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June 25 RIP Michael, I loved your music! May 13
Do Things Never Improve?
Source: The Sun over Brede, by Arturo Pérez-Reverte, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons 2007,
pp 50-53. Text (in part) from a letter addressed during the reign of Philip IV of Spain,
ca. 1624 A.D.
From don Francisco de Quevedo Villegas to
don Alatriste Tenorio *Tercio Viejo de Cartagena*
Military post of Flanders
…
Here in La Villa y Corte, our city of Madrid, the enemy does not wear breastplate and helmet but, rather, toga, cassock, or silk doublet, and he never attacks face on but prefers ambush. In that particular, please know that everything is as it has always been, only worse. I have faith still in the intent of the conde-duque, but I fear that not even his desires will prevail. We Spanish have fewer tears than reasons to weep, for it is a vain labor to offer light to the blind, words to the deaf, science to the ignorant, and honor to monarchs. Here the same types continue to flourish: the blond and powerful caballero is still soldier, horse, and king in any matter; and he who is honest does naught but harm himself. As for me, I continue to make no progress in the eternal suit concerning the Torre de Juan Abad, each day battling this wretched and venal legal system and its practitioners that God, weary of confining monstrosities to hell, instead visits upon us.
And I assure you, Capitán, that never before have I found myself among such toads as those in the Providencia square. And regarding that subject, please allow me to regale you with a sonnet inspired by my recent calamities:
You scatter judgments like grain tossed to geese,
selling the law you do not comprehend,
dispensing only what brings you gold, and
coveting, more than Jason, the Golden Fleece.
Both rights divine and those of mortal man
in your interpretation are debased,
and whether you are cruel, or affect grace,
each sentence is shrewdly tailored to your plan.
Plaints of the poor you coldly set aside
Lending your ear only to he who pays:
personal gain, not rule of law, your guide.
And as your greed cannot be mollified,
either wash your hands, as Pilate did,
or hang like Judas, with coins but vilified.
…
Yours,
Fran. de Quevedo Villegas May 12 THE YEAR 1909
This will boggle your mind, I know it did mine!
The year is 1909.
One hundred years ago.
What a difference a century makes!
Here are some statistics for the Year 1909 :
************ ********* ********* ******
The average life expectancy was 47 years.
Only 14 percent of the homes had a bathtub.
Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.
There were only 8,000 cars and only 144 miles
Of paved roads.
The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.
The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower!
The average wage in 1909 was 22 cents per hour.
The average worker made between $200 and $400 per year ....
A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year,
A dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.
More than 95 percent of all births took place at HOME .
Ninety percent of all doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION!
Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which
Were condemned in the press AND the government as 'substandard. '
Sugar cost four cents a pound.
Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.
Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.
Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used
Borax or egg yolks for shampoo.
Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from
Entering into their country for any reason.
Five leading causes of death were:
1. Pneumonia and influenza
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke
The American flag had 45 stars.
The population of Las Vegas , Nevada, was only 30!!!!
Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea
Hadn't been invented yet.
There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.
Two out of every 10 adults couldn't read or write.
Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.
Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores. Back then pharmacists said, 'Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health'
( Shocking? DUH! )
Eighteen percent of households had at least
One full-time servant or domestic help.
There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE ! U.S.A. !
I am now going to forward this to someone else without typing it myself.
From there, it will be sent to others all over the WORLD - all in a matter of seconds!
Try to imagine what it may be like in another 100 years.
IT STAGGERS THE MIND March 26
Slash jobs back to where they need to be and sell assets until you reach the state of profitablity again. Do as any normal business would have to. Notice in this article too, that the postal union representative says they do not need a bail out they just need Congress to help! Yikes, it's back to the days of double- speak!
Postal service could run out of money in ’09
Postmaster General seeking permission to cut mail delivery service
updated 12:59 p.m. PT, Wed., March. 25, 2009
WASHINGTON - The financially strapped U.S. Postal Service will run out of money this year without help from Congress, Postmaster General John Potter warned on Wednesday.
“We are facing losses of historic proportion. Our situation is critical,” Potter told a House subcommittee.
The agency lost $2.8 billion last year and is looking at much larger losses this year said Potter, who is seeking congressional permission to reduce mail delivery from six days to five days a week.
Potter also urged changes in how it pre-pays for retiree health care to cut its annual costs by $2 billion.
If the Postal Service does run out of money, the lingering question, Potter told the House Oversight post office subcommittee, is which bills will get paid and which will not.
He said ensuring the payment of workers’ salaries comes first, but other bills may have to wait.
Potter first raised the possibility of delivery cutbacks in January, but the idea has not been warmly received in Congress.
“With the Postal Service facing budget shortfalls the subcommittee will consider a number of options to restore financial stability and examine ways for the Postal Service to continue to operate without cutting services,” subcommittee chairman Stephen F. Lynch, D-Mass., said.
Lynch said the financial stability of the Postal Service is “critical to the American expectation of affordable six-day mail delivery.”
Even if the agency succeeds in reaching its planned cost cuts of $5.9 billion, there could still be a $6 billion deficit in 2010, Potter said.
“Without a change we will exhaust our cash resources,” Potter said. “We can no longer afford business as usual.” He estimated that delivering mail five days-a-week instead of six would save $3.5 billion per year.
Asked if layoffs would occur, Potter said it is possible, but he hopes avoidable.
Last week, the post office said it planned to offer early retirement to 150,000 workers and is eliminating 1,400 management positions and closing six of its 80 district offices across the country in cost-cutting efforts. Potter said he expects 10,000 to 15,000 workers to accept the early retirement offer.
Dan Blair, head of the independent Postal Regulatory Commission, suggested that other savings are possible through closing small and rural post offices — something Congress has resisted in the past. He added that it may be necessary to increase the limit on the amount of debt the post office can carry.
The post office had a $384 million loss in the first quarter of the fiscal year — October through December — which is usually the busiest period because of the holidays.
Officials said the recession has contributed to a mail volume drop of 5.2 billion pieces compared to the same period last year. If there is no economic recovery, the USPS projects volume for the year will be down by 12 billion to 15 billion pieces of mail.
