Author: DhammaSeeker

The beautiful

IF there is something fundamental and basic common to every sentient thing in the universe, what would it be? I offer that it is the perception of the beautiful, and in that perception, we can identify with and become one with all.

There is too much order in nature to be entirely accidental, but then again, there’s so much chaos. Within every human mind there are conflicting forces always at battle. One, the primal, is the animal instinct with desires to gratify the self, indulge, conquer, take, dominate. The other, the civilian with aspirations to give, be compassionate, fair, amenable. But the common point at which these divergent forces can meet is the beautiful. The beautiful can tame the wild spirit and enlighten and ground the most “elevated” society figure. Within the beautiful, there is a clearing, and the clearing is good.

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I found the above bit of idealistic drivel today while cleaning out some old net storage. It’s at least seven years old – perhaps older.

Enough is enough USPS!

WASHINGTON, Feb 10 (Reuters) – The price of a one-ounce first-class stamp will rise to 44 cents on May 11, the U.S. Postal Service said on Tuesday.

Postmaster General John Potter said the price of a stamp is going up because operational costs for the postal service are rising while the recession is dragging down mail volume.

“The Postal Service is not immune to rising costs which are affecting homes and businesses across America today,” said Potter.

source

Well Mr. Potter, the USPS needs to do what every other household and busniess across America is doing these days — reduce your costs. I wish I could walk in my employer’s office and demand that I receive a 4.76% increase in my salary. In point of fact, I may very well be subject to a 4.76% decrease in my salary next fiscal year, and I’m for certain not getting any increase at all.

I’d be perfectly fine with forgoing mail delivery on an additional day (or two) a week. It’s not like I’m receiving much in the mail of any value these days. I’ve even changed how I remit the one payment a month I used to send by check in a stamped envelope to avoid paying the usurious $.42 rate in effect today!

Mail volume is clearly decreasing, so the USPS needs to contract accordingly. Anything less is just grift on the American population.


	


	
	






	
	

		
Clueless motherfuckers
	


	

		
A Bank Defends Las Vegas Party


February 09, 2009 9:39 AM


ABC’s Tom Shine from Washington, DC:


On Wednesday, John Stumpf, the President and CEO of Wells Fargo will appear before Barney Frank’s House Financial Services Committee.  But before he’s grilled by a very angry congress, Stumpf is trying to convince an equally angry public that those stories in the media about expensive, wasteful junkets are “deliberately misleading.”


On Sunday Wells Fargo bought full page ads in the New York Times and Washington Post to proclaim those trips being planned were not junkets, but employee recognition events to thank and inspire team members who have worked very hard, like “our terrific mortgage team who helped us originate $230 billion in mortgages in the last year.”  Stumpf went on to say that the money for the recognition events would have come from company profits and not from the taxpayer financed bailout and he said canceling the events hurt not only his employees, “but the workers who depend on their business, the hospitality industry, hotel housekeepers, restaurant servers, the airlines.”  The CEO closed by saying “since we aren’t thanking our award winners in person this year, we’ll have to do it this way.  Thank you, all out 281,000 team members.  You are the best!”


CITI and Bank of America, whose CEOs will also face Frank and company on Wednesday took out full page ads in both papers too with Bank of America saying we’re taking the trust and faith that America has put in us and getting to work–by lending and investing…”


But it will likely take much more than Full Page ads to convince congress and the public.


source


The absolute gall of John Stumpf leaves me gobsmacked! Your bank gets 25 billion in bailout funds, and you have the audacity to conceptually separate ‘profits’ from TARP money? You clueless motherfucker! You don’t have any profits. Not until you give my country back what you’ve taken plus interest just to keep your mismanaged institution afloat.


Also, have they not noticed that no one is reading newspapers? Taking out full page ads in a dying media format is not the best way to spread your message. Again, clueless motherfuckers!


Here’s a song for you and your buddies.


 Continue reading Clueless motherfuckers