Archive for the ‘oddities’ Category

28k will get you almost 13

Posted: May 6, 2009 by datechguy in oddities
Tags: ,

At least it does in Australia according to The Australian:

BRISBANE environmental lawyer Jo Bragg and her partner, Gary Kane, spent $28,000 on three roof panels to generate solar power for their home in the inner Brisbane suburb of Highgate Hill.

After receiving a federal government rebate of $8000, they hoped to recover their investment in a cleaner planet within a few years by selling excess power into the mains electricity grid.

In the three months to April, they used 1384 kilowatt hours and produced 388 kilowatt hours of excess power, for which they received the princely sum of $12.96 after taxes.

Via Tim Blair who has this measured reaction:

HA HA HA HA HA HAAAAAAAAAAAA! HA HA HA HA HA!

Subtly is all.

Update: You might say, but Techguy Blair is wrong it wouldn’t take 385 years to get the money back. After all lets say they were paying $150 a month for their electric bill. That means instead of $13 a quarter it would be $463 a quarter, so they will be showing a profit in just over 11 years.

Of course you should also add the interest they might have made on 28k over 10 years too. In a Cd getting just under 4% they would have made $1000 a year and the amount would have increased by compound interest. That turns things into 25-26 years.

MSNBC worth paying for?

Posted: May 4, 2009 by datechguy in oddities, opinion/news
Tags: , ,

Newsbusters covers the Broohahhah concerning many cable networks making MSNBC a pay network.

With that all as pretext, readers should be aware that cable and satellite companies have not dropped MSNBC. Instead, in some cases, and for whatever the reason, its accessibility may have become more expensive and its position in the channel lineup may have changed.

Kos’ kids are blaming the ratings on the move:

In the past few weeks, it has come to my personal attention that one cable or satellite company after another has been quietly moving MSNBC away from the news channel section of their lineup and into the premium section, or into the stratosphere of three and four digit channels.

As a result, when the ratings came out this week, it was no surprise to see how MSNBC is now a distant third behind CNN and FOX.

I think it’s exactly backwards. I think MSNBC is like Turner Classic Network. It is a niche network and the cable companies have figured out that they don’t get any bang by giving it away. The Kos kids WILL pay for their MSNBC because they are the niche that MSNBC markets for (except for Morning Joe)

I like TCN but if I want it I have to pay for it because most people don’t care for the old stuff enough to pay for it. (Actually I watch the few movies they offer on demand free since I can’t afford it right now). This is MSNBC all over.

They are programming for the Choir and the Choir will pay.

Ah the joys of public sector unions

Posted: April 30, 2009 by datechguy in local stuff, oddities
Tags: ,

Was at the post office today to quickly pick up stamps since I had a bill or two to pay. I noticed that the stamp machine was down. Fortunately there was no line so I was able to get my stamps quickly.

While there I asked how long the machine was down, the clerk told me that it was down permanently. The order came from on high to shut it.

This didn’t make any sense to me since it would make the normally long lines even longer. It didn’t make much sense to her either but that was the order.

On my way home I stopped at Romano’s Mkt and told the story to Mike. Since the guy who used to maintain those machines lived upstairs of the market he had interesting details to tell.

Apparently my local post office wanted to add another clerk to shorten the lines. As money is tight they needed to move someone to the clerk line. The fellow who maintains the machines was elected.

I asked why he couldn’t just fill the machines in the spare time? Well under the union contract the maintenance of the machine is classified as a full time position, the clerks can’t touch them. This had been a sweet deal for the fellow since it didn’t take 40 hours a week to maintain the machines so he was on easy street.

So the post office had two bad options to choose from: Continuing to give full time pay for part time work, or make him a clerk but eliminate the stamp machines. They choose the later likely figuring at least he would have to work for his pay.

Thus a foolish union rule made a government agency less responsive to the public while appearing as a positive on the accounting books.

As the public sector grows under this president expect to see a lot more of this efficiency all across the board.

Breast cancer at 10.

Posted: April 30, 2009 by datechguy in oddities
Tags: ,

I’ve been getting more and more cynical over the years but this story really is a sad one:

“They told me it was not breast cancer, because breast cancer does not happen to children,” said Carrie Auslam, Hannah’s mother.

In mid-April, test results came back with a shocking diagnosis – Hannah has Stage IIA Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, an adult form of breast cancer. The rest of the tumor, which had grown around blood vessels in Hannah’s breast, would have to be removed.

Her uncle’s blog chronicling her fight is here. You can donate to give the family a hand here.

Update: Welcome if you are coming from the our little sweetpea blog. Feel free to take a look around. May I suggest that if you are looking for two charities that are also worth your time check out Marriage Encounter which help people strengthen their marriages:

The First Mate has a great suggestion: try taking a walk through a local cemetery. Read the inscriptions on the markers or headstones. You won’t find any that say: “Drove a really cool car.” “She visited the French Riviera.” “His suits were all tailor-made.” “Got broadband Internet connections before everyone else on his block.” You’re going to see what people will really remember you for: “Beloved husband.” “Devoted wife.” “Loving father and mother.”

It’s all about building families, and that starts with the marriage.

My second suggested charity is called Soldiers Angels. It helps and supports troops deployed overseas in a number of different ways. You can send care packages, adopt a solder or through their project Valor IT help pay for a voice operated laptop for a disabled soldier.

Older Entries
Newer Entries