Over the past year the post office says it has cut 50 million work hours, stopped construction of new facilities, frozen salaries for executives, began selling unused facilities and has cut post office hours.
Last year’s high fuel prices also sapped funds from the post office, which operates more than 200,000 vehicles. Every one-cent increase in the price of fuel costs the post office $8 million.
Blair also noted that Congress could consider appropriating money to help the post office. Currently the agency does not receive a taxpayer subsidy for its operations, although Congress does subsidize overseas voting and free mail for the blind.
William Young, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers, stressed in his testimony that the agency is not seeking a taxpayer bailout, “but we are here to ask the Congress for help.”
“At this moment, the survival of the Postal Service — a venerable institution that is literally older than our country — hangs in the balance,” Young added.
Lawmakers also raised questions regarding recent news reports which said Potter is paid as much as $800,000-a-year.
That is not correct, Potter said. He said his salary, set by Congress, is $263,575. He said the news reports were also counting his retirement fund, the cost of his security detail and a $135,000 bonus which would be paid over 10 years after he retires.
The bonus is based on improved delivery rates and customer satisfaction, he said. Under the current financial conditions, Potter said, he would not be eligible for a bonus this year.
Carolyn Gallagher, chairwoman of the postal governing board, said postal executives are paid only a fraction of what executives in similarly sized businesses receive. March 25 Yesterday I sat in a courtroom listening to 6 (YES 6) attorneys talk about me and my past business, National Insurance and Asset Protection, Inc. Wow. I have been told, I should not take this personally, but I really do. I have never heard such a bunch of halooey. I have to laugh to think that a bankrupted company and a psychopathic wife of my dead partner, could enjoy paying for all this. Sad, though I have no options I have to pay also to guard my reputation and my livelihood. I pray daily it could be different, but for now this is what it is. Attorneys flat out lying, manipulating the system. I used to talk about the system, now I know it firsthand and will say, our justice and court system here in America is severely flawed. We have not seen a bit of evidence from their side to support all their accusations and yet they are allowed to continue to drain me into financial ruin. I praise God though as I know all of this will one day pass and I will look back and understand it. For now, it is a wee bit hard, cause I am still actively caught in the struggle. How I wish my ex partner had never died. Sue Kruse I pray for you salvation and your soul, if you could only see what you have done to me and my family, not that you would probably care though. March 23
Administration unveils plan to help banks
Plan could grow to $1 trillion if successful at tackling bad assets
Ron Edmonds / AP
U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner’s plan to help the nation’s ailing banks buys as much as $1 trillion in bad assets that are weighing on their balance sheets.
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A big-ticket fix?March 23: Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner plans to unveil a new phase of the bank rescue plan. NBC’s chief White House correspondent Chuck Todd reports.
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Video: Economy in turmoil |
BREAKING NEWS
NOTICE AT THE END OF THIS ARTICLE THE AUTHOR SAYS, "THE GOVERNMENT WILL SHOULDER THE BURDEN," I ASK YOU WHO THE GOVERNMENT IS?
updated 32 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - The Obama administration, striving to ease lending in the struggling economy, moved Monday with private investors to sop up bad bank assets.
The administration said the program could grow to $1 trillion in purchases eventually, if it proves successful in attacking the bad-books problem that has been at the heart of the banking crisis.
In a lengthy fact sheet, the administration said it plans to use $75 billion to $100 billion from the government’s existing $700 billion bailout program for this purpose, and it predicted participation from a broad array of investors ranging from pension funds and insurance companies to hedge funds.
To achieve the goal of freeing up more lending, the program would entice private investors with low-cost loans provided by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Federal Reserve. The government would also shoulder the vast bulk of the risk.
NEW YORK - Workmen rolled up their sleeves at American International Group Inc this weekend to take down the most prominent sign at the downtown Manhattan offices of the embattled insurer that has become the scorn of America.
A spokesman said the company had decided to replace the large AIG sign — outside the entrance to its property-casualty offices — as part of its plan to change that operation’s name to AIU Holdings Ltd.
IT WAS NOT THE SIGN, NOR THE BUILDING THAT HAD THE PROBLEM, IT WAS THE INDIVIDUALS WHO RAN AIG, THE CORPORATE CULTURE OF GREED AND THE COLLECTIVE TEAM OF AIG THAT HAS THE PROBLEM, NOT THE SIGN. CHANGE OUT THE PEOPLE! March 18 First let me say I AM NOT for government investing in and playing ANY role in companies outside of law and regulations. Companies are crying foul about the bonuses being paid out. They are using excuses like, "... we will not be able to secure, nor keep talent unless we pay huge bonuses..." Folks this sounds good on the surface, but really, where are these talented individuals going to go to. The unemployment pool as it currently exists has some of the most talented people in the world in it and most of them would love the opportunity to WORK, let aone throw in a bonus. Next excuse is that "government is playing a roll of the stock investor..." While this is true, the crying out of FOUL for bonuses tied to failure would be the same where the holder of the stock was the government or myself. Large investors all over the nation are crying foul. A hott tip for all you 20 and 30 year olds. INVEST IN STOCKS and funds with EVERY discretionary cent you have, your time will come and you will be richer than imagination! March 17 What other country is fighting off folks who want to come to it non stop? Why are they coming here? We ofer more oportunity and freedoms than anywhere in the world. We offer more chance to do what you want and have financial independence. We offer more chance of owning Real Estate. We offer more chance to explore your horizons and state your peace. We are a nation that displays her sins in front of all the world to see. We are not perfect and do not claim to be. When things are down, where does the rest of the world look, THE USA! Where are the men the strongest? Where do the most devoted live? Where do families thrive? Right here folks, right here in the good ol' USA. We rock and push the rest of the earth along. Who was into space first and foremost? Where is the best medicine, education, freedom? USA FOLKS! Who else will stop the ensalught in the mideast and confront jihadism? Who at the same time allows them to have their temples right here in our land? USA March 05 The Bible says that it is, "... the love of money that is the root of all evil..." Greed ties into this I believe. People love money more than they love their families, their friends, their teams, their employers and on and on. We have put away long term values and long term gains, working hard towards a destination for the pursuit of the buck. Me me me, it is everywhere and yet it will not be me me me that saves us. I have always believed that humankind was driven to make things better and better, easier and easier for man, yet it appears that we have only strove to raise the buck bar. It is the buck bar that everything seems to be judged by here and in the rest of the idustrialized world. Obviously true in that we are all facing this collapse after rampant and unchecked greed has gone uncontrolled at least the last tens years. Corporations are guilty, government is guilty (look at the bialout with over 9000 earmarks, that is 50 per Congress person) but most importantly, we as people are guilty. I do not believe at this juncture government is going to save us either. In all of this recession or depression, or whatever we want to call it, I am reminded that God is faithful, God is true and He is still in control. Maybe He is trying to teach us all something?! March 01 This is true!
