A Good Start

HMMMM!!!

Most people will agree, (even the poorly educated), that cutting funds to education is not the way to go. The future of the country lies in our youth, and denying them a well rounded education only guarantees future decline, not only in standards of living, but in our ability to deal with any future crises that are sure to come our way.
Seeing the willingness of government to slash education funds leads us to form the opinion that
1) They are exceptionally ignorant people, mistakenly put in office by equally ignorant voters.
2) They really couldn’t give a damn about the constituency, and are more concerned with personal gain. Or:
3) The lowering of educational standards is their goal, as a poorly educated citizenry is easier to manage through deceit.

Slashing funding to education is not the intelligent way to go, instead access to education should be made freely available to anyone, regardless of financial status, who has the willingness to learn.
We have no qualms dishing out billions to aid the financial institutions whose very nature of greed is the cause of today’s trouble, and yet in the same package we deny the education to our youth that may help prevent a future occurrence of economic collapse.

Profit is fine, excess profit at all cost, is nothing more than greed. Perhaps we can find a way to enlighten the greedy to the fact that the long running trend of, greed above all else, is decidedly un-patriotic. Maybe we can get the corporations to compete on who is doing the most to help in these hard times. Today the companies just lay off workers to maintain profit margins, profits that only secure their personal paychecks and bonuses. Let the CEO's start tightening their belts as a show of patriotism, their marketing department can probably get some good mileage out of that. There really is no point in telling the average American working class to tighten their belt, we’ve been doing that for years, and indeed, most of us no longer have belts!

As far as our Financial/Gambling district is concerned. In 1833 President Jackson shut down the central banking system and said to them, "Gentlemen, I have had men watching you for a long time and I am convinced that you have used the funds of the bank to speculate in the breadstuffs of the country. When you won, you divided the profits amongst you, and when you lost, you charged it to the bank. You tell me that if I take the deposits from the bank and annul its charter, I shall ruin ten thousand families. That may be true, gentlemen, but that is your sin! Should I let you go on, you will ruin 50,000 families, and that would be my sin! You are a den of vipers and thieves. I intend to rout you out!" Andrew Jackson slammed the door shut on the central bank.
Abraham Lincoln issued the greenback, a debt free note! America needs to take back its currency, and assume the duties of printing these bills, so that no debt to the "federal reserve" is attached. Indeed the fed really has no constitutional right to print our money in the first place. Perhaps we need to take a lesson from history.

A tighter control of the lobbying industry might free up our elected officials to actually start doing what their constituents want and need to insure our futures.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. - That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, - That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government ...”

Remember; "The Nightmare" we're weaving is made of the rags that were once the "American Dream".

Sincerely,
HDBluse

Origins of Music

The Origin of Music
(Short and Sweet)

The origin of music is somewhat speculative at best, due to the original creators, being on the razor’s edge of self awareness, having no reason to document their activities for future readers. We can only guess as to how music was created in the primitive psyche of the time. What follows is pretty much my guess.

Early man most likely took some interest in the sounds around him, in some cases it meant life or death, as in the roar of a tiger, or it was pleasing to the ear, as in a bird singing away. I can imagine that after a successful hunt, the hunters would prance and growl around a fire emulating the sounds of the fierce beast they had just slain. They might even have started hitting sticks together in an attempt to emulate the sounds of their clubs thumping dully upon the head of some prey, or the hollow melon sound of a neighbor’s skull when they were fighting amongst themselves over some chunk of meat, or for the best looking mate. The former most likely, due to the fact that the latter would be a six of one half dozen of the other proposition, cosmetics having yet to be invented.

In any case, as far as the origin of music is concerned, drums were probably the first primitive music instrument if we remove the human voice from the equation.

The Encyclopedia Britannica states "Drums appear with wide geographic distribution in archaeological excavations from Neolithic times onward; one excavated in Moravia is dated at 6000 BC. Early drums consisted of a section of hollowed tree trunk covered at one end with reptile or fish skin and were struck with the hands. Later, the skin was taken from hunted game or cattle, and sticks were used. The double-headed drum came later, as did pottery drums in various shapes”. Basically “Bangin' on the bongos like a chimpanzee” was probably our first artistic expression in the realm of music.
The next logical step up from percussion instruments may have been in the woodwind or string family. Imagine a primitive man fascinated by the sound of the wind blowing over some hollow reed, then recreating the effect for his fellow villagers at the next log bashing party, what a hit he would have been! Regular life of the party, such as it was.

Panpipes would have been an easy progression for the primitive mind of the time, stick a bunch of varying length reeds together and voila, let the good times roll. The move from the panpipe to the flute must have taken a much greater leap of faith for the period, yet wooden and bone flutes discovered in china have been dated as far back as 9,000 years ago, and one bone flute made from mammoth bone dates back 35,000 years and has a 4 note scale comparable to the Do, Re, Mi, Fa, scale that was so adamantly drummed into our little grade school heads.

So some concept of a musical scale existed even if the designer merely chose sounds that were pleasing to him. Still the jump from blowing over a hollow reed to blowing down a tube with graduated fingering holes was a large one.

The string section most likely started when some brave soul realized that the sinews garnered from the animals they hunted had uses beyond the traditional binding and stitching functions. From the simple, primitive musical “twang” of a string stretched on a bow as in the Brazilian “berimbau” to the myriad of complex stringed instruments in use today, from violins, to guitars, to pianos, and the many cultural variations thereof.

Pythagoras was credited with the mathematics of music as we know it today. His followers “The Pythagoreans” were all musicians as well as mathematicians. According to legend, Pythagoras discovered that musical notes could be translated into mathematical equations when passing blacksmiths at work, and thought that the sounds of their anvils being hit were harmonious and decided that the scientific law causing this to happen must be mathematical and could be applied to music. He went to the blacksmiths and discovered that the anvils were simple ratios of each other, one was half the size of the first, another was 2/3 the size, and so on. The music of the time being un-harmonious in his opinion, (probably due to instrument makers using scale pleasing to them with no regard for what others were doing). The legend also has Pythagoras studying the vibrations of a string stretched tightly between two posts, and basing his musical scale on the frequency of the vibration when the string length was changed.

When you attach a string between two posts and pull it tight, you can create sound or musical notes by plucking on the string. The vibration of the string will create a fundamental frequency, according to the length, tension and mass of the string. The string can also vibrate at multiples of its fundamental frequency. These are called harmonics.
If the dimensions of the string or wire are correct, the sound made from plucking the string will be a pleasant musical sound, if they are slightly different, the sound may not be musical and just be a sound. In most cases, the string will vibrate at the fundamental frequency or 1st harmonic. But if you pull the string harder, it can be made to vibrate with a shorter wavelength and higher frequency or the 2nd harmonic, 3rd harmonic or even higher.

Pythagoras and his school did experiments to discover the relations between musical notes. The pitch of a note being played on, say, a guitar depends on:

-The length of the string .

-The tension of the string.

-The material the string is made of.

Pressing the finger onto the string clamps the string onto the metal fret to the left of where the finger is pressed. The effective length of the string become the distance between the fret and the bridge on the left hand side. If we say the length of the string is one in some system of units, we show the effective lengths of the string for each of the notes in the scale. These harmonious "consonant" lengths were discovered by Pythagoras.

Check Out The new website At http://www.acesandeighths.com. Nice site for a variety of music resources. Everything from Music Theory, History Of Music Genres, History and Construction Of Musical Instruments, Musicians Homepages and Bios, To Music Related Articles.

