Sunday, April 30, 2006

BUSH A RAG? NOPE, RAGS HAVE PURPOSE!





A screen saver has been traveling around the NET. When I received it from a friend, I thought "GREAT WAY TO FEEL LIKE YOU ARE THROWING AROUND BUSH'S ARROGANT and SQUIRMY ARSE". I know it's not quite the real thing but it may give you a giggle or two. The best thing about the stage-show is the music. Please click picture below to watch the bush BOOB plummet down, down, down just like his poll ratings and listen to Paul Hipp's song "DECIDER KOO KOO KACHOO". Thank you, THINKINGBLUE

PS: Oh, and please scroll down to Stephen Colbert's picture to watch an AMAZING film "COLBERT DOES THE WHITEHOUSE".
CLICK THE BUBBLE TO THROW BUSH AROUND


CLICK AND DRAG BUSH THE RAG,
TILL YOUR HEART'S CONTENT, HAVE FUN!
Paul Hipp's "Decider Koo Koo KaChoo"

I am me and Rummy's he, Iraq is free and we are all together

See the world run when Dick shoots his gun, see how I lie

I'm Lying...Sitting on my own brain, waiting for the end of days

Corporation profits, Bloody oil money

I'm above the law and I'll decide what's right or wrong

I am the egg head, I'm the Commander, I'm the Decider

Koo-Koo-Kachoo


Baghdad city policeman sitting pretty little targets in a row

See how they die when the shrapnel flies see mothers cry

I'm Lying...I'm Ly-ing...I'm Lying...I'm Ly-ing

Yellow cake uranium, imaginary WMD's

Declassifying facts, exposing secret agents

Tax cuts for the wealthy leaving all the poor behind
CHORUS

Sitting in the White house garden talking to the Lord

My thoughts would be busy busy hatching If I only had a brain
CHORUS

By Paul Hipp Contact:
decider.koo.koo.ka.choo@gmail.com
CLICK HERE TO GO TO
BUSH THE DECIDER



CLICK HERE AND READ SOME SCIENTIFIC FACTS.
THIS WILL REALLY INFURIATE RAGGY GEORGE,

HE HATES SCIENTIFIC FACTS!

Hyperspace and a Theory of Everything

What lies beyond our 4 dimensions?
By Michio Kaku

---------------------------------------------

Click Here or The Cobert Picture Below to see COBERT DOES DC

CLICK UNBELIEVABLE FILM COLBERT DOES WASHINGTON DC

FREDERICK'S DIARY:

STEPHEN COLBERT: Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Before I begin, I've been asked to make an announcement. Whoever parked 14 black bulletproof S.U.V.'s out front, could you please move them? They are blocking in 14 other black bulletproof S.U.V.'s and they need to get out.

Wow. Wow, what an honor. The White House correspondents' dinner. To actually sit here, at the same table with my hero, George W. Bush, to be this close to the man. I feel like I'm dreaming. Somebody pinch me. You know what? I'm a pretty sound sleeper -- that may not be enough. Somebody shoot me in the face. Is he really not here tonight? Dammit. The one guy who could have helped.

By the way, before I get started, if anybody needs anything else at their tables, just speak slowly and clearly into your table numbers. Somebody from the NSA will be right over with a cocktail. Mark Smith, ladies and gentlemen of the press corps, Madame First Lady, Mr. President, my name is Stephen Colbert and tonight it's my privilege to celebrate this president. We're not so different, he and I. We get it. We're not brainiacs on the nerd patrol. We're not members of the factinista. We go straight from the gut, right sir? That's where the truth lies, right down here in the gut. Do you know you have more nerve endings in your gut than you have in your head? You can look it up. I know some of you are going to say "I did look it up, and that's not true." That's 'cause you looked it up in a book.

Next time, look it up in your gut. I did. My gut tells me that's how our nervous system works. Every night on my show, the Colbert Report, I speak straight from the gut, OK? I give people the truth, unfiltered by rational argument. I call it the "No Fact Zone." Fox News, I hold a copyright on that term.

I'm a simple man with a simple mind. I hold a simple set of beliefs that I live by. Number one, I believe in America. I believe it exists. My gut tells me I live there. I feel that it extends from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and I strongly believe it has 50 states. And I cannot wait to see how the Washington Post spins that one tomorrow. I believe in democracy. I believe democracy is our greatest export. At least until China figures out a way to stamp it out of plastic for three cents a unit.

In fact, Ambassador Zhou Wenzhong, welcome. Your great country makes our Happy Meals possible. I said it's a celebration. I believe the government that governs best is the government that governs least. And by these standards, we have set up a fabulous government in Iraq.

I believe in pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps. I believe it is possible -- I saw this guy do it once in Cirque du Soleil. It was magical. And though I am a committed Christian, I believe that everyone has the right to their own religion, be you Hindu, Jewish or Muslim. I believe there are infinite paths to accepting Jesus Christ as your personal savior.

Ladies and gentlemen, I believe it's yogurt. But I refuse to believe it's not butter. Most of all, I believe in this president.

Now, I know there are some polls out there saying this man has a 32% approval rating. But guys like us, we don't pay attention to the polls. We know that polls are just a collection of statistics that reflect what people are thinking in "reality." And reality has a well-known liberal bias.

So, Mr. President, please, pay no attention to the people that say the glass is half full. 32% means the glass -- it's important to set up your jokes properly, sir. Sir, pay no attention to the people who say the glass is half empty, because 32% means it's 2/3 empty. There's still some liquid in that glass is my point, but I wouldn't drink it. The last third is usually backwash. Okay, look, folks, my point is that I don't believe this is a low point in this presidency. I believe it is just a lull before a comeback.

I mean, it's like the movie "Rocky." All right. The president in this case is Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed is -- everything else in the world. It's the tenth round. He's bloodied. His corner man, Mick, who in this case I guess would be the vice president, he's yelling, "Cut me, Dick, cut me!," and every time he falls everyone says, "Stay down! Stay down!" Does he stay down? No. Like Rocky, he gets back up, and in the end he -- actually, he loses in the first movie.

OK. Doesn't matter. The point is it is the heart-warming story of a man who was repeatedly punched in the face. So don't pay attention to the approval ratings that say 68% of Americans disapprove of the job this man is doing. I ask you this, does that not also logically mean that 68% approve of the job he's not doing? Think about it. I haven't.

