Facebook Quizes

I rarely waste my time taking the facebook quizes. But this one sounded nice. I'm sure it is mostly random, like a fortune cookie, but it is nice even so.

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More Of The Same

The problem with the latest iteration of health care reform is that is just a minor tweaking on the same old corrupt system. It would be fine if it would all work out – but it won't. There are too many players involved who are getting enormously wealthy from the current health care mess: The hospitals, many Doctors, the health insurance behemoth, and the gigantic pharmaceutical industry. The media, advertising, and marketing people who help all of them get even richer also have a lot invested in keeping medical care in America “for profit.”

Barack Obama might possibly get his “reform” passed, but even if he does it has all been in vain. There will still be many millions of sick and injured people in America who are denied access to proper health care. It is popular to say that one's last ditch option in America is the Emergency Room. But if you need long term care for cancer, heart trouble, diabetes or almost any other chronic condition the Emergency Room just doesn't work out. Even people who get injured often go without treatment rather than take the risk of the greedy hospitals' collection departments trying to take their very last possessions - small bank accounts or their houses which they have worked so many years to pay off. So people die needlessly. People who could be cured by modern medical care are allowed to die simply to satisfy “the markets” and the profit motive.

Eventually maybe even the right wing fanatics will figure out that we no longer have the resources to allow the “for profit” system to continue. Doing nothing will eventually bankrupt the country, that part is clear. But just take a look at Greece or Italy in 2010. A refusal to face up to blatant reality right up to the very end is also an option. It is like these guys are on psychedelic drugs or something.

The health care reform idea that is currently referred to as “single payer” is the only solution which has any hope of succeeding. Too bad that the profit motive and all the greed is making it unacceptable to so many of the corrupt politicians. This is not a good sign.
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Walking The Dog

Each morning my doggie and I go out in the nearby undeveloped desert and do a little walkabout. We always see birds; sometimes see rabbits, coyotes, or even snakes. And then in the afternoon we normally take a walk around the neighborhood with him on the leash so that he can sniff and pee and say hi to all his neighborhood doggie friends.



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We just got back from our afternoon walk. It is 70 degrees F (21 degrees C) today here in the high desert at 4,000 feet MSL (1,157 meters), and it feels wonderful. I feel a little bit bad for my friends who still see snow when they look outside.



One of my neighbors has a tree that is in bloom, and as we were walking past I took a cellphone pic.



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Obama Healthcare Summit

President Obama continues in vain to try and find even one intellectually active or compassionate Republican. They remain in lockstep, 100% in favor of deadlock. They can't accept the idea of letting the many millions of people in America who are denied access to medical care into the system. Their attitude resembles many of the pro-slavery arguments in the 1850's.

The record of the Republicans is shameful and disgusting. These right wing nuts are behaving in an evil manner that is unfitting to Americans Citizens. Their behavior is only one step short of treason.

At the same time Barack Obama continues to exclude many people from the discussion, including the Physicians who are in favor of a single payer health care system.

Health care is too important to let greed, the markets, and the profit motive get involved. We don't allow the army or the fire departments to be profit making organizations, and we should view the basic human right of health care the same way.


LINK: http://www.democracynow.org/2010/2/26/healthcare_summit_ends_in_deadlock_single

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Pigeon Impossible

This is a really cool video from YouTube.



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But How Are We Going To Pay For It?

Increasingly one hears conservatives, fundamentalists, and various shades of far right-wing and other racist politicians complaining that our government is spending too much money, which we are getting from borrowing. They have begun to demand that the political party which is currently in power come up with a plan to balance the budget. These guys obviously didn't take enough Economics in college, and they don't realize how essential it is for the government to run large deficits during economic downturns.

It is worth noting that these same corrupt, ignorant red-necks said nothing when the Republicans were bankrupting the country. Both Ronald Reagan and George Bush Jr. reduced taxes on the wealthy at the same time they were increasing spending on the military and on fighting unnecessary wars. The last time the country had a balanced budget was under the Democrats, i.e. Bill Clinton. This is mostly a game that the right wing is playing. They are trying to harm Barack Obama and the well educated, progressive Democrats; thus improving conditions for the Republicans and their fellow traveler wealthy racist buddies.

But the concept of spending no more than you earn is absolutely correct. We do indeed need to cancel the Bush tax cuts for the super-wealthy. It is likely that it may even be necessary for us to increase some other taxes on our most prosperous (greedy?) citizens. At the same time it will be vital that we find logical ways to reduce government spending. The obvious candidates for budget cutting are the intelligence community and the out-of -control military spending.

America has been behaving like many empires at the end. We have been spending vast amount of money on foreign military expeditions, just to keep up our self image of us being the roughest, toughest guys on the block. This is a sort of "keep up with the Joneses" thing, even though no other country comes close to spending what we do on warfare and killing. Lots of empires which are undergoing death throes do this.

As long as our elected officials keep refusing to consider the idea of raising taxes on the rich, at the same time that they are refusing to consider the idea of reducing military-defense-intelligence expenditures by at least 20% to 25%, America will continue to head down the road to self destruction.

Much like the idea of continuing to pump vast amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and thus causing global warming, the day will come when America has clearly passed the point of no return. We probably won't even realize it at the time. Our system of government may have already become so unworkable that it is inevitable. We may already have already passed the point where tax increases on the rich combined with spending decreases on the military will have the desired effect.

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SeaWorld Orca

An Orca (killer whale) at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida killed an experienced trainer yesterday. I have seen the Orca display at SeaWorld in San Diego, and I was brought to tears by the magnificence of these whales. SeaWorld provides a great entertainment experience.

This is not much different than a caged-up bear or tiger getting frustrated and suddenly killing one of its trainers. These are large, magnificent, wild animals - carnivores. They are not on display for the purposes of scientific research. These are shows for the tourists, put on for the purpose of generating profits. Greed and the profit motive over any sort of concern for these glorious animals.

It is a real tragedy that this lady had to die. This mistreatment and exploitation of wild animals needs to cease.

It is the only civilized way to deal with this.

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Credit Default Swaps

Credit Default Swaps (C.D.S.) and derivatives were two of the major causes of the recent world-wide melt down of the financial system. They both can be portrayed by Wall Street types who receive their million dollar bonuses as positive and necessary. In reality they have changed pension plans and other large investors from conservative organizations with fiduciary responsibility for managing other people's money into high stakes gamblers like one sees in Las Vegas. This has become gambling instead of investing. That is what happened to your 401K. Your retirement savings were part of what helped pay these outrageous bonuses to the Wall Street types.

Credit Default Swaps are what almost destroyed AIG in America and why the government had to come in with such large bailouts. They were popular with large financial organizations like Lehman Brothers, J.P. Morgan, and Goldman Sachs. I have been quite scornful of the American elected officials because they are allowing these gross abuses to continue. Neither derivatives nor C.D.S. have been re-regulated.

But if one steps back and takes a more global perspective, you see that although they caused horrible financial damage worldwide, they have not been regulated in London, Paris, Berlin, or Geneva either. Credit Default Swaps are now making the national debt of Greece even shakier than it was. The use of C.D.S. to gamble that Greece might end up going bankrupt has grown exponentially in the last few months. The big European banks like UBS and Credit Suisse in Switzerland, BNP Paribas and Societe Generale of France, and Germany's Deutsche Bank have been especially active with these Credit Default Swaps since they hold such large exposure to the Greek debt.

So the problem is not just with the greedy, rude, and obstructionist Republicans in Washington, D.C. The problem genuinely is worldwide now. Although this may make me feel a bit better as a prior Obama supporter, it shows that the problem we are dealing with is larger than just little old America.

The New York Times has published a good article on this subject which you may wish to read: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/25/business/global/25swaps.html?em

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Gun Laws in America

There have been many articles published recently discussing how sales of guns and ammunition have increased now that Barack Obama is President. There is also a trend in a number of states towards changing the laws and regulations regarding guns, making it easier to buy or carry a concealed, loaded handgun. In some states people are even allowed to openly carry a weapon.

It is so simple to try and define people as either Right Wing or a Liberal. But people are complex beings. Many people subscribe to liberal views on issues of basic human rights, but they might be closer to conservatives when it comes to economics.

