Newbrew

OK, This is Cool

The Wizzer, from Mattel:



and of course, Hot Wheels!

Excited and Depressed

OK, these should be mutually exclusive.  But, in this case, they're not.  I went into the Apple Store at Northpoint mall today to get a technical question answered.  That took about 1 minute.  On the way out of the store, I stopped to look at the newest MacBook Pro 15".  The same model I bought just over 1 year ago is WAY better than mine.  It's the new single shell aluminum body (less flexing, high quality), 2.53 GHz processor, twice the ram to 4GB (faster too), 250GB of disk (more than my 200), the new LED screen, an SD card slot, 256MB shared VRAM (OK, mine is dedicated!), faster bus speed than mine (1066 vs my 800).  Here's the kicker, it's $1,699.  I paid $1,999 for mine.  The only thing I got that was better was the dedicated video memory.  If I wanted to pay the same today, I'd get a 2.66 GHz processor (mine is 2.4 at present), all the stuff above, 256 of dedicated VRAM with a faster video processor and a 320GB hard drive, And this machines is REALLY fast. 

OK, must make tons of money so I can get this and hand down this old clunker I have.  Just 1 hour ago I loved it.  Now, I feel cheated. 

Not a Good Thing

South Carolina.  A place for good beach vacations.  Golf courses.  Good restaurants.  Fun times.  PRIDE.  In the 1830's, South Carolina threatened to succeed from the union.  TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION.  President Jackson (my hometown was named after him) talked them down.  Then 30 years later, South Carolina was fed up with a growing central government which wanted to control everything.  South Caroline left the United States.  NO (for those folks who know nothing about history), not because of slavery.  Why?  TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION!  Slavery was going away (I wish due to moral reasons, but more so in this case due to economic reasons.)  South Carolina, like most southern states, did not want it's economy to be "controlled" by an overbearing federal government, much like the original 13 did not want their economies controlled by the crown. 

Read this!  http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/06/04/south.carolina.sanford.stimulus/index.html.  The federal government and now the South Carolina State Supreme Court is forcing South Carolina to take funds it does not want nor need.  Why?  The Feds are doing this so they can then control the state.  The State Supreme Court is because even they are out for the power they believe comes with this money.  The governor is doing the right thing.  But, not so with the "masses".  When the governor announced his plans, lawsuits were filed by two students and a school administrators' association that sought to force the state to accept the stimulus money, some of which will go for education needs.  These lawsuits have now ended with this ruling.  It was bad enough fighting the feds  But to have to fight your own people?  Where do they think this money comes from?  Do they think it's just 'free money"?  It's not.  It's either our money or it's borrowed from China.  It all has to be repaid.  I'm all for funding education.  It should trump welfare, healthcare, sports stadiums and more.  BUT, if you don't have it, you don't have it.

South Carolina should say "NO".  Our declaration of independence and the constitution are sacred.  Perhaps the only things better are the words of Jesus himself.  I hope South Carolina defies the Federal Government and shows them that the STATES are sovereign lands.  THEY and their people own the Federal Government.  And power flows from the STATES telling the Feds what to do.  At the state level, elected officials and employees there work for the people.  That doesn't mean they do what the people/masses want them to do.  It means they do what best represents their interests.

OK, I"m glad that is out!  Time to enjoy life.  And perhaps only with power at the people level can we really enjoy life.  With our rights to Life, Libery and the Pursuit of Happiness!