As a supplier for the Big 3 this man
received a letter from the President of GM North America requesting support for
the bail out program. His response is classic, and has to make you proud of a
local guy who tells it like it is.......
First, this is the letter he got from GM
to which his subsequent response is directed:
Dear Employees and Suppliers,
Congress and the current Administration will soon determine whether to provide immediate support to the domestic auto industry to help it through one of the most difficult economic times in our
nation's history. Your elected officials must hear from all of us now on why
this support is critical to our continuing the progress we began prior to the
global financial crisis.
As an employee or supplier, you have a
lot at stake and continue to be one of our most effective and passionate
voices.. I know GM can count on you to have your voice heard. Thank you
for your urgent action and ongoing support.
Troy Clarke - President General Motors
North America
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Response from: Gregory Knox, Pres. Knox
Machinery Company Franklin
, Ohio
Gentlemen: In response to your request
to contact legislators and ask for a bailout for the Big Three automakers
please consider the following, and please pass my thoughts on to Troy Clark,
President of General Motors North America.
Politicians and Management of the Big 3
are both infected with the same entitlement mentality that has spread like
cancerous germs in UAW halls for the last countless decades, and whose plague
is now sweeping this nation, awaiting our new "messiah", Pres-elect
Obama, to wave his magic wand and make all our problems go away, while at the
same time allowing our once great nation to keep "living the
dream". Believe me folks, The dream is over!
This dream where we can ignore the
consumer for years while management myopically focuses on its personal
rewards packages at the same time that our factories have been filled with
the worlds most overpaid, arrogant, ignorant and laziest entitlement minded
"laborers" without paying the price for these atrocities. This
dream where you still think the masses will line up to buy our products for
ever and ever.
Don't even think about telling me I'm
wrong. Don't accuse me of not knowing of what I speak. I have
called on Ford, GM, Chrysler, TRW, Delphi, Kelsey Hayes, American Axle and
countless other automotive OEM's throughout the Midwest
during the past 30 years and what I've seen over those years in these union
shops can only be described as disgusting..
Troy Clarke, President of General Motors
North America, states: "There is widespread sentiment throughout this
country, and our government, and especially via the news media, that the
current crisis is completely the result of bad management which it certainly
is not."
You're right Mr. Clarke, it's not
JUST management.
How about the electricians who walk
around the plants like lords in feudal times, making people wait on them for
countless hours while they drag ass so they can come in on the weekend and make
double and triple time for a job they easily could have done within their
normal 40 hour work week?
How about the line workers who threaten
newbies with all kinds of scare tactics for putting out too many parts on a
shift and for being too productive?
(We certainly must not expose those lazy
bums who have been getting overpaid for decades for their horrific
underproduction, must we?!?)
Do you folks really not know about this
stuff?!? How about this great sentiment abridged from Mr.
Clarke's sad plea: "over the last few years, we have closed the quality
and efficiency gaps with our competitors." What the hell has
Detroit been
doing for the last 40 years?!? Did we really JUST wake up to the gaps
in quality and efficiency between us and them?
The K-car vs. the Accord? The Pinto
vs. the Civic?!?
Do I need to go on? What a joke!
We are living through the inevitable
outcome of the actions of the United States auto industry for
decades. It's time to pay for your sins, Detroit .
I attended an economic summit last week
where brilliant economist, Alan Beaulieu, from the Institute of Trend
Research , surprised the crowd when he said he
would not have given the banks a penny of "bailout money".
"Yes, he said, this would cause short
term problems," but despite what people like politicians and corporate
magnates would have us believe, the sun would in fact rise the next day. and
the following very important thing would happen.. . where there had been
greedy and sloppy banks, new efficient ones would pop up. That is how a
free market system works. It does work if we would only let it
work."
But for some nondescript reason we are
now deciding that the rest of the world is right and that capitalism doesn't
work - that we need the government to step in and "save us".
Save us my $#@, Hell - we're
nationalizing, and unfortunately too many of our once fine nation's citizens
don't even have a clue that this is what is really happening. But, they
sure can tell you the stats on their favorite sports teams. Yeah -
THAT'S really important, isn't it.
Does it ever occur to ANYONE that the
"competition" has been producing vehicles, EXTREMELY PROFITABLY,
for decades in this country? How can that be??? Let's see.
Fuel efficient. Listening to customers. Investing in the proper
tooling and automation for the long haul.
Not being too complacent or arrogant to
listen to Dr. W. Edwards Deming four decades ago when he taught that by
adopting appropriate principles of management, organizations could increase
quality and simultaneously reduce costs. Ever increased productivity
through quality and intelligent planning. Treating vendors like
strategic partners, rather than like "the enemy". Efficient
front and back offices. Non union environment.
Again, I could go on and on, but I
really wouldn't be telling anyone anything they really don't already know
down deep in their hearts.
I have six children, so I am not
unfamiliar with the concept of wanting someone to bail you out of a mess that
you have gotten yourself into - my children do this on a weekly, if not daily
basis, as I did when I was their age. I do for them what my parents did
for me (one of their greatest gifts, by the way) - I make them stand on their
own two feet and accept the consequences of their actions and work through
it. Radical concept, huh?
Am I there for them in the wings?
