The R-Word

Recession; In the span of no more a few months the word is now ‘fair game’ in America.

An American Recession, no less. After only a handful months these two words can be freely connected in advertisements and in public media formats.

This after a time in which any Democrat or liberal spoke of a coming recession they were dismissed as ‘kooks’ and ‘doomsayers.’

I was one of those ’doomsayers.’ And I was right.

While the prevailing wisdom is to downplay a sick economy and a weak dollar I do not believe this to be the correct course of action.

If the economy is sick, we should know about it.

If the dollar is about to drop, we should know about it.

If a stock is about to devalue, we should know about it.

And on, and on.

I believe that one of the reasons we have suffered this recession is due to this very mentality combining with the ‘greed is good’ mentality.

A broadcaster, a stock quote broker, a banker or an economic journalist has no benefit to being truthful to their audience and every benefit to simply remaining mute. Or worse yet, talking up a business, stock or concept that they know to be unsound.

The idea that saying into a camera or many media outlet the raw truth of the economy as being a detriment to that economy is false.

The investors and consumers need to be able to make informed decisions. If those trusted to give honest and credible advise are proven to simply communicate in a ’one answer only’ situation then the reality of market hazards remain the sole property of those already succeeding in market endeavors.

Leaving us, the common people, out in the rain.

 

Eric Lightborn

http://ericlightborn.blogspot.com

March 29th 2009

Caps-Lock Engaged America

“populist outcry”

“socialist agenda”

“economic outrage”

We are hear these words connected in the Big Buzz of the Media, lately.

We live in a state of economic chaos. Right now, today.

As an internet-blogger I call this state we exist in “Caps-Lock Engaged America.”

My need to translate everything into internet terminology is no doubt why I prefer this way of describing the current state of affairs in America.

These pundits and talk show hosts of the right wing seek to drum up fear in the public, nothing more.

In the absence of logical arguments they simply wish their audiences to suspend all logic and proceed to believe in conspiracies.

The left wing is busying itself with AIG-Hate while shunning these new Populists as madmen and radicals. We are neither.

These are the very same kind of ‘madmen’ and ‘radicals’ who helped to form the Democratic Party of our day, but I digress.

There is no shame in being upset. But direct your anger.

President George W. Bush spent this country broke as if it was his personal play-thing to abuse and mistreat as he would.

One of the primary functions of a President of the United States of America is to be a Steward of the American Economy.

The previous President not only failed in this, he failed so miserably that his actions in this area specifically are in fact criminal.

President Bush had an obligation to use his position to inform America of the coming recession. Yet he joined in the chorus of conservatives who claimed all was well in the economic seas.

The ’proper’ blame doesn’t stop there.

The major leaders of financial institutions, those chairing relevant boards and countless figures in the media all failed in this exact same respect. 

These individuals had a duty to the American public to inform them of an impending crisis that would directly effect their home life and personal budget.

These individuals knowingly withheld information from investors and consumers in a clear effort to destroy any chances we had at mitigating the coming storm.

Some moved funds into bonds instead of stocks. Some transferred funds into foreign currencies. Some bought precious metal portfolios.

But many more simply did not know or would not listen to those like myself who warned of this coming American Recession.

 

Eric Lightborn

http://ericlightborn.blogspot.com

March 29th 2009

Word processing like a madman lately…

NYC Central Park

Media-Watchdog? Come Again?

This is the only reason I call myself a Media-Watchdog, one of the last of the breed.

These are just some of my saved email contacts from my personal email account.

crooksandliars@gmail.com
feedback@realclearpolitics.com
mail@journalism.org
yourcomments@foxnews.com
info@ap.org
pres@kqed.org
scoop@huffingtonpost.com
tips@hotair.com
press@thedailybeast.com

Just a sample, there‘s more. (Hot Air is highly partisan, by the by.)

Just making a point. And hoping you’ll input your own thoughts to these addresses.

Whatever good public emailing your my real name and address attached has, you can bet I did it.

