tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85035707584742497192024-02-21T01:27:54.492-06:00We Can Do Better Than This“Idealism is fine, but as it approaches reality, the costs become prohibitive.” -- William F. Buckley, Jr.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8503570758474249719.post-24472621222553307212014-04-01T22:12:00.004-05:002014-04-01T22:16:56.362-05:00Tease...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Here's a tease. :) It's coming along... The right side of the image shows an earlier demo running on an emulator for the first time.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyIxX8kaGGwFEvb_ENipxOYaKWXsP3wXFCocuXGXA4a4pWsJSFzqK_C8cbm5W3eVJEMZtD4CzyW6Adjy0-iVpCXfPXJJailTb3cDefaPjTrljhaZJcYCchDph17vMOhclN9T3JTeswNKw/s1600/tease.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyIxX8kaGGwFEvb_ENipxOYaKWXsP3wXFCocuXGXA4a4pWsJSFzqK_C8cbm5W3eVJEMZtD4CzyW6Adjy0-iVpCXfPXJJailTb3cDefaPjTrljhaZJcYCchDph17vMOhclN9T3JTeswNKw/s1600/tease.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8503570758474249719.post-51012930929736408632013-11-15T00:49:00.001-06:002013-11-15T00:49:13.631-06:00New Majora's Mask Clock Widget Beta In The Works! (v.3.13.11.15)<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
I have just uploaded a new beta to the Play Store. This is one focuses on making the settings screen more appealing. To that end, I have completely removed ads and have separated the settings into 3 pages: Behavior, Sound&Vibration, and Graphics. There is also a fourth page which gives my email address and provides an easier access to donations, without having a huge DONATE button on the screen the whole time. :)</div>
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<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-YXa3EcNvqqE/UoXBTdBfSRI/AAAAAAABNX4/ti9BcEW9pW4/s1600/Screenshot_2013-11-14-23-48-43.png" imageanchor="1" style="border: 0px; color: #6611cc; cursor: text; margin: 0px 1em; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-YXa3EcNvqqE/UoXBTdBfSRI/AAAAAAABNX4/ti9BcEW9pW4/s320/Screenshot_2013-11-14-23-48-43.png" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="180" /></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jVXq4Om_mC4/UoXBWVrEstI/AAAAAAABNYA/lpkU72xL5EY/s1600/Screenshot_2013-11-14-23-48-52.png" imageanchor="1" style="border: 0px; color: #6611cc; cursor: text; margin: 0px 1em; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jVXq4Om_mC4/UoXBWVrEstI/AAAAAAABNYA/lpkU72xL5EY/s320/Screenshot_2013-11-14-23-48-52.png" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="180" /></a><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-GMvlsefgJtY/UoXBc_oE9fI/AAAAAAABNYI/vN1aA6EMf5s/s1600/Screenshot_2013-11-14-23-49-05.png" imageanchor="1" style="border: 0px; color: #6611cc; cursor: text; margin: 0px 1em; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-GMvlsefgJtY/UoXBc_oE9fI/AAAAAAABNYI/vN1aA6EMf5s/s320/Screenshot_2013-11-14-23-49-05.png" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="180" /></a><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-iIPwGHKCzOA/UoXBlmhOGcI/AAAAAAABNYQ/07OzUM0IUJ4/s1600/Screenshot_2013-11-14-23-49-10.png" imageanchor="1" style="border: 0px; color: #6611cc; cursor: text; margin: 0px 1em; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-iIPwGHKCzOA/UoXBlmhOGcI/AAAAAAABNYQ/07OzUM0IUJ4/s320/Screenshot_2013-11-14-23-49-10.png" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="180" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8503570758474249719.post-28344828750365950902013-10-18T13:59:00.002-05:002013-10-18T13:59:50.218-05:00Everything It Touches (Turns To Crap) On YoutubeI've uploaded the song to Youtube now. You can watch with the lyrics displayed as captions (might take a bit to sync the captions with the video):<br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Wqw8enpiEIE" width="420"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8503570758474249719.post-51299210897007704542013-10-16T15:08:00.000-05:002013-10-16T16:34:42.708-05:00Everything It Touches (Turns To Crap)I've made a song (dance style) using clips from Mark Levin's radio show (and a single clip from Rush's show; he sings backup, my wife's favorite element of the song, lol :) ).<br />
You can play it here. I strongly recommend headphones!! :)<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/115650972" width="100%"></iframe><br />
<br />
<strike>I'll edit this post later with the lyrics pasted below.</strike><br />
Apparently I have this song memorized. I didn't have to consult the song once to type these up, lol. :)<br />
<br />
<h3>
Lyrics</h3>
<h4>
Chorus</h4>
<div>
Everything it touches turns to crap</div>
<div>
Rush (after 1st chorus): Everything this has touched...)<br />Everything it touches turns to crap</div>
<div>
Rush (after 1st chorus): ...has gone to excrement)</div>
<div>
Everything it touches turns to crap</div>
<div>
Rush (after 1st chorus): ...has gone to excrement)</div>
<div>
Everything it touches...turns to crap</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
Verse 1</h4>
<div>
Big government is a wrecking ball, turns everything to crap.</div>
<div>
Look at the great disaster done by those bureaucrats!</div>
<div>
Our liberty is in a thousand pieces - to the left it doesn't exist.</div>
<div>
Scores of bureaucracy killing wealth, this market's extremely sick.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
[Chorus]</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
Verse 2</h4>
<div>
Society is destroyed by these temporary politicians.</div>
<div>
Listen to how they speak and how they look at the Constitution!</div>
<div>
They've been grabbing power as fast as they can - that's all they do is grab!</div>
<div>
Land grabs! Health care grabs! Job and industry grabs!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
[Chorus]</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
...turns to crap.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
Bridge</h4>
<div>
Economy's crap right now.</div>