I consider myself to be a Liberal. A well educated, broadly traveled and experienced Progressive. On a great many issues I fault the Obama administration for not being nearly liberal enough. They normally behave much more like a group of center-right conservative Republicans than like traditional Democrats. Eisenhower would have loved them. Barack Obama desperately wants to accepted into the elite power structure, but the more he sucks up to them, the more they detest him.

I am not some sort of a Gun Freak. I abhor warfare, physical violence, or killing. But I look around and I see more and more gun carrying, mentally unstable right wing fanatics. Many of these religious fanatics and racists are behaving like such lunatics that they kind of scare me. And maybe the youth of today is no worse than our generation was, but they sure seem much more rude and spoiled than we were.

I live just a few miles north of the border with Juarez, Mexico. I am fluent in the Spanish language, and I have great respect for many elements of the Mexican culture. As the mass exodus from the drug wars in Mexico continues, it seems like almost a quarter or maybe even one third or all the cars I see on the freeway now are big SUVs with shiny expensive wheels, blacked-out mafia style windows, and license plates issued in Mexico. You betcha I carry a loaded firearm.

Whether it is some lunatic on crystal methamphetamine, some drug cartel hit man or wannabe, or maybe just a routine racist, right wing fanatic, there are plenty of people one passes in the aisle at Walmart or on the freeway who might snap anytime, bring out a gun and start shooting. I feel that is is only sensible and responsible to be prepared in the event one is confronted by one of these weirdos.

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Loser Mentality

This comes from today's Huffington Post in discussing the Obama administration's approach to Universal Health Care, or as the Obama ultra-light version is called, teeny-tiny, moderate Health Care Reform:


“The White House obviously has a loser mentality -- but America rallies around winners. Polls show that in state after state, voters hate the Senate bill and overwhelmingly want a public option, even if passed with zero Republican votes. More than 50 Senate Democrats and 218 House Democrats were willing to vote for the public option before, and the only way to lose in reconciliation is if losers are leading the fight. That's why Democrats in Congress should ignore the White House and follow those like Chuck Schumer and Robert Menendez who know that the public option is a political and policy winner.”

Saying that President Barack Obama and his administration have a “loser's mentality” is pretty strong language. But this seems to be right on target.



LINK: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/23/gibbs-the-public-plan-doe_n_473443.html

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President Obama's Health Care Proposal

Now that the House of Representatives and the Senate have spent a full year doing their very best to appear like a bunch of corrupt, greedy, fools the President has suggested a reconciliation bill which is some ways is just a combination of the existing two bills. The Obama bill has many of the problems of the other two, including that many millions of people will still remain without access to health care even if President Obama's health care bill passes. I recommend that this entire approach to repairing the American health care mess be allowed to die.

Health Care is a basic human right. As a wealthy, well educated, modern country which cares deeply about human dignity and human rights, we have the moral obligation to make certain that everyone in our country gets proper health care treatment. People in America should not be dying when they have a bad accident or come down with a serious illness if 21st century medical procedures could have prevented their death. Allowing this brutality to continue puts Americans in almost the same boat as the Nazis.

Health Care is far too important to let the free marketplace and the profit motive determine who receives health care treatment and who does not. The Army doesn't have a mandate to make a profit, simply because protecting America from foreign invaders is too important to allow markets or profits to control things. The same goes with the fire department. They are both expected to avoid waste and be as efficient as possible, but the profit motive has absolutely nothing to do with their mission. Health Care in America needs to be fully non-profit too. When the military or the fire department serves the citizens of this country, they serve all our citizens and even the people who are just visiting our fine country. They do not just help out wealthy individuals or those people who have jobs. The fire department, the military, and the police all provide universal coverage because of the importance of what they do. When the airplanes struck the World Trade Center on 911, the New York City fire department did not only serve American citizens or legal resident aliens. The men with the NYFD were the representatives of the people, and they served all human beings equally.

Hospitals and clinics need to be operated by-the-people and for-the-people. In other words they need to be owned and run by us taxpayers (the government). Doctors, nurses, and associated staff need to be paid a salary without any sort of bonus or financial incentive program. Not some pay-by-the-procedure program dictated primarily by greed or the profit motive. The drug companies are genuinely multinational, and they should remain largely private. But the drug companies must be heavily controlled and regulated. No advertising should be allowed to the general public. Sales prices must be regulated and controlled just like public utilities are regulated and the rates are controlled by the government.

These elected officials in congress have just been trying to slightly tweak the existing system. The problem is that the existing system in America has now broken down. It is dysfunctional. Broke Down. Trying to tweak it is absurd. Nothing less that a complete overhaul of our approach to health care in America will adequately serve the needs of the people.

Yes, the Obama health care program is just as weak as the others, and it should be rejected.




NOTE: In the interest of full disclosure the reader should be advised that the author of this blog has leukemia. Since he became ill, he lost his job. The insurance companies consider him to be uninsurable, so he is uninsured. He is currently battling a terminal medical problem, but has not received any health care treatment since losing his job.

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Evil, Dishonest, Hateful Dick Cheney

One hates to be mean to someone who is down on their luck. But Dick Cheney has been so evil and so rude that perhaps I will make an exception in his case.

No doubt all the years of hate and negative energy are finally catching up with him. Some would call it karma. I see this as the Good Lord's way of saying to Cheney, “So you think you're really hot stuff huh?”

And then the Good Lord gives out with one gigantic belly laugh.

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CLL

Almost no one reads my blog, so I can pretty much write about whatever I want.

This leukemia is strange stuff. From the very beginning after being diagnosed a little over seven years ago, my eyes have been tearing, and I have had increasing bouts with the sweats and the dehydration that goes along with uncontrollable sweating. Really loose bowels have alternated with hard core (no pun intended) constipation.

As it has progressed I have developed serious lung infections, and enormous swollen lymph nodes, some of which recently have become quite painful. Sleep has become a bit difficult. My deceased brother's ex-girlfriend who now has serious breast cancer says that "sleep is overrated." I agree.

I think my spleen and liver are now swollen too, as I am experiencing the sensation of abdominal fullness that others sometimes describe. As the body's immune system has grown progressively less effective, tooth decay has become much more of a problem...a constant battle, even with brushing and flossing four or five times per day. I try to avoid eating anything with sugar in it too. In the last few months I have finally realized what other CLL patients have been describing as the extreme fatigue and an outrageous lack of stamina.

Not long after I notified my bosses that I had leukemia, they tried to trump up some false charges and get rid of me (after 25 years of loyal service). They had just gone through a painful financial episode when another of the company's managers came down with leukemia, and I'm sure that their greed overcame their human empathy.

My ex-bosses and I ended up in court. The judge decided that I had been treated more than a little unfairly by these guys. So the judge awarded me a small severance benefit. Of course Dutch customs said that I had to leave Europe since I no longer had a job. Returning to America I now had a pre-existing condition, so no health insurance carrier would touch me. The “American Way” and all that wonderful Republican obstructionism. So I haven't seen a doctor in the three years since I have returned to America.

I haven't had a bowel movement in a little more than two days now. During the last 12 hours I have taken a good bit of over the counter laxative medicine designed to help get the lower intestines and the bowels going. I have eaten a lot of prunes, drank warm liquids, I have eaten a LOT of really hot Mexican jalapenos, and me and the dog have gotten a good bit of exercise. All the tricks which have worked in the past have not been successful this time. So I am now coming to the realization that tonight might be the night. I doubt it, in fact I think probably some time in the next few hours I will being making number two like gang busters. But maybe not.

My leukemia specialist in Europe said that CLL waxes and wanes. I agree. But it does keep gradually getting worse, and at some point you die. I consider this phase of my life to be “running out the clock.” I can't work, there is no interesting challenge that I can pursue, and no future to look forward to. I'm still being quite successful at enjoying each day. Every day is extra, and I know it. I also know that one of these days will be the last one too. I hope it is not tonight, but if it is so be it. I've had an amazing life, and I've known a lot of terrific people along the way.

Maybe there is another chapter after the death of your physical body, but I really seriously doubt it. If so, that will just be a really exciting bonus thrown in!
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LATER: Well the dam finally broke. Man did it! If I do die tonight, at least I won't die full of shit.
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NEXT MORNING: I made it through the night, and the sunrise is truly glorious this morning. I feel like I have been beaten up by a pack of thugs, but that is just my body. I am alive, and I am happy.

