Amazon

I got a bad shock a couple of weeks ago...took me a while to get over it.

A year or so ago, I discovered that Amazon was allowing people to publish their blogs on the Kindle. People who did so receieved a 30% commission.So, if a person's blog cost 99 cents to subscribe to, the author would receive 30 cents for each one. If the blog cost $1.99, the blogger would receive 60 cents.

However, the blogger has no control over how much Amazon charges for the blogs. And they ALL start at $1.99.

After a while, some blogs drop to 99 cents...no one knows why, while some stay at $1.99.

So it was with me. I had established somewhat of a blog publishing empire. I published 10 blogs...indeed, more than that, as I figured quantity of blogs would help my income.

I had three successful blogs. After about 5 months, one of them had 70 subscriptions. It cost 99 cents, and had done so for about a week after I'd started it, so I was quite happy with getting 30 cents per sub.

Of my other two blogs, one had over 90 subs, and was $1.99. THe other had over 160 subs, and also cost $1.99

So, to recapituatle, I had 2 successful blogs that were earning me 60 cents a piece, and I continued to get subscriptions every single day.

Then, a week or so ago, mid-month, I saw to my horror that my two very successful blogs had been reduced in price to 99 cents. So my income was reduced in half. For the month of September, I earned $170, in October, my income will be $90. I'd anticipated getting 1000 subs by early next year, which would have earned me $600. Now, it will be $300. That's a loss of $300.

Well, I was mad enough to spit. The more so because my 7 blogs that have 1, 2, 3 or 4 subs...still cost $1.99!!!!!

I emailed Amazon's "help desk" and requested, astringently, that my blog prices be put back to $1.99, but I was refused.

So, it's taken me a week or so to recover from my fury. I'm still in the process of shutting down my blogs - I'm not going to help Amazon - at least the Kindle portion of it - earn any money. (The more so because they've also cost themselves money by reducing my prices!)

My one very popular blog, The Rush Limbaugh Report, continues to get subscriptions. I am allowing it to continue for a while - hell, I need the money, even if it is half of what I should be getting - but as soon as my desktop publishing books take off, I'll dump these things.

Update on Colorado's Road Workers

I'd meant to amend this entry several days ago, but time got away from me.

I'd posted how Colorado road workers were out on a Sunday, blocking a 6-mile stretch of road, despite the fact that the road looked quite fine.

Well...that's because it was fine. It had just been laid, as I found out the next day. I encountered more delay going up the highway on the holiday Monday, but this was road workers pouring concrete in another lane.

So I came to the conclusion that the lane closure that had irritated me the other day must have been because "they" want a newly poured concrete road to set undisturbed for 48 hours or more, before trucks start driving over it.

Now, as Terry Pratchett puts it in Thief of Time, (although I'm paraphrasing because that book is now hiding somewhere in my new house), New information calls for a new conclusion, but does not render incorrect the old conclusion, based on the knowledge had at the time.

In other words, just because I was wrong in the previous case about road workers being paid triple time for no good reason, isn't to say that they don't on average get paid a heckuva lot for standing around doing very little. (3 supervisors to 1 worker, etc.)

Brett Favre

Brett Favre has not said, "It's a lie" when asked about the allegations made against him by a few women in New York. So, although I had initially hoped that it wasn't true, I'm beginning to think that it is.

(How fascinating that the women involved didn't decide to complain until two years later. Had Favre refused to pay blackmail to them?)

Anyway, his actions aren't as bad as Tiger Woods, as far as having relations with over 30 women, but they are as stupid.

Here's a guy with a wife and kids, in the public eye, making money in endorsements, and he sends text messages and photos to women in the New York Jets organization? And he doesn't expect this to come out and tarnish his image.

It's just stupid!

Colorado Road Workers

It's Sunday.

Earlier this afternoon, I drove into Colorado from Texas, on North 287. A little ways into the state, I came across traffic ahead of me come to a complete stop. Fortunately, I'd just filled up the car with gas and both my mom and I had had our bathroom break (hint: any time you have the chance to go to the bathroom, do so!) so it wouldn't have mattered how long we would have had to sit there, it was just annoying.

Suddenly cars zoom past us on the other side (it's a two lane road)...and I'm thinking...what is this, is one lane blocked off or something? In other words, I had an intimiation of what was going on, but I couldn't believe it was going on on a Sunday.