<div>
The job market's crap.</div>
<div>
The housing market's crap right now.</div>
<div>
Let's recap.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
[Bridge]</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
[Bridge simultaneous with Chorus x 2]</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
Verse 3</h4>
<div>
When did they seize all of this authority, which does not belong to them?</div>
<div>
"In the name of the people" you stole it!</div>
<div>
You violate the Constitution!</div>
<div>
When we vote, we get to decide whether we change Washington!</div>
<div>
Conservatives, come roaring back! (back...back...)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
[Chorus x 2]</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8503570758474249719.post-88757617974165985242013-10-15T23:15:00.000-05:002013-10-15T23:15:02.759-05:00All You Need To Know About The Potential U.S. Default<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">BACKGROUND INFO (you can skip this):</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">The definition of default is, "failure to fulfill an obligation, esp. to repay a loan".</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">The obligation of the U.S. is the interest on the debt, amounting to (in 2012) <a href="http://www.cbpp.org/cms/?fa=view&id=2713">$220 billion</a> dollars. If the U.S. fails to pay this interest it will default.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">The U.S. takes in, <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffreydorfman/2013/10/03/dont-believe-the-debt-ceiling-hype-the-federal-government-can-survive-without-an-increase/">without borrowing</a>, <a href="http://www.usgovernmentrevenue.com/fed_revenue_2012US">$2.5 trillion</a> (or $2500 billion, again in 2012). <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaJtjJNrWf0">Do the math</a>, and you can see that we take in more than 10 times what is needed to pay our interest - in other words we have the money, without borrowing, to pay our debts and prevent default.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">The President of the United States, Mr. Barack Obama, is the direct authority over the Treasury Department. The Treasury Department has the authority to prioritize what it spends money on. The <a href="http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/amendmentxiv">14th amendment (section 4)</a> requires our debts to be honored. The constitution therefore places our debt payments above any other payments.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">The President of the United States, President Barack Obama, <a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SwordOfPlotAdvancement">swor</a>e twice, <a href="http://youtu.be/6kCGBpFnu-I?t=26s">once</a> in 2009 and once in <a href="http://oeis.org/search?q=2012">2012</a>, to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">THE LOGIC:</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">- The constitution requires the U.S. debt be honored (i.e. that we do not default).</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">- U.S. defaults only when the interest was not paid.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">- The interest is only not paid when we don't have enough money OR we choose not to spend the money on the interest.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">- We have enough money, therefore we chose not to spend the money on the interest.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">- We only choose not to spend the money on the interest if the Treasury or Congress makes that choice. For Congress to make this choice, it must intentionally pass a bill NOT to pay the interest.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">- Congress has not passed such a bill, therefore the choice not pay the interest could not have originated from Congress. The choice must have originated from the Treasury Department.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">- The President of the United States has direct authority over the Treasury Department and can thus direct its actions. Thus, if the Treasury Department chose not to pay the interest, the President either allowed it, directed it, or had it happen without his knowledge.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">- Given the President's attention to the current issue, it is unlikely that the Treasury Department would make the choice without the President's knowledge. Pending any evidence supporting this, it is most likely that the President allowed the Treasury Department not to pay the interest on the debt, or directed the Treasury Department to do so.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">- Since the President swore to honor the Constitution, we can conclude that he swore to honor each section of the Constitution. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">- Since honoring the debt is a section of the constitution, it can be concluded that his oath to uphold the Constitution included honoring the debt.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">- Relying on earlier points, we can conclude that he swore that he would neither direct nor allow the Treasury Department not to pay interest on the debt (which would cause the default).</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">∴ (therefore), If the U.S. defaults, the President has violated his oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Most of this research is creditable to <a href="http://marklevinshow.com/">Mark R. Levin</a> and <a href="http://www.marklevinshow.com/common/page.php?pt=October+15%2C+2013&id=6033&is_corp=0">sources</a> he has cited on his radio show over the past few years.</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8503570758474249719.post-72454440904894160632013-10-15T22:54:00.000-05:002013-10-15T22:54:14.142-05:00Majora's Mask Clock Widget v.?.?.?So, yeah, I guess I should say the widget is back and running. Got my source code backed up to a repository now, so should have this issue again, lol. :)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8503570758474249719.post-28099387277453394562012-09-19T19:29:00.003-05:002012-09-19T19:29:28.489-05:00SEVERELY BAD NEWS!!<br />
