Monday, February 13, 2012 2:58:19 AM
Dec 21, End of the World, Mayans
OKay, first of all, we are planning a HUGE end of-the-world party on Dec 21, so please RSVP and save plane fare because it ain't going to be around here in San Antonio!
Seriously, start your little Christmas Santa Savings club, but plan to spend it on the 21st. We are looking at places to have a seriously warm and fun vacation where we can see the planets align and have some cool drinks, a private pool and jacuzzi, a chef and lobsters, and whatever else saving $50 a month each will get.
What do you have planned for Dec 21? Nuthin? Really?
Friday, January 2, 2009 7:13:40 AM
regrets, Resolutions, How to be a millionare
Things I've never done but still on my way-pre-bucket list:
- Own a boat
A couple friends of mine have owned boats, large and small, and they talked me out of buying one myself. I still have that craving. Bob Camel's huge multi-bedroom boat sat at the Sarasota Yatch Club largely unenjoyed, and he offered to lease it to me as a home, kinda like living Sonny Crockett style, Miami Vice. I declined and leased condo on the beach. Regrets.
But the truth is, I fell in love with sailing. The few times that I have been sailing, it was an exhilirating experince. My friend John got tired of his sailboat. I shoulda bought it when he offered.
- Build the perfect dream solar home
I've bought a few homes and usually sold them within a few months or years, but never built that dream house. I own plans to several homes, all of then both passive and active solar.
My perfect home would use less than 10% of the power that you use in your house every day, or about 1,000,000 to 2,500,000 kileowatts. When I was living downtown Orlando, I found my daily energy consumption was about 15,000,000 watts!!! A one bedroom apartment using more energy than some villages in Africa!!!
When I bought the land in Colorado, the idea was build a home and a guest house so any one of my friends can get away (or crash). Too bad I was scammed and found that one can't even put in a foundation most places at Forbes Park. Hint: DON'T BUY LAND IN FORBES PARK!!!
The Poconos and several other places are looking promising.
- European Holiday
Did Canada and Mexico, time to catcha REALLY long flight.....
- India Trip
I have so many friends there, it's a crime if I don't visit.
- Rich Uncle
Not likely to have bambinos of my own, so I've planned to be the uncle who leaves behind the Cribs and Cars, College money and Emergency funds and stuff. Broke all my rules and tend to spend the principal instead of the interest from my family rich uncle fund. Emergencies tend to make you act outside of your plan.
Follow this rule: Put money in diverse investments (I use Ameriprise, Wachovia, and HSBC because of thier stability and relatively high yield, especially HSBC) and ONLY spend the interset.
EVEN IF THERE'S THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS IN THE ACCOUNT, ONLY MAKE THE INTEREST AVAILABLE FOR FAMILY EMERGENCIES.
And Never spend the interst without a meeting of a few family members to decide if it's worthy .. don't let yourself be the Decider, even if you contribute most or all to teh fund.
Make your family rich uncle fund over $200,000 via mutual contributions and follow the above rule and you'll start to see some great results, according to every book I've read on the subject. As long as the principal is never touched, and some of the returns are capitalized, you will have a million dollar family fund and even more credit in a decade.
- Space Flight
It is now possible to spend a day in space for a reasonable price. I want to see the whole Earth a few orbits myself, from my own point of view.
Sunday, December 14, 2008 9:59:16 PM
Sports, HDTV
During most of recent history, I have never watch much sports. I really mean it. When everyone at the watercooler was talking about "The Game" I had to have the best joke off the Internet to counter my entire lack of knowledge of what game - even what sport - they were talking about.
My HDTV, plus being too cheap to buy cable TV, changed all that.
The best free content on Over-the-Air HDTV in my opinion, hands down, is football, baseball and basketball in High Definition.
No subscription fees, no cable bill, just my $19.99 RCA antenna properly aimed.
It reminds me of sneaking down to the field during an Eagles - Cowboys game in the late seventies and seeing the faces of the players, some pain, some blood, their breath in the freezing Philadelphia air.
Everyone who knows me should be shocked to find I'm watching the Steelers at Baltimore instead of something Science Fiction right now..... $
Monday, December 1, 2008 2:14:44 AM
world economy, language
Chris at the office has this joke.
He claims he knows every language, including Greek.
When you ask if he knows French, he says, "that's Greek to me!"
Chris actually understands good basic French, as I bombarded him with my family history in rapid fire French.