Finally, we got to go forward, and my suspicious proved correct. A 6 and 1/2 mile lane of traffic was blocked off, and so there were stop/go flagmen at each end. Pressumably they'd hold up one side for 30 minutes ,then the other side for 30 minutes, to let traffic on either side go through.

On a Sunday.

But it was more than that. Down the center of the road were large orange barrels, marking off the lane into which we were not supposed to go.

And that lane was pristine. No one was working on it then, and it had not been worked on. People could have driven over it easily. (Indeed, I could see no reason for them to repair it if that indeed was what they were planning to do, it looked perfect.)

So. The road was not dug up. There was no reason in the world why both lanes couldn't have been open on a Sunday. Today's modern drivers are perfectly capable of avoiding the center median with large orange barrels running down it.

Yet the lane was closed off and drivers were being inconvenienced, and for what? So about 20 highway "workers" could get Sunday overtime (or is Sunday double time) pay for standing around doing nothing?

On this 6 mile stretch of road, there was 1 flagman at the point where I started, and we passed two flagmen, one at about 2 miles each, and I had no idea why he was there with his little stop and go sign since obviously no one was going to stop driving. But perhaps it's union rules, if flagmen are used they have to be deployed every two miles whether they are needed or not.

At the end of the lane where we were allowed to get back into our own lane in order to continue on normally, there was a flagman, there was a flagman relaxing in a truck, and a flagman talking to him. All these guys getting paid needlessly on a Sunday.

In addition, there was no equipment anywhere. If the road was going to be torn up, why wasn't the equipment sitting on the side of the road, ready to roar into use on Monday? (And what exactly was wrong with the road, anyway!??? Because it looked great - brand new, not a pothole to be seen.)

It just makes no sense.

Don't put Super Glue Near Your Eyedrops!

Winnipeg Free Press: US woman mistakenly uses super glue instead of eye drops

PHOENIX - A woman accidentally glued an eye shut when she mistook super glue for her eye drops.

KSAZ-TV says Irmgard Holm of Glendale had cataract surgery a year ago. She was reaching for what she thought was one of her half-dozen eye drop medications. The burning sensation told her immediately something was seriously wrong.

Holm says the eye drops and the super glue bottles are nearly identical.

After putting super glue in her eye, Holm says she tried washing it out. But the quick-drying substance did what it was supposed to and sealed her eye shut.

Holm got to the hospital and staff cut off the hardened glue covering her eye. Once the eye was opened, doctors washed it out to prevent major damage, KSAZ-TV reported.

I'll have to track down a Phoenix report on this, because some details are left out. My dad had cataract surgery on both eyes. And 24 to 48 hours after the operation, he could see just fine. So this woman must have had pretty bad eyesight for some other reason, if she'd had cataract surgery a year ago.

But the main point is - why does she keep her superglue in among her eye drop bottles?

Tip: Keep SuperGlue out of the reach of children and people who can't see very well.

It's always something

I learned further details about our little house problem today.

Originally, we were scheduled to close Oct 1. That got pushed back to Oct 8. So the woman who owned the house had an extra week to finish moving out of her house - but she didn't.

In addition, the reason why the closing is now pushed back 2 WEEKS is because the woman owed back taxes on the house, and she needs a form from the IRS proving that she's going to pay them - or that she'll give partial proceeds of her payment from us to the IRS, or whatever.

(Seems to me, we should have just been able to pay the back taxes and take over the property!)

Anyway, that's also something we didn't find out until yesterday. So fortunately the garage is clear, and my da has started unpacking tings into the garage, but whn my mom and I arrive we are going to have to stay for 2 weeks in BAQ (military quarters for retirees) because of this delay.

I think the woman should have to reimburse us for this extra expense, but apparently taht's not going to happen.

But I must say I am not impressed with the efficiency of this woman or her realtor, or our realtor come to that!

A closing date should be a closing date

My dad arranged to buy a house in Cheyenne, WY. He did it long distance - my sister lives in Cheyenne and she scoped out houses and talked with the realtor, etc. My dad decided on one, and we've had such a hassle getting the loan. I won't go into that, except to say that the process of buying a house, even when you have the money to buy it flat out, is just a pain.