I've lost the source for this project. I won't be able to update or do bug fixes unless I am able to recover it. I switched to a new computer, and when everything had transferred over, I switched my online backup to the new computer, and then realized I hadn't transferred my source files. Then my old hard drive crashed.<br />
<br />
I'm trying to recover the data now...<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8503570758474249719.post-80697535470099185072012-02-26T21:42:00.000-06:002012-02-26T21:42:37.614-06:00Crow/Howl Fixed! (Beta Download Available)You can download the beta for the Crow/Howl fix <a href="http://www.4shared.com/android/jQitgZOG/MajorasMaskClockWidget_221.html?">here</a>.<br />
<br />
I'm testing it over the next 24 hours; if it seems to be working, I'll post it to the Market tomorry.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8503570758474249719.post-80019131811989176422012-02-22T22:25:00.000-06:002012-02-22T22:25:02.599-06:00No Crow/Howl/Dawn/Dusk Sound? Download This Old Version!If your phone is (and I suspect all are) not playing the dawn/dusk sound anymore due to the recent update (2.3, 2.31), you can download version 2.21 <a href="http://www.4shared.com/android/jQitgZOG/MajorasMaskClockWidget_221.html?">here</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8503570758474249719.post-41902132750299731612011-08-14T23:59:00.000-05:002011-08-14T23:59:23.633-05:00Majora's Mask Clock Widget Meets Back-To-SchoolI've made some progress on fixing a number of bugs and adding some features. Unfortunately, classes start tomorrow, so updates will again be slow. I'm going to try to push out an update fixing the display bugs on Gingerbread phones, followed by others as the semester goes on.<br />
<br />
I found a book that should help with some questions I've had about this app, and I've been managing my time a bit more effectively (research polyphasic sleeping), so hopefully I'll still stay on top of this thing. :)<br />
<br />
I'll still be reading your emails and bug reports, so don't hesitate to send them.<br />
<br />
Oh, and check out the awesome FAQ I (finally) made! :)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8503570758474249719.post-79095331254478139362011-08-06T08:53:00.004-05:002012-01-29T23:13:01.583-06:00FAQ - Majora's Mask Clock Widget<div>Q: I can't open the clock. How do I view/open the clock?</div><div>A: This is a widget, so it's not a regular app. Widgets are displayed on your homescreen. To add it to your homescreen, find a big enough space, tap and hold and select "Widgets". Scroll to the Majora's Mask Clock, and tap it.</div><div><br />
Q: How do I read the clock?<br />
<br />
A: Essentially, the rings replace the hands:<br />
The inner circle is the hour hand, the outer circle is the minute hand. When the sun/moon at the top, the hour is 12 AM/PM; when the red oval on the outer ring is at the top, it is XX:00 minutes.<br />
There is an online Majora's Mask clock on deviantart.com with the corresponding time in digital format <a href="http://alfredoava.deviantart.com/art/Majora-s-Mask-Working-Clock-65400062">here</a>.<br />
<br />
</div><div>Q: How do I change the settings?</div><div>A: Tap the widget or open the app from the app drawer.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Q: I am a HUGE Zelda fan! Have you thought about making ________?!</div><div>A: First I want to get this app down solid, then I have another app (an Earthbound/Mother 2 one :-D) that I'll be making. I am however open to suggestions, so feel free to email me ideas.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Q: On my phone this problem happens. Should I report it to you?</div><div>A: YES! First try restarting your phone and/or reinstalling the app. If it doesn't fix it, or it continues, report it.</div><div> Please, PLEASE, report ALL errors in the following format:</div><div style="text-align: left;"> Very specific, but concise, description of the problem</div><div style="text-align: left;"> Phone model</div><div style="text-align: left;"> OS Version</div><div style="text-align: left;"> Custom ROM and/or homescreen launcher (e.g. GoLauncher, Launcher Pro etc.)</div><div style="text-align: left;"> Majora's Mask Clock Widget version (go into the settings or view it in Market).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Q: The sound doesn't work.</div><div style="text-align: left;">A: This app uses the media volume, so first make sure that's turned up.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> It <i>might</i> have a problem with some music apps, though I haven't heard of any instances of this.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Q: It stops updating/it doesn't work.</div><div style="text-align: left;">A: If you have a task killer (UNINSTALL IT!), make sure the clock is added to the whitelist. If you have one of them fancy X10 mini pros or a Gingerbread device, there might be an incompatibility issue there. Don't fret! I plan on developing for all phones eventually, but some Gingerbread phones (specifically the Xperia line) have trouble with this app.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Q: Is there tablet support?</div><div style="text-align: left;">A: Kinda. I know it works on some tablets, but I haven't specifically developed for them yet.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Q: Could you add ____? Could you change the way it ______?</div><div style="text-align: left;">A: Maybe. If I like your idea, I just might. :) Send me a feature suggestion (keep it precise and concise).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Q: I have some sounds/graphics you might want to use!