Thursday, November 24, 2011

Tired kitty ...

No, I'm not a "crazy cat person", but the family cat looked pissed off that he was not being allowed to go to sleep.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Idea for employees of Big Box Retailers preparing for Black Friday ...

On Huffington Post's Front Page, you will find two stories that should be causing cognitive dissonance to Progressives and Occupiers everywhere.

On the front page, you can find a blog by Joe Hanson and then you can find a story about the best Black Friday deals.

It took a couple of minutes but I had to fire off a comment to post on the "Best Black Friday" deals.  As of this writing, the post is lost, stuck, or quashed in Moderator Purgatory that seems to be infiltrating more and more of HuffPo's stories.

Anyway, here's what I posted.

*******************************************************

The last thing these corporate slaveowner­s who prostitute out our states and national capitols need is more advertisin­g that drives mindless consumers to feed their empty shopping addictions­.

HuffPo, you started out as a PROGRESSIV­E voice for those of us that had no outlet.

And now, on the same front page of your Hallmark-c­ark like website, you shill for the same Big-box retail stores while you are reporting that they demand their employees say an early good-bye to their 90-year old grandmothe­r who probably has flown in from Phoenix for her last Thanksgivi­ng so they can sell TVs to obese consumers who would be better served RUNNING around the exterior of a Best Buy rather than camping out in front of one.

Really?

Fellow 99%-ers: STAY HOME Friday ... or Thursday night (whatever your situation)­. If you can afford it, call your boss at the retail shop where you work and tell him or her that you have a case of "Family" you need to get rid of.

Tell the boss that it's really contagious and if you show up for work, you might spread your case of "Family" and cause other employees to want to stay home and treat their case of "Family".

Seriously .... is there any question NOW why there's an Occupy movement occuring near you?

THIS is why we're organizing­.

Rant off ...

*******************************************************
Here's hoping it gets through ... but ranting on someone else's website will only go so far.

My plan is to go and purchase some sidewalk chalk and at around 9 or 10 p.m., go and write near the employee parking spaces of some Big Box retailers (who aren't opened 24 hours) and write something about compelling them to call in sick or something.

You know where employees park, don't you?  They park WAAAAAAY in the back of the parking lot.  Maybe, some fellow Occupiers can talk with a few of them out there and let them know we stand with them and we appreciate the situation they're in.

To let them know, that there are people out there who are just like them and are tired of working harder and harder while bringing home less and less.

That we, too, believe that their hard work should be able to put food on their table, put their kids through college without burdening them with crushing debt and not force that worker to choose between a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for dinner and antibiotics for their child's ear infection.

I'm asking my fellow Occupiers to meet these workers as they get out of their car and tell them -- repeatedly -- that we are on their side ... that we represent them ... that they KNOW something is wrong with having to choose between their Holiday with their families and their income.

I'll be out their showing them my appreciation -- please do the same.

Peace,

Brian

Monday, November 21, 2011

Where are the inexpensive tents ...

I was in my local Wal-Mart and was going to purchase a small tent for the local Occupiers in my area ... but, lo and behold!  There were none to be found.

Could it be that there was a sudden urge for many people to go camping?

Or, are these tents currently be used to keep Occupiers dry?

Here's hoping!


Peace,

Brian

Introductory blog ...

This is my first time to blog ... ever.  So, thank you "Saidas" at Huffington Post for motivating me.

I've been posting comments over at Huffington Post for a while and there's only so much that can be said in 250 words or less.

What's motivating me to start blogging is the state in which are country has descended.  I have a 15-year old daughter and a seven-year old son:  I'm worried about their future. 

The time has come that we must start living as if no one and nothing is going to come to our rescue and save us.  We must come to realize that if we do nothing to change what's wrong with our country, then we will get what we deserve.

In the news story found at here, I posted a typical "bumper sticker"-statement in order to get a response.

The statement was

"When the rich rob the poor, it's called 'business'­.
When the poor fight back, it's called 'violence­' ".

Which produced the following response from a user with the handle "AnotherAngle",

“How do the rich "rob the poor" exactly?”

I then let loose with the following -- each individually posted:

*Eminant Domain of one's home to build a shopping mall ...
*banking fees on accounts that don't maintain a minimum balance
*destroying­/hampering public transporta­tion which prevents access to jobs
*pricing people out of health care
*move jobs overseas and then use that as leverage to lower wages and benefits
*demand socialized losses but insist on privatized gains
*use and abuse our taxpayer-f­unded infrastruc­ture but seek as many ways as possible to avoid paying their fair share to keep that infrastruc­ture maintained
*debit card fees
*check cashing fees
*predatory lending
*suppressio­n of minimum wages that keep up with inflation
*taking life insurance policies out on their employees and collect on them when they are killed and not give ONE DIME to their families
*refusal to give loans at a reasonable interest rate
*changing credit card agreements mid-stream
*20- to 25-day billing cycles in months that have no less than 28 days between paydays -- then charging "late fees"
*not paying royalties on resources owned by the American taxpayer

This list is in no way complete -- it's only the beginning.

It touches on only the barest issues that drive the Occupy Movement. 

You know there's something wrong.  Find your nearest Occupy gathering and begin asking questions.

If you are tired of the game being rigged in favor of those who need your money the least, do something about it!

*Write your Congressperson
*Write a letter to your paper's editor
*Take food and supplies to the people standing up for you at your local Occupy gathering
*Pay with cash whenever possible
*Don't purchase anything November 25, 26 & 27
*Shop for X-mas gifts at the number of garage sales in your neighborhood -- your neighbors could use the cash

Changes have already been made:  The media has stopped discussing "birth certificates" and has begun discussing "income inequality". 

Small change, but a change, nonetheless.

For more perspective, watch this video that explains the 99% vs. the 1% in 5 minutes.

Stay strong,

Brian Ingram