If I listened to everything the media is telling me, I would be BATSHIT CRAZY! I would be constantly depressed and would ‘actually need’ the pharmaceuticals that they bombard us with during commercial break.

….

BREAKING NEWS, we’ve got the same information as we did 10 minutes ago, but stay tuned because we want to repeat the same information in a tone that conveys Emergency and Authority, again. Hear what we say and go to work and repeat it like a parrot. Induce fear. Create anxiety. Fudge the numbers. Use irrelevant statistics. Label people. Label things. Become the ultimate sheeple!

….

What’s better than a strategy that plays on people’s fear?

…I am so glad I left the news business!

Whatever happened to hard hitting journalism? I guess it doesn’t matter when you have a ‘pretty face’ telling you what THEY THINK you should know.

News seems nothing more than sensational key words, fancy graphics and fictitious numbers….all wrapped up in that all too familiar “I know better than you tone!”

SWEEPS!

Thankfully, there are such things as logic, common sense and critical thinking. (…and Charlie Sheen)

Second year in a row that I have noticed that Google doesn’t like Mexicans

err…rather they do not change their logo for Cinco De Mayo.

Wonder if this has anything to do with their political views?

It’s here for all of you to enjoy! So go ahead and spread the word.
I will be updating and adding videos to it daily.

I’m not here to push any political agenda. Nor do I side with any political party.

I found this news clip of President Barack Obama asserting:

“…We are the only nation on Earth that leaves millions of people without health insurance.”

That assertion does not sit well with me, and I’d love to know what everyone else thinks.

Really?
Out of all 190+ countries we are the ONLY nation that doesn’t provide health insurance for millions of people? REALLY?

This is not true! What about all the 3rd world nations?

Did his prompter slip? (I do not like scripted politics…If you speak the truth it should come from the heart, not from a teleprompter!)
Did his speech writer overlook something?
Was he trying to ad lib?
Does he and his administration think we are that misinformed?

Hmmmm…makes me wonder.

What do you think about this? Leave a comment =)

…and if I am wrong, let me know why.
I’d prefer to be educated on the matter, rather than be slandered and belittled.

-Ego

Dead!

David Kellermann, the acting chief financial officer for the *bunk* mortgage company Freddie Mac, was found dead at his home in Reston, Virginia. Authorities received a call from Kellermann’s wife this morning at 4:48am(4-22-09), indicating that she found his body in the basement. As of now it appears to be a suicide with no signs of foul-play.

You can check out the latest NYSE numbers for Freddie Mac HERE.

Kellermann was 41 years old and had been working with Freddie Mac for 16 years. He was appointed as acting CFO in September 2008, after Anthony Piszel stepped down.

More to come…

-Ego

Batteries Required!

Check out TaxDayTeaParty.com for the location of a “Tea Party” near you!(not to be confused with a lemon party…)

At first glance you might view the people attending these rallies to be radical idealists, or gun-toting Americans…but, what you’d be missing is these people are exercising their 1st Amendment rights, and are voicing their displeasure on the way things in Washington are being handled.

If it weren’t for people who take a stand against the government, who knows where we’d be right now…

Take a look at my post about “What Does The ‘Bill of Rights’ Mean for You?”
If that doesn’t get you motivated to use YOUR VOICE, then I don’t what will!

-Ego

Tune In or Be Left Out!

Ok, go…

It’s interesting to note the amount of people who hear something once and then repeat it to someone else as fact.
What’s even more alarming is the amount of people who repeat things they heard on the news(television), without having researched this information for themselves.
Very seldom does someone hear something and look further into it(self-education).

Rule of thumb:
Just because it’s on T.V. doesn’t make it real/factual.
(Just because the news reports it doesn’t make it true.)

There is a VERY closely calculated formula in News media.
This is the result of years and years of research and development.
The people who write the anchors’ scripts use key words which have been researched/polled to capture and hold(hostage) your attention.

For more on the manipulative-biased-media-formula read my post HERE.

Don’t be so trusting of anything coming out of the T.V. box…

Here is an excellent post on “Detecting Bias In News Media,” from fair.org

-Ego

YOU CAN’T HONESTLY TELL ME YOU KNOW IT ALL FROM LEARNING IT IN SCHOOL!

DON’T LET OTHERS MAKE DECISIONS FOR YOU!!!

YOU HAVE RIGHTS, REMEMBER?

STAND UP FOR YOU AND YOUR COUNTRY!

Interestingly enough until yesterday, when it was brought to my attention, I realized that I barely remember all of my rights as a citizen of the United States of America…Tisk Tisk!

