PBS Frontline-Close to Home-The depression/recession hits the Upper East Side, NYC.

[earth mom]

The depression aka recession hits the Upper East Side and the sad truth is that we're all disposable no matter who we are.

And if you're over 50, forgetaboutit.


Frontline-Close to Home

In Close to Home, Bikel sets up her cameras in the hair salon she's patronized for 20 years. It's an intimate space where she has come to know well the surprisingly diverse clientele -- from athletic trainers and housewives to high-end bankers, actors and opera singers. Despite expectations that this neighborhood is a secure bastion of privilege, these days, when clients get in the chair, they offer a window into the country in recession: Some are broke, others don't have a plan, and they're all looking to commiserate.

Deborah Boles, the owner and sole hairdresser at Deborah Hair Designs, started the business in 1985. "I wanted a place where people can go and they can feel comfortable," she says. "They know they belong here." But it's all on the line with the current downturn -- clients come less often; some skip coloring or skip the trim -- and as Deborah watches neighboring businesses go under, she wonders how long she can survive.

Barbara, Deborah's sister, helps out at the salon, but she has been struggling with her own economic crisis. After buying a home in Florida at the height of the market, she now has a subprime mortgage that she can no longer afford. Unable to pay the exorbitant interest, she has had to take in four tenants, each with their own stories of foreclosure and unemployment.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/closetohome/view/

[ixion]

1. green shoots!

not so much.

[AndyA]

2. But...but...but...the GDP is UP! Up, I tell you, UP! I've been assured in another thread

that that's a sure sign the recession is OVER. :shrug: :eyes:

[earth mom]

3. Things are good-very good-for the very rich. Everyone else can F off! nt

[JuniperLea]

6. How is this contradictory to what Obama told us a year ago?

He said two years minimum. It's been a year and the news today is that it will be another year, but we're at least heading in the right direction.

How is this a bad thing? Please explain.

[earth mom]

8. New Flash for ya: Hope & Change was a LIE. nt

[JuniperLea]

10. News Flash for you: You clearly were NOT paying attention...

Because things are going according to plan.

But your concern is duly noted.

[earth mom]

11. All you are doing is damage control. But you can't hide the truth.

And btw, I was paying attention and I've been trying to warn the kool aid drinkers like you around here for a couple of years now.

And if you don't like what I have to say, use the ignore button, because I will speak the truth whether you like it or not.

[JuniperLea]

12. Damage control my lily white ass...

You speak the bullshit. You clearly don't remember, or didn't pay attention. We were never promised a quick fix, never. You are making shit up and you should be ashamed of yourself.

We're all hurting here. Time to buck up and work instead of complaining about bullshit you've made up.

I don't use ignore. I choose to live and learn from fools and from sages. Guess where you fit in that.

[earth mom]

21. I never expected a quick fix-so quit putting that bullshit on me.

What I've asked for from Day 1 is for Obama to NOT side with Corporate America.

But from Day 1 that is ALL Obama has done.

Obama hired Rahm, Geithner, Summers and a whole bunch of corporate mo fos who don't give a damn about you or me.

Then Obama gave MORE money to the Banksters ON TOP of the ridiculous amount * gave them!

And that's just for starters.

Wake up and see reality for what it REALLY is because the fool is YOU for believing in fake hope & change and believing Obama is on your side.

Shame on you for trying to ignore what Obama has REALLY done-which is NOT much different than *.

[JuniperLea]

23. Damn... are you really a fearful, clueless person?

Clearly this sort of thought process is way over your head. If you paid a little attention, it might be a little more clear to you.

[earth mom]

So your m.o. is to attack the messenger because you can't handle the message.

That says a helluva lot about you.

And it's not good.

[JuniperLea]

33. Oh wow...

You really need to look in the mirror, toots. You started it... and you still make no sense at all.

[earth mom]

27. duplicate-though it should be said twice.

[backwoodsbob]

54. oh bullshit

the $800 billion we spent was supposed to hold unemployment around 8.5

How did that work out.

