Category: Thoughts

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From Google Reader: China wants microbloggers to register with the government, hand over real identity

My thoughts?! Boo, I say, boo!!!
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Weibo

Thought that Facebook’s and Google+’s requirements that you use your real name were draconian? Just be thankful you’re not a weibo addict in China. The government is planning to expand a program that demands users register their real names and disclose their identity. Wang Chen, China’s top internet regulation official, said the eventual goal would be to get all 250 million microbloggers registered, starting first with any new users signing up. The obvious privacy and free speech issues that could arise from such a move shouldn’t need to be explained — especially considering the country’s track record of censorship and politically motivated arrests. Sadly, unlike SOPA, putting an end to this troubling law isn’t as simple as putting up a black banner or emailing your congressman.

 

from Engadget

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Netflix: How I got Screwed

Netflix had it for me. I could watch practically humongous selections of TV shows and movies online be it on my laptop, at home, or on my Android phone. And if one wasn’t on that streaming list, I could just have the DVD/Blu-Ray sent home. No late fees and life was great. But as the pic above shows for me, they just changed the plan.

Instead of $12/mo. for 1 DVD/Blu-Ray plus unlimited streaming, they were gonna split it up at $8 each, which meant that it was now going to be $16/mo.+$2 extra if I wanted Blu-Ray option. I get it. I understand that it’s expensive to ship all those DVDs and that they underestimated how popular discs are still and how expensive it is to ship them and process them, but for someone like me who borrowed DVDs that Netflix just didn’t carry for streaming, I rarely rented the discs. Now I am forever penalized?!

You know what, Netflix?! We used to have a great relationship… now you screwed it up for me. So you know what I’m gonna do?! I thought about just sucking it up and getting the (now) $18/mo. plan (which will be about $20 after tax and such). However, I said I’m gonna let Netflix know how I feel…

How do I do that?! By poking where it hurts. My spending that $8/mo. on Hulu Plus.  You see, one weakness… actually TWO weaknesses, of Netflix are these: 1) stream selection still has a LONG way to go… there are hardly less than 20 Korean movies and 2) the latest/current seasons of TV shows take forever to become available.  Hulu Plus solves that!

So you know what, Netflix?!  Go shoot yourself in the foot, ’cause that’s what you are doing now! Keep it up and I might just have to quit you!

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So Many Dictators Around the World

MARTIN BUREAU/AFP/Getty Images

AP News

In case you’ve been living in a cage past month, there’s been a protest and uprising in countries like Tunisia, Egpyt, and now Yemen.  What I hadn’t realized due to my own ignorance is that those countries, in addition to other countries, have been under a totalitarian ruling for several decades.

What makes it even worse is that many of those are backed by our own government!  How the hell did that happen?!  In short, it’s because of our “interest”.  We don’t want to pay for $5/gallon gasoline price.  We have patrolled a bit too much out of our own interest.

There are so many countries that suffer under dictator rule.  I thought only Cuba and North Korea were dictatorial countries (except for Iraq during Saddam Hussein’s rule).  Not so.

If you google to see how many are under dictatorship, it’s 11.  77 countries are under “pseudo democracy“.  People are beyond miserable around the world.  Sure there is some sense of “stability” under dictatorship.  But would you call that freedom?  Would you call that democracy?  I immediately think of 1984 by George Orwell where freedom no longer exists and communist/totalitarian ruling.

When we trade comfort and our selfish needs at the cost of freedom and people, we are no longer fit to be human.  I am waking up from my own Matrix.  I must resist too much comfort and fight for others’ freedom.  Down with dictators!!!

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Ted Williams: Encouragement to Start the New Year

Do you need an encouragement in starting 2011? Has life been tough? It has been for many of us, if not all of us. Well, I came across the story of Ted Williams, a homeless man with an amazing voice. Just listen to his story and it will just move you and encourage you.

CBS News has an interview that has on this man who has encountered life of difficulties and failures and managed to encounter God.  If his story doesn’t encourage you and challenge you to live carpe diem, I don’t know what will.

This is yet another fine example that everyone has a calling.

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Texas Comptroller Cutting 12000 Elementary Teachers?!

Update 01/13/2011:

Someone from my area e-mailed her directly for clarification and here’s her answer:

January 11, 2011

Mr. ******

Dear Mr. *****:

Thank you for your message concerning our recent Financial Allocation Study for Texas (FAST) report.

The education of Texas school children is among the state’s highest priorities. The recommendations in the FAST report are intended to provide school districts with options to manage their budgets during these difficult times.

The FAST report does not recommend firing Texas teachers; the report recommends replacing the current 22-students-per-classroom cap in grades K-4 with a requirement that districts maintain an average of 22 students per teacher for those grade levels. In practice, this would give school districts the flexibility to have slightly more than 22 students in a particular class as long as it was offset by a classroom with fewer than 22 students. In this way, districts could determine student class size based on the needs of their particular students and district rather than a state-set mandate.

To read a detailed description of our recommendation to allow school districts to maintain an average of 22 students per teacher, please see Page 31 of the FAST Appendix, which can be found at www.fastexas.org/study.

In addition, we have recommended a study of the growth in school district administrative positions. Reducing growth of these positions could result in increased resources for teachers. Please see Page 32 of the FAST Appendix for more information on this recommendation.

Legislative action would be required to adopt any of these recommendations, which may be discussed in the 82nd Legislature convening Jan. 11. If you would like to contact your state legislators concerning education policy, you can find their contact information at www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us.

We hope this information is helpful.

Sincerely,

Susan Combs

Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts

So if the above e-mail is indeed true (and it starts at page 30, not 32), then I would like to do the decent thing by retracting my anger towards the Comptroller.  I guess I will not read from The Dallas Morning News anymore.

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As I am about to go to sleep, I come across this disturbing news that the newly elected Texas comptroller is planning to cut 12,000 elementary school teachers to save $500 million! What the %23@#!$!$

Of all the stupid things to do to save money, you cut education?! Cut your own salary first! Even more infuriating is the fact that I see this on her website!

Combs

I added the red circle to point out that she promised two things she’s breaking as we speak! What kind of baloney is this?! How is she FOR education by destroying the basic foundation of the education: elementary schools?! Kids first get exposed to school through this system and I can’t see any of my kids being happy to hear that their teachers may not return next year!

I am soo mad right now! I hope people take notice and address this!

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“Rain Man” Conversations During Lunch

We went to Starfire Grille for lunch today.  We were eating our meals when a father and son duo walked in.  Didn’t think much of it at first except for a bit loud son.  He soon got loud and I soon figured out that he was mentally challenged.

He was rather loud.  We kept eating.  Until JJ brought up the issue.  He asked what’s with him and normally, I’d have bypassed the conversation until I realized that every opportunity can be an opportunity to learn.  So we had our conversation that no one is best at everything.  And that some of us are born with certain conditions that may seem worse than others on the surface.

We talked about “Rain Man” and “Forrest Gump” and the kids seemed to take it in well.  I had told them that most of the time, these mentally challenged people are not hurtful though they may seem so on the surface.  Most of how your kids see others, I believe, are stemmed from how you as parents teach and raise them.  If I had taught my kids to be afraid or be mean to people who are different, chances are that would have everlasting impact on their future behavior.

I am thankful that the opportunity surfaced and that the kids took it in well.