My Experiences as a Census Enumerator

 

My Experiences as a Census Enumerator 

I worked as a Census Enumerator, a paid job, for the U. S. Census Bureau (‘Bureau’) for the past two months in San José. Enumerators, also known as Census Takers, conduct research on behalf of the Bureau. They collect household and demographic information by canvassing their assigned areas. Enumerators must appropriately document and report the results they find to the Bureau.

This part-time job gave me a tremendous opportunity to get to better know my neighborhood, meet interesting people, learn their attitudes towards the U. S. government, in general, and census, in particular. Although most of the respondents (the populace) were friendly, I was a bit disappointed at the amount of Apathy, Racism Ignorance, and Disillusionment (ARID) that still persists in the neighborhoods I worked in—Almaden Valley, where I live, and Blossom Valley, my neighboring community. Remember, these are areas where the average home prices are about $1.48 million and $1 million, respectively. So, one would expect the residents to be middle- to upper-class with decent education, but I didn’t expect these attitudes from the residents.

 <digress>
In the software world of databases there are properties called ACID—Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability. In layman’s terms, suffice it to say that when you transfer money in a bank from your checking account to your savings account, or vice versa, these properties ensure your transaction either succeeds completely or fails completely. The transaction is done in isolation—no one else is messing with yours. Once the money transfer is complete, it is sustained—durable—and is irreversible.
</digress>

 Apathy
Some residents just did not bother answering the Bureau’s Questionnaire in person with me and refused to answer it online or by calling a toll-free number.
 
Racism
I knocked on the front door of a house, but there was no answer. Then I saw two Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) trucks next to the house and people standing and talking on the sidewalk across the street. I was told a PG&E transformer had overheated and caught fire. (It was a hot day with temperature in the low 100s.) Hence the family had evacuated temporarily. I asked all the five people if they could provide, as a proxy, any info about the family, but they could not. As I started to drive off, a gentleman returned to the family to quickly pick up his phone charger. He was Black and all the five people I talked to were White! I live in a cul-de-sac with nine houses and I know exactly how many people live in each of those, albeit I can’t name them.
  
Ignorance
Many folks have absolutely had no idea how often census is taken (it’s decennial—every 10 years) and the price the community pays for not being counted—lack of representation in the U. S. House of Representatives, federal aid to schools, seniors, food stamps (aka SNAP), etc. One respondent (occupant) said, “I don’t believe in the Census, it only helps immigrants and minorities.”
 
Disillusionment
I knocked on another door of a house, with a monster pickup truck in the driveway with a Confederate flag flying and saw a pit bull approaching the front door. The respondent was in the backyard and came to the front door steaming and saying, “I’ve told you five 5 times not to show up and (pointing to his barking dog), see, even my dog hates you.”
 
Overall, the Trump administration has politicized Census, as it has the entire COVID-19 mess. Typically, census are taken through December 31 and the results are tabulated and reported by April 30 of the following year. However, this time Trump and his cronies in the Department of Commerce, which overseas the Bureau, moved the census-taking deadline to October 15, with the results to be reported by December 31. Since May, however, career officials at the Bureau have warned that the agency can no longer meet the Dec. 31 reporting deadline because of the pandemic. But the right-wing Supreme Court today allowed the Trump administration to end census counting by October 15.
 
So, my fellow Americans, you just got a preview of what’s on the horizon when Amy what’s-her-face is nominated to the SCOTUS. You can kiss Roe vs. Wade, Obamacare, Women’s Rights, Same-Sex Marriage…Good Bye!
 
GOD BLESS AMERICA!
 
 

 

Trumpageddon

Trumpageddon

November 9, 2016 was a forgettable and probably the most ominous day in American history. The nation elected a racist, misogynist, Obama’s-class-to-crass President to the White House who won the election by a minority public vote—3 million fewer votes than his opponent Hillary Clinton. That’s one of the crazy things about the Electoral College, but that’s a topic for a separate blog. Trump seems to be a disciple of Reagan and a fan of Putin; Reagan is probably tossing in his grave!

