OCCUPYWALLSTREET REINFORCEMENTS!

[bigdane]

Judge OKs $410M BofA overdraft settlement >> A federal judge on Monday gave final approval to a $410 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit affecting more than 13 million Bank of America customers who had debit card overdrafts during the past decade.
Senior U.S. District Judge James Lawrence King said the agreement was fair and reasonable, even though it drew criticism from some customers because they would only receive a fraction of what they paid in overdraft fees. The fees were usually $35 per occurrence.
...an attorney for customers who objected to the deal, said he calculated that the bank actually raked in $4.5 billion through the overdraft fees and was repaying less than 10 percent. He said the average customer in the case had $300 in overdraft fees, making them eligible for a $27 award — less than one overdraft charge — from the lawsuit.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45198766/ns ... _business/
Do you suppose this is reason enough to take to the streets???

[Sola Gangsta]

http://act.demandprogress.org/sign/hutc ... ?source=fb

[Sola Gangsta]

[youtube][/youtube]

[Elderberry]

eat the annoying hippies first.

Only if they've had all their shots.

I was just reading earlier today about parents who are arranging to get their kids exposed to Chicken Pox so they build up an immunity to it, instead of taking the vaccine.

It's not faith healing, but knows where it lives, and waves on it's way to work.

Ya, those idiots have parties...as soon as one of the kids in the circle gets Chicken Pox, they invite all the other kids over. Yup, that will work...expose them to the full strength live virus. That definitely will build up an immunity. BECAUSE THEY WILL COME DOWN WITH CHICKEN POX! Fucking idiots.

[Elderberry]

Glad you found the entire interview. I posted a link to the snippets Sunday. And just think about how many others just like him that are still buying votes. Another thing that should be illegal in that 28th Amendment-- Lobbying.

[youtube][/youtube]

[littleflower]

JK, i just had to de-lurk to suggest that YOU, my dear, are beating the dead horse, and making yourself look more ridiculous with every post on this subject.
i just love it when someone suggests that they have the facts while everyone who disagrees has only opinions. and you call yourself a thinker.
what an ego......

Nothing wrong with being egocentric when you're right. But thanks for noticing.

Put me in the Kisha camp Little Flower. Just because you had a good corporate experience doesn't mean that that translates to the big ones and the Wall Streeters who are cheating and crashing the world. See my post above on the 1.4 quadrillion in US bank derivative exposure. The rats and cockroaches are being exposed by the light of some good investigative journalism which is mostly on the political left these days, and by a spunky growing Occupy Movement.

ahhh, my cowboy friend! the perfect person to race to JK's side.

my "good corporate experience" was ended when the CEO (who was making about $25M/year) decided to lay off a few hundred people - many of us 45+ - and outsource our jobs to Kansas, where they were paid about 2/3 what we were making in CA. i could probably have stayed if i wanted to bad enough, but it was just too depressing, watching the place die. i had the option to move to Kansas, too. no thanks.

as usual, there is always more information, and that's what my post was about. vast amounts of information, waaaaayy too much for our minds. we have to pick and choose. so when people like you and JK claim to have the facts, while the rest of us are misinformed .... and then seem to claim that everyone who disagrees with you watches fox news? over and over and over JK says that, even when others respond that they don't even have cable. WTF?

in my opinion, the worst thing going on is the lack of discussion, the extremists on all sides who refuse to listen to those who disagree with them, the idiots who claim that they "know" the solutions to the world's problems. opinions are fine until we stop listening to others.

[Elderberry]

In the old days, they at least paid the checks when they charged you the fee. Were the banks taking advantage of their customers? I think so. Were the customers wrong for over-drafting their accounts? I think so. Was it a fair settlement? I don't think so; especially considering this example. A person had $200.00 in the bank. They had say 5 checks hit the bank that day in the following amounts: $15.00, $35.00, $50.00 $80.00 and $195.00. So rather than the bank pay int the four smaller checks and returning the one $195.00 check and charging one overdraft fee. They would pay the $195.00 and return the four smaller checks and charge the customer $140.00 in fees. So yes, I think it's enough to take to the streets.

Now if the bank had a policy of two returned checks in any say six month period the account was automatically cancelled; I would think that to be more fair. Anybody that has 9 or 10 overdraft charges on their account in a year probably shouldn't have a checking account to begin with.

Judge OKs $410M BofA overdraft settlement >> A federal judge on Monday gave final approval to a $410 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit affecting more than 13 million Bank of America customers who had debit card overdrafts during the past decade.
Senior U.S. District Judge James Lawrence King said the agreement was fair and reasonable, even though it drew criticism from some customers because they would only receive a fraction of what they paid in overdraft fees. The fees were usually $35 per occurrence.
...an attorney for customers who objected to the deal, said he calculated that the bank actually raked in $4.5 billion through the overdraft fees and was repaying less than 10 percent. He said the average customer in the case had $300 in overdraft fees, making them eligible for a $27 award — less than one overdraft charge — from the lawsuit.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45198766/ns ... _business/
Do you suppose this is reason enough to take to the streets???

