailand on Thursday to extend condolences, vowed that the administration would follow through on promises of substantial financial assistance.
"You can be sure that the president is determined to do what is necessary to deal with this challenge," he said. "We're working very closely with the international community."
On Capitol Hill, House International Relations Committee Chairman Henry Hyde said he was drafting legislation to help victims and planned to introduce it early next year.
"The infrastructure of daily life is simply gone," said Hyde, R-Ill.

LMAO I just ran across this article by Tom Roeser. I think it's funny as hell!!

I just started this blog a few days ago. I've got to admit that this isn't my first attempt. The first blog I attempted failed because I didn't stick with it. It also didn't work because I was attempting to make it a family blog, where everyone could share what's goin on in their world. Well, one family contributed. Oh well. BUT, this time, I am in for the long haul. While it would be nice for someone to read it and comment, it's not such a big deal to me as it was last time. This should allow me to be more, well, "me".

There are so many, many things that can be done with my blog. There are sooooo many resources I can use. It's kind of overwhelming. So, I am going to take it step by step. My first accomplishment is that I've added the Google free seach tool. It took me a while to get it to work, but I did it! The only thing I haven't figured out yet is how to make the background to the tool match my blog background. I'm sure I'll figure it out in time.

Of course, the primary thing I need to accomplish is to post often. My goal is to keep this thing going for the fun of it. If the ad thingy brings a li'l cash, I'm ok with that too, LOL.

My dad is a truck driver. You remember that huge snowfall a couple of weeks ago in Indiana? My dad got stuck in it. He was about 50 miles from the Illinois boarder when he ran into a lot of trouble seeing the road. He pulled off to a truckstop, and ended up staying there for 2 1/2 days. They had about 19" inches of snow where he was. As you can imagine, I talk to my dad less often than I get the oil changed in my car. This was the first time since maybe July. So we wished each other a Merry Christmas and talked for about 10 minutes. He told me about the State of Emergency declared by Indiana's govenor, and how the CB was all the chatter about a fine that had been threatend against the drivers. First, and most importantly, if you try to drive in a blizzard like that, your nuts and belong in a padded room. But I thought it was funny how the troopers warned the truckers that anyone caught attempting to drive on the interestated would face a $1000 fine. I say if a driver attempts it and gets stuck, s/he would have to personally pay for the wrecker and the cop's wages for the time the cop was tied up for such nonsense. But I digress. The main point of my dad's story is what I want to share. You see, when we, as American citizens, face a disaster, we instinctively help each other out. As my dad tells it, there were only two employees at the restaurant at the truckstop because the staff couldn't get to or from the truckstop. So the waitress and the manager were there alone. And the were working alone for more than 27 hours. The truckers pitched in to help. The guys and gals were making coffee, taking orders, and serving food to help the two people there out. The waitress and manager were completely fatigued and struggling to help the stranded motorists and truckers. And these truckers, God Bless them, pitched in to help out.

Since I'm on the topic, I'd like to share my observations about the trucking industry. First, its' funny how the cars think the truck drivers driver poorly, and how the truckers think the 4-wheelers are horrible drivers. I've heard it from both sides. Let's not group all of the truckers together because of a few rotten apples, and vis versa for the 4-wheelers out there. By in large, the truckers are professional drivers. Think about it. They drive more miles in one year than most of us drive in 5 years. My dad has driven over 2 million miles. LOL, and I think I drive alot when my odemeter tells me I drove 25,000 miles in one year. The truckers have to get special training and a special license to drive. All we need to do is take a simple test, get most of it right, and bada-bing, we can release our 2 ton weapon. The truckers are held to high standards by their employers - well, at least the company drivers and not the owner-operators. The owner-operators are nuts. I have no idea how they can make any sort of profit with the costs of fuel, tolls, and maintenance on their rigs. The truckers deserve our respect AND their right-of-way. Without these guys and gals, the stuff we spend our money on wouldn't get to its destination.