Of course - but only until such time as they need to be fully on their own as
adults.
I don't want to oversimplify a complex situation,
but there certainly are unmistakable parallels here between the proper role
of parenting and government. Detroit
and the United
States need to pay for their sins.
Bad news, people - it's coming whether we like it or not. The newly elected
Messiah really doesn't have a magic wand big enough to "make it all go
away."
I laughed as I heard Obama "reeling
it back in" almost immediately after the final vote count was
tallied. "we really might not do it in a year or in
four." Where the Hell was that kind of talk when he was RUNNING
for office?
Stop trying to put off the inevitable
folks . That house in Florida
really isn't worth $750,000. People who jump across a border really don't
deserve free health care benefits. That job driving that forklift for
the Big 3 really isn't worth $85,000 a year. We really shouldn't allow
Wal-Mart to stock their shelves with products acquired from a country that
unfairly manipulates their currency and has the most atrocious human rights
infractions on the face of the globe.
That couple whose combined income is
less than $50,000 really shouldn't be living in that $485,000 home. Let the
market correct itself folks - it will.
Yes it will be painful, but it's gonna'
be painful either way, and the bright side of my proposal is that on the
other side of it all, is a nation that appreciates what it has and doesn't
live beyond its means and gets back to basics and redevelops the patriotic
work ethic that made it the greatest nation in the history of the world and
probably turns back to God..
Sorry - don't cut my head off, I'm just
the messenger sharing with you the "bad news". I hope you take it
to heart.
Gregory J. Knox, President Knox
Machinery, Inc. Franklin
, Ohio 45005
http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/knox.asp
...CONFIRMS KNOX'S LETTER February 28
Let's say I break into your house
A lady wrote the best letter in the Editorials in ages!!! It explains things better than all the baloney you hear on TV.
Her point:
Recently large demonstrations have taken place across the country protesting the fact that Congress is finally addressing
the issue of illegal immigration.
 Certain people are angry that the US might protect its own borders, might make it harder to sneak into this country and, once here, to stay indefinitely.
 Let me see if I correctly understand the thinking behind these protests. Let's say I break into your house. Let's say that when you discover me in your house, you insist that I leave.
 But I say, "I've made all the beds and washed the dishes and did the laundry and swept the floors. I've done all the things you don't like to do. I'm hard-working and honest (except for when I broke into your house).
According to the protesters:
 You are Required to let me stay in your house
You are Required to add me to your family's insurance plan
You are Required to Educate my kids
You are Required to Provide other benefits to me & to my family (my husband will do all of your yard work because
he is also hard-working and honest, except for that
breaking in part).
 If you try to call the police or force me out, I will call my friends who will picket your house carrying signs that proclaim my RIGHT to be there. It's only fair, after all, because you have a nicer house than I do, and I'm just trying to better myself. I'm a hard-working and honest, person, except for well, you know, I did break into your house. And oh yeah, I get a free education, where you have to pay your own way through college.
And what a deal it is for me!!!
 I live in your house, contributing only a fraction of the cost of my keep, and there is nothing you can do about it without being accused of cold,  uncaring, selfish, prejudiced, and bigoted behavior.
 Oh yeah, I DEMAND that you learn MY LANGUAGE!!! so you can communicate with me. And don't forget to make sure your forms are in MY LANGUAGE....SPANISH - I need to understand them..
 Why can't people see how ridiculous this is?!
if you agree, pass it on ( in English ). Share it if you see the value of it.
If not blow it off......... along with your future Social Security funds, and a lot of other things!
Cathryne Stone
Richardson, Texas
The Customer Service Hall of Shame
Four 'winners' from MSN Money's inaugural list are back -- 3 with scores even worse than last year's. See the 10 companies Americans love to hate.
By Karen Aho
The economy's in the tank. Corporate profits are down. Business owners are having just as hard a time getting loans as wannabe homeowners.
So you'd think that businesses would be treating their patrons like royalty, right? That this would be exactly the right time for businesses to coddle their customers?
Wrong. When the economic going gets tough, some companies apparently get tough-minded about customer service, squeezing out the last dime of profit by cutting back on critical customer-facing positions such as phone personnel.
"We've seen a fall in customer service as we've gone into a recession," said Richard D. Hanks, the president of Mindshare Technologies, a customer-service consulting company. "As the cost cutting occurs . . . they start to cut the wrong things."
That reality is borne out in the results of MSN Money's second annual Customer Service Hall of Shame, a ranking of companies with the worst customer service, based on a nationwide survey commissioned by MSN Money and conducted by Zogby International. The scores for our Hall of Shame companies are, on average, down from a year ago.
And the 'winner' is . . . The company at the bottom of the customer-service heap is Time Warner's AOL. A remarkable 47% of people who had an opinion of AOL's customer service said it was "poor." Analysts said that rating may have something to do with its effort to transition from an Internet service provider -- where it still has more than 9.3 million paying subscribers -- to an ad-supported Web portal.
"I don't know what to attribute that to," AOL spokeswoman Dori Salcido said. "I just do know that we continue to improve customer service."
AOL fits squarely in the category of company that dominates our list: communications companies and banks that provide complex and at times highly technical products. Tens of millions of customers rely on those products almost hourly. And, should something go wrong, those customers get anxious and demand a fix -- now.
That's still no excuse, analysts say. In their zest for quarterly profits, these companies tend to favor acquisitions over beefed-up service staffs. They also lean toward confusing fees over straightforward price increases -- strategies that don't play well for the long haul.
"Most of these companies actually aren't thriving," said Michael Shames, the executive director of the Utility Consumers' Action Network, a California nonprofit that monitors business practices. People don't look at companies with poor customer-service scores and say, "Here's where I should invest," he said.
For the survey, conducted online in March, Zogby asked more than 7,000 people across the country to rate their customer experiences with 140 leading companies in 14 industries, including airlines, hotels, insurance companies and big-box stores such as Wal-Mart. Respondents could answer "excellent," "good," "fair," "poor," "not familiar" or "not sure."
The companies in the Hall of Shame were ranked by the percentage of people familiar with a company who answered "poor."
