Greedy. . .

. . . you bet!

(from "GREEDY BASTARD$, How We can Stop Corporate Communists, Banksters, and Other Vampires from Sucking America Dry" by Dyland Ratigan, Simon & Schuster, New York, Copyright © 2012 by Dylan Ratigan)

". . . When it comes to influencing legislators; votes, nothing is more powerful than the threat of cutting off whatever resource an industry supplies to voters.  Brooksley Born, chair of the Commodity Futures Trade Commission from 1996 to 1999, a small agency charged with regulating futures markets, saw the danger of the "swaps" market long before the financial collapse of 2008 and warned the CTFC to regulate it before problems snowballed.  Michael Greenberger, former CFTC director of trading and markets told the 2009 PBS Frontline program "The Warning" that when Born proposed the new rules, which would have increased visibility and price integrity for the investment banks selling CDO monster bonds, then deputy secretary of the Treasury Larry Summers called to tell her to stop.  Summers had thirteen bankers in his office at that minute with a lot to lose if her rules were put into effect.  As Greenberger recollected, Summers told Born that all the bankers agreed that regulating "swaps" would "cause the worst financial crisis since the end of World War II."  Those bankers had the leverage to say: stop what you want to do, or the system will go down and the voters won't forgive your party for decades.

Ten years later, after a series of financial crises like those Born had warned about, banksters were still using the same threats to protect their profits.  Sheila Bair, chair of the FDIC from 2006 to 2011, to the New York Times Magazine as her term was ending, "They would say, 'You have to do this or the system will go down.'  If I heard that once, I heard it a thousand times.  'Citi is systemic, you have to do this.'  No analysis, no meaningful discussion.  It was very frustrating. . . "

". . . "If you don't give me what I want, I can meaningfully disrupt the flow of something that your constituents can't live without. . . "

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When I see that look. . .

. . . upon your face

I know that I've been dealt an
Ace of hearts
Something starts.
Pulse is pounding like a conga drum
The blood goes rushing to and from
My head
Turns my face to red

So ante-up and hit me once then hit me twice
The stakes are high you know I've got to keep as cool as ice
This game we're in together
Could end as quickly as it starts
But I'll just take my chances
I'll just take my chances
'Cause I know that I'm have you and you're my
Ace of hearts my Ace of hearts
I know that I have you and you're my ace of hearts

Deal me in I'm staying for the course
And if I lose don't feel remorse for me
You will always be
In my every breath and in my soul
When chips are down you take
Control and then
Bring me back again

So ante-up and hit me once then hit me twice
The stakes are high you know I've got to keep as cool as ice
This game we're in together
Could end as quickly as it starts
But I'll just take my chances
I'll just take my chances
'Cause I know that I'm have you and you're my
Ace of hearts my Ace of hearts
I know that I have you and you're my ace of hearts


ACE OF HEARTS
© 1992 Raymond M. Jozwiak




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Ever think. . .

. . . that you'd have to TELL your kids how to find something online?. . .

. . . and have you ever seen Stanley and the Dinosaurs???

Dinosuars??!!!   (Not Us!)


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Somebody's. . .

. . . got to do something. . .

(rough draft of Dylan Ratigan's Constitutional Amendment)
No person, corporation, or business entity, domestic or foreign, shall be allowed to contribute money, directly or indirectly, to any candidate for federal office or to contribute money on behalf of or opposed to an type of campaign for federal office.  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, campaign contributions to candidates for federal office shall not constitute speech of any kind as guaranteed by the US constitution or any amendment to the US constitution.  Congress shall set forth a holiday for the purpose of voting for candidates for federal office.

http://www.dylanratigan.com/
http://dailybail.com/home/democracy-for-sale-dylan-ratigans-constitutional-amendment-g.html
http://www.voterocky.org/contact

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Say again. . .

. . . ????

 "I will not let my people live in the shadow of annihilation. . . " 

I will begin the annihilation! 

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So this is where I stand . . .

. . . in my dispute. . .

We received your letter dated 2/16/2012 on Saturday, 3/3/2012 and we're sorry to hear that your firm is unwilling to consider the position of a former good customer who could be a returning customer.

We talked with several 'Customer Service' representatives on 12/22/2011, were told and realized what we had done wrong not canceling the remaining inactive phone and thought it was settled.  Then we got another bill which prompted another letter from us and a response from you dated 2/2/2012 that stated, in part, "Unfortunately, our Customer Relations team does not handle account cancellations."  That was a surprise!  Why didn't they tell us that on December 22nd?  

We called again on 2/6/2012 and spoke with several more ‘Customer Service’ representatives and that was when someone did take the initiative to transfer us to the Customer Care Department to formally cancel the last phone.

While we would like to have the one remaining phone cancelled at the same time we transferred the other phones, we are willing to pay the charges due on that last remaining inactive telephone up to 12/22/2011. Also, since this issue has been in dispute since 12/22/2011, we ask that you kindly remove the past due charges.  No tangible service was provided to the phone (ending in 4461) anyway between late summer 2011 and 2/6/2012 and that can be verified by your records.

You got us on a technicality for a phone that wasn't even in use. 

We hope that you will kindly re-consider the situation with these facts in mind and forward a revised bill to 12/22/2011 for us to pay and consider this matter closed.

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At Brewer’s Alley . . .

. . .  Songwriters’ Showcase this Monday, March 5, Mr. Rod Deacy tells us. . .

 ". . . we welcome back one of my personal favorites, a dynamic performer and terrific songwriter well-known in the DC area -- JUSTIN TRAWICK! Mr. Trawick is a bundle of energy, with great chops and a bunch of literate and interesting songs, which adds up to a riveting show!
    
Justin always brings fans with him, too, which will be a shot in the arm – Brewer’s Alley has been a little less full than we like these last few weeks… I know it’s hard to get motivated to leave the warm and comfortable home cocoon on a winter evening – but we need you at Brewer’s Alley! Please come out and support FREE LIVE ACOUSTIC MUSIC on a Monday evening – you don’t have to stay up late, as we finish around 10:30 pm, but we need a full room, not only because it enables us to keep putting on the Showcase, but because it makes for a better experience for our performers – who play for free… Frederick is a culture-rich town that only stays that way with strong support!
  
For the piano prelude this week, we welcome Rhianon! As usual, come early to find good seats for the evening and to catch the entire 30 minutes of the prelude. You can come upstairs from 7:15 pm on (sometimes earlier if Sarah is ready; performers can come up when they arrive).

For three-song cameo performers this week, we have Canadian-born now Maryland resident Eugene Benjamin, and the splendid duo of Kate Maguire  and Claudia SanSoucie known as Beggar’s Ride; Kate and Claudia are featuring in August. Todd’s Pick is Scott Barrett, a regular performer in local venues… We will also be hearing from the usual crew; poet John Holly reciting his poems in between other performers, Tomy Wright, playing percussion, then guitar and singing at the end of the evening, plus Todd C. Walker who also takes photos, helps emcee and helps run sound. We plan on Tomy, Todd and I all playing after the feature this week, as we haven’t had much microphone time recently…

Tomy One M Wright will be joined again by Ron Goad this week – together they form the Semi-Grateful Percussion Section…  (I figured Semi-Grateful was better than Almost Dead…) I promise that no other Showcase in the USA has percussion like us! And watch out this week, as Mister Goad says his “thoughts are turning to Spring,” whatever that means… Is he going to vacuum out his car again? Polish his djembe? Hammer out the dents in his hi-hat? Only he knows… I’m pretty sure it’s too soon for him to start wearing shorts again, but stranger things have happened…"

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