the misadventures of weather boy

S.J. Res. 12 fails in the Senate

Last summer I posted that H.J. Res. 10, attempting to propose a flag desecration amendment to the Constitution, passed 286-130 by the easy requisite 2/3 majority. Today the Senate brought the companion resolution, S.J. Res. 12 to a vote, when it failed 66-34. A 2/3 majority would require 67 votes to propose the amendment to the States, where it would have to be approved by 3/4 of State legislatures in 7 years (38 States). It is unclear whether this would have happened, but it would have been the first "new" pending amendment in over 20 years (there are still 4 pending amendments that are not time-limited, and the fifth was ratified as 27th Amendment from its cozy place as the second article of the original Bill of Rights).

Analysis will come tomorrow. I'm too sleepy.

Labels: law

posted by weather boy @ 12:45 AM 0 comments

Summer of Misadventures Continues!

<MISADVENTURE>

So tonight I decided to go out to the Tiger Direct Outlet on Capital. I had seen a $10 post-rebate one on their main page, and I had thought about ordering it, but then noticed that it would be $12 extra in shipping. If I went out to Capital, I reasoned, I could save the shipping charge (and I had nothing better to do). I was thoughtful enough to call ahead to make sure they had, and the guy said they did....

So I rush up to get to Hillsborough Street (I'm heading out the door around 6:33pm), and get to the corner of Hillsborough and Dan Allen waiting for the bus. The CAT #4 Rex Hospital bus is supposed to be there around 6:48pm to make a 7pm connection with the CAT #1 Capital Blvd bus. I wait and wait. Finally it gets there at 7:10pm–which means that I get to wait for the 8pm Capital bus. So I get on it and ride out to Capital Boulevard. I had been there once before in my freshman year to get a 100 CD-R "spindle" for free after rebate (at the OfficeMax which I have been told no longer exists). On crossing Capital, I notice afterwards that my ID has dropped out of pocket (that's another $15 to All-Campus, joy joy). So I get there, and I find what looks to be the burner, although it's marked $29.99 post-rebate on the shelf. I ask the cashier if it's the one, and he says it isn't. Then I ask him the one on rebate, and he says that's online only. I decided to get the burner anyway because a) I had gone to the effort to go out there, and b) the added cost wouldn't be that much.

The post purchase analysis shows that I spent a little more in store (exempting the other costs incurred on the trip), but not much. The online burner was $99.99 retail. Shipping on it would have been $12.17. In addition, as TigerDirect has a store in NC, I have to pay the 7% sales tax, which was $7.85, for a total of $120.01, which would be $30.01 after rebate. The one I bought was $49.99 retail. Thus it only incurred $3.50 in tax, for a total of $53.49, which amounted to $33.49 after rebate (which isn't bad). Granted, it would have been nicer to get the burner for the $18 that it could have been, but it's good enough.

Leaving the shopping center, I proceed to get a drink, which I do after I get a dollar completely eaten by a drink machine. The bus is running late on the way back, so the driver lets me off at a stop near where the bus taking me back down Hillsborough Street would go. I'm not sure if I would've missed my bus if I went to Moore Square, but it probably would have been close. After getting to Hillsborough Street, I decide to stop into the Baskin-Robbins/Dunkin Donuts for ice cream. After purchase, I notice that there are none of the standard size spoons. After the attendant looks for some, he finds none, and directs me to one of the tasting spoons. After seeing me slowly eat the ice cream for a few minutes (the depression probably has a diameter of no more than an inch), the guy fishes around, and finds me one of the large 8" metal spoons that he lets me use (in hindsight, I probably should've gotten it washed, but it's probably a good assumption it was sanitized ahead of time).

Labels: misadventure

posted by weather boy @ 10:02 PM 1 comments