as posted today on the ASPCA website:
Breaking News From FDA Confirms ASPCA’s Suspicions on Pet Food Toxin
Presence of Melamine Identified in Contaminated Food
ASPCA Media Contact
NEW YORK, March 30, 2007— Three days ago, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) cautioned that aminopterin was an unlikely suspect in the illnesses and deaths of animals that ingested the recently-recalled contaminated foods—a suspicion that was today confirmed by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
In a news conference held today, the FDA announced that further laboratory testing identified the presence of melamine in food samples from the recalled lots. Melamine, which is not highly toxic in general, is used to make durable plastic household products; cleaning products; hard, stain-resistant laminates; flame-retardant foam and in soundproofing.
“Melamine at high doses causes a pronounced diuretic affect in dogs and rats, as well as the development of crystals in their urine,” said Dr. Steven Hansen, veterinary toxicologist and senior vice president with the ASPCA, who manages the ASPCA’s Midwest Office, including its Animal Poison Control Center (APCC). “The twist in the tale is that melamine itself has a very high safety margin, especially when compared with a toxin such as aminopterin.
“Cats, however, are a very sensitive species, and can react adversely to many chemicals and drugs,” continued Dr. Hansen. “Because of their unique physiology, we suspect that they may also be more sensitive to the adverse effects of melamine.
“Further, crystals in urine have been reported by veterinary diagnosticians and clinicians in some of the pets affected by the contaminated foods. However, the direct connection between melamine and renal failure, especially in cats, is not clear and requires additional investigation.”
The ASPCA recommends that the treatment of pets for kidney failure, which has been directly linked to ingestion of the contaminated food, should continue. “It is imperative to stay in close contact with your veterinarian and follow their direction,” said Dr. Hansen. “In addition, if you have any suspicion that your pet is displaying signs other than those previously noted, and believe these are directly linked to ingestion of the contaminated food, you should notify the FDA immediately.”
Adverse effects or deaths of pets conclusively linked to eating the contaminated foods should be reported to the FDA. The FDA has also posted answers to frequently asked questions about the recall at http://www.fda.gov/cvm/MenuFoodRecallFAQ.htm. Additionally, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has a wealth of resources at http://www.avma.org/aa/menufoodsrecall/default.asp.
3.30.2007
3.29.2007
the sun is out but the skies are no longer clear
a few weekends ago my sister in law was visiting. it was a beautiful day, unusually warm. she had our nephew with her, a robust, active toddler. being cooped up in our small home was not going to be an option, so we decided to take a trip to the park. while my nephew and hubby played in the sandbox, my sister in law and i sunned ourselves on a bench. glancing up at the sky, i noticed the trails as they were laid down by aircraft. i pointed them out to my sister in law, who said "wow, that's cool!" not necessarily, i said. just watch and see if they dissipate.
they didn't. they simply spread out, taking on a cloud-like appearance, in time simply drifting eastward. sister in law was shocked and pondered the idea of what it could be. i tried to explain to her what i knew. i wish i had had access to this video at the time for her to watch.
who knows why this is happening. what's the reason? will we ever know? population control? weather manipulation? is it to save us or harm us? we're all exposed to this shit. government officials, private citizens. we all breathe the same air so the idea of population control is a hard one for me to wrap my brain around. it is naively suggested that we pressure our elected officials to respond. i've done that and haven't received one response to date. dennis kuccinich addressed the idea of chemtrails back in 2001 as part of a bill he sponsored. he later removed it. i hope to hear him address this as he campaigns around oregon.
i do find it interesting that "diseases" such as chronic fatigue began popping up in the mid 1990's, around the time this phenomena was said to have started. there's also been a rise in allergies, asthma and bone pain in the last 10 years as well.
when i was first introduced to this topic, i was sceptical. so i began watching the skies. i immediately noticed that some planes were laying down something that simply was not dissipating. one such summer evening i watched the trail for an hour and 20 minutes--plenty of time for a regular vapor trail to have dissipated. didn't happen. i remember thinking "dissipate, dissipate. prove me wrong. show me this doesn't exist." i also noticed that evening that my throat felt very scratchy, an unusual thing for me to experience. this was before i began reading the suspected side effects of chem spraying.
