Black Friday and Beyond.

"Black Friday" is well known, and people are starting to keep track and may even be holding out for "Cyber Monday" (on the 28th) but did you know that there is now"Free Shipping Day" as well?

Its to be held on Dec. 16th since that's one of the last says a standard package should be on time for your holiday gift giving.

Generally, I research everything I buy, weeks in advance and get the best deals year round with coupons, specials and other close outs. I was thinking the other day and realized there is nothing too big i wanted to get. There for I wont be standing in any lines.

However, I may go to Target after dinner just to burn off some calories.

NYC say goodbye to free public restrooms.

Starbucks is slowly closing its bathroom doors. As NYC law states that an eatery with more than 9 seats has to have a public toilet, you will notice a few extra chairs by the curb.

Reasons:

#1) With a Starbucks on every corner, its notorious for public toilets.

#2) They say workers don't have time to wait on long lines.

#3) Another claim was that, they can no longer control perverts from installing camera.

#4) I briefly worked at one. My #1 complaint, was needles in the garbage.

True story, any junkie in the city knows where a Starbucks bathroom is.

The sad truth is that the uproar over this issue, only proves that they have been the most reliable toilets in NYC.

Did the NBA Lockout Cause OWS?

I'm thinking... if they (the protesters) were out at ball games or playing on the street. Maybe they wouldn't be protesting in the street. Maybe recreate the ideal of idols.

Become a Basket-Ball star on your own court. Build a community team. The sport wasn't canceled. Watching over paid players complaining about contracts did.

But then again, why complain about missing the game, aren't the players part of the 1% who are over paid and hording these missing trillions?

Here's a new twist, they are using the lock out, to extend to a new audience. (Truth be told, the lock out is about greed and pay rates. But then again, who's the idiot paying for season tickets when you don't have a job?! Maybe live within your means..

I do comprehend that there are many stadium employees out of work. I'm not completely dense.

But aren't sports franchises part of the problem?

Stadium work is seasonal, I've done it. When you work for Armark or whoever, you can work seasonal work elsewhere. Whatever, that was not my intended point. I just like to see things from another perspective.

Complaints and further reading here

Itchin' for a Bitchin'

Got a topic or thought that irritates you?

Let me take a stab at it... I'm looking for quick thoughts, and random rants to post about.

Let me explore your ideas and what irks you.

Is OWS fueling Antisemitism?

OWS protesters are taking cops out of my neighborhood. So criminals are running rampant because some $h*t-head probably told him Jews are the 1%...

The break in rate on cars is skyrocketing....

A Jewish woman was stabbed to death about a week back a couple blocks away from my apartment. I don't know why that's not news.

But I'm sure the torched cars and graffiti on Ave J are connected to stupid opinions.

That's how today's Stabbing went down...

NYC Restaurant Grades, A Small Business Fail

A sad one for small business.

When NYC implemented the grading system, a place on my corner who was there for 30 yrs had been shut down.

Last week some news organization released that there were "paper work -errors"..... Gotta wonder how may were wrongly shut down...

I blame the Entertainment industry.

Okay, not really.

Though I don't know why no ones bitching about the entertainment industry ... it pisses me off. People don't play ball or go outside anymore. They sit on their ass as we pay celebrities like Ashton kutcher millions to help us escape..

scrapping and saving for the latest gadget..

If I was in to protesting, I would hire one of those "star's" tours and protest by those homes.

Jus' sayin'

Occupy Hollywood!! :)

This is funny though

NYC mismanagement and the MTA

When is someone going to go over those books...

Every time the MTA (NYC public transportation system) jacks up its prices, its followed by some big scandal and millions are missing.. or miss managed.

While they have a hiring freeze so they pay over time, for 8 hr work days when the workers are not "allowed" to work during rush hour. So they sit around "on the clock" half the day... Talk about mismanagement.

Even with high gas prices driving is cheaper than a train.

Were gonna be screwed at the next storm because of that city hiring freeze. They owe workers overtime for Irene and the October blizzard... see how fast they run to clear the snow when it starts coming down.

Side note on stupidity:

Did you know that sanitation workers in several counties between NY & NJ cleared the fallen trees from the streets, moving everything to the sidewalk. Then they had the nerve to tell property owners they had to clear it. They fined hundreds of people..

When the people who were outraged spoke up, the counties then apologized for the fines and sent workers out again to clear it... guess what.. more time on the clock. Oh and refunds were not issued for paid fines.