[moonrise]

I never thought I'd say it, but 'eplaya isn't the playa" not lately in this thread, that's for sure. (lurkers, please look listen and learn from the entire thread)

Everyone was on the same page in the begining of this thread. I think we still are. Read page one again, if you dare.
Yes, the OWS is messy and getting messier, fine with me and mine. Let's get messier and messier, it's us or them. Maybe some problems can be solved.

Zule, Thanks for the calm, thoughtful picture you paint.

quoted from page one

It kind of is like a theme, except more general to be as inclusive as possible. Each gathering in whatever city can define what issues they have with the way things are and the direction they are going.

In most places it seems people are getting fed up with the way corporate greed and control of our supposed democratic government has become more blatant about shifting the wealth of the common working man into their own accounts. So campaign finance reform is an issue. As is the corporate backed anti-unionism, Cuts in education spending because a dumber America is easier to manipulate and people with a mountain of debt from school have to be good toadies or loss everything.

It’s about the banks getting the deregulation they lobbied for so their runaway greed could cripple the economy, then in an attempt to avoid a worldwide economic collapse receiving bail out money, and no interest loans that they use to provide those responsible with big bonuses.

It’s about stopping the commodification of people and the desire to put the welfare of people and the planet over profits. Our relentless move towards a two class society the 1% rich and the 99% rest of use toiling in servitude is a big one for a lot of folks.

It’s about people realizing that uncontrolled capitalism might be raising the tide for a few but the rest of us are in sinking boats. And so much more, Yes there are some hippie-esque tree huggers and animal rights people involved as well as labor unions, veterans for peace, first responders, teachers, healthcare workers, and people who just care about their fellow Americans and are tired of seeing them taken advantage of.

In a way it’s like Burning Man, The people make the event, Occupy everywhere is about reasserting the knowledge that America can be a great place because it’s the people that make the country, and we the 99% want to be able to enjoy the party not just be server at it.

[theCryptofishist]

High Speed Rail
In general, transportation is a good infrastructure investment. Most of the great cities of the world are on trade routes, and that's been true for centuries. The Eric Canal opened up all the great lakes region and made New York City the main east coast port and must have really made Chicago into the Second City as well. And the railroads made huge amounts of money when the opened up the West.
I'm lucky enough to know a man, now retired, who spent most or all his career in the transportation planning business. And I work for one of public agencies working with the High Speed Rail Authority, so I have some insight there. The retiree and I had a discussion about a year ago, and he told me that California was probably the best place in the country to introduce HSR, because there was a large population, but there was also enough empty (-ish) space to build straight-aways where the train could hit those high speeds. And then there it all gets into politics.
The environmental work is on-going, and some people are pretty pissed. (I believe Kings County supervisors have asked that the project by-pass the county, for instance.) It's going to take a long time to build, and it's going to be expense.
At this point in time Merced to Fresno to Bakersfield just seems ridiculous, I agree. They went for the "easiest" section first. Even if the rest of it isn't built I can see some use for the two sections. All three cities have universities, which means that ideas and face-to-face meetings (and the internet will never completely replace a handshake) and professors and students would be able to travel up and down the corridor, and universities are good for generating economic activity, too.
And if the whole thing were already built, well, Jax Dee would have known how to get from Los Angeles to Fresno, no problem. People in the Central Valley could commute daily to San Francisco and Los Angeles. jkisha and I could arrange to meet each other in Fresno and have a Santa Rampage next month. Tourism. And long-term it's possible it will be the plane. Rail is a much more efficient (per gallon of fuel) mover of people than airplanes and gas is only going to go up. When rail is as cheap or cheaper than a plane and takes about the same amount of time, with less hassle, there will be a lot of demand. Plus the greenhouse gas savings--I know many people don't believe that, and I'm not going to argue about, but I want that on the table. And with the rail in place, Fresno and Bakersfield and Merced may actually become exciting destinations in of themselves. But it will take time. These are long term investments.
And, of course, we can't be sure that it will work out. It's a gamble. And the politics. And the ephemeral wetlands. And the possibility of induced growth into land that should be kept open. But, the window of opportunity to get the alignment won't be open forever. And I think we should be funding both new infrastructure and upkeep on the old infrastructure. And universities. We just have no idea what the roots of our prosperity are, so we don't water them. Bad practice in my view.

Vaccinations
Nobody makes money on the flu vaccines. Nobody! They don't make enough money--and we are putting our lives and our communities at risk by not having enough. If we get another influenza--and we will, maybe not in our lifetimes, but it will come--people will be dieing, children will be orphaned, or vice-versa, perhaps even mass graves, not enough health care workers so people dieing alone, people abandoning sick family members in order to escape the virus...And No Extra Vaccine, Because We Don't Make Enough. (Can you imagine riots of people trying to get the vaccine--because they will...) Okay, these examples are pretty much from the 1918-19 pandemic, and that's probably the worst outbreak ever. But it is a deadly disease and it is a simple vaccination, and I get my shot every single year. For Scott, if you must know, he'd hate it if I died of something so simple to avoid.
(Yes, the hpv virus shot costs a lot, and it's really hard to say "much smaller chance of cancer in 30 years" if you have to come up with $200 for each kid, but long term, that's probably a good investment too. $200 isn't going to go very far in cancer treatement... And the drug company deserves something for coming up with it...)