The Bullshit Reduction Strategy

Economic Stimulus Plan or The Bullshit Reduction Strategy

The daily stress levels are at an all time high, Bullshit has also reached an all time high, (about waist level), and since the main cause of stress is "bullshit", maybe it's time we got out the ol' shovel and went to work.
The Main tenets of our constitution are "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness";
Life, (beyond the obvious), should include the right to a reasonably comfortable existence, free from the worries of whether or not you can keep a roof over your head, feed your family, put gas in your car, heat your house, or maintain the health of you and your family. The survival of the fittest concept of our primitive origins no longer works with a world population as large as we have today. We also should be aware of the obvious fact that capitalism, as we know it, does not really work in the long run. The concept only fosters greed, (our basest human fault), and the accumulation of personal wealth at all costs soon creates a cost that society as a whole must pay with blood, sweat and tears. If we are to be a truly social world society then we must be to some extent socialists, and by that I mean that the welfare of society in general should be more important than the welfare of the individual.
Let's look at some of the bullshit creating the problems we have today;
First, because the minimum wage is set at a level far below the poverty line, a single income family cannot survive, therefore they must rely on some form credit to maintain a minimal level of existence. This "need" for credit is in reality "indentured servitude", the creditor keeps taking more and more of what you don't have, and forces you to work for them in perpetuity. The facts are well supported that the credit institutions receive the vast majority of their profits from the lower income levels. SOLUTION: Raise the minimum wage to at least match the poverty level "after taxes". A family of 4 has a poverty level of $20,650 by U.S. Federal guides, that is a minimum wage of $10/hr before taxes, approx. $14,450 or $7/hr after taxes. Subtracting the average rent, (500x12=$6000), the average transportation cost, (250x12=$3000), and the average cost of food, (200x52=$10400), the family of 4 at $10/hr, ($2.50/hr higher than minimum wage), is now $4950 in debt. We have not counted clothing yet, nor have we included any amenities, or basic utility costs. Lets say $100/month for electric, and our family of 4 being frugal only uses $50/month in clothing needs, our family is now $6750 in debt. Oh and don't forget health care, 10% of yearly income for that, (that is if you have insurance) $8195 in debt. Lets give the family a phone, (50x12), $8795 in debt, how about heating/cooling, (800/year), $9595 in debt, electricity would be nice, (80x12), $10555 in debt, how about a TV for the kiddies, (30x12), $10915 in debt, oh we forgot to add the cost of the debt, (50x12). With just the basic necessities of today's modern world our family of 4 goes into debt by $11515 per year, requiring both parents to work just to stay afloat. With both parents working the combined income after tax is $28900 with an average annual cost of survival being $25965, and that's at a pay level for each that is $2.50 higher than the minimum wage. That leaves them with a whopping $56 per week for amenities, so let's hope the car doesn't break down or that they make payments on it, let's hope the kids are content not having toys, and that the family has no need for things like soap, laundry detergent, or auto/life insurance, or any number of the little things that the "well to do"people take for granted.
Credit should be a luxury not a necessity and the corporations, every banking institution, that maintain high profit levels based on the necessity of credit should be regulated to the point of extinction.

A $100,000 home at 7% interest will cost you about $350,000 at mortgage end due to the trickery of amortization, how's that for new math. If the total/final cost were a true 7% the $107,000 dollar total mortgage cost could be paid off in 10 years or less, 100 times as many people would be able to afford homes and the banks would probably turn the same profit.The increase in home ownership will result in an increase in municipal funding and an increase in education funds, and since the mortgage is paid off quickly an increase in disposable income. Just a thought.

The national/natural resources of America are held in public trust, that is they belong to the people of America and are being watched over by our federal agencies, (it is our country after all not the governments). These natural resources are oil, coil, water, timber, etc.. so why do we have to pay such exorbitant prices to corporations that have exorbitant profits. Why don' t we make these corporations pay exorbitant fees to access these resources, or at least regulate them again to curtail the level of greed they exhibit, oil companies show 1000% profits during so called "shortages", if there is a shortage, or if operating costs go up and they pass the costs along then logically the profit margin should remain stable. a One thousand % profit is obscene. The need for these fossil fuels is a necessity of modern life and they should be nationalized and controlled for the good of everyone, not for the profit of the few.

We are now in the process of bailing out these corporations, due to the fact that they have bled themselves dry with their own greed, by stealing money from the working class to the point where the working class has nothing left to be stolen. Now they get 700 billion plus dollars of your future earnings, so in effect they are stealing money you don't even have yet, nice trick huh?

The main point at which this stealing process started is with the advent of the 401 pension plans. Prior to the existence of 401s corporations were required to make contributions to a pension plan for the employees out of company profits, (no cost to the employee), and these plans were insured by the federal govt. Along come the 401s to supplant the traditional pension and now they force you to take your hard earned money, invest it in their companies, while they reap the benefits in higher corporate salaries. These 401s, being merely a front for gambling in stocks are no longer insured by the fed, so when the market goes under so goes your retirement plans. Enjoy! And as far as bailouts for private corporations are concerned, (ford, gmc, etc..), what part of the free enterprise, compete or go under , market place don't they understand. If they weren't so greedy, and if they made a good quality product, they'd be competitive enough to stay in business. Instead they used inferior materials, cut corners, and decreased the workforce, to increase their already obscene profits, and now when it comes time to pay the piper they want us to bail them out, they never cared about us beyond our wallets, we shouldn't care about them, it's time to say goodbye show them the door!
As for the companies that relocated overseas, they are now a foreign corporation and no longer entitled to any benefits of being an American company, even if their headquarters is located in the US. They should therefore be forced to pay import duties on all products, they don't want to support the American workforce, but they want the American workforce to buy their product. Charge them high tariffs, yet force them to sell their products at a price commensurate with their production costs. Hit them were it hurts in their Profit base.

As for health coverage, America is one of two modern nations without universal health care, (Mexico being the other), there is something not right about the richest country in the world not taking care of it's own citizenry. I wonder if this could be due to corporate greed. The average American can work 40 years and if they actually get to enjoy a retirement, they usually see it all go for nothing when one major illness takes away everything they worked for over the years. This virtually guarantees that they have nothing to pass on to their children, (a privilege reserved for the rich), and guarantees that their offspring get to start at the bottom and suffer the same fate in 40 years. Maybe we can have Universal health care when all the baby boomers die off, that way they can still milk us dry before generation X takes charge. Since genX will have an undoubtedly lower standard of living, so there's not much profit to be made there.

The important thing to remember is that this country belongs to us and our elected officials are supposed to do what we tell them, so if we do not hold the greedy corporations accountable, if we do not pay attention to what our govt does, if we do not hold our leaders accountable, then we probably deserve the end result, our loss of liberty. It is a free country, even though that freedom is more illusion than fact, and we need to pay attention and get involved in what goes on in it.We need to become a society that cares about the overall health of that society and takes the necessary steps to insure it's future. That being said, feel free to stick your head back in the sand, Oh, and don't forget to buy that new phone with the fancy features, you don't need it, but look so cool, and of course don't forget to use your credit card!

Don't Forget To Vote

Don't Forget To Vote

• Don't forget that the current administration was appointed in 2000 because it was too much of a bother to properly re-count the 2000 presidential ballots that were snafu-ed beyond comprehension.

• Don't forget that the 2008 election was won due to Black Box voting machinery and that the final tally was very, very inconsistent with the exit polls and pretty much any other poll prediction for the first time in history.

http://ideamouth.com/voterfraud.htm, http://www.blackboxvoting.org/

• Don't forget that the primary business of the manufacturers of Black Box voting equipment is the manufacturing of ATM machines which have a nearly impenetrable auditing system and redundant paper trails, YET their voting machines surprisingly have neither.

• Don't forget the enormous number of Black Box voting irregularities discovered during the 2004 election. These were just the ones discovered due to their obvious nature.

http://ideamouth.com/voterfraud.htm, http://www.blackboxvoting.org/

• Don't forget that Diebold's main competitor for electronic voting machines, Athan Gibbs, inventor of "TRU VOTE" and perhaps America's most influential advocate of a verified voting paper trail in the era of touch screen computer voting, died in a bizarre car crash.

• Don't forget that in 2000 we had a balanced budget and that, now we have the highest national debt in the history of America.

• Don't forget that we are in a depression not a, *insert currently accepted euphemism here*, and that the ones responsible are going to receive a massive trillion dollar bonus of taxpayer's money for their greed and criminal behavior. (crime apparently does pay, and it pays well)

• Don't forget that when America intervenes in another country's affairs we insist on a paper ballot to choose the elected officials of that country.