</div><div style="text-align: left;">A: Excellent! BUT I won't necessarily use them; there's a high caliber there. Also, keep in mind, I'm ripping most of the graphics/sounds straight from the game, so the position is, to a large degree, filled.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Q: What features have you got planned?</div><div style="text-align: left;">A: <strike>The kerchunk sound is in the works (working on it right now, 'smatter of fact).</strike> I got an awesome request, from Stephi, make the bell tolls a customizable alarm, so that's planned. And I'd like to make the tap action customizeable, but that's a bit harder than I thought it'd be.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Q: I have a question not answered in this FAQ.</div><div style="text-align: left;">A: Send questions, bug reports, and feature requests to <a href="mailto:bdixon5@gmail.com">bdixon5 at gmail dot com</a>.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8503570758474249719.post-31188515941245595472011-07-01T00:27:00.000-05:002011-07-01T00:27:51.242-05:00Majora's Mask Clock Widget (Update! v. 2.2)The clock sound preferences now stay checked/unchecked as you choose.<br />
<br />
Also, that battery drain and minute-long howl session at 6 PM June 30th has been fixed. Turns out, they were related. Apparently, I had coded the app to cycle seconds, minutes, hours, and days, but not months! So yesterday at 6PM the app thought it should update itself (i.e. switch from the night mode to the day mode) at 6AM...July FIRST! Then the phone would get this alert "Hey, update that widget!" and it would do the same thing, over and over. At 6:01 PM, the sound would stop, but the app would keep refreshing in the background.<br />
<br />
Such a simple bug - took me hours to find it. >_<Unknownnoreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8503570758474249719.post-75511754479757468652011-05-03T12:55:00.000-05:002011-05-03T12:55:38.921-05:00Majora's Mask Clock Widget Update In A Couple of WeeksExams will be over in a week; at that point I'll get right to work on an update. Things planned are:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>re-including original N64 graphics (like in the app icon)</li>
<li>introducing the new, suped-up graphics (provided I get them; it looks like I will).</li>
<li>including the ker-chunk sound effect for minute-by-minute turning of the clock, or perhaps, as a user suggested, on a user-defined interval.</li>
<li>Fixing a bunch of HTC bugs (seems that HTC users are having a lot of trouble with it not working/working improperly).</li>
</ul><div>I'll include as many of those bullet points as I can. :)</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8503570758474249719.post-60410127305527953682011-04-01T02:56:00.000-05:002011-04-01T02:56:55.958-05:00Majora's Mask Clock Widget (Android App) v. 1.2<a href="http://wavs.unclebubby.com/wav/TOONS/Animaniacs/zounds.wav">Sounds</a> are finally here! I have two of them for now: the "Dawn of the nth Day" with a cucco crowing and the wolf howling, for 6:00 and 18:00. There is also the option to disable sounds, and sounds are off by default.<br />
<br />
There have been a few bug reports, mostly from HTC users:<br />
* the clock doesn't update at 6 (but <i>does</i> update) (Froyo)<br />
* tapping the widget doesn't open the alarm clock (HTC may replace the stock alarm clock; I haven't really looked into this)<br />
* and on the x10 mini, it gives an "error inflating widget" when the slider is closed.<br />
<br />
I'll look into these when I get some more time; I just happened to get an epiphany on how to get sounds working and coded the changes into it in an hour or so.<br />
<br />
The next update will likely be mid-May or early July. June is gonna be booked.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8503570758474249719.post-20879521600345725302011-03-19T15:30:00.001-05:002011-03-19T15:30:22.853-05:00Majora's Mask Clock Widget Update Planned<div><p>In early May or late July.</p>
<p>I was really hoping to have time over Spring Break, but I was sick for 2 weeks prior, so Spring break is catchup-on-school-break, I'm afraid.</p>
<p>My classes end in early May, but Summer school starts in mid May, so there might be time for an update then. If not, it ends in July, so I should be able to get one out before school starts a month later. </p>
<p>Known issues:<br>
* X10 mini has a black screen glitch when changing screens.<br>
* Sound<br>
* Graphics: I've not heard from the artist I was talking to a few months back. I sent an email today to see what the status is on the new artwork. <br>
* App2SD: since this is a background service, it can't be stored on the SELWYN card. </p>
<p>Leave any feature requests or bug reports here. :)</p>
<p>Ciao! </p>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8503570758474249719.post-56958768744075611672011-01-17T16:13:00.000-06:002011-01-17T16:13:00.615-06:00Majora's Mask Clock Widget (Android App) Status UpdateI've gotten some emails from a couple of people I know, and one of them has some kick-awesome graphics he's going to let me use in the app. As soon as he gets the graphics to me, I'll put them into the widget and push out an update.<br />
<br />
On the distant horizon, I'll get those sounds working eventually. The code is in place, and as far as I can see it should be working. :) Apparently I'm doing something wrong. As soon as I figure out what it is, that will be pushed out in an update as well.<br />
<br />
And both sets of graphics will be included so that you can choose classic N64 graphics or good-looking graphics. :) And sound will be optional.<br />
<br />
All of these updates are scheduled with the caveat that I don't have much free time at all - law school and my real (albeit more boring) job both take up a tremendous amount of time. Any free time that I <i>do</i> have, I tend to spend with my wife. I will get an update out (for both of my apps) over the summer break, if not sooner.<br />
<br />
