the tindog coffeehouse

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” – Galatians 5:1

Let the rockets blaze across the sky
Raise the flag of faith up high
And let the doubters call it what they may
It’s Independence Day!

A new poorly-worded Texas law now (possibly) requires computer repair shops to obtain a private investigator’s license in order to do their jobs (a process that requires either a criminal justice degree or a 3-year apprenticeship under a licensed P.I.).

Depending on how the law in interpreted, anyone in Texas who performs any kind of data analysis in the course of fixing a computer must have a P.I. license or face a $4000 fine, a year in jail, and a $10,000 civil penalty. Simple hardware repairs, such as swapping out memory or a power supply, would not require a license, but anyone who has done any kind of computer repair work knows that such repairs are only a small part of the job.

Others say that’s not what the bill means at all:

But Driver said the bill was intended to protect consumers from privacy invasion and that the problems for computer technicians have been exaggerated. Driver said the only cases in which computer technicians would need a license would be when they are asked to investigate and analyze private data — for example, examining a computer to determine whether the user had committed any illegal activities.

To me, it sounds like they’re just trying to protect consumers from the Geek Squad. In that case, more power to ‘em!

A report issued by CIBC World Markets is forecasting that by 2010, oil prices will hit $200 a barrel, which translates to $7-per-gallon for gas.

From Earth2Tech:

To keep it nasty, brutish and short, here’s what that means for U.S. residents:

• Stagflation;
• Driving like Europeans (15 percent less mileage, more public transportation — except Europe has pleasant public transportation);
• Market share for SUVs/vans/light trucks cut in half; vehicle sales collapse to early 80s levels;
• 10 million fewer cars on the road; one in five homes lose their second car;
• Hundreds of thousands of auto-related jobs disappear;
• Spending more per month on gas than food; diminished purchasing power compared to consumers in Europe or Japan.

And oh yeah, the report makes it crystal clear this isn’t a return of the 1970s, when the energy crisis was a painful but shortlived event. No, this one is going to linger for a long time.

Time to look for a new job closer to home!