today, i notice these trails on a near daily basis here in my part of oregon. just something i've become used to. my usual response is to sigh and shake my head. in the last several years i've noticed my short term memory really suffers at times, even when i feel rested and healthy. i've had moments when i am in tears, trying to remember something i just said. after watching this video i saw where short term memory loss is one supposed side effect. i also begun having year-round sinus issues and some days, near debilitating fatigue. i've just chalked it up to living in poverty, struggling to create meaningful work for myself so we can get out of this lifestyle. however, maybe the effects from my environment are also to be found in the sky. god help us all if this is true.
they didn't. they simply spread out, taking on a cloud-like appearance, in time simply drifting eastward. sister in law was shocked and pondered the idea of what it could be. i tried to explain to her what i knew. i wish i had had access to this video at the time for her to watch.
who knows why this is happening. what's the reason? will we ever know? population control? weather manipulation? is it to save us or harm us? we're all exposed to this shit. government officials, private citizens. we all breathe the same air so the idea of population control is a hard one for me to wrap my brain around. it is naively suggested that we pressure our elected officials to respond. i've done that and haven't received one response to date. dennis kuccinich addressed the idea of chemtrails back in 2001 as part of a bill he sponsored. he later removed it. i hope to hear him address this as he campaigns around oregon.
i do find it interesting that "diseases" such as chronic fatigue began popping up in the mid 1990's, around the time this phenomena was said to have started. there's also been a rise in allergies, asthma and bone pain in the last 10 years as well.
when i was first introduced to this topic, i was sceptical. so i began watching the skies. i immediately noticed that some planes were laying down something that simply was not dissipating. one such summer evening i watched the trail for an hour and 20 minutes--plenty of time for a regular vapor trail to have dissipated. didn't happen. i remember thinking "dissipate, dissipate. prove me wrong. show me this doesn't exist." i also noticed that evening that my throat felt very scratchy, an unusual thing for me to experience. this was before i began reading the suspected side effects of chem spraying.
today, i notice these trails on a near daily basis here in my part of oregon. just something i've become used to. my usual response is to sigh and shake my head. in the last several years i've noticed my short term memory really suffers at times, even when i feel rested and healthy. i've had moments when i am in tears, trying to remember something i just said. after watching this video i saw where short term memory loss is one supposed side effect. i also begun having year-round sinus issues and some days, near debilitating fatigue. i've just chalked it up to living in poverty, struggling to create meaningful work for myself so we can get out of this lifestyle. however, maybe the effects from my environment are also to be found in the sky. god help us all if this is true.
3.27.2007
Story ideas for the Corvallis Gazette Times
i'm sure this isn't going to win me any brownie points with our local paper, but these things have just gotta be said. our local paper could use some real improvement. i've written a couple of the editors and shared my ideas for improvement, which included the idea of a weekly or bi-monthly column written by yours truly, all of which fell on deaf ears.
so today i put on my imaginary "editor" hat and have decided to hand out the following ideas for our local reporters.
1) do an in-depth report on the homeless in this city. dig up what you can on the homeless youth, families and single individuals. talk with city government about their plans for dealing with this. see what the university and other wealthy biz are doing to help put an end to this problem. see if any plans are in the works to build more shelters.
2) let's talk about the idea of establishing a living wage in this city. while we already have one, it only applies to city workers doing work for private employers. let's discuss the idea of establishing this guideline for all workers. controversial, yes. but that makes for a good read.
3) housing. it's grossly over-inflated. families have left corvallis and moved to albany. rentals are over-inflated. talk to the renters who would like to own but cannot afford it. talk to those who are looking into neighboring towns to buy. it's time to bring this issue to the spotlight, both locally and nationally. so far the talk has been limited, the focus being "housing bypassed inflation over two decades ago. that's just the way it is." let's talk about how this happened and why and what can be done about it to ensure all people who wish to own can afford to do so.
4) hey, bennett hall. mr. business reporter. i've got a business for you to investigate. remember the phone call we had about this back in 2004? when you said if i were to come up with just one more person who had a similar experience to contact you and you'd do a piece? and remember when i called you in 2006 and said i had met two more individuals who had lousy customer service from this place of business? remember you asked for their phone numbers and said you'd contact them? remember how you failed to do that? remember how you then ignored my phone calls to inquire what was going on? well i want you on it again. the sleep center on 9th street. lousy customer service bordering on abusive. selling defective products. and lying to customers. call up those folks whose information i gave you. and feel free to hear my story again as well.