But, the closing on the house was supposed to take place on Oct 8. And the people from whom we've bought the house have known that we've bought the house and were expecting to move in on Oct 8.

So you'd think that they would have had all their furniture and other stuff out of the house at least a week ago.

But, not so.... they are still moving out.

That may not necessarily be stupid as just inconsiderate....but, no...really, it's stupid as well. Unless they needed the downpayment money that wouldn't be delivered until the 8th to fund their move, I suppose....

Nevertheless, it's annoying, as my Dad showed up on Oct 8 with a truck full of our household goods from VA, and he can't start unpacking them yet. And each day he has to keep that truck is costing him money.

So I'm hoping he'll be able to deduct the daily cost of keeping that truck from his payment to the original house owners, because it's their fault that he's paying extra money each day.

Baseball uniforms without names!

I'm watching the San Francisco Giants vs the Atlanta Braves, and the Giants have no names on the backs of their jerseys. So I, who follow such teams as the Minnesota Teams (damn those Yankees!)and the Seattle Mariners, have no idea who these guys are and it sure would help me ID these guys if their names were on their jerseys.

Same thing with the Yankees. Of course everyone knows what Jeter and Alex Rodriguez looks like, and probably A-Rod as well, and probably Andy Pettite...but what about the other guys?

It's just not baseball, of course. In women's college basketball, Pat Summitt took the names off the back of her team's jerseys a few years ago, as an exercise in team building, apparently. Apparently there'd been some friction because Candace Parker had been getting so much press, and the other young ladies were jealous. So she takes off the names, so casual fans who tune in to watch the game are harmed. Everyone will know who Candace Parker is, but the rest of the team? They are effectively reduced to a supporting cast.

I believe the names are back on the jerseys this year for the Lady Vols, however. Thank you, Pat Summitt!

Misleading Headlines Do A Disservice to Article

This was the headline on Yahoo News about the attempt to rescue the 33 Chilean miners who have been trapped underground for almost a month now:

Chile list says which miners should go first, last

Now that headline makes you think, doesn't it, that the list is a list of specific miners - perhaps the wealthiest ones get to go first, or ones with kids or something.

But no so, it's a list that decribes personalities - the types of people who will be rescued to start with, and so on down the line.

It actually makes a heckuva lot of sense and shows a lot of professionalism.

Here's the article:

By MICHAEL WARREN and EVA VERGARA, Associated Press Writer Michael Warren And Eva Vergara, Associated Press Writer – 55 mins ago
SAN JOSE MINE, Chile – Before 33 trapped Chilean miners can begin their passage to the outside world, still more people will join them down below to make their journey as smooth as it can be.

These men — an elite group of three paramedics with the Chilean navy's special forces and 13 rescue experts with the state-owned mining company Codelco — will work in shifts during the 48 hours it could take to evaluate the men and strap them into the escape capsule for their 15-20 minute ride to the surface.

And the paramedics will be empowered to change a list, already prepared, that suggests the order of the miners' rescue.

The list is based on daily examinations of the miners' physical and mental health and strength of character during more than two months of captivity, Cmdr. Renato Navarro, the Chilean navy's submarine chief, told The Associated Press on Thursday.

The first one up should be someone capable of handling a frightening setback in the narrow shaft, and describing how the next ones up might avoid problems, Navarro said.

"The most able miners will leave first — those who can better describe to the next how they might avoid the potential problems that the capsule might encounter. Then those with illnesses or who suffer from one problem or another. And finally the last to surface are the strongest physically or in terms of their character."

Navarro would not reveal the list's suggested order, since it may change before the miners are pulled out if a miner suffers a health setback, and since the paramedics who descend into the mine will ultimately make their own judgment calls. "The paramedics will have the last word," he said.

Among the most physically fit of the miners is Edison Pena, an athlete who said he has been running 10 kilometers a day down below.

Next come those with chronic illnesses, like Jose Ojeda with diabetes and Jorge Galleguillos with hypertension, and those who are older, like Mario Gomez, the oldest at 63.

Last up will be those considered most capable of handling the anxiety of being left behind as their comrades disappear one by one.