I like Pr. Obama but I'm not going to blow smoke up his ass

[JuniperLea]

59. Got link? eom

[backwoodsbob]

82. sure

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2009/jul/09/eric-cantor/Cantor-and-other-republicans-say-obama-promised-s/

[girl gone mad]

73. acually, no...

they sort of aren't:

[SammyWinstonJack]

79. Things are going according to plan. I have no doubt that that is absolutely true!

:evilgrin:

[Howardx]

14. why is it

your posts always seem fact deficient? as in there are none in them. you post a synopsis from the pbs website and make a couple of subject line only statements and you consider that "warning the kool aid drinkers" NEWS FLASH youve failed.

[JuniperLea]

15. I think mommy dearest has a hip flask of her own flavor of Kool Aid...

Just sayin'... seems there's no facts, no logic, no connections between dots that have been drawn for over a year now. No real thought process... unreal what DU has become. Seriously.

[Howardx]

16. any minute now

she'll tell you that you have BLOOD ON YOUR HANDS!!!!

[earth mom]

22. Here's some FACTS for ya:

Obama hired corporatists and Wall Street bankers for his administration which is like giving bank robbers the keys to the bank.

Obama has kept *'s war policies in place and the U.S. is still waging war based on a god damn lie-there were NO weapons of mass destruction, remember?

Obama has done little to help Main Street or create jobs. A jobless recovery-wtf is that?! C'mon now!

Obama has sold the American taxpayers down the river to the health insurance industry. I bet you will bitch about paying those bloodsucking fuckers your hard earned money in ever increasing amounts every year!



And that's just a FEW facts about how Obama has allowed corporate america to screw us all!

[Starbucks Anarchist]

28. You mean he didn't wave his magic job wand?

:eyes:

And a jobless recovery is not a brand-new occurrence; it's not something Obama made up. If you seriously thought he could fix even half of the Bush-era problems within ten months, you are truly clueless.

[earth mom]

29. You're clueless because Obama is not even trying to help the majority of the people. nt

[Starbucks Anarchist]

30. That's why he signed the $800 billion stimulus package.

Because he hates us. :rofl:

And before you say "It's not working!", the entire amount has not been spent yet and the effects, according to official estimates, will be more concrete in 2010. Then again, Obama could cure cancer and you'd still hate him.

[earth mom]

32. You mean the bankster bailout part 2? FYI-Banks & Wall Street have little effect on

mainstream America, except to steal our jobs and rob us blind.


Get a fucking clue. :eyes:

[Starbucks Anarchist]

42. Infrastructure spending, education spending and unemployment benefits are for bankers?

:rofl: :rofl:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Recovery_and_Reinvestment_Act_of_2009

Get a fucking clue.

You couldn't even identify which bill I was talking about, yet you tell me to get a clue? You couldn't get a clue in a box of cereal.

[JuniperLea]

44. All of which have created jobs for many, many people...

There are signs up all over pointing to the stimulus spending and the infrastructure improvements.

I guess some people are just ungrateful swines who are too busy bitching and moaning about the misinformation they hold so dear to notice said signs.

I swear, some people are getting off on this bullshit. Sheesh!

[Starbucks Anarchist]

48. It's the contrarian mentality.

They always have to have *something* to complain about. Now that Bush is gone, they don't have a real enemy anymore.

Of course, I'm not talking about people who have legitimate criticisms of this administration ("I disagree with Obama on Issue X," etc.). I'm talking about the "He's just like Bush!" troglodytes who will never be happy about anything.

[JuniperLea]

55. Thank you for the explanation...

That makes a ton of sense. You're right... look around... there are no specific criticisms, just blanket bashing and fear and hatred.

Wow...

[JuniperLea]

36. "Obama could cure cancer and you'd still hate him"

How dare you! Won't someone PLEASE think of the poor insurance companies, and Big Pharma! And all those jobs lost because they have no cancer patients to treat!

:rofl:

Nailed it!

Yeah, I'm betting this one taps her foot as she waits for the microwave to pop her popcorn... as she sips the RW flavored Kool Aid from her hip flask.

[JuniperLea]

37. I guess your paycheck didn't increase with his last tax cut, huh?

:eyes:

[earth mom]

38. You mean the chump change that was handed out? Spare me.

:eyes:

[JuniperLea]

39. Ungrateful swine often roll their eyes at a gift...

I'm not surprised.

I'm very grateful for the extra $100 or so I get every month. It's something... it's a start. It pays a bill, it gives a little breathing room. But I guess it's not the palomino pony with pink ribbons on a silver platter that you want, huh?