What’s pathetic about the current situation is the folks he has picked for his cabinet positions:

• ·         Rick Perry who wanted to abolish the Department of Energy to head it! This is the guy from oil-rich Texas who denied global warming, strongly opposed Trump during the primaries, and couldn’t even remember what federal agencies/departments that he wanted to abolish—all of a sudden is a fan of the Orange Orangutan.
• Ms. BetsyVoss who, with her husband, ran a charter school in Detroit which is the lowest-performing big city in the country. According to CNN, nearly half of charter schools in Detroit are ranked in the bottom of American schools, according to the Education Trust Midwest. Twenty percent were given a "D" or "F" grade. And 80 percent of charter schools in the state are now operating as for-profit institutions.
• ·        Rex Tillerson, CEO of ExxonMobil and a Putin Puppet (because Exxon has interest in Russia’s yet-untapped vast oil and gas resources), as Secretary of State.
• ·         Ben Carson to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Here is a half-asleep, Seventh-day Adventist (we’re not attacking religion here) who thinks the world is 6,000 years old!
• Oklahoma Attorney General Edward Scott Pruitt to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. He has filed or joined some two dozen lawsuits to block EPA regulations.

·         The list goes on.

What is sad is that many GOP folks who were critical of Trump during his campaign blindly kissed his feet—hoping to get a cabinet position. It’s at least good to see that Chris ‘Fat Bridgegate’ Christie , Rudy ‘Dracula’ Giuliani, Mitt ‘the Shit’ Romney are out of the picture. But the tragedy isn’t over yet: Wait till the GOP House and Senate slowly dismantle, decimate, weaken, partially eliminate that everything that Democrats have delivered—Social Security (FDR), Medicare (Johnson), and Affordable Care Act (Obama). Well, if Americans elected a clueless President, we deserve what we get. Unfortunately, the majority who didn’t vote for Trump will suffer because of the morons who did.

Trumpageddon

Trumpageddon

November 9, 2016 was a forgettable and probably the most ominous day in American history. The nation elected a racist, misogynist, Obama’s-class-to-crass-President to the White House who won the election by a minority public vote—3 million fewer votes than his opponent Hillary Clinton. That’s one of the crazy things about the Electoral College, but that’s a topic for a separate blog. Trump seems to be a disciple of Reagan and a fan of Putin; Reagan is probably tossing in his grave!

What’s pathetic about the current situation is the folks he has picked for his cabinet positions:

•  Rick Perry who wanted to abolish the Department of Energy to head it! This is the guy from oil-rich Texas who denied global warming, strongly opposed Trump during the primaries, and couldn’t even remember what federal agencies/departments that he wanted to abolish—all of a sudden is a fan of the Orange Orangutan.
• Ms. Betsy Voss who, with her husband, ran a charter school in Detroit which is the lowest-performing big city in the country. According to CNN, nearly half of charter schools in Detroit are ranked in the bottom of American schools, according to the Education Trust Midwest. Twenty percent were given a "D" or "F" grade. And 80 percent of charter schools in the state are now operating as for-profit institutions.
• Rex Tillerson, CEO of ExxonMobil and a Putin Puppet (because ExxonMobil has interests in Russia’s yet-untapped vast oil and gas resources), as Secretary of State.
•  Ben Carson to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Here is a half-asleep, Seventh-day Adventist (we’re not attacking religion here) who thinks the world is 6,000 years old!
• Oklahoma Attorney General Edward Scott Pruitt to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. He has filed or joined some two dozen lawsuits to block EPA regulations.

·         The list goes on.

What is sad is that many GOP folks who were critical of Trump during his campaign blindly kissed his you-know-what—hoping to get a cabinet position. It’s at least good to see that Chris ‘Fat Bridgegate’ Christie, Rudy ‘Dracula’ Giuliani, Mitt ‘the Shit’ Romney are out of the picture. But the tragedy isn’t over yet: Wait till the GOP House and Senate slowly dismantle, decimate, weaken, or partially eliminate that everything that Democrats have delivered—Social Security (FDR), Medicare (Johnson), and Affordable Care Act (Obama). Well, if Americans elected a clueless President, we deserve what we get. Unfortunately, the majority who didn’t vote for Trump will suffer because of the morons who did.

GOD BLESS AMERICA AND OUR FUTURE GENERATIONS! 

 

The Hypocritical GOP SOBs: Are they reviving Fascism?

Ever since Donald the Duck Trump announced his candidacy and kept winning state primaries, many old- and new-school GOP members have been trying to distance themselves from the Orange Orangutan to avoid looking stupid. However, things are changing, thanks to the ignorance of the GOP. House Speaker Paul Ryan initially said he wasn't sure he would support Donald and has now changed his mind. John McCain, whom trump didn't call a war hero, is also now supporting the Duck.