Candidates include the paramedic Yonny Barrios, or Jose Henriquez, who has been leading twice-daily prayer sessions. But many people believe the last miner up will be shift supervisor Luis Urzua, whose disciplined leadership was credited with keeping the men alive on an emergency food supply during their first 17 days without contact from the outside world.

"It could be Urzua, but it's still not confirmed. The concept of a captain being the last one to abandon ship could be applied," Navarro acknowledged.

Those who know Urzua are sure he'll insist on going last.

"He's going to prefer that his team leaves ahead of him," said Robinson Marquez, a neighbor and former coworker of Urzua's who describes him as extremely patient and calm.

"He's going to make sure that all of the men leave, and leave well," added Robinson's wife, Angelica Vicencio, who has led a nightly vigil outside the Urzua home in Copiapo.

"He's a very good guy — he keeps everybody's spirits up and is so responsible — he's going to see this through to the end," she said.

When the last trapped miner goes up the shaft, two men will be left behind, and then one. Navarro said it will most likely be one of the paramedics, since they are trained to handle even their own medical emergencies, should one arise.

These paramedics — Sgt. Roberto Ros Seguel, Corp. Patricio Roblero Abarca and Sgt. Cristian Bugueno Olivares — have long experience treating trauma victims, aiding escapes from confined spaces and surviving hostile situations.

"They're among the best in Chile when it comes to rescues," Navarro said.

While the "Plan A" and "Plan C" drills have been slowed by efforts to keep them on target, "Plan B" resumed Thursday with fresh drill bits carving through the final 291 feet (89 meters).

Mining Minister Laurence Golborne said the "Plan B" shaft should reach the miners' cavern some 2,000 feet (624 meters) underground by Saturday, or possibly even late Friday, and that the rescue could begin anywhere from two to 10 days later, based on a technical evaluation of the risks involved.

The countdown hinges on whether they use steel piping to line the walls of the shaft. It could reduce the risk of a rock fall or other obstruction jamming the capsule, but inserting straight pipe of half-inch-thick steel through a curved and fractured section of the shaft also risks clogging the hole or knocking rock loose. If sections of the pipe break apart, it could set back the rescue significantly.

Golborne said the finished shaft will be thoroughly examined with a video camera, and only then will engineers decide whether to leave the shaft unreinforced, insert steel part way or encase the entire shaft, a process that would delay the rescue for another 10 days.

"They are all possible alternatives," Golborne said. "There are risks and benefits we have to think about."

Drivers in Tennessee and Arkansas!

Actually, I probably shouldn't single out drivers in Tennessee and Arkansas, as stupid and inconsiderate drivers exist everywhere. It's just that I've just been driving through those two states, and for the first time on the trip came across some rude drivers.

One of course was a taxi driver, who couldn't wait 30 seconds while I figured out if the speed of traffic would allow me to merge onto the highway from an access road.

The other guy...well...the initial problem was my fault, as I did get onto a highway with too slow of a speed, because somehow I hadn't seen this big ol pickup truck coming. So I quickly veer onto the shoulder, to give him the opportunity to zoom past me, which he could have done with ease. Instead, he slowed down and stayed behind me, so I assumed he was slowing down to allow me to get back on the highway. So I veer back on the highway, into his lane, and then he honks angrily, moves into the left hand lane and zooms past me, gives me the finger, and peals away. And I'm wondering - why didn't you just zoom past me in the left lane to begin with? Jerk.

When you're a driver from one state going into another state, and you've got the tell-tale license plate that identifies you as a newbie, you'd think other drivers would give you some slack. Every state has its own laws about u-turns, for example. Lots of cities have very weird traffic patterns, and their on-ramps and off-ramps are confusing, not to mention their frontage roads.

On Friday, I drove through Dallas on 30W, right about 4 o'clock or so. 5 lane highways in both directions, with the HOV lanes seemingly permanently blocked off with concrete blocks, and nobody working construction anywhere. We were in bumper to bumper traffic. There, at least, I came across a few drivers who reacted to my turn single and allowed me to change lanes, which I thought was very kind. But driving in Dallas in rush hour is not a fun activity, and I really wonder what they are doing with this road construction. Indeed, I think that whole day, driving down 30W from Arkansas into Texas and onward toward Burlington, there were lanes blocked off for construction and no construction going on. Even if it was a Friday, you'd think they'd work up until about 5 o'clock - if they were actually working...