I stand by this man. I stand by this man because he stands for things. Not only for things, he stands on things. Things like aircraft carriers and rubble and recently flooded city squares. And that sends a strong message, that no matter what happens to America, she will always rebound -- with the most powerfully staged photo ops in the world.

Now, there may be an energy crisis. This president has a very forward-thinking energy policy. Why do you think he's down on the ranch cutting that brush all the time? He's trying to create an alternative energy source. By 2008 we will have a mesquite-powered car! And I just like the guy.

He' a good joe. Obviously loves his wife, calls her his better half. And polls show America agrees. She's a true lady and a wonderful woman. But I just have one beef, ma'am.

I'm sorry, but this reading initiative. I'm sorry, I've never been a fan of books. I don't trust them. They're all fact, no heart. I mean, they're elitist, telling us what is or isn't true, or what did or didn't happen. Who's Britannica to tell me the Panama Canal was built in 1914? If I want to say it was built in 1941, that's my right as an American! I'm with the president, let history decide what did or did not happen.

The greatest thing about this man is he's steady. You know where he stands. He believes the same thing Wednesday that he believed on Monday, no matter what happened Tuesday. Events can change; this man's beliefs never will. As excited as I am to be here with the president, I am appalled to be surrounded by the liberal media that is destroying America, with the exception of Fox News. Fox News gives you both sides of every story: the president's side, and the vice president's side.

But the rest of you, what are you thinking, reporting on NSA wiretapping or secret prisons in eastern Europe? Those things are secret for a very important reason: they're super-depressing. And if that's your goal, well, misery accomplished. Over the last five years you people were so good -- over tax cuts, WMD intelligence, the effect of global warming. We Americans didn't want to know, and you had the courtesy not to try to find out. Those were good times, as far as we knew.

But, listen, let's review the rules. Here's how it works: the president makes decisions. He's the decider. The press secretary announces those decisions, and you people of the press type those decisions down. Make, announce, type. Just put 'em through a spell check and go home. Get to know your family again. Make love to your wife. Write that novel you got kicking around in your head. You know, the one about the intrepid Washington reporter with the courage to stand up to the administration. You know - fiction!

Because really, what incentive do these people have to answer your questions, after all? I mean, nothing satisfies you. Everybody asks for personnel changes. So the White House has personnel changes. Then you write, "Oh, they're just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic." First of all, that is a terrible metaphor. This administration is not sinking. This administration is soaring. If anything, they are rearranging the deck chairs on the Hindenburg!

Now, it's not all bad guys out there. Some are heroes: Christopher Buckley, Jeff Sacks, Ken Burns, Bob Schieffer. They've all been on my show. By the way, Mr. President, thank you for agreeing to be on my show. I was just as shocked as everyone here is, I promise you. How's Tuesday for you? I've got Frank Rich, but we can bump him. And I mean bump him. I know a guy. Say the word.

See who we've got here tonight. General Moseley, Air Force Chief of Staff. General Peter Pace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. They still support Rumsfeld. Right, you guys aren't retired yet, right? Right, they still support Rumsfeld.

Look, by the way, I've got a theory about how to handle these retired generals causing all this trouble: don't let them retire! Come on, we've got a stop-loss program; let's use it on these guys. I've seen Zinni and that crowd on Wolf Blitzer. If you're strong enough to go on one of those pundit shows, you can stand on a bank of computers and order men into battle. Come on.

Jesse Jackson is here, the Reverend. Haven't heard from the Reverend in a little while. I had him on the show. Very interesting and challenging interview. You can ask him anything, but he's going to say what he wants, at the pace that he wants. It's like boxing a glacier. Enjoy that metaphor, by the way, because your grandchildren will have no idea what a glacier is.

Justice Scalia is here. Welcome, sir. May I be the first to say, you look fantastic. How are you? [After each sentence, Colbert makes a hand gesture, an allusion to Scalia's recent use of an obscene Sicilian hand gesture in speaking to a reporter about Scalia's critics. Scalia is seen laughing hysterically.] Just talking some Sicilian with my paisan.

John McCain is here. John McCain, John McCain, what a maverick! Somebody find out what fork he used on his salad, because I guarantee you it wasn't a salad fork. This guy could have used a spoon! There's no predicting him. By the way, Senator McCain, it's so wonderful to see you coming back into the Republican fold. I have a summer house in South Carolina; look me up when you go to speak at Bob Jones University. So glad you've seen the light, sir.

Mayor Nagin! Mayor Nagin is here from New Orleans, the chocolate city! Yeah, give it up. Mayor Nagin, I'd like to welcome you to Washington, D.C., the chocolate city with a marshmallow center. And a graham cracker crust of corruption. It's a Mallomar, I guess is what I'm describing, a seasonal cookie.

Joe Wilson is here, Joe Wilson right down here in front, the most famous husband since Desi Arnaz. And of course he brought along his lovely wife Valerie Plame. Oh, my god! Oh, what have I said? [looks horrified] I am sorry, Mr. President, I meant to say he brought along his lovely wife Joe Wilson's wife. Patrick Fitzgerald is not here tonight? OK. Dodged a bullet.

And, of course, we can't forget the man of the hour, new press secretary, Tony Snow. Secret Service name, "Snow Job." Toughest job. What a hero! Took the second toughest job in government, next to, of course, the ambassador to Iraq.

Got some big shoes to fill, Tony. Big shoes to fill. Scott McClellan could say nothing like nobody else. McClellan, of course, eager to retire. Really felt like he needed to spend more time with Andrew Card's children. Mr. President, I wish you hadn't made the decision so quickly, sir.

I was vying for the job myself. I think I would have made a fabulous press secretary. I have nothing but contempt for these people. I know how to handle these clowns. In fact, sir, I brought along an audition tape and with your indulgence, I'd like to at least give it a shot. So, ladies and gentlemen, my press conference.
NOTE BY FREDERICK: The "audition tape" I have transcribed below is available
Click here.

'CLICK



ALL THINKINGBLUE LINKS CLICK HERE

CAROLYNCONNECTION.COM

Graphic

REAL PICTURES OF WAR



CAROLYNCONNETION - I have got a mind and I am going to use it!




Tuesday, April 25, 2006

AT&T+ VERIZON TROLLS UNDER THE BRIDGE










Is there no space sacred to the greedy of this world? I know
"they"
(oh hoggish ones) laugh at folks like me who believe there is more TO LIFE THAN MONEY! The credo of the EXCESSIVELY DESIROUS MANTICORES, WHO WISH TO POSSESS MORE THAN WHAT THEY NEED OR DESERVE is... 'HOW CAN WE SQUEEZE MORE DOLLARS FROM THE SUCKERS SO WE CAN LINE OUR POCKETS!!!"



