I encountered a new phrase on my Facebook page the other day. (Yep, Farmville and Mobsters has kept me away from my blog. So sad.) A group wanted me to join Al Franken and fight for net neutrality. What??? Sounds like Venus Williams is charging the net again.
No, this refers to actually keeping the internet the way it is and should always be. NN supporters don't want a tiered network where free things become fewer and popular sites require a fee. Nor do they want our mobile access of the virtual world to be treated differently than our wired ethernet connection. Yeah, the internet (as it is so loosely called now) is messy, chaotic, sometimes pornographic, occasionally frustrating. But it's out there for everyone to use! It enabled protesters of the last Iran "election" to send photos worldwide, letting us know the abuse and crackdown that was happening. It re-connects us with old high school buddies, if we want to re-connect at all. I can read news from around the world and gain more than American perspective.
So why has this become an issue now? Doesn't the FCC have regulations in place to protect us from the corporate hooligans? Fortunately, Al Franken gave a speech this month and warned that net neutrality is the first amendment issue of our times. And when someone spouts 1st Amendment, I pay attention. (There's a reason why our Founding Fathers made it number one.) Yet, for reasons I can neither fathom nor follow, the FCC has thrown up its hands on the issue because it can't get all the corporate giants to play well with each. The FCC can't seem to write legislation that Verizon, AT&T, Comcast, Google and other corporate giants like.
EXCUSE ME??????? Why do corporate bigwigs get a seat at the table of regulation? Oh, I know the pat answer. They don't want anyone to "restrict innovative practices and deprive investors of a worthwhile return." Well, gee, they don't seem to have any problem raising my bill because the CEO wants to fart in a crystal bowl instead of a porcelain toilet like the rest of us. My Verizon bill went up $4 last month. Why? Because they could. Yep, that's the answer the phone rep gave me. And I guarantee that if Verizon can raise landline prices willynilly, they will damn sure raise "access fees" on the net. After all, those crystal bowls are small and have to be replaced frequently.
The Google-Verizon platform will basically create a public/private internet. You'll still be able to access some things for free (much like those free movies offered through On Demand that were filmed in 1971), but you'll pay for the good stuff. Now, Google and Verizon think they are capitulating by saying that any such private, tiered system would only apply to wireless, mobile devices. Gee, ain't that swell? Because mobile isn't the future, is it?
I'm old enough to remember when cable television was going to be great. You had to pay for it, because they didn't run commercials. And the company had to get money from somewhere. Well, the next thing you know, a few advertisements crept in. Then more, and more and now we pay for hour-long infomercials.
The FCC needs to turn squirrel and grow some big nuts. Piss off the corporations. They've certainly pissed us off over the years. The FCC is in the business of protecting the American people, as much as any branch of the military. And right now, I feel like the man in Tiananmen Square in 1989, waving his red flag to keep the tanks of corporate greed at bay.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Buggy whips and bonuses
I probably shouldn't listen to National Public Radio and drive. It's dangerous to my health and to the health of the surrounding drivers. I find myself, too often, screaming "What?!" at the speakers in my dash and, thus, averting my eyes from the road. I'd be better off making a phone call on my cell phone.
The latest bit of disbelief popped up when I was listening to yet one more report on the bank debacle we like to call the financial industry. Seems our greedy brothers to the north have decided that huge bonuses are due to their employees since the banking industry didn't completely collapse last year. Their reason? They have two. Both of which are preposterous, but I'm getting ahead of myself.
The first reason being that the "top talent" will go elsewhere unless they are bribed to stay where they are now. Talent? Really? Call them the top dogs, the head honchos, the boys with the biggest balls, etc. Call them anything you like (mine is not printable according to FCC regulations), but don't call them talent. If they are so damn smart and so damn good, why didn't they keep all this from happening? Or why haven't they dug us out of the hole faster? They may know their job, but they hardly possess the talent merited by such huge rewards. Talent would be giving 600,000 people their jobs back and making sure they don't lose them in the next year.