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We Haven’t Yet Tried Non-Violent Resistance

Joe Stack, the computer software engineer who flew his Piper Cherokee into the Austin, Texas IRS building was brilliant. And a bit crazy too. In his delusion he had come to the conclusion that violence was the only answer.

I don’t think we are any where near that point. Just look around; 99% of the people you see are almost completely apathetic. Long before violence might become wise, these people need to be awakened. If we can’t succeed in making them care about their fellow man and basic human dignity, neither non-violence or violence will help one bit.

Sometimes you have to use violence. Hitler could not be stopped by non-violent protests.

Appropriately employed non-violent resistance is still a very powerful force. It can move mountains. We need to go that route first.

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Denied Health Insurance

I have leukemia, so all of the health insurance companies deny me coverage. This is not like denying that Barack Obama is a native born American Citizen, or denying that the holocaust happened, or denying that rising carbon dioxide levels are causing global warming.

If life were fair (ha, ha, joke) the U.S. Federal Government would see to it that anyone who is denied health insurance coverage in the free market due to their pre-existing health conditions would automatically be enrolled in medicare. Regardless of their age. No opt-out would be allowed.

They would be required to pay a premium, but this would be based upon their earnings.

This would be fair. This is what would happen in almost all civilized, modern democracies. But not in the good old United States of America. Our “American Way” tells the old geezer with leukemia, Fuck You. Just die you smelly old bastard, and quit bothering us with all this socialistic nonsense.

Making certain that our own people don't die needlessly just because of the profit motive among insurance carriers should be a far higher priority than killing, maiming, and warfare.

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Jesus Was a Homosexual

According to a new interview of Elton John in Parade, the carpenter from Nazareth was a super intelligent gay man. There have been suggestions that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were a couple, and might have even had a baby together, but the evidence is slim.

Two thousand years ago a carpenter did hard physical work. If Jesus was actually a real historical person (which is certainly open to question), he was not some skinny little wimp who got sand kicked in his face. No doubt he was in excellent physical condition, maybe even what one might call “buff.” He might have looked sort of like the oiled up, muscled gay men that one sometimes sees at the gym.

The Christian religion has some very perverse and unhealthy ideas about sex. Just ask almost any modern teenage Baptist girl with raging hormones who is racked by guilt. Or look at the tragic cases of so many Catholic Priests engaging in anal intercourse with young boys from their congregation. These priests should have their balls chopped off, and a scarlet brand burned into their faces so that all the world will know they are child abusers.

Guilt about sex starts from the beginning of the book when the naked and very sexy Eve tempts Adam in the Garden of Eden. Vigin birth is described in order to avoid doing the disgusting sex act. The stage is set, making sex appear horribly nasty, wicked, and evil. Christian masturbation is appalling, and to this day there are right wing fanatics and fundamentalists who quote bible passages to justify their verbal and physical abuse, even murder, of gays.

Elton John’s observation is astute. He is OK, and Stephen Fry is nothing short of wonderful. Ellen DeGeneres and Wanda Sykes are nice too.

But I am not gay; I don’t have any tendencies in that direction. I maybe do get a little bit turned on by girl-on-girl porn, but I sure don’t have any fantasy about being together sexually with another man. I find the idea of male-male sex a bit disgusting.

I do not accept the argument that childrearing by two loving, devoted parents of the same gender is as good for the child as when the parents are loving, devoted, and male/female. I don’t want the sex police breaking down bedroom doors in the middle of the night to catch two consenting adults performing their favorite sexual perversion. I support the right of gays to be together out of the closet.

This doesn’t in any way mean that I consider same-sex marriage as healthy for society as male/female marriage. They are not equal. Not even close. Marriage is an institution designed to encourage a man and a woman to remain together as a couple during the long child rearing process that human kids undergo. And a healthy, loving male/female marriage is far better for the kid than a healthy, loving gay marriage. That is my assessment.

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Suicide Note From Texas Pilot

If you are interested in reading the suicide note from Joe Stack, the Austin, Texas software engineer who intentionally flew his airplane into the local IRS building just read on.
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His rant is a little too long, but honestly the guy seems pretty bright and very much on target about lots of things. What a tragedy that he had to die.



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"If you’re reading this, you’re no doubt asking yourself, “Why did this have to happen?” The simple truth is that it is complicated and has been coming for a long time. The writing process, started many months ago, was intended to be therapy in the face of the looming realization that there isn’t enough therapy in the world that can fix what is really broken. Needless to say, this rant could fill volumes with example after example if I would let it. I find the process of writing it frustrating, tedious, and probably pointless… especially given my gross inability to gracefully articulate my thoughts in light of the storm raging in my head. Exactly what is therapeutic about that I’m not sure, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

We are all taught as children that without laws there would be no society, only anarchy. Sadly, starting at early ages we in this country have been brainwashed to believe that, in return for our dedication and service, our government stands for justice for all. We are further brainwashed to believe that there is freedom in this place, and that we should be ready to lay our lives down for the noble principals represented by its founding fathers. Remember? One of these was “no taxation without representation”. I have spent the total years of my adulthood unlearning that crap from only a few years of my childhood. These days anyone who really stands up for that principal is promptly labeled a “crackpot”, traitor and worse.

While very few working people would say they haven’t had their fair share of taxes (as can I), in my lifetime I can say with a great degree of certainty that there has never been a politician cast a vote on any matter with the likes of me or my interests in mind. Nor, for that matter, are they the least bit interested in me or anything I have to say.

Why is it that a handful of thugs and plunderers can commit unthinkable atrocities (and in the case of the GM executives, for scores of years) and when it’s time for their gravy train to crash under the weight of their gluttony and overwhelming stupidity, the force of the full federal government has no difficulty coming to their aid within days if not hours? Yet at the same time, the joke we call the American medical system, including the drug and insurance companies, are murdering tens of thousands of people a year and stealing from the corpses and victims they cripple, and this country’s leaders don’t see this as important as bailing out a few of their vile, rich cronies. Yet, the political “representatives” (thieves, liars, and self-serving scumbags is far more accurate) have endless time to sit around for year after year and debate the state of the “terrible health care problem”. It’s clear they see no crisis as long as the dead people don’t get in the way of their corporate profits rolling in.

And justice? You’ve got to be kidding!

How can any rational individual explain that white elephant conundrum in the middle of our tax system and, indeed, our entire legal system? Here we have a system that is, by far, too complicated for the brightest of the master scholars to understand. Yet, it mercilessly “holds accountable” its victims, claiming that they’re responsible for fully complying with laws not even the experts understand. The law “requires” a signature on the bottom of a tax filing; yet no one can say truthfully that they understand what they are signing; if that’s not “duress” than what is. If this is not the measure of a totalitarian regime, nothing is.

How did I get here?

My introduction to the real American nightmare starts back in the early ‘80s. Unfortunately after more than 16 years of school, somewhere along the line I picked up the absurd, pompous notion that I could read and understand plain English. Some friends introduced me to a group of people who were having ‘tax code’ readings and discussions. In particular, zeroed in on a section relating to the wonderful “exemptions” that make institutions like the vulgar, corrupt Catholic Church so incredibly wealthy. We carefully studied the law (with the help of some of the “best”, high-paid, experienced tax lawyers in the business), and then began to do exactly what the “big boys” were doing (except that we weren’t steeling from our congregation or lying to the government about our massive profits in the name of God). We took a great deal of care to make it all visible, following all of the rules, exactly the way the law said it was to be done.

The intent of this exercise and our efforts was to bring about a much-needed re-evaluation of the laws that allow the monsters of organized religion to make such a mockery of people who earn an honest living. However, this is where I learned that there are two “interpretations” for every law; one for the very rich, and one for the rest of us… Oh, and the monsters are the very ones making and enforcing the laws; the inquisition is still alive and well today in this country.

That little lesson in patriotism cost me $40,000+, 10 years of my life, and set my retirement plans back to 0. It made me realize for the first time that I live in a country with an ideology that is based on a total and complete lie. It also made me realize, not only how naive I had been, but also the incredible stupidity of the American public; that they buy, hook, line, and sinker, the crap about their “freedom”… and that they continue to do so with eyes closed in the face of overwhelming evidence and all that keeps happening in front of them.