When I think about what AT&T and Verizon are trying to do with the INTERNET... The Troll comes to mind. (The supernatural creature of Scandinavian folklore, variously portrayed as a giant or dwarf, who lives under bridges, inclined to thieving and the abduction of humans.)

The story goes, Anyone who needed to cross a rushing river had to go to the one and only bridge made of wooden planks. Underneath the bridge there lived a terrible, ugly, one-eyed troll. You see, no one was allowed to cross the bridge without the troll’s permission and nobody ever got permission. He always ate them up. If you've dealt much with trolls, you know you're dealing with some pretty ugly minds.

Troll Under The Bridge...got nuttin on AT&T or Verizon or any corporate giant who strictly lives to zap the people financially dry so they can... I don't know... maybe, RULE THE WORLD! What other reason for this new idea of theirs "hey there's money to be made here... let's lobby our buddies in Congress to...
gut Network Neutrality, the Internet's First Amendment."

Net Neutrality prevents AT&T from choosing which websites open most easily for you based on which site pays AT&T more. Amazon doesn't have to outbid Barnes & Noble for the right to work more properly on your computer.

Please read the moveon letter below and click the link to tell Congress "KEEP YOUR GRIMY, SORDID HANDS OFF OUR INTERNET!"

Thank you, thinkingblue

Dear MoveOn member,

Do you buy books online, use Google, or download to an Ipod? These activities, plus MoveOn's online organizing ability, will be hurt if Congress passes a radical law that gives giant corporations more control over the Internet.

Internet providers like AT&T and Verizon are lobbying Congress hard to gut Network Neutrality, the Internet's First Amendment. Net Neutrality prevents AT&T from choosing which websites open most easily for you based on
which site pays AT&T more. Amazon doesn't have to outbid Barnes & Noble for the right to work more properly on your computer.

If Net Neutrality is gutted, MoveOn either pays protection money to dominant Internet providers or risks that online activism tools don't work for members. Amazon and Google either pay protection money or risk that their websites process slowly on your computer. That why these high-tech pioneers are joining the fight to protect Network Neutrality[1]--and you can do your part today.

The free and open Internet is under siege--can you sign this petition letting your member of Congress know you support preserving Network Neutrality? Click here: http://www.civic.moveon.org/save_the_internet/


Then, please forward this to 3 friends. Protecting the free and open Internet is fundamental--it affects everything. When you sign this petition, you'll be kept informed of the next steps we can take to keep the heat on Congress. Votes
begin in a House committee next week.

MoveOn has already seen what happens when the Internet's gatekeepers get too much control. Just last week, AOL blocked any email mentioning a coalition that MoveOn is a part of, which opposes AOL's proposed "email tax."[2] And last year, Canada's version of AT&T--Telus--blocked their Internet
customers from visiting a website sympathetic to workers with whom Telus was negotiating.[3]

Politicians don't think we are paying attention to this issue. Many of them take campaign checks from big telecom companies and are on the verge of selling out to people like AT&T's CEO, who openly says, "The internet can't be free."[4]

Together, we can let Congress know we are paying attention. We can make sure they listen to our voices and the voices of people like Vint Cerf, a father of the Internet and Google's "Chief Internet Evangelist," who recently wrote this
to Congress in support of preserving Network Neutrality:

My fear is that, as written, this bill would do great damage to the Internet as we know it. Enshrining a rule that broadly permits network operators to discriminate
in favor of certain kinds of services and to potentially
interfere with others would place broadband operators in
control of online activity...Telephone companies cannot tell consumers who they can call; network operators should not dictate what people can do online.[4]

The essence of the Internet is at risk--can you sign this petition letting your member of Congress know you support preserving Network Neutrality? Click here: http://www.civic.moveon.org/save_the_internet/

Please forward to 3 others who care about this issue. Thanks for all you do.
--Eli Pariser, Adam Green, Noah T. Winer, and the MoveOn.org Civic Action team Thursday, April 20th, 2006

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On the way up was a bridge over a cascading stream they had to cross; and under the bridge lived a great ugly troll, with eyes as big as saucers, and a nose as long as a poker.





WORDS OF THE DAY

manticore
n. A legendary monster having the head of a man, the body of a lion, and the tail of a dragon or scorpion.

troll n. A supernatural creature of Scandinavian
folklore, variously portrayed as a friendly or mischievous
dwarf or as a giant, that lives in caves, in the hills, or
under bridges.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON THE MANTICORE

ONCE UPON A TIME, FROM MOLLY IVINS

(wish this was a fictional myth but sadly it's not)

'A president swollen with power'
By Molly IvinsCreators Syndicate

AUSTIN - Once upon a time, in the middle of a nasty constitutional crisis in Washington, a most unlikely hero emerged: a Texas lawyer from one of our state's notoriously discriminated-against racial minorities. Think how lucky we were.
It is one of the most famous sentences in American rhetoric: "My faith in the Constitution is whole, it is complete, it is total." But what catches the eye today is the sentence that followed that famous declaration, the sentence that makes one so ashamed for Al Gonzales. Barbara Jordan's great, deep voice brought the impeachment hearings against Richard Nixon to an awed silence when she vowed, "And I am not going to sit here and be an idle spectator to the diminution, the subversion, the destruction of the Constitution."

Thirty years ago, this state could produce Barbara Jordan -- and now we send that pathetic pipsqueak Alberto Gonzales. It's enough to provoke a wailing cry of "O tempora! O mores!" even from the depths of Lubbock.

As a New York Times editorial succinctly put it, the attorney general's Judiciary Committee appearance was a "daylong display of cynical hair-splitting, obfuscation, disinformation and stonewalling."

How fortunate that Republicans running the committee did not insist that the chief law enforcement officer of the United States take an oath before testifying. God forbid that he should actually be held to the truth.

I realize it's a cliché for those of us who remember the Beach Boys to mourn the days when giants roamed the earth and all was on a grander and finer scale. But I knew Jordan, and I know Gonzales, and it is depressing -- he's too lightweight to even be a mediocrity.

It seems to me that this trumpery excuse for a hearing raised graver issues than those of 30 years ago. Gonzales kept trying to frame the issue as a question of whether a domestic spying program without warrants is illegal -- in fact, it is against the law.