Although AOL didn't get ranked last year, corporate sibling Time Warner Cable did, and it made the top 10 then and now, receiving a 29% and 31% "poor" response, respectively. Time Warner Cable was one of four companies -- along with Comcast, Sprint Nextel and Bank of America -- to make a repeat showing.
The Hall of Shame 1. AOL's response. Post your experiences here.
2. Comcast's response. Post your experiences here.
3. Sprint Nextel's response. Post your experiences here.
4. Abercrombie & Fitch's response. Post your experiences here.
5. Qwest's response. Post your experiences here.
6. Capital One's response. Post your experiences here.
7. Bank of America's response. Post your experiences here.
8. Time Warner Cable's response. Post your experiences here.
9. HSBC Finance's response. Post your experiences here.
10. Cox Communications' response. Post your experiences here.
Click here to see the full list of companies. February 20 Honestly, now that I have spent the past two years of my life being involved in a lawsuit and a dozen different attorneys, I can truly say that the court system from my vantage point is totally screwed up. You have to spend literally hundreds of thousands of dollars to just get to court, and anyone can sue you for anything if they have the money to continue paying their attorneys. OR, if one or two of the firms that you are defending yourself against, are on contingency, then they can create a paperwork mountain and produce no evidence and kill you by draining your finances down to nothing. I feel hopelessly let down by our legal system and it was a system I used to proclaim was the best in the world. I did nothing wroong, they have produced not one piece of paper as evidence of their accusations and I am still heading to court. My hope is that once in front of a jury, that 12 of my peers will clearly see thru the BS stroies that my dead partners wife was sold by a bunch of egotistical greedy sales people. Her fault though in the end and should I prevail, she will pay, not them, but she listened to and believed the stories, that is her fault. I ahve contemplated that should I win, and then be able to collect, I will donate as much as I can to charity, so that the life insurance payments she received when my partner died, will not have gone totally to waste. It is the least I can do. This suit has been the most challenging thing of my life, but I am young and will overcome. I have learned a ton about how the court works and how easy it is to manipulate the system by creating mounds of paperwork. I am down but not out, and like in the field of dreams movie, I AM GOING THE DISTANCE. LAWYERS, the only group that Jesus blanketed as A BROOD OF VIPERS! February 19 My heart and mind is reeling this day. I am tired of lukewarm
Christianity in myself, and in the church. I know better than this. I
know better than to compromise with sin and things contrary to God's
Word; I know better than to walk so near to a hot stove trying to find
out how close I can get until getting burned. Paul told the Romans
(1:32) that there are some that sin simply by approving what the evil
do and to the Ephesians he said that is shameful to even talk about
what the evil do in secret. I am so disappointed in the compromise I
see in the church today; and the frequent silence of my own tongue.
Homosexuality has become something to be discussed instead of something
to call repentance to. The whole idea of repentance seems to be a "bad
sermon" in the ears of Laodicia today. The church looks for peace in
compromise instead of finding true peace with God in deliverance. Sin
is has become a bad word; divorce is no longer uncommon; parenting
skills are foreign; greed is overlooked; pride resides arrogantly in
our silence as we condone the actions of others, or even harbor our own
filth from onlookers. Christianity has become so weak that it thinks it
is only one spoke on the wheel that leads to truth. Jesus, Paul, and
Peter would be religious fanatics and put out of most of our churches
today. Where is the Holy Spirit? Without holiness, no one will see the
Lord. The more I read of Menno Simons the more I like him, but the
further I see his stance from the church that would wear his name
today. We have left off loving the sinner and hating the sin, and
traded it for accepting the sinner as is and embracing the sin. The
church is feeble; and I am shamed as I too am guilty.
"Tell me, dearly beloved, where and when did you read in the
Scriptures, the true witness of the Holy Ghost and criterion of our
consciences, that the unbelieving, disobedient, carnal man, the
adulterous, immoral, drunken, avaricious, idolatrous, and the pompous
man has one single promise of the kingdom of Christ and His church,
yes, part or communion in His merits, death, and blood? I tell you te
truth, nowhere and never do we read it in the Scriptures. But thus it
is written by Paul: For if ye live after the flesh ye shall die.
Adulterers, whoremongers, perverts, effeminate, unclean, idolaters,
drunkards, proud, avaricious, hateful persons, betayers, and those who
shed innocent blood; thieves, murderers, and those who know no mercy,
those disobedient to God and Christ, will not inherit the kingdom of
God unless they repent."
Ahh! Give me such friends that would preach to me like this! Well said
Menno, but we live in a so called smarter age, and understand more, and
such words would not be flattering today! We twist the Greek, tweek the
words, and reinvent a Biblical culture to match our own-- making
culture God and the way of the multitudes right. And if we have not
swallowed believing in our newly invented heresies, many of us are too
cowardly to call them out.
Thats where I am at.... on the brink of I know not what. Where do I run
to?
I never signed up for half-hearted Christianity. All or none. February 13 A suggestion for all those brilliant ones telling people they need to default on their payments and get three months behind before a "bailout" can be proposed for the individual homeowners. To me that sounds REALLY stupid. The consumer must stop paying for three months and go into a foreclosure porceeding before a bank will work with them... all I can say is Durrrrrrrrrrrh. How about something simple like this, A LENDER EQUITY PARTICIPATION PROGRAM. It looks something like this. The lender discounts the notes or payments to an affordable level and for all the funds "given" to the homeowners, it is added on in the distance to the equity gain when the economy comes back and they sell the home. If the lenders wanted to even add the traditional greed factor, they can charge a little interest similar to a reverse mortgage. Downturns and upturns are cyclical, we all know this, it is just a matter of time and the right agreement to sign! Nicer, friendlier, more neighborly and would help neighborhood values instead of destroying them like they are. So many folks who have struggled and pay are now being affected due to the diminishing values primarily NOW CAUSED by the banks and lending insititutions and outdated models of lending. Just a thought from Mike. February 12 Calling an illegal alien an 'undocumented immigrant' is like calling a drug dealer an 'unlicensed pharmacist' -
I call them future American Citizens, we see them standing everywhere near every home depot or lowes that exists... I passed one Home Depot the other day that had even put a one of those tarp tents for them with a TV under it and bleachers to sit on. I guess it is good for business at Home Depots. December 15 Shadow stalks us like death,
wether we turn to the left
or to the right,
shadow is there.