• Don't forget that the post 9/11 patriot act pretty much put an end to most of your civil liberties.

• Don't forget that America is one of the Very Few advanced societies in the world without a social medical system.

• Don't forget that Congress spent $10 million investigating each inch of Clinton's penis but only spent $3 million investigating all of 9/11

• That the current administration tricked us into a very expensive, about $600 trillion, war to beat up the wrong guy.

• That the current administration is led by someone with a serious reality issue.

• That the current administration is led by someone who has a decided problem with the use of the English Language.

• That the current administration is led by someone who is in the OIL Business, and heavily financed in 2000 by Ken Lay and the Enron corp.

• Also don't forget the curent administration's record

http://www.wage-slave.org/scorecard.html

Don't forget that, whether you think your vote counts or not, you should still exercise that right to vote. If you do vote try to vote for the right reasons, I have actually heard people state that they are voting for Mcain because his running mate Palin was "cute" or that they were voting for Mcain because he is a christian. I have heard blacks state that they are voting for Obama because he is black.

The issues should be your main criteria for voting, now I know that it is tough to pay attention or to even understand the issues in a country with a +20% illiteracy rate, so if you really have no clue then "vote by Not VOTING".

I know it' especially hard below the Mason Dixon line where the main criteria for contentment is based on the reserves of beer in the refrigerator, or who won the INDY 500, but put the "Rebel Mentality" away long enough to understand and vote on the issues.

I know that most politicians lie to get elected, so check out the record on the candidates to see if their actions are consistent with what they say during the campaign.


Oh and don't forget that "WE THE PEOPLE" are the government, not the OLD BOY CRONIES in Washington. We get to tell them what to do, not the other way around.

SHADES OF SELF IMPORTANCE

WAS THAT MY PHONE OR YOURS?

I’ve been trying to figure out why everyone today feels the need to be “connected” via cell phone, instant messaging and the like. Makes me wonder how we managed to survive hundreds of thousands of years of evolution to reach this level of overpopulation. You would think if it were really a necessity Mother Nature would have made us telepathic. Now granted 100,000 years ago there wasn’t all that much exciting to chatter about other than RUN, here comes a tiger, Watch Out for that mastodon turd, “Hey I discovered fire, or maybe “I call it a wheel. Today we feel the need to be in constant communication about even the most trivial items of interest, hell we even have our phone stuck right to the side of our head in case someone needs to get our opinion on really important issues like global warming or “What color dress are you wearing to the party?”

Again Madison Avenue is hard at work, convincing us of our own self importance in the grand scheme of things, and of course let’s not forget the overall cool factor. Now that we have been convinced of the all important need to be connected, they are now making the cell phone into a fashion statement via color, display, function, and features. Just imagine how “un-cool” it would be to whip out an old style cell phone at the local watering hole, one that can’t play mp3s, or video games, no internet connection or hidden keyboard, you’ll be going home alone tonight, loser!!!!

Grade school kids pester parents until they get their own personal cell phone, so they can chatter away the minutes on all the important things going on in their little pre-pubescent lives, thus adding to the overall background radiation that slowly erodes their little pea brains.

Cell phones are convenient, especially in emergency situations, but listen in sometimes on the banality of some of the nearby cell conversations and you soon realize that another modern convenience has gone past the point of sensibility, and became just another monthly billing statement you probably won’t be able to pay. How many people do you know who have a different cell number every couple of months? And as far as emergency use of a cell phone is concerned, TV has shown us that there is usually no signal, or the battery is dead, (probably because you chatted away all day about last night’s sit-com/soap).

Oh!, and lets not forget that cell phones make excellent tracking devices, so your whereabouts can be pinpointed with great accuracy, (whether they are on or off), and also remember cell conversations do not receive the same right to privacy as a hard line does, not that there’s much of any importance being said on most cells anyway.

OOPS!!! There goes my cell, I’m being summoned. Seeyalater,

After a brief hiatus I managed to come up with another gripe;

Credit

It is interesting that in the course of one generation we went from a world where credit was to be avoided, and only existed as a last ditch survival method for the "poor and near do well of society. It was looked down upon and considered an embarrassment by the American "Hard Working Middle class". (Part of that shoulder to the wheel, nose to the grindstone mindset). Today we struggle to get a good "credit score" so that we can buy overpriced items that we do not need, to impress friends that we don't have, from profit seeking greed merchants who view us as walking dollar signs.

Instead of saving for that big price tag item (that we "want", [not need, but want]) we demand the instant gratification of immediate possession by using our "plastic fantastic lover" aka; the credit card. We fight to get good credit scores and strive to obtain no less than 3 but no more than 6 major credit cards to be considered "good consumers". We will sell our souls and our futures to willingly enslave ourselves to the credit mongers.

At what point in time did this change occur? I believe that the change occurred somewhere in the mid '50s, when the average family suddenly discovered that one income was no longer enough to insure the family's survival. Two incomes became the norm, (if not the necessity), and the nuclear family's foundation was broken when the focal point, (MOM), was also forced into labor.

Why are we now at the point where people are having to use credit as a means of survival, a means of holding on to the homes, a means of supplying nourishment for their families, a means of supplying heat and comfort for those families, and a means of supply the cost of transportation to low paying jobs that are part of the problem to begin with?

There are credit companies that offer low start up interest rates to lure the consumer in, and then when the hook is set the rates increase to a level that insures that the minimum monthly payment will be made thereby prolonging the debt and maximizing profit. There are banks offering loans that start at 4-6% and at their discretion based on nothing more than greed, they can change that interest rate up to 24.9%. This can be done even if you make all your payments on time and the prime rate stay the same, if you miss a payment the rate can go to 27.9%. Quote from banking website-"the APR will not automatically vary with an index, such as the Prime Rate. We reserve the right to change your APR, fees, or other credit terms at our discretion"

Mortgages insure that you will pay over the course of 15 to 30+ years a sum total of 3-5 times the actual value of the home you purchased, as that home depreciates in value, (thank god that the recession and need for housing keeps driving the value of realty higher). The new home owner in any case is now in indentured service to the financial institution for the remainder of his life.

Let me close this blog/rant/drivel with something that is not credit related but still has a major impact on our lives; our natural resources/oil supply. I believe that our natural resources belong to the people of this country, yet they are controlled and manipulated by a handful of individuals for personal gain. If we are having an energy crisis or shortage due to increased cost of production and/or decreased levels of production, and these additional costs are being fairly passed on to consumers, shouldn't the profit margins of these companies be staying the same. Why then are they showing record profits year after year after year? More importantly; since all our lives are tied inextricably to oil and in the northern states a necessity for survival, why isn't this resource regulated, or for that matter nationalized and used for the good of society as a whole?

It is rather worrisome, (or at least it should be), that the wealth of America is being slowly siphoned off into the accounts of a few extremely wealthy, power hungry, individuals, who have no interest in the survival of America, or its people. Their only interest is amassing more power and control.

You would think that a civilized society would be more concerned with the survival of the species as a whole and not just concerned with the immediate gratification through high profit margins at the expense of the very lives of its own citizenry.

Oh Well---WANBO

W A N B O™, or The Elect and Neglect Principle.

21

   One can only wonder what reality would be like, if the ridiculously high amount of diversions we have in our daily life were trimmed down to a more manageable number. The constant Madison Avenue s***storm of drivel that inundates our existence, and goads us into defining our very existence by the clothes we wear, cars we drive, credit scores, etc....would be a good area to start trimming, although I suppose we really can't put all the blame on M.A., some blame must be heaped upon the little sheep that prefer to be led around, and would find originality of thought to be well beyond their grasp, and the concept of free will to be an overtaxing burden. 
 
   The real problem created by the sheep lies in the unfortunate fact that they are the majority, and the rest of us oggz are dragged along in their vacuous slipstream. The evidence of their majority can be witnessed by the number of reality shows on TV, the high national credit debt, the proliferation of planned obsolescence in all our electronic toys, the number of political lies that go unchallenged, and the current strangulation of the average working class Shmuck.