Again, if you've any comments/questions about the app, leave them here.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8503570758474249719.post-67425436474777676902010-11-24T00:30:00.000-06:002010-11-24T00:30:37.780-06:00Reasons iCan't Stand Apple #1I don't like my songs renamed for me by default.<br />
<br />
iTunes is causing me headaches right now, as my wife just told me a good chunk of her music collection is pre-pended by the artist name. (e.g. Rich Mullins - Screendoor). This may seem like only a minor annoyance, but on her iPad (hailed as a device of simplicity and clarity) the column which lists song names has a fixed width - so a good chunk of the songs are listed as "Artist Name - Son....." She can't see the song names! <br />
<br />
Why on earth would that be handy? There is a specific field for artist names.<br />
<br />
I just can't grasp the user-friendliness.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8503570758474249719.post-57237794949117177062010-05-13T00:16:00.000-05:002010-05-13T00:16:28.494-05:00The Left vs. 1984 #3<b>The Left:</b> <br />
"The government indeed may [subject particular ideas to disadvantage], if acting upon neutral, harm-based reasons.”<br />
-- Elena Kagan, 2010 Supreme Court nominee, <a href="http://www.scotusblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Private-Speech-Public-Purpose.pdf">1996</a>, <a href="http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=65720">CNS News</a><br />
<br />
<b>1984:</b><br />
"He would talk ...of thought-criminals [and] the executions in the cellars of the Ministry of Love...Quite likely the person at the next table was a spy of the Thought Police, and quite likely he [himself] would be in the cellars of the Ministry of Love within three days..."*<br />
-- George Orwell, <a href="http://www.george-orwell.org/1984/4.html">1984</a><br />
<br />
And this was worthy as well:<br />
"If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear."<br />
-- George Orwell, first published <a href="http://www.orwell.ru/library/novels/Animal_Farm/english/efp_go">1972</a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*After deliberating over several ideas of the telescreens, the Thought Police and the children spies, I decided on this one. The intended emphasis is on "Thought Police" and "Ministry of Love" compared to "the government" and "harm-based reasons". This particular comparison is, granted a stretch, but it is important to note that it is incredibly difficult to find a concise quote which fully contained the desired thematic elements while simultaneously staying focused on the current topic; in 1984, the Ministry of Love "maintained law and order". </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8503570758474249719.post-10148238186013574822010-05-11T17:17:00.000-05:002010-05-11T17:17:30.765-05:00The Left vs. 1984 #2<b>The Left:</b><br />
"And with Ipods and Ipads; and Xboxes and Playstations—-none of which I know how to work—information becomes a distraction, a form of entertainment, rather than a tool of empowerment, rather than a means of emancipation. So all of this is not only putting pressure on you; it’s putting new pressure on our country and our democracy..."<br />
-- Barack Obama, 2010, <a href="http://www.newsrealblog.com/2010/05/11/obama-%E2%80%9Cinformation-becomes-a-distraction%E2%80%9D/">NewsRealBlog</a><br />
<br />
<b>1984:</b><br />
"This process of continuous alteration was applied not only to newspapers, but to books, periodicals, pamphlets, posters, leaflets, films, sound-tracks, cartoons, photographs -- to every kind of literature or documentation which might conceivably hold any political or ideological significance...minute by minute the past was brought up to date...<br />
"A number of The Times which might, because of changes in political alignment, or mistaken prophecies uttered by Big Brother, have been rewritten a dozen times still stood on the files bearing its original date, and no other copy existed to contradict it."<br />
-- George Orwell, <a href="http://www.george-orwell.org/1984/3.html">1984</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8503570758474249719.post-10523260241274537362010-05-10T15:56:00.000-05:002010-05-10T15:56:20.258-05:00The Left vs. 1984 #1<b>The Left:</b><br />
"The 9.9% unemployment rate figure...shows...that jobs numbers are looking up."<br />
-- Jason Henry, <a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-3630-Orlando-Obama-Administration-Examiner%7Ey2010m5d10-290000-jobs-added-in-the-month-of-April-as-unemployment-rises-to-99-percent">Examiner</a>, paraphrasing President Obama.<br />
<br />
<b>1984:</b><br />
"[T]here [had been] demonstrations to thank Big Brother for raising the chocolate ration to [20 grams] a week. And only yesterday, he reflected, it had been announced that the ration was to be REDUCED to [20 grams] a week...[T]hey swallowed it...with the stupidity of an animal."<br />
-- George Orwell, <a href="http://www.george-orwell.org/1984/4.html">1984</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8503570758474249719.post-9628053523624658482010-04-27T21:41:00.000-05:002010-04-27T21:41:56.818-05:00Political Smell Tests, Number 2Just as sniffing a block of cheddar can give a hint as to whether or not it is to funky for ingestion, there are simple ways which one can discern where a politician's loyalties lie (e.g. with himself, his constituents, the constitution etc.). These are political smell tests, and I am outlining some here to help discern whether or not a candidate is truly a conservative.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Political Smell Test #2: Get A Whiff Of Their Words</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">And by this I do not mean analyzing <i>content</i> necessarily, rather specific words off of which they tend to play. For instance, when discussing illegal immigration, a liberal will use race-related words (e.g. civil </span>rights, African American, Hispanic etc.). This is not to say a conservative <i>won't</i> say such words, but they will not play a major part of his argument.<br />
<br />