Gonzales maintained that the law is superseded by some unwritten constitutional power due the president during time of war and, further, that Congress had authorized warrantless spying when giving the president the authority to invade Afghanistan. Strange -- so few who voted for invading Afghanistan recall having warrantless spying in mind.

One problem of legal logic is to "define war." We have not been attacked by another nation. We were clearly the aggressors against Iraq. We were attacked by a private group of ideological zealots led by a Saudi millionaire. This war -- against no nation, flag or territory -- can presumably last indefinitely, like our wars against drugs and crime.

Barbara Jordan observed that impeachment "is designed to 'bridle' the executive if he engages in excesses. ... The Framers confined in the Congress the power, if need be, to remove the president in order to strike a delicate balance between a president swollen with power and grown tyrannical, and preservation of the independence of the executive. ... 'A president is impeachable if he attempts to subvert the Constitution.'"

Nixon was accused, among other things, of misuse of the CIA. I highly recommend James Risen's new book, State of War: The Secret History of the CIA and the Bush Administration. Risen is the New York Times reporter who broke the story of the National Security Agency spying scandal.

Thomas Powers, an authority on U.S. intelligence, reviewed the Risen book for The New York Review of Books and notes: "If the Constitution forbids a president anything it forbids war on his say-so, and if it insists on anything it insists that presidents are not above the law. In plain terms this means that presidents cannot enact laws on their own, or ignore laws that have been enacted by Congress. ...

"In public life, as in kindergarten, the all-important word is no. We are living with the consequences of the inability to say no to the president's war of choice with Iraq, and we shall soon see how Congress and the courts will respond to the latest challenge from the White House -- the claim by President Bush that he has the right to ignore FISA's prohibition of government intrusion on the private communications of Americans without a court order, and his repeated statements that he intends to go right on doing it."

The time is coming when someone will have to say no. Sadly, I have a vision of the impeachment panel, and I see Tom DeLay in the seat once occupied by the great Barbara Jordan.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Molly Ivins, based in Austin, writes for Creators Syndicate. 5777 W. Century Blvd., Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045


myth n. A traditional, typically ancient story dealing with supernatural beings, ancestors, or heroes that serves as a fundamental type in the world view of a people, as by explaining aspects of the natural world or delineating the psychology, customs, or ideals of society

Democracy Now's Interview with Kevin Phillips

thinkingblue.org


CLICK HERE TO GO TO DEMOCRAT WIMPS

CLICK HERE TO GO TO FAR RIGHT BOOK BURNINGS


CLICK HERE TO GO TO MARCH LIBERTY NEWS TV


"NEW RULES - EVIL"
VIDEO -

"SEE RUMMY TALK TO BUSH" VIDEO -

"Hear Bush Say I'M THE DECIDER!" VIDEO -


CAROLYNCONNECTION.COM

Graphic
REAL PICTURES OF WAR

CLICK TO GO TO YELLOW DOG'S BLOG

CAROLYNCONNETION - I have got a mind and I am going to use it!





Saturday, April 22, 2006

THE CREDIT CARD CRUNCH or MAXED OUT!









Credit card debt has become one of the most dangerous byproducts of the neoconservative's globalization efforts around the world, passing surreptitiously into the well-being of the common folk's soul and sending them (all of us) spiraling into a pit of snakes!

The neoconservative vision that wealth can be created by reducing and/or eliminating social services while creating profitable investment opportunities for foreign investors... Click Here for More

I have often wondered with so much consumer debt, (In America alone... $1.98 trillion in October 2003, up from $1.5 trillion three years ago. This figure, representing credit card and car loan debt, but excluding mortgages, translates into approximately $18,700 per US household) how we as a people, as a nation can survive?

And I've asked, on many occasions why there aren't safeguards to protect our Democracy... I am now asking WHY IS THERE NOT A SAFEGUARD TO PROTECT US AGAINST THE DEPLORABLE AND GLUTTONOUS GREED OF THE BANKING INDUSTRY and CREDIT CARD CORPORATIONS?

Finally, someone has addressed this horrendous problem we, the powerless face on our odyssey through this existence on Earth.

James Scurlock started out to make a comic portrayal of consumer-irresponsibility and wound up with a movie so stark real about the banking predators that prey upon us.

When they, and by they, I mean the insatiable, greedy Credit card industry, started pushing for bankruptcy reforms, everyone should have been up in arms; but with the Bush regime focusing totally on their terrorism fear tactics, this enormous affront to the hard working people of America slipped through the cracks of justice and was passed. Another notch on the headboard of injustice... or MARK ONE UP FOR THE FAT CAT FILTHY LUCRE DEPOSITORIES WHO ARE SUCKING OUR LIFE'S BLOOD FROM US ONE DROP AT A TIME UNTIL ALL THAT'S LEFT IS AN EMPTY PATHETIC SHELL OF HUMANITY!

Below is a report on how and why this film "Maxed Out" will be on the retail DVD racks soon and why we should all watch it. thinkingblue

We as consumers have become cash cows for the banking and financial institutions,” writes Lauren, from Los Angeles. “They have no moral concern or ethical obligation to their customers … They ruin lives, and have no shred of guilt, and if they should breach your personal information, or commit some other error it's on you to prove it. I hope people start cutting up their cards and pulling their money out of these institutions, I plan to—as soon as I pay off all my debt.”

###Fair Debt Collection###

###THE UNFAIR NEW BANKRUPTCY LAWS###

Credit Cruncher

In 'Maxed Out,' filmmaker James Scurlock takes a scathing look at the lending industry and reveals the tragic consequences of excessive consumer debt.
WEB EXCLUSIVE By Jessica Bennett Newsweek Updated: 4:52 p.m. ET April 14, 2006

April 13, 2006 - Americans are buying with plastic at a staggering rate. From
lattes to vacation packages, car payments to home-equity loans, our reliance on credit is increasing. Even the Internal Revenue Service endorses credit cards as a "convenient" way to pay your taxes. The average American family carried about $9,300 in credit-card debt in 2005 reports the nonprofit Consumer Credit Counseling Service in Dallas. But what happens when borrowers who already have sizable debts are offered more credit?

Director James Scurlock, 34, set out to tackle that question in "Maxed Out," a documentary he intended as a comic portrayal of consumer irresponsibility. What the self-described "finance geek" and former publisher of a financial newsletter ended up with however, is a much starker tale—one of struggle, suicide and desperation. "I think the people in the film would like nothing more than to pay off their bills, but they've just gotten to a point where it's not possible," says Scurlock. "And at some point, they're just being preyed on [by lenders] and manipulated and squeezed so hard that they can't ever hope to recover. And that's not right."