5) let's do a report on that low frequency bass that comes equipped on so many stereos today. let's discuss the health hazards. let's let the community know this technology was first created as a weapon by our military. there are many private organizations throughout the country who are trying to get this technology outlawed in their community. they have been successful. you can remind our city council and mayor that i sent several e-mails to our then mayor and then local ward representative about this and never heard back. you can also speak with local police and let the one officer who told me my idea to get this banned in our local community would "never happen" that he doesn't know what he's talking about.
6) kip schoning. it's time someone bring this greedy sob to the spotlight. last weekend my spouse and i unknowingly looked at one of his properties (we didn't see the "cash for your house" sign until after the fact). slumville. see if he pays people off to keep his name out of the da's office and out of the newspaper. run medical tests to see if he has a conscious, too.
7) the meth problem. talk to police. they know the deal. talk to neighbors who have had these folks in their neighborhood (including yours truly). talk to the users and dealers themselves. contact our governor and ask him why the numbers haven't dropped since pseudoephedrine was removed from store shelves. cover the addiction angle, the poverty angle, the treatment angle.
8) to liven things up, let's do a "person of the week" piece. let's find those people who are doing good deeds, often without recognition. there are angels all over. let's find them and let people know that, despite the gloominess of our world right now, there are miracles to be found.
so today i put on my imaginary "editor" hat and have decided to hand out the following ideas for our local reporters.
1) do an in-depth report on the homeless in this city. dig up what you can on the homeless youth, families and single individuals. talk with city government about their plans for dealing with this. see what the university and other wealthy biz are doing to help put an end to this problem. see if any plans are in the works to build more shelters.
2) let's talk about the idea of establishing a living wage in this city. while we already have one, it only applies to city workers doing work for private employers. let's discuss the idea of establishing this guideline for all workers. controversial, yes. but that makes for a good read.
3) housing. it's grossly over-inflated. families have left corvallis and moved to albany. rentals are over-inflated. talk to the renters who would like to own but cannot afford it. talk to those who are looking into neighboring towns to buy. it's time to bring this issue to the spotlight, both locally and nationally. so far the talk has been limited, the focus being "housing bypassed inflation over two decades ago. that's just the way it is." let's talk about how this happened and why and what can be done about it to ensure all people who wish to own can afford to do so.
4) hey, bennett hall. mr. business reporter. i've got a business for you to investigate. remember the phone call we had about this back in 2004? when you said if i were to come up with just one more person who had a similar experience to contact you and you'd do a piece? and remember when i called you in 2006 and said i had met two more individuals who had lousy customer service from this place of business? remember you asked for their phone numbers and said you'd contact them? remember how you failed to do that? remember how you then ignored my phone calls to inquire what was going on? well i want you on it again. the sleep center on 9th street. lousy customer service bordering on abusive. selling defective products. and lying to customers. call up those folks whose information i gave you. and feel free to hear my story again as well.
5) let's do a report on that low frequency bass that comes equipped on so many stereos today. let's discuss the health hazards. let's let the community know this technology was first created as a weapon by our military. there are many private organizations throughout the country who are trying to get this technology outlawed in their community. they have been successful. you can remind our city council and mayor that i sent several e-mails to our then mayor and then local ward representative about this and never heard back. you can also speak with local police and let the one officer who told me my idea to get this banned in our local community would "never happen" that he doesn't know what he's talking about.
6) kip schoning. it's time someone bring this greedy sob to the spotlight. last weekend my spouse and i unknowingly looked at one of his properties (we didn't see the "cash for your house" sign until after the fact). slumville. see if he pays people off to keep his name out of the da's office and out of the newspaper. run medical tests to see if he has a conscious, too.
7) the meth problem. talk to police. they know the deal. talk to neighbors who have had these folks in their neighborhood (including yours truly). talk to the users and dealers themselves. contact our governor and ask him why the numbers haven't dropped since pseudoephedrine was removed from store shelves. cover the addiction angle, the poverty angle, the treatment angle.
8) to liven things up, let's do a "person of the week" piece. let's find those people who are doing good deeds, often without recognition. there are angels all over. let's find them and let people know that, despite the gloominess of our world right now, there are miracles to be found.