I also remember a recent story here in Illinois where the govenor, Blag, as I like to call him, veto'd a bill by the state legislature to increase the speed limit on rural highways/interstates from 55mph to 65. What a jackass. It's a slam to the professional truckers out there. There are other states that don't have a speed restriction like Illinois does, and they are fine. Truckers should be able to go the same speed as cars. At least they know more than the average driver out there about speed, road conditions, and braking.

And since I brought up Blag, I've got to tell ya he is shooting for the national spotlight. He's gettin the headlines out there so he can raise money for a higher office. Meanwhile, he can't even manage his own state. There was a budget issue over the summertime that just showed his incompetence. To show some respect, his last name is Blagojevich. I call him "blag", because when I think of him, I think blah . Now how's that for some wit? LOL. Somebody's got to pump my ego up.

Regarding the tragedy in the countries affected by the earthquake and resulting tsunami ...

Courtesy of FoxNews :

Jan Egeland, the U.N. humanitarian aid chief, has accused America of being cheap with its funding for the catastrophe. "It is beyond me why we are so stingy, really," Egeland said at a Monday press conference. "We were more generous when we were less rich," Egeland told reporters Monday. "Even Christmastime should remind many Western countries at least how rich we have become."

Powell responds ""It will take time to see what the needs of these nations are and how best to help them,". "This is an unprecedented catastrophe." "The United States has given more aid in the last four years than any other nation or combination of nations in the world," Powell told the Associated Press. "This is indeed an international tragedy, and we are going to do everything we can."

A spokesman at U.S. Pacific Command in Hawaii said Monday that in addition to three Navy P-3 Orion surveillance planes sent to Thailand, the military also is loading five or six Air Force C-130 cargo planes with tents, clothing, food and other humanitarian items for delivery to Thailand.

Pacific Command spokesman Lt. Col. William Bigelow (search) said he wasn't authorized to identify the three countries, but other government officials said they were Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Thailand.

Pacific Command also is assembling small assessment teams that will be dispatched to three countries in the region to assess how U.S. military resources can best be applied in those countries.

The U.S. Navy said it sent three P-3 surveillance aircraft from Kadena air base on the Japanese island of Okinawa to Utaphao, Thailand, to conduct survey operations, and possibly help with search-and-rescue efforts.

The Navy said it had no reports of damage to any of its ships or bases in the region.

And James D. Wolfensohn, president of the World Bank (search), said bank teams were discussing potential assistance with the governments of the countries that suffered losses.

On Sunday, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, Rodrigo de Rato, said the Fund "stands ready to do its part to assist these nations with appropriate support in their time of need."

Phil's Observations/Comments
What the hell is wrong with the world? And what about my fellow citizens? Our country provides more humanitarian and disaster relief than any other country in the world, and more than the combination of most of the countries in the world. AND that is the governmental assistance only. It doesn't include the private donations by corporations, individuals, or charitable organizations. For Christ's sake folks, we lead the world in providing relief and assistance to our fellow humans.

Take a look at $290 million spent by the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assitance for FY 2003 disasters. And their next FY budget is over $350 million. This is our tax dollars going to foreign countries for disaster relief. This doesn't include corporations, individuals, or charitable organizations like the Red Cross or Salvation Army.

Courtesy of Reuters

NEW YORK: US companies are expected to contribute hundreds of millions of dollars in relief aid to tsunami-hit Asia, but some may be slower to help since the sudden disaster struck during a holiday season, company executives and charity experts say.

Relief organisations have put the death toll at 77,828 in one of the world's worst natural disasters. That number could rise as high as 100,000 and be compounded by hunger and disease along coastlines from Indonesia to India.

The United Nations mobilized its biggest relief operation to help survivors as local authorities and rescuers grapple with shortages of coffins, equipment and medicine.

"We'll see ... hundreds of millions of dollars in (corporate) product donations and cash," said Mark Feldman of Boston-based charity marketing firm Cone Inc, part of Omnicom Group. "The key will be in product donations."

