Cleaning Out My Rant Box

HEY! Wake up! There's more to your life than football and comic books and video games right?

<<<----- What could possibly go wrong?


Monsanto - Eat more GMO animal scat FERTILIZED CROPS...from livestock feed GMO FEED, grown from GMO SEED! TRIPLE YOUR exposure...maybe your babies will be born with frog legs!

What got me on about this? Oh, maybe the fact that the USDA  has now forced Whole Foods to accept Monsanto. In other words, the government has now told Whole Foods, we don't give a damn whether you like it or not you will sell these frankenfood products or else! What?!? What country are we living in again. If a big company like Whole Foods can't decide for itself what it will and will not sell what chance does a little mom and pop business stand? Stories like this right here tell you exactly who is really running the country and all the people still running around yammering about Republican this and Democrat that, left wing, right wing, liberal, conservative, blah blah blah just don't get it. No matter what stripe mouthpiece you put into office the real powers that be, the real owners of this country, the real overlords are the gigantic megacorportations who are "TOO BIG TO FAIL" and will pass whatever regulations will benefit them and screw the little guys. If they gamble and lose with your money they will have their puppets in government force YOU to foot the bill. Remember that little thing called the American Dream? Where a little guy or gal could start up a small business, work hard and become successful. Yeah?! How is that supposed to happen in this environment? If you manage to carve out a nitch big enough to threaten one of these powerful entities they will crush you like a small, family owned grape farm under their feet.

Yeah, you can buy burgers made from ammoniated beef, which is exempt from USDA testing because the ammonia in the "meat" supposedly makes it safe; Which it doesn't, and the ammonia isn't listed as an ingredient because it is considered a "process". Google it! It will make you sick. So, yeah, you can go to store and buy this meat that has been sitting in a vat and then in a freezer for God only knows how long, but you can't buy a gallon of fresh milk that was in the dairy animal an hour ago from your neighbor without risking them going to jail. There have been some cases where judges made statements saying growing our own food/dairy is not a right. How scary is THAT?? More people per capita get sick each year from deli meat than raw milk, but I don't see them making it illegal to buy THAT.

How do you divide people up so you can get the control to do these things?

You rile people up about higher taxes without distinguishing between taxes on the rich, big business, small business, the middle class or the poor. Then you further insist that making such a distinction is class warfare. It's bullshit! The same technique is easy to use for regulations. Bad regulations (often dreamed up by the same interests that overall deregulation would benefit) can be used as examples to make people trust regulatory actions as a whole - and the baby goes out with the bathwater. In fact, the bathwater never goes out, 'cause you can bet those regulations that actually aren't good for society will be overlooked when the deregulating frenzy is in full swing.

My thing about extreme conservatives is this. The conservative movement is supposed to be about 'You don't affect me and I won't affect you. Live your life without intervention from the government or other citizens and you should do the same.' When Nixon and Reagan decided to bring the religious factor into the party, they took over. The problem is that they want to tell you what you can do in your bedroom, in your house, in your life because of what their concept of 'God' says. That's so not what the original idea was. It's not what 'conservative' is supposed to mean as a political movement.  I like the original idea of what conservative is supposed to mean. But I hate the idea of what they've become. Let me do what I want, went I want and how I want. If I tread on your rights, then call me on it. Otherwise, leave me alone. My right to swing my fist ends where your nose begins.

The reason the 1% are in power is because our government treats them like gods, bailing them out when their overall stupidity from bad business practices causes their corporations to fail financially. This practice is also destroying "Mom and Pop" businesses because if the large corporations continue to be resuscitated through bailouts, it doesn't allow new companies, who may possibly be better at conducting business, to replace the old ones.

Americas future is Chinas today, when regulations are totally out of the way our children will be free to enjoy the Chinese work week of 70 hours @$100 a week with no overtime.

‎"I Recognise the right of every American to use the resources of this great nation, I do not however recognise the right to deny those resources to this or future generations through squanderance or misuse." THEODORE ROOSEVELT

When you have government favoritism regulating most of an industry out of existence EXCEPT for the corporations that happen to have 2 or 3 congressmen on their board, then regulations only serve to unfairly limit competition and allow bad companies to grow huge (Monsanto) while the market they're engaged in (farming) gets decimated by their lawyers. Monsanto writes its own FDA policy, with a revolving door between their corporate board and the FDA. Another reason the Occupy Movement has a good point - Get corporate money out of the political process.

Corporate greed is also why you don't have an electric car, or a cure for diabetes. When its more profitable NOT to fix a problem, corporations DON'T.

Do you think Monsanto execs eat Monsanto products?