   We forgot that "WE THE PEOPLE" are the government, and we choose the "ELECT AND NEGLECT" policy instead of getting involved and paying attention. This Policy is pretty much the reason that we have Policies that are more designed to increase profit margins than the quality of our own existence. We elect, then leave the rest of the process up to the elected with no further interest in what they are actually doing, as a result our government does what it pleases and has no reason to even keep us informed of their activities. Special interests groups, on the other hand, pay close attention, and with the frequent donation here or there, pretty much hold the reigns of our political process.

   Let's take a look at the current reallty brought about by our in-attention;

   Oil (a natural resource owned by the people and controlled by a small group of individuals), has increased in price to the point where some can no longer afford to drive to work. The actual cost of production vs. profits is so out of sync that it approaches the unbelievable. If cost was the only factor in increasing prices, the profit margins would stay relatively the same!!!!!!! Keep in mind that oil is a necessity of everyday life, and as such, should be a "controlled substance"

   Health Care (something that would be of concern to a government that really gave a s*** about its citizens). The health care industry, especially Pharmacuetical Companies now show a profit vs. cost margin that puts the oil companies to shame. At the same time they are pushing medications that are dubious cures at best, Where is the FDA when we need them. The majority of real cures will probably make an entrance when the last of the baby boomers makes an exit, after all "Generation X" will have to work longer to reach thier retirement age somewhere in thier mid to late seventies.

   Education (higher costs and lower standards). While much of the world is putting great emphasis on increasing educational standards we lower our standards and increase the cost of education. Every governmental budget cut takes a further toll on the education of Americans, after all an educated citizenry might actually pay attention to what's going on in Washington. Limiting the higher levels of education to the privledged few, keeps the privledged few in control.

   Politics (policy for profit?, or the bully method). You really don't need that higher education that you couldn't afford to see where the political process is leading us. Wars are fought today primarily for the acqusition of wealth and power, by the wealthy and powerful, using the unwealthy and unpowerful, to accomplish thier desire for more wealth and power. The domestic side of government policy is pretty much to keep you from realizing what the foriegn policy is all about, and to make sure that if, and when you figure it out you won't be able to do anything about it.

   Life, Liberty and the Pursuit... (the carrot and mule principle). It should be obvious to most that our lives are getting more and more complicated, an intelligent species would probably head in the direction of simplification and standardization, but that's not us. Everthing today seems to be designed to annoy and frustrate. the computer age was supposed to simplify but instead complicated everything beyond reason, the constantly changing technology obsoletes itself every other day, with its myriad of ways to compete even the simplest of tasks so as to make it night-marish at best. Now the entire process of life itself relies on the fallible little microchip.
   
   Liberty is now considered more of a priveledge than an inalienable right, and as the illusion of security is increased the right to liberty decreases proportionately. As we are pushed into this illusion of security with personal ID cards and the upcoming cashless society we will undoubtedly hear a door slam behind us as the last vestige of liberty twinkles and fades into oblivion. As far as the pursuit is concerned the only thing being pursued will likely be those who will not embrace the new world. Oh well, at least we have our toys.

   Solutions?  Wake up, pay attention, get involved! Nationalize the commodities that are essential to life in America, our natural resources, OUR NATIONAL RESOURCES. Tax the profit right away from the oil companies, or control the level of profits that any corporation can have, basically TAX GREED!
Lets start producing all of our own food in America instead of importing from other nations because its cheaper, If it's not "grown" in America don't eat it.
If it's not "made" in America, don't buy it, stop these companies from manufacturing our goods overseas.  
Remember; the Elected were put there by us, if they won't do what we tell them we can un-elect them!

SEEYA

20

Connect the Dots or, The Buck Stopped Where?

   In 2007, the CEO of a Standard & Poor’s 500 company received, on average, $14.2 million in total compensation, according to preliminary numbers from The Corporate Library, a corporate governance research firm. The median compensation package received was $8.8 million.[1]

   A reasonable and fair compensation system for executives and workers is fundamental to the creation of long-term corporate value. However, compensation for top executives has grown at an unprecedented rate in the past two decades resulting in a dramatic increase in the ratio between the compensation of executives and rank-and-file employees.

   Because of stagnant wages and the resulting increase in income inequality, the share of the nation’s income flowing to the top 1 percent rose to 22.9 in 2006 from 16.9 percent in 2002, a level not seen since 1928, at the peak of the stock market bubble.[2] Corporate chief executives are among those at the very top. CEOs of large U.S. companies averaged $10.8 million in total compensation in 2006, more than 364 times the pay of the average U.S. worker, according to the latest survey by the United for a Fair Economy.

http://www.aflcio.org/corporatewatch/paywatch/ceou/database.cfm

A-Oil Companies

Rising prices and profits translated into pay packages for oil company CEOs that are nearly three times the size of similarly sized businesses. CEOs of the largest 15 oil companies averaged $32.7 million in compensation, compared with $11.6 million for all large U.S. firms.

Chevron-In 2006, David J. O'Reilly raked in $31,602,889 in total compensation according to the SEC. According to the AFL-CIO's calculation method*, this CEO raked in $19,802,908 in total 2006 compensation.

Exxon mobile-In 2006, Rex W. Tillerson raked in $13,009,495 in total compensation according to the SEC. According to the AFL-CIO's calculation method*, this CEO raked in $22,440,807 in total 2006 compensation.

Exxon-In 2006, Rex W. Tillerson raked in $13,009,495 in total compensation according to the SEC. According to the AFL-CIO's calculation method*, this CEO raked in $22,440,807 in total 2006 compensation

B-Health Insurance

Aetna In 2006, Ronald A. Williams raked in $19,802,476 in total compensation according to the SEC. According to the AFL-CIO's calculation method*, this CEO raked in $32,158,245 in total 2006 compensation.

Allstate-In 2006, Edward M. Liddy raked in $23,983,783 in total compensation according to the SEC. According to the AFL-CIO's calculation method*, this CEO raked in $22,557,146 in total 2006 compensation.

Humana Inc.- In 2007, Michael B. McCallister raked in $10,312,557 in total compensation according to the SEC. According to the AFL-CIO's calculation method*, this CEO raked in $10,874,383 in total 2007 compensation.

Aflac-In 2007, Daniel P. Amos raked in $14,834,713 in total compensation according to the SEC. According to the AFL-CIO's calculation method*, this CEO raked in $14,026,203 in total 2007 compensation.

C-Pharmacueticals

Johnson+Johnson- 2007, William C. Weldon raked in $31,916,566 in total compensation according to the SEC. According to the AFL-CIO's calculation method*, this CEO raked in $29,679,870 in total 2007 compensation.

Colgate-Palmolive-In 2006, Reuben Mark raked in $23,263,350 in total compensation according to the SEC. According to the AFL-CIO's calculation method*, this CEO raked in $19,413,234 in total 2006 compensation.

Pfizer-In 2007, Jeffrey B. Kindler raked in $9,513,440 in total compensation according to the SEC. According to the AFL-CIO's calculation method*, this CEO raked in $13,075,099 in total 2007 compensation.

Bristol Myers-In 2006, Peter R. Dolan raked in $9,797,979 in total compensation according to the SEC. According to the AFL-CIO's calculation method*, this CEO raked in $13,298,499 in total 2006 compensation.

D)-Banking

Bank of America-In 2007, Kenneth D. Lewis raked in $24,844,040 in total compensation according to the SEC. According to the AFL-CIO's calculation method*, this CEO raked in $23,646,455 in total 2007 compensation.

Citicorp-In 2007, Charles O. Prince raked in $15,105,376 in total compensation according to the SEC. According to the AFL-CIO's calculation method*, this CEO raked in $25,520,621 in total 2007 compensation.

E-Telecoms

AT&T-In 2007, Randall L. Stephenson raked in $21,981,984 in total compensation according to the SEC. According to the AFL-CIO's calculation method*, this CEO raked in $25,031,279 in total 2007 compensation

Time Warner-In 2006, Richard D. Parsons raked in $22,479,353 in total compensation according to the SEC. According to the AFL-CIO's calculation method*, this CEO raked in $18,527,620 in total 2006 compensation.

