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My Archives: August 2009

Monday, August 24, 2009

So the Sun Sentinel ran an article on a snack food tax.

Now the article is not bad. It brings up some data, and points of view on the matter and wraps it up with a little bow. It is a nice story that is about as boring as it can get. No major celebrities in a scandal, no political corruption. An article that does it's best to remain neutral. That is not what I am going to do here. The simple fact is that obesity in the US is a problem. A big fat one. [1][2] We did not get fat because we were eating apples and oranges and having salads. The obesity problem happened because we ate Frito's instead of an apple. And we did from the comfort of our couch and the the remote control in the other hand and a bottle of Coke on the coffee table in front of us.

So the article mentions the good, bad and undecided in how a sin tax affects areas and people. Let me make a few points. Taxing cigarettes works. [3]. Now it is not just taxing but a general public attitude in a negative manner toward smoking. However we have gone a bit to far on the taxing of cigarettes to the point where those who want to smoke are creating a black market for it. [4]. If we create the image of making smoking an underground activity we will return to the days of prohibition and backdoor smoking establishments. But the tax has helped cut down on smoking. A tax on Twinkies and Ho Ho's and similar items would do the same. However is that enough? No, of course not. When you shop look at the price of organic foods and hormone free milk. It costs more. In a bizarre manner healthy foods cost more. Also they don't taste as good as some of the packaged junk foods. look if you had a choice between brussel sprouts and double stuffed Oreos most are going for the Oreos. That is because we like taste of Oreos better. I am also one of those. Broccoli has no place in my home. I can't stand the stuff. It tastes nasty. Sure it's good for me but that is not enough for me to suppress my gag reflex.

Now when you get to that basic a level as to what tastes good you begin to understand why someone will get their lunch at McDonald's 5 days a week. We eat what we like. So why should we go for a sin tax? Because so many of us have turned our brains off. We stuff our face with four bags of Salt & Vinegar chips and don't realize that this is not a good thing. Programs like Overeaters Anonymous didn't come about because people used the reasoning side of their brain. They came about because we listened to our brain tells us we were hungry and we need to deal with this now. Snack foods do a great job of dealing with that issue. They don't do a great job of supplying our body with nutrients our body needs.

So when it comes to eating many of us are stupid. So should we arrest them? Unlike what many think it is a crime to be stupid in Florida. It is called culpable negligence.[5]. No, because then we would fill the prisons with fat unhealthy people. So we tax the foods they eat. Then we make sure the prices on things like fruits and veggies(except broccoli) aren't cost prohibitive. A bag of chips should not be cheaper than a good granny smith apple. A bottle of lemonade should not cost twice as much as a bottle of coke.

I am not saying that we should eliminate junk food. I want junk food. I like junk food. However I am smart enough to realize that I should not eat Arby's Beef and Cheddar 5 times a week. That I need to get off my arse and ride my bike more. However I can easily do 40 miles on a bike and spend an hour do a winery tour and continue to ride with a bottle of wine in one hand. I may not ever be a GQ model but my cholesterol level is way below 200. I may hate broccoli but I make my own homemade healthy foods. I still eat the porterhouse but I lift 50 lbs beehive boxes on a regular basis. So if you want to tax my Twinkies and Ho Hos, go for it. Just make the price of my organic lemons a little cheaper.

Posted by understudy @ 10:03 PM EST [Link] [No Comments]

Thursday, August 20, 2009

I mount my Android on to my FreeBSD 7.2 under the following method.

As root:
# mkdir /usb (You only need to do this once)
# chmod 777 /usb
Plug in Android
On the Android tell it to mount the SD card.
On the FreeBSD box
as root
# mount_msdosfs /dev/da0s1 /usb <--- Note /dev/da0s1 may need to be /dev/da*s1 *== the number of the device.
As regular user you can view and transfer files as needed.
When done
as root
# umount /usb
On the Android
unmount the G1
Unplug and enjoy.

Posted by understudy @ 06:41 PM EST [Link] [No Comments]

Thursday, August 6, 2009

I recently listened to one of my favorite talk shows on my way down to work in Miami. The talk show is the known as the Love Doctors. It is a caller generated show and so most of the content and topics come from the callers. One of the members of this crew is Dr. Rich(not a real dr), he is an older gentlemen who does very often try to balance topics for the show. He will take an opposing point of view just for conversation sake. One of the sidekicks is a mensa reject called Lexus. She is suppose to represent the bimbo brigade. She is attractive and about as smart as a box of rocks. Now a recent conversation with Lexus about parents who by mistake left their child in a car had come up between the two of them. No caller input on this item just the two of them discussing the news and I find myself agreeing with the bimbo brigade.

In that conversation Dr. Rich said they should be punished so that other parents don't do this to their kids for the insurance money. Not based on the merits of the case or the circumstances involved, but as an example to others. I called into the radio show and yesterday and spoke with Rich about it. I was on the phone for almost an hour. Trying to explain the legal difference between neglect and intent and also to explain that not punishing them is not going to set off some crime wave of parents wanting to knock off their kids for the insurance money. Other callers joined in most with about the same intelligence level as Lexus. Proclaiming what great parents they were and how they would never make such a mistake.

Most people missed the point. That prosecution of these two was not going to prevent some massive crime wave of infanticide that they say was going to happen. I find nothing to suggest that there is this huge trend of parents to cook their kids in order to get the insurance claim. Raising children is still part of some of the most basic instinct of who we are as humans. I am not saying that some parents don't hurt or kill their kids but to say that this is some huge trend is utter nonsense and having to punish parents who made a mistake a terrible mistake in order to avert this trend is lunacy.

Now I accept that Rich may have played off me for radio show entertainment. I can even respect it. It what the show is designed for. However the true craziness came from my wife a woman who is extremely intelligent. Logic and reason are not foreign concepts to her. I explained that I was on the radio show talking about the involving the child that died and the issue of whether the parents should be punished or not. When she said they should be punished as example to others. I was devastated. She is agreeing with the sensationalist view of a talk show host over a trend that does not exist.

My wife is a wonderful woman entitled to her own thought process but I do not and will not agree with this. You should not use a devastated couple as an example to others because of something you fear other people might do. I can understand possibly charging the parents with neglect and giving them community service, but I doubt even that is necessary. I understand that in regards to the father their are some added circumstances involving the hospital. This is not some parent who went into a bar for a few hours got drunk and left their kid in the car which shows intent. Those types of cases should be prosecuted harshly again not as example to others but because it is a heinous situation.

I understand using the laws and justice system to send a message. This however borders on conspiracy corner.

Posted by understudy @ 08:18 AM EST [Link] [3 comments]

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