Still at ComicFest; Government still shut down

View 792 Saturday, October 05, 2013

It has been a long day. Dinner with Niven. Greg and Astrid Bear, Tim Griffith, Michelle, and Steve Barnes. Long discussions.

I put this up on yesterday’s view this morning.

Shutdown and e-mail 

Dr. Pournelle,

Just a quick couple of comments on shutdown rules.

If the employees are essential, e.g., the various federal police you mentioned, they are required to go to work on the hope of eventually being paid and the threat of punishment for skipping work if they don’t show up. They are required to do their normal jobs, plus extra duties caused by the shutdown, except they are severely constrained in any action that may involve spending money.

Non-essential employees are sent home and are not allowed to access offices, use computers, access official e-mail accounts, or work at home on projects from their job. They must have a method of being contacted in case they are called back by being declared essential (either temporarily or permanently), or their agency or office within an agency is funded.

–

Bryan

"Son, crying into your drink is bad enough;

crying into a hot fudge sundae is disgusting." — Heinlein

From a long term veteran

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/nbc-police-remove-vietnam-war-veterans-memorial-wall_759267.html

"After one group of veterans went around the barricade, "the park ranger told them the wall was closed," NBC’s Mark Seagraves reported <http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Closure-of-War-Memorials-Continues-to-Cause-Conflict-226481851.html> . "Later another group of vets showed up and moved the barricades. At that point, the memorial filled with vets and tourists. That’s when police came and moved everyone out.""

It must be a terribly thing to have the contempt for humanity those making these decisions must have. It costs no money to operate a wall, but it does cost money to have police chase people away from one. Is there a way to interpret this other than a naked attempt to punish the public?

I understand something similar happened at the Korean war memorial. It costs nothing to operate it, but it does cost to police it and keep people out. This is saving money?

Sometime tomorrow I will figure out how to take the Yahoo Tool Bar out in the alley and shoot it, and consign Yahoo Search to the nether regions. They slipped in with a Firefox update. Shame on Firefox. I never liked Yahoo much. Not I hate it.

I am very tired and I have early panels tomorrow. Good night.