I love to know that free market principles alive and well in areas of the world that are not yet allowed the waning freedoms that we enjoy in this country.

Case in point - China's people, long prevented from full access to information on the internet, have lashed out technologically by targeting Google, and other gatekeeper's towing that Government's Line, attempting to work their way out of their data gulag.

http://tinyurl.com/ylg9m4d

A Heartfelt thank you to Google for reconsidering their position.

Free market principles - not a bad idea for our great Republic, in light of recent Healthcare Reform. Which is by the way, the reason why I have been silent for a while. More to come.

Be well!

In light of yesterdays comments about Media tailoring, here is a salient article that appears to address what those who provide your news are going to do about it.

AUDIENCE AND THE MEDIA: A SHAKY MARRIAGE


And in other news, another of my favorite topics - the FED. Looks like they are going to step in for us and protect us against the EVIL banking empire and one of their largest profit centers, the banking overdraft.

FED BARS ATM CARD OVERDRAFT FEES ABSENT OPT-IN

I am glad to see that the fed will step in to legislate this problem, but realize that banks are taking advantage of the fact that most people (Of course, not your or me) don't manage their money very well, and in these tough times, this is a great opportunity for enhanced revenue streams. As much as I don't like overdraft fees (Ranging from $27 an up for repeat offenders) Capitalism thrives on literally taking advantage of opportunity - which equates to in most cases taking advantage of people.

My biggest problem with this is thus: do you realize that if a large group of customers threatened to take their money from bank A, to take it to bank B, the free market principles governing customer service might convince that bank to negotiate, reduce or even remove those fees. If enough people organized themselves to propose a schema by which users can approve an overdraft - allowing you to acknowledge that you are accepting the 2000% interest to take a small loan (Have you ever thought of it that way?) or at least have a moment to address the "Aw Shit" factor when you didn't balance your checkbook correctly.

Back to my problem - we as a nation have a real problem organizing ourselves to do anything, unless someone of authority does it for us. If the Fed can regulate transactions that banks are "taxing" to enhance their income, and we allow it to happen because we are all upset at the banks for causing the financial crisis, what next will the Fed attempt to tax when you go to spend your money, cash your check or run your business? If you work as an employee - well great lengths have been taken to automate this process so you don't feel it at all.

Imagine you have a lovely Maine Lobster, and a pot of boiling water. If you were to drop said lobster in that boiling water - (aside from making a tasty meal) it shrieks in agony as it boils and become the makings for a great entree.

If, however, you put the same lobster in room temperature water, it will be blissfully unaware of it's own impending demise, although it may notice that it's environment has changed slightly - it probably won't see the bigger picture until it is far too late.

I love the element of the news that most people forget to acknowledge - ratings ratings ratings, which means basically that the news in not necessarily a form of public information. When was the last time you watched CSPAN, or listened to NPR, for a quick peek at what is going on in your nation? Yeah, it's been a while for me to. On a normal news day, it is the "Bueller?......Bueller?......" equivalent of 3 or 4 tylenol P.M.s. Typically, I have just finished watching my favorite program rerun, and was not hasty enough to change the channel, and happened to "hooked"by the latest Storm Watch 2009, where 1 inch of Rain threatens to bring the four horsemen of the apocalypse raining mountains of earth on a small community where no one should have built homes in the first place.

I give a heartfelt thanks to Jon Stewart for bringing this element to the public on one of the best approaches to news in a decade, so much so that I can't even refer to it as "Faux" news, because his team and he present material that most of us snooze through regularly; his presentation in a format that catches our attention - comedy. And like any good comic - his delivery is impeccably precocious.

Speaking of comedy, and reflecting on my earlier statement - news is tailored to get ratings, and thus gauge appropriately how much advertisers money to take in, is a wonderful catch by Stewart and company that I brings me to my point - Watch:




Remember Folks -It's all entertainment, script it, storyboard, and trim to fit, unless God forbid - the content upsets the advertisers - it's easy to sit back a go wow - what attendance, when in reality most people could care less. In these days of rapid fire "entertainment" known as "news" the most important part is what you take away, and pass along in the greatest form of advertisement - word of mouth. Do your homework, do your research, and don't believe it because Dan Rather, Rush Limbaugh, or Al Franken said it - that is why they are paid the big bucks (Maybe not Franken - but hopefully you catch my drift) - they bring in the Advertisers dollars. Like a good Detective - who has motive? Opportunity? Who stands to profit from the message you just heard?

Maybe I do - If you click on an advertisement on this page!

I'll leave you with one of my favorite quotes, that got me looking at the television (and the world for that matter) in a whole different light (I have deliberately not credited the author at this moment, however I will gladly - it is absolutely not relevant at this point in my rant):

"a nation or world of people who will not use their intelligence are no better than animals who do not have intelligence. Such people are beasts of burden and steaks on the table by choice and consent."

Ever felt like you are part of the herd?

And so it begins - on the day of my anniversary of marriage to my wonderful wife, and much to her relief, I have decided to embark upon what I feel is a most interesting pastime - without realizing it was quite that, politics in the United States, and all the resultant activities. "A sigh of relief from your wife?" you may be asking yourself - yes, I need a place to put down the ideas I constantly drivel on about, and in looking back on the many others who I have plagued with my interest in the political process, I have embarked upon this blog - a way to force my own objectivity as relates to my discussion of politics - which if given the opportunity, would put event the best filibusterer to shame. Arising primarily from a barrage of Liberal, Conservative, Conspiratorial, Condescending, Congratulatory, and mostly Concatenated half truths, ruminations, perspectives, lies, and propaganda that fuel my distended diatribes, I try - emphasis on try - to keep it short, but the many factors that tend to skew popular opinion, and the realization that they have tainted my own, is why I feel the need to now share with the world. And I will apologize in advance, as most people don't like to hear the truth, and even more seem to be blinded from the truth. This record will allow one to decide if I have succumbed, or if I offer the palliative - the red pill or the blue pill. Take your choice

So today, marks the day that I add my own stain to the tapestry woven by many patriots, politicians, pessimists, and prognosticators before me. With one goal in mind - to be objective, to be fair, and to look behind some of the things going on today that remind me I live in the freest nation ever developed on the face of the earth, which in my lifetime seems to have become the Land of Oz - where we don't look behind the curtain ourselves anymore - we have the news, the talk show hosts, 60 minutes, and everything and everyone in every form of media available telling you what it all means, and telling you what to believe and likened to a brilliant marketing campaign with 80% more truth than that guy, and half as many lies as before. "And we can get it to you twice as fast! If you don't believe it, we'll throw in a Winnebago. Would you like to take a chance on what is behind door #2?"

I would like to share some of the things that I encounter on this journey to search for that source of truth, while i wash my hands at the end of the day trying to wash off the bullsh**, and check to ensure I didn't ingest any in the process. And so it begins...