If you are listening to a candidate, and he is referring to Utopian concepts as attainable (concepts such as "fairness", "equality" (in terms of outcome) etc.), he is not at all likely to be a conservative.<br />
<br />
And keep in mind, this is not because Utopia is undesirable, nor because the conservative seeks to deny Utopia from anyone; rather, it is because the conservative is honest with himself and with his audience that it is not attainable on Planet Earth.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8503570758474249719.post-53557595635781096262010-04-26T02:52:00.000-05:002010-04-26T02:52:54.321-05:00Political Smell TestsI've been giving some thought as to what makes a good, conservative candidate fo<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITT6bYYGVfM">r a p</a>olitical position. Coming forth from all this thinking are some, what I would call, smell tests that I have discovered I use, and which you might want to consider adapting yourself.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Political Smell Test #1: Do They Reek Pro-Choice?</span><br />
I am not by any means a single-issue voter. However, that being said, where an individual stands on abortion can reveal a lot about that person's character and his moral (and potentially ul<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ILzSzqWR6U">terior</a>) convictions. If a candidate is pro-choice, he is stating one of two things. Either he does not attribute inherent value to the sanctity of human life, or he does not realize the extent of the development of a child before birth (which would explain his <i>having</i> value for human life while at the same time being fine with disposing of it). Either way, the candidate is not prime choice for the position; the one shows his lack of regard for humanity, the other his lack of research on a current and relevant issue.<br />
<br />
After all, if they do not show reverence for hu<a href="http://www.mandleco.com/Auto_Shop_Candle_p/auto.htm">man li</a>fe, when it is in its most (and only) innocent and defenseless form, why should they value the minority they claim to value. Why would they value liberty and freedom, when they have no problem robbing an unborn child of his entire life?<br />
<br />
Look out for further smell tests, coming soon!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8503570758474249719.post-10758749819909843632009-10-23T00:41:00.005-05:002010-02-25T12:23:50.979-06:00Liberals Do Not Attribute Inherent Value to Human LifeIt's a hard concept to swallow. Americans have a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmjjHkxTItE">bad habit</a> of believing in the good in people. Because of this, it's really hard to believe that there are people out there, especially our leaders, who do not place an inherent value in human life.<br /><br />How many organization<a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_2111679_be-sexist-man.html">s exist</a>, and how much money has been raised to save animals, while humans are killed in the womb?<br /><br />Aside from being the home for the abortion movement, liberals have an inhe<a href="http://www.usnews.com/money/blogs/the-home-front/2009/2/17/first-time-home-buyer-tax-credit-6-things-to-know.html">rent</a> distaste for humanity.<br /><br />And is it not a liberal mantra that humans are going to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xu1E44b6q5I">overpopulate</a> the world (in spite of <a href="http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/5.02/ffsimon.html">evidence</a> to the contrary)?<br /><br />Over the past few months, I've been collecting examples of this.<br /><a href="http://www.wjno.com/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=244038&article=4898130">Nancy Pelosi</a>.<br />Barack <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-dQfb8WQvo">Obama</a>.<br /><br />A new one <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/21/health/21cancer.html?_r=1">emerged</a> on Wednesday. The Ameri<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHcvbZq4-3Q">can Can</a>cer Society now says it's better overall to not get early screenings. Now they don't deny that early screenings do sometimes catch cancer before it otherwise could have been. The reason they cite the screenings as superfluous is because it is so costly for how much cancer they find, versus the later screenings. In other words, the cost of the tests has a value greater than the human lives that early screening might find. Ouch.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8503570758474249719.post-13675992291339467142009-08-24T01:02:00.004-05:002009-08-24T01:33:51.208-05:00Global Warming - A Logical Approach<meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 3.1 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">This post is rather long; if you want to skip to the meat of it, I'd suggest starting with the paragraph immediately above the first set of bullet points.</span>
<br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">What of global warming? It is true that in recent weeks the politics of health care have stolen the lime light which was previously shining gloriously on the thought of man-made climate change with the pas<a href="http://images.google.com/images?q=sage+spice&hl=en&sourceid=mozilla-search&num=20&start=0&start=0#start=0&imgc=specific&imgcolor=green">sage</a> of the so called <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125011380094927137.html">Cap And Trade</a> <a href="http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h2454/show">bill</a> (which was recently discredited by the original author of the idea).</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">However, it still comes up in the news and in politics from time to time (which begs the question, “Is this really a <i>scientific</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> conce<a href="http://www.webdictionary.co.uk/browse.php?browse=PT">pt</a> or a political one?”).