And will do it again.
–
Most likely, standing while typing one-handed just like this. (Someone take a picture, I look journalistic!)
–
This post is just to dispel any confusion out there in terms of who exactly the real media-watchdogs of America exactly are.

That would be me, Eric Lightborn. The Non-Profit Student Blogger. And that’s pretty much it.

 

Eric Lightborn
http://americapress.wordpress.com
March 22nd 2009

Non-Profit — For Now

I am a Internet Proliferator.

Completely Non-Profit source of links, news, opinion and information.

I call this Internet Activism.

The fact that I suddenly started blogging in December of 2008, didn’t change my world view or political perspective.

While internet communication is less effective than real activism or even letter campaigns it still holds value in it‘s semi-permanent nature.

Nonetheless, here is a small piece of what it means to be contacted by a Non-Profit Blogger:
–
DONATE, IF YOU CAN AFFORD TO!

http://redcross.org

Two Faux Interviews: Weblog & Hannity Humor

Q: “Where did you hear that pile of nonsense?”

A: “I read it on your blog.”

Q: “People actually read those things?”

=======================================

(and now .. for something completely different!)

=======================================

 

Sean Hannity

Quote from Sean Hannity (Fox Radio) to caller:

Q: “What left-wing liberal blog did you read that off of!?!”

A: “Eric Lightborn’s Blog!!!”

Populists Are Not “Dangerous,” Alan Colmes!

Why are you calling us populists ‘dangerous‘?

Now I draw my ‘blogging-sword’ on you. And we are both liberals! And in the same party! Ugh! What a bother!

Explain how this vague ‘progressive movement’ is doing anything worth salt for anyone? President Obama has always identified himself a liberal and not a progressive, as have you.

A Populist Liberal is allowed to exist.

Did not Hillary Clinton label herself a progressive, and then shortly thereafter lose the primary to a man who recognizes himself as a liberal?

Explain why it is a good idea to have a mainly divided and thus mostly useless party?

We are all Americans first, and political party members second.

The Populists of America run the convenience stores at late hours, made your coffee you drank this morning, wired your network and assembled your car. We are the people who smiled at you today in the store.

The liberal progressives of America run the local non-profits, political discussion groups and local activism groups.

If the progressive movement was doing it’s job for the people of America the recession we are suffering would have been common knowledge for the American household.

If voices like mine were present in the corporate -biased media then the great sham pulled on us all would have been aired out, if not entirely prevented.

You called me a terrorist. You might not have meant as much but that’s what it boils down to.

You said you think people like me are just trying to steam up the public for the sake of it.

That’s BS. If you are not angry; then you are not an American. End of story.

“There’s no thinking involved.”

BS. (Read my stuff about AIG Bonuses and get ready to be shocked.)

“They just want to throw all the bums out.” (Not all of them; just some of them.)

Damn straight. I’m calling for resignations across the board. Shame on you for not using your platform to do this as well. We only need action at this stage. You should join me in this, but please run your own affairs as you will.

“They just tell them what they want to hear.”

My messages hasn’t changed. The right wing morphs itself into whatever it does. (American Populism is found in this quote.)

“You know Hitler used populism to get what he wanted.”

Hitler!?! I thought we agreed that bringing up Hitler ends your argument before you can make it. You’ve said as much yourself many times.

I remind you that the Nazi Movement was a Progressive Movement, as well as Populist.

Registered Democratic voter. Poor and unemployed American. Populist. All the same thing in my book.

The form of progressive I am is a religious progressive.

Lastly, all these right wingers using this to promote lies and BS are just using righteous rage to boost ratings. They would try to profit off a orphan, if you ask me.

Why do we have to fight? This is stupid. Your on my team for almost everything I can say. Yet, now we must bicker about the 20% where we don’t agree.

It’s a shame you can’t see this new populist rage is not some weird phenomena but rather the express will of the people. The fundamental nature of all democracy.

