In business, the future is uncertain. We plan to achieve long range goals.
In life, the end is certain. Live the journey.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Mental Health Sensitive Court Calendar
Cheers to Superior Court, and Judge Jan R. Jurden, for acknowleding the unique challenges that our mentally ill constituents face when dealing with the judicial system and managing their treatment. Calling it "Mental Health Court", the Court has set aside a separate calendar to more effectively assist these clients in graduating out of the viscious cycle in which they many times find themselves.
And the Court is coordinating its efforts in the light of national movements as well.
And the Court is coordinating its efforts in the light of national movements as well.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
PHL Ranked Best Major Airport - JD Powers and Associates fall down on the job
Frustrated Fliers Rank Best, Worst Airports - Money News Story - WCAU Philadelphia Philadelphia International Airport the best!?!?! Really??? What are they smoking?
I have lost all confidence in the JD Powers organization's ability to accurately study and report. I have flown extensively. Philadelphia International is by far the worst large airport that I have been in. I will go to great lengths to avoid it, because of the delays and their 90% proven track record of losing my luggage. Yes... 90% of the time that I fly out of PHL, my luggage is mishandled and misplaced.
Perhaps the flaw in the study was because they were interviewing people who are still flying from that airport? Maybe they should interview the refugees like me, instead?
I have lost all confidence in the JD Powers organization's ability to accurately study and report. I have flown extensively. Philadelphia International is by far the worst large airport that I have been in. I will go to great lengths to avoid it, because of the delays and their 90% proven track record of losing my luggage. Yes... 90% of the time that I fly out of PHL, my luggage is mishandled and misplaced.
Perhaps the flaw in the study was because they were interviewing people who are still flying from that airport? Maybe they should interview the refugees like me, instead?
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Good Riddance
Today in the News Journal I read that a group of teens have started a "boycott Christiana Mall" campaign. The mall has recently required parental or adult supervision on certain weekend and evening hours.
The teens reasoning ranges from... they come there to spend money, so they shouldn't be excluded... to... they have the legal right to drive, so they should have the right to go in the mall.
Well, Christiana Mall is private property. As such, within certain constitutional limits, the owners can exclude who they want to, when they want to. We have no "right" to demand access to another person's private property.
It has been the boisterous, disrespectful, and criminal behaviour of some amongst the teen crowds which have made the mall unpleasant and unsafe for society and the mall employees. Certainly it is not all teenagers who act this way at the mall. But the restrictions imposed seem reasonable and appropriate.
Adult and parental supervision is lacking in our society now across the board. Not just in the malls but everywhere. The lack of personal and parental responsibility is a significant factor in many social problems that we face.
The teens reasoning ranges from... they come there to spend money, so they shouldn't be excluded... to... they have the legal right to drive, so they should have the right to go in the mall.
Well, Christiana Mall is private property. As such, within certain constitutional limits, the owners can exclude who they want to, when they want to. We have no "right" to demand access to another person's private property.
It has been the boisterous, disrespectful, and criminal behaviour of some amongst the teen crowds which have made the mall unpleasant and unsafe for society and the mall employees. Certainly it is not all teenagers who act this way at the mall. But the restrictions imposed seem reasonable and appropriate.
Adult and parental supervision is lacking in our society now across the board. Not just in the malls but everywhere. The lack of personal and parental responsibility is a significant factor in many social problems that we face.
Friday, June 27, 2008
D.C. vs Heller; The Supreme Court Speaks Out on Civil Rights
Yesterday the United States Supreme Court defended our citizens' civil rights again!
In the case of District of Columbia vs Heller, the Court confirmed that we still have the individual right to keep and bear arms as set forth in the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution.
A full copy of the Opinion (link below) may take us a while to read and digest, but the short answer is... our bulworks of freedom have withstood another assault from those who would erode our civil rights.
DCvHeller.pdf
One perspective on the concept of "militia" that I have not yet seen addressed in my skim of the Opinion, is that it is important to remember when conducting this analysis that The United States was formed and initially defended by individuals with their own personal firearms who assembled and dared to stand up against the previous government. The Constitution clearly states that we are at least to maintain that. How are we to maintain this ability if we change the meaning of "militia" to now mean the army of the government? The armed forces of These United States (which I fully support) are yet still the standing army of the government that the "militia" could be called upon to oppose, should the federal government continue to try to erode our individual and states' rights.
Some say that the National Guard is the new militia. I suggest to you that the evolution of the National Guard has taken it many strides from the constitutional concept of the militia. How different really is the National Guard from the standing federal army? I say it is not so different, when a stroke of the pen from the President can nationalize and mobilize the National Guard.