</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">As with my previous post, I would like to simply apply logic to the whole idea rather than mess with facts and figures. I would like to figure out specifically what the Al Gore argument is. Obviously, it puts forth the idea that the earth is warming. But this in and of itself is nothing significant, since the idea that earth's temperature would (or could) remain constant is absurd. So it must be that the earth is warming and it is doing so at an unusual rate, either too slowly or too quickly; of these two choices, it is obvious the argument is that the earth is warming too quickly.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">Additionally, if it were simply that the earth were warming at an <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKxzXAQJvB8">accelerate</a>d rate and nothing more, there would be little more to be said. After all, if we had no way to affect it, what would be the point of discussing it. We may just as well worry about the passage of time bringing an impending death.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;">It must be included in the argument then that mankind is the cause of the said warming through not just his carbon emissions, but rather, his </span><i>excessive</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> carbon emissions – after all, carbon emissions </span><i>are</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> essential to his life and thus (most would argue) cannot be eliminated altogether.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Beyond all of this though, in order for the above to be relevant it must further be asserted that the warming is a bad thing. I know this seems like such an obvious truth it needs no proof. Indeed it does </span><i>seem</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> irrefutable. But we cannot forget that the time we have existed on this planet is minuscule. And the time we have been measuring planetary temperature is an even smaller slice of that already tiny existence. </span> </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;">This is a key point; simply assuming warmer planet is a worse planet is illogical. Plant nursery <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Purpose-of-a-Greenhouse&id=2633371">greenhouses</a> and the <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/304/5672/831?ijkey=yB8PIyOcc9/72&keytype=ref&siteid=sci">diversity</a> of life in tropical regions propose that a warmer environment is beneficial to biota However, that is not to say that a warmer planet is </span><i>necessarily</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> better either. It is simply to say that, in addition to the earth warming at an accelerated rate due to mankind's excessive carbon emissions, the argument must state that the warming is harmful.</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">It is reasonable to state that if an argument is made, support for that argument must be provided. In a court of law this is the burden of proof; without it, the claim is worthless. Hence, the <a href="http://images.google.com/images?q=goron&hl=en&sourceid=mozilla-search&num=20&start=0&start=0">Gorian</a> argument of global warming has, through its existence, the burden of proving the following:</p> <ul><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">The earth is warming</p> </li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">The above warming is at an unusual accelerated rate</p> </li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">Increased levels of carbon dioxide can have a warming effect on the planet</p> </li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">The aforementioned acceleration is being caused by the effect of carbon dioxide mentioned above</p> </li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">A significant amount of the increased levels of carbon dioxide can be attributed to mankind</p> </li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">The said warming is detrimental</p> </li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">(It is also worth mentioning that for any of this to be significant we must be able (best case scenario) to reverse the warming or (worse case scenario) to slow the rate of warming)</p> </li></ul> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">Now using this list of needed proofs, we can derive a list of items we must know for these proofs:</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></p> <ul><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">The current global temperature</p> </li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Likewise, the </span><i>correct</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> global temperature</span></p> </li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">Whether the earth should or should not be warming</p> </li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">(And if so,) the correct rate at which the earth should be warming</p> </li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">The current total amount of carbon dioxide</p> </li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Likewise the </span><i>correct</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> total amount of carbon dioxide</span></p> </li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">Some sort of knowledge as to how atmospheric carbon dioxide affects the global temperature</p> </li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">What proportion of the atmospheric carbon dioxide is attributable to mankind, which requires knowing</p> <ul><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">How much carbon dioxide comes from man and</p> </li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">How much carbon comes from other sources (both natural and biological)</p> </li></ul> </li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;">How all nature responds and will respond to the different global temperatures</p></li></ul>That's a lot on the proverbial plate.