Before even having to make a shaky recovery from the sting of the first lesson on what justice really means in this country (around 1984 after making my way through engineering school and still another five years of “paying my dues”), I felt I finally had to take a chance of launching my dream of becoming an independent engineer.

On the subjects of engineers and dreams of independence, I should digress somewhat to say that I’m sure that I inherited the fascination for creative problem solving from my father. I realized this at a very young age.

The significance of independence, however, came much later during my early years of college; at the age of 18 or 19 when I was living on my own as student in an apartment in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. My neighbor was an elderly retired woman (80+ seemed ancient to me at that age) who was the widowed wife of a retired steel worker. Her husband had worked all his life in the steel mills of central Pennsylvania with promises from big business and the union that, for his 30 years of service, he would have a pension and medical care to look forward to in his retirement. Instead he was one of the thousands who got nothing because the incompetent mill management and corrupt union (not to mention the government) raided their pension funds and stole their retirement. All she had was social security to live on.

In retrospect, the situation was laughable because here I was living on peanut butter and bread (or Ritz crackers when I could afford to splurge) for months at a time. When I got to know this poor figure and heard her story I felt worse for her plight than for my own (I, after all, I thought I had everything to in front of me). I was genuinely appalled at one point, as we exchanged stories and commiserated with each other over our situations, when she in her grandmotherly fashion tried to convince me that I would be “healthier” eating cat food (like her) rather than trying to get all my substance from peanut butter and bread. I couldn’t quite go there, but the impression was made. I decided that I didn’t trust big business to take care of me, and that I would take responsibility for my own future and myself.

Return to the early ‘80s, and here I was off to a terrifying start as a ‘wet-behind-the-ears’ contract software engineer… and two years later, thanks to the fine backroom, midnight effort by the sleazy executives of Arthur Andersen (the very same folks who later brought us Enron and other such calamities) and an equally sleazy New York Senator (Patrick Moynihan), we saw the passage of 1986 tax reform act with its section 1706.

For you who are unfamiliar, here is the core text of the IRS Section 1706, defining the treatment of workers (such as contract engineers) for tax purposes. Visit this link for a conference committee report (http://www.synergistech.com/1706.shtml#ConferenceCommitteeReport) regarding the intended interpretation of Section 1706 and the relevant parts of Section 530, as amended. For information on how these laws affect technical services workers and their clients, read our discussion here (http://www.synergistech.com/ic-taxlaw.shtml).

SEC. 1706. TREATMENT OF CERTAIN TECHNICAL PERSONNEL.

(a) IN GENERAL - Section 530 of the Revenue Act of 1978 is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new subsection:

(d) EXCEPTION. - This section shall not apply in the case of an individual who pursuant to an arrangement between the taxpayer and another person, provides services for such other person as an engineer, designer, drafter, computer programmer, systems analyst, or other similarly skilled worker engaged in a similar line of work.

(b) EFFECTIVE DATE. - The amendment made by this section shall apply to remuneration paid and services rendered after December 31, 1986.

Note:

· “another person” is the client in the traditional job-shop relationship.

· “taxpayer” is the recruiter, broker, agency, or job shop.

· “individual”, “employee”, or “worker” is you.

Admittedly, you need to read the treatment to understand what it is saying but it’s not very complicated. The bottom line is that they may as well have put my name right in the text of section (d). Moreover, they could only have been more blunt if they would have came out and directly declared me a criminal and non-citizen slave. Twenty years later, I still can’t believe my eyes.

During 1987, I spent close to $5000 of my ‘pocket change’, and at least 1000 hours of my time writing, printing, and mailing to any senator, congressman, governor, or slug that might listen; none did, and they universally treated me as if I was wasting their time. I spent countless hours on the L.A. freeways driving to meetings and any and all of the disorganized professional groups who were attempting to mount a campaign against this atrocity. This, only to discover that our efforts were being easily derailed by a few moles from the brokers who were just beginning to enjoy the windfall from the new declaration of their “freedom”. Oh, and don’t forget, for all of the time I was spending on this, I was loosing income that I couldn’t bill clients.

After months of struggling it had clearly gotten to be a futile exercise. The best we could get for all of our trouble is a pronouncement from an IRS mouthpiece that they weren’t going to enforce that provision (read harass engineers and scientists). This immediately proved to be a lie, and the mere existence of the regulation began to have its impact on my bottom line; this, of course, was the intended effect.

Again, rewind my retirement plans back to 0 and shift them into idle. If I had any sense, I clearly should have left abandoned engineering and never looked back.

Instead I got busy working 100-hour workweeks. Then came the L.A. depression of the early 1990s. Our leaders decided that they didn’t need the all of those extra Air Force bases they had in Southern California, so they were closed; just like that. The result was economic devastation in the region that rivaled the widely publicized Texas S&L fiasco. However, because the government caused it, no one gave a shit about all of the young families who lost their homes or street after street of boarded up houses abandoned to the wealthy loan companies who received government funds to “shore up” their windfall. Again, I lost my retirement.

Years later, after weathering a divorce and the constant struggle trying to build some momentum with my business, I find myself once again beginning to finally pick up some speed. Then came the .COM bust and the 911 nightmare. Our leaders decided that all aircraft were grounded for what seemed like an eternity; and long after that, ‘special’ facilities like San Francisco were on security alert for months. This made access to my customers prohibitively expensive. Ironically, after what they had done the Government came to the aid of the airlines with billions of our tax dollars … as usual they left me to rot and die while they bailed out their rich, incompetent cronies WITH MY MONEY! After these events, there went my business but not quite yet all of my retirement and savings.

By this time, I’m thinking that it might be good for a change. Bye to California, I’ll try Austin for a while. So I moved, only to find out that this is a place with a highly inflated sense of self-importance and where damn little real engineering work is done. I’ve never experienced such a hard time finding work. The rates are 1/3 of what I was earning before the crash, because pay rates here are fixed by the three or four large companies in the area who are in collusion to drive down prices and wages… and this happens because the justice department is all on the take and doesn’t give a fuck about serving anyone or anything but themselves and their rich buddies.

To survive, I was forced to cannibalize my savings and retirement, the last of which was a small IRA. This came in a year with mammoth expenses and not a single dollar of income. I filed no return that year thinking that because I didn’t have any income there was no need. The sleazy government decided that they disagreed. But they didn’t notify me in time for me to launch a legal objection so when I attempted to get a protest filed with the court I was told I was no longer entitled to due process because the time to file ran out. Bend over for another $10,000 helping of justice.

So now we come to the present. After my experience with the CPA world, following the business crash I swore that I’d never enter another accountant’s office again. But here I am with a new marriage and a boatload of undocumented income, not to mention an expensive new business asset, a piano, which I had no idea how to handle. After considerable thought I decided that it would be irresponsible NOT to get professional help; a very big mistake.

When we received the forms back I was very optimistic that they were in order. I had taken all of the years information to XXXX XXXX, and he came back with results very similar to what I was expecting. Except that he had neglected to include the contents of Sheryl’s unreported income; $12,700 worth of it. To make matters worse, XXXX knew all along this was missing and I didn’t have a clue until he pointed it out in the middle of the audit. By that time it had become brutally evident that he was representing himself and not me.

This left me stuck in the middle of this disaster trying to defend transactions that have no relationship to anything tax-related (at least the tax-related transactions were poorly documented). Things I never knew anything about and things my wife had no clue would ever matter to anyone. The end result is… well, just look around.

I remember reading about the stock market crash before the “great” depression and how there were wealthy bankers and businessmen jumping out of windows when they realized they screwed up and lost everything. Isn’t it ironic how far we’ve come in 60 years in this country that they now know how to fix that little economic problem; they just steal from the middle class (who doesn’t have any say in it, elections are a joke) to cover their asses and it’s “business-as-usual”. Now when the wealthy fuck up, the poor get to die for the mistakes… isn’t that a clever, tidy solution.

As government agencies go, the FAA is often justifiably referred to as a tombstone agency, though they are hardly alone. The recent presidential puppet GW Bush and his cronies in their eight years certainly reinforced for all of us that this criticism rings equally true for all of the government. Nothing changes unless there is a body count (unless it is in the interest of the wealthy sows at the government trough). In a government full of hypocrites from top to bottom, life is as cheap as their lies and their self-serving laws.