3.26.2007
on being offline.......
had one of those computer weeks last week. you know the kind--when the computer doesn't behave the way you want it to, doesn't listen to your begging, pleading and words of wisdom...doesn't even respond to bribes (hey, i promise to clean you with that compressed air once a week and i promise to remove my piles of crap from the tower). so i called a local repair guy, took it in and waited as it sat. day after day. i finally called this morning and said hey, what's up? dude says "sorry, i haven't got to it yet. don't know when i will." rather than wait, i decided to go pick it up. a friend had offered to check it out--for free--so i took him up on the offer.
well this friend of ours obviously has the cosmic touch because once his hands were on it with the simple move of turning it on, all was working just fine. looking up at me with a smile he said, "this seems to happen to me." bless you, i said, patting him on the shoulder, picking up my tower, kissing it as i gently placed it in my car where i drove home only to find upon my arrival a power shortage. damn.
the substation in need of repair happens to be in my neighborhood, so i set out to speak to the repair people to find out what caused the outage. the culprit? a squirrel--likely the squirrel that plays merrily in our yard, using our potted plant containers to bury his walnuts while tormenting my squirrel-crazed dog. i got a little teary-eyed as the guy in the hard hat told me what happened. apparently this happens fairly often. i thought squirrels were smarter than that.
so sending out a wish for the little squirrel, i headed inside and tried to keep myself busy. i was not able to work. i couldn't do laundry or vacuum. so i played the piano and read for a few hours. just as i was thinking "ok this is getting ridiculous and i am getting cold", with a thundering hummm, the lights came back on. yippie!! i thought, racing back to the office/spare bedroom/junk room. with careful urgency, i plugged everything into it's right place, fired 'er up and prayed for the same cosmic result as earlier in the day. i needn't have worried. she worked just fine.
i had close to 300 e-mails, all of but 5 i deleted (please don't think i'm that popular. i'm on a few e-mail lists is all). and i noticed something. i felt kind of indifferent. kind of let down, actually. i thought i'd feel more excited, being online again. the truth is, at its best the computer is a convenience. at its worst, an addictive diversion.
i had a lot of very cool things happen to me during those days i was offline. i spent more time with my dog. i had some excellent conversations with my spouse. i napped. i was certainly outside more. i read more, even meditated and experienced some cool insights. and the best part? i was totally detached from the events of the world (i don't watch tv news except for the weather). when i first realized i may be without my computer for a few days, i was tense inside. agitated. but as those days passed, i missed it less and less. i felt, in a way, a sense of relief.
all because i disconnected from the virtual world and connected more with the real world around me. something i will do more of...........
well this friend of ours obviously has the cosmic touch because once his hands were on it with the simple move of turning it on, all was working just fine. looking up at me with a smile he said, "this seems to happen to me." bless you, i said, patting him on the shoulder, picking up my tower, kissing it as i gently placed it in my car where i drove home only to find upon my arrival a power shortage. damn.
the substation in need of repair happens to be in my neighborhood, so i set out to speak to the repair people to find out what caused the outage. the culprit? a squirrel--likely the squirrel that plays merrily in our yard, using our potted plant containers to bury his walnuts while tormenting my squirrel-crazed dog. i got a little teary-eyed as the guy in the hard hat told me what happened. apparently this happens fairly often. i thought squirrels were smarter than that.
so sending out a wish for the little squirrel, i headed inside and tried to keep myself busy. i was not able to work. i couldn't do laundry or vacuum. so i played the piano and read for a few hours. just as i was thinking "ok this is getting ridiculous and i am getting cold", with a thundering hummm, the lights came back on. yippie!! i thought, racing back to the office/spare bedroom/junk room. with careful urgency, i plugged everything into it's right place, fired 'er up and prayed for the same cosmic result as earlier in the day. i needn't have worried. she worked just fine.
i had close to 300 e-mails, all of but 5 i deleted (please don't think i'm that popular. i'm on a few e-mail lists is all). and i noticed something. i felt kind of indifferent. kind of let down, actually. i thought i'd feel more excited, being online again. the truth is, at its best the computer is a convenience. at its worst, an addictive diversion.
i had a lot of very cool things happen to me during those days i was offline. i spent more time with my dog. i had some excellent conversations with my spouse. i napped. i was certainly outside more. i read more, even meditated and experienced some cool insights. and the best part? i was totally detached from the events of the world (i don't watch tv news except for the weather). when i first realized i may be without my computer for a few days, i was tense inside. agitated. but as those days passed, i missed it less and less. i felt, in a way, a sense of relief.
all because i disconnected from the virtual world and connected more with the real world around me. something i will do more of...........