Speaking of job loss, there is a buggy museum in Carthage, North Carolina. The horse carriage business supported this small town and surrounding areas at the turn of the last century. The owner of the factory was approached by Henry Ford. Seems Mr. Ford thought this factory produced the best leather seats and wanted them for his automobiles. However, the factory owner thought automobiles were a passing fad and not part of the American culture. Why do I bring this up? Because that was reason number two given by the banking industry. Bonuses are part of the banking culture. Bank employees expect bonuses. Well, I "expect" to win the lottery every time I buy a ticket, but that doesn't mean the state feels compelled to meet my financial expectations every week. And why doesn't the state do this? Because the system would go BANKRUPT! Can anybody else connect the dots on this conclusion?
Funny thing about the word "bankrupt." The word is French in origin, and the latter part of that word comes from the Latin "rumpere." Which means broken. Well here's a news flash. The system is broken, smashed to smithereens along with a lot of people's hopes and dreams. Bonuses may have been a part of the party banking culture when things were flying high and everyone was living the good life, but it's time to throw the bonuses out with the buggy whips. It's time Wall Street climbed into an austere Model T and learned to live a more frugal lifestyle.
And if they refuse? Maybe those buggy whips should make a comeback (and I don't mean to be used on horses either).
The latest bit of disbelief popped up when I was listening to yet one more report on the bank debacle we like to call the financial industry. Seems our greedy brothers to the north have decided that huge bonuses are due to their employees since the banking industry didn't completely collapse last year. Their reason? They have two. Both of which are preposterous, but I'm getting ahead of myself.
The first reason being that the "top talent" will go elsewhere unless they are bribed to stay where they are now. Talent? Really? Call them the top dogs, the head honchos, the boys with the biggest balls, etc. Call them anything you like (mine is not printable according to FCC regulations), but don't call them talent. If they are so damn smart and so damn good, why didn't they keep all this from happening? Or why haven't they dug us out of the hole faster? They may know their job, but they hardly possess the talent merited by such huge rewards. Talent would be giving 600,000 people their jobs back and making sure they don't lose them in the next year.
Speaking of job loss, there is a buggy museum in Carthage, North Carolina. The horse carriage business supported this small town and surrounding areas at the turn of the last century. The owner of the factory was approached by Henry Ford. Seems Mr. Ford thought this factory produced the best leather seats and wanted them for his automobiles. However, the factory owner thought automobiles were a passing fad and not part of the American culture. Why do I bring this up? Because that was reason number two given by the banking industry. Bonuses are part of the banking culture. Bank employees expect bonuses. Well, I "expect" to win the lottery every time I buy a ticket, but that doesn't mean the state feels compelled to meet my financial expectations every week. And why doesn't the state do this? Because the system would go BANKRUPT! Can anybody else connect the dots on this conclusion?
Funny thing about the word "bankrupt." The word is French in origin, and the latter part of that word comes from the Latin "rumpere." Which means broken. Well here's a news flash. The system is broken, smashed to smithereens along with a lot of people's hopes and dreams. Bonuses may have been a part of the party banking culture when things were flying high and everyone was living the good life, but it's time to throw the bonuses out with the buggy whips. It's time Wall Street climbed into an austere Model T and learned to live a more frugal lifestyle.
And if they refuse? Maybe those buggy whips should make a comeback (and I don't mean to be used on horses either).
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Can you hear me now?
No wonder people in this country suffer from high blood pressure. I'm pretty sure the surge can be traced to the busting up of Ma Bell and allowing "competition" to enter the free marketplace of communication industries.
I guess you can tell from this tirade that I have either been dealing with (a) Verizon or (b) Comcast, the two "choices" allowed by Baltimore County commissioners. This time it's Verizon. This company bills me for both my landline and my ISP. And even the billing hasn't been easy.
Two months ago, Verizon decided it could no longer bill me via my credit card. Funny, since it had been paid that way for seven years. But I'm accustomed to Verizon changing -- usually to my detriment. That modem that came with the sign up? Sorry, but you get to replace it at your cost now. That antivirus program that was supposed to keep you safe? You get to pay extra for that now. Little by little, they take away from the big promises of the shiny brochures. Why? Because they want me to sign up for Fios! So they can promise me even more and in a year or two, deliver even less.