Resources:


SodaHead - USDA forces Whole Foods to accept Monsanto

Food Democracy Now! Stand up: Family Farmers vs. Monsanto

FDA Says Walnuts Are Drugs

Replace The Monkeys!

 OMGs! Friday the 13th! What should we do today? Well....


If you start with a cage containing five monkeys and inside the cage,
  hang a banana on a string from the top and then you place a set of stairs
  under the banana, before long a monkey will go to the stairs and climb
  toward the banana.

      As soon as he touches the stairs, you spray all the other monkeys
      with cold water. After a while another monkey makes an attempt with
      same result ... all the other monkeys are sprayed with cold water.
      Pretty soon when another monkey tries to climb the stairs, the
      other monkeys will try to prevent it.

      Now, put the cold water away.

      Remove one monkey from the cage and replace it with a new one.
      The new monkey sees the banana and attempts to climb the stairs.
      To his shock, all of the other monkeys beat the crap out of him.
      After another attempt and attack, he knows that if he tries to climb
      the stairs he will be assaulted.

      Next, remove another of the original five monkeys, replacing it
      with a new one. The newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked.
      The previous newcomer takes part in the punishment... with enthusiasm.

      Then, replace a third original monkey with a new one, followed by
      a fourth, then the fifth. Every time the newest monkey takes to
      the stairs he is attacked. Most of the monkeys that are beating him
      up have no idea why they were not permitted to climb the stairs.
      Neither do they know why they are participating in the beating
      of the newest monkey.

      Finally, having replaced all of the original monkeys, none of
      the remaining monkeys will have ever been sprayed with cold
      water. Nevertheless, none of the monkeys will try to climb
      the stairway for the banana.

      Why, you ask? Because in their minds...
      that is the way it has always been!

      This, my friends, is how Congress operates... and is why,
      from time to time, all of the monkeys need to be REPLACED AT THE SAME TIME!

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

"It appeared that there had even been demonstrations to thank Big Brother for raising the chocolate ration to twenty grammes a week. And only yesterday, he reflected, it had been announced that the ration was to be reduced to twenty grammes a week. Was it possible that they could swallow that, after only twenty-four hours? Yes, they swallowed it." - 1984 George Orwell.

Who Is Supporting SOPA?

There are already laws that govern stolen, copyrighted material. The authorities need only find the culprit,  bring him/her to the relevant court and carry burden of proof. The trouble with SOPA is that it does what it does without anyone being found guilty in a court of law. Also, it tries to apply U.S. law to entities not under its jurisdiction. If someone in Peru, Bangladesh or wherever is stealing copyrighted material, then go to Peru, Bangladesh or wherever and fight the legal battle there. SOPA is all about control and being pushed by control freaks.


It's amazing that the only thing congress seems to be able to accomplish these days is to screw the American public. In all seriousness Citizens United has created a corporate congress whose only goal is to serve their sugar daddies.


The following representatives have supported this piece of ...... legislation. Let's fire them!




Rep Smith, Lamar [TX-21]
Rep Amodei, Mark E. [NV-2] - 11/3/2011
Rep Baca, Joe [CA-43] - 12/7/2011
Rep Barrow, John [GA-12] - 11/14/2011
Rep Bass, Karen [CA-33] - 11/3/2011
Rep Berman, Howard L. [CA-28] - 10/26/2011
Rep Blackburn, Marsha [TN-7] - 10/26/2011
Rep Bono Mack, Mary [CA-45] - 10/26/2011
Rep Carter, John R. [TX-31] - 11/3/2011
Rep Chabot, Steve [OH-1] - 10/26/2011
Rep Chu, Judy [CA-32] - 11/30/2011
Rep Conyers, John, Jr. [MI-14] - 10/26/2011
Rep Cooper, Jim [TN-5] - 12/12/2011
Rep Deutch, Theodore E. [FL-19] - 10/26/2011
Rep Gallegly, Elton [CA-24] - 10/26/2011
Rep Goodlatte, Bob [VA-6] - 10/26/2011
Rep Griffin, Tim [AR-2] - 10/26/2011
Rep Holden, Tim [PA-17] - 11/30/2011
Rep King, Peter T. [NY-3] - 11/3/2011
Rep Larson, John B. [CT-1] - 11/30/2011
Rep Lujan, Ben Ray [NM-3] - 11/14/2011
Rep Marino, Tom [PA-10] - 11/3/2011
Rep Nunnelee, Alan [MS-1] - 11/3/2011
Rep Owens, William L. [NY-23] - 11/14/2011
Rep Quayle, Benjamin [AZ-3] - 12/13/2011
Rep Ross, Dennis [FL-12] - 10/26/2011
Rep Scalise, Steve [LA-1] - 11/14/2011
Rep Schiff, Adam B. [CA-29] - 10/26/2011
Rep Sherman, Brad [CA-27] - 12/7/2011
Rep Terry, Lee [NE-2] - 10/26/2011
Rep Wasserman Schultz, Debbie [FL-20] - 11/3/2011
Rep Watt, Melvin L. [NC-12] - 11/3/2011

Hooray For Montana!