Anarchism Versus Populism

Ever reviled, accursed, ne’er understood,
Thou art the grisly terror of our age.
“Wreck of all order,” cry the multitude,
“Art thou, and war and murder’s endless rage.”
O, let them cry. To them that ne’er have striven.
The truth that lies behind a word to find,
To them the word’s right meaning was not given.
They shall continue blind among the blind.
But thou, O word, so clear, so strong, so pure.
Thou sayest all which I for goal have taken.
I give thee to the future! Thine secure.
When each at least unto himself shall waken.
Comes it in sunshine? In the tempest’s thrill?
I cannot tell — but it the earth shall see!
I am an Anarchist! Wherefore I will.
Not rule, and also ruled I will not be!
                       – John Henry Mackay

I draw your attention simply to the first nine lines of this quote, and have included it in it’s entirety for a full perspective.

I believe we have suffered this current Global / American Recession in a large part to the economic strategy of ‘greed is good’ and more specifically the enactment of Anarcho-Capitalism in our banking, mortgage and credits markets the United States of America.

A lack of sound order and a lack of logical policies, will only ultimately lead to a lack of accountability from authority.

A populist does not reject authority, or rule, outright. Rather a populist is prone to ask:

“By right to do govern? Whom do you serve?”

While I will express a degree of fondness for Pure Anarchism in which all property is outright theft … I find the whole ideology unworkable and only expressly attainable in small, sustainable, isolated communities. Much like Marxism is all looks good for an intellectual discussion and quid-pro-quo debating but in a real world setting the whole underlying concepts quickly become revealed as nothing but an ideologist’s dream work.

America of 2009 needs real solutions and not simply an outpouring of sentiment to ’make AIG pay you back’ but rather a hopeful outpouring of people willing to listen. People willing to engage.

The Presidency of Barack Obama is a stepping stone in a much larger and much longer road.

We must begin to demand the highest standards of our leaders on both Wall Street and Capitol Hill.

It is not not wrong to want justice. It is not wrong to want fairness. It is not wrong to question authority.

I am a Populist! Wherefore I will.
Not to rule, but to question the value of our rulers to us.

Coffee Buzz

(Inspired by this post. Dunkin Donuts versus McDonalds coffee.)

How many people at Starbucks, McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts, 7-11 know about measuring your bean grind to right ratio to your brew pot?

How many know about how a brew-bar pour, done right, is the best way to drink your coffee?

How many lovingly dismantle and re-mantle the equipment to clean?

How many of these franchise workers can explain what kind of grind is best for what kind of coffee?

Or more to the point how many of them deal in local roasters, fair trade beans and keep in close personal contact with one another as an industry?

I am a fan of Hyper Dynamic Business Models!

But then again, this is just a coffee buzz!

My Net-Insanity Has Reached an Apex (Internet Security)

I am the Internet Security Nihilist!

This is the “feel free to rip-me-off” attitude, only as far as all this net-chatter & net-postings goes anyway.

I have officially become a Twitter-geek.

I have, or will, join any social network they create.

(Look daddy! Every time a bell rings, a social network gets it‘s wings!)

I have been doing this for a lot longer than you might think for a twenty-six year old. The internet-geek itself thing, I mean.

Now all my multiple profiles, and some blogs with little Twitter Update windows, are integrated. I can text message randomness “on-the-go” into my cell phone and everyone can see it. (Until they tear it off their profile settings. Nobody mystified ever ASKS THE WIZARD HOW TO DO IT anyway, so…)

Furthermore, anything I do on Twitter is re-posted into Facebook instantly & thanks to these wild little things running about called Apps that I know of at least one person who is doing fine right now, thanks entirely to.

My cycle of internet-madness is now complete., more or less.

Why do this?

Am I so trendy that just because something is catching on that I must go immediately partake?

I make no personal apologizes about being ’trendy’ and constantly in on the latest ’fad,’ but that’s not why I am doing the Twitter. I see the internet as having two functions and most everything else is just dressing on the side. (Images, Videos, etc.)

***

Connectivity and Useful Information.

CONNECTIVITY: While communication itself is something far beyond the limits of 150 text characters, the essence of all primal communication comes down to one simply concept.

Saying: “I’m here! I’m existing, right now!”

The “What Are You Doing? / Status Update” phenomena may baffle some, but I remain a fan.