I know I’m hardly the first one to decide I have had all I can stand. It has always been a myth that people have stopped dying for their freedom in this country, and it isn’t limited to the blacks, and poor immigrants. I know there have been countless before me and there are sure to be as many after. But I also know that by not adding my body to the count, I insure nothing will change. I choose to not keep looking over my shoulder at “big brother” while he strips my carcass, I choose not to ignore what is going on all around me, I choose not to pretend that business as usual won’t continue; I have just had enough.

I can only hope that the numbers quickly get too big to be white washed and ignored that the American zombies wake up and revolt; it will take nothing less. I would only hope that by striking a nerve that stimulates the inevitable double standard, knee-jerk government reaction that results in more stupid draconian restrictions people wake up and begin to see the pompous political thugs and their mindless minions for what they are. Sadly, though I spent my entire life trying to believe it wasn’t so, but violence not only is the answer, it is the only answer. The cruel joke is that the really big chunks of shit at the top have known this all along and have been laughing, at and using this awareness against, fools like me all along.

I saw it written once that the definition of insanity is repeating the same process over and over and expecting the outcome to suddenly be different. I am finally ready to stop this insanity. Well, Mr. Big Brother IRS man, let’s try something different; take my pound of flesh and sleep well.

The communist creed: From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.

The capitalist creed: From each according to his gullibility, to each according to his greed.

Joe Stack (1956-2010)

02/18/2010"

We Just Might Make It

It is so easy to get depressed and just want to give up. The dishonest lunatics on the right-wing fringe look like they are marching lockstep towards disaster. Bush II and his drunkard, lawyer shooting VP was nothing less than a horrible national embarrassment, and their policies were a full blown tragedy.

Because of years of corruption and greed most of the sensible regulations enacted after the great depression of the 1930’s were eliminated in the name of the semi-religious theology called deregulation. Of course the entire world wide capitalist regime bubbled over and burst. The heartbreaking part is the lives of all the hard working people who have lost their jobs, health insurance, marriages, and had their homes foreclosed upon.

The world was ready for hope and change, and many of us thought that was what we were getting in Barack Obama. But it turns out he is just somewhat better read and a little more articulate than Bush Jr. He was advertised as the U.S. Senator with the very most liberal voting record of any, but his policies have turned out to be what one would expect from a rational center right Republican president who might be just a little bit on the take.

He has totally done a 180, reneging on most of what he campaigned for. He has not ended the wars, rather he has significantly increased the warfare. Obama has not closed all of the secret government jails. He didn’t get universal health care enacted, not single payer, nor the government option, and not even a social security buy-in. He hasn’t gotten significant reform enacted to prevent future economic depressions or recessions. The banks are back healthy and are again awarding humongous bonuses thanks to billion dollar bailouts from us taxpayers, but the lost jobs of the middle class have not come back. The President’s spokesman Rahm Emanuel called the progressives and liberals “fucking retards.” Obama has greatly increased tax payer funding for nuclear power plants. The Hispanics and the Blacks don’t see that he has done much to help them either.

Now after only one year on the job, not only do the racists and right wing fanatics hate him, the well educated progressives and liberals are coming around solidly against him too. It is difficult to think of any substantial policy change that the Obama administration has been successful in enacting. It is easy to feel that maybe America has become downright ungovernable.

But there are still a few honest and bright people out there. Too bad almost all of them are sensible enough to not have any desire to run for political office. Joseph Stiglitz, Paul Krugman, and Michael Moore all clearly see the reality of what is happening. Will the good guys be strong enough to win out over the lunatic right wing fundamentalists? The jury is still very much out on this one. Only time will tell. I for one am going to keep fighting for social justice and honesty in government.

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Joseph Stiglitz

The Nobel prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz has terrific insight on what caused the current economic problems.

I suggest that you download this and take the time to listen to this interview on Democracy Now.

LINK: http://www.democracynow.org/2010/2/18/nobel_economist_joseph_stiglitz_on_obamas

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Free Video Phone Calls - Honest

Most lap top computers come with a built in web cam nowadays. With a web cam and a free Wi-Fi internet connection one can make unlimited duration two-way video phone calls free of charge using Skype.

If you haven't experienced this yet go to http://www.skype.com/ and download their free software. It downloads and installs quickly. I didn't experience any problems or complications on any of my toys which run Windows XP, Vista, Seven, or on either of my two smart cell phones. They all download and run Skype just fine.

Yesterday I had one of my laps tops call the other one. Both were even operating on the same Wi-Fi connection (wireless local area network) that I've got at my house. Its a real hoot! And it is totally free as long as both computers are using Wi-Fi.

If you wish you can also sign up for various pay services with Skype where you can call landlines and cell phone numbers, send SMS text messages, etc. I don't have any experience with this part. Since I'm a retired old geezer getting by on a minimal income, I only tried the free option, but it works great.

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Nuclear Power, Clean Coal, and Other Sources of Clean Energy

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham from South Carolina has urged an increase in both nuclear and clean coal as part of the nation's shift to renewable energy. Say what you looney tunes right-wing fanatic? What planet have you been living on you fat ass retard?

Clean Coal is a complete myth. Period. Maybe sometime in the future the Virgin Mary will come down and grant us some miracles...maybe then coal will become a clean source of energy. Until then it it just talk. Even if it were eventually implemented successfully, the price of electricity would go up so much that wind and solar would be seen as far more cost effective than coal.

Nuclear energy has the same problems that it had 30 years ago. It is only cost effective when the government takes our public tax dollars and subsidizes nuclear to the tune of at least 50% of the total cost. It is still dangerous, prone to attacks from terrorists, storage or disposal of nuclear waste which will remain dangerous for thousands of years has not been solved, and no one is addressing the cost of decommissioning these nuclear plants.

President Obama, are you this clueless too?

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Toyota's Rebirth

All the recent bad press Toyota has been getting may well end up being the best thing that has happened to them in many years.

Toyota had been getting fat, lazy, and complacent. They were growing addicted to selling terrible fuel economy V8 pickup trucks and morbidly obese SUVs. Even though they still make the highest fuel economy and most reliable cars of any car company on the planet, this incident will almost certainly result in a sort of rebirth. Looking into my crystal ball I see even greater things for Toyota.

The difference between Toyota and General Motors is that the Japanese have learned and they have taken to heart the importance of actually listening to their customers. Honest self analysis. GM didn't listen to their customers, and they sure didn't admit to their own shortcomings; they just brought in more highly paid Madison Avenue advertising liars.

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Vancouver Winter Olympics

Click on this chart made by Environment Canada it will enlarge enough to be readable.

When you look at the month of February you see that on average the daily high temperature in Vancouver is 46 degrees F and the average night time temperature is 35 degrees. On average Vancouver gets 4-1/2 inches of rain during February. No wonder the snow is melting.

One assumes that a big and well funded organization like the International Olympic Committee did its research and knew all about this climatological information before deciding to hold the winter Olympics in this location.

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Where Are All The Environmentalists?

Barack Obama has been saying that renewable energy resources like solar and wind power, and reduction of waste and conservation are just as green as nuclear power. All environmentalists know that this is a total load of hogwash. That is the nice way to say it. A more honest description would be that our President is being wildly disingenuous with the American public.

Obama is committing billions of dollars of our public tax dollars to nuclear energy, even though Wall Street and private capital managers are wise enough to avoid nuclear power plants like the plague.

Obama is increasingly looking like a well-read and articulate, but clueless retard. The question I have is where is the intellectual and moral outrage from the environmentalists? Have all of America’s environmentalists morphed into morbidly obese right-wingers who listen to AM radio, praise Glen Beck, and drive poor fuel economy SUVs?

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President Obama Is A Clueless Retard Who Behaves Like A Republican

So now he is the first president in 30 years to move ahead in greatly helping to build a nuclear power plant, thus absolutely assuring himself of losing the support of environmentalists.

First he alienated the anti-war progressives by substantially increasing troop levels. He is becoming the master of authorizing killings solely based upon his authority as president.

He surrounded himself with Wall Street economists and spent billions making sure that the rich would stay wealthy and maybe get even richer. At the same time middle and working class Americans were losing their jobs and their houses.