The indie production won critical acclaim at the South by Southwest film festival in Austin, Texas, in March. And in 2007, Simon & Schuster plans to publish a memoir based on Scurlock's interviews and travels during the making of the film. NEWSWEEK's Jessica Bennett spoke with the director about consumer debt and the relationship between low-income Americans and the financial industry. Excerpts:

NEWSWEEK: Why make a movie about credit-card debt?

James Scurlock: Debt is the one issue that affects all of us—rich or poor, black or white, gay or straight, liberal or conservative. It's such a huge issue, and at the time I just wanted to ask the question, "Why can't so many of us get out of debt? What is it about debt that's so addictive that we can't live without it?"


What do you hope to get across?

Two things: one is that the financial industry has changed a lot in the last generation, and people need to realize that ... We're in a totally different time now where we're deluged every day with offers of credit. And the second thing is that I think people need to start getting active with Congress and [pressuring them] into changing the balance that's been so weighted toward the financial industry and against the consumer.

What's changed about the lending industry?

The major change is that the industry discovered that the most profitable consumers were the least responsible consumers—college students, people who'd declared bankruptcy, housewives and people who were consuming beyond their means. People who would pay anything for credit—any fee or any interest rate because they needed more credit. That's the major change. Before, credit was rationed based on whether you could pay it back, based on your reputation, based on your character to some degree. It's just not that way anymore, and that's a huge change.

What's behind the increase in risky borrowing?

There are a few things: first, lack of regulation. Since the early '70s, usury
laws have virtually been eliminated so [credit-card companies] can charge
virtually whatever interest rate they want. Second, technology. The modern
credit system couldn't exist without the technology we have today. Back when Visa was just getting started in the late '60s and early '70s, [credit-card]
processing took a long time ... Now, these transactions take place in less than a second. Third: back in the '60s and '70s ... a lot of bankers objected to
credit cards and said they were not going to give consumers the noose from which to hang themselves—that was immoral, that was unethical ... They understood that people would abuse credit if given too much of it, and the banker had to fill this role of regulator. That philosophy doesn't exist any more.

Has the system of credit ratings changed?

The credit score is what's really changed. Taking all this data and distilling
it into a single number and having that number alone determine whether you get a credit card, or a car loan, at what interest rate, whether you get insurance, what you pay for your utilities, whether you can get an apartment. This idea that there's one number that determines your credit is very new, and there's no human interaction, there's no local banker to vouch for you.

How often is the information on credit reports wrong?

David Szwak is a [consumer] attorney in the film who spends most of his time now suing credit bureaus over errors. In their depositions of credit-bureau attorneys, they've been told on record that over 90 percent of credit reports have errors on them. And I think anyone in the industry would vouch for that.

How difficult is it to get those errors corrected?

Getting something changed on your credit report is incredibly difficult, and
it's become even more so because there's no incentive for the credit bureau to take that information off. Because the more negative information on your credit report, the more interest you can be charged, the more fees you can be charged.

What protections are there for consumers?

The check is supposed to be Congress, but I think Congress isn't filling that
role anymore. There are a lot of watchdog and advocacy groups out there that are trying to represent consumers who have been taken advantage of, or just aren't sophisticated enough to understand what they're getting into [when they borrow]. But I don't think most of us are sophisticated enough anymore. It's gotten so complicated, and complicated by design. The Senate Banking Committee held a hearing last year on the credit-card industry, and practically every senator on the committee—Democrats and Republicans both, said, "I don't understand my credit-card statement." It's meant to be complicated.

You contend that the financial industry is exploiting the impoverished.

That was the most shocking thing. We traveled around with this journalist and went to New York, Mississippi and Pennsylvania. If you had told me that
Citigroup, which is [one of the] largest financial groups in the world, was
trolling the backwoods of Mississippi for customers, I would have questioned your veracity. But they are, and they're finding people. They're going around
very poor neighborhoods, in very poor parts of the country, finding people who have some home equity, finding people who've been responsible, who've saved, who have something left, and taking it from them.

You say that there's a relationship between poverty and the increase in credit offers.

I think [these offers] are causing poverty. I think what you're seeing is the
middle class disappearing, and I think [the financial industry has] a lot to do
with that. I don't think they're the only factor by any means. But I think when
you go into a solidly middle-class neighborhood and flood it with high-interest loans, yes, you are pushing people into poverty. When you go out and encourage people who are living within their means to refinance their homes so they can go on vacation or buy a new car or fix up their house, and tell them it's great because it'll increase their home equity, you're not doing them any favors.


College students played a big role in the film. Why are they so attractive to credit-card companies?
College students are a really attractive market because they have parents who will bail them out, and they love spending money, and they're not nearly as sophisticated as they think they are. And there's a lot of research showing that once you get a customer, they'll stay with you for a very long time. [Credit-card companies] are looking at getting lifetime customers.

Two women in the film had college-age children who committed suicide after acquiring a debilitating amount of debt. Was that a surprise?

We started out looking for stories we thought would be funny and illustrative of consumers being irresponsible, because that's the conventional wisdom. But I remember the second or third interview we did, suicide came up, and this woman started crying ... From then on I just remember every interview was so emotional, and suicide came up over and over and over again. And I was shocked—but when people get trapped and they can't see any way out, suicide definitely comes to mind. Everybody we talked to who was a victim of predatory lending said they had considered suicide.

How can we curb excessive borrowing?

I think the industry needs to start using income as a factor, and I think they
need to act more like insurance companies that audit you and monitor you, and call you and make sure you're still driving the same car, you're still driving the same number of miles, and you still have a job. I think if credit-card companies could adopt that model more, even though they don't think it's to their advantage. And I don't know why there hasn't been more pressure on them to do that.

For tips on coping with credit-card debt, visit the nonprofit Consumer Credit Counseling Service's Web site.

CLICK TO SEE WMV MOVIE ON CREDIT CARDS

CLICK HERE TO GO TO DEMOCRAT WIMPS

CICK HERE TO GO TO FAR RIGHT BOOK BURNINGS

CLICK HERE TO GO TO MARCH LIBERTY NEWS TV


Be sure and ALWAYS cancel your credit cards before you die.........

This is just so priceless....and so easy to see happening, customer "service" being what it is....

My Aunt died this past January. Citi Bank billed her for February and March for their monthly service charge on her credit card, and then added late fees and interest on the monthly charge...the balance had been $20.00... now was somewhere around $60.00

I placed the following phone call to CitiBank:

Me: "I am calling to tell you that she died in January."

