Happy Walmart To All.

       On this special Thanksgiving day, let's all remember that not everyone will be able to enjoy this day of thanksgiving. Certainly Walmart is mindful of these unfortunate members of society. And to prove it's a caring and giving company, Walmart has set up a program for it's somewhat better paid employees to donate to it's not-so-well-paid so they too can enjoy a happy Thanksgiving day.
       Actually Walmart  is participating in this drive to help these lowly workers by providing the basket to hold the donations and to also provide the sign asking for donations. Lets never say that Walmart doesn't have a heart. They may not be willing to participate in actually donating anything, but they're not shy about asking their employees to do it.
       Sooo, the next time you need something from a store, please remember the kind-hearted giving nature of Walmart and shop elsewhere. After all, isn't the American way to be fair to all and to treat our fellow citizens with compassion? Well, yes, but that doesn't mean corporate executives should pay their employees a living wage. Only certain employees should expect to be paid enough to live on. Elsewise how would multi-billionaires be created and enriched?
       There are other reasons not to shop at Walmart too, like the fact that the vast majority of their products are manufactured in countries like China. Now I suspect that the Chinese people are good and loving people, but it's government is anything but a friend of ours. They manage to export inferior, tainted, poisonous, products to us in exchange for our indebtedness to them. They also steal our state and corporate secrets in order to mass produce cheap knockoffs. It's military and government work tirelessly to beat us down but we still flock to their worthless products rather than consider American made.
       Why would anyone turn their backs on the people who will protect them and at some point care for them not to mention support them, in favor of saving a dime on an inferior product from our enemy?       Happy Thanksgiving!
      

Keystone XL Pipeline

       The Keystone XL pipeline was shot down by the U.S. Senate for now. Now why would 40 Democrats, and 1 Independent vote against it, depriving the Republicans of a filibuster proof victory. Well, other than simple ideological differences, are there any reasons not to allow the KXL pipeline to be built? After all, it would mean 50 jobs.
       Well, here are two previously unmentioned  impediments to it's construction. First, part of the KXL would run through the native American Sioux nation. And, since the Sioux are a recognized independent nation and a protectorate of the U.S., they do have a right, based on two separate treaties, to have a say as to what happens to their lands. To date they have not been consulted by anyone concerning the pipeline. Perhaps the reason for not discussing the matter with them is that they are vehemently opposed to the pipeline going through their lands.
       The second has to do with the argument that the pipeline would be so much safer than transporting the crude oil be train or tractor tanker. Surprisingly a look at the safety record of the province of Alberta, Canada, tells us that their pipelines aren't quite as safe as they would have us believe. In October of this year alone, there were 13 separate spills connected to pipelines. The spills amounted to about 500,000 gal. of either crude oil or toxic water.
       Now if these companies can't do any better than that in Canada, how much better will they perform in the United States? It appears that Canada is not as concerned as we here in America usually are, at least after the fact. I have to wonder how much scrutiny was given to the record of spills these companies have caused?
       When you add these new facts to the list of concerns already pinned to the project, you have to wonder how vital this pipeline really is to us. Remember that once this oil would reach the gulf coast and is refined, it's available to the highest bidder. There's nothing to say it won't be sold to China or Turkey, or any other country in need of refined oil products. But no matter where the refined oil goes, the waste from the refining process stays with the good ole U.S. of A. In other words, they'll be looking for someplace to dump this toxic coke. Sooo, is there some room in your backyard?

Politics Is Big Business.

