19.7.11
I will be your registered agent in Alabama
Do you need the services of a registered agent for your corporation doing business in Alabama? I am a resident of the state and am willing to provide those services for a very reasonable fee.
3.7.11
Sipapuni: orifices of autochthony
Being a list of places where the races of men are reported to have emerged from the earth itself:
1. Shipap: The ancestors of the Acoma crawled from this hole like grasshoppers, naked, soft and unopened eyes. The Cochiti also used Shipap as an emerging place.
2. Flint Mountain, NM: Some ancestors of the Jicarilla Apache were born of the earth's womb here.
3. La Cueva, NM: Two caves in the cliffside above Oja Caliente Creek in Taos County served as the point of emergence for the Keres.
4. Ha'tc'ono'ndai: A place to the north of the Apache territory from where the White Mountain Apache emerged in the time of ancestors.
5. Nanih Waiya, MS: The Cha'hta, members of the Creek confederacy, emerged from a hole in this sloping mound near the Pearl River. The Chickasaw witnessed their emergence and were surprised. (N. 32.92147 W 88.94809)
6. Colombian river rapids: The Cubeo emerged from any of several openings near river rapids.
7. Kiva: Some Third Mesa Hopi emerged from this water-filled hole, near the confluence of the Colorado & Little Colorado, in the Grand Canyon in Arizona. (N 36.19189, W 111.80177)
8. Paccari-tambo: The Inca of Peru emerged from one of three holes in this cliff-side 20 miles north of Cuzco. Other lesser Inca may have used the flanking holes.
9. Nane Chaha: The Choctaw emerged from this hilltop.
10. Kuskehsawkich: The Iroquois emerged from a hole near these falls, now Oswego, before splitting into the five nations.
11. Mouth of the Missouri: The Mandan-Hidatsa originated from a hole in a bluff where the river met the ocean (the Missouri is joined by the Mississippi before flowing into the Gulf of Mexico at Louisiana)
12. Cerra Naztarny: The Navajo, Pueblo, Coyotera and some whites emerged from this place on the Rio San Juan.
13. Alamosa, CO (Great Sand Dunes): The Pajarita emerged from the inner earth at these dunes before migrating down the Rio Grande. Other ancestors of the Jicarilla Apache were also born of the earth's womb here. The Tewa's "Sip'ophe" or "Lake of the Dead" is located there, and served as their place of emergence from the underworld.
14. Brown Mountain, NC: Conceals a city populated by those who have not yet emerged. (N 36.45664, W 80.33203)
15. Cahawba: The Alibamu sprang from the ground between the Cahaba and Alabama Rivers.
16. Holsifa: The Alibamu may also have emerged from this bluff near the junction of the Alabama and Tombigbee Rivers in Clarke County. (N 31.36404, W 87.76626)
Note: This list will be revised and refined over time.
1. Shipap: The ancestors of the Acoma crawled from this hole like grasshoppers, naked, soft and unopened eyes. The Cochiti also used Shipap as an emerging place.
2. Flint Mountain, NM: Some ancestors of the Jicarilla Apache were born of the earth's womb here.
3. La Cueva, NM: Two caves in the cliffside above Oja Caliente Creek in Taos County served as the point of emergence for the Keres.
4. Ha'tc'ono'ndai: A place to the north of the Apache territory from where the White Mountain Apache emerged in the time of ancestors.
5. Nanih Waiya, MS: The Cha'hta, members of the Creek confederacy, emerged from a hole in this sloping mound near the Pearl River. The Chickasaw witnessed their emergence and were surprised. (N. 32.92147 W 88.94809)
6. Colombian river rapids: The Cubeo emerged from any of several openings near river rapids.
7. Kiva: Some Third Mesa Hopi emerged from this water-filled hole, near the confluence of the Colorado & Little Colorado, in the Grand Canyon in Arizona. (N 36.19189, W 111.80177)
8. Paccari-tambo: The Inca of Peru emerged from one of three holes in this cliff-side 20 miles north of Cuzco. Other lesser Inca may have used the flanking holes.