I remind fellow bloggers you can widen your audience significantly by using these features in any free social networking settling. (Copy and paste, copy and paste!)

“Read My Blog! This is Not a Commercial! Read My Weblog Today! No ads! Non-profit American citizen blogging made for you!”

If you can “text-speak” you fit almost anything into 150. Leading out to your real thoughts in weblog format.

USEFUL INFORMATION:

Reviewing my ever-growing links list on this blog is one way to find what I call useful information. Reading almost any blog posting I do most likely has some form of useful information, as far I see it.

I always enable and post non-spam comments.

I am willing to review almost any information laid before me and try the use the motto of ‘source me’ as a standard. I stay off right-wing sites but am not against their existence.

However, I will say that at least one of them engaged in illegal activity over the past presidential campaign of America and faced no legal repercussions.

This is not my job.

A watch-dog watches his post nothing more. So let’s hear it is my response to any conservative or libertarian. Give me your useful information and I’ll give you mine.

To those who stand only to hear their own opinions echoed back at them I warn you that might have deal with someone with an independent mind in the comment section. Sometimes perhaps “independence” is not what is going on, but let’s hear it anyway.

My useful information is this: Research the Web-lingo “Pic Collectors” and run a keyword search on “Facial Recognition Software.”

Ever driven by a stop light at most any major intersection of America? You’re on candid camera!!

Praise for Jim Cramer of Mad Money

“The age of laize fair economics is over. We need rules.”

“Obama & Geithner are doing the right thing.” 

 “People who review this show through a political lens always fail to understand. I’ll be critical of Obama when he is doing bad and support him when he is doing good.”

  The third quote is how I feel in my political blogging efforts. If I see it, I’m calling it out. I don’t care if they are in my party or not.

 It is possible that all the recent bad PR (which I was part of) surrounding Cramer has evoked this more straight-forward way of simply saying that he could be wrong as I just heard him do.

Personally, I think this wise. I am sure there are some who might muse:

“But if he might me wrong then why should we take stock advise from him? Why not just ask some random guy off the street?”

Well he actually has worked in private industry and knows a thing or two. Should anyone swear by his approvals or disprovals? No.

But I am seeing this new face of Mad Money, and I like it. Just like it should be. An everyday person’s stock quote show.

Let’s Talk About Gangs

I just broke down the entire gang-structure of our area for my mother after she asked and suddenly realized that I have some amount of knowledge on this. And some small level of understanding of what role I can play in terms of the issue as a whole.

 “Live by the sword, die by the sword.”

 These words sum up my personal feelings towards owning weapons. However, the issue is not as simple as my personal reservations.

“Let the fittest survive, and the weak be food for the strong.”

This is not some crazed sentiment bandied about in movies or rap music but rather a fundamental way of thinking. A way of thinking I call being ‘criminal minded‘. This sole element is what I can relate to when speaking within my own experiences.

In a certain mindset people become ‘marks‘ and therefore weak enough to steal from or kill if necessary. 

I understand well what it means to want to take without asking and claim what is ours by right of the fact that you were clever enough to take it.

But it is a cycle of destruction. And nothing more.

While gang ‘culture’ abounds it seems to me that many simply fail to understand how exceedingly complex these issues are.

I simply cannot discuss much of what I know here on this format, but there are things I can do.

Like say that my local police department has failed to properly guard against gang violence. Is the same true for you? Look into it.

In my experiences I have spoken with many former-affiliated individuals and most anything I understand is simply second-hand from them.

The only organization I can freely decry is the Cartel. They have invaded US territory in so many facets for so many years it is almost immeasurable. The phrase: “They are everywhere” applies here. But nonetheless the government takes open and often hostile actions against them. Therefore I know I can attack them by name and I am not alone.

My question is simple: Who will back me if I start denouncing local gangs or individuals? 

I don’t wish to do this but rather am making a point. In the absence of a clear and present resistance to the spreading of gangland violence in my neighborhood I am remiss to start laying the issue out.

I encourage action over discourse in this specific matter, the danger of inaction is too high.