       Ever wonder why it is that there's so much conflict in Washington? You know, the polarization of the parties. Well, without trying to place blame on any individuals or even on party allegiances, the big problem seems to be too much wedding to ideology. Why do elected officials who find themselves in a minority position in either or both of Congress's two houses feel they were sent there to block the other party from accomplishing any good?
       The answer is that each party needs such conflict to sell their bases on the need to vote them back into the majority. And now, with the unleashing of untold fortunes available to convince voters to vote for the party candidates, even if it's against their best interests, it's nearly impossible to know if that candidate will actually help or hurt you. And in fairness, I must say, both parties are guilty of this abuse. A candidate must stand for the party line and once elected he or she must vote the party line or risk being defeated in the primaries.
       The thing is, it is abuse of the citizenry. Being bombarded minute by minute with ads that are, at best, misleading if not downright lies. All in the name of saving the party, which translates, in their minds, to saving the country. All of which is  H O G W A S H. The two political parties are not in business to save the country, they're in business to capture more power which translates into more fortunes for a select few of the most powerful corporations and individuals in the country. It's not enough that these few are wealthy beyond our wildest imaginations, the quest for ever more is boundless and lord help anyone who stands in their way.
       So what's the answer? The only way to break the strangle hold of the parties is to break their hold on the electoral process. Any combination of the following should produce that goal. First eliminate gerrymandering of electoral districts by requiring diversity and as close to a square as possible. Second is to institute term limits. And the third would be to require completely open primaries in which the top two vote getters go on to the general elections. So what are the chances? Don't bet on it.

You've Been Recalled.

      
       There's not much the general public dislikes more than to buy something, get it home, only to find out there's a problem with the product. Doesn't that just tick you off? It means you have to get back in the car and drive back to the mall and get in line at the returns desk. Once you get to the clerk, who is so sick of listening to unhappy customers all day that she doesn't care anymore what you think. But if you persevere you get a new gadget to take home, assuming you were able to prove you bought it at that store, like a sales receipt. Boy oh boy, doesn't it just tick you off?
       Now imagine you bought a new, or even a late model used car, and you get a letter in the mail informing you that the car you bought has been recalled because of a faulty gizmo and you need to return it to the dealer for a retrofit. You can blame the manufacturer, but then nearly all makes get recalled at one time or another. Still, at least they're letting you know they goofed and want to make it right. Just make an appointment and bring it in.
       Imagine the consternation when I read that GM was giving out $25 gift cards to a variety of stores, theatres, and coffee houses if only you will actually just bring it in and get it fixed. Well, GM has sent out notices to several hundreds of thousands of car owners to please get your car fixed and get $25 to Starbucks. I mean, who doesn't want their car fixed, for free?
       Now if you're wondering why GM would be willing to pay car owners to get a free fix, it's because the government is demanding they fix those unsafe cars in most cases. So if you don't take your car in, they have to keep track of it and keep notifying you to do it. If you don't like getting all those recall notices, get the damned thing fixed already. I was just surprised that folks don't pay any attention to the notices in the first place, but I'll bet GM gets to clear up their files on a bunch of these recall lists now.

Make Em Pay!

       Here in Pennsylvania, as well as in many other states, requiring a  Voter Photo ID to vote was struck down by the courts. A lot of people are unhappy with those decisions requiring a driver's license or a birth certificate and one other ID. But many people never got a birth certificate. Their parents received a certificate of registration of the birth certificate which is not acceptable. I always thought that was the purpose of registering to vote.
       Now, in order to vote, if these laws were actually in effect, they would be forced to go, with their parent or sibling (since they have no photo ID) to a state office building in order to get a copy of the Birth Certificate at a cost of $20, needed to obtain that Photo ID at a PENNDOT license center where it costs $27.50 for the ID. And, the PENNDOT license center is not likely to be in the same city as the State building where he gets his birth certificate.
       The hardship and time, not to mention the transportation and fee costs, are an unfair burden on these otherwise lawful citizens with every legal right to vote. Especially when there is virtually no proven need for such identification, no proof of fraud. Many of these folks have been voting for many years, often at the same polling places. If such identification is truly necessary to vote, then it is incumbent upon the states to make the process completely free and easily accomplished.
       By free I mean the state must pay for transportation costs, time lost and access to the necessary identification, quickly and easily. Perhaps there should be a postal or internet option. Actually, the more likely voter fraud takes place between the time people cast their ballots and the time the votes are counted, unofficially and officially.
       So after the $47.50 cost, plus the fuel and wear and tear, or bus or taxi charges and the applicant's time and perhaps lost wages, I can't think of anyone who would feel happy being subjected to such expensive arrangements in order to do what should almost be a mandatory function of citizenship. Still there is that one in one hundred million cheater out there who will vote under an assumed name.