William Lawrence Sr. Omnibit 12-11-14
Month: December 2014
Myopia Increasing Due To Tech
Myopia i.e. nearsightedness is dramatically increasing and the culprit is tech says U.S. News & World Report.
About 25 percent of 12 to 54 year old Americans were myopic in the early 1970s. It is now 41 percent.
Christine Wildsoet, a professor of vision science and optometry at the University of California– Berkeley notes babies are now parked in front of iPads and toddlers play games on cellphones.
It could be worse. In South Korea where internet game cafes are a lifestyle, 96 percent of 19-year-olds were found to myopic in 2012.
The solution? Play outside, kids.
Another suggestion courtesy of Mark Jacquot, clinical director of vision care at LensCrafters is for every 20 minutes of close-up activity such as reading a book, playing a video game or working on a computer, to stare at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
Myopia Increasing Due To Tech
Foxcatcher Movie Review
We just caught Foxcatcher at Regal Edgmont Square 10, which was just a mile or so from where all the action happened.
Steve Carell nails John du Pont. He deserves an Oscar.
Was the movie entertaining? Well, it was like spending 134 minutes with John du Pont.
That would be a no.
Thanks for 134 minutes of misery, Mr. Carell.
You should be investigated by the Senate Democrats.
Some observations, Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum) is told on his initial helicopter ride to Foxcatcher that du Pont would have been piloting himself had he not been providing tactical assistance to the “Newtown Square” Police Department. That should have been Newtown Police Department as Newtown Square is the postal address not municipal name. When police are shown, however, the shoulder patches are correct as are the names on the cars which even have the color scheme we remember.
Yes, du Pont did at times provide aerial assistance to the Newtown Police.
The mansion used was in Leesburg, Va. as the actual site was torn down in 2013. You would not see the background hills in Newtown Square.
We don’t remember as much snow on the ground when the Jan. 26, 1996 shooting of Dave Schultz (Mark Ruffalo) happened. Ruffalo was also very good, by the way.
There was no mention of the Villanova University controversy or the sexual harassment suits by the wrestlers, nor was there of his short, unhappy marriage to Gale Wenk
There is one scene where John’s mother, Jean Liseter Austin du Pont (Vanessa Redgrave) is pushing du Pont to give away his toy trains. He never did. Below is a shot of his train set from his Nov. 26, 2011 estate sale. For what it’s worth, yesterday, Dec. 9, was the fourth anniversary of his death.
Foxcatcher Movie Review
William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 12-10-14
William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 12-10-14
Q. What was the original name of Los Angeles?
A. Say El Pueblo De Nuestra Senora La Reina De Los Angeles De Porciuncula real fast. It means “The Village of Our Lady the Queen of the Angeles of Little Portion.”
Beware Christmas Fraud
Christmas season is often the most charitable. Although giving is extremely important, consumers are encouraged to be vigilant and watch out for scams aimed at taking advantage of their good will, says Pennsylvania State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129).
The Pennsylvania Department of State’s Bureau of Charitable Organizations maintains a publicly accessible online database which contains all legally established charities in Pennsylvania. Consumers are encouraged to verify the legitimacy of any charity using this database prior to donating.
If one would like to learn more about an organization prior to donating or to report suspected fraud, one can also call the bureau’s toll-free telephone hotline at 1-800-732-0999.
For more information about protecting yourself while giving, click here.
Beware Christmas Fraud
William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 12-9-14
William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 12-9-14
Kansas City, Mo. has the least predictable weather in the United States. The city with the most predictable weather is Honolulu
Spanier Still Collects Big Bucks
Graham Spanier, the Penn State president who was booted from his job after the revelations that one-time assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky had long molested young boys while the school administration looked the other way, is still collecting mucho buckos.
Jan Murphy of PennLive.com reports that Spanier, who lost his post on Nov. 9, 2011 immediately went on paid sabbatical leave where he indulged until Nov. 1, 2012 when he was put on paid administrative leave, and there he remains.
The school is unwilling to reveal how much this paid-for-nothing post is costing.
All it said was what was required by law namely that when Spanier went from president/tenured faculty member to just tenured faculty member he had a base salary of $685,985 and total compensation of $806,446.
In his last year as president, Spanier was the nation’s highest paid public school administrator getting $2,906,721 in total compensation.
Why don’t we just cut Spanier off entirely and give what he is getting to scholarships for the oft-ignored middle class suburban kids whose parents are now under the gun?
It should also be noted that Penn State gets about 10 percent of its $4.6 billion budget from state taxes.
It should even be further noted that Sandusky was not the only child molestation scandal during Spanier’s reign.
Spanier Still Collects Big Bucks
Spanier Still Collects Big Bucks
Spanier Still Collects Big Bucks
Holder Ferguson Response Fails To Mention Fed Charges
Attorney General Eric Holder in the wake of the Nov. 24 grand jury exoneration of Officer Darren Wilson for the Aug. 9 shooting of Michael Brown released his blueprint for a federal response.
He said the steps they were taking were:
- Creating a new task force to promote the expansion of 21st century community-oriented policing.
- Reforming how the federal government equips local law enforcement, particularly with military-style equipment.
- Advancing the use of body-worn cameras and promoting proven community policing initiatives.
Notice what’s not on the list? That’s right, no federal civil rights charges.
It’s actually what was predicted by those who know the law.
It’s a shame that President Obama wasted the time of those Ferguson protestors by implying the shooting was racially motivated and unjustified.
Here is Holder’s Dec. 2 press release:
Following Michael Brown’s tragic death, millions of people across the nation and around the world have focused their attention on unfolding events in Ferguson, both grieving together and making their voices heard.