I tried calling to straighten out this problem. I encountered two very large problems. One, a representative who thought she already knew what my problem was and proceeded to read from her customer service manual. And two, an apathetic attitude that reached the conclusion the fault must lie with me or my bank. Verizon is godlike. It too, like the Pope, is infallible. (I'm just waiting for them to start issuing bulls.)
After another phone call with no resolution, I decided to choose the IM chat format. This went nowhere as well. I particularly like the way the representatives "dance" around straightforward questions. Apparently, mambo lessons are part of the training at Verizon. So I invoked a name that appears scrawled across every Fios letter I get -- Geoff Walls, Executive Director of Consumer Marketing. Now, Verizon was calling me. However, I was in no forgiving mood.
My largest complaint with Verizon is not the outrageous charges, the dropped connections, the smarmy ads, or the deforestation of Brazil issued through Fios Channel lineup brochures. No, the reason Verizon boils my blood pressure is that they are supposed to be a COMMUNICATIONS BUSINESS and they don't possess a miniscule clue as to how to communicate. They don't communicate well with their customers or with each other.
I don't think they should be allowed to be called a communications business. No, I think they should be called something more like Monopolistic moneylaunderers posing as a service industry. Too long? How about Laissez-faire phagocytosis, since Verizon seems to engulf the industries surrounding it. Too difficult to remember? Maybe CAA, Con Artists of America, since they've been scamming us for quite some time.
I guess you can tell from this tirade that I have either been dealing with (a) Verizon or (b) Comcast, the two "choices" allowed by Baltimore County commissioners. This time it's Verizon. This company bills me for both my landline and my ISP. And even the billing hasn't been easy.
Two months ago, Verizon decided it could no longer bill me via my credit card. Funny, since it had been paid that way for seven years. But I'm accustomed to Verizon changing -- usually to my detriment. That modem that came with the sign up? Sorry, but you get to replace it at your cost now. That antivirus program that was supposed to keep you safe? You get to pay extra for that now. Little by little, they take away from the big promises of the shiny brochures. Why? Because they want me to sign up for Fios! So they can promise me even more and in a year or two, deliver even less.
I tried calling to straighten out this problem. I encountered two very large problems. One, a representative who thought she already knew what my problem was and proceeded to read from her customer service manual. And two, an apathetic attitude that reached the conclusion the fault must lie with me or my bank. Verizon is godlike. It too, like the Pope, is infallible. (I'm just waiting for them to start issuing bulls.)
After another phone call with no resolution, I decided to choose the IM chat format. This went nowhere as well. I particularly like the way the representatives "dance" around straightforward questions. Apparently, mambo lessons are part of the training at Verizon. So I invoked a name that appears scrawled across every Fios letter I get -- Geoff Walls, Executive Director of Consumer Marketing. Now, Verizon was calling me. However, I was in no forgiving mood.
My largest complaint with Verizon is not the outrageous charges, the dropped connections, the smarmy ads, or the deforestation of Brazil issued through Fios Channel lineup brochures. No, the reason Verizon boils my blood pressure is that they are supposed to be a COMMUNICATIONS BUSINESS and they don't possess a miniscule clue as to how to communicate. They don't communicate well with their customers or with each other.
I don't think they should be allowed to be called a communications business. No, I think they should be called something more like Monopolistic moneylaunderers posing as a service industry. Too long? How about Laissez-faire phagocytosis, since Verizon seems to engulf the industries surrounding it. Too difficult to remember? Maybe CAA, Con Artists of America, since they've been scamming us for quite some time.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Addicted all over again
Just when I thought I'd conquered my addiction, it's happening all over again. I'm back to watching HGTV and DIY every time the TV is on. I'm jealous of the brute force the workers exude. I'd like to be able to move large rocks around my yard. I'm jealous of the extra hands. Who wouldn't want 10 friends to show up one Saturday morning and split the work of improving your house with 10 professionals?
Maybe I've returned to my old ways because my husband and I are putting our house on the market. And although our neighbors sold their house quickly, I'm holding my breath to see if we receive the same good fortune. We've been performing various repairs and duties to get the house just right. Cleaned out the clutter, washed windows, polished brass, touched up trim. We even had another sump pump installed in the basement. We try to keep the house spotless, the yard trimmed, and everything organized and immaculate. But I have to ask myself -- why didn't we do this for ourselves? We are going through this much effort for people we've never even met.