Why are these Republicans being so moronic? If they didn't like Donny, who do you think they would have supported -- Bernie or Hillary? Come on, be honest and truthful: You GOP idiots are going to support a GOP candidate even he is a racist ape who hates women, African-Americans, Mexicans, and immigrants, granted comparing Trump to an ape is an insult to the primate. Hitler hated Jews, gypsies, gay people, and the disabled, and Mussolini had his own enemies--Jews and gypsies. This is called Fascism.

With millions of Americans supporting Trump (and eventually expected to vote for him come November), are we becoming a nation of closet Fascists?

Parade of the Republiclown Presidential Contenders

We wrote a blog "G. O. P....R. I. P." back in 2011 when a bunch of moronic GOP clowns were running in the presidential primaries. The more things change, the more they remain the same.

Today, five years later, another set of morons are running in the primaries. Let's examine some of these idiots.

Trump, the Orange Orangutan

This man is insane, vulgar, and an insult to any one's intelligence. In high-tech we use the acronym FUD--Fear, Uncertainty,and Doubt--usually attributed to IBM. Big Blue used to use this technique to discourage its customers/prospects from buying its competitors' (Amdahl, Fujitsu, and Hitachi) products during the heydays of the mainframe.

Donald the Duck is using FHA--Fear (of immigrants), Hatred (of all foreigners), and Anger (of anything that Obama has done or plans to do) to draw the crowds.

• This idiot wants to deport 11 million 'illegal' immigrants and build a wall between the U. S. and Mexico. These are estimated to cost about $1 trillion. While we celebrated the tearing down the Berlin Wall in 1989, why are some asinine Americans supporting building this wall? Just so we have no Mexicans coming in and pick up our lettuce, tomatoes, asparagus, artichokes, oranges, grapes, grapefruit...so we can all keep eating unhealthy junk--McChicken Shit, Bugger Sling, Weinershit, Taco Smell...?
• With all the properties--condos, golf courses, resorts, high-rises, casinos--he owns, one wonders how many Mexicans and undocumented immigrants he employs.

It's sad to see so many Americans embracing this Mad Man. BTW, if you look at the audience attending of any his FHA-filled speeches, they are all white and many of them are Tea Party White Supremacists who don't want Government but are drawing Social Security and living on Medicare! When is the last time you saw an African-American, a Latino/Latina, or an Asian-American in the Orangeman's audience? They all want to take back America. From whom? No one took it away from you to begin with. Oh, yes, an African-American president did. Now, you want to give it to a crazy and insane imbecile?

Cruz and Rubio

We can't tell the difference between these two bums. As all Republicans, they are anti-Obama, but can't clarify what they are pro for. Like all the GOP assholes, they criticize Obama Care, Obama's foreign policy, and his views on global warming, the environment, etc., but have no solutions. And, as all right-wing ignoramus, are in denial and don't believe in scientific facts. As Bill Maher says, they are living in their own bubble.

Dr. Carson

This asleep-at-the wheel man is worse than the Pizza Guy we discussed in our GOP RIP blog cited above. He is a Seventh Day Adventist and a neurosurgeon who believes the world is 6,000 years old! May be he ought to have his head examined!! Reportedly, he is a vegetarian, So was Hitler! Nothing against vegetarians, as yours truly is.

John Kasich

He's probably the most sensible, moderate Republicans of all the GOP candidates, but has no chance of winning the candidacy because he is too logical and rational for the GOP backers.

Conclusions

What is sad to see is how dumb advanced Americans are. Even illiterate Indians had the brains to throw out crooked bastards, bandicoots, and politicians of the Gandhian era ad bring in fresh blood. Of course, that doesn't mean India is in good shape. One man can't fix 65+ years of corruption, inefficiency, and ignorance.

We HOPE Trump wins the candidacy because, by then, Americans will realize how phony and shallow he is and will vote for the Democratic candidate--be it Hillary or Bernie.

  

G. O. P. ... R. I. P.

The recent series of Republican presidential candidates’ debates have been a parade of clowns. If any of these buffoons were to get elected as our next President, our country will be in deep trouble and a morass from which we will never get out. Despite their superficial differences, they all have many things in common:

They:

• Are hypocritical
• Are ignorant for the most part on many domestic issues and historical facts
• Have no clue about foreign policy
• Love to see Obama fail more than they want to see America succeed.

Below, in no specific order, is an analysis of each of these jokers.