Good luck on having any kind of a life with an attitude like that. According to what you've said here, you're a chump, I guess. :shrug:

[earth mom]

49. Swine? Talking about yourself again? FYI-The banks got trillions of TAXPAYER MONEY

while the majority of the people who paid for the massive bankster bailout ripoff got crumbs.

I guess you are stupid enough to not give a damn how your money is spent, but I am smart enough to know that my taxes have been ripped off in a massive giveaway to the god damn thieves on Wall Street.

And 100 bucks a month is not going to shut me up or buy my silence-unlike you who obviously can be bought off quite cheaply.


Stupid is as stupid does.

Glad I'm not you.

[JuniperLea]

57. Bullshit...

They did NOT get trillions of dollars. Jesus God! How do you come up with this bullshit? I guess you missed the boat on the "Obama hasn't even released half of the stimulus" RW screaming party!

The stimulus isn't even half spent yet, genius.

Prove to me again how stupid is as stupid does, ok? Keep digging that stupid hole!

Yes, be very glad you aren't me. It would be shocking to have that much intelligence all in one fell swoop... it would be a severe shock to your system, no doubt.

I'm going to go take a shower now... I feel dirty after rolling around in this pigsty you've made.

I'd say cheer up, but you wouldn't want to do that anyway.

[earth mom]

69. FYI-The bailout price tag will be close to 24 TRILLION

Watchdog sees huge U.S. bill for banks bailout

Financial bailout's cost to U.S. could total almost $24 trillion

updated 1:07 p.m. PT, Mon., July 20, 2009

WASHINGTON - The federal government has devoted $4.7 trillion to help the financial sector through its crisis, a watchdog report said Monday.

Under the worst of circumstances, the report said, the government's maximum exposure could total nearly $24 trillion, or $80,000 for every American.


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32010841/ns/business-us_business



So Einstein, how'd you miss this giant tidbit of info? Hmm?

And the pigsty is of your own making since you are the one who shit all over my thread.

[JuniperLea]

70. Will be...

Just like I said. :eyes: "could total nearly $24 trillion"... yeah, those are some really firm "facts" there... :eyes:

You don't even insult well. You should really give up.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

72. Do you know the difference between "could" and "will"?

:rofl:

[girl gone mad]

75. They've gotten at least 12 trillion so far..

so the poster's original assertion that they've received "trillions" is accurate.

[earth mom]

78. Thank you for backing me up!

:hi:

[girl gone mad]

74. 23.7 Trillion, Juniper.

Bank on it.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aY0tX8UysIaM

[JuniperLea]

76. I don't bank on "may" and "could" and "might"

I don't make shit up and blast others for it either.

[earth mom]

77. You are splitting hairs and so full of shit it ain't funny.

First you challenge me by saying the bailout is in the billions when I said it was trillions.

So then I prove to you that the figure is in the trillions and you go ape shit over a word which doesn't mean squat when you are talking TRILLIONS-as in MULTIPLE TRILLIONS-of dollars here.

I could post link after link to prove my point but you will not doubt find fault with words like: the-it-and-on-at-or.

You're like a monkey that has nothing better to do than fling his shit around all day long and see where it sticks.



Funny how I haven't seen you post in this thread with almost 200 posts and over 200 recs:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6879266



And you know why you don't?

Because you got NOTHIN and you know that everyone on that thread would call you out on your bullshit in a nanosecond.


So go back to rolling around with your fellow little ignorant piglets in the swine of GD-P.

[JuniperLea]

81. Get thee to a dictionary... eom

[Howardx]

40. thanks for the opinions

i was looking for facts however.

[earth mom]

50. Google everything I posted if you need proof. But you won't because you know I'm right. nt

[Howardx]

58. you just dont get it

you made the claims, you need to prove them. otherwise youre just another troll shooting her mouth off.

[JuniperLea]

61. She's pushing her responsibility off on you...

Because she hasn't a clue where to find her proof... there is none. That's what makes it so hard to find.

I think this one needs to get back to her TeaBagger Party... I hear they're hitting the road again.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

62. But you didn't respond to the Google result I posted upthread.

Probably because it completely destroyed your argument. Tell me again how unemployment benefits, infrastructure spending and education spending have anything to do with bailing out banks?

It's okay to admit you're wrong. We won't take you any less seriously than we already do.

