Tony Demaio
The Causes and Cures for Global Warming
Friday, July 30th, 2010Author Tony Demaio
Folks, I have been giving some thoughts to the problem of global warming. I sort of hope it is true, as I sit here in “sunny” California, in the middle of April, with a fire in the fireplace trying to keep warm. As a matter of fact, I KNOW it is true because [...]
The Minimum Wage – How Poor is Poor?
Friday, July 30th, 2010Author Tony DeMaio
Once upon a time, many years ago, I had a Civil Service job and was making the princely sum of about $3,000/month ($150/day). At the time it was one of the highest paid Civil Service positions in the State of California. (For the most part, higher levels were political appointees.) I had a [...]
Testing, Testing, Testing
Wednesday, July 21st, 2010Author Tony Demaio
INTRODUCTION
Given the response to my probability post, let me pursue another topic which has received some notoriety over the past few years due to a considerable amount of corruption and misinformation. I’m sure most of us have heard the phrase “The teacher is teaching the test.” and/or “70% is a ‘C’, and 60% [...]
RACISM What’s The Score?
Wednesday, July 21st, 2010Author Tony De Maio
I have watched with some amusement over the years at the attempted implementation of “Affirmative Action”, “Leveling the Playing Field”, “Equal Opportunity”, and other euphemisms for favoritism, discrimination, and preferential treatment. I guess it’s somewhat of a coincidence that all these attempts results in “pleasing” some privileged faction, obtaining votes for various [...]
Probability and Percentage
Sunday, July 4th, 2010Author Tony Demaio
(You Fool Me Once…)
Leo Durocher once said, “Baseball is a game of percentages.” Leo was wrong. What he SHOULD have said was, “Baseball is a game of probabilities.” Of course, while somewhat correct, that is still insufficient. A correct statement is, “LIFE is a game of probabilities.”
Being a professional statistician, I often cringe [...]
Skin In The Game
Thursday, June 24th, 2010Author Tony DeMaio
I have been reading about the number of folks that are walking away from “underwater” mortgages where they owe more than the house is worth, even though they can still make the payments. I believe it is called a “strategic” default.
I am somewhat puzzled by this. When I grew up, you gave your [...]
Civil Rights, Civil Wrongs, and Not So Civil People
Wednesday, June 16th, 2010Author Tony DeMaio
During the initial Civil Rights movement, I was a young tad. I went to an integrated school and didn’t think much about my friends’ color or heritage. I walked without fear in “black” (Negro at the time) neighborhoods. I was in the ninth grade when the Brown vs. the Board of Education decision [...]
FREE SPEECH, HATE SPEECH, & LYING
Sunday, May 23rd, 2010Author Tony DeMaio
I have been listening to Air America recently. I find the station to be most interesting and amusing, perhaps fascinating. On the national level, I find it to be the poster child of “hate radio”—perhaps the epitome of it. I also find it to be vulgar and crass. Phrases such as, “All Republicans [...]
I WANT PEACE AND FREEDOM (I do!! I really, really do.)
Wednesday, May 19th, 2010Author Tony Demaio
I don’t think so. You may fool yourself, but you don’t fool me. You want peace and freedom like you want a new BMW or you want to be rich, or you want to be healthy.
You say you DO want a new BMW? I don’t think so. You may fool yourself, but you [...]
Charitable Giving–For the Poor
Thursday, May 13th, 2010Author Tony DeMaio
Ever wonder why the charities and churches are against the “flat tax” or “fair tax”? Ever wonder why the “rich folk” establish “charitable foundations“? Ever wonder why the “rich folk” have huge charitable contributions? After all, they didn’t get rich by giving money away.
I alluded to the answers in another paper; I’ll try [...]