<br /><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8503570758474249719.post-61463895744244348942009-08-19T00:51:00.007-05:002009-08-19T01:39:29.368-05:00Health Care - Macro View<meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 3.1 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">There has been a lot of talk lately about health care. Obviously. Opponents of the current House Bill, <a href="http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:h3200ih.txt.pdf">HR 3200</a>, cite various parts of it as atrocities on liberty and the economy, while proponents dismiss the claims as out of con<a href="http://images.google.com/images?q=ascii+art&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=EJuLStD6Ds2ltgecjYDlBg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4">text</a> or fa<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/knowprose/2955522715/">bricate</a>d. But I'd like to look at the whole thing from a different angle through a macro-lens. </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Suppose the many claims of those opposed to HR 3200 are indeed false and that this is indeed only another option for citizens and is, as President Obama states, a way “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ohjO3BW5TY">to keep insurance companies honest</a>.” Let us hypothetically trace the ramifications of such a bill, were it to pass.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Suppose the government payer option is in place for all citizens; what do the demographics look like? As far as I can tell there will be, basically, two options: a government payer option of some sort and private insurance. Not much difference there. I can also see there being three groups of people: those already on some form of government based system (e.g. Medicare, Medicaid, the VA <a href="http://lysolpionex.blogspot.com/2008/03/we-do-not-need-universal-health-care.html">etc</a>.), those using private insurance and those using neither option. Let's see if we can trace this further, seeing what would happen to each group of people.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The first group mentioned, those already on some form of government payer system, would likely change very little, as their circumstance would have changed very little – they would not have any motivation to switch to private insurance as this would be an unnecessary cost to their budget. They might switch from Medicare to the general government based system, but this would not change their finances significantly.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Now let's shift our focus to the group that was on neither government funded health care nor private insurance. They are the people who either could not or would not afford private insurance – they are not likely to suddenly afford that option. However, notice that a free form of health care has presented itself as an option to them. Given the choice between not paying for insurance and paying all of one's medical bills and not paying for insurance yet being able to be covered by a government plan, which will they choose? The <a href="http://images.google.com/images?q=ladder&hl=en&sourceid=mozilla-search&num=20&start=0&start=0">latter</a>.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The last group is those on some form of private insurance, either a family plan or in a group policy (e.g. through their business). Most likely they will continue as they are for a time, after all they were getting along fine before the government option presented itself, they would get along fine afterward as well.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">However, those people will start to notice they can take a slightly more <a href="http://www.kjrh.com/content/news/2viewgc/story/To-the-moon-travel-voucher/nvzNntXgUUCvZytf36deag.cspx">extravagant vacation</a> or pay off their car a little more quickly if they divert their funds from their private insurance to other areas. Businesses will notice that if they cancel their group insurance policy, they can similarly divert their funds into developing better products or could cut costs in other areas to undersell their competitors. Suddenly, the private option is dwindling.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">It is in this manner that our system would inevitably become entirely government run and the concept of private insurance would become <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5goc3Vi5YUo">obsolete</a>.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Ultimately, one must realize that when an individual is presented with a <a href="http://web000.greece.k12.ny.us/SocialStudiesResources/Social_Studies_Resources/GHG_Documents/Five-YearPlans%20vs%20Free%20Enterp%20Political%20Cartoon%2006.00.jpg">free</a> alternative to services or goods for which he is already paying, that individual will invariably choose the <a href="http://z.about.com/d/politicalhumor/1/0/p/a/2/free-ride-sac0204cd.jpg">free</a> alternative.</p> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0