[theHandpuppet]

80. Jobless recovery = more money for those who already had it, and...

a license to steal renewed for those who were already robbing us blind. I'm hearing ya. At least Wall Street is happy, ain't it, even if the rest of us will end up living under a bridge.

[JuniperLea]

5. No one ever said it would be over this soon...

A year ago Obama said it would take at least a couple of years. Now, according to financial peeps all over the place in the news today, we still have another year to go.

How is that in any way a mixed message as your "concern" seems to indicate?

[AndyA]

18. The headlines don't say "One more year to go!"

At least not the ones I've seen.

[JuniperLea]

19. No, the headlines don't say that...

That's why you have to actually read the articles and not live in a bumpersticker/headline world in order to know what's going on.

You should look around here at DU... I've read at least four different articles linked here saying exactly that... in the text, not the headlines.

[AndyA]

31. Of course, the problem with your advice is the average person doesn't read DU.

The average person lives in that "bumpersticker (sic)/headline world" you referred to.

And I look around DU all the time, so I'm well aware of the other threads here. I'll ignore your attempt at an insult, as I see you enjoy creating controversy. Enough already.

[JuniperLea]

34. Shocking! I must be a raving idiot because I failed to hit that space bar!

Oh, the horrors! I guess I neglected spell check too! For shame.

:eyes:

I created nothing... you and your pal here created the BS controversy. I was merely trying to interject some reason and facts. But if you can't tolerate facts, well, so be it.

[AndyA]

41. JuniperLea, Elvis has left the building.

Go home. :eyes:

[JuniperLea]

45. Fine...

Exit, stage left... too bad you have a problem with reality.

[earth mom]

53. ....

:spray:

[earth mom]

24. Why do you keep screeching that people expected this to be over soon.

No one is saying that.

In fact, most people expect it to NEVER end.

And that's the point.

Obama & Co is doing little to help the majority of the people.

Wake the hell up!

[JuniperLea]

51. You are saying that, genius!

What the fuck? That is all you have been saying! Now you are predicting the future, making up future bullshit, and blaming Obama for that too! And you are attributing to "most people" all your idiotic screeds! Amazing. Truly amazing.

Unfuckingbelievable! That some people can actually survive in this world whilst maintaining such low-brow thought processes is beyond me.

Don't you have a Tea Bagging Party to attend or something?

:eyes:

[Beacho]

52. What exactly do you expect him to do?

It seems to me that you're long on criticism and short on alternatives. So besides storming the Winter Palace, watchoo got?

[earth mom]

56. I've posted plenty of alternatives over the past year. I don't have to prove anything to you.

Why don't you prove to me that Obama has your back? Or my back? Or the majority of the peoples back?

But you can't, because he doesn't.

[Howardx]

60. post links

to your threads full of alternatives. should be simple for you to do if in fact they actually exist.

[earth mom]

64. Post your solutions. I don't have to prove anything to you. nt

[JuniperLea]

66. You can't prove a damn thing you said, that's what you mean...

If you make an assertion, the burden of proof is on you, genius.

[Howardx]

67. so youre saying you just lied

and there are no threads where you posted alternatives.

[Beacho]

65. The guy is head of one branch of government

He's also not issued a magic wand upon taking the oath of office. As for your 'posting plenty of alternatives', good for you but I don't have a clue who you are and have never read any of your posts. I hate it when you ask someone a question online and they say, "I made a post/blog/video about that two years ago!". Well, chiefy, not everyone on the planet has read/watched your brilliant bon mots, so that means you will have to suffer the burden of repetition if you engage in the discussion.

Just sayin'

[Raineyb]

83. Some people don't have the luxury of time

So saying well it's not over YET just wait awhile longer while their unemployment runs out and their savings dwindle and they lose their health insurance is more than a little insensitive.

Easy enough to tell people to wait when you're employed.

And what exactly are we getting for our money? Non voting preferred stock which means we can't tell them a damn thing because we have no vote; so we can watch as they have a banner year and pay their people ginormous bonuses again? Is the lending back up? No because Wall Street hasn't quite come up with a new scam to make money off of money without relying on the derivatives and people are still not finding jobs nor are they seeing much benefit especially considering the amount of money sent to people on main street vs what wall street got with no strings (Main street never seems to get a no strings attached amount no matter how small) and you expect people to cheer for every little bit of good news that occurs for Wall Street?

