Category: Right Conduct

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A Company That Does Things Right

When I first purchased my 2006 Mazda MX-5 Miata, I purchased a set of WeatherTech® All-Weather floor mats. They worked fine for many years. Eventually the mat on the driver’s side wore through. So I jumped on the Internet to find a 2857_1_lgreplacement set. I did so at AutoAccessoriesGarage.com. I plugged in the year and make of vehicle, and up popped a set that appeared to be the same as the set I was replacing. I ordered them.

They arrived in a timely fashion. Upon opening the box in preparation of replacing the old I discovered the mats were minus the retainer holes that the retainer pegs go into for the driver’s side mat. I thought about returning them, but returning something is a hassle. I thought at worse it would be a minor inconvenience, so in they went.

I rock along for a few weeks, occasionally having to reposition the mat, but for the most part not thinking about them. One day as I was accelerating hard to get onto the freeway, the car’s engine would not stop racing or accelerating. I bumped the gearshift into the neutral position to give myself some time, Continue reading “A Company That Does Things Right”

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Jog On, Young Father, Jog On

To the young father jogging pushing a jogging stroller with his small child therein:xxx

You looked at me sheepishly when I glanced your way as rode toward you on my bicycle. No need to do that, puff your chest out. How much more comfortable you must be in your skin than I was at the same age. You probably could not have gotten me to do that for love nor money as I erroneously thought it was not a manly activity.   It was my lost.

I am glad this generation of fathers does not have that hang up. What could be a more manly activity that participating in the care of your children.

Jog on, young father, jog on.

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Lawsuit Claims Obama Discriminated Against American Workers.

The CF continues.  Apparently the Obama administration is in bed with InfoSys.  To quote from the article from Computerworld in this link Court case offers a peek at how H-1B-fueled discrimination works :37.1784

“The passage of the Affordable Care Act brought with it a burst of IT spending and hiring. The District of Columbia, for instance, hired offshore outsourcing firm Infosys for $49.5 million to build its Healthcare Exchange.

The India-based Infosys brought in H-1B visa holders to work on the government project. And of the approximately 100 Infosys employees working on the healthcare project, only three were American, according to a civil lawsuit filed in federal court.”

Just to be clear the discrimination they are referring is against citizens of the United States in the IT field.

To quote from another article Lawsuit: Tech Company Hired to Build D.C. Obamacare Website Discriminated Against Americans Continue reading “Lawsuit Claims Obama Discriminated Against American Workers.”

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Theodore Roosevelt — Socialist

socialism1Theodore Roosevelt was frequently called a Socialist. The primary reason being that he had an extraordinary sense of fair play. He sided with labor when he thought that the just thing to do, and against capital when he thought they had overstepped their bounds.

I have on occasionally been called a Socialist, generally by folks totally ignorant, at least of the true meaning of socialism. But that criticism includes a vast majority of the right leaning media.

I love Teddy’s response to being called a Socialist:

“Because of things I have done on behalf of justice to the workingman, I have often been called a Socialist. Usually I have not taken the trouble even to notice the epithet. I am not afraid of names, and I am not one of those who fear to do what is right because someone else will confound me with partisans with whose principles I am not in accord. Moreover, I know that many American Socialists are high-minded and honorable citizens, who in reality are merely radical social reformers. They are oppressed by the brutalities and industrial injustices which we see everywhere about us. When I recall how often I have seen Socialists and ardent non-Socialists working side by side for some specific measure of social or industrial reform, and how I have found opposed to them on the side of privilege many shrill reactionaries who insist on calling all reformers Socialists, I refuse to be panic-stricken by having this title mistakenly applied to me.”

If socialism is really defined as not letting the privileged run over the less fortunate, then I am Continue reading “Theodore Roosevelt — Socialist”

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A quote from Theodore Roosevelt for our times

Theodore_Roosevelt-PachWe of the great modern democracies must strive unceasingly to make our several countries lands in which a poor man who works hard can live comfortably and honestly, and in which a rich man cannot live dishonestly nor in slothful avoidance of duty; and yet we must judge rich man and poor man alike by a standard which rests on conduct and not on caste, and we must frown with the same stern severity on the mean and vicious envy which hates and would plunder a man because he is well off and on the brutal and selfish arrogance which looks down on and exploits the man with whom life has gone hard.

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Repeal the Second Amendment Bumper Sticker

jesus-gunThe 2nd Amendment is a disaster and should be repealed.  The NRA and gun lobby are doing a huge disservice to our country. IMHO, their actions and positions are immoral.  For the various reasons that I think this way please read:
Hey Ted Nugent…Guns are not toys

I briefly considered making a bumper sticker that read, “Repeal the 2nd Amendment”.

I do not have any doubt that it would be the end of my vehicle, or at least the end of my vehicle looking nice.  The gun “rights” nuts would not respect my right to free speech.

And yes I am an agnostic, but the Jesus that I read about in the New Testament was a socialist and anti-establishmentarian.  The likelihood of Jesus being a Republican matches the likelihood of Ayn Rand voting Democrat.  I personally believe that Jesus would throw the NRA out of Congress along with the money changers aka lobbyist.

So it goes.

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Minimum Wage Over Time

Comparing the value of labor over time is apparently not that straight forward. I was wondering about minimum wage. When I graduated high school in 1970 kennedy-half-dollar(gasp… yes) the minimum wage was $1.60. I dropped out of college after a year, and I went to work in a factory for somewhat more than the minimum wage. After a few months I had raises that put me up to $2.60 an hour which was nearly 60% higher than minimum wage. Even at that astronomical wage, even without a car to support, even with living in basically a slum apartment, I was having a hard time making ends meet. I had to be careful with every penny. I had a crisis back then that wiped out very quickly what little savings I had. I had absolutely no benefits. A medical emergency would have been a financial disaster.

Using data as calculated on the website, Measuring Worth , I came up with the following data:

Current data is only available till 2012. In 2012, the relative worth of $1.60 from 1970 is: Continue reading “Minimum Wage Over Time”

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The Real Meaning of Black Friday

Wal-Mart heirs occupy slots 11, 14, 16 and 17 of the richest people on the Planet! Yet many of its employees are forced into public welfare programs due to low wages and their HR policies. If you work and are willing to work full-time should not have to get public assistance to make ends meet. That is the real Black Friday…a day of mourning for the American retail worker.

Make A Change At Walmart