Imagine my embarrassment
I promised to comment further on an item in the headlines entry the other day and I forgot to write the comments. My error. I was going to comment on a statement by a retired Detroit city employee who will probably lose 83% of his city pension. He asked the question, "how am I supposed to live without my pension?"
It's a good question. It becomes a better question when you discover that the Pension Protection Act of 2006, which was supposed to protect workers from being victimized by underfunded pensions apparently doesn't apply to government pensions. Private employer pensions, yes. City of Detroit pensions, no.
And therein lies the rub. Detroit isn't the only city, county or state facing this problem. It's just the first of any significant size, where its other financial problems are forcing it to stop paying its obligations. Will the State of Michigan step in? Who knows? Time will tell. Will a bankruptcy court allow the city to renegotiate so that 83% of its pension obligations will magically vanish? I don't know the answer to that either. I do know that it sounds like a lot of people are going to take a hit because people pretended that these obligations would never come due.
* * *
I got some entertainment last night from an unexpected source. A FB thread in a group I belong to exploded with comments and discussion, after someone posted a religious piece of spam to the group that just doesn't belong there.
Part of the problem is that the group has nearly 8,000 members and only one admin; and worse yet, any member can add anyone else. Never a great idea. If you're going to create a group on FB, make sure there are a couple of admins and don't give thousands of people the permission to add thousands more.
Back in the days before FB and other such sites, I belonged to a site that hosted a "chat room". Anyone could come in and chat. In public, or privately with one or more others, if they preferred. I was one of the site's admins. We could mute people, kick them out, and if they persisted, ban their IP address. It was difficult at times but only because hackers would force us to respond instantly to them as they came in from different IPs, trying to bring the site down.
But the most difficult task was monitoring the language and conduct in the room. One user harrassing or attacking another was easy. Warn, mute, boot. It was when people were saying things that some found offensive that didn't bother others that was tough to deal with. Some of them would complain that so-and-so was saying offensive or profane stuff.
What I saw tonight reminded me of those days. Someone dropped an "F-bomb" in the dialogue and others were offended. There's an easy solution on FB. It's the same one we had in the chat room. On FB it's referred to as "blocking". Our old chat room called it "ignore". They work the same. Press the "button" and you see nothing more from that person. They might as well not exist to you.
* * *
I'm going to make a confession. I prefer Yahoo to Google or Bing. That's not intended to be an endorsement or me extolling the virtues of one over the other. I'm just more comfortable with Yahoo and it's where my email goes. Obviously I have a Google account since I use Blogger and YouTube.
So I've almost always got a window open with Yahoo there. It works for me. I didn't even bother to bookmark it in my favorite's list because even after I dump the cache, from the first time I type it back into the browser again, it will be there until the next dump.
* * *
Remember Chris Kyle? He was the Navy SEAL considered to be the deadliest sniper in military history; and he was murdered last year. He wrote a book in which he claimed to have decked former SEAL and former Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura. Ventura says the incident never happened and he sued for defamation.
Now he's asking the court to allow the lawsuit to proceed, with Kyle's widow as the defendant since she continues to "profit" from the 'false claim'. He's right on legal grounds but he's wrong on moral grounds. Further, since Chris Kyle swore under oath that the story was true, and he's no longer alive to question that statement.
Ventura should drop the suit and release a statement like this:
"I'm not going to put a grieving widow through the ordeal of a lawsuit. The incident did not happen. Those who know me, know I deal in facts. But protecting my reputation isn't worth making the widow of a hero suffer. So I will trust in the public to know who I am and that I'm being honest when I say it didn't happen. Thanks for your support in the past, present and hopefully, the future."
* * *
This Date in History:
On this date in 1264, the Parliament of Ireland meets for the first time.
On this date in 1633, Charles I is crowned King of Scots.
On this date in 1778, British troops abandon the city of Philadelphia.
On this date in 1815, Napoleon is defeated by the Duke of Wellington at Waterloo, forcing him to abdicate for the second, and final time.
On this date in 1830, France invaded Algeria.
On this date in 1900, Emperess Longyu of China orders the death of all foreigners.
On this date in 1940, Winston Churchill delivers his "Finest Hour" speech.
On this date in 1979, the SALT II treaty is signed by the U.S. and the USSR.
On this date in 1996, the "Unabomber" is indicted on ten counts.
Famous Folk Born On This Date:
William H. Seward
E. W. Scripps
Keye Luke ("we forge our bodies in the fire of our will, but tonight, let us celebrate")
Sammy Cahn
Robert Mondavi
E. G. Marshall
Red Adair
Richard Boone
George Mikan (first Lakers superstar)
Lou Brock
Roger Ebert
Paul McCartney
Carol Kane
Isabella Rossellini
Brian Benben
Alana de la Garza
Blake Shelton
Movie quotes of the day come from "Enter The Dragon" where Keye Luke provided the voice of the evil "Mr. Han":
Williams: Mr Han, suddenly I wish to leave your island.
Han: It is not possible.
Williams: Bullshit, Mr. Han-man.
#2
[Oharra throws a board in the air and smashes it with his fist]
Lee: Boards don't hit back.
#3
Han: Gentlemen, welcome. You honor our island. I look forward to a tournament of truly epic proportions. We are unique, gentlemen, in that we create ourselves... through long years of rigorous training, sacrifice, denial, pain. We forge our bodies in the fire of our will. But tonight, let us celebrate. Gentlemen, you have our gratitude.
