Tag: life

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How Much Do You REALLY Love That New iPhone?

Another sad account of Foxconn and Apple and the high human cost of your iPhone: iEmpire: Apple’s Sordid Business Practices Are Even Worse Than You Think

Someone please tell what is right about unfettered capitalism be practiced globally with US in the lead.

Here is a link to a Forbes article listing the top 400 richest people in America. Number 400 has a net worth of $1 billion. Number 1 on the list, Bill Gates, has a worth of 59 billion. Six of the folks on this list made their wealth from Wal*Mart. Steve Jobs is number 39 with a paltry $7 billion. Michael Dell is number 18 with a worth of $15 billion.

Go to the top of the list and find the “source” heading. Click on Continue reading “How Much Do You REALLY Love That New iPhone?”

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My Fair Lady

I’m not a huge show tune fan, but I do enjoy some.  I definitely enjoy musical theatre, and the occasional musical film from days of yore.  One of my favorites is My Fair Lady starring Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison.  I am sure that everyone knows the tale; it is a retelling of the Greek myth of Pygmalion.  Who better to retell this tale than Bernard Bernard Shaw?

I watched the movie again this weekend.  It had been years since I had seen it.  I enjoyed the acting, the music and the movie.  While I could not sing all the songs like Robin, I did recognize all the tunes.

The film is from 1964 and the Shaw’s original play was written in 1912.  These are certainly different times when it comes to the relationship between men and women in the Western world.  I say this because I had forgotten the ending.  As it turned out it was very unsatisfying to me. Continue reading “My Fair Lady”

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Vote with your $$, Vote with your feet, Move your bank accounts

As I touched on in Banks, Boobs, Bamboozled I moved my checking account.  I had been with Bank of America.  I initially signed up with them when I moved to a new town and I was in hurry to get a bank.  The more I learned about BoA, the unhappier I became with banking there.  I stayed with BoA much too long due to inertia. It is a pain changing banks.  But I finally bit the bullet and made the change.  I chose Regions as they have branches in both St. Louis and Memphis.  I had only been with them a few months when they decided they just had to charge their customers for use of their debit cards. (They have since reversed that decision, but they have lost my trust)  I immediately started the process of changing banks.  I went with the local company credit union.  Much to my surprise there is a network of ATMs that I can use free of charge available to credit unions. Continue reading “Vote with your $$, Vote with your feet, Move your bank accounts”

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Banks, Breasts, Bamboozled

I quit Bank of America a while back as I decided I did not want to do business with them.  I have major problems with their business practices.  So I switched to Regions.  Now they have started charging customers for the use debit cards.  I decided to quit them and open up an account with the company credit union.  Dollars are votes after all.

To effectuate the change I went to the credit union branch just across from my office.  The branch manager is a young woman of maybe 30 years.  She invites me into her office to do the necessaries involved in opening up a new account.  She was an attractive enough young lady, but no knock out.  She was however wearing a top with a very low scoop neck and some sort of brassiere that barely covered her nipples.  I personally do not find this appropriate business wear, but maybe that is just me.  Just sitting talking to her I was getting an eyeful even though part of me was trying not to look.  She was seated at a rather large desk. Every time she leaned forward to have me sign Continue reading “Banks, Breasts, Bamboozled”

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Less Is More????

One of the advantages of being a computer gypsy of the last decade or so is not accumulating a lot of “stuff”. I have wanted some things then wondered where the heck was I going to put it. I also worry about having to move stuff. I will admit I cannot get on board with digitized books. I love my books. Of course, my brother threatened to not help me move again as he carried box after box of books up three flights of stairs.

The speaker highlighted a question I have been asking myself for years, “Is my life really going to be that much better if I spend my hard earned money on this —fill in the blank—.”  Remember the old saw about stuff owning us rather than we owning stuff? Of course George Carlin would tell you that “his stuff is stuff, and your stuff is shit.”

Something to think about.

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Welfare Mama, My A$$

One of the reoccurring themes when I talk to my fellow citizens on the right of the political spectrum is freeloaders.  They seem utterly outraged and maybe terrified that someone might be getting something with their tax money.  I keep hearing stories about the welfare mama driving a Cadillac.  Another favorite story is the teenage bimbo driving a hot car, living with her boyfriend, and paying for cigarettes with food stamps.  Then we have malingers collecting workers comp for a fake injury.  The stories go on and on.

I have no doubt that there are cases like the above.  I spent an afternoon a while back Googling for statistics on this type of fraud or abuse of the system.  I did not have a lot of luck finding any numbers.   My gut feeling is that the dollars pale in comparison to the real welfare cheats, doctors, lawyers, hospitals, and corporations.

A while back I worked for a large corporation involved in the care of the elderly.  Their standard business practice was to bill Medicare for every possible thing.  Apparently they were a little too zealous about it.  The government pushed back at them and they had to pay back a rather large sum of money (in the millions).  If memory serves there was also a fine involved, but I am not entirely sure on that part.

A news story just broke, 91 charged in Medicare fraud crackdown.  They have just arrested 91 individuals, including doctors and other medical professionals.  They are claiming $295 million in false billings.  Continue reading “Welfare Mama, My A$$”

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How To Fix America In 126 Super Cute Seconds

From MoveOn.org:

Sign their petition and send Congress and Obama the Betrayer a message.  Here is the link  to A CONTRACT FOR THE AMERICAN DREAM petition.

IMHO… the corporations are effecting a coup d’etat on our government, our way of life, and the future of our children and grandchildren.  We need to take our country back from these greedy SOBs.   The Tea Party is just a tool the Koch Brothers and others of similar ilk.  Why should they be setting the agenda for the majority of us?

A CONTRACT FOR THE AMERICAN DREAM
Americans who are willing to work hard and play by the rules should be able to find a decent job, get a good home in a strong community, retire with dignity and give their kids a better life. Every one of us…has the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That is our covenant, our compact and our contract with one another…
1. Invest in America’s Infrastructure
2. Create 21st-Century Energy Jobs
3. Invest in Public Education
4. Offer Medicare for All
5. Make Work Pay 6. Secure Social Security
7. Return to Fairer Tax Rates
8. End the Wars and Invest at Home
9. Tax Wall Street Speculation
10. Strengthen Democracy

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Just do the Funky Leon

I have a dear friend whom I have known for 7 or 8 years.  His name is Leon, but I tend to call him many things.  Brother Leon or Brother J are two of my favorite, not that he is associated with a church in any capacity. It just seems to fit.

When I lived a little further south I used to golf with him at least once a week.  In the nice part of the year that once a week was usually  2 or 3 times a week.  Life being what life is.  And the economy being what it is, I have moved a couple times since I first met him.  I’ve gone from being a military brat to a computer gypsy.  Anyway you look at it I am not gathering any moss.

We do try to get together a few times a year to play golf and renew our friendship.  Needless to say, Brother Leon knows my swing well.  Since he does, I do not mind him giving me advice about my swing from time to time.  He is usually dead on as to my particular issue that day.  I could blame my mediocre golf game on lack of any real athletic ability!  Well, okay, I will do that.  One of my poorer tendencies in my golf swing is to get way too fast.  Fast in golf swing seldom equates to distance or a  good ball flight. Continue reading “Just do the Funky Leon”