American history excerpts for back-ground :)

Industrial Revolution: brought with it many modern inventions which eased the lives of some but caused havoc for others. Major changes in economy, society, and cultural perspective all contributed to the strife that inevitably led to the Civil War. As major changes in everyday life began, there were many changes which created monumental controversies among the people living them. The use of the new machines made many employees unnecessary and workers were being disregarded only to be replaced with Irish and German immigrants who would take less pay and wouldn’t complain about working conditions. The factory workers were at a loss to the new radical changes. This caused a new division in class as social classes with opposing views. Many different cultures began merging and social reform began to stir major controversy. More factories were opening and women were starting to work to help support their families. This caused shifts in communities as well as peoples roles shifted and they had to find new sources of income.

Property Taxes, Lewis & Clark, Expanding American Borders.

In 1784 Jefferson called for division of regions in to territories. Once a substantial amount of people purchased land the territories would gain admission to be a state which would be granted as long as the population was larger than the smallest state. Jefferson made an effort to earmark the land sale funds for schools to be built. After he was elected into office he successfully negotiated the Louisiana purchase which doubled the size of the U.S. He had the government finance the Lewis and Clark expedition thru the area of the Louisiana Purchase as well as beyond. The purpose was to document a proof of claim that the US discovered the Pacific Northwest. Expedition went all the way to the Pacific Ocean. He also sent off smaller expedition to Middle America. Jefferson was very passionate about ending slavery and tried to have it abolishing in 1800. While Jackson had many of the Native people shipped out west, where many had died, this was called The Indian Removal. He had added Arkansas and MI to the union. While Jefferson was all about expansion, Jackson was all about ethnic cleansing of the Indians, a plan set out by Jefferson but carried out by Jackson.

Women's Role

Women of the new colonies were generally uneducated, they had little more than “Good House Wifery” as they weren’t allowed prominent roles in politics. Prior to the boycott on British goods and trade they didn’t have a role or a voice. When it came to supporting the revolution they mostly maintained the land and kept up the home. Groups of women started organizing and the Daughters of Liberty were created to unite against the Townshead Acts, supporting non-importation of cloth, wool, and flax. They came together and organized gatherings where they would make homespun textiles. Some met in secrecy fearing opposition, while others were outspoken and took to the streets. Wealthier women were able to donate to religious causes so that even those who couldn’t afford it, wouldn’t have to buy imports. Women were able to make American made goods effectively supported the non-importation of British goods. . Some other contributions included, fundraising for the war efforts, and on few occasions even going to battle themselves.

The Tobacco Brothers are holding a Job Fair

Next week in the park. This oughta make for some entertaining headlines.

If your not sure who they are, google "occupy a desk" read headlines for a crash course.

Artist

Artist are hard working laborers who have a need to create. We are different.

We bleed creation.

If you have to work to live, you better love what you do.

OWS- made me want to write

In the past I have tried to rebuild and write again, I always stop. I simply don't make the time. Well now I have so much work to do... that I need a distraction. And things are getting interesting on american soil.

I don't get the need for a "sit in" or a day of ...what did they call it... something to do with anarchy.. oh right, civil disobedience. Okay, when I was 15 I may have run away from home and preached from the Washington mall or at capitol hill with you.

But staging violent protests and instigating riot police is not the answer.

Get in to government funded colleges and programs.. they are only as good as the students they host. Build on your ideals and expand on your own thoughts, take them to congress and make the changes you want.

Somethings gotta give.

Generations have built this mess. Overspending has built this mess, our parents, grandparents and our forefathers, have built this mess. Buy the latest gadget or phone, you contributed. Buy the cheaper more affordable thing at the dollar store (made in China) products, yea, your helping contribute... I'm guilty as well .

Be active. don't invest in stocks. corporations have proved they can not be trusted. The entire global market is crashing as a whole. You want change you have to make it.

None of this can be blamed on one individual president or policy or person it has been building up for a long time. ...so was the Tea Party. (the BOSTON one) gosh..

As far back as this country's history goes, the rich have been overtaxing the poor. this country was founded on the backbreaking labor of immigrants and blue color workers. (google the industrial revolution)

Yes, the bare minimums are expensive. I know. But when you scrimp, save and plan, you can live with in a budget and still enjoy life.

An asshole fired me a little over a year ago. Since then, I have been in school and worked MANY part time jobs to cover my basic expenses while I have been supported in a recession based relationship. (I'm not expanding on that at this time-other than this- "it was financially sound to stay together")

These ARE hard times. But each one of us has to do whatever it is that will help us get by in a honest hard working way.