3.20.2007
Waking Up to the Bullshit
something quite magical and chaotic and wonderful and deeply frustrating happens when one awakens to the bullshit they've been fed since birth. you begin to see the truth behind the crap that's shoveled at you from the religious folks, who claim suffering ends once you accept that some mythical male died for you and who is now seated in some throne behind beautiful gates next to another male--the BIG male that is............from school teachers who claim truth is to be found inside outdated, biased textbooks..........from political leaders who claim "you can trust us. we have your back."..........from business leaders who claim capitalism is fair and just..........from those morons who love to "blame the victim"............from mental health professionals who focus on putting those who are different, often because they ARE awake, into a mold instead of focusing on "fixing" the insanity of the system.........
here's a yawn article i found this morning for those of you (us) who know we're underpaid. if you are awake, you won't buy into the bullshit. if you are still in 'la la everything is just fine' or 'it must be me' land, you'll likely (sadly) think "hmm, they're right. i'm not underpaid. i was wrong." as i told a former employer, who tried to pull the similar line of crap on me as outlined in this article, "it doesn't matter to me what x down the road, who has the same or similar job, is paid. 45% of my income is going towards my measly little one bedroom apartment. and being i have to help pay for my benefits, at the end of the month, i have some loose change leftover. stop looking at what everyone else is paying and focus on the reality of my life, the reality of housing costs in this area, the reality that income has simply not kept up with existing as a functioning, housed, clothed, insured human being."
here's a yawn article i found this morning for those of you (us) who know we're underpaid. if you are awake, you won't buy into the bullshit. if you are still in 'la la everything is just fine' or 'it must be me' land, you'll likely (sadly) think "hmm, they're right. i'm not underpaid. i was wrong." as i told a former employer, who tried to pull the similar line of crap on me as outlined in this article, "it doesn't matter to me what x down the road, who has the same or similar job, is paid. 45% of my income is going towards my measly little one bedroom apartment. and being i have to help pay for my benefits, at the end of the month, i have some loose change leftover. stop looking at what everyone else is paying and focus on the reality of my life, the reality of housing costs in this area, the reality that income has simply not kept up with existing as a functioning, housed, clothed, insured human being."
3.19.2007
Shock and Awe and the American Psyche
I'll get right to the point. I find it utterly incomprehensible that any sane, loving, caring person can for one second stomach the concept of "shock and awe". Four years ago we were all mislead, lied to by a group of power-hungry, oil-thirsty, control addicts. "Shock And Awe" was the war campaign slogan. To see this blatant display of human evil and violence flash across my computer screen as though the media were simply informing us of some benign happening is something I cannot take. I do not see how ANYONE can.
What in the fucking hell is wrong with our values in this country? Am I missing something? Since when did it become OK to slaughter thousands of civilians FOR NO GOOD REASON? And even IF there were some logical, legitimate reason, when did it become ok to CELEBRATE such an occasion?
I'm about ready to kiss this greedy, profit-mongering, self-centered, rugged individualistic bullshit excuse of a country good-bye. Is it so much to ask for a peaceful life where fairness and honesty are in play? Is it too much to ask for leaders who care more about preserving life for all people above and beyond their addictive need to be seen and hold that gavel of power? Is it too much to ask for work I enjoy that pays a living wage and offers benefits and hours that are doable to my needs? And is it too much to ask for this wage to pay for a home of our own (land included)?
Apparently so. At least right here in the good 'ole us of fucking a. Land of the free, home of the brave. And don't forget, shock and awe.
What in the fucking hell is wrong with our values in this country? Am I missing something? Since when did it become OK to slaughter thousands of civilians FOR NO GOOD REASON? And even IF there were some logical, legitimate reason, when did it become ok to CELEBRATE such an occasion?
I'm about ready to kiss this greedy, profit-mongering, self-centered, rugged individualistic bullshit excuse of a country good-bye. Is it so much to ask for a peaceful life where fairness and honesty are in play? Is it too much to ask for leaders who care more about preserving life for all people above and beyond their addictive need to be seen and hold that gavel of power? Is it too much to ask for work I enjoy that pays a living wage and offers benefits and hours that are doable to my needs? And is it too much to ask for this wage to pay for a home of our own (land included)?
Apparently so. At least right here in the good 'ole us of fucking a. Land of the free, home of the brave. And don't forget, shock and awe.