I don't think that's remotely reasonable.

Don't even get me started on how it had to reach the Upper West Side to become news worthy. It's been happening in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx for quite some time but only when it hits a ritzy neighborhood does it become "newsworthy."

[JuniperLea]

4. I watched this a couple of nights ago...

Depressing, inspiring, made me worry, made me feel better knowing we're all in the same boat.

[closeupready]

7. I saw the last 20 minutes. Very sad.

But I have also seen many storefronts here in the rest of NY become empty - storefronts on blocks that have been fully occupied for over a dozen years. I'm not sure how all this residential construction that continues is supposed to sell to people who are losing their jobs and businesses.

[JuniperLea]

9. It makes no sense here in So Cal either...

But I'm seeing the same thing... from downtown to the beach cities... who can afford all this new construction? Why can't we put the construction workers to better use by having them fix up what we have instead of pouring money into new construction?

Bizarro World...

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

17. I saw it too - white people with skills and previously high incomes unable to find any jobs

It's no longer about minorities or blue collar workers in the inner cities getting laid off. Now, it's hitting typical baby boomers who used to be managers and professionals. You're right; we're now all in the same boat. At the end of the show, in a postscript, it described these people still being out of work after months of job searches with one of them losing her home in Florida to foreclosure.

[JuniperLea]

20. You nailed it... it's not about color... classism is the new racism...

I think it has probably always been so, given the robust attempts at keeping people of color "in their place" for so long. Thankfully, we've made quite a bit of progress in that regard. They had poor white people pitted against poor black people... it did a lot of the dirty work for them, you see. Now, it's becoming blatantly obvious that it's not about color, it's about dollar. They want the lion's share, and they are making us squabble over the crumbs.

Have you seen the L curve? It is enlightening...

http://www.lcurve.org/

This is why insurance companies are fighting so hard against a public option, and ultimately single payer. They want to keep raking in their blood money.

Have you ever wondered why it is that banks are in such a hurry to get struggling people out of homes and forclose, only to sell it at half the previous mortgage principle to another person? There is surely a benefit to their doing this, even if it means the house stays empty for a year or more and there is no cash flow... doesn't quite make sense, does it?

There's more to be found out, and we've only scratched the surface.

That's another reason I'm sick and tired of the whining and moaning and hating on Obama... all the bullshit about "this ain't hope and change" BS is wearing thin. There was no promise of an instant fix. It's time to roll up our sleeves... we're all hurting... this will be a wonderful opportunity for personal growth... if we stop bitching long enough, that is.

[earth mom]

25. Obama is in charge. People got behind him because they wanted someone to solve this mess

Instead Obama has CONTINUED in the same direction as *.

That's NOT what people voted for- they have been fed a bait and switch.

To say people expected a quick fix is just complete and utter bullshit.

But the biggest load you spew is in insinuating that people aren't willing to work and are expecting something for nothing.

Where have I heard "personal responsibility" before?

Oh yeah, it's a favorite meme of the rethuglican party.

Do you want to explain why you are pushing their crap?

Probably not.

[JuniperLea]

46. Got any links to that bullshit?

You're a broken record... too bad you're stuck on lies and bullshit.

[Howardx]

68. uh excuse me

juniper never mentioned the phrase "personal responsibility"

making up shit out of thin air, oh yeah its a favorite meme of the republican party

[Raineyb]

84. No but she did mention personal growth which is along the same lines of bullshit

Not for nothing, but I don't need joblessness, potential homelessness, lack of health insurance and the other ills that come with a bad economy in order to "improve" myself. Generally, of course those who use this meme in the corporate sense mean to make yourself more palatable to the corporatists in that you will take what they give you, even if it's not sufficient to cover your needs, not make waves by daring to improve things that they they do, and be grateful for crumbs while they feast above you.

That kind of personal growth we can all do without thank you very much.

[ipaint]

43. Personal growth...Your joking, right.

A wonderful opportunity for growth= corporate tool.

Bright-Sided
How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America
By Barbara Ehrenreich
(Metropolitan Books; 235 pages; $23)

When I finished Barbara Ehrenreich's "Bright-Sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America," I went in search of a stiff drink - or something that would allow me to escape, if only briefly, the feeling that I have been blind to the unyielding grip that positive thinking has on our culture.

