Multiple Layers of Stupidity

Back on the USTAFISH in the yards we were conducting a battery charge. I was ship's duty officer and was asleep in the duty stateroom. I woke up to pee and heard Maneuvering announce, "Rig ship for reduced electrical" but in my sleepy condition missed, "There is a battery charge in progress etc."

I heard the fans roaring so I went to the fan room and rigged it for reduced electrical, which you should not do during a battery charge. Immediately, "Securing the battery charge!" was announced on the 1MC.

Now, officers should never do anything on a submarine without an enlisted man in tow. That has been my policy before and since. I got to call the Engineer and CO to tell them what I did, and had to have a large helping of crow served up to me from the CO. Not to mention that the battery charging electrician was staring daggers at me the whole time.

CA IOUs: Are they constitutional?

Article 1 of the Constitution: Section 10. "No state shall enter into any treaty, alliance, or confederation; grant letters of marque and reprisal; coin money; emit bills of credit; make anything but gold and silver coin a tender in payment of debts; pass any bill of attainder, ex post facto law, or law impairing the obligation of contracts, or grant any title of nobility."

It is plainly unconstitutional for CA to issue IOUs. But I'm not a lawyer.

Broccoli to your Health?

Well, I haven't eaten flour for ten days. I am trying to get off all white sugar, white flour, and other additives. Not that I'm the picture of health or anything.

While the wife was away I ate a lot of vegetables, especially broccoli.

I find the "steamfresh" broccoli in the bag to be no different than frozen broccoli microwaved. Plus, the frozen broccoli is much cheaper to boot. Mom was right, eat your broccoli.

Big Banks to Refuse CA's IOUs.

It gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling to realize that my wife and I will be carrying CA since we will get a tax refund, I mena, IOU this year soon.

Maybe next year we will file in a timely fashion.

Fireworks and the Dog

My little buddy, Ted the dog, does not like fireworks. Every time he hears one, he starts barking.

It's 9:30 pm and he is throwing a fit of barking. I know that it will get worse. We tried doggy downers (phenobarbital for dogs) last year without success. So I am playing loud music at my computer to cover up some of the noise.

11 PM update: Little Barkington is all barked out and is sleeping on the couch.

What if "they" wanted to build an automobile?

But the parts suppliers were out of business? Think about it. What would it take to restart a production line for wiring harnesses if Atlas Shrugged? [Later edit: Don't worry, Detroit, Tax Cheat Timmy has your back.]

Boeing faces a different type of supplier problem with their Dreamliner 787. In their case, the suppliers couldn't do the job.

Rigging Topside for Dive, 1983

So the COB and I were rigging topside for dive and the last thing on the list was to close the Weapons Shipping Hatch with a monster wrench.

I was standing under the COB as he was doing this and the wrench slipped out of his hand and fell five feet or so where it glanced off my forehead. Damn, it hurt. The Executive Officer wanted to send me to see the Doc but I begged off.

Maybe that is what is wrong with me.

Which Ten Commandments?

The various faiths are all over the place about WHICH ten commandments are which. [small pdf file] Somebody is believing in a false ten commandments. To think that the christian god deposited the tablets with Moses is an incredible unbelievable tale.

I'm no bible scholar, but even in fourth grade figured out that the resurrection story had to be impossible. When you are dead, that's it. I had my mother for sunday school in fifth grade and I can still recall questioning her about the creation timeline only being six (or is it seven?) days. Drove her crazy with all my questions.

Believe what you want. Our founding fathers wanted it that way.

Hey, it's in San Francisco!

You can get a one bedroom condo for only 550,000! Will wonders never cease?

I don't have many absolutes, but I've told my wife I will never buy into a planned community or condominium under any circumstances. I don't want to live where I must get permission from others or pay a monthly management fee.

Ten hard and fast financial rules:

1. Only buy term life insurance. Life insurance is a bet, not an investment.

2. *Never* buy an annuity of any kind. You convert what would otherwise be lightly taxed capital gains to regularly taxed ordinary income, and your heirs lose the step up in basis upon your death.

3. *Never* buy a limited partnership.

4. You can go broke taking tax deductions.

5. Harvest tax losses on depressed stocks at the end of each year.

6. Save at least twenty percent of each paycheck.

7. Always set aside as much tax deferred [401K, IRA] money as possible.

8. Most people have a thirty year time horizon. So invest in the stock market.

9. Real estate is a place to live, not an investment. Never buy a condo, timeshare, or housing with a homeowner's association.

10. *Never* buy rare coins or stamps. Young people aren't going into the hobbies of stamp or coin collecting, so demand in the future will be much less.