He said he favored a single payer health care system, but immediately abandoned it and even the far weaker government option. He wouldn’t even support a social security buy-in or social security for all. He didn't have the balls to stand up for Amercans against the pharmeceutical industry.

During the cash for clunkers the system he supported was only very marginally designed to encourage people to get rid of their gas guzzlers and buy a fuel efficient vehicle.

Obama is a centrist who appears to be working towards national reconciliation. He apparently is not smart enough to realize that the Glen Beck phreaks and the right-wing fanatics passionately hate him. And he has ignored and humiliated the progressives and the liberals too many times now, so with great regret they really have deserted him. To quote his chief-of-staff Rahm Emanuel, what a “Fucking Retard.” This bozo Emanuel has got to go.
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Lunatic Right Wing Hate Speech

The right-wing fanatics, the birthers, climate deniers, the John Birch Society, various conspiracy theorists, the tea party, and other racists and anti-intellectuals are all starting to get way shrill and abrasive. These poorly informed, badly educated, small brained followers of Glen Beck are getting just a bit tiresome.

If they try to take it beyond mere lunatic-speech to actual armed violence they will find that the power structure will treat them appropriately: Just like a bunch of cockroaches. When the power structure was threatened it was perfectly capable of taking down the carpenter from Nazareth, and the same thing will happen to these modern loud mouthed jerks who no longer understand their place.

These lazy and obese right-wing weirdos are doing a certain amount of damage to the American ideals of one nation and one people. The racist fringe tried some of this same stuff back in the 1850's.

I won't have any problem with the power structure stepping on these insects. Squish, Squish. The satisfying sound of crushing a cockroach. It will be good to thin things out a bit anyway.

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Middle Class Exodus Out of Juarez, Mexico

I received a report today from an article in one of the Juarez, Mexico daily newspapers. According to this report water consumption in Juarez has decreased more than 2 million cubic meters per day, due to the large number of abandoned houses and closed factories.

Lets see, one cubic meter of water equals 264.172 U.S. Gallons of water, so the daily decrease in water consumption in Juarez amounts to more than 528,344,105 gallons.

If this decrease in water consumption was due to conservation or reduction of waste this would be good news. But this isn't the case. What is happening is a mass exodus of mostly innocent middle class Mexican citizens. From my own personal observations I can attest that many of these unfortunate people have moved a few kilometers north to El Paso, Texas. On the freeway one now sees cars with license plates from Mexico all the time, and in my own suburban middle class neighborhood more and more of my neighbors no longer speak English.

No doubt that a few of the “bad guys” are moving to El Paso too.

I certainly don't begrudge anyone trying to survive in the face of machine gun toting hit men and corrupt policemen. If one has a family one would feel a great responsibility to try and protect them. In this case the only way to do so is to pick up and emigrate to another country. I'm sure that many of these people think their move to America is only temporary, but looking at history it is clear that most of these people will never move back to Mexico.

The decent hard working people and also the criminal elements are here to stay.








Rocío Gallegos
El Diario

El consumo general de agua potable en la ciudad disminuyó en más de 2 millones de metros cúbicos diarios, revelan datos oficiales. Ernesto Mendoza Viveros, presidente de la Junta Municipal de Agua y Saneamiento (JMAS), indicó que esta situación se registra por la cantidad de casas que han sido abandonadas y debido a que un gran número de empresas, principalmente del sector maquilador, redujeron su consumo al recortar su planta laboral y sus horarios de trabajo. Aunque también incide, dijo el funcionario, el que las personas cada vez tienen más conciencia sobre el uso del líquido y evitan su derroche.

En el último año se registró que el consumo promedio de agua por usuario cayó de 280 a 236 litros al día, esta última cifra se reportó en enero pasado, mencionó. Aunque esta caída pega directamente en los ingresos de este organismo descentralizado del Gobierno del Estado, tiene un beneficio porque es agua que se deja de extraer del acuífero del Bolsón del Hueco, dijo Mendoza Viveros. Señaló que el problema de viviendas abandonadas, se detectó en un principio en la zona suroriente de la ciudad, pero ahora prácticamente es en todo Juárez. Desgraciadamente, agregó, no tiene personal para revisar casa por casa y detectar cuál de ellas está sola. Y esto les genera un problema adicional de cartera vencida porque las personas abandonan sus viviendas y no avisan para dar de baja el servicio, por lo que su cuenta sigue generando un cobro y su deuda se rezaga, explicó el funcionario. Además de este problema, estas viviendas, son vandalizadas por lo que en cuestión de semanas o meses, se quedan sin la tubería de cobre ni los medidores de bronce que coloca la Junta, lo que genera una pérdida considerable, señaló. Pero además de las viviendas solas, la caída en la producción industrial también impactó porque al recortar a su personal o reducir sus jornadas de trabajo las empresas redujeron su consumo del líquido. De acuerdo con datos oficiales, más de 10 mil negocios de todos los giros y tamaños cerraron en los dos últimos años. Si la situación prevalece así, sin duda se tendrá una afectación directa en los proyectos a desarrollar, mencionó el presidente de la JMAS, organismo que tiene registrados más de 400 mil usuarios en la localidad.

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Farouk Shami - Lost In Space

This gentleman is running for the elected office of Governor of the state of Texas. He is a newly wealthy business owner who speaks with some kind of a heavy foreign accent.

He recently said that Whites won't work in factories, that only Blacks and Mexican Americans will. His racist intimation is that White workers are lazier than people from other ethnic groups. Actually the situation is that less well educated people, and people who do not speak English well have very few other choices. They are even more desperate than the Whites are. In America the Whites understand a little bit about the Constitution and their guaranteed basic human rights. They also learned enough history in school that they sometimes refuse to be treated like slaves by accepting employment in sweat shops.

Farouk also is quoted as saying that he thinks the U.S. Government may have been involved in some kind of a conspiracy to aid and abet the 911 mass murder.

Looney Tunes. Lost in space.

This guy should not be elected as a dog catcher, must less as the Governor of one of the nation's largest states.

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Treating Your Employees Like People

For twenty five years I held various supervisory and management positions where people worked under my authority and reported to me. Sometimes I can be a bit of slow learner, but in this matter it only took a few years to realize that If you treat people like animals, they will behave like animals. They react rationally to the way they are treated by management and the organization. It is simply physics: Action - equal and opposite Reaction.

The converse is not necessarily true. Just because you are honest and fair with your workers, doesn't always mean that they will always work hard and be fair with you. But it is a starting point. You must treat them like adults, and you must be rigorously honest with them. Once they realize that they can't trust what you are saying, you are sunk. After that there has to be accountability, leadership, and concern for the employee's family and his personal situation. The leaders must continually demonstrate that they are willing to do the same kind of nasty and dirty hard work that management is expecting from their employees.

What makes me think about this are several recent events. In this morning's newspaper I was reading about a Harvard educated, white, lady professor shooting and killing several of her supervisors and the other people who she felt were judging her and her job performance unfairly. This sort of work related violence where an employee, or a prior employee, shoots and kills his bosses and others who who have treated him badly is becoming commonplace. The shooter typically has developed such overwhelming anger and resentment about the improper treatment he has received, that he finally decides to take serious action, regardless of the personal consequences. Older or terminally ill workers who are nearer to the end of the road, have less to lose and can be especially prone to this type of violence and get-even behavior.

Yesterday afternoon I was driving home and I passed one of the local Toyota dealerships. I thought that Friday afternoon might be a good time to have the latest software upgrade for the anti-lock brakes on my new Prius installed. I do this sort of software upgrade for my home computers and their software often. It is so commonplace that it makes me wonder, “Why the hell I have to take my car into the dealership to have this done?” Anyway, driving by I didn't even bother to stop at the Toyota dealer because I saw the long line of cars still waiting to just get into the service department, and a group of obviously disgruntled Toyota owners milling about.

Over night I got to thinking about the mechanics who are performing the fixes for all these recalls. They are now working long hours and are under a great deal of pressure. I wonder if the dealerships are treating them well? No doubt there are a few of these Toyota dealership mechanics who feel that they are being expected to perform like brilliant but unemotional high speed robots, but who have very little job security, no health insurance, no pension plan, and are being paid a relatively low hourly wage. Now that the workload has increased, and the working hours have suddenly gone way up, you can be sure there are plenty of guys who last month were considered as nothing more than newly hired rank trainees who are now performing these various recall upgrades with almost no supervision and certainly not any post procedure testing to assure quality assurance.