3.18.2007
weeks worth of obsies and rants
before i launch, i'd like to say i hate the whole google/blogger partnership. i certainly didn't like being forced to create a google account in order to access my blog page.
what a week. ate out a couple of times because my hands were too damn cramped up from editing i perform for 8 measly bucks an hour for the glorified elitist university. first place, taco bell. order got fucked up--two times. i saw and met the kid who was preparing it. he was high as a kite. given his demeanor, it was likely on the herbal stuff. i could have done something but being i know what it's like to work for a large employer, doing the grunt work for a pitiful amount of money, making the whole scenario akin to slave labor, i let it go. hell, i'd have to be high as well to work in fast food. besides, the young kids working there are friendly and don't give adult visitors that "ok hurry up and order" gaze. second place, KFC. home to the "we have jacked up our prices and reduced our portions by 25%. home to the "ok hurry up and order" gazers.
call me old fashioned. i like things to stay the same. both places change their menus too often and fill up the space with massive pictures of supposedly mouth-watering food that doesn't look a damn thing like the real deal. so many visuals overwhelm me. just make a list of what you have and forgo the obnoxious photos, please. anyone remember the movie with michael douglas, falling down? remember the scene where he walks into a burger joint, places an order, sees the "real deal" and demands they make him a burger that looks like the ones in the picture? they refuse until he pulls out a semi-automatic. i love that scene! while i don't support putting guns in the faces of fast food workers, it would be nice if people would refuse the food until it is cooked as advertised.
sigh. all of this just peeved me off, making me think "i need people" to be doing this cooking shit for me. i'm sick of being poor. sick of living in a society that still doesn't really address the issues of poverty. it is fucking DRAINING. and it doesn't help when you live in a city that has few jobs, most paying poverty wages and housing (ownership and rentals) that continue to skyrocket while local city officials think the answer is to build more apartments (cram 'em in like sardines) and "affordable" housing. by that they mean housing that starts around $135,000. still too rich for those making $8-$10/hour, wouldn't you say?
hey, i was published this week. of course it was without permission. a local publisher recently launched a new publication. he had advertised for local freelance writers a few months ago, to which i applied--twice. first attempt, he claims he never received and asked me to resubmit, which i did. despite his promise of "i will get back to you", he failed to do so. just for the heck of it, i decided to check out his rag, er mag. as i read through the "from the publishers desk" section, i noticed words that sounded familiar. i glanced down and saw my name attached to them. the bastard had used a portion of my cover letter/application, whereby i was offering my thoughts on why i believed his publication would be useful for our community, all without my permission! i called the number in the publication, left a message. the publisher called me back and gave me what was essentially a line of shit. first he tried to insist he had the right to use and publish any e-mail that came to him, without permission. lawyers told me that, he said, to which i said "you need to get yourself a new attorney." i said that was a private e-mail i sent you in response to a position. i was a potential employee seeking work with you. do you really think if i were to apply at a local employer, they could use my information as they saw fit for business purposes? hell no!
at first he tried saying he received so many e-mails, he didn't remember who i was. oh but wait, then he vaguely remembered me. then suddenly, WOW--he remembered who i was. he then tried to butter me up by saying "well i had planned on using you but i didn't see a manuscript". he said there was no attachment (amazing how his memory suddenly came back to him, eh?). i said "of course there was no attachment. i sent you a writing sample at the end of the e-mail, as i noted in my opening paragraph." i then said "if you really were interested in me, i would think you would have simply sent me an e-mail, saying no writing sample was included." he also continued his sleazy sales attempt by saying "well i thought i was doing you a favor. you had such nice things to say about my idea i thought people would read your words and say 'wow, what a nice lady she is.'" to that i said "i don't need you convincing people about how nice i am." please. what an i d i o t. but i will give him this--he sure is good at making shit up on the fly. he will go far in publishing.........
what he did was obvious. he used my words to promote his publication. i said as such and said "can you understand how that feels? you failed to keep your word in getting back to me after i applied but then used my words anyway to promote yourself? that falls under the definition of sleazy to me." he apologized--profusely, he said. but i still didn't buy it. he had a smarmy energy to him. i may be a crabby, disgruntled grump, but at least i am real. i don't try and manipulate my way with people with sleazy tactics. but what can i say? he's an editor, a publisher, a salesman. that's how many of them are. the last one i worked for was very much the same way. give you a smile while lying through his teeth in some fashion. and, like this guy, full of excuses.
as i hung up he said "please make sure and read my publication again". i laughed and said "ha" or some such brilliant word.