9. Nane Chaha: The Choctaw emerged from this hilltop.
10. Kuskehsawkich: The Iroquois emerged from a hole near these falls, now Oswego, before splitting into the five nations.
11. Mouth of the Missouri: The Mandan-Hidatsa originated from a hole in a bluff where the river met the ocean (the Missouri is joined by the Mississippi before flowing into the Gulf of Mexico at Louisiana)
12. Cerra Naztarny: The Navajo, Pueblo, Coyotera and some whites emerged from this place on the Rio San Juan.
13. Alamosa, CO (Great Sand Dunes): The Pajarita emerged from the inner earth at these dunes before migrating down the Rio Grande. Other ancestors of the Jicarilla Apache were also born of the earth's womb here. The Tewa's "Sip'ophe" or "Lake of the Dead" is located there, and served as their place of emergence from the underworld.
14. Brown Mountain, NC: Conceals a city populated by those who have not yet emerged. (N 36.45664, W 80.33203)
15. Cahawba: The Alibamu sprang from the ground between the Cahaba and Alabama Rivers.
16. Holsifa: The Alibamu may also have emerged from this bluff near the junction of the Alabama and Tombigbee Rivers in Clarke County. (N 31.36404, W 87.76626)
Note: This list will be revised and refined over time.
17.2.11
Tips for folks planning criminal mischief.
I'm no criminal mastermind, but I think I can offer a few tips to prospective tree poisoners and others of the Harvey Almorn Updyke ilk:
1. Don't admit to your crime.
2. Don't admit to your crime before anybody else knows it happened.
3. Don't admit to your crime on a nationally-syndicated radio broadcast.
4. Don't admit to your crime on a nationally-syndicated radio broadcast using your own voice.
5. Don't admit to your crime on a nationally-syndicated radio broadcast while calling from your own cell phone.
6. Don't admit to your crime on a nationally-syndicated radio broadcast and identify yourself as "Al" if that's actually your name.
7. Don't admit to your crime on a nationally-syndicated radio broadcast and identify yourself as "from Dadeville" if you actually live in Dadeville.
8. Don't admit to your crime on a nationally-syndicated radio broadcast and acknowledge that you don't care if you broke the law.
But then, if you can't brag about it, why even do it?
1. Don't admit to your crime.
2. Don't admit to your crime before anybody else knows it happened.
3. Don't admit to your crime on a nationally-syndicated radio broadcast.
4. Don't admit to your crime on a nationally-syndicated radio broadcast using your own voice.
5. Don't admit to your crime on a nationally-syndicated radio broadcast while calling from your own cell phone.
6. Don't admit to your crime on a nationally-syndicated radio broadcast and identify yourself as "Al" if that's actually your name.
7. Don't admit to your crime on a nationally-syndicated radio broadcast and identify yourself as "from Dadeville" if you actually live in Dadeville.
8. Don't admit to your crime on a nationally-syndicated radio broadcast and acknowledge that you don't care if you broke the law.
But then, if you can't brag about it, why even do it?
18.6.10
100 years of soil & crude
With recent reports that the casing of BP's Mocando well has been irreversibly breached and that the mixture of pressurized fossil products from the oil reservoir is carving its own paths through cracks in the seabed, it seems that this disaster has exceeded humankind's ability to stop the flow. Without the ability to cap the original well, the relief wells aren't going to be much use. The use of explosives to try to seal off the shaft might just release innumerable other weak planes for the gusher to exploit.
At this point it appears that an enormous undersea engineering effort will be needed to somehow corral a wider area of gushing oil and gases and siphon those substances where they can be safely processed without spreading out across the open sea. The idea of stopping the flow is probably not the a realistic hope at this point. Sequestering the area of contamination is likely our best hope. I have no idea how to do that, but we're probably talking about a semi-permanent installation of about 30 or 40 acres of material stretching a half mile from the sea bed to the surface, secured against currents, pressures and storms, along with all the equipment needed to capture, separate and process the contained sludge.
UPDATE: Good news. It now appears that the well casing was not breached and that a plug was successful, allowing the well to be permanently sealed from one of the relief well shafts. Also we're seeing mixed reports about what has become of the oil already released into the gulf. For an overview of the issues, I recommend finding a copy of the October 2010 National Geographic.
