Current events, news, podcasts, consumer information, and the posture of the global dynamic.
The man hasn’t even been elected yet and he’s already leading the way:
Iraq government backs Barack Obama’s troop withdrawal pledge
Seems as if we may be seeing a wave of cooperation for change coming from our overseas forces as well as is evident with the welcome mat Obama is receiving from the US Military.
Here’s a still from a surveillance camera at a hospital emergency waiting room in Brooklyn, New York. The woman is dying on the floor reportedly while “people nearby ignore her”. This happened in Los Angeles a year ago and I predict it will continue to happen. I highly doubt the workers in these hospitals are that oblivious to this mess. I’m sure when you peel beneath the surface you’ll find that people are directed to ignore the poor and uninsured and are threatened with the loss of there jobs if facility resources are used to treat these patients. Absolutely sick. We’re Americans…. every damn one of us. We can do so much better.
You will be missed.
I received a letter from US Claims Services in Bakersfield, California claiming that the State of California had unclaimed funds that they could retrieve for a fee. Ridiculous. True, it turns out the state was holding the funds but there is no fee if you go directly to the state unclaimed property web site at http://www.sco.ca.gov/col/ucp/index.shtml. Being a web person, my hunch is that these people at US Claims Service are cross referencing the data on the state web site with local listings around the country and trying to broker something that our tax dollars already provide without charge.
So don’t be a victim to this scam (oh the US Claims Service web site is a gem!). Do a web search for the state controller’s office where you currently live or the state where have previously lived and use there free search and work directly with them to retrieve your unclaimed funds. I’m glad I did.
One of the key things the left needs to do to bring politics back to the left of center is to regain the community perception of reality that is has been under attack by the right-wing marketing machine. The right and it’s lemmings have proven themselves oranized in taking talking points and language handed down by it’s strategists and turning our culture’s use of everyday language on it’s head. It sickens me to see them frame the debate and re-frame our language and get away with it.
Example I: Tree Harvesting
This is a term I hear used often living in the Pacific Northwest. No longer will you hear the term Clear Cutting used in reference to the massive deforestation that occurs daily—it’s no longer a term referred to in our popular culture. Tree Harvesting sounds so much softer and kinder… oh that 90 year old oak was cut down.. it was harvested! It’ll be back next year with the annual picking of strawberries and turnips. It’s no coincidence that clear cutting has been blunted to fruit picking as the juicy profits of big timber are quite sweet I’m sure. A harvest has always been in reference to things that grow anually and does not apply to something that has taken 80 years to grow. “Oh go ahead and chop it.. it’ll be back next year.” Umm… no it won’t.
Example II: Climate Change
Sounds nice doesn’t it?
“Ah… look… that silly mother nature…. she’s at it again.. climate change. What’s for lunch?”
It was and always will be remembered as GLOBAL WARMING. It’s more than obvious things are warming faster than they should. It’s not something that should be framed politically or marketed in a softer gentler framework. This is serious business and we need to take the language back. Repeat after me: Global Warming, Global Warming, Global Warming. Ok.
Example III: Torture is still Torture
All of the best minds in the intelligence and military world will tell you the same thing: torture doesn’t work. It didn’t work on Americans in World War II in bringing down the allies and it certainly won’t work if we do it. Holy hell I can’t believe I even have to say this. Put anyone in the whacky column if they come back with the “yeah but what if there’s a bomb that’s going to go off and…” line. But let’s face it… we know we’ve lost all credibility on this matter. So at least reclaim the language and the ethics that lay beneath the words. Torture is still torture.
(to be continued)
For more on how they use language to frame reality check out this article which is based on a 1996 memo by Newt Gingrich with what he refers to as Optimistic Positive Governing Words ›
I grew up in Southern California. I remember when there was a specific window in which you would see brush fires occur and that was usually 3 or 4 weeks of October. Now it seems like the window is gone and it can happen year round. My suspicions seem to have some ground to them ›
…and to think it all started with depositing my payroll check on the 14th of September.
First, remove “Community” from Unitus. If you deposit your payroll in a co-op deposit ATM 2 miles from Unitus headquarters, they will treat it with suspicion and hold half the funds for a friggen week! (thanks a lot for no heads up on that Unitus)
Next, remove “Union” from Unitus. When you deal with there customer service you will be lied to. After notifying them on the following week that my deposit was in fact my payroll and not a junk mail from Ed McMann i was told i’d get a call back after they clear the issue with the supervisor. I got the call back and was told the remaining funds would be made available and my overdrafts for my bills hitting the account would be removed. Not so.
The next day upon following up with regard to my overdraft of 52 dollars (26 dollar overdraft fees!) i was told the account was noted by the previous CSR that the overdrafts would NOT be reimbursed. Now I’ve incurred a total of 78 dollars in overdraft fees for money that they had already cleared! This bank is a complete joke. My check to my other bank from my Unitus account still hasn’t cleared… they held the check money in another department (even though i deposited a payroll check a WEEK earlier)… then put it back after the transfer bounced at my other bank… with no clear reason why… what a joke. Don’t bank with Unitus “Community” Credit “Union” in Portland, Oregon. It’s a predatory wolf of a bank in sheep’s clothing. I’m absolutely done and will for the time being have to stay with my trustworthy credit union down in California.
Follow up: I closed the account. Much happier now. I also submitted a testimonial to there “True Stories that Unite Us” site and of course no response.