Corporations are thinly staffed during the holiday season and are likely to feel greater pressure from their employees to lend a hand in the coming days.

"The scope of it is just beginning to bubble up," Feldman said. "If we go back to September 11 (attacks), one of the reasons that companies began to respond was because of the outcry from employees."

So far, several dozen companies have announced relief plans, mostly involving cash contributions close to $US100,000 ($NZ142,005.11) and a fund to match employee donations to aid groups such as the American Red Cross or CARE.

"I believe we will surpass the giving of any other emergency we have had," said Marshall Burke, vice president of private support at CARE USA. "You see more corporations who do want to be responsible global citizens."

The American Red Cross has so far received $US18 million from private and corporate donors, spokeswoman Carol Miller said.

Among the larger early donors to tsunami relief are drugmaker Pfizer Inc, which pledged $US10 million in cash and $US25 million in medical supplies; Johnson & Johnson with a donation of $US2 million plus supplies; and JP Morgan Chase with up to $US3 million, including matched employee contributions.

Pfizer's relief decision started as an e-mail chain between local and regional managers, "and as the magnitude of the situation became more apparent we involved most senior management of the company within 12 hours," said Paula Luff, senior director of international philanthropy for Pfizer, which employs more than 4000 people in the affected region.

"We have medicines, we have skilled people available," she said. "No single government or UN agency can do this alone."

Many companies with a global reach are still checking the safety of their employees and facilities abroad as well as assessing the financial impact of Sunday's disaster.

Other complications include assessing the best ways to help, whether by giving cash to relief groups that have a network on the ground or by offering products and services that need special coordination.

"This emergency is still so unsettled and we have staff in place...so asking people to send money allows us the flexibility to procure exactly what's needed," CARE's Burke said.

A Cone study earlier this month showed that 8 in 10 Americans surveyed said companies could win their trust by supporting charitable causes, up 21 percent from 1997.

But some corporations may hesitate to publicize relief aid for fear of criticism that they are just trying to gain attention for their good works.

"Internally we talk about it a great deal. Externally we don't make much noise about it," Steve Pacheco, director of advertising at international delivery service FedEx Corp, said of the company's charity programmes.

Asked about its tsunami relief efforts, FedEx said it would ship 200,000 pounds of medical supplies to the region in conjunction with four aid groups.

Simply put, the United States and its citizens do not need the United Nations to provide relief to those that suffer. We can do it alone or with our friends, like Great Britain & Austrailia. God Bless America!

Hello!

I'm a simply guy who's going to share what I observe and what I think. Simple as that!

Here's a li'l about me:

I'm a pretty conservative guy. But, I am also very, very critical of taxes and governmental waste.

I regularly listen to News/Talk 890, WLS-AM in Chicago. Roe Conn cracks me up. I miss Garry Meier. Don & Roma are great. Deborah Roe is a straight talker, ya gotta love the woman. I'm going to miss Jay Marvin. A lot.

I love to play Pinochle. It's a great strategy card game. Find yourself a good partner, and be sure to laugh when you play. The more players, the better. Try a quadruple deck with 8 players. You'll never have more fun.

And finally, here is my motto: We're in the frickin' 21st century, folks. Get over your frickin' prejudices. Race doesn't matter. Religion doesn't matter. Disability doesn't matter. Sexual orientation doesn't matter. Gender doesn't matter. Age doesn't matter. Ethnicity doesn't matter. Our Declaration of Indepence says it all "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness"

I do not tolerate any discrimation of any person because of a prejudice. Treat every single person you come into contact with as an individual. Don't know what I mean? Click the link for more prejudices.

We are in control of our destiny. The choices we make today will dictate our tomorrow. We all make mistakes. Learn from them. Get over them. Move forward.

Finally, to quote the book Good to Great by Jim Collins, I also believe in what he calls the Stockdale Paradox: You must maintain unwavering faith that you can and will prevail in the end, regardless of the difficulties, AND at the same time you must also confront the most brutal facts." Good to Great by Jim Collins