At this point it appears that an enormous undersea engineering effort will be needed to somehow corral a wider area of gushing oil and gases and siphon those substances where they can be safely processed without spreading out across the open sea. The idea of stopping the flow is probably not the a realistic hope at this point. Sequestering the area of contamination is likely our best hope. I have no idea how to do that, but we're probably talking about a semi-permanent installation of about 30 or 40 acres of material stretching a half mile from the sea bed to the surface, secured against currents, pressures and storms, along with all the equipment needed to capture, separate and process the contained sludge.
UPDATE: Good news. It now appears that the well casing was not breached and that a plug was successful, allowing the well to be permanently sealed from one of the relief well shafts. Also we're seeing mixed reports about what has become of the oil already released into the gulf. For an overview of the issues, I recommend finding a copy of the October 2010 National Geographic.
29.4.10
Rate of return
How can you calculate the census response rate unless you know how many households there are?
¿snsuǝɔ ɐ buıʇɔnpuoɔ ʇnoɥʇıʍ ǝɹɐ ǝɹǝɥʇ spןoɥǝsnoɥ ʎuɐɯ ʍoɥ ǝʇɐןnɔןɐɔ noʎ uɐɔ ʍoɥ
¿snsuǝɔ ɐ buıʇɔnpuoɔ ʇnoɥʇıʍ ǝɹɐ ǝɹǝɥʇ spןoɥǝsnoɥ ʎuɐɯ ʍoɥ ǝʇɐןnɔןɐɔ noʎ uɐɔ ʍoɥ
1.4.10
Don't Mess with Texas
"Our science standards are light years ahead of any other state when it comes to challenging evolution!" - Don McLeroy, Texas State Board of Education
11.11.09
Bailout update
The Motley Fool calculates the current bailout, including amounts issued or guaranteed by the Federal Reserve, the FDIC, and the Treasury at $10,155,300,000,000.00. There are just over 305 million people in the United States. A $10.155 trillion bailout distributed equally would provide about $33,296.07 per person.
In 2005 just under 100 million individuals who filed tax returns owed taxes to the IRS. A $10.155 trillion bailout distributed equally to taxpayers would provide right at $101,553.00 each.
In 2005 there were 48,394,000 mortgages in the United States. Rounding up to 50 million mortgages, a $10.155 trillion bailout would provide about $203,106.00 per mortgage.
In 2007, approximately 1,300,000 mortgages were subjected to some form of foreclosure activity. If we more than doubled that up to, say, 3 million mortgages at risk of foreclosure, a $10.155 trillion bailout would provide about $3,385,100 per mortgage at risk of foreclosure.
But the thing is, it's not really a bailout, it's just a very risky investment... buying up credit instruments that can no longer be secured by the private companies that agreed to secure them because... well, because they assumed that nothing bad would happen and if it did the taxpayers would have their back.
And so we do.
(Note: a great deal of this amount has been transferred back to the FDIC from the institutions its release was intended to rescue, so use the above merely as an illustration rather than a statement of facts)
In 2005 just under 100 million individuals who filed tax returns owed taxes to the IRS. A $10.155 trillion bailout distributed equally to taxpayers would provide right at $101,553.00 each.
In 2005 there were 48,394,000 mortgages in the United States. Rounding up to 50 million mortgages, a $10.155 trillion bailout would provide about $203,106.00 per mortgage.
In 2007, approximately 1,300,000 mortgages were subjected to some form of foreclosure activity. If we more than doubled that up to, say, 3 million mortgages at risk of foreclosure, a $10.155 trillion bailout would provide about $3,385,100 per mortgage at risk of foreclosure.
But the thing is, it's not really a bailout, it's just a very risky investment... buying up credit instruments that can no longer be secured by the private companies that agreed to secure them because... well, because they assumed that nothing bad would happen and if it did the taxpayers would have their back.
And so we do.