I'm trying to approach this from a positive standpoint. We're moving to a much (much!) smaller house in NC. And I'm going to attempt to keep that house as organized and clean as if we were selling it. I doubt I'll succeed 100%. My husband and I are not neat people. We're not organized by nature either. But if I approach it from the viewpoint "what if we were putting this on the market tomorrow," maybe (just maybe), I can stop mainlining do-it-yourself television and learn to enjoy my petite domicile.
Maybe I've returned to my old ways because my husband and I are putting our house on the market. And although our neighbors sold their house quickly, I'm holding my breath to see if we receive the same good fortune. We've been performing various repairs and duties to get the house just right. Cleaned out the clutter, washed windows, polished brass, touched up trim. We even had another sump pump installed in the basement. We try to keep the house spotless, the yard trimmed, and everything organized and immaculate. But I have to ask myself -- why didn't we do this for ourselves? We are going through this much effort for people we've never even met.
I'm trying to approach this from a positive standpoint. We're moving to a much (much!) smaller house in NC. And I'm going to attempt to keep that house as organized and clean as if we were selling it. I doubt I'll succeed 100%. My husband and I are not neat people. We're not organized by nature either. But if I approach it from the viewpoint "what if we were putting this on the market tomorrow," maybe (just maybe), I can stop mainlining do-it-yourself television and learn to enjoy my petite domicile.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Mom jeans and important things
Just when I think Americans cannot fall any further into the shallow end of the thought pool, I am astoundingly surprised at their priorities. Recently, President Obama threw out the first pitch at a baseball game. I saw it on the news. But not being a sports fan, I cannot tell you for what team or in what field. I just noticed that he stood on the pitcher's mound and made it over the plate. For anyone who has never stood on the pitcher's mound, let me assure you that it's no small feat to throw a good pitch that far. Okay, it's difficult to even get a bad pitch that far. I was impressed, and posted another mental post-it for why I should never be president.
Then, a few days later, I read on the internet that President Obama is being criticized for the blue jeans he wore while at the ball game. The pants have been dubbed "mom jeans" for their lack of tightness, lack of indigo color, and lack of style. Really? This is where we, as a country, should be focusing our presidential priorities?
If you have a problem with his healthcare agenda, state your argument. (And no, calling it socialized medicine is NOT an argument. ) If you don't like his cabinet picks, state your reasons. If you don't like the way he is handling the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan, speak your mind but just make sure you understand that he didn't start either.
But his jeans? At a ballgame? This is where the important argument lies? Folks, this is why the rest of the world makes fun of us. We provide them the fodder.
But since this is apparently where the argument is going against Obama, let me defend him. I saw the jeans. I went back and viewed the jeans again. They are perfectly acceptable jeans! No, they aren't skintight and I'm glad for it. I don't need to see anymore poster children for breath-reducing fashion. They didn't cost $500 and the same crowd would be upset with him if they were. They are the right pants for a middle-aged straight man who likes his comfort. They're a little worn, a little loose, even a little frumpy. Perfect.
So for all those people who can find no other way to demean our president I have only one thing to say -- get off his ass, literally.
Then, a few days later, I read on the internet that President Obama is being criticized for the blue jeans he wore while at the ball game. The pants have been dubbed "mom jeans" for their lack of tightness, lack of indigo color, and lack of style. Really? This is where we, as a country, should be focusing our presidential priorities?
If you have a problem with his healthcare agenda, state your argument. (And no, calling it socialized medicine is NOT an argument. ) If you don't like his cabinet picks, state your reasons. If you don't like the way he is handling the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan, speak your mind but just make sure you understand that he didn't start either.
But his jeans? At a ballgame? This is where the important argument lies? Folks, this is why the rest of the world makes fun of us. We provide them the fodder.
But since this is apparently where the argument is going against Obama, let me defend him. I saw the jeans. I went back and viewed the jeans again. They are perfectly acceptable jeans! No, they aren't skintight and I'm glad for it. I don't need to see anymore poster children for breath-reducing fashion. They didn't cost $500 and the same crowd would be upset with him if they were. They are the right pants for a middle-aged straight man who likes his comfort. They're a little worn, a little loose, even a little frumpy. Perfect.