Google checking out my wallet.

I saw the Google check out at walgreens and then googled it. The fact is my phone is and identity are pretty much up for grab with the amount of information they have collected from me over the years... thinking about all the bills and confirmations I get by email... I no longer have secrets... the only question is... who wants my shitty credit score or the intimate details that fuel my daily intentions.

Thoughts and opinions-Please Share yours

Below are thoughts and opinions I typed up the other night from my phone. If you see an idea you want me to expand on, you think is crap, or simply want to rant about, please COMMENT... Let me know. Its very scattered ... just go with it.

I would like to clarify, I am not that 99%.

__

I've been back on the a.d.d. drugs. So this is scattered and typed on my phone at 3am. Forgive the auto-fails...

Do you know what they are all pissed off about.... not all of them do... but here's what I'm pissed off about.

America mass produces to accommodate the growing population.... (all over the world)

Both, overseas and here. We produce over seas and we seem to be the world police on hunger and poverty.

Jobs are all being outsourced for profit revenues...

While robots do in minutes what 50 employees used to do in an 8 hr work day for a 30% the cost.

Jobs, small business and immigration:

Why pay the overhead cost of a small business landscaper when a Mexican will do it for half the price? -no I don't want to clean toilets but why find a local service or company... When an immigrant will do it for half. Cash.

But then again we can't afford the local hardware store, so we shop at Walmart.

Maybe shop local for the holidays.

When thinking big corporations, that photo hit it on the head. Its a shame... that the cost of playing the courts is more efficient for profit revenue, than having to start construction on safer conditions.

OWS protesters are taking cops out of my neighborhood leaving... criminals to run rampant because some Shithead probably told him Jews are the 1%...

A Jewish woman was stabbed to death a few nights ago a couple blocks away from me. I don't know why that's not news. But I'm sure the torched cars and graffiti on Ave J are connected to stupid opinions. That's how today's Stabbing went down...

Credit forgiveness:

Yea it would be nice not to have capitalist greed on my credit score.

from a (identity theft) credit card- who's company says, even though I proved I was not in the country at the time, a cc I never applied for, was mailed to my "known address" and used in Texas. But since it was mailed to my family address, (I'm liable because I didn't forward or stop mail) so if someone opened it in my home, that's mail fraud and I need to prosecute whoever lived there?!... That's bullshit.

ballys gym made me jump through hoops to prove I was moving and cancel my membership. Then after I moved to isreal they claim, I never signed the final confirmation they mailed to me.. I left the county. They knew that, had a copy of my ticket. Yet... I became liable for a year of payments plus interest for late/ nonpayments.

here's a fun one:

When chase took over WaMu they changed my payment dates from the 15th to a 30 day cycle with out directly contacting me (after I had surgery and wasn't working) and I missed (my automatic payment) by a day, two months in a row, with no grace period ...raising my apr from 11% to 29%.. again without direct contact... Telling me it was posted in my online account msg box ..... Seriously?! .

I repeatedly contacted them ..they Made me jump through hoops to correct it and then simply didn't respond.

Or government & unemployememt:

There was some "problem" with my judge who had my case and he had to resign, so over a year later, my case is stuck in red tape while 1SAD (the company whofired me without just cause) is being protected and I have not seen a dollar from unemployment.

Companies should be held accountable at some point. Somethings gotta give.... Things are not right as they are. The government needs to remember the little people.

Bailing out major corporations and or keeping them tax exempt while the middle / lower classes are over taxed is not okay.

But no, "sit-ins" and public disobedience are not the answer.

Dirty hippies or whining trust fund brats don't speak for me.

Thou I do feel bad, that they are in crazy college debt, with no jobs to accommodate the over priced diplomas. That's gotta suck.

Yea they have a lot of demands and they are scattered. There are a lot of issues to be mad about. It's an overall concept of corporate greed.

And this is only the small scale that effects my daily life.

The future looks scary:

I'm not even thinking about social security or Medicare, I gave up on that years ago.

Death rates from disease are up while life expectancy is up... Explain that.

Jobs are available. Shitty jobs. I'm starting to think you can't be honest and successful anymore.

I'm not working for shitty people long term. I'm not bitching about being unemployed. But its hard to trust companies. Everyone will screw you for a dollar these days.

I'm really hoping to find a strong, small business to work for.

Going to bed.