News Corporation-(FOX)-In 2007, Keith Rupert Murdoch raked in $32,135,675 in total compensation according to the SEC. According to the AFL-CIO's calculation method*, this CEO raked in $31,123,175 in total 2007 compensation.

F-Misc?,Extraneous?, Outrageous?

Halliburton- In 2006, David J. Lesar raked in $15,295,787 in total compensation according to the SEC. According to the AFL-CIO's calculation method*, this CEO raked in $16,466,987 in total 2006 compensation.
Halliburton, Inc. : President and Chief Executive Officer, October 1995-July 2000
Cheney's 2000 income from Halliburton: $36,086,635 Cheney made $36 million at Halliburton in 2000 alone. Source
Increase in government contracts while Cheney led Halliburton: 91%
Minimum size of "accounting irregularity" that occurred while Cheney was CEO: $100,000,000 (One hundred MILLION dollars)
Number of the seven official US "State Sponsors of Terror" that Halliburton contracted with: 2 out of 7
Pages of Energy Plan documents Cheney refused to give congressional investigators: 13,500
Amount energy companies gave the Bush/Cheney presidential campaign: $1,800,000
http://www.moveon.org
http://www4.dr-rath-foundation.org
http://www.halliburtonwatch.org/

Lockheed-Martin-In 2007, Robert J. Stevens raked in $30,939,233 in total compensation according to the SEC. According to the AFL-CIO's calculation method*, this CEO raked in $25,962,696 in total 2007 compensation.

General Dynamics-In 2007, Nicholas D. Chabraja raked in $18,554,668 in total compensation according to the SEC. According to the AFL-CIO's calculation method*, this CEO raked in $18,484,341 in total 2007 compensation.

1)- High Cost of Housing

2)- Profiteers?

3)- How much was that phone bill?

4)-High Cost of Health Care

5)- High Energy Costs

6)-Did I mention High Cost of Health Care?

 

( the above salaries do not include perks and bonuses. see ya next time.)

19

WANBO™, (welcome to America, now bend over)

   I just happened to be watching TV the other day and an episode of Cops came on, (not my preferred viewing pleasure), unfortunately the remote was a few inches out of reach. (Oh well, I’ll just have to suffer through it). I noticed that while there where a lot idiots getting arrested (and rightly so), I also noticed that in the majority of cases the rights of the individual were completely ignored. Watching this show on a regular basis would lead the viewer to believe that they have no rights during a police stop. One instance had an individual told to exit his vehicle, at which point he was handcuffed, (presumably for the officers protection), then searched. At what point in time did the police have the right to do a routine traffic stop, handcuff and search an individual with out probable cause, or does our mere presence on the road now constitute probable cause?
  
    The Fourth Amendment of the constitution, (remember the constitution? It’s there to protect our rights), prohibits unwarranted search and seizure, the Fifth Amendment gives you the right to not answer any questions. It would seem, (from this show anyway), that being removed from your vehicle and being handcuffed and detained without probable cause is becoming the normal, accepted practice. It appears to be a violation of your constitutional rights, and if you don’t exercise your rights you lose them. You don’t have to cop an attitude or be rude to the police, they have a job to do after all, but you also have “Constitutional Rights” that “They are Sworn to Protect, so the police shouldn’t cop an attitude if you insist on your rights.

   Now granted the episodes shown on TV are undoubtedly an extremely small percentage of all the traffic stops recorded by the Dashboard Cameras, an of course are selected solely for dramatic effect, the point is this; If you see something often enough then it becomes the accepted norm, and this is where the problem lies.

   The large percentage of Police Procedural shows on TV attest to the fact that the majority of the populace watch these shows, and since TV is a vastly superior method of modifying social behavior on a mass scale, we soon become accustomed to, and accept these breaches of our constitutional rights, as long as the bad guy gets it in the end.

   Another interesting thing I’ve noticed on these shows are the episodes where some naïve high school kid gets stopped and arrested for purchasing drugs at a “Known Crack House”, now if it’s a “Known Crack House”, bust the dealer and the problem is solved. It seems almost as if they leave the “Known Crack House” in operation, and since drug dealing is not taxable by it’s very nature of being illegal, they can tax the dealer by proxy (busting the buyer), and thereby generate income. Same for prostitution, pick up the prostitutes or the john’s every once in a while and collect tax through the fines they impose and generate a renewable income when the town coffers get low.
 
   At what point in time did the police stop being our friends, what is that point in our moral compass where the common good changed into the common desire for the accumulation of cash/power. I was going to include politicians in the equation but that moral compass has been spinning wildly since the advent of the ogglets. The main goal today seems to be the separation of the “common oggs” from their hard earned income, which seems to be the case in all aspects of our current lifestyles. The “common ogg really just wants enough money to live a relatively comfortable life free from worry, while the rich and powerful want the same thing but on a 80’ yacht berthed at a dock at their million dollar vacation home, (slightly different idea of comfort).    The “common oggs” just want their children to have good educational opportunities, good health care, and of course the rights afforded by our constitution, (or are they just privileges that can be revoked at any time?). It just seems that for most, hard work and perseverance don’t pay off like they used to, and the constant struggle to maintain, “the head above water posture”, is a losing battle. Everyone wants a piece of your pie and, they all want a larger piece than the next guy, from the insurance scams in their myriad of disguises, the taxman, the credit mongers, the secondary taxmen (police), your TV provider and the rest of the utility dudes, and let’s not forget you churches and charities , all the way down to your corner store, EVERYONE!!!!!

(not trying to depress anyone here, just pointing things out and asking people to wake up and pay attention)

http://www.flexyourrights.org/

18

Let Me Reiterate, or More Fun With Facts.

   Spring is upon us, and it is time for the semi-annual oil price increase, not quite the same as the swallows returning to Capistrano, but predictable none the less. It’s kind of like setting your clocks for DST, (maybe that’s why we have DST, so the oil companies have a better schedule), “Spring Forward, Raise prices; Fall Back, Raise prices”

   Oil, like any natural resource, should belong to the citizens residing in that country, the companies mining the resources should, of course, be allowed a measure of profitability for their investment and labor. But when one looks at the oil company profits it becomes clear that these companies have an entirely different outlook, one not in the best interests of the country they reside in. When the cost of crude, the cost of production, and the demand go up, you would expect prices to go up correspondingly. This increase in pricing should reflect the increased cost, thereby keeping a respectable profit margin, that should never rise by more than a few percent from a reasonable return on investment. Check out: http://www.wtrg.com/prices.htm

   When oil companies boast of 1000% profits, something probably went wrong somewhere, and unfortunately our complacency allows this to happen. Oh yeah! We bitch and moan, and we take it for granted that our government would never let this kind of blatant raping of our country and its citizens take place, but it should be clear by now that most governments don’t have the best interests of its citizens on their agenda.

   To paraphrase JFK “Ask not what you can do for your country, ask what has your country done for you lately?”. The current state of affairs make it painfully clear that our interests are not being addressed by our elected officials, and these officials don’t even care if we know this fact, they don’t care if we are aware of their deceit, deceptions, ruses, games, and obvious lies. We now have records being set in bankruptcies, foreclosures, unemployment, illiteracy, crime, and of course the ever popular white collar game of “grab that pension and run”.

   We have records being set in the cost of housing, food, medicine, education, and of course that wonderful necessity of modern life oil. The only real constant seems to be the low stagnating wages that most Americans labor under, and the guarantee of an ever increasing cost of living. The current poverty level is:

2007 HHS Poverty Guidelines based on number of Persons in Family or Household

                                                                                    Alaska                    Hawaii

                                                    1     $10,210            $12,770                  $11,750

                                                    2     13,690                17,120                   15,750

                                                    3     17,170                 21,470                  19,750

                                                    4     20,650                 25,820                  23,750

                                                    5     24,130                 30,170                  27,750

                                                    6     27,610                 34,520                  31,750

                                                    7     31,090                 38,870                  35,750

                                                    8     34,570                 43,220                  39,750

   The current minimum wage is $2.65/hour in Kansas to a whopping $8.00/hour (in the very liberal states of California and Massachusetts). That’s $5512 to $16640 annual gross income, net, (after TAX), income is at or below poverty levels. Basically if you don’t have 2 incomes rolling in you get to choose between food or shelter, (forget about thise luxuries like TV, phone, heat,etc…), kind of shameful in the richest country on earth, don’t you think?