CitiBank: "The account was never closed and the late fees and charges still
apply."

Me: "Maybe, you should turn it over to collections..."

CitiBank: "Since it is 2 months past due, it already has been."

Me: "So, what will they do when they find out she is dead?"

CitiBank: "Either report her account to the frauds division, or report her to
the credit bureau...maybe both!"

Me: "Do you think God will be mad at her?"

CitiBank: "excuse me?"

Me: "Did you just get what I was telling you.... the part about her being dead?"

CitiBank: "Sir, you'll have to speak to my supervisor!"

(Supervisor gets on the phone)

Me: ''I'm calling to tell you, she died in January."

CitiBank: "The account was never closed and the late fees and charges still
apply."

Me: "You mean you want to collect from her estate?"

CitiBank: "... (stammer)" ... "Are you her lawyer?"

Me: "No, I'm her great nephew." (Lawyer info given... )

CitiBank: "Could you fax us a certificate of death?"

Me: "Sure." ( Fax number is given )

(After they get the fax)

CitiBank: "Our system just isn't setup for death..."

Me: "Oh..."

CitiBank: "I don't know what more I can do to help..."

Me: "Well... if you figure it out, great! If not, you could just keep billing
her...I suppose...don't really think she will care...."

CitiBank: "Well...the late fees and charges do still apply."

Me: "'Would you like her new billing address?"

CitiBank: "That might help."

Me: "Odessa Memorial Cemetery (address and plot number given. )

CitiBank: "Sir, that's a cemetery!"

Me: "What do you do with dead people under your CitiBank policy ?

CLICK HERE TO MAKE THAT CALL TO THE FUNNY FARM

YOU CAN BEAM ME UP NOW, SCOTTIE. Thinkingblue


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Democracy Now's Interview with Kevin Phillips

CLICK HERE TO VIEW INTERVIEW

thinkingblue.org

CAROLYNCONNECTION.COM


Graphic
REAL PICTURES OF WAR



CLICK TO GO TO YELLOW DOG'S BLOG

CAROLYNCONNETION - I've got a mind and I'm going to use it!
ThinkingBlue blogspot

BlogRankings.com

Progressive Women's Blog Ring

Powered by RingSurf







Wednesday, April 19, 2006

YER DOIN A HECKOVA JOB RUMMY!









I found this quick wmv file showing Bush uttering the immortal phrase "I'm the decider" or YER DOIN A HECKOVA JOB RUMMY in so many words... On the Crooks and Liars blogsite. The Hubris displayed by Bush and his self absorbed, megalomaniac Neocons is beyond redemption!

The infamous crackpots, representing our country are responsible for so much waste, destruction and mayhem, I can't believe they are still allowed in power. WHAT IS WRONG WITH AMERICA and WHERE ARE THE SAFEGUARDS OF DEMOCRACY THAT SHOULD SERVE AS PROTECTION AGAINST THESE INCOMPETENTS, STOPPING THEM FROM WRECKING MORE HAVOC UPON OUR NATION AND OUR WORLD?

It boggles one's mind as to why Bush, can still stand in front of cameras and answer a question put to him with such arrogance, it would make the likes of the CEO narcissists, Bill Gates, Andy Grove, Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, and Jack Welch BLUSH!

Reporter: What do you say to the critics who believe that you are ignoring the advice of retired generals and military commanders who say there needs to be a change?

Bush: I say I listen to all voices but mine's the final decision and Don Rumsfeld is doing a fine job. He's not only transforming the military, he's fighting a war on terror - He's helping us fight a war on terror. I have strong confidence in Don Rumsfeld. I hear the voices and I read the front page and I know the speculation but I'm the decider and I decide what is best and what's best is for Don Rumsfeld to remain as the Secretary of defense.

Please click here or on picture below to see...THE DICTATOR WANNABEE George W. Bush, say "I'M THE DECIDER!" Thanks, thinkingblue

PS: It is time to take back our country from the crackpots

CLICK HERE TO SEE BUSH THE DECIDER

Click picture below to watch a swf file cartoon of Rummy in action...

CLICK HERE TO SEE RUMMY

OTHER WMV'S WITH A TOUCH OF HUMOR

BILL MAHERS EVIL CLICK HERE

BILL MAHERS RECALL BUSH CLICK HERE

We Now Live in a Fascist State


Comparing Bush to Hitler - well, from what one can find out........HItler was SMARTER than Bush. But they do share some personality defects. Both are prone to mood swings. Love of power/control. Selfish and self oriented........very MILITARY focused. and militant. Hopefully the remaining time of the bush reign will be his unraveling. He really should have studied some psychology...... as he might have understood his own motives a bit better.###

WORDS OF THE DAY:
dictator n. 1.a. An absolute ruler. b. A tyrant; a despot.

Megalomania - is an unrealistic belief in one's superiority, grandiose abilities, and even omnipotence. It is characterized by a need for total power and control over others, and is marked by a lack of empathy for anything that is perceived as not feeding the self. Although megalomania is a term often ascribed to anyone who is power-hungry, the clinical definition is that of a mental illness associated with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD).

In a message dated 9/14/05 7:58:33 AM, andersonlane:
In case you missed last Friday's HBO's "Late Night with Bill Maher," here was his open letter to the President:

Mr. President, this job can't be fun for you any more. There's no more money to spend--you used up all of that. You can't start another war because you used up the army. And now, darn the luck, the rest of your term has become the Bush family nightmare: helping poor people. Listen to your Mom. The cupboard's bare, the credit cards maxed out. No one's speaking to you. Mission accomplished.

Now it's time to do what you've always done best: lose interest and walk away. Like you did with your military service and the oil company and the baseball team. It's time. Time to move on and try the next fantasy job. How about cowboy or space man? Now I know what you're saying: there's so many other things that you as President could involve yourself in. Please don't. I know, I know. There's a lot left to do. There's a war with Venezuela. Eliminating the sales tax on yachts. Turning the space program over to the church. And Social Security to Fannie Mae. Giving embryos the vote.

But, Sir, none of that is going to happen now. Why? Because you govern like Billy Joel drives. You've performed so poorly I'm surprised that you haven't given yourself a medal. You're a catastrophe that walks like a man. Herbert Hoover was a shitty president, but even he never conceded an entire city to
rising water and snakes.