We can go to the far left,
we can go to the far right,
we may think rightousness protects us in our opining,
but shadow still lurks.
The only time shadow does not haunt us
is under the son shine of mid-day,
or in the darkest most cavernous cave.
Shadow is death. November 11 Long ago and far away, in a land that time forgot,
Before the days of Dylan, or the dawn of Camelot.
There lived a race of innocents, and they were you and me,
A time that life was simpler, in the Land that Made Me Me.
For Ike was in the White House in that land where we were born,
Where navels were for oranges, and Peyton Place was porn.
We learned to gut a muffler, we washed our hair at dawn,
We spread our crinolines to dry in circles on the lawn.
We longed for love and romance, and waited for our Prince,
And Eddie Fisher married Liz, and no one's seen him since.
We danced to 'Little Darlin,' and sang to 'Stagger Lee'
And cried for Buddy Holly in the Land That Made Me Me.
Only girls wore earrings then, and 3 was one too many,
And only boys wore flat-top cuts, except for Jean McKinney.
And only in our wildest dreams did we expect to see
A boy named George with Lipstick, in the Land That Made Me Me.
We fell for Frankie Avalon, Annette was oh, so nice,
And when they made a movie, they never made it twice.
We didn't have a Star Trek Five, or Psycho Two and Three,
Or Rocky-Rambo Twenty in the Land That Made Me Me.
Miss Kitty had a heart of gold, and Chester had a limp,
And Reagan was a Democrat whose co-star was a chimp.
We had a Mr. Wizard, but not a Mr. T ,
And Oprah couldn't talk, yet, in the Land That Made Me Me.
We had our share of heroes, we never thought they'd go,
At least not Bobby Darin, or Marilyn Monroe.
For youth was still eternal, and life was yet to be,
And Elvis was forever in the Land That Made Me Me.
We'd never seen the rock band that was Grateful to be Dead,
And Airplanes weren't named Jefferson , and Zeppelins were not Led.
And Beatles lived in gardens then, and Monkees lived in trees,
Madonna was a virgin in the Land That Made Me Me.
We'd never heard of microwaves, or telephones in cars,
And babies might be bottle-fed, but they sure weren't grown in jars.
And pumping iron got wrinkles out, and 'gay' meant fancy-free,
And dorms were never coed in the Land That Made Me Me.
We hadn't seen enough of jets to talk about the lag,
And microchips were what was left at the bottom of the bag.
And Hardware was a box of nails, and bytes came from a flea,
And rocket ships were fiction in the Land That Made Me Me.
Buicks came with portholes, and side shows came with freaks,
And bathing suits came big enough to cover both your cheeks.
And Coke came just in bottles, and skirts below the knee,
And Castro came to power near the Land That Made Me Me.
We had no Crest with Fluoride, we had no Hill Street Blues,
It wasn't quite so scary then, to watch the evening News.
We had no patterned pantyhose or Lipton herbal tea
Or prime-time ads for condoms in the Land That Made Me Me.
There were no golden arches, no Perrier to chill,
And fish were not called Wanda, and cats were not called Bill.
And middle-aged was 35 and old was forty-three,
And ancient were our parents in the Land That Made Me Me.
But all things have a season, or so we've heard them say,
And now instead of Maybelline we swear by Retin-A.
They send us invitations to join AARP,
We've come a long way, baby, from the Land That Made Me Me.
So now we face a brave new world in slightly larger jeans,
And wonder why they're using smaller print in magazines.
And we tell our children's children of the way it used to be,
Long ago and far away in the Land That Made Me Me. October 02
Defendant Michael W. Fisher hereby responds to Plaintiff Sue Kruse’s Form Interrogatories (Set One) as follows:
GENERAL OBJECTIONS
1. Defendant makes the following general objections (“General Objections”) to each and every individual Form Interrogatory and hereby incorporates such objections into each and every individual response herein. The assertion of the same, similar or additional objections or the provision of partial answers in the individual responses to these requests does not waive any of Defendant’s General Objections.
2. Defendant objects to the definition of “INCIDENT” used in the Form Interrogatories in that it includes everything in the 34-page Second Amended Complaint and 16-page Cross-Complaint. This is vague, ambiguous and overbroad to the point of harassment, and does not with any reasonably particularity describe the information sought by the propounding party.
3. Defendant objects to the Form Interrogatories to the extent that they request information which is neither relevant to this action nor reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence.
4. Defendant objects to the Form Interrogatories to the extent that they request information protected from disclosure by any applicable privilege, including, but not limited to, the attorney-client privilege and/or the attorney work product doctrine.
5. Defendant objects to the Form Interrogatories to the extent that they impose an obligation to provide a response for or on behalf of any person or entity other than Defendant and/or request information other than that in the possession, custody or control of Defendant.
6. Defendant objects to the Form Interrogatories to the extent that they seek information equally or more readily available to Plaintiff.
7. The following responses are based upon the facts, documents and information presently known and available to Defendant. Discovery, investigation, research and analysis are ongoing and may disclose the existence of additional facts or documents, add meaning to known facts or documents, or lead to additions, variations, or changes to these responses.
8. Without obligating itself to do so, Defendant reserves the right to change or supplement these responses as additional facts or documents are discovered, revealed, recalled or otherwise ascertained, and as further analysis, research and discovery disclose additional facts, documents, contentions or legal theories which may apply. Defendant specifically reserves the right to utilize subsequently discovered facts, documents or evidence at trial and also specifically reserves the right to object to the disclosure and/or production of any subsequently discovered facts, evidence or documents and, by responding to these Form Interrogatories, expressly does not waive any such objections.