   On the other side of reality we have the CEO’s, (basically those people who decided that you should be able to live on minimum wage), making an average of $ 15 million in annual salaries and perks, (http://www.aflcio.org/corporatewatch/paywatch/).
At what point in the sur-reality spiral does one start thinking that they are worth $1 million or more per month.

   Maybe if we cap salaries and corporate profit margins, the cost of living might drop to the point where the average American can afford to live in America. More jobs would be available, with higher wages and less overtime, hell you might even have enough discretionary income to enjoy a day off that doesn’t include hiding your depression behind a TV set, or working around the house because you can’t afford the cost of hiring someone to do the repairs.

Oh by the way if you haven’t figured out the meaning of life is, "In this style 10/6",
You’re not paying enough attention to the current state of affairs, or to the quality of our current leadership.


(Later....)

17

17

IT AIN’T NECESSARILY SO, OR FUN WITH FACTS.

   Historically speaking, history is usually written or re-written to reflect the viewpoint of the victors. Once written it soon becomes an accepted fact, and the reality of the events soon become consigned to the “Urban Legend” side of history. The new version bears some resemblance to fact or, it would not be believable enough to stand the test of time, and, of course, as more time passes it becomes more believable. This is a standard “practice” dating back to the oggs, (remember the oggs?), and has been perfected over time as propaganda techniques have improved through the better understanding of our primitive “instincts” and has reached its culmination with the advent of psychology.

   I don’t intend to delve into specifics on the subject as this would make it too easy to determine if I am telling the truth or, stretching the facts a little, and I see no reason why I should have to abide by rules that the historians have yet to carve in stone.

   Some parts of history have been stretched to the point where historical figures become larger than life, their actions become legendary, and the subject matter of Epic Tales. This was more easily accomplished in our early history as the oggs tended to believe just about anything thrown at them, for example the tales of Homer, the Arabian Nights, King Arthur, etc. The advantage of epic tales is that we “should” know that the facts have been stretched to make for a better story or to accent some moral character the author is trying to purvey. The problems occur when the Epic Tale is stretched to change the facts but not enough to render it unbelievable.

   On the other side of the fence, we have the metaphorical tales told in most of the religious works, passed down through time and tweaked here and there to reflect the mindset of the time. Some of these stories are indeed factual accounts, while others are an obvious attempt to render a moral viewpoint in metaphorical terms. The vast majority of the latter appear in the majority of religious beliefs, in nearly identical accounts of epic tales predating the written history of the respective religions. The tree of knowledge, the great flood, death and resurrection, are just a few of the themes that repeat throughout religious history, and tend to suggest real events passed on through word of mouth, until some fool learned to write. It was sort of the world’s oldest running game of Chinese whispers or Telephone.
   Chinese whispers or Telephone is a game in which each successive participant secretly whispers to the next a phrase or sentence whispered to them by the preceding participant. Cumulative errors from mishearing often result in the sentence heard by the last player differing greatly and amusingly from the one uttered by the first. It is most often played by children as a party game or in the playground. It is often invoked as a metaphor for cumulative error, especially the inaccuracies of rumors. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone_game)

   Basically all history is suspect if it precedes the written documentation of the events, and even then, it is suspect until multiple copies, (too many to recall and re-write), were in circulation. Lies of omission, metaphor, the occasional tweak here and there by the current ruling class, typos, poor memory, Chinese whispers, all tend to blur the lines between Historical Fact and Historical Fantasy.

   The current history of oggdom is being written and re-written on a daily basis in our various forms of media, newspapers, magazines, television, movies, etc, and is heavily influenced by the “ruling class”. It is “tweaked” on a daily basis to influence our thinking and to get us “on board” with the current goals of the respective rulers.

   Basically everything should be taken with a grain of salt, and the truth will eventually come out, (in one form or another), in the end, maybe, someday.....

(Next issue, Proof that the meaning of life is "In this style 10/6.")

16

I’M MAD AS HELL AND I’M NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE, (WELL MAYBE JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE).

   How many people remember the movie “Network”? The above title, (well most of it anyway), comes from the movie. The main character, a newscaster I believe, finally snaps over the absurdity of the world and the role that television played, (and continues to play), in shaping it. He coins the phrase “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore”, a phrase which soon catches on like wildfire. His main message was to turn off the TV and start living in the real world. His crusade becomes so popular that the TV builds a show around him which becomes absurdly popular, thereby defeating his own purpose. When his message finally sinks in and people start to turn off their sets, they assassinate him, live on TV and achieve an all time high in ratings. Even though you just had a short synopsis of the movie it is definitely worth watching.

   His message was to turn off the TV, (reality shows), and join reality, (the real live, make it up as you go, reality). Too much of our time is wasted in front of the tube. We rely on it for too much of our information, thinking that the news stations have no agenda of their own
.
   They have the same agenda that any other business has, to take money from your pocket and place it in theirs. You buy product, the advertiser pays the station to air the ads, from your pocket to theirs just like that. This is the reason that ours news tends to lean toward the sensational, useless information, that we have no real need to know, information that is usually bad news, which seems to peak our interests more than good news. Maybe we need to feel that someone, somewhere, is having a worse day than us.
The use of television, (and indeed all forms of media), is to manipulate consumers into consuming more, and thereby generating cash flow, the scary part is when they use the media to influence your opinions by slanting the news. This is most noticeable when the programming is of a political nature. The TV stations tend to slant things a certain way depending on the political preferences of the respective owners, unfortunately in our modern day world there are few owners, (most broadcasting is controlled by a small handful of the “rich and powerful”), and therefore the viewpoints expressed tend to be narrow, and basically lean toward politics that favor the interests of the owner.
  This is very noticeable when they keep you informed on the latest polls/surveys; the surveys are done in demographic areas that favor the results they want, and the polls tend to sway people by telling you who’s winning, (with a ±3, 4, 5% error factor), and since no one wants to be on the losing side we tend to jump ship as the polls shift up or down. This, of course, also depends on who, conducts the polls, where they conduct them, and how they interpret the results.
   Newspapers run along the same lines, advertisers pay for the cost of printing, the sensational news makes the A page, corrections to misprints, acquittals and such get a slot on D page. Magazines are just one big advertisement, especially the specialty mags that cater to out vanities. Basically every form of media is there to sell something, or manipulate your opinion on something, when you get that through your head the ads, (even the subliminal ads), have less affect on our decision making process.
The use of subliminal techniques, (visual, audio, tactile, and olfactory), has been around a long time, but with current research, the techniques are being perfected. By perfected I mean they are harder to detect and extremely effective and you are being assaulted daily with hundreds of subliminal attempts to sway your thinking. A short list of links on the subject can be found at http://www.poleshift.org/sublim/ or just type subliminal in any search engine. I should also point out that subliminal advertising is not illegal as most people would like to believe.


(later)”wtanbo”

16

I’M MAD AS HELL AND I’M NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE, (WELL MAYBE JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE.)

   How many people remember the movie “Network”? The above title, (well most of it anyway), comes from the movie. The main character, a newscaster I believe, finally snaps over the absurdity of the world and the role that television played, (and continues to play), in shaping it. He coins the phrase “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore”, a phrase which soon catches on like wildfire. His main message was to turn off the TV and start living in the real world. His crusade becomes so popular that the TV builds a show around him which becomes absurdly popular, thereby defeating his own purpose. When his message finally sinks in and people start to turn off their sets, they assassinate him, live on TV and achieve an all time high in ratings. Even though you just had a short synopsis of the movie it is definitely worth watching.
   His message was to turn off the TV, (reality shows), and join reality, (the real live, make it up as you go, reality). Too much of our time is wasted in front of the tube. We rely on it for too much of our information, thinking that the news stations have no agenda of their own.
   