I asked myself, “Do I have rights that are not specifically outlined in the Constitution?”

So, I decided to take a look at the “Bill of Rights,” and was surprised at what I found!

…I will list the first 10 Amendments, But I will focus mainly on two VERY IMPORTANT, yet widely unknown amendments and the rights they GAURANTEE…

You need to look at the Constitution as an outline of what the Federal Government can and cannot do, unless an additional Amendment is ratified.

…Also, I’m not a lawyer or a government official, just a citizen of the United States, who would like to see everyone playing a more important role in OUR government.

…We’re all too familiar with the wicked ways of Washington…so please read on, and feel free to share your opinions and comments with me.
If I’ve stated something wrong, feel free to educate me and help me better understand….

1st. Amendment:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

2nd. Amendment:

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

3rd. Amendment:

No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

4th. Amendment:

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

5th. Amendment:

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

6th. Amendment:

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.

7th. Amendment:

In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

8th. Amendment:

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

—————————————————-

Article focus…

9th. Amendment:

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people. Bill of Rights [source: Archives.gov]

Here’s a neat article written about the “Silent 9th Amendment“

Lets break it down for citizens who lack understanding…

• The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights,
  The list of basic rights in the Constitution

• shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people
  shall not be interpreted to deny or denounce other rights retained by the people
  • I can’t make it any clearer, if you still can’t see through the wool, then look up the following words:
    • Enumeration
    • Construed
    • Disparage
    • Retained

10th. Amendment:

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people. Bill of Rights [source: Archives.gov]

Breakdown…

• The US federal government is authorized to exercise only those powers which are specifically given to it in the Constitution. Nothing more, and nothing less. (from PopulistAmerica.com)
• Here’s the Wikipedia.org page on the 10th Amendment.

———————————————————-

Do not let the current band of suit-wearing monkeys tell us that they need to re-interpret these or any other amendment!

Bottom line…The founding fathers did not intend for re-interpretation of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence, or any other historical document…if they did they would have written them down when they created the damn things!!! (By the way, 35 of the 55 founding fathers were indeed lawyers!)

After having read this I suggest, the next time you hear about something being done with our civil liberties, to stand the fuck up and speak your mind!(and when/if you do, I just hope you view life as an optimistic skeptic!)

-Ego

Know It!

NOTE: I do not agree with any one political party, and refuse to associate myself with any one ideology(I pick and pull the most logical concepts and ideas from all parties). I do, however, support the right to think for yourself!

Click Here, to get your FREE pocket-sized Constitution, from AskHeritage.org
(NOTE: I do not endorse of support anything at the above website, except for the free Constitution.)

Click Here, to order large quantities of the pocket-sized Constitution(100 copies for $30 dollars, free s/h), provided by NCCS.net

Click Here, to order large quantities of the pocket-sized Constitution in both English & Spanish(unit price plus s/h), provided by ConstitutionFacts.com

Click Here, to review the original Constitution and all of the Historical Documents in their original form (as well as a transcript of each document) at the National Archives via Archives.org

Click Here, to test your current knowledge of your rights & the Constitution by taking the Constitution Fact Quiz, provided by ConstitutionFacts.com

“A primary object should be the education of our youth in the science of government. In a republic, what species of knowledge can be equally important? And what duty more pressing than communicating it to those who are to be the future guardians of the liberties of the country?”
-George Washington

Educate your fellow man, set your differences aside and help pull the wool off from over someone else’s eyes!

-Ego

Why is news still regarded as ‘Programming?”
…or better yet, why is the content broadcast on the television still regarded as “Programming?”

Don't forget to purchase your digital conversion box, you might miss your 'Regularly Scheduled Programming!'

There seems to be no ‘Right’ or ‘Wrong’ to watch the NEWS, but personally I think there are a few things to keep in mind when watching television news(or reading a newspaper or listening to the radio), so you may emerge with logical/common-sensical information.

1. NEWS stands to make a profit, bottom line.
2. The written formula of news is very carefully calculated.
3. Key words are used to capture and keep your attention.
4. Music is added for a sense of dramatic urgency(Television & Radio news).