On your watch, we've lost almost all of our allies, the surplus, four airliners, two trade centers, a piece of the Pentagon and the City of New Orleans. Maybe you're just not lucky. I'm not saying you don't love this country. I'm just wondering how much worse it could be if you were on the other side.

So, yes, God does speak to you. What he is saying is:
"Take a hint."

As we peer into society's future, we-you and I, and our government must avoid the impulse to live only for today, plundering, for our own ease and convenience, the precious resources of tomorrow. We cannot mortgage the
material assets of our grandchildren without risking the loss also of their political and spiritual heritage.


Democracy Now's Interview with Kevin Phillips

CLICK HERE TO VIEW INTERVIEW

thinkingblue.org

CAROLYNCONNECTION.COM

Graphic
REAL PICTURES OF WAR



CLICK TO GO TO YELLOW DOG'S BLOG


CAROLYNCONNETION - I've got a mind and I'm going to use it!

Progressive Women's Blog Ring

Powered by RingSurf



Friday, April 14, 2006

HAT'S OFF TO HARRY Taylor, he spoke for us all!

I saw a remarkable instant on CNN and couldn't believe what I saw. Am I dreaming this can't be the reality I have been living in for the past 5 years?

A man named Harry Taylor, stood up in a crowd after Mr. Bush delivered another Iraq War PR speech which was sponsored by the nonpartisan World Affairs Council of Charlotte at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, North Carolina and with harsh disapprobation, criticized Bush's style of leadership, enumerating the reasons, one after another... TELLING BUSH HE SHOULD BE ASHAMED!

Oh my, I have felt for far too long that I am living in a La La Land of Orwellian language and cloak-and-dagger melodramatic secrecy. It's gotten to the point, you can't believe anything our leaders tell us nor can you say anything antipathetic of this regime, publicly on TV anyway. If it weren't for the articles on the Internet, I believe these charlatans occupying the White House would get away with murder. (Oops, too late, I think they already have)

Please click the picture below and watch a man who got through the steel curtain, Karl Rove uses to protect his COMMANDER IN CHIEF, from dissent...to VOICE what we all have been feeling... to Bush's arrogant Face and give thanks that one brave ordinary person, like you and me, has finally spoken publicly LOUD AND CLEAR AND HAS BEEN SEEN AND HEARD!

We all now know without a doubt...THE EMPEROR IS NAKED and naked is his Empire ! Please pass this on. Thank you, thinkingblue

CLICK HERE TO SEE HARRY TAYLOR ON CNN

The Emperor is Naked

By Don Kyhote

There is much to be mined in fairy tales. Fairy tales are about things
that never happened but are always with us. A truth we are reluctant to
acknowledge can be insinuated into the mind by the account of an event
that never happened. Hans Christian Anderson’s The Emperor’s New Clothes
tells just a story. His emperor is a fiction, unnamed and unplaced in
time, but he is also all of us at all times—and no fiction.

The swindlers who fleeced the Emperor in Anderson’s tale created a neat
logical trap. The exorbitantly priced and nonexistent clothes they
tailored had the wonderful quality, they said, of being invisible to
anyone who was “hopelessly stupid or unfit for his office.” Given the
Emperor’s acceptance of this criterion of reality, his loyal subjects were
psycho-logically bound to see the invisible.

The virtual taboo against discussing the basic assumptions of our current
national-istic thinking seems to me to indicate that we have become
psychologically bound to clothes that only those defining themselves as
patriots can see. If you can’t see the glorious vestments you are
“unpatriotic and unfit to be one of us.”

“You are either one of us or one of them—one of the good or one of the
evil.” Such pristine clarity from such a simple-minded delusion.

Every generation brings new swindlers (many of them, curiously,
self-deceived) and more new clothes for credulous emperors. At any point
in time a sizable wardrobe of such clothes is being paraded in the
marketplace of ideas. There are far too few children, too few iconoclasts
(to use another image), to keep up with the busy loom of the weavers of
invisible cloth.

In Anderson’s story the child’s outcry leads to a rapid erosion of faith
among the spectators: truth strips the Emperor naked.
Unhappily, in real life, majority opinion frequently overwhelms perception.

Some of the experiments carried out by social psychologist Solomon Asch
show us just how difficult the communication task is that we have before
us. Asch asked a small group of college men to identify the longest of
several lines drawn on paper. Unbeknownst to one of them, all the others
had been instructed to agree on a preposterously wrong answer. Choices
were announced in open meeting. As the responses forced the “odd man out”
to become aware of his position, he not infrequently gave way to the
majority and expressed his agreement with them. It does not take an
Inquisition or a national disaster to make heresy painful. (“Heresy” comes
from a Greek word meaning, “to choose for oneself.”) Out of the 123 men
subjected to this ordeal, 37 percent conformed. I suspect the results
would be even more shocking today if Asch were to repeat his experiment
after decades of a mass media managing conformity.

We don’t need Asch’s experiments to tell us that all too often in real
life Anderson’s child would be forced to yield to “adult” opinion.

A cowed opposition in the U.S. and worldwide is not a sign of solidarity,
it is a dangerous sign of grave concern that we are becoming
psychologically bound to conforming to the powerful no matter how
preposterous its position. Watching the Congress respond to one hollow
platitude and cliché after another from Mr. Bush was an eerie reminder of
those German politicians (both supporters and terrified opponents) rising
to the vitriol of Adolph Hitler a half a century ago.

It is one thing to rally around our flag and country and the ideals for
which they stand and quite another to give a blank check to a nakedly
bankrupt administration. Those in charge of our country are disconnected
from the needs of the American people and isolate us from the community of
nations. They have removed us from being a rational participant in a
global discourse of sane moral reasoning.

Representative Barbara Lee showed the courage of Thoreau’s “majority of
one” in the face of nearly unanimous error by crying out for reason. There
are many naked emperors parading the streets of public communications, and
we need a few people who have the confidence of Anderson’s child in their
own senses and judgment.

Now more than ever this country needs a loyal opposition—to unite behind
what needs to be done and stand against what should not be done.
It is our duty, as patriotic Americans, to be heretics pointing out the naked
emperors of our time.
It is our right, nay our responsibility, as long as
we pretend to be living in a free, democratic society, to vigorously and
openly challenge what is being portrayed to be, “in the national
interests.” To deny that right threatens the very strength of our
system—its commitment to unfettered thought and expression.

The right to dissent is the strength of our country not its weakness.
Weakness is in the position that can’t defend itself against sane rational
discourse. Mandating a patriotism that requires unity behind naked
emperors is not a mark of confident and secure leadership. It is a sign of
the fear of exposure that no amount of invisible cloth can hide.