So for all those people who can find no other way to demean our president I have only one thing to say -- get off his ass, literally.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Mourning for Michael
Michael Jackson died this week -- and the whole world went nuts.
I'm not sure why. He was a talented musician. He sang well and danced well. I grew up listening to his songs when the Jackson 5 and the Osmonds were competing for most wholesome pop. I've enjoyed his music for a long time. I was in college when the music video Thriller forever changed how MTV created videos.
However, I don't get the whole adulation "oh my god!!!!!!" ordeal. He wasn't the head of any state. He didn't find the cure for cancer or AIDS. He didn't create peace in the Middle East. He didn't solve global warming. He sang and he danced.
I know music is important. Scientists/archeologists recently discovered and identified a 35,000 year old flute carved from bone. We celebrate with song. We grieve with the help of dirges. We define our generation by our music choices. We relax with the help of classical chords and we get wound up to the loudest beats. However, music doesn't feed the hungry, clothe the naked or house the poor.
I couldn't even use the internet yesterday because of everyone logging on to post their Facebook thoughts, or to write their blogs, or to find out the gruesome details that have not yet been released. As a nation, we can't wait to find out the lurid minutiae. And we know there are going to be details. After all, this was a black man who slowly became a white woman.
Perhaps we are more drawn to his oddity than to his talent. Unlike most celebrities, he didn't just crash his expensive car with driving drunk. Oh no, that was too mundane for Michael. He purchased circus animals and showed up for court in pajamas. He still climbed trees for inspiration but needed to be sheltered by umbrellas whenever he ventured out into public. Whenever Michael appeared, you knew there was going to be a show. And you didn't have to buy tickets.
I always felt sorry for Michael. Not that I knew him personally, but I don't think he had a lot of happiness in his life. I don't know if he would have turned out normal had he been left to play and romp and run like other children. I like to think he would have. But he sacrificed a normal life to create music that we all enjoyed. And maybe that's why we really mourn for Michael.
I'm not sure why. He was a talented musician. He sang well and danced well. I grew up listening to his songs when the Jackson 5 and the Osmonds were competing for most wholesome pop. I've enjoyed his music for a long time. I was in college when the music video Thriller forever changed how MTV created videos.
However, I don't get the whole adulation "oh my god!!!!!!" ordeal. He wasn't the head of any state. He didn't find the cure for cancer or AIDS. He didn't create peace in the Middle East. He didn't solve global warming. He sang and he danced.
I know music is important. Scientists/archeologists recently discovered and identified a 35,000 year old flute carved from bone. We celebrate with song. We grieve with the help of dirges. We define our generation by our music choices. We relax with the help of classical chords and we get wound up to the loudest beats. However, music doesn't feed the hungry, clothe the naked or house the poor.
I couldn't even use the internet yesterday because of everyone logging on to post their Facebook thoughts, or to write their blogs, or to find out the gruesome details that have not yet been released. As a nation, we can't wait to find out the lurid minutiae. And we know there are going to be details. After all, this was a black man who slowly became a white woman.
Perhaps we are more drawn to his oddity than to his talent. Unlike most celebrities, he didn't just crash his expensive car with driving drunk. Oh no, that was too mundane for Michael. He purchased circus animals and showed up for court in pajamas. He still climbed trees for inspiration but needed to be sheltered by umbrellas whenever he ventured out into public. Whenever Michael appeared, you knew there was going to be a show. And you didn't have to buy tickets.
I always felt sorry for Michael. Not that I knew him personally, but I don't think he had a lot of happiness in his life. I don't know if he would have turned out normal had he been left to play and romp and run like other children. I like to think he would have. But he sacrificed a normal life to create music that we all enjoyed. And maybe that's why we really mourn for Michael.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Wall Street and Fremont Street
I've been leery of Wall Street for most of my adult life. And my paranoia is finally paying off. I'm not happy about it. I just knew it would happen in my lifetime. How did I know?
I'm all for business growth -- responsible business growth. And I think any business can grow if it has enough customers and it treats its customers well enough. However, when total strangers -- who don't know the company, its policies, its practices, or even its employees -- are asked to invest in that same company, the investors are only interested in the bottom line. And that makes for bad business.