Subject to and without waiving such objections or claims of privilege, Defendant responds to Plaintiff’s Form Interrogatories (Set One) as follows:
RESPONSES TO FORM INTERROGATORIES
RESPONSE TO FORM INTERROGATORY NUMBER 1.1:
Michael W. Fisher, 504 Looking Glass Drive, Diamond Bar, CA, 91765; David E. Outwater, Esq., 2102 Business Center Dr. Suite 151, Irvine, CA 92612 (949) 253-5744.
RESPONSE TO FORM INTERROGATORY NUMBER 2.1:
a) Michael W. Fisher;
b) None.
c) Not applicable.
RESPONSE TO FORM INTERROGATORY NUMBER 2.2:
September 15, 1960; Long Beach, California
RESPONSE TO FORM INTERROGATORY NUMBER 2.5:
Defendant incorporates herein the General Objections asserted above. Subject to these objections and without waiving them, Defendant answers as follows:
a) 504 Looking Glass Drive, Diamond Bar, CA, 91765 from February 2006 to present;
b) 12401 Euclid Street, #101, Garden Grove, CA 92840 – from 2004-2006.
RESPONSE TO FORM INTERROGATORY NUMBER 2.6:
Defendant incorporates herein the General Objections asserted above. Defendant objects to this interrogatory on the ground that it is vague, ambiguous and unintelligible in its reference to “INCIDENT” and when any alleged “INCIDENT” occurred as Plaintiff’s 34-page Second Amended Complaint references multiple dates spanning over a year. Since the term “INCIDENT” is nonsensical in the context of this litigation, responding party is unable to respond to this request as presented. Subject to these objections and without waiving them, Defendant answers as follows:
a) R.D. Financial Services, Inc. from 5-15-08 to present.
b) President, Sec./Treasurer, Sales Rep, Manager, Advisor at NIAP from inception to June 30, 2007.
c) WESI titles – Director of Community Services, President, CEO, Sec/Treas., Manager, member of Board of Directors, Vice President, Seminar Department Manager, Booker, Sales Manager, Speaker, Legal Department Manager, Certified Legal Document preparer, Arizona Certified Legal Document preparer, Instructor. From 1/1/97 to 1/1/2008.
RESPONSE TO FORM INTERROGATORY NUMBER 2.7:
Defendant incorporates herein the General Objections asserted above. Subject to these objections and without waiving them, Defendant answers as follows:
a) Santa Ana Junior College, Coastline Community College, Cal State University Fullerton, International Seminary, Alameda College
b) 1985-2005
c) Graduate degree
d) AA in religious studies, BA in legal studies, Master’s degree in business.
RESPONSE TO FORM INTERROGATORY NUMBER 2.8:
Defendant incorporates herein the General Objections asserted above. Subject to these objections and without waiving them, Defendant answers as follows: No.
RESPONSE TO FORM INTERROGATORY NUMBER 2.11:
Defendant incorporates herein the General Objections asserted above. Defendant objects to this interrogatory on the ground that it is vague, ambiguous and unintelligible in its reference to “INCIDENT” and when any alleged “INCIDENT” occurred as Plaintiff’s 34-page Second Amended Complaint references multiple dates spanning over a year. Since the term “INCIDENT” is nonsensical in the context of this litigation, responding party is unable to respond to this request as presented. Subject to and without waiving the above objections, during that period of time that is identified in the Cross-Complaint whereby Mr. Fisher was working for the benefit of NIAP, at the direction of NIAP, and on behalf of NIAP at least until his resignation on June 30, 2007, he was arguably an agent of NIAP.
RESPONSE TO FORM INTERROGATORY NUMBER 4.1:
Defendant incorporates the foregoing General Objections by reference as if set forth in full herein. Defendant objects to this interrogatory on the ground that it is vague, ambiguous and unintelligible in its reference to “INCIDENT.” Subject to and without waiving these, or any other objections or claims of privilege, Defendant responds as follows: Defendant is currently unaware of any applicable insurance policies.
RESPONSE TO FORM INTERROGATORY NUMBER 4.2:
Defendant incorporates the foregoing General Objections by reference as if set forth in full herein. Defendant objects to this interrogatory on the ground that it is vague, ambiguous and unintelligible in its reference to “INCIDENT.” Subject to and without waiving these, or any other objections or claims of privilege, Defendant responds as follows: No.
RESPONSE TO FORM INTERROGATORY NUMBER 8.1:
Defendant incorporates the foregoing General Objections by reference as if set forth in full herein. Defendant objects to this interrogatory on the ground that it is vague, ambiguous and unintelligible in its reference to “INCIDENT.” Subject to and without waiving these objections, or any other objections or claims of privilege, Defendant responds as follows: Yes.
RESPONSE TO FORM INTERROGATORY NUMBER 8.2:
Defendant incorporates the foregoing General Objections by reference as if set forth in full herein. Defendant objects to this interrogatory on the ground that it is vague, ambiguous and unintelligible in its reference to “INCIDENT.” Subject to and without waiving these objections, Defendant responds: Roger and Mr. Fisher incorporated NIAP and ran it together from its inception. Mr. Fisher’s held titles of President/Secretary/Treasurer, Sales Rep., Manager, and Advisor. Mr. Fisher’s duties were to manage and direct sales force ranging in size from 10 to 25 persons who worked in the field selling insurance, and primarily annuities. Most of the time it consisted of listening to the reps, setting budgets, obtaining sales figures and listening to all of them complain and resolve those complaints as best as possible. He also purchased supplies, ordered materials, and signed contracts.
RESPONSE TO FORM INTERROGATORY NUMBER 8.3:
Defendant incorporates the foregoing General Objections by reference as if set forth in full herein. Defendant objects to this interrogatory on the ground that it is vague, ambiguous and unintelligible in its reference to “INCIDENT.” Subject to and without waiving the above objections, Defendant responds as follows: As to NIAP, June 30, 2007, which is when Mr. Fisher resigned as an officer of the company – Mr. Fisher has not received the compensation due and owing, which is the subject of the Cross-Complaint.