   They have the same agenda that any other business has, to take money from your pocket and place it in theirs. You buy product, the advertiser pays the station to air the ads, from your pocket to theirs just like that. This is the reason that ours news tends to lean toward the sensational, useless information, that we have no real need to know, information that is usually bad news, which seems to peak our interests more than good news. Maybe we need to feel that someone, somewhere, is having a worse day than us.
The use of television, (and indeed all forms of media), is to manipulate consumers into consuming more, and thereby generating cash flow, the scary part is when they use the media to influence your opinions by slanting the news. This is most noticeable when the programming is of a political nature. The TV stations tend to slant things a certain way, depending on the political preferences of the respective owners, unfortunately in our modern day world there are few owners (most broadcasting is controlled by a small handful of the “rich and powerful”), and therefore the viewpoints expressed tend to be narrow, and basically lean toward politics that favor the interests of the owner.
   This is very noticeable when they keep you informed on the latest polls/surveys; the surveys are done in demographic areas that favor the results they want, and the polls tend to sway people by telling you who’s winning, (with a ±3, 4, 5, 6% error factor), and since no one wants to be on the losing side we tend to jump ship as the polls shift up or down. This, of course, also depends on who, conducts the polls, where they conduct them, and how they interpret the results.
   
   Newspapers run along the same lines, advertisers pay for the cost of printing, the sensational news makes the A page, corrections to misprints, acquittals and such get a slot on D page. Magazines are just one big advertisement, especially the specialty mags that cater to out vanities. Basically every form of media is there to sell something, or manipulate your opinion on something, when you get that through your head the ads, (even the subliminal ads), have less affect on our decision making process.
The use of subliminal techniques, (visual, audio, tactile, and olfactory), has been around a long time, but with current research, the techniques are being perfected. By perfected I mean they are harder to detect and extremely effective and you are being assaulted daily with hundreds of subliminal attempts to sway your thinking. A short list of links on the subject can be found at http://www.poleshift.org/sublim/ or just type subliminal in any search engine. I should also point out that subliminal advertising is not illegal as most people would like to believe.


(later)”wtanbo”

1111

Hi Def Fever? Or, When Digitall get so crazy?

   Everybody knows someone who has the ridiculously expensive “Entertainment System”. I’m not talking about the average ES, I’m talking “Sunfire”, or “Levinson”, expensive. Gadgets that start at 3-4 digits and go to 4-5-6 digits. Car stereos that cost more than the average car, so loud they can “stress small buildings with a single note”. You know the ones I’m talking about, 1000 yards away and “your” ears hurt, the ones that make you purchase stock in the hearing aid companies to insure your retirement down the road.

   Somehow loud and concussive became synonymous with good and clean, musical compositions became synonymous with loud craprap.

   The 102" Hi-Def surround sound ES is still just a TV after all, and will never be Real Life, no matter how many “Reality Shows” they broadcast. With Hi-Def you can see the actors sweat under the lights, and the blemishes right through the pancake makeup. I personally believe TV should remain “chewing gum for the mind”, and leave the reality to real life, outside the house, in the real world experience.

   Even here you are constantly assaulted with the digital world, (like it or not), DVD players in cars, mp3 players plugged into you ears, phones stuck to the side of your head, satellite radio, digital LED billboard signs, digital billboards on the sides of trucks, constant reminders of our never ending attempt to escape the hum drum reality of our existence in the modern world.

   In the long run it would probably be cheaper to fix the real world than to hide in the digital one, but that would put Madison Ave, and a lot of gadget manufacturers out of business, and you wouldn’t have that new toy to show off. (Hey guys, check out my new phone/tv/mp3/computer/vibrator/bidet/thingy). Reality sucks, because we no longer try to fix the problems of society, we prefer to chase after more expensive chewing gum so we won’t have to notice how bad it sucks.

   Crime is up, (even with the constant influx of new police officers), poverty is up, (even with the increase in new jobs), depression is on the rise, ADHD is increasing, autism is on the rise, (even with the new wonder drugs), illiteracy is high, (even with our “modern educational system”), overweight undernourished people abound, (even with the current health craze).
                                                                                 

   Everything seems to be deteriorating on a logarithmic scale as we keep increasing our population and expanding our reach further and further across the planet and eventually into space. As long as we have our toys we pretend not to notice, and as long as somebody’s making lots of money, we’ll continue to have “new and improved toys” to occupy our minds.

   The digital age is here to stay, with all its new toys that we really don’t need, but must have, to be at least marginally cool. The digital age is here to stay; (The reigning technology, until the next “alien space crash” brings us into “The Efitall Age”). There are some who actually believe digital technology came from reverse engineering a crashed alien space craft. (Roswell)

   The only problem with digital is the ease by which it can be manipulated, any ten year old with a computer can manipulate digital imagery. Information can be modified to fit whatever facts or non-facts someone wants it to fit, news is usually slanted to fit the opinions of the particular news bringer, digital broadcasting will make this much easier, and all the accompanying imagery can be modified to support the opinions they purvey.

   The right to privacy will slowly vanish as more and more digital gadgetry falls into the hands of the consumer. The use of digital wireless communication invites eavesdropping, as any broadcast signal can be intercepted by anyone with the means and desire, and warrants are not really a requirement since the signals are floating around in the ether-world for anyone to grab. As technology advances, so also does the world shrink, and the individual’s privacy shrinks proportionately.

 (Getting Bored? Well maybe one more.)

14

3.14159265358979323846…

PI In The Sky or, In Your Face.

   Ah!!! The American Dream, as wholesome as mom’s apple pie, two cars in every garage, a chicken in every pot, 2.3 kids, a yard, a dog etc, etc. The land of opportunity, with streets paved in gold, every dream within reach, high hopes, there goes another rubber tree, etc, etc. Once upon a time this was not so far fetched, the country was growing at a phenomenal rate, opportunities abounded, the mixture of nationalities, their cultures, their desire to be part of a truly grand experiment in democracy, must have been a wondrous time in this nation’s history.

   Unfortunately in the beginning we came to America bringing the white man’s curse, (greed), and nearly wiped out the indigenous population in the process, either through disease or small arms fire. We came, we saw, we took, and we kept coming, and kept taking. The same curse still affects us today, somehow in all our years of evolution we never quite mastered the art of living with nature, and when we happen upon anyone who does it’s either conversion or extinction.

   Immigrants still keep pouring into America looking for that elusive dream, the grass is always greener…..Each succeeding group of immigrants had to pay their dues by being the whipping boy for the preceding group of immigrants, who in their turn had already paid at the gate, (Ellis Island in latter years). As the population increased each ethnic group banded together in communities, either through common customs or beliefs, or the need for self preservation. We soon became a nation of little nations, each maintaining its ethnic origins, every major city had it little nation states, Italian, Polish, Jewish, Chinese, what have you, and each defended its territory, against the “outsiders”.

   Immigrants come to America, and instead of “melting” into the great pot, they now demand that the nation caters to their individual ethnicities. One nation divided by its own citizens, each nationality looking down upon the others, citing outdated stereotypical diatribes, that serve no purpose but to sustain the divisions.

   In our current political climate the immigration issue is at the forefront of the problems affecting America, and its citizens. The main objective seems to be supplying industry with an affordable labor force, (read that as cheap), this is more apparent now that the “baby boomers” are retiring, and “Genx” is moving in. GenX, (for those suffering cave denial syndrome CDS), is a lot smaller in numbers than the boomer era, hence the need to open the immigration floodgate, it removes power from genx, forces wages low, bringing America on a more even keel with third world economics, and from the perspective of a little known agenda it sets the stage for the unification of North America into a unified continental state. (Hey I’m not making this stuff up it’s out there: Look for Yourself, LYF). It will be similar to the European Economic Union, it will also happen in Asia and South America eventually, and then they will all unite to form a Happy One World Govt. (LFY)

   We are not African-American, Polish-American, Italian-American, Irish-America, etc…We are Americans, this is the country we live in, We speak English here, (have the decency to learn the language of the country you “chose” to live in), if you chose to live here and still consider yourself to be an ?-American, maybe you should go back “Home” where you might be more comfortable with the customs. Sure we have problems in American, when people are divided there will be problems, Hell; wherever people live there will be problems!