so what's up in the news department. i'm too lazy to post links, even though i know those draw my readership. you'll just have to google this stuff yourself this time. rosie o'donnell has now come out of the closet--again you could say. this time about 9/11 and what really happened to the WTC buildings. is it a publicity stunt or her own truth? a bit of both? likely it is her own truth that she is handling in such a way as to keep her publicity in a positive or at least respectable light. also in the news is a revisitation to an old story--about the kid from alaska who, in 2002, paraded across the street from his school with a "bong hits 4 jesus" sign. it's going to the supreme court tomorrow. the headline is hysterical. "'bong hits 4 jesus' case goes to high court" jay leno would have a good time with that one. terrorist mastermind KSM is said to have been responsible for planned attacks on the Plaza Bank in Washington State in 2003, according to the Pentagon. only thing is, Plaza Bank didn't open until 2006. ah, what prolonged torture will do to a person. oh well, it's all ok. it will all get covered up or explained in some way. reading all of this ongoing shit has made me realize it's too heavy for me to carry. i have my own life to focus on. it's a world full of lying pigs for sure oh but wait, we cannot use the word pigs anymore now because it may offend the muslims. google that one too. if you find nothing, look it up on david icke's website. politically correct insanity only furthering the move to censor us all, irregardless of how brilliant or stupid we may sound.
we watched the first season of "weeds" on dvd. i have mixed thoughts on it. there are real issues for sure, but it seems most of the emphasis is on fucking others and getting high. maybe that's what they have to do in the subarbs to stay sane? i guess if i lived in that mold i'd be insane, too--just in a different way than i feel i am now.........the best part of the series is the theme song. and they all live in little boxes made out of ticky tacky and they all look the same.
what a week. ate out a couple of times because my hands were too damn cramped up from editing i perform for 8 measly bucks an hour for the glorified elitist university. first place, taco bell. order got fucked up--two times. i saw and met the kid who was preparing it. he was high as a kite. given his demeanor, it was likely on the herbal stuff. i could have done something but being i know what it's like to work for a large employer, doing the grunt work for a pitiful amount of money, making the whole scenario akin to slave labor, i let it go. hell, i'd have to be high as well to work in fast food. besides, the young kids working there are friendly and don't give adult visitors that "ok hurry up and order" gaze. second place, KFC. home to the "we have jacked up our prices and reduced our portions by 25%. home to the "ok hurry up and order" gazers.
call me old fashioned. i like things to stay the same. both places change their menus too often and fill up the space with massive pictures of supposedly mouth-watering food that doesn't look a damn thing like the real deal. so many visuals overwhelm me. just make a list of what you have and forgo the obnoxious photos, please. anyone remember the movie with michael douglas, falling down? remember the scene where he walks into a burger joint, places an order, sees the "real deal" and demands they make him a burger that looks like the ones in the picture? they refuse until he pulls out a semi-automatic. i love that scene! while i don't support putting guns in the faces of fast food workers, it would be nice if people would refuse the food until it is cooked as advertised.
sigh. all of this just peeved me off, making me think "i need people" to be doing this cooking shit for me. i'm sick of being poor. sick of living in a society that still doesn't really address the issues of poverty. it is fucking DRAINING. and it doesn't help when you live in a city that has few jobs, most paying poverty wages and housing (ownership and rentals) that continue to skyrocket while local city officials think the answer is to build more apartments (cram 'em in like sardines) and "affordable" housing. by that they mean housing that starts around $135,000. still too rich for those making $8-$10/hour, wouldn't you say?
hey, i was published this week. of course it was without permission. a local publisher recently launched a new publication. he had advertised for local freelance writers a few months ago, to which i applied--twice. first attempt, he claims he never received and asked me to resubmit, which i did. despite his promise of "i will get back to you", he failed to do so. just for the heck of it, i decided to check out his rag, er mag. as i read through the "from the publishers desk" section, i noticed words that sounded familiar. i glanced down and saw my name attached to them. the bastard had used a portion of my cover letter/application, whereby i was offering my thoughts on why i believed his publication would be useful for our community, all without my permission! i called the number in the publication, left a message. the publisher called me back and gave me what was essentially a line of shit. first he tried to insist he had the right to use and publish any e-mail that came to him, without permission. lawyers told me that, he said, to which i said "you need to get yourself a new attorney." i said that was a private e-mail i sent you in response to a position. i was a potential employee seeking work with you. do you really think if i were to apply at a local employer, they could use my information as they saw fit for business purposes? hell no!