Having a car dealership mechanic work on one's car is actually a bit frightening. Whenever possible I avoid this. I can't imagine the car dealerships which I know taking the position that good mechanics are important to their continued prosperity and survival, so these people should be treated properly. All the car dealerships I have ever had much to do with were first and foremost sales and marketing organizations. The few great car salespeople made a lot of money. The mechanics were generally ignored and looked down on. Second class citizens.

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Insurance Companies

I see today reading Democracy Now that health insurance companies are reaching unheard of profitability. And that this occurred during a period where the insurance companies dropped 2.7 million customers.

But still no great moral outrage among the Democrats, and not the slightest concern by the Republicans.


-------- Top Insurers Post Record Profits While Dropping 2.7M Policyholders

"A new report says the nation’s five biggest insurance companies set an all-time record for combined profits last year. According to Health Care for America Now, the companies WellPoint, CIGNA, UnitedHealth Group, Aetna Inc. and Humana posted cumulative profits of $12.2 billion. That marks a $4.4 billion, or 56 percent, increase over 2008 and amounts to an average profit margin of 5.2 percent. CIGNA saw the highest profit jump, with an increase of 346 percent. Health Care for America Now says the insurers’ record year was aided by three factors: dropping customers with costly medical needs; diverting spending from medical care to administrative costs and margins; and a higher enrollment in public programs, like Medicare Advantage, that pay insurers higher fees.

Overall, the insurance companies dropped 2.7 million customers from their rolls last year. The report’s release comes ahead of a day of nationwide rallies next Wednesday organized by Health Care for America Now."



LINK: http://www.democracynow.org/2010/2/12/headlines#1

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Elegant Technology

The third generation Toyota Prius has gotten some bad press recently. I drove a second generation Prius when I lived in Europe, and now that I am living back in America I drive a 2010 3rd generation Prius.

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I feel the same way about the new Prius that I do when I delve into any of my Nikon SLR cameras. They are exquisite, refined wonderful products. Nikon and Toyota both leave me with an absolute sense of awe.

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1984 Style Big Brother Government

Americans have been force fed so much pro-America propaganda over the years that “faith” in these almost religious beliefs of the mythical American Way has become part of the national culture.

America is the wealthiest and most powerful country. American citizens have the highest standard of living, the lowest infant mortality, and the longest life spans of any people on planet Earth. The American system of Democracy and the U.S. Constitution protects the individual from abuses by the rich and powerful. Employers are required to make sure that the workplace is safe and they are required to treat their workers fairly. People are treated as innocent unless they are proven guilty in a fair and open court. America has more of a commitment to solar energy and conservation than any other country. The American government always “plays fair” …. this is the American Way.

The government does not operate “secret” jails. If an American is arrested he is always provided with a competent lawyer and is guaranteed prompt access to the courts. No one ever languishes in jail for months or years without even being formally charged with a crime in open court, not in some secret government proceeding. The police and other government representatives are prohibited from lying to citizens in this country. Americans have more freedom of speech than the citizens of any other country, and poor people in America receive the same fair treatment when dealing with the American government as rich people do. The government is not allowed to spy on its citizens; the Bill of Rights and the Constitution protect people from these abuses.

All of the statements in the preceding two paragraphs are incorrect. I could write many more. Many people will respond by saying, “Yes, America is not perfect. But it is still the very finest country on the planet.” This statement is also far from accurate, and is an intellectually lazy cop-out. Anyone who takes this position is simply closed minded and ignorant. These people have not lived in other parts of the world for any significant time and have not seen that many other countries have figured out better ways of solving problems than America has. For example, almost all of the first-world wealthiest democracies guarantee adequate health care to all people (citizens and visitors) as a basic human right. All of the rich countries except America.

In today's news I see that Europe has rejected America's demand for detailed banking information on all airline travelers. The vote by the European Union brings into focus the fact that European countries assure their citizens far more personal privacy than the American government does.

Since becoming president one year ago there was great hope that Barack Obama would solve some of these problems. Instead of behaving like an open minded, well educated progressive, Obama's behavior on the major issues has been that of a center-right Republican. Kind of a more articulate and kinder/gentler George Bush Jr. --President Barack Obama is certainly “cooler” and nicer than President Bush II, but in actual practice his policies are not significantly different.


LINK: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/12/world/europe/12swift.html

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District 9

I watched this 2009 science fiction movie today. The producer was Peter Jackson, who also produced The Lord of the Rings Trilogy.

This is a really one superb thrilling sci-fi action thriller.


LINK: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_9

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We R Doomed

Any Obama supporter who still stands behind Barack needs to read this blog entry by Paul Krugman.
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Check out a few of the reader comments too.
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My favorite: Washington works for the bankers, Obama's appeasing those in charge. America is ruled by predators and its citizens are the prey. Shockingly repugnant, but really hard to miss these days.
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------ LINK: http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/10/clueless/?emc=eta1

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Healthy Foods

I don't drink alcohol, I don't smoke, I avoid sugar and refined carbohydrates, and I get a bit of exercise each day. Here are the healthy foods that I have eaten today:

Oranges
Fresh Tomato
Purple Grapes
Fresh Blueberries
Fresh Strawberries
Fat free plain yogurt
Walnuts
Sunflower seeds, roasted not salted
Skim milk
Poached Eggs
Mackerel
100% Whole Wheat Bread

With breakfast I took a multivitamin, 2000 I.U. of Vitamin D-3, and a whopping big capsule of fish oil. If a healthy diet would make you well then I should be fine. But I'm not. Maybe eating right is slowing down the gradual degradation due to leukemia just a bit. Who knows? But it sure isn't stopping it. Nope, not at all.

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Europe and the Euro

Essential for the continued functioning of the European common currency called the Euro is economic and labor integration. I lived in Europe before the introduction of the Euro, at the time of the change over, and for years afterward.

Transparent economic integration is essential. But you cannot buy a new car in Germany and then get it licensed in The Netherlands without having to undergo great effort and outrageous paperwork. I know, I did it.

Labor has to be able to pick up and move to where the opportunities are. So a certificate of competency issued to a medical doctor in Poland or Italy must be fully accepted in England, the same with a plumber, an electrician, or a mechanical engineer. The European Union can't even agree upon one single household appliance plug. A British plug won't work in Belgium, etc. In Greece the government actually lied to the European Union about its budget deficits. Big time. But these aren't the biggest barriers.

All the different small country languages is the main issue. A Spanish worker who doesn't speak a word of French or German cannot in all reasonableness up and move to Germany or France and expect to get a good job.

To maintain one healthy organization, each member needs to be able to communicate with the others. I am fluent in Spanish, but I still recognize that it is essential all immigrants and long term residents coming to America must be highly proficient in speaking and reading English.

Do all these problems mean that the Euro is completely doomed to failure? Not necessarily, but it does mean that no matter how much some people would like to see America fail and the U.S. Dollar cease being the main reserve currency worldwide, it is unlikely to happen any time soon.

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Stupidity of Politicians

It is beginning to look like Sara Palin's ego is so wildly blown out of control that she hopes to run for president in 2012.

Something as ludicrous as this would normally be seen as good news for the Democrats. But they seem to be getting ever better at grabbing defeat right out of the jaws of victory.

Rham Emanual recently called the progressive wing of the Democratic party “fucking retards.” Apparently he is speaking for the President, because there sure haven't been any regrets offered by the White House to the liberals or progressives. They did appologize to the mentally challenged community for using the politically incorrect and offensive word "retard."

Mr. Obama and Mr. Emanual appear to have forgotten that these liberals are some of the most intelligent, well educated, and motivated people in the Democratic party.

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Superbowl Sunday

After Mandarin Chinese, English is the most widely employed language on the planet. Spanish is third, and French and German are somewhere around numbers ten and eleven. When you first arrive in Scotland you wonder whether that noise coming out of their mouths is in fact even English, but after a day or two you get used to their dialect.

In the overwhelming majority of the English speaking world the word “football” refers to the much more civilized sport that we Americans call soccer. The American form of football is much like American politicians: not very bright and completely brutal regardless of the consequences. Deviousness is highly regarded in both endeavors.