The U.S Supreme Court decided in 2010 that corporations were people (never mind that you can't put one in jail for breaking the law) and that money was free speech in an abomination to the foundation of our country that the power of government is derived from the people. However the Supreme Court of the state of Montana says, Wait a minute here! Not in our neck of the woods! Good for them! Also, Senator Bernie Sanders from Vermont has introduced a petition for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution aptly named the Saving American Democracy Amendment to nullify the Citizens United ruling. If you haven't already, please go sign it! Again that's the:

Saving American Democracy Amendment


I don't typically get much into the political debates these days because it seems that more and more anytime anyone takes one position or another on any particular issue you are automatically branded a this or a that and buried under a mountain of labels that may or may not apply and usually hurled a pile of personal insults or attacks. Robert Crandall, the retired chairman and CEO of American Airlines, a company I have worked for the past 22 years, said in a piece on his blog Bob Crandall Thinks entitled "Morons Or Something Better" that he remembers a time when things were different in America and although I am much younger than he, I too remember a different time. In his words:

"I remember political arguments too – Dewey and Truman, Kennedy and Nixon, Reagan and Carter, and other memorable contests. There were always conflicting opinions within the family and among friends, and there were lots of heated arguments – but politics was something widely and often discussed. Almost everyone read the newspapers, it wasn’t considered rude to bring up politics at a dinner party and everyone was expected to have an opinion – and some facts to support it. And though everyone felt strongly, most people wanted to be – and were -- polite. "


Therein lies the key, people used to be able to politely discuss their points of view with one another and believe me, I, like anyone else is, am much more likely to listen to an opposing view, and maybe even be persuaded to accept it, if it is presented politely and with strong arguments that are irrefutable. But as soon as someone starts in with personal attacks, name calling, etc. I, like most other people, immediately shut down and don't really care to hear any more that the person has to say because they have already insulted me, my intelligence and or my value as a human being. If you really feel strongly about an issue and you would like more of your fellow citizens to go to the polls and vote in favor of your particular viewpoint you would stand a much better chance of doing so if you can convince them of why your point of view is better for them and the nation as a whole than you will by insulting them.


Now granted, I personally believe that, unfortunately, ever since the terrorist attacks of September 11 2001 a great many pieces of legislation and policies were put into place that have undermined our constitution and democracy.  I, like many Americans, have to wonder if our votes even mean anything anymore when it seems that no matter who we put in office the agenda seems to be the same because someone else seems to be calling the shots. As some have pointed out, we have moved further from democracy (or Constitutional Republic if you prefer) and towards Fascism (No, not Nazism before that even starts). A system of government in which the powers of giant corporations and the powers of state combine to exploit the economic classes of people for the benefit of those in power. I do believe this decision in Montana and the Amendment proposed by Bernie Sanders is a step in the right direction though. Unfortunately, I am not sure if enough of the public can tear themselves away from their favorite T.V. programming and other distractions long enough to make a difference. Even among those who are paying attention and do realize there is something wrong that needs to be fixed, they are too focused on insulting one another to get together on those items they agree on to make a difference. The old, divide and conquer still works as effectively today as it did in the old Roman Empire.


I think the personal attacks and insults form of "political debate" probably started with talk radio in the 1990s. Sensationalism sells after all. But what are we buying?


Resources:


Alternet Article On Montana Supreme Court Ruling


The Raw Story article on Montana Court Decision


There are other news sources out there. I know those who are very partisan in their politics only accept news from "approved sources". Go see if your news source of choice also has an article. I know main stream media is, these days, pretty much owned and operated by a small handful of people so I take most news with a huge grain of salt and try to find sources from many points of view to try to deduce some kernel of truth hidden in the rhetoric. It's about all we are left with really until more people decide to demand better.


Saving American Democracy Amendment 


Morons Or Somethings Better by Bob Crandall

Rolling Stone Magazine Asks Why Isn't Wall Street in Jail?

Financial crooks brought down the world's economy — but the feds are doing more to protect them than to prosecute them...