RESPONSE TO FORM INTERROGATORY NUMBER 8.4:
Defendant incorporates the foregoing General Objections by reference as if set forth in full herein. Defendant objects to this interrogatory on the ground that it is vague, ambiguous and unintelligible in its reference to “INCIDENT.” Subject to and without waiving these objections, Defendant responds as follows: $9,000 per month.
RESPONSE TO FORM INTERROGATORY NUMBER 8.5:
Defendant incorporates the foregoing General Objections by reference as if set forth in full herein. Defendant objects to this interrogatory on the ground that it is vague, ambiguous and unintelligible in its reference to “INCIDENT.” Defendant further objects to this interrogatory on the ground that it is illogical and seeks irrelevant information in light of the nature of the instant action (i.e., not an accident or worker’s compensation claim).
RESPONSE TO FORM INTERROGATORY NUMBER 8.6:
Defendant incorporates the foregoing General Objections by reference as if set forth in full herein. Defendant objects to this interrogatory on the ground that it is vague, ambiguous and unintelligible in its reference to “INCIDENT.” Defendant further objects to this interrogatory on the ground that it is illogical and seeks irrelevant information in light of the nature of the instant action (i.e., not an accident or worker’s compensation claim).
RESPONSE TO FORM INTERROGATORY NUMBER 8.7:
Defendant incorporates the foregoing General Objections by reference as if set forth in full herein. Defendant objects to this interrogatory on the ground that it is vague, ambiguous and unintelligible in its reference to “INCIDENT.” Defendant objects to this interrogatory to the extent that it improperly seeks expert testimony in violation of Code of Civil Procedure section 2034.010, et seq. Subject to and without waiving these, or any other objections or claims of privilege, Defendant responds as follows: From August 2006 to June 2007, Defendant is owed compensation in the amount of $99,000, plus statutory waiting penalties, interest, and attorney’s fees.
RESPONSE TO FORM INTERROGATORY NUMBER 8.8:
Defendant incorporates the foregoing General Objections by reference as if set forth in full herein. Defendant objects to this interrogatory on the ground that it is vague, ambiguous and unintelligible in its reference to “INCIDENT.” Defendant objects to this interrogatory on the ground that it improperly seeks expert testimony in violation of Code of Civil Procedure section 2034.010 et seq. Subject to and without waiving these objections, Defendant responds as follows: Mr. Fisher is unaware of any future lost income responsive as to his understanding of this interrogatory.
RESPONSE TO FORM INTERROGATORY NUMBER 9.1:
Defendant incorporates the foregoing General Objections by reference as if set forth in full herein. Defendant objects to this interrogatory on the ground that it is vague, ambiguous and unintelligible in its reference to “INCIDENT.” Defendant objects to this interrogatory on the ground that it improperly seeks expert testimony in violation of Code of Civil Procedure section 2034.010 et seq. Subject to and without waiving these, or any other objections or claims of privilege, Defendant responds as follows: Yes.
a. Payments to five NIAP sales representatives for commissions due and owing for insurance/annuity transactions completed on behalf of NIAP.
b. These documents were produced showing the payments, and responding party identifies it was between June 2007 and January 2008.
c. Approximately $20,000.
d. Mr. Fisher and the sales representatives that he paid, which are identified in the documents already produced. Patrick Jon Runninger, Philip Faron, Robert Tezlaf, Chad Gonzalez, and Harvey Gonzalez.
a. Loan to NIAP
b. December 2006
c. $15,000.
d. Michael Fisher, Sue Kruse, American Investors, Bryon Rice, and Mark Heitz.
a. Payment of NIAP credit card
b. October 2007
c. Approximately $5,000.
d. Sue Kruse, representatives of Wells Fargo bank, Beth Bostick, Matthew Fletcher, and Cheryl Allaire.
a. Commission for annuity transaction with American Equity Insurance
b. August or September 2007
c. $14,500.
d. Patrick Runninger, American Equity, and Sue Kruse
RESPONSE TO FORM INTERROGATORY NUMBER 9.2:
Defendant incorporates the foregoing General Objections by reference as if set forth in full herein. Defendant objects to this interrogatory on the ground that it is vague, ambiguous and unintelligible in its reference to “INCIDENT.” Subject to and without waiving these objections, Defendant responds as follows: Defendant has produced all responsive documents identifying the amounts due and owing, and Defendant is not obligated to create a compilation of these same documents already produced in discovery.
RESPONSE TO FORM INTERROGATORY NUMBER 12.1:
Defendant incorporates the foregoing General Objections by reference as if set forth in full herein. Defendant objects to this interrogatory on the ground that it is vague, ambiguous, overbroad, and unintelligible in the context of this litigation. The term “INCIDENT” is nonsensical, overbroad and harassing in the context of this litigation, responding party is unable to respond to this request as presented.
RESPONSE TO FORM INTERROGATORY NUMBER 12.2:
Defendant incorporates the foregoing General Objections by reference as if set forth in full herein. Defendant objects to this interrogatory on the ground that it is vague, ambiguous, overbroad, and unintelligible in the context of this litigation. The term “INCIDENT” is nonsensical, overbroad and harassing in the context of this litigation, responding party is unable to respond to this request as presented. Lastly, Defendant objects on the ground that this interrogatory improperly seeks discovery of information protected by the attorney-client privilege and work product doctrine [Nacht & Lewis Architects v. Superior Court (1996) 47 Cal.App.4th 214.] Subject to and without waiving the above objections, Defendant is unaware of any non-privileged interview.
RESPONSE TO FORM INTERROGATORY NUMBER 12.3:
Defendant incorporates the foregoing General Objections by reference as if set forth in full herein. Defendant objects to this interrogatory on the ground that it is vague, ambiguous, overbroad, and unintelligible in the context of this litigation. The term “INCIDENT” is nonsensical, overbroad and harassing in the context of this litigation, responding party is unable to respond to this request as presented. Lastly, Defendant objects on the ground that this interrogatory improperly seeks discovery of information protected by the attorney-client privilege and work product doctrine. [Nacht & Lewis Architects v. Superior Court (1996) 47 Cal.App.4th 214.] Subject to and without waiving the above objections, Defendant is unaware of any non-privileged report.
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