Ma mère, sa famille, vient du Canada, ils sont canadiens-français
The success of the new wor;d economy will be in part due to to people who both have business saavy and language skills. You can learn so much from a DVD or audio series every day during your commute.
I am getting quite confortable with Spanish< Russian and French in those lost moments during 15-minute drives. I also have added them to my iPod mixes, so, randomly, I hear a lesson intermixed with my Brahms and Pat Metheny.
I hope this is the right path to staying ahead!
Monday, November 3, 2008 5:04:17 AM
"Breaking the News" with D.L. Hughley is offensive and inappropriate.
I will no longer watch CNN for the rest of the election.
Click on the link below to send your complaints and comments about the "Breaking the News" D.L. Hughley show to CNN:
http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form5.html?107You can copy my comments below if you like:
"Breaking the News" with D.L. Hughley has changed my mind about CNN. I may never watch CNN again, I am removing CNN from my blackberry, and will begin lobbying CNN to remove the show as soon as possible.
Why? First, for whatever reasons, the show does not reflect the production quality and journalistic integrity of CNN. It's as if they gave D.L. $100,000 and some cameras and 15 people in a very small audience to laugh at very bad racial jokes with possible far-reaching political ramifications, coming from a network that full well knows it's influence on the political process. CNN's journalistic impartiality is now heavily in question.
So, Secondly, I question the motivations of CNN, placing a racially charged, dumbed-down, poor quality, politically-charged show on their network during a time when a highly intelligent African-American is likely to be voted in as President. It seems to me to be a blatant attempt to sway voters away from voting for Barack, for fear of a world where shows like this air on CNN. The show is full of negative stereotypes and unimaginable suppositions about life with a Black President.
Third, as an African American, I am deeply offended by the stereotypical material and characters. This show wouldn't even last past the pilot on Comedy Central or BET, and it's received poor ratings and blogs after it's pilot. Why is it still running?
Please take the show off of the air immediately.
Jon F. Ellis
Read more...
Thursday, October 9, 2008 2:47:30 AM
podcast digitalJon writing music
Did some writing lately, not a ton, but I think I'm back in the groove. I have to find something positive to accomplish in this ever-increasing descent into world financial and political crisis.
My podcast, as always, is at
http://www.digitaljon.com. IN many browsers, all you have to do is type 'digitaljon' or 'jon f. ellis' to get to my blog and podcast.
Anyway, I like the way 'Seven' turned out so far in early edits, will get some fine touches before I send it to iTunes.
Note: The podcast is slow this week for some reason, so be patient, "Seven" will eventually come up.... and the subscribe button no longer works on iTunes for some reason, but I don't have time until Saturday to fudge with it. Oh well....
Here's the file for the impatient,non podcasters:
7.mp3HEADPHONES OR HOME STEREo WITH BASS REQUIRED!!! If you ain't got no bass, don't play it. This is a full-spectrum 192kb MP3, not an AM Radio broadcast!!!
- J
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Sunday, October 5, 2008 11:32:40 PM
art
Choosing some art and tapestries to fill the expansive blank walls....
Tell me what you think.... (click More to see the art links)
Read more...
Wednesday, September 24, 2008 4:50:41 AM
Why do huge national banks and mortgage institutions exist?
To make incredible profits.
They have for centuries, eons, and will continue to do so. The need for and the institution of banking will not collapse because we refuse to write a big check for $700,000,000,000 - - and don't ask for a receipt!!!
The economy is a collection of financial actions by people, facilitated by and between people, sometimes between and with banks and financial institutions. But banks erode value, they do not enhance your value or net worth. Technically speaking, we have the technology to use clearinghouses directly, and most people who have cut up their credit cards and closed thier checkings understand this.
>> The electronic debtit system is sound. Ain't nuthing wront with it. <<
You/We control how much you save, how much you spend, not the credit markets. Credit exists to "temporarily suppliment" your ability to buy, at a cost which is supposed to be reasonable for the purchase. Credit should not be a lifestyle or a birthright. ... (more)
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Friday, September 5, 2008 4:50:10 AM
politics, election, disconnection
Folks, it says alot that you CANNOT download the video of the John Mcain speech tonight in MN by Googling "McCain Speech September 4" or nearly any other searchterms, and his running mate turns up instead in most Internet searches. CNN.com, MSNBC.com and others are showing the first 9 minutes, and nothing else. Just enough to switch to an online commercial and make some money.
Read more...
