Random Thoughts

This latest story of a hostage taking at tthe Discovery Channel shows how it should be done.  Over a week ago a hostage taking in the Philippines went really bad.  As soon as negotiations break down, the hostage taker should be taken out by force.

The law may be harsh, but it is the law.

I am sure that there are a lot of people whose opinions differ on this matter that I'd like to discuss. It is such a polarizing subject, yet I feel the need to post something about it.

I am an immigrant. A legal one. You could say my motivation is I find it unfair that people who come here illegally get a free ride.

But that is not my motivation. My motivation is respect for the law. These laws were put in place for reasons beyond this discussion, but it is the law.  Had it been the other way, and there were illegal immigrants in your home country, they would be dealt with harshly too.

I read an article about a father who brought his family here illegally, whose reasoning was: I am just like any other father, trying to give a better future for my family. By that reasoning, it is acceptable to break the law if the end is a better future.  It is okay to rob a bank, or to kidnap someone for ransom, because the money will be used to secure the family's future.  It doesn't...

It is said that man has four basic needs (besides air to breathe) - water to drink, food, shelter and clothing. Everything else, then, is a want. Now we need to qualify this. We are not all hunters or farmers who grow or kill our own food.  So other things that are necessities to obtain water, food, shelter and clothing become "needs" instead of "wants".

An education, for example, is a need in modern society.  You could say then that anything we utilize to earn money to buy our basic needs is also a necessity. I for one need Internet access to work.

After the basic needs are fulfilled, man will want to fulfill his emotional needs.  So we can say we need a car to get to and from work, and to get the kids to and from school - a need we identified earlier. But then we will say, not just any car with four wheels and an engine. Man may justify a more expensive purchase for peace of mind.  For example, it has to be brand new so that it won't break down in the middle of nowhere. It has to have airbags all around, adaptive cruise...

Tags: personal finance

This news story tells us about an 80 year old man who shot and killed an armed intruder in Chicago. It should have ended there. But he is in Chicago, where possession of a handgun is a criminal offense. So the intruder is armed with a gun. He has no regard for that law.  And he is breaking into another person's home. What is this 80 year old law abiding citizen to do? Give up and get shot?  He's a war veteran by the way.  The article is right.  If he is charged, it is justice turned inside out.

Tags: guns, personal safety

I knew someone who was outwardly healthy, and by all appearances was living relatively well. Then tragedy struck. At 30 years old, his heart failed. He was in Intensive Care for a couple of days, but soon died. He left a wife, pregnant with their second child, and a four year old daughter, and a business that has just started.

He had no life insurance. Sure he had some real property and a little bit of savings. It wasn't like they were thrown into the streets because of their loss. Still, even a million pesos or two would have started a decent college fund.

For a few bucks a month, you can spare the ones you leave behind from worrying about funeral costs at least. Have you checked how much it is to die these days?  For a few more bucks, throw in final medical costs. They can get very expensive without health insurance.

Sure, if you are wealthy enough, you probably won't need life insurance. The wealth you leave would be enough for generations to come. But for the rest of us, a guaranteed payout many times the total amount you would pay in your lifetime is worth the...

Tags: personal finance

Your local Red Cross will almost likely offer regular CPR training. This is a good investment of time and money. If your office sponsors in-house training, grab the chance. This is a useful skill to have. It's one of those "better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it" kind of skill.

Even if you are not in law enforcement, the fire department, medical field or any industry that even remotely uses this skill everyday, it's still worth knowing. Maybe one day, on the street, at home, at work, it will be needed, and seconds count in such a situation. The police or paramedics can be minutes away.

I actually received training for adult, child and infant CPR because I have a four year old and an infant. I pray that I will not need to use it, but the time comes, I know I am prepared. I also took the First Aid course. And Santa Clara County Red Cross offers all four in one class, which is very convenient.

The CPR certificates expire after a year. And for good reason. If you don't use it everyday, you will forget the skill. There...

Tags: personal safety

One of the more controversial aspects of personal safety which I advocate is gun ownership and proficiency in handling firearms. In an ideal world, there are no guns. In an ideal world, there are no nuclear weapons either. But we do not live in an ideal world. These weapons have already been invented. And as long as they are available, criminals will have them. Other countries will proliferate nuclear weapons regardless of sanctions. So the answer is for the US to have nuclear weapons as well. The threat of an equal response is a big deterrent.

Yes, a firearm is a tool of last resort. Yes, you can avoid criminals by staying out of areas where shady characters are known to hang out. You can also live in a bomb shelter the rest of your life and never go out. Sometimes though, it cannot be helped. You may find yourself in a situation where there is no possible means of escape, and the only way out is to fight for your life. It's like health insurance. It's better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

Yes you can live in a nice neighborhood....

Tags: guns, personal safety

I'm sure the iPad has some use for some people. I'm sure that those who just bought them for the sake of having one will find use for them as well. I, on the other hand, have no use for it, and will not get one. Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against Apple. I am typing this on a Macbook Pro, and have an older Macbook for personal use.

I don't have an iPod nor an iPhone. I have no use for it. Like I said in an earlier post, I am too cheap to pay extra for mobile Internet access. As for the iPod, I have a hard time justifying the price even though I recognize the convenience of not having to mess with audio CDs.

Let's see. According to the apple website, the iPad is the best way to experience the web, email, photos and video. But wait! I have a computer for all that! And I can do spreadsheets on my computer besides all those.  The web? How can a 10 inch screen be better than my 15 inch screen? Email?  How can I type a long email with just one hand? I'm assuming I...

Tags: gadgets, tech

Two years ago, I was fortunate enough to find a sub-$200 GPS receiver that had all the features that I need. Now there are a lot of choices out there. So what is it that I look for?  I look for the best price with the minimum feature set that I need.

According to this CNet Buying Guide, with aftermarket GPS receivers, you can go with either an integrated unit or a portable one. I choose the portable one as it is cheaper, can be transferred from vehicle to vehicle, or can be carried around. I would forget about buying a GPS receiver as a factory option as they cost too much, and lack the portability if I had an older vehicle that needed one.

And then there's the choice of using your iPhone or some similarly equipped smartphone. I would skip that one as well because I will not pay an extra $30 for Internet service on my mobile phone. Plus according to the same CNet Guide, they're not suitable for viewing in certain lighting conditions.

So we're down to portable dedicated GPS receivers. But what features are must-haves vs. nice-to-haves? I don't need Bluetooth. After all do...

Tags: gadgets, tech

Ever since MacGyver aired on TV, I was hooked on having a Swiss Army Knife. And I have carried one around since then. I have found it useful in many situations - from opening boxes, bottles, cans, computer cases, cutting tape, thread, rope, paper, and whatever else that needs cutting. It is a very practical tool. I have only gone through two of them. I would not have replaced the first one if I hadn't lost it. They are very durable. It is the perfect tool for everyday carry and occasional use.

Now, unless your job requires very specific tools, or a larger knife for other purposes, the Swiss Army Knife will serve you well. The Tinker model, selling on Amazon today for $15, and comes with a smaller "Classic" model, is probably all that you will need for everyday use. Anything thicker will bulge in your pocket, and you will have very little use for those extra tools.

The few times I've actually used a model with scissors, the small blades were almost impractical for anything other than cutting thread. I do have a slightly different model, the Spartan, that came with a corkscrew instead of a Phillips...

Tags: buy this, gadgets, personal safety