Don Kyote, an educator, supporter of those who speak truth to power, and
environmental activist, has been confronting the status quo for his entire
professional career.###

I just spoke with Harry Taylor
by
jhwygirl
Thu Apr 06, 2006 at 06:18:05 PM PDT
UPDATE:
grokgov has a diary up - and has put up a website with the goal of givin' our friend Harry 1,000,000 THANK YOU's I encourage you to stop by both links if you haven't done so already. And Thank You everyone for participating it what turned out to be a really happy diary. It wasn't much compared to the great work lots of others do around here, but it got me my first 'recommended!' diary. "yeee haw!"
jhwygirl's diary :: ::
I just spoke with Harry Taylor, the man who dared to question our President on his true commitment to our constitutional right. clone12 details Harry's remarkably brave and articulate act
here
Some have speculated whether Harry was the real deal - or a Karl Rove plant. Having spoken to him, I can assure he is not. Frankly, I was shocked he answered the phone. After having read the whitehouse transcript, I had to find the guy and thank him personally. I found myself at a bit of a loss of words - especially since he began thanking me for calling him. We spent about 15 minutes chatting. The guy is genuinely down-to-earth, and I wish I lived closer so that I could go buy him a beer.
The guy is genuine, modest, sincere, and honest. He is shocked by all of this, and according to him, it "was not planned."
He went on to say that 'it had to be done' and that he can not believe how people can still support 'that guy' - that he has never really been politically active until a few years ago, when he felt he just had to do something.
As I said, he said that he is shocked by all of this - that he has a business to run, and that he is real busy, and has an important meeting tomorrow - and now he's got to squeeze in CNN tomorrow morning (ALERT) and the phone message machine is clogged, and he's got a 'ton' of emails. "I don't know if I'll be able to sleep tonight" he said, as he's got quite a 'rush' over all of this, unexpected as it was (again, quite modest)....he said he found that he had to go over to the gym to work out for 45 minutes to try and find some calm.
I asked him how the crowd reacted - afterwards, as he left, and as his day has gone on. He said that there was not one negative thing said to him while he was there, and that 4 people actually came up to him and shook his hand. One guy stopped him in the parking lot - Harry couldn't understand how anyone would recognize him - and thanked him.
He said that he took another call today from a military wife in Colorado Springs who called to thank him for saying WHAT SHE AND THE REST OF HER FRIENDS CAN NOT. You can tell that just the idea that people can not speak out truely bothers him.
He told me that he can't figure out how so many people have heard about this, and their interest in it. He asked me where I was from, and I told him (Montana)...the guy is just so darn nice, it was liking having a conversation with someone you hadn't seen in a while.
I told Harry that I had heard of him on the website
DailyKos - he hadn't heard of it. So I told him "Oh Harry - they are having a big lovefest over there over you - you should go check it out"
So - send Harry some love in this diary. I'm thinking he might be stopping by.
PEACE HARRY. WE LOVE YOU!
-------

Harry Taylor didn't say Fuck You
by Clifflyon
Mon Apr 10, 2006 at 07:56:26 PM PDT

The response at http://www.thankyouharrytaylor.org/ has been remarkable not only for the volume, but for the emotional expression.
The common sentiment expressed in the comments... that Harry’s respectful manner was crucial to the president’s ability to hear the message...is universal. Even though the president responded in his instinctually bullying-frat-boy way, he heard Harry Taylor, and he will hear you.
Over the weekend the comments (over 12,000) spread from Spain up into Europe.
We need a million thank yous to get the media to pay attention when we present the carbon copy to Karl Rove. Please thank Harry at http://www.thankyouharrytaylor.org/.

#######################################

Below is a little something I found interesting...from a professional writer, to perhaps, help us blogger wannabees a bit... thinkingblue
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dana's Quick Writing Course


Posted by Dana Blankenhorn
I've been writing for over 40 years, professionally for 30. If you're interested in doing the same, here's a simple four-step process that will make your writing all it can be.

Writing is easy to learn, easy to do. But it's the work of a lifetime. I'm still learning, and will be until I die. So get started now.

Write. Don't think, write. Write everything about what you want to say. Don't worry about grammar, or spelling. Just think about everything you want to say and say it. This is sometimes called "writing down the bones." It's simple, it's pure, it's exhausting, it's exhilirating. And when you're done you may have an unholy mess. Don't worry about it.

Find the story. After you finish your draft, and after you take some time away from it (an hour, a day, or even several days, depending on how long it is) go through what you have and find the story there. Look for the beginning, middle, and end.

If you're writing non-fiction, find your lead. Move your key point to the front. If this is a news story, you then take the next most important point, and the next, and the next, in order. (The inverted pyramid lets an editor chop from the bottom.)

If this is a magazine story, your lead is a sales pitch for what follows. You next want to tell the story in a coherent order, and finish with a revelation, a present for the reader who finishes it, sometimes called a tag ending or rim shot.

If this is fiction, find a key moment of high tension and start there. Then tell the back story, and lead your reader toward the climax.

Again, after a rest, read it out loud. This is where you find your tone. Give voice to your story and you'll give your story a voice. If you sound stilted, or stuck-up, or lost, that's a problem you need to fix. Work with your draft until you can read it as a story, until you feel it's ready for an audience.

Finally, polish. Now is when you worry about grammar, and spelling, about subject-verb agreement. Now is when you think about whether you want to violate some grammatical rules in the name of character, or story-telling, or a Tom Wolfe homage. Now is where you make everything sing. Now is where you might print out a copy and work from that, then print out a final copy.

It took me 40 years to work out the obvious. Don't waste that much time. Learn to write now. Write clearly, simply, and learn to enjoy writing. This is the path to leadership in whatever field you've chosen. This is how you give your life meaning.
Good luck.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Words of the Day:

Disapprobation n. Moral disapproval; condemnation.

Heretic n. 1. A person who holds controversial opinions,
especially one who publicly dissents from the officially accepted
dogma...

ALL THINKINGBLUE LINKS CLICK HERE
CAROLYNCONNECTION.COM
Graphic
REAL PICTURES OF WAR



CLICK TO GO TO YELLOW DOG'S BLOG

CAROLYNCONNETION - I've got a mind and I'm going to use it!

FLASHES FROM FILMSTRIP INTERNATIONAL

YOU CAN BEAM ME UP NOW, SCOTTIE. Thinkingblue