Easy Money

   We're down to the final push before November 2nd. What are Conservatives saying? Vote for us and we will "appease" the wealthiest of Americans with tax breaks. In return, the wealthiest of Americans will discontinue their strategy of holding America hostage and they will hire a few million Americans, at minimum wage (which they plan on eliminating). It's easy money, America.

If the economy is really so bad...

How are dozens of candidates raising MILLIONS in two weeks?

The Lighter Side - YouTube

The "big picture". In America, arguably the most dynamic nation on our home planet, any discussion of "the big picture" must include some reference to YouTube. "Even more relevant than Facebook?", you may be asking yourself. Yes, in fact MUCH more relevant. To understand YouTube and it's current role in the process of progress, it's important to familiarize yourself with the website. For some of you, this may seem pointless. After all, YouTube is just a "guilty pleasure" isn't it? It's the website where you find "viral videos" of cute kitties and bikini-clad Obama fans. While YouTube does offer a vast catalog of kitties and cuties and failed backflips, it offers much more (just ask Philip DeFranco or Michael Buckley). And you have almost certainly contributed to the success of YouTube as a revenue generator by simply watching videos embedded in your local news affiliate website or virtually any website, even here on blogger. And THAT is the crux of the matter...revenue generation. YouTube is a "business opportunity" for literally anyone that has access to a 6 year old computer and a $20 used "digicam". The basic requirement to share in the ad revenue? Upload videos somewhat consistently and develop a "viewer base". Granted, it does require an effort and a significant number of hours per week to actually make a living wage, but the OPPORTUNITY itself is available to virtually any American. For most, it can be a nice bit of additional income and valuable experience in "social marketing" as well as a great way to meet new friends. Sounds pretty rosey, but that is the "big picture" regarding YouTube. And it's a VERY bright spot in our otherwise stagnant and crippled "economy" that is dominated by multinational corporations that outsource manufacturing jobs. Not so much because YouTube is going to make everyone self-employed and improve our standard of living, but because it IS an available opportunity and the business model of a YouTube "partner" can be applied to a wide variety of enterprises. While conservatives whine and wail about "no jobs because Wall Street executives are taxed too much", I don't hear the Democrats even hinting that there are opportunities available to everyone and America should be leading the way in developing a technology-based economic revival. The technology is available TODAY that would create energy "partners", a system that would allow individuals to sell their "surplus" energy to other consumers. The surplus could be generated by wind, solar, thermal, even generators powered by exercise bicycles. However, applying this technology requires an INVESTMENT in constructing and upgrading a "smart grid" (power grid). It's one of those fairly common circumstances where we have to "spend our way to prosperity". Much like any business venture that lays out a business plan to BORROW the start-up funding from a bank or other investment group, the construction of the smart grid will require some borrowed money. Which also means, we will never have an "energy partner" system as long as Republicans and Corporations have any opportunity to block the "business plan" and deny the funding. By the way, the upgrade would also provide systemic "regulation" of price-gouging and other "Enron-style" vehicles for ill-gained profits and revenues because of the inherent transparency of a partnered grid. We've come a long way since the days of the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956, or have we?
   For information on YouTube Partner program, click here
   You can find Philip DeFranco here
   You can find Michael Buckley here

Progress - Tea Party style

The Washington Post Headline reads:

British Budget Cuts to Include Nearly 500k job losses

   While the headline is a bit "wordy", the article itself is quite short and to the point. According to the "Coalition government", Britain is simply "broke". They have "no money". And it all happened in just a year or two, imagine that. Slightly less than 500,000 people will lose their jobs in the next 4 years as a DIRECT result of the looming "poverty plan" set for a vote in the Parliament (expected to pass). 

   Sound familiar? In America, the Republican Party is advocating a "poverty plan" of their own. Stop ALL "discretionary spending", in fact, just "stop everything" (except military spending, of course). And that IS a "fact". And the headline will read:

Republican Plan for Poverty Works! America is Poor

   Progress is a funny, fickle thing sometimes. Two steps forward...and then we elect Republicans (Conservatives) to "reign in" our progress and remind us that there really is an uber-wealthy "class" that cannot be knocked from their perch, even if it means the "common folk" lose their jobs and homes and schools and retirement accounts and disability safety nets and, essentially, their free will. Are Americans really so desperate they will turn to the Corporate Masters and "Masters of the Universe" to lead them like sheep to the slaughter? The elimination of health care as a basic right. The elimination of simple minimum wage requirements for your labor. The elimination of a guaranteed education. The elimination of freedom to practice the religion of your choice. The elimination of safety requirements for your workplace and yes, your FOOD. The elimination of MILLIONS of JOBS that forces Americans to accept housing and food in return for their labor because the "competitive labor market" drives wages down to the basic necessities? In other words, slavery is reborn under a new name and called "employment". Ah yes, my inner "spoiled brat" liberal has come to the surface, eh? 

     http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/20/AR2010102002989.html