Five tips to a fast checkout at Costco

Coasting through Costco's checkout

Coasting through Costco’s checkout


I’m often asked by no one in particular (well, I mean no one, in particular), “Mark, how does one pick the fastest line at Costco?” Today’s your lucky day, MT.Net readers, as I’m going to let you in on the secret.

1. Scan the competition. Approaching the checkout area, you’re notice that everyone’s looking around in a daze, waiting for something or someone to say “hey, this line!” Don’t be like them! Step number one is to act quickly. Upon reading this, savvy reader and shopper, you will confidently stroll up to the right line every time. Take advantage of the daze and confusion by being sharp and focused!
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Christian Action League boss claims to know God’s position on the Bonner Bridge

Apparently the good reverend isn’t familiar with Matthew 7:26: “But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.”

According to the Rev. Mark Creech, the Executive Director of North Carolina’s Christian Action League that’s him on the left – Creech, not God, those who side with environmental groups in favor of a longer and more sustainable bridge to replace the existing Bonner Bridge are acting counter to the Divine Plan. Creech said the following in an article that he authored and that was recently published in, among other places, the Christian Post

I also note that Dr. Creech provides no biblical references to back up his claim that a “biblical worldview” means that God wants us to plunder the earth:

The biblical worldview on the environment is that we should responsibly “subdue” (subjugate, restrain, control) and develop the earth and its natural resources in a way that best benefits the human race.

I don’t have any references to back up my position, either, but I’m pretty sure that’s bullshit.

via Christian Action League boss claims to know God’s position on the Bonner Bridge « The Progressive Pulse.

Highlanders perform at recital

The Highlanders

The Highlanders

We attended Travis’s piano recital on Saturday. Unlike other performances where we were simply part of the audience, the whole family got to perform as “The Highlanders.” Along with the Cadwells and Schuyler Pettibone, the Turner family played “Bonnie at Morn” and “Goat On The Hill” midway through the recital.

It was quite fun to play again for an audience. Once the recital was over (and no one was really paying attention), the Cadwells and Turners returned to the stage to play a few other songs.

I’ve always loved the art of music but there’s something really great about playing together with others. When everyone’s in tune and in sync it is a magical thing. Our little show was the highlight of my week.

Rucho’s zero income tax?

I was doing some research on this annoying new requirement to fill out another NC-4 form to take advantage of new tax changes. I was reading the N&O’s story on the new changes when I saw the author of the changes, Sen. Rucho himself, had weighed in from his Facebook account:

Every employee was required to maintain a NC-4 and nowNC-4 EZ forms to establish their NC withholding from their pay checks. The standard deduction has been raised to $15K MFJ. That means that the first $15K of income is tax free. Then the NC tax rate has has been lowered to a flat 5.8% for 2014 and to 5.75% for 2015. The result will be that every taxpayer will have a higher take home pay to spend or save as they choose. It is your hard earned money not the governments. The good news is that this is a first step toward a personal Income tax rate of ZERO like Tx, Fl and TN.and a goal to stimulate economic growth and create more good jobs.

We can’t rebuild broken Bonner Bridges with Monopoly money. We can’t pay our teachers national-average-or-above wages with it, either. We can’t pave the tens of thousands of miles of roadways we have here with a capped gasoline tax and zero income taxes. Where will Mr. Rucho get the money?

Paying the freight

It was a difficult decision to add advertisements back to MT.Net after flirting with them last year. I don’t want to tart up my blog too much but yet if there were a way I could make money by blogging I figured it was worth a try.

I’m not making bank by any stretch but I was delighted to discover that for the month of November this blog paid for itself for the very first time. My advertising revenue exceeded my hosting costs.

Don’t count on me quitting my day job anytime soon but at least I’m cash-flow positive!

Update 12 Dec: Math is hard. I got the monthly and overall balances mixed up. Turns out I made $15 last month from web ads, not $35. It’s a start, though, right?

Review of the Q-See QT4760-8H4 camera set

After a recent break-in in the neighborhood, I bought a security camera system from Costco. It’s not that we necessarily need it for security but I’m a wanna-be James Bond and have long wanted a camera system. Last weekend I spent many knuckle-busting hours stringing cable through our attic and hanging cameras.