But alas, the horse is dead. The result of the Decision is correct. And we can still yet live in a free America.
In the case of District of Columbia vs Heller, the Court confirmed that we still have the individual right to keep and bear arms as set forth in the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution.
A full copy of the Opinion (link below) may take us a while to read and digest, but the short answer is... our bulworks of freedom have withstood another assault from those who would erode our civil rights.
DCvHeller.pdf
One perspective on the concept of "militia" that I have not yet seen addressed in my skim of the Opinion, is that it is important to remember when conducting this analysis that The United States was formed and initially defended by individuals with their own personal firearms who assembled and dared to stand up against the previous government. The Constitution clearly states that we are at least to maintain that. How are we to maintain this ability if we change the meaning of "militia" to now mean the army of the government? The armed forces of These United States (which I fully support) are yet still the standing army of the government that the "militia" could be called upon to oppose, should the federal government continue to try to erode our individual and states' rights.
Some say that the National Guard is the new militia. I suggest to you that the evolution of the National Guard has taken it many strides from the constitutional concept of the militia. How different really is the National Guard from the standing federal army? I say it is not so different, when a stroke of the pen from the President can nationalize and mobilize the National Guard.
But alas, the horse is dead. The result of the Decision is correct. And we can still yet live in a free America.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Safe Kids Card
The State of Delaware is giving parents the opportunity to take advantage of the Safe Kids Card Child Identification Program, which keeps records every parent should have on hand in one place, in case of an emergency situation where a child is missing.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Protack Off-Track
In today's Wilmington News Journal, candidate for governor, Mike Protack's plan for dealing with illegal immigration is unveiled. I suggest that it is misguided and the costs are severely underestimated.
It seems to me that the real problem we are facing in this regard is the under-collection of taxes as compared to the increase in public services provided. And this is because employers are breaking the laws by hiring illegal workers and by refusing to collect the wage taxes and withholdings. It seems from the article that Mr. Protack agrees with this concept.
Where we differ then is in how to deal with the problem. Protack suggests that by equipping the police with better technology, and by requiring everyone above the age of 16 to carry official identification, the government can make sure they know who is in the State and what they are doing. I say hogwash. The government is invasive enough as it is.
The cost of the technology and ID cards is miniscule as compared to the cost of harassment to all of us, illegals and legals alike. And Protack suggests that everyone that shows up on the computer as illegal be arrested on the spot and handed over to immigration officials. Does he have any clue what cost that would pose on our police systems? I can see it now... busloads of undocumented persons being bounced back and forth between Dover and Philadelphia because nobody has room for them and nobody will accept them. That plan is doomed.
Why don't we attack the problem where the problem is? The problem is with employers not collecting the taxes and withholdings. The problem is the wink-and-nod culture that we have cultivated here in America, by Americans, and for American greed. If we enforce the laws which require the collection of taxes and withholdings, then the rest of the problem will go away. We won't need multi-Billion Dollar boondoggle fences and other extreme losses of the personal liberties we cherish. Harassing the immigrants only attacks the symptom of the problem, not the cause of the problem.
It seems to me that the real problem we are facing in this regard is the under-collection of taxes as compared to the increase in public services provided. And this is because employers are breaking the laws by hiring illegal workers and by refusing to collect the wage taxes and withholdings. It seems from the article that Mr. Protack agrees with this concept.
Where we differ then is in how to deal with the problem. Protack suggests that by equipping the police with better technology, and by requiring everyone above the age of 16 to carry official identification, the government can make sure they know who is in the State and what they are doing. I say hogwash. The government is invasive enough as it is.
The cost of the technology and ID cards is miniscule as compared to the cost of harassment to all of us, illegals and legals alike. And Protack suggests that everyone that shows up on the computer as illegal be arrested on the spot and handed over to immigration officials. Does he have any clue what cost that would pose on our police systems? I can see it now... busloads of undocumented persons being bounced back and forth between Dover and Philadelphia because nobody has room for them and nobody will accept them. That plan is doomed.
Why don't we attack the problem where the problem is? The problem is with employers not collecting the taxes and withholdings. The problem is the wink-and-nod culture that we have cultivated here in America, by Americans, and for American greed. If we enforce the laws which require the collection of taxes and withholdings, then the rest of the problem will go away. We won't need multi-Billion Dollar boondoggle fences and other extreme losses of the personal liberties we cherish. Harassing the immigrants only attacks the symptom of the problem, not the cause of the problem.
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