In recent days, many have been captivated by ongoing developments, anguished emotions, peaceful protests — and, too often, deeply unfortunate images of unnecessary destruction. And this tragic incident has sparked a necessary, national conversation about the need to ensure trust and build strong relationships between law enforcement officials and the communities they serve.
Events in Ferguson have revealed a deep distrust between a community and its police force. But this reality is not limited to one location. Other communities around this country know this struggle all too well. And it’s abundantly clear that every single one of us has a role to play in tackling this problem together, as a nation — to identify those things that bind us, and to be honest with one another about the things that continue to divide us.
In August, President Obama ordered a review of federal funding and programs that provide equipment to state and local law enforcement agencies. Yesterday, the Administration released that review’s findings — and announced key next steps to strengthen the trust in and effectiveness of the policing of our communities.
Learn more about yesterday’s announcements, and the findings of the Administration’s review.
Here are the next steps we’re taking:
- Creating a new task force to promote the expansion of 21st century community-oriented policing.
- Reforming how the federal government equips local law enforcement, particularly with military-style equipment.
- Advancing the use of body-worn cameras and promoting proven community policing initiatives.
I know this has been a difficult time for people in Ferguson, and for many others across the country. It will take time for things to get better. But as I assured Ferguson residents during my visit there, in August, the Obama administration is firmly committed to making the progress we need — and that all of our citizens deserve.
The changes that the President announced yesterday are exactly the sorts of programmatic steps that will bring the right people together to engage in a constructive, national conversation — so we can build trust, address persistent concerns, and protect public safety while respecting the rights of every American.
Last Tuesday, addressing the public, the President said, “[to] those who are prepared to work constructively, your President will work with you.” I am committed to answering the President’s call to see this through — as are the men and women of the United States Department of Justice.
Thank you,
Eric H. Holder, Jr.
Holder Ferguson Response Fails To Mention Fed Charges
William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 12-8-14
William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 12-8-14
Ever hear of Imhotep? He was an Egyptian who lived about 2700 B.C. and who is recognized as the world’s first medical doctor to be known by name.
Tax Hike Unnecessary For Pa.
State Senator Scott Wagner (R-28) has issued a statement concerning Pennsylvania’s financial situation in response to the mid-year budget briefing by Budget Secretary Charles Zogby given Dec. 3.
The important points are that the state has $30 billion annual revenue, a $5 billion, 60-day line of credit and a $2 billion is not unrealistic for this time of year.
Here is the statement albeit with some editing.
I’ve been sitting back listening to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, and unfortunately it is apparent that none of them understand how the finances of a business operate,.
The Commonwealth is identical to an operating business where there is revenue and there are expenses. As an owner and operator of multiple businesses, I fully understand that my business enterprises would not be able to operate without an operating line of credit from a bank. The Commonwealth has revenue of approximately $30 billion per year. Any experienced business operator or chief financial officer would agree that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania should have an operating line of credit equivalent to 60 days of average revenue, which would be an operating line of credit of approximately $5 billion.
As a private sector business owner, I know how to manage a budget and what factors will impact the budget. The Democrats are trying to spin the budget issue to scare the public into thinking the only solution is more tax increases, when in reality, revenue comes in at different times throughout the year. The $2 billion deficit is not unrealistic at this time of year. A large portion of the revenue that comes into the Commonwealth is received between Jan. 1and April 15 through payments for PA State Income Tax.
Many Democrats are using the budget discussion as an opportunity to grand-stand politically and criticize Governor Corbett for the equivalent of borrowing against a line of credit to cover revenues that are slower at the end of the year. Any private sector business operator needs to understand cash flow into and out of their business. Businesses routinely operate with lines of credit. This is what businesses do – and if some of the critics would have ever signed the front of a paycheck rather than the back, they might possibly have a better understanding of cash flow, borrowing money and cycles throughout the year that affect cash flow.
Also, last winter was the worst winter that many businesses have seen in 30 years, and this impacted revenues to the Commonwealth.
At one of my companies, we spent approximately $50,000 on snow removal, which is more than double of any year that the company spent over the last 15 years. I would be curious to know how much additional expense the Commonwealth spent on snow removal at Commonwealth owned or leased facilities throughout the state.
Just consider this, if car dealers in all 67 counties throughout Pennsylvania sold 500 less vehicles per county on an average, that would equal 33,500 less vehicles sold. Factoring transaction value of $25,000 per vehicle times 33,500 vehicles would result in lost revenue of $837,500,000 to the car dealers. Sales tax of 6 percent lost to the Commonwealth on revenue of $837,500,000 would equal $50,250,000.
Many people who had planned on purchasing a new vehicle during the winter may have had to cancel their vehicle purchase to replace a roof, spouting, or a new furnace because of the severe winter we just experienced.
The bottom line is this: many of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle just don’t understand the complexities to operate a business and this unfortunately means that they struggle to understand economics. We face a deficit next year because costs continue to climb for pensions, human services, corrections, and debt.”
For the last four years, Democrats could have worked with Governor Corbett to solve these daunting issues and instead chose to do what they’re doing now – distorting the facts and complaining without offering solutions. Governor Wolf, yesterday, to his credit, chose to delay actions and wait until he gets to spend some time reviewing the budget in depth before offering any commentary.
I continue to stand by my statement that Pennsylvania does not have a revenue problem, it has a spending and expense problem.
For the benefit of all of Pennsylvania, the Democrats need to step up to the table and begin working on actually fixing problems rather than just criticizing and grand-standing politically.
Tax Hike Unnecessary For Pa.
Tax Hike Unnecessary For Pa.
Tax Hike Unnecessary For Pa.