One hundred years from now when people look back and discuss American football, with all of its attendant injuries (especially the brain damage), they will describe American football as being a horribly evil form of brutality. Not quite as bad as the Romans throwing the Christians to the lions. More like dog fighting is viewed in the early 21st century.

Then there are those who claim to watch the superbowl only to see the commercials. I go to a lot of effort either to mute commercials or using the DVR to fast forward past them. This year the television censors are allowing a right wing, anti-abortion spot, but they have rejected one that was paid for by a gay social group. Of the top 10 ads several were by Bud Light, Doritos, Coke, and Snickers. No wonder Americans are a bunch of morbidly obese diabetics.

This whole situation is sick and ignorant, just like the sport of football.

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Dying Cultures

A few days ago I finished reading “Friday” by Robert A. Heinlein for the third time.

It is now the middle of the night. I awakened thinking so much about this book that I decided to get up, get dressed, and commit my thoughts to writing.

Back in the bad old days one had to write many, many papers in school before graduating. High school and college both. Apparently this is no longer so. I have heard of people who are getting near to graduating from University who are now having to write and turn in their very first paper. Can you imagine? This can’t be accurate, can it?

I find that when I write something down it forces me to greatly clarify my thoughts. It seems to help save these thoughts as memories too; in some other sort of backup memory. Many times I use my diary (the modern word is blog) as a place to deposit these written thoughts and memories.

In thinking about reading the book called “Friday” for the third time my initial thought was, How can one possibly enjoy re-reading books? I don’t know, but on TV last night I watched the first Harry Potter movie again for at least the third time. Of course I read the book first too.

With “Friday” I was in my late teens or early 20’s when I read it the first time. Just like “Stranger In A Strange Land.” Then I very much enjoyed re-reading them both when I was in my 40’s. Yes, of course I remembered many of the details, but over the years I had forgotten enough in these books that I really enjoyed reading them a second time. Then again in my early 60’s I got to enjoy the pleasure of reading them a third time. I works just fine. Actually the 2nd and 3rd times one sort of gets more out of a book.

Specifically what I was thinking about in the middle of the night was Heinlein’s analysis of what are the marks of a sick culture. He went into this in some depth in chapter XXIII. Much of the following should be directly attributed to Heinlein.

“It is a bad sign when the people of a country stop identifying themselves with the country and start identifying with a group. A racial group. Or a religion. Or a language. Anything, as long as it isn’t the whole population.”

Over the last 60 plus years I have travelled to many countries, lived for years in various parts of the USA, Germany, and then The Netherlands. I can see the above phenomenon in most modern cultures, and most certainly in American society and culture.

“Dominance of males over females seems to be one of the symptoms.” Just look at the dark age culture of the Muslim religious fanatics in Afghanistan or in parts of Africa. America is also afflicted with this but far less so. In fact, over the last 40 years things have turned around in America to where females now have a significantly higher graduation rate from university and some professional degrees than males.

“...before a revolution can take place, the population must lose faith in both the police and courts.” Just look back a little. The 55 mph speed limit was not accepted by the people, it was imposed upon them. The same with prohibition of all consumption of alcohol in the 1930s and then much the same with marijuana from the late 1960s onward. Rule-of-law begins to break down when the general populace of a democracy strongly disagrees with, and ignores or violates various laws. People begin to think that the laws of the land are only for other people, they should not apply to me.

Open corruption of law enforcement personnel is deadly to loss of confidence in one’s society. Corruption among one’s elected representatives is much the same.

When there are a zillion silly laws which are no longer enforced but which are not repealed either, it makes people lose respect for the importance of, indeed the absolute necessity of laws. The same thing happens when noncompliance doesn’t have any meaningful consequences.

“…one of the obvious symptoms: Violence. Muggings. Sniping. Arson. Bombing. Terrorism of any sort. Riots of course - but I suspect that little incidents of violence, pecking away at people day after day, damage a culture more than riots that flare up and then die down.”

Growing up in the 1950s we never ever locked our house. We couldn’t. We didn’t even have a key. Then one year somewhere in the early 1960s things had begun to break down with society. Before we went on our annual family vacation we went over to the dime store and bought a skeleton key, so that we could lock the house.

“Imprisonment without bail and without speedy trial.” Think about all the innocent people the U.S. military/government has killed or imprisoned and tortured, and then the individuals are not even ever charged with any crime. Certainly not ever actually convicted. The government blatantly ignoring the provisions and protections of the U.S. Constitution.

“Sick cultures show a complex of symptoms…such as you have named. But a ‘dying’ culture invariably exhibits personal rudeness. Bad manners. Lack of consideration for others in minor matters. A loss of politeness, of gentle manners, is more significant than is a riot.”

Think about the nightly news and the way that the political right wing and it’s gang of self-righteous racists are behaving. Look at how rude the majority of people are when they are driving in their big, anonymous, fuel wasting SUVs, and think about the people trying to openly cut into line ahead of you at the check out counter of Wal-Mart.

It seems to me that the United States of America very easily fits the definition of a sick culture. Had it gotten so bad that it would be realistic to view this as a dying culture? When one looks at the millions of people who are excluded from health care in America one also sees that there are plenty of folks who not only don’t care, but for whom it even makes them feel superior in a sick sort of way. Yes, the USA is well past its peak. The country and the American culture are now sliding down the declining part of the curve.

Is America the very worst? No, not close. Just look at Mexico or Afghanistan or Iraq. Are the American Way and the American culture any longer the best? Nope, as before, not even remotely close.

I am now an old Geezer in my 60s. I have travelled widely, lived abroad for many years, and I have been fortunate and lucky enough to have lived an amazing life. Whatever happens won’t have much impact on me personally. But if I were in my 20s I would take a cold hard look at what is happening in America. The choices are: Be lazy and do nothing (most will choose this option); try to reverse the political and cultural decline (hopeless? Maybe so); or emigrate to some other country where your chances of leading a happy and rewarding life will be greater.

We each have to make these decisions for ourselves. Most people just go along and don’t ever make any real choices. They are like corks floating down river. But there are a few special individuals who have the strength of character to set goals and follow through. I guess just like it always has been, there will be a few survivors and a few who are fortunate enough to lead satisfying lives. But I am very sorry to say that it is almost a certainty that most citizens of the United States of America are going to lead much shorter, poorer and less satisfying lives than their parents did. How sad.

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USDA Tracking of Meat

Even in the face of all the recent food scares and scandals, and the inability of food processing companies to track produce or animals back to individual farms, the United States Government has decided to cancel it's nationwide program of tagging and tracing farm animals, and just let the individual states take care of things.

When you buy meat at the supermarket you can be certain that most of it comes from another state. This is clearly interstate commerce. Traditionally letting the states handle things has just been a form of deregulation, only under another pseudonym.

This is just one more example of the Obama administration saying the correct things, but in their real life actions behaving like a bunch of center-right Republicans. Sometimes I think I must have gone through some kind of a time warp along the way, and what I am witnessing is really another parallel universe.

This sick society that I see today sure isn't the United States of America that I grew up in.

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Physicians For Single Payer Universal Health Care

Probably the most admired and trusted man in America right now is Bill Moyers. On Friday evenings he hosts the PBS show called the Bill Moyers Journal. The show is rigorously honest and objective. In it he delves in-depth into subjects that are frequently just alluded to in short sound bites.

On last night's show he interviewed Dr. Margaret Flowers. She is active with the group called Physicians for a National Health Program in encouraging our elected representatives in Washington, D.C. to pass “Medicare For All” or as it is more commonly called Single Payer.

Her personal experience that the final death knell of universal health care without any doubt came directly from the top levels of the White House is truly astounding. Actually it is more than a little frightening.

Is this due to Rahm Emanuel, or is it because Obama has no strong personal beliefs or backbone? Obama is looking like the ultimate slimy Chicago politician, just going which ever way the wind is blowing at the moment. It is now clear that neither Rahm Emanuel nor Barack Obama have been capable of accomplishing anything of any import. This loser Rahm Emanuel needs to apologize to progressives and liberals for referring to them as “fucking retards” then the crude jerk Mr. Emanuel needs to promptly resign.

Please take the time to click on this link. Then watch the video of Dr. Flowers. The problem is not just in the Senate, it is in the White House!



LINK: http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/02052010/profile3.html

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