READ HERE >>>

As they say, hindsight is 20/20 and if I had known then what I know now I would have definitely done things differently. I went to work for the company I am employed at which I currently refer to as my "day job" over 19 years ago. I was fairly fresh out of school having graduated High School then taking courses in Electronic Engineering at I.T.T. and working for Dominoes Pizza while putting in applications and doing interviews in the hopes of landing a "real job". I finally did get a job with a company that offered a great benefits package and a future of better pay although the starting pay was actually a step down from what I was making delivering pizzas if you include the tips. I literally began at the bottom sweeping floors and later upgraded into a higher position in the same department operating powered equipment.

I actually had a chance to take several other positions along the way but I chose the "safe" route of staying where I was at because I had built up some seniority which gave me a buffer in case of layoffs and it was guaranteed 40 hours per week whereas one of the other jobs, fleet service, starts off part time until you can build up enough time to bid for a full time position. Then in 1996 a new contract started that had been voted in during the 1995 negotiations. The department I was working in was to be contracted out but all of the people in the department would be transferred to a new position of cabin cleaning. The trouble was, they were also telling everyone that all future pay raises were to be frozen. Well, obviously that wasn't going to work so I started looking for a new place to go. A lot of my friends took positions as fleet service clerks, stock clerks, overhaul support mechanics and other assorted positions throughout the company. I, again going the safe route, decided on a Plant Maintenance Man position and passed the test initially for the Automotive Department where I remained for another 5 1/2 years until September 11th, 2001 put the industry into a tailspin and caused massive layoffs which sent me to a different work location and into the Facilities Maintenance department. After coming to Facilities I became interested in the equipment we worked on and started learning more about it, especially the electrical end of things and eventually got a Maintenance Electrician's License from the state.

The trouble is, after making all these "safe" moves over the years I find myself in a position that hasn't panned out for me. I make an average of $2 less per hour than all of my former co-workers who went on to other positions within the company, I have fewer options for working extra shifts (called CSing in company lingo) and very rarely see opportunities for overtime (which is often more plentiful for other positions. I made the "safe" move to the Plant Maintenance Man (PMM for short) thinking it would be a temporary position for a few years maybe and I would later be able to upgrade into a full Mechanic position (a position that pays $9 per hour more than I make now). But due primarily to politics (under a shoddy facade of policy and experience credit review procedures) I have been shut out time and again from getting such an upgrade but at the same time I have seen others with less experience (in one particular case an 18 year old kid fresh out of High School) who were deemed to be "qualified" which usually boils down to knowing the right people, being related to the right people or filling the agenda of "diversification of the work force". The PMM position requires three years previous maintenance experience to get into in the first place. The fleet service clerk position requires only a High School diploma or equivalent and a driver's license to start then training is provided. PMM is classified in the union contract as a semi-skilled position. Fleet Service Clerk is classified as non-skilled. So, 18 years ago if I had gone into the so called "non-skilled" Fleet Service Clerk position I would be making $2 more per hour now than I do by going into the "semi-skilled" position. But it goes beyond that because with 18 years I could easily have pulled a Crew Chief position by now giving me another $1.70 per hour on top of that. Plus more opportunities for CSing and overtime due to it being a MUCH larger department.

So, long story short, I messed up doing what I thought was the "safe" thing and I'm paying for it now every hour that I work. I can still transfer to one of these other positions and likely will as soon as the economy improves and there is more hiring taking place because I see now that the "few years" that I thought it might take to upgrade has become 12 1/2 years and counting. Transferring will mean throwing away all of my seniority and starting at the bottom of the list for bidding jobs and being among the first to be impacted by layoffs. But my pay will increase at least. It's just ironic that I find myself in the predicament that I have to transfer to a position which has lower initial qualification requirements in order to make more money. It all boils down to politics though. There are more of them than there are of us and our union doesn't care because A.) We don't represent enough votes to do them any good and B.) some of us have more seniority than the very union representatives who are supposed to represent us therefore they have a vested interest in keeping me and others like me right where we are at. The company has no interest in helping us upgrade because, hey, it's cheap labor, we have guys doing essentially the same work for $9 per hour less. What's not to love about that right?

I'm not getting any younger though and if I am going to start over in another department now is the time to do it because later it will be too late. But on the other hand, there is that nagging doubt of what if I transfer out and they finally do the right thing and implement a program to allow those of us trapped in this dead end to finally get an upgrade through training and testing? The current contract is in negotiations and there is talk of just such a program being a part of it but there has been talk before. There is talk at every contract negotiation. Talk is cheap. Talk won't pay my bills or support my family. I need more than talk.