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normal1's Blog - June 2007

By normal1 - Jun 29th, 2007 at 4:14 pm EDT

I just read David S. Broder's editorial on VP Cheney in the Columbus Dispatch and, as is the case most of the time these days, all I could think was "Where the hell have you been?" But no, I would never think to talk to the man like Mr. Broder, that would be disrespectful. And that brings me to my point about how cheny broke my heart. I'm a fan of the Godfather movies and one of my favorite scenes is when Michael Corleon tells his brother Fredo "You broke my heart!" That is just such a stunning and brutal statement that conveys the deep disappointment and hurt that Michael felt when someone he trusted let him down. That's how I feel every American should feel about Cheny's behavior while serving our country: he let us down. He was the elder, the one people looked to when they got nervous about Bush. And, in most cultures, people respect and admire their elders, assuming they have wisdom accrued from years of trial and error, along with the humility amassed from learning from their mistakes. I know people like that and I am always open to learning from them. But what I think we've learned from this new old guard in the current administration is simply how to better cover your ass. Thanks, Dick.

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Anyone know of a dedicated site for debunkying conservative emails?

By normal1 - Jun 27th, 2007 at 11:52 am EDT

Does anyone know if there is a site dedicated to investigating those fear-mongering emails that my conservative relatives keep sending me? I know we have Snopes, but I was thinking it would be great if there was a dedicated site, or maybe this site could have something that debunks emails like the one I just got supposedly from a New Jersey housewife. Turns out it was by, you guessed it, a Republican speech-writer doing his part to keep the propaganda machine running. There's a lot of these so-called letters from real folks going around out there, so where's our letters to counteract them?

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Stirring the pot

By normal1 - Jun 25th, 2007 at 4:27 pm EDT

When Bush took office in 2000, I joked to everyone that we all better put our money into oil and energy funds 'cause they're gonna hit the roof. Well, I don't know how many of my friends did, but I did dip my newbie investor toe into some energy funds. Now, looking back, I realize that I could've really scored in other areas as well. Take the defense contractor money-maker. We all know the names by heart, don't we? I passed on making some hefty taxpayer subsidized profit (what a fool!) And here's one I completely missed: educational products to go along with the No Child pr campaign/vote-grabber. Although, it seems like there's another ugly story behind that program and the winners whose products were chosen. Still, I bet money was there to be made and I just let it pass me by. I mean, let's face it, we're living in an investor's economy and sometimes it seems like the best we can hope for is for the big sharks to leave us some scraps to get by. So, next time someone complains about high gas prices, just look at them with disgust and ask them why didn't they invest all the extra money they have lying around in oil companies? I mean, really!

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Customer disservice

By normal1 - Jun 25th, 2007 at 3:22 pm EDT

Excuse me, but I'm not standing in this line so I can enjoy the neck-sweat of the guy in front of me who's holding a toddler in one hand and, yes, a cell phone next to his ear. But, that's perfectly acceptable because the woman behind me is having a conversation with someone about a party they're going to go to later this Saturday afternoon. No, my real attention is on the cashier who is alternating serving customers both in her line and on the phone. And that's what got me thinking...We keep hearing complaints about everyday folks glued to their cells, but what about the marketplace that demands that their customer service professionals (CSP's) be outright rude to customers to our faces by directing their attention to the phone while (halfheartedly) "serving" us? That got me thinking again, about how much our behavior is influenced by the current business climate. I'm sure there are books on this, but I am of the belief that we, consumers, are at the mercy of marketing engines that operate for, and out of some of the biggest corporations in the world today. I think we have been patronized for so long that we have started to believe the phony psycho babble that tells us that "we deserve this product" or implies to us that we are so cool that we already own said product. So, I guess the term sheep comes to mind....

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