at first he tried saying he received so many e-mails, he didn't remember who i was. oh but wait, then he vaguely remembered me. then suddenly, WOW--he remembered who i was. he then tried to butter me up by saying "well i had planned on using you but i didn't see a manuscript". he said there was no attachment (amazing how his memory suddenly came back to him, eh?). i said "of course there was no attachment. i sent you a writing sample at the end of the e-mail, as i noted in my opening paragraph." i then said "if you really were interested in me, i would think you would have simply sent me an e-mail, saying no writing sample was included." he also continued his sleazy sales attempt by saying "well i thought i was doing you a favor. you had such nice things to say about my idea i thought people would read your words and say 'wow, what a nice lady she is.'" to that i said "i don't need you convincing people about how nice i am." please. what an i d i o t. but i will give him this--he sure is good at making shit up on the fly. he will go far in publishing.........
what he did was obvious. he used my words to promote his publication. i said as such and said "can you understand how that feels? you failed to keep your word in getting back to me after i applied but then used my words anyway to promote yourself? that falls under the definition of sleazy to me." he apologized--profusely, he said. but i still didn't buy it. he had a smarmy energy to him. i may be a crabby, disgruntled grump, but at least i am real. i don't try and manipulate my way with people with sleazy tactics. but what can i say? he's an editor, a publisher, a salesman. that's how many of them are. the last one i worked for was very much the same way. give you a smile while lying through his teeth in some fashion. and, like this guy, full of excuses.
as i hung up he said "please make sure and read my publication again". i laughed and said "ha" or some such brilliant word.
so what's up in the news department. i'm too lazy to post links, even though i know those draw my readership. you'll just have to google this stuff yourself this time. rosie o'donnell has now come out of the closet--again you could say. this time about 9/11 and what really happened to the WTC buildings. is it a publicity stunt or her own truth? a bit of both? likely it is her own truth that she is handling in such a way as to keep her publicity in a positive or at least respectable light. also in the news is a revisitation to an old story--about the kid from alaska who, in 2002, paraded across the street from his school with a "bong hits 4 jesus" sign. it's going to the supreme court tomorrow. the headline is hysterical. "'bong hits 4 jesus' case goes to high court" jay leno would have a good time with that one. terrorist mastermind KSM is said to have been responsible for planned attacks on the Plaza Bank in Washington State in 2003, according to the Pentagon. only thing is, Plaza Bank didn't open until 2006. ah, what prolonged torture will do to a person. oh well, it's all ok. it will all get covered up or explained in some way. reading all of this ongoing shit has made me realize it's too heavy for me to carry. i have my own life to focus on. it's a world full of lying pigs for sure oh but wait, we cannot use the word pigs anymore now because it may offend the muslims. google that one too. if you find nothing, look it up on david icke's website. politically correct insanity only furthering the move to censor us all, irregardless of how brilliant or stupid we may sound.
we watched the first season of "weeds" on dvd. i have mixed thoughts on it. there are real issues for sure, but it seems most of the emphasis is on fucking others and getting high. maybe that's what they have to do in the subarbs to stay sane? i guess if i lived in that mold i'd be insane, too--just in a different way than i feel i am now.........the best part of the series is the theme song. and they all live in little boxes made out of ticky tacky and they all look the same.
3.07.2007
Google "Kip Schoning"
a week or so ago i posted a piece about foreclosures in the corvallis/benton county area. one of the persons who has at least one such property is local real estate "professional" (a term i use loosely), kip schoning. today i decided to google his name, see what else i could find. wow! seems as though greed has caught up with mr. schoning and some old fashioned karma is running after him faster than a nascar driver. here's just a sampling of what i found:
http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2006/01/331878.shtml
http://www.ci.corvallis.or.us/council/mail-archive/ward1/msg07301.html
http://www.topix.net/content/cj/9472562118916414048
http://www.indymedia.org/en/localfeatureswire/archive367.shtml (scroll down about 1/3 to get the story)
as i said in my original post, if you see a red door with a sign out front that says either "for rent" or "cash for your property"--RUN AWAY!
http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2006/01/331878.shtml
http://www.ci.corvallis.or.us/council/mail-archive/ward1/msg07301.html
http://www.topix.net/content/cj/9472562118916414048
http://www.indymedia.org/en/localfeatureswire/archive367.shtml (scroll down about 1/3 to get the story)
as i said in my original post, if you see a red door with a sign out front that says either "for rent" or "cash for your property"--RUN AWAY!
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