(Note: a great deal of this amount has been transferred back to the FDIC from the institutions its release was intended to rescue, so use the above merely as an illustration rather than a statement of facts)
25.6.09
"As you get over 30% [market share] and higher I am sure there is a point where government is compelled to intervene." - Lee Scott, CEO of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. speaking about Tesco's domination of the British retail food market in August 2005.
Wal-Mart currently controls about 20% of the US grocery market (link)
Wal-Mart currently controls about 20% of the US grocery market (link)
16.6.09
Star Wars bounty hunter character sketches
Though based on depictions of the characters and situations in "The Empire Strikes Back", these sketches are entirely my own:
Boba Fett: (no introduction needed) A career heavy still pained by the shameful death of his father, Fett has devoted himself to mastering every conceivable situation. While some say he puts more effort into appearances than effectiveness, his record remains impressive and his bearing almost never fails to inspire respect. Fett's customized armor and array of sophisticated weaponry put him in a league of his own in combat situations, but can sometimes overburden him in other contexts. He makes up for poor social skills and shortage of trusted contacts by paying handsomely for tips (and reacting with prejudice to sources of bad information)
Bossk: Bossk (the lizardy one) takes bounty hunting very seriously. His father was a reasonably successful bounty hunter, but died before his son learned how to hiss. Bossk uses his father's guns but, being of much slighter build, has assembled his own uniform (which he always wears) from items culled from some of the best-known underground hunting boutiques in the galaxy. He subscribes to the Empire's "Bounty Hunt" premium holographic channel and idolizes Boba Fett, though his many attempts at communicating with the famed hunter have all gone unanswered. Bossk despises Dengar, who always seems to show up for the same contracts, for his perceived lack of personal pride and his undeniable disdain for personal hygiene.
Dengar: Dengar (the bandaged one) fell into bounty hunting after a long career as a bar bouncer. The many favors owed him from some of the galaxy's most depraved scum and villainy have served him well in his current career, as has his knack for getting quickly to the point and always with the upper hand. He has little patience for other professionals in his field, although he does observe their methods, particularly those employed by droid bounty hunter IG-88. He considers himself every bit as capable, if less flashy, than Boba Fett. Dengar's ratty attire, constant sneer, and sharp body odor limit his sphere of operations to seedier areas, a limitation he accepts without shame when putting in for jobs.
IG-88: (the robot one) A droid custom-built and programmed for the hunt by a reclusive master, IG-88 brings a unique set of skills to his field. Perhaps his single greatest advantage is his utter relentlessness, as he knows no distraction from his quarry. IG-88 is also able to move through the galaxy attracting little notice as droids are routinely ignored by all classes of living creatures. His multiple processors, culled from all major droid types, also allow him to interface with most facility computers without leaving a trail. Though he wouldn't recognize the problem, he has virtually no ability to communicate with sentient life forms except to process contracts. Many attempts have been made to engage him as an assistant, but are always rebuffed with a dismissive "bleemp-dop".
Zuckuss: (the insectoid one) New to bounty hunting, outer-rim native Zuckuss brings an outsider's alertness to his surroundings to the task of hunting. That quality is enhanced greatly by his hyper-attenuated visual and aural senses, capable of penetrating vast distances and many barriers. He overcomes a deficient long-term memory by painstakingly recording his operations in a multi-layered holographic chip implanted in his brain. Lacking the creativity to construct a proper course of investigation, Zuckuss routinely tracks other hunters on big jobs and snatches the quarry just before they reach it. He is lucky not to have been discovered at his art, but has roused some suspicion from Boba Fett.
Boba Fett: (no introduction needed) A career heavy still pained by the shameful death of his father, Fett has devoted himself to mastering every conceivable situation. While some say he puts more effort into appearances than effectiveness, his record remains impressive and his bearing almost never fails to inspire respect. Fett's customized armor and array of sophisticated weaponry put him in a league of his own in combat situations, but can sometimes overburden him in other contexts. He makes up for poor social skills and shortage of trusted contacts by paying handsomely for tips (and reacting with prejudice to sources of bad information)
Bossk: Bossk (the lizardy one) takes bounty hunting very seriously. His father was a reasonably successful bounty hunter, but died before his son learned how to hiss. Bossk uses his father's guns but, being of much slighter build, has assembled his own uniform (which he always wears) from items culled from some of the best-known underground hunting boutiques in the galaxy. He subscribes to the Empire's "Bounty Hunt" premium holographic channel and idolizes Boba Fett, though his many attempts at communicating with the famed hunter have all gone unanswered. Bossk despises Dengar, who always seems to show up for the same contracts, for his perceived lack of personal pride and his undeniable disdain for personal hygiene.