I took a few moments tonight to write up a review of the system we bought, a Q-See 16 Channel Full D1 Security System with 1TB HDD and 8 650TVL Cameras, or known by Q-See as model number QT4760-8H4. Bottom line: it’s a good system but not a great system. Costco has it for $200 off until the end of December and for that reason it’s worth checking out.

Below is the review I posted on the Costco website, which hopefully should be public in the next day or two. You read it here first!

I’ve had my Q-See system running for a few days and have some thoughts.

This system provides surprisingly good video for the price. It is a good overall value. The cameras seem sturdy, provide good resolution, and the LEDs illuminate better than I anticipated. The documentation is superior to that of most products I’ve bought. Hardware-wise, this is a solid system.
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Just Say No to D.A.R.E.?

Whatever you do, don’t think of purple elephants on pogo sticks.

I mean it.

Don’t.

Just Say No.

Did it work? Are you blissfully unaware of purple elephants on pogo sticks? I’m guessing not. Chances are, you weren’t thinking at all of purple elephants on pogo sticks until I told you not to think about them.

I believe it’s the same with kids and drugs. I believe kids would rather do a gazillion other things before drugs, yet there is a program called D.A.R.E. which goes into schools and attempts to educate kids about drugs.

While I applaud the intention of the program and I know the many fine police officers who participate in D.A.R.E. truly care about the kids, I’m unsure that D.A.R.E. is the right approach. Numerous academic studies have shown that D.A.R.E. has had a negligible impact on teen drug use. Negligible. In some cases, D.A.R.E. may have actually increased drug use. Millions and millions of taxpayer dollars have been spent on this program and the results are dismal.
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North Carolina Newspapers Largely Ignore Conservative Funding Of Sham Think Tanks

Interesting look by Media Matters at how Art Pope’s anti-government foundations often get a free pass in N.C.’s press.

Local North Carolina newspapers cited two right-wing sham think tanks and published op-eds by their staffs while often failing to note their connections to the state’s Republican party and to a major conservative donor.

John Locke Foundation Had Op-Eds Published Or Was Cited 106 Times In The Last 6 Months. Between June 1 and December 1, the John Locke Foundation appeared in local and national newspapers a total of 106 times. These appearances included op-eds and references by name in straight news and editorial articles.

64 Percent Of Articles That Referenced JLF Did Not Disclose The Organization’s Conservative Leaning. Out of the 106 JLF mentions in the last six months, only 38 articles disclosed the foundation’s conservative slant, meaning 64 percent of the articles made no mention of the organization’s ideology.

via North Carolina Newspapers Largely Ignore Conservative Funding Of Sham Think Tanks | Research | Media Matters for America.

Former UNC-Chapel Hill professor indicted in academic scandal

Orange County District Attorney Jim Woodall has charged former UNC professor Julius Nyang’oro with obtaining property by false pretense for accepting money for a class he didn’t teach.

Julius Nyang’oro, the former chairman of the Department of African and Afro-American Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was indicted Monday by an Orange County grand jury on a charge related to an academic scandal at the school.

Nyang’oro could face up to 30 months in prison if he is convicted of obtaining property by false pretense, which is a felony. Investigators said he accepted $12,000 for teaching a class that never happened.

The university reclaimed the money through garnishment of his final paycheck.

While I am mad as anyone that UNC condoned cheating, I think the false-pretense charge is ridiculous. You would have a harder time convincing me that UNC didn’t know this was going on, that UNC wasn’t fully aware of what Nyang’oro was doing, than convincing me that Nyang’oro somehow hoodwinked the university. These things don’t happen in a vacuum. The professor has done this work many times before with no compensation. It was the university’s idea to pay him this particular time and by then it should have been “caveat emptor.”

Again, I can’t stand cheaters and I think the book should be thrown at UNC for their misdeeds. However, this charge won’t result in justice. It will result in quite an interesting trial, though, as Nyang’oro and his attorney summon some very uncomfortable witnesses to testify at his defense.

via Former UNC-Chapel Hill professor indicted in academic scandal :: WRAL.com.