   When we work together as Americans we can FIX any problem, we need to stop the politically correct, at all cost, attitude, we need to stop bending over backwards trying to adapt to the customs and beliefs of each ?-American. When in Rome, or more accurately When in America do as the Americans Do! Here’s a new slogan for you:

America
Love it Enough To Fix It ™

By the way "CDS" has no symptom so see your doctor for immediate treatment!

(More to come , maybe , someday…..)

1313 Mockingbird Lane

Eminent Domain or, Evident Disdain?

   For those in caves Eminent Domain refers to the power possessed by the state over all property within the state, specifically its power to appropriate property for a public use. Some may have noticed the increase in the use of eminent domain by the profiterrorists. In recent years some governments appear inclined to exercise eminent domain for the benefit of developers or commercial interests, on the basis that anything that increases the value of a given tract of land is a sufficient public use.

In most cases it goes something like this;

   Joe Gotbuck$, (your average profiterrori$t/land developer), decide$ that the beautiful water front property that you and 50 of your clo$e$t neighbor$ re$ide on, (the one with the $pectacular view), i$ ju$t being wa$ted on the like$ of you and your neighbor$.

   $uch $plendor can only truly be appreciated by $omeone of more refined ta$te, and $ocial grace, $omeone who could really appreciate the value of thi$ prime location. $o Joey goe$ to the di$trict judge and file$ the appropriate paperwork, ($ome of which may or, may not be green).

  Joey $tate$ that the property in que$tion would look ever $o much better if all tho$e hou$e$ were gone and 2 or maybe even 3, million dollar man$ion/condo$ took their place, maybe even a park acro$$ the $treet for the kiddie$, (who will no longer be living there), to u$e. Hell there might be enough land left over for a golf cour$e that everyone, (with a $mall initiation fee, $ay $10000), can join.

   “The Little Judge Who Can” agree$ and rezone$ the area $o that any hou$e/home not having 6 bathroom$, a gue$t hou$e, and a large marble fountain out front, i$ con$idered “blighted”. The$e $tructure$ will ju$t have to go, (in the intere$t of the common good, of cour$e), $o when the realty market reache$ it’$ next low the profiterrori$t $eize$ your property (at “fair market value”). You now have no choice but to $ell, (at “fair market value), you can now peddle your a$$ down the road and buy a hou$e/home on the other $ide of town, (over the river and through the wood$ to the other $ide of the track$). Chance$ are that the$e hou$e$/home$ are already built and Joey Gotbuck$ wa$ having trouble $elling them, (at “fair market value), but you can now purcha$e them at $lightly more than you got for your “Blighted Re$idence”, (they are new after all). Everyone walk$ away knowing that they did what wa$ be$t for the community a$ a whole.    
   Hell, you might even get a $tarbuck$ built in your town in honor of the new re$ident$, on the hill, by the lake, where you u$ed to live, you know, acro$$ from the park, next to the golf cour$e.

   If you think this is far fetched, then you truly are living in a cave, this is happening all over the country. If you think it only affects those living in those really nice areas on the lake, or river, or ocean, ( the ones you’ve always envied for having those great vistas).
 Wake Up! Pay Attention! Vote!

http://www.emdo.blogspot.com/
http://www.reason.org/eminentdomain/index.shtml
http://eminentdomain.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/12/index.html
http://www.florida-eminent-domain.com/
http://www.planning.org/legislation/eminentdomain/
http://www.srcitizensagainsteminentdomain.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0lQtkWJDzg&eurl
http://www.saysuncle.com/archives/category/eminent_domain/
And then some…

   Eminent Domain has been used throughout history from the days of the Robber Barons to the present. In some cases you could even say it was justified, some social necessity was actually behind the annexation of property. Unfortunately, today, it seems that the only requirement for the use of Eminent Domain is the need for profit by the profiterrorists.
( I just love that word,“profiterrorist”, don’t you?, sort of rolls off the tongue, granted the after taste sucks, but hey, the good with the bad).

Talks

Rides

(I'm so glad we had this little chat, aren't you? Until next time….…..)

$ 11

PROFITERRORISM OR, THE BUCK STOPS WHERE?

   There are plenty of conspiracy theories on the internet these days, ranging from Alien Invasions to who killed Roger Rabbit, some stretch credibility to the breaking point; some are exceptional excursions into the comedic, while some are very prophetic in nature. We tend to lump them all together unfortunately, and thereby limit our awareness of the events occurring in our environment. I say unfortunate because to collectively lump together anything we don’t want to hear or believe as crazy, without at least a cursory examination is, “CRAZY”.

   The links listed below, (there are many, many more), are an example of the large number of sites, (some which may indeed be crazy), trying to point out that something is wrong, something that might not be in best interests of the American People or any people for that matter. Most will ignore, deny, and ridicule, whatever it takes to maintain their illusory existence, but a cursory examination is all I ask of you. Anything that seems doubtful or unclear can be clarified easily with a little research, (just pretend you’re looking up sports stats, or pornography, or whatever it is you do on the “INFORMATION HIGHWAY”)

http://getinvolved.pointofview316.com/
http://www.globalissues.org/Geopolitics/WarOnTerror/FearProfits.asp
http://www.truthout.org/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi/47/18339
http://www.thedebate.org/thedebate/iraq.asp
http://www.tvnewslies.org/html/kept_promises.html
http://www.halliburtonwatch.org/
http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/41083/
http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com

AND THEN SOME…..

   The sheer number is nearly overwhelming and if only 10% are factual, it should make any intelligent person step back and question the actions of our “leaders”, both political and industrial. That is, after all, our duty as American Citizens, to be constantly vigilant and question the motives behind the political process. Defending America against all enemies, foreign and domestic. If you think it doesn’t really affect you, YOU’RE WRONG, and even in the unlikely event it doesn’t affect you, IT WILL affect your children.
   
   When cold hard cash is involved it becomes pretty much a primitive game all over again, and unfortunately those with the weakest moral fiber tend to win.

   

   The accumulation of wealth, and thereby power is a pretty strong temptation. Absolute power does and, common sense isn’t, so if we don’t pay attention we will reap what is sown.
   We tend to forget that ‘WE THE PEOPLE’ are the government, and, the elected officials are our emissaries, we got lazy and let the emissaries have control because we were too busy chasing after the American Dream. “Chasing after dreams that weren’t really meant for me”, (line from an old song I wrote years ago). The majority of these dreams we chase, (e.g. flashy cars, designer clothes, designer jewelry, cool tech toys, etc), are not our dreams, they belong to the ‘Madison Avenue Advertising Clique’, whose sole purpose is to tell us what it is we want, when we want it, and convince us of our inability to live without it. (“It” being the latest fad)
  
   They are so good at their jobs that the average American is so deeply in debt and so deeply preoccupied with this diversion, that our right hand truly has no idea what the left is up to. There is no form of entertainment, from newspapers and magazines, to movies, radio and TV, that is not there for the sole purpose of selling product.
   Even the concerned activists in society today all have their personal pet peeves, (and there are hundreds, maybe thousands of these little “pets” running rampant). They march in protest to correct these social injustices; they march in a myriad of different directions and accomplish little more than further dividing the social consciousness.
   Until we join together and fight the real battle, (the battle over who really controls America), we will never accomplish anything, and soon, we will loose the right to march our own personal pet peeves around the soap box. Divide and Conquer is the perfect strategy.

   The profiterrorists know this strategy well and keep us chasing our tails, while they slowly sap our willpower and wealth.

Pay attention and vote, let me reiterate, PAY ATTENTION AND VOTE

(More??? Undoubtedly)