Dengar: Dengar (the bandaged one) fell into bounty hunting after a long career as a bar bouncer. The many favors owed him from some of the galaxy's most depraved scum and villainy have served him well in his current career, as has his knack for getting quickly to the point and always with the upper hand. He has little patience for other professionals in his field, although he does observe their methods, particularly those employed by droid bounty hunter IG-88. He considers himself every bit as capable, if less flashy, than Boba Fett. Dengar's ratty attire, constant sneer, and sharp body odor limit his sphere of operations to seedier areas, a limitation he accepts without shame when putting in for jobs.
IG-88: (the robot one) A droid custom-built and programmed for the hunt by a reclusive master, IG-88 brings a unique set of skills to his field. Perhaps his single greatest advantage is his utter relentlessness, as he knows no distraction from his quarry. IG-88 is also able to move through the galaxy attracting little notice as droids are routinely ignored by all classes of living creatures. His multiple processors, culled from all major droid types, also allow him to interface with most facility computers without leaving a trail. Though he wouldn't recognize the problem, he has virtually no ability to communicate with sentient life forms except to process contracts. Many attempts have been made to engage him as an assistant, but are always rebuffed with a dismissive "bleemp-dop".
Zuckuss: (the insectoid one) New to bounty hunting, outer-rim native Zuckuss brings an outsider's alertness to his surroundings to the task of hunting. That quality is enhanced greatly by his hyper-attenuated visual and aural senses, capable of penetrating vast distances and many barriers. He overcomes a deficient long-term memory by painstakingly recording his operations in a multi-layered holographic chip implanted in his brain. Lacking the creativity to construct a proper course of investigation, Zuckuss routinely tracks other hunters on big jobs and snatches the quarry just before they reach it. He is lucky not to have been discovered at his art, but has roused some suspicion from Boba Fett.
1.10.08
Mortgages
There are just over 305 million people in the United States. A $700 billion bailout distributed equally would provide about $2,295 per person.
In 2005 just under 100 million individuals who filed tax returns owed taxes to the IRS. A $700 billion bailout distributed equally to taxpayers would provide right at $7,000 each.
In 2005 there were 48,394,000 mortgages in the United States. Rounding up to 50 million mortgages, a $700 billion bailout would provide about $14,000.00 per mortgage.
In 2007, approximately 1,300,000 mortgages were subjected to some form of foreclosure activity. If we more than doubled that up to, say, 3 million mortgages at risk of foreclosure, a $700 billion bailout would provide about $233,000 per mortgage at risk of foreclosure.
But the thing is, it's not really a bailout, it's just a very risky investment... buying up credit instruments that can no longer be secured by the private companies that agreed to secure them because... well, because they assumed that nothing bad would happen and if it did the taxpayers would have their back.
And so we do.
In 2005 just under 100 million individuals who filed tax returns owed taxes to the IRS. A $700 billion bailout distributed equally to taxpayers would provide right at $7,000 each.
In 2005 there were 48,394,000 mortgages in the United States. Rounding up to 50 million mortgages, a $700 billion bailout would provide about $14,000.00 per mortgage.
In 2007, approximately 1,300,000 mortgages were subjected to some form of foreclosure activity. If we more than doubled that up to, say, 3 million mortgages at risk of foreclosure, a $700 billion bailout would provide about $233,000 per mortgage at risk of foreclosure.
But the thing is, it's not really a bailout, it's just a very risky investment... buying up credit instruments that can no longer be secured by the private companies that agreed to secure them because... well, because they assumed that nothing bad would happen and if it did the taxpayers would have their back.
And so we do.
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