The newest little tidbit from Wall Street to be uncovered by the media and exposed to nonfinancial people like myself is a little scheme called "credit default swaps." Wall Street calls it an investment or insurance. I call it gambling, and so would anyone who works on Fremont Street (that's old Las Vegas for anyone who doesn't know).
Credit default swaps are when you bet that a payment won't be made. That's right. Even the finance guys describe it as betting. But there are a number of differences between casinos and the crapshoot on Wall Street. The first is that Vegas casinos are regulated and are fined heavily if they don't adhere to government-imposed restrictions. Credit default swaps (CDS) are not regulated in any way, shape or form. Think of CDS as the Lord of the Flies on Wall Street.
Secondly, Vegas won't let you place a bet it can't cover. Remember in the movies when the pit boss has to go the real boss to see if a table can take a bet? The casinos want to make sure they have the instant capital to pay off a bet if the house should lose. Not CDS. The sellers of these swaps are not required to maintain any kind of reserves should a default happen. Apparently, it's all Monopoly money to them.
Thirdly, only a fool would decide to bet his entire retirement savings on a table in Vegas. Looks like that same belief can be transferred to Wall Street. At least on Fremont Street, you know they are trying to take your money and never give it back. But you also know if you spend enough, you will receive some kind of comp, whether it's a free meal or upgrade to your room. Wall Street just waggles its finger and accuses you of not reading the fine print.
Perhaps the saddest part of the whole CDS debacle is that enough people knew there would be defaults aplenty and that's where the real money was. Who are these people? How did they know? And did they have a hand in the collapse of our financial infrastructure? I don't the answer to those questions. I'm not savvy enough to figure it out and not evil enough to understand it.
At least on Fremont Street there's entertainment. The Fremont Street Experience is a light show that's free! You can get a 99 cent shrimp cocktail at Binion's. The bargains abound. And even though you drop some money while you're there, you leave knowing you had a good time. Can you say that about the last time you opened your 401(k) statement?
I'm all for business growth -- responsible business growth. And I think any business can grow if it has enough customers and it treats its customers well enough. However, when total strangers -- who don't know the company, its policies, its practices, or even its employees -- are asked to invest in that same company, the investors are only interested in the bottom line. And that makes for bad business.
The newest little tidbit from Wall Street to be uncovered by the media and exposed to nonfinancial people like myself is a little scheme called "credit default swaps." Wall Street calls it an investment or insurance. I call it gambling, and so would anyone who works on Fremont Street (that's old Las Vegas for anyone who doesn't know).
Credit default swaps are when you bet that a payment won't be made. That's right. Even the finance guys describe it as betting. But there are a number of differences between casinos and the crapshoot on Wall Street. The first is that Vegas casinos are regulated and are fined heavily if they don't adhere to government-imposed restrictions. Credit default swaps (CDS) are not regulated in any way, shape or form. Think of CDS as the Lord of the Flies on Wall Street.
Secondly, Vegas won't let you place a bet it can't cover. Remember in the movies when the pit boss has to go the real boss to see if a table can take a bet? The casinos want to make sure they have the instant capital to pay off a bet if the house should lose. Not CDS. The sellers of these swaps are not required to maintain any kind of reserves should a default happen. Apparently, it's all Monopoly money to them.
Thirdly, only a fool would decide to bet his entire retirement savings on a table in Vegas. Looks like that same belief can be transferred to Wall Street. At least on Fremont Street, you know they are trying to take your money and never give it back. But you also know if you spend enough, you will receive some kind of comp, whether it's a free meal or upgrade to your room. Wall Street just waggles its finger and accuses you of not reading the fine print.
Perhaps the saddest part of the whole CDS debacle is that enough people knew there would be defaults aplenty and that's where the real money was. Who are these people? How did they know? And did they have a hand in the collapse of our financial infrastructure? I don't the answer to those questions. I'm not savvy enough to figure it out and not evil enough to understand it.
At least on Fremont Street there's entertainment. The Fremont Street Experience is a light show that's free! You can get a 99 cent shrimp cocktail at Binion's. The bargains abound. And even though you drop some money while you're there, you leave knowing you had a good time. Can you say that about the last time you opened your 401(k) statement?
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