A few Propaganda Techniques(all part of today’s news media & political campaigns):

• Double Speak (language constructed to disguise it’s meaning)[?Friendly-Fire?]
• Fear (emotional control, most effective)[?Terror?]
• Name-Calling (labeling, discrediting)[?Terrorist?]
• Glittering Generalities (vague terms w/ strong connotations)[?Just Words, Just Speeches?]
• Card Stacking (selective omission of facts)[?A One Sided Perspective?]
• Band-Wagon (one side is more popular, join or be left out)[?Political & Advertising Strategy?]
  • The use of ‘surveys & polls’ are evidence of this(not everyone participates, so they are inaccurate to begin with). Same with statistics.
• Pinpointing The Enemy (to over-simplify a complex situation)[?The War on Terror?Al Qaeda?]
• …etc…[More here: Propaganda Techniques]

First off, we are EMOTIONAL beings before we are RATIONAL beings.
This means, scientifically we have proven that when an individual is first confronted with any situation/information, unknown or known, it is first processed through the emotional part of the brain. Only then can we begin the rational/logical process of sifting out the ‘crap’ information and making sense of it all.

From my own experience, I’ve noticed that a large majority of people blindly accept information that they hear on the news to be factual, they then repeat such information to other people.
I rarely have fortune of meeting someone who actively looks under the surface of mainstream news and correlates information from multiple sources.
There are always two sides to each story, yet when I hear a news organization state that, for example, they are “Fair and Balanced” it makes me want to cringe…just because THEY SAY IT doesn’t mean it’s true.
Bottom line…there are just too many things happening all at once to be able to validate everything.

“Think about how stupid the average person is; now realize half of them are dumber than that.”
- George Carlin

Back to the main point…

When I said that most people don’t look deeper into a news story, I was not talking about looking into their favorite celebrity gossip story…that shit seems to be a distraction from the ‘real’ issues at hand.
I’m talking about reading into the issues that make society operate on the current level that it does.
Issues such as economic financing, civil liberties, wars, crime, violence, technology, and education.

Information should be free! And news information should have remained free…of manipulative writing techniques, fluff, political opinion, and products.
Eh…who am I kidding?…pigs can’t fly yet…so there must be no hope of honest information…

Instead, our facts are diluted by personal prejudices, faith, opinions, misinformation, culture, and a bunch of emotional hog-wash.

Having said that, I view the news as a carefully constructed formula that’s been in the making for years and ‘is’ constantly being refined and re-worked.

…Just as a theater ‘is’ meant to sell seats, the news media’s main function seems to be the filling of commercial spots!

You see, the News is NOT news…it is ENTERTAINMENT!
Ask any industry insider and they will say that very same FACT! Knowing this you can then begin to see how biased it is on a number of levels.(if you don’t already)
When you add the carefully calculated formula of manipulative writing, use of certain ‘key’ words, dramatic music, into the thick of it all, it begins to stray from the original main purpose…to inform the people.

I’m certain that if the news media were about being fair and balanced, then they would go the non-profit route.
(We know from experience/history that even non-profits are not entirely trustworthy…*churches*)

Moving on…

I’ve asked many news reporters this question, “Do you think that the average viewer remembers you based on your unbiased, investigative research techniques, or do they remember you because of your face/looks and/or personality?”
Needless to say that all of them had the same answer, their “face & personality.”
Hmmmm….makes you think…(I hope!)

I’m sure that 95% of news anchors & reporters do not ‘report’ the news because they care deeply about the issues of which they speak.
I am almost certain they do it for the pay check…bottom line. A Job is a job!

What’s fun about scaring people to death with non-stop team coverage of world-wide violence, war, & economic turmoil???

So one question I have is, do most viewers even give a “rat’s ass” about where the information they are ‘ingesting’ came from? (I’m sure some of them do…)

At this stage in my life I’m beginning to think that the average ‘American’ mindset is, “O0o0h, they’re on T.V….must be true!…T.V. ‘is’ neutral.”(most sheeple anyways…)

Remember to always question, and except no one thing as fact, because the only person you can trust is yourself!

NOTE: I understand that it is nearly impossible to look at every issue clearly, or with an unbiased approach. I do realize that not everyone has the time, money, or means to travel and investigate for themselves. What I do know, is that we can all help each other see through the ‘DOG’ shit by building up a mental tool box full of useful methods of filtering out all the manipulative/propagandist sludge that pollutes the news media…and life.
Nothing wrong with thinking for yourself, right?

Fair & Balanced…
I’m NOT an advocate of NEWS MEDIA regulation, because I as an individual as well as others have the right to NOT watch, tune in, read, or pay attention.
Hell, I HATE CENSORSHIP and anyone who likes it!!!
What I AM advocating is the education of the individual, young and old, rich or poor, black, white, brown, or blue.
I want people to think for themselves and pull the wool off from over their own eyes.
The only way to do this is through common-sensical education…and we can’t always look to the school system for that!

“You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink”

Oh yeah, REMINDER…do not give up your civil liberties for freedom.
They are one in the same silly!

-Ego