It's a good question. It becomes a better question when you discover that the Pension Protection Act of 2006, which was supposed to protect workers from being victimized by underfunded pensions apparently doesn't apply to government pensions. Private employer pensions, yes. City of Detroit pensions, no.
And therein lies the rub. Detroit isn't the only city, county or state facing this problem. It's just the first of any significant size, where its other financial problems are forcing it to stop paying its obligations. Will the State of Michigan step in? Who knows? Time will tell. Will a bankruptcy court allow the city to renegotiate so that 83% of its pension obligations will magically vanish? I don't know the answer to that either. I do know that it sounds like a lot of people are going to take a hit because people pretended that these obligations would never come due.
* * *
I got some entertainment last night from an unexpected source. A FB thread in a group I belong to exploded with comments and discussion, after someone posted a religious piece of spam to the group that just doesn't belong there.
Part of the problem is that the group has nearly 8,000 members and only one admin; and worse yet, any member can add anyone else. Never a great idea. If you're going to create a group on FB, make sure there are a couple of admins and don't give thousands of people the permission to add thousands more.
Back in the days before FB and other such sites, I belonged to a site that hosted a "chat room". Anyone could come in and chat. In public, or privately with one or more others, if they preferred. I was one of the site's admins. We could mute people, kick them out, and if they persisted, ban their IP address. It was difficult at times but only because hackers would force us to respond instantly to them as they came in from different IPs, trying to bring the site down.
But the most difficult task was monitoring the language and conduct in the room. One user harrassing or attacking another was easy. Warn, mute, boot. It was when people were saying things that some found offensive that didn't bother others that was tough to deal with. Some of them would complain that so-and-so was saying offensive or profane stuff.
What I saw tonight reminded me of those days. Someone dropped an "F-bomb" in the dialogue and others were offended. There's an easy solution on FB. It's the same one we had in the chat room. On FB it's referred to as "blocking". Our old chat room called it "ignore". They work the same. Press the "button" and you see nothing more from that person. They might as well not exist to you.
* * *
I'm going to make a confession. I prefer Yahoo to Google or Bing. That's not intended to be an endorsement or me extolling the virtues of one over the other. I'm just more comfortable with Yahoo and it's where my email goes. Obviously I have a Google account since I use Blogger and YouTube.
So I've almost always got a window open with Yahoo there. It works for me. I didn't even bother to bookmark it in my favorite's list because even after I dump the cache, from the first time I type it back into the browser again, it will be there until the next dump.
* * *
Remember Chris Kyle? He was the Navy SEAL considered to be the deadliest sniper in military history; and he was murdered last year. He wrote a book in which he claimed to have decked former SEAL and former Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura. Ventura says the incident never happened and he sued for defamation.
Now he's asking the court to allow the lawsuit to proceed, with Kyle's widow as the defendant since she continues to "profit" from the 'false claim'. He's right on legal grounds but he's wrong on moral grounds. Further, since Chris Kyle swore under oath that the story was true, and he's no longer alive to question that statement.
Ventura should drop the suit and release a statement like this:
"I'm not going to put a grieving widow through the ordeal of a lawsuit. The incident did not happen. Those who know me, know I deal in facts. But protecting my reputation isn't worth making the widow of a hero suffer. So I will trust in the public to know who I am and that I'm being honest when I say it didn't happen. Thanks for your support in the past, present and hopefully, the future."
* * *
This Date in History:
On this date in 1264, the Parliament of Ireland meets for the first time.
On this date in 1633, Charles I is crowned King of Scots.
On this date in 1778, British troops abandon the city of Philadelphia.
On this date in 1815, Napoleon is defeated by the Duke of Wellington at Waterloo, forcing him to abdicate for the second, and final time.
On this date in 1830, France invaded Algeria.
On this date in 1900, Emperess Longyu of China orders the death of all foreigners.
On this date in 1940, Winston Churchill delivers his "Finest Hour" speech.
On this date in 1979, the SALT II treaty is signed by the U.S. and the USSR.
On this date in 1996, the "Unabomber" is indicted on ten counts.
Famous Folk Born On This Date:
William H. Seward
E. W. Scripps
Keye Luke ("we forge our bodies in the fire of our will, but tonight, let us celebrate")
Sammy Cahn
Robert Mondavi
E. G. Marshall
Red Adair
Richard Boone
George Mikan (first Lakers superstar)
Lou Brock
Roger Ebert
Paul McCartney
Carol Kane
Isabella Rossellini
Brian Benben
Alana de la Garza
Blake Shelton
Movie quotes of the day come from "Enter The Dragon" where Keye Luke provided the voice of the evil "Mr. Han":
Williams: Mr Han, suddenly I wish to leave your island.
Han: It is not possible.
Williams: Bullshit, Mr. Han-man.
#2
[Oharra throws a board in the air and smashes it with his fist]
Lee: Boards don't hit back.
#3
Han: Gentlemen, welcome. You honor our island. I look forward to a tournament of truly epic proportions. We are unique, gentlemen, in that we create ourselves... through long years of rigorous training, sacrifice, denial, pain. We forge our bodies in the fire of our will. But tonight, let us celebrate. Gentlemen, you have our gratitude.
posted by me at 8:25 AM
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