Friday, August 29, 2008 4:37:47 AM
During Barack Obama's historic speech tonight, Comcast cable TV went out here in Blackwood, NJ.
Also, I hope it's just the sheer volume of traffic that is keeping me from logging into my BarackObama to make a donation.....
Read more...
Sunday, August 24, 2008 7:41:54 AM
This gets technical, but I tried Vista again this week. Ya'll know I am an optimist....
NOW, want to know how to really get things done? .. . ..
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Saturday, August 16, 2008 3:26:07 PM
War, Russia, Blackberry, Ossetia
I have a new addiction.
Well, two. Crackberry, and the Truth about regional Wars.
Read more...
Sunday, August 10, 2008 7:59:55 AM
Just watched a great movie written by Emilio Estevez about Robert Kennedy's 1968 Presidential run called "Bobby".
You have to see it. Period.
Read more...
Thursday, July 24, 2008 3:13:30 AM
being humble, mass transportation, energy conservation, commutting
I worked late until to try to fix this bug in the system. NO worries, just miss 2 days of work and an overtime opportunity, sick from this bug everyone has or has had, and you get to come to work like me and try to fix stuff that went wrong. The best part of the day is the ride home.
7:30, quick ride to the train station. Caught the only ontime train. All other trains in Philly were messed up with electrical storm problems or flodding. Superthunderstorms, lighting striking the tracks and major boomage. Exciting ride. I'm sitting next to the conductor and alarms are going off like crazy. Seems like traindriver's in a hurry. I sleep for while like a veteran, and this is only like my 21st day on the train. My body can feel the descent down under into under Philadelphia. You alwasy pass an abandonded station, coming in and out. The rookies always flinch, but the vets know to wait a minute after the announcement. Market Station!
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Saturday, July 19, 2008 5:30:55 PM
energy independence
Why is Al Gore the <<ONLY>> one suggesting that we become 100% energy independent in a decade?
Let's just get rid of congress, seriously. 300+ people who move to Washington to serve their own needs, not the people's, and spend our money based on bribes. They move too slow to do any good, and when they move it's mostly reactionary.
History has proven that the most financially successful (People, Nations) did so by having the most efficient communications, transportation and energy systems. For a modern superpower, we have botched the trifecta, which is why we are way down on the cool countries list. We are the LAST to get telecomm innovations, Amtrak is a joke, and we gave up on Nuclear power for the wrong reasons while France and Europe embraced it.
Energy independence will come from the people. Demand at your next home owner's association meeting that you can put solar and wind in your backyard. MCain's nuclear plants and offshore drilling won't come for a decade. Obama's plan is not aggressive enough to keep your fridge cold in your lifetime.
Wake up, America!
Sunday, June 29, 2008 8:58:04 AM
independence, democracy, America
Maybe I shouldn't write this.
It's unAmerican to complain, but I have written my congressman and senator often, like every time I come up with something. I have a stack of reply letters on many topics. But why bother?
Representative Democracy is dying a horrible death. The pathogens are the "breaking news" culture, corruption, indifference, ignorance and inaction.
There, I said it. Our constitutional rights were destroyed with ease, no Boston Tea Party, and patriotism was used to pacify both young and old, throwing common sense out the door. The old tricks are the best tricks.
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Saturday, May 24, 2008 6:31:27 AM
Vote for Barack Obama. Click here to find out why.Here's my short list of reasons:
Inspiring and empowering National leadership
Return of Civil Liberties
Reduction of outside influence on Government
Energy Policy that is Sustainable past 2050
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Monday, April 14, 2008 4:59:05 PM
recycling, going green
Betcha didn't know if you've got boxes of old PCs and peripherals, you can take them to Goodwill and they'll recycle them for you. Check out the partnership between Goodwill Industries and Dell:
http://www.reconnectpartnership.com/i am recycling through Goodwill the following : 2 huge boxes of PC parts and cables, 17 monitors, 20 computers, and 4 printers. you probably don't have that much in your attic, but putting your old electronics into the recycling process keeps mercury and other poisons out of the landfills!!!
Friday, April 4, 2008 8:56:57 PM
i watch people struggle to accomplish the simplest things using a computer and it's excruciating. it probably takes an untrained computer user longer to write a long letter on a PC than it does to use a quill and scroll.
this is 2008... by now, every PC should be voice-commanded, artificially intelligent, task-anticipating, schedule coordinating, owner-aware, self-healing, and secure.
nun of the above is happening.
why?
My Opera