The Cult Guy – Mitt Romney
He seems to be one of the more sensible candidates, except he belongs to a cult, as some right-wing Christians (wrongly) believe. It took us over 180 years to elect a Catholic president; are we ready to elect a Mormon? Romney passed a universal healthcare bill as Governor of Massachusetts, but is hypocritical to admit it and is attacking Obama’s healthcare plan.

The Hypocritical Cowboy – Rick Perry
Yes, all we need is another idiotic cowboy running our country and eventually declaring, “Mission Accomplished.” He has right-wing pastors that believe Mormonism is a cult. Why do these nincompoops bring religion at all into the picture? Who cares if we elect a bi-sexual atheist as our President, as long as he/she is honest, a good leader, and leaves behind a great legacy? He claims to have created millions of jobs in Texas; yes, mostly in the public sector – from a guy who doesn’t believe in big government. He was extremely critical of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (The Stimulus Plan), yet took in over $25 billion from the plan for Texas and created mostly public sector jobs!

The Pizza Guy – Herman Cain

Cain is a pain you know where. Although he has been involved in some politics since leaving Godfather’s Pizza, he is more of a motivational speaker, often labeled as the African-American version of Zig Ziglar. He has no clue about the U. S. Constitution and recently declared he would gladly sign a Constitutional Amendment to ban abortions. The moron doesn’t even know that the Congress proposes an amendment in the form of a joint resolution; the President does not have a constitutional role in the amendment process, and the joint resolution does not go to the White House for signature or approval. Do we want this dolt running our country?

The Eyebrow Toupee Guy – Ron Paul

It is sad to see a physician who does not want universal healthcare, no government management at all. He would rather have the decisions given to the doctors, not HMOs, big drug companies, and government officials.

Sarah Palin Lite – Michelle Bachman
We should be ever grateful that she is not a history teacher:

• Compared herself to fellow Waterloo, Iowa resident John Wayne, the late actor. Facts: John Wayne was born in Winterset, Iowa. John Wayne Gacy, the serial killer who raped and murdered 33 teenage boys in the 70s, was born in Waterloo.
• On slavery, she declared, "The very founders that wrote those documents worked tirelessly until slavery was no more in the United States." Nitwit, can you say A-B-R-A-H-A-M L-I-N-C-O-L-N?
• In a speech in New Hampshire, she said she was in the "state where the shot was heard round the world at Lexington and Concord." Have you heard of Massachusetts?
• She once claimed that the Hoot-Smalley Tariff caused the Great Depression. No, it was the Smoot-Hawley bill, co-authored by Republicans Sen. Reed Smoot of Utah and Rep. Willis Hawley of Oregon, and signed into law by President Herbert Hoover. Michelle, you are good at spoonerisms and maybe change your name to Bichelle Machman!
• She said before Obama, the last time we saw an outbreak of Swine Flu was during Jimmy Carter's term. Wrong again! No, it was during Gerald Ford’s presidency.

She also said that the 45+ million Americans that lack healthcare insurance should depend on charities!

The Rest
Not worth wasting my precious time on the remaining blockheads – Cantor, Gingrich, Huntsman, Roemer – they have already dug their holes, but still haven't learned, "When you are in a hole, stop digging!"

HP dumps webOS, may sell off its PC business

HP announced today it will dump webOS, probably sell off its Personal Systems division, and acquire Autonomy.

 
We met with a couple of Gartner analysts earlier this year when one of them predicted HP would sell off its PS division soon. Except for printer cartridges, HP is losing its shirt on PCs where gross margins are razor thin. This is mainly due to Asian manufacturers like Acer, Asus, and Lenovo. Even Dell is feeling the pain. IBM got smart years ago, dumped its PC business on Lenovo, and focused heavily on services and software.

As for webOS, we have been saying all along HP's purchase of Palm was a blunder. We've heard of many sad and unhappy users of Palm Pixi that uses webOS with limited features and functionality. Many of them have had their Palm Pixi replaced three times in six months under manufacturer's warranty. On the day of the launch of the now-defunct webOS tablet, HP showed off 1,000 certified apps. Compare that with Apple's launch of iPad when it had 100,000 apps. We wonder what plans HP has for their customers stuck with Palm smartphones. HP's history in consumer electronics has been painful. Do HP Camera, HP TV, iPaq, and Jornada ring a bell to you?

Its just-announced intention to acquire Autonomy is a good move in the  right direction to strengthen its software portfolio. But the company's biggest challenge is integration with all its other software product suites. When it comes to software, HP has a transmission, an engine, a power train, and chassis, but has yet to show off a car! This will be an uphill battle to match Big Blue.