Very little I have read elsewhere has suggested that the current recession is good for us, but Ehrenreich implies that the implosion of our economy may bring us to our senses and that reason and common sense might have a chance to disempower the foolish, self-serving and dangerous promotion of positive thinking reaching into all areas of our lives: our health, jobs, science, religion, politics.

She is relentless - and persuasive - in her determination to convince us of this. Her notes run to 15 pages of titles of papers, articles, books and television interviews she has researched to support her contention that the unwarranted optimism urged on us by church and corporations, by medical and psychological "experts," has distorted the reality of the disaster we now find ourselves facing.

Ben Bernanke may tell us the recession is over, but nobody who is standing in line for a job, nobody whose house is being foreclosed on, nobody, in short, who lives in the real world will agree. Everybody, save those few who remain in the bubble, has taken a hit, not just in their wallets but in their psyches. The rugged individualism on which we have prided ourselves may be a myth perverted for their own uses by those who have much to gain by encouraging the pretense that has gotten us into all this hot water.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/10/18/RV1C1A5215.DTL#ixzz0VMpQfUNb


Good luck with the phony opportunity memes that were created by corporations to keep people from getting angry enough to face reality and demand our representatives quit being corporate shills and that includes Obama.

You think people are passing up an opportunity for personal growth in favor of whining? That type of dogma is arrogant. People are finally looking at the reality of the situation we are facing instead of the PR hyped hope and change infomercial they've been sold for 3 years now. And they are increasingly finding like minded folks.

That is the beginning of responsibility not some happy, happy silver lining baloney that requires one to look inward, alone, for some woo-woo solution.

[JuniperLea]

47. Oh my how you can extrapolate bullshit from a sunflower!

Personal growth, genius. We can all become stronger through adversity!

It happened during the depression and it can happen now.

Go chase your imaginary goblins... jesus...

[earth mom]

63. Thanks for your great post! Enrenreich is great and I can't wait to read her new book.

And you are so right-we have been blinded by lies fed to us for way too long by the powers that be.

One of those lies was the blatant and audacious marketing scam: "hope & change".

[ipaint]

71. She's spot on.

"This positive-thinking message is a kind of opiate that has been particularly effective on the white-collar corporate workforce. Ehrenreich documents how corporations hire motivational speakers to convince laid-off workers that their job loss is "an opportunity for self-transformation." Somehow, she says, white-collar workers have accepted positive thinking as a "belief system" that says a person can be "infinitely powerful, if only they could master their own minds."

On the surface, prosperity gospels and positive-thinking companies appear harmless with their treacly "Successories products" of posters and coffee mugs, but they have subversively helped make each of us an island. They have convinced Americans that each individual has control and power over the conditions of their life, when that is largely not the case. Access to decent health care at a reasonable price is not a matter of individual effort. Neither is securing decent wages, pensions, safe working conditions or job security. Workers demanded those rights through collective action in the 20th century, and we are losing them now by taking an "every man for himself" approach to work."

http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_13594995

Isn't Bush on a motivational speaking gig whoring get rich schemes for those looking for personal growth?

Every person for and in control of only themselves is a toxic belief that promotes ignorance and prevents collective power and action against criminals and parasites.

[Raineyb]

85. You're absolutely right

Corporations love that positive thinking crap. It keeps the proles from actually trying to do something to something to make things better because they're too busy flagellating themselves for not being positive enough as the cause of their bad lot.

[Xicano]

13. Thanks for posting this earth mom. k&r

I am gonna watch it a little later today.


Peace,
Xicano

[blues90]

26. That's what they always hide. They rarely if ever focus

on what's really happening and don't just to propell the idea that things are looking up when they are not.

One might run across a tiny few radio shows or newspaper articals that tell of write the truth.

I think people would react better if they had the truth and could prepare better.

We are always told there is progress being made with polls and charts which mean nothing to anyone other than those who create those illusions.

It's like the healthcare issue, they never do come right out and say when it will begin to take affect nd we have no clear view of what the end result will be as far as the finished bill. Yet the way they talk they make it seen like it will kick in in a few weeks without actually saying that. They create the illusion not by what they say but by what they do not say.

[RagAss]

35. "This is the dead land. This is cactus land"....ts eliot