[Sola Gangsta]

usalag.jpg

[ygmir]

yeah, I don't deny the theoretical stuff on the rail idea. not at all. And if it would work, how great it would be.
then again, how about promoting living close to your work? Not commuting from Fresno to S.F., in the first place?

I'm just cynical and apprehensive, regarding it actually getting "done"..........with such a great outlay of monies, and, so many fingers in the pudding, and, so much corruption and bureaucracy, and politics......etc, etc.......I just hate to see a huge chunk of money, put into a system, when I can hear it now: "well, it's 90 percent complete, sorry it can only go 24 mph, but, we didn't know about the fault lines, and we ran out of money for better construction, and we have to stop every 100 miles, and it takes us 30 miles to get up to speed (if we were allowed, after the injunction following the lawsuit about the person who got run over because the train was going too fast).
Yeah, in theory, I'd say CA is the best site, overall.
I just think, it's a project for "fat times"......not times when we are defunding education, police and fire, etc.
the priority should be public safetey, health and welfare, and, infrastructure already in place.
Not a whole new system........But, that's just cynical me.
And, I still don't think enough people would use it. We're way to used to our cars, going right where we want, parking shaking hands, going to Applebees for drinks and driving home. It'll take fundamental societal change, to think the "public transit" way.

[Sola Gangsta]

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[theCryptofishist]

Yeah, living next to work is the best possible thing for that facet, but lives don't work out like that. You marry someone who gets a job in San Francisco, but you still want to run the shelter for large abused farm animals, and you can't do that in the city. And that's just one scenario. And sadly, there will probably be assistant professors running between those cities to put together a living. LIke I said, a gamble.

[ygmir]

Yeah, living next to work is the best possible thing for that facet, but lives don't work out like that. You marry someone who gets a job in San Francisco, but you still want to run the shelter for large abused farm animals, and you can't do that in the city. And that's just one scenario. And sadly, there will probably be assistant professors running between those cities to put together a living. LIke I said, a gamble.

\
so true........

[cowboyangel]

usalag.jpg

Given the shoddy construction practices of our friends from China and the recent wreck of their high speed train, I'll pass on the Chinese model....

[cowboyangel]

littleflower, the problem IS capitalism. Marx was always right. Uncle Joe fucked it up for the Russians.

See my live stream on November 13 from the leaders of the Deep Green Resistance, for a detailed explanation. All day from Berkeley CA. 10am to 6pm

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/brightpathvideolive

[moonrise]

HSR will enable my family and freinds to travel to and from So Calif and Nor Calif. more easily. Not to mention the University thing Fishy points out.

Now that this thread has been temporarily 'railroaded' it'd be great if the HSR could route SF to NYC. Sign me up! OWS

[ygmir]

usalag.jpg

Given the shoddy construction practices of our friends from China and the recent wreck of their high speed train, I'll pass on the Chinese model....

and that........Imagine, if/when it wrecks......."shutdown for 2 years so we can study it".

the cost would probably end up, being something like the same as buying every HST commuter their own car, to commute, and paying the fuel.

[ygmir]

HSR will enable my family and freinds to travel to and from So Calif and Nor Calif. more easily. Not to mention the University thing Fishy points out.

How, would it be more easy? Easier than what?
I'd not bet on it being cheaper than airfare. and, it might go to Sacramento......I know the plane does.
And, you still have to get where you're going from the depot.
and yeah, maybe a few in Academia would use it back and forth......well, for that many bucks, it better be full , every trip, and probably for 50 years.


Now that this thread has been temporarily 'railroaded' it'd be great if the HSR could route SF to NYC. Sign me up! OWS

yeah, how about a transporter beam............S.F. to N.Y.C...........chuckling............

[littleflower]

littleflower, the problem IS capitalism. Marx was always right. Uncle Joe fucked it up for the Russians.

that's the problem, cowboy. someone ALWAYS fucks it up!

[ygmir]

littleflower, the problem IS capitalism. Marx was always right. Uncle Joe fucked it up for the Russians.

that's the problem, cowboy. someone ALWAYS fucks it up!

I was gonna ask, CA, I suppose this is the answer, though?
Are you a communist?
and, I don't mean that pejoratively, at all. It would just help me understand some of what you post.

[Sola Gangsta]

whyiusesolar.jpg

[Sola Gangsta]

rushonows.jpg

[moonrise]

Ygmir, family crunched the numbers, assuming a HSR ticket is reasonable, it ought to be quicker and cheaper. It's a guestimate until we know a HSR ticket price.

OWS! OWS! OWS!

Boycott Black Friday!

Boycott Pink Thursday! (that's T*ger Directs' online computer store's version of B.F.)

Sadly little flower is right correct, what can we do to start chipping away at some of the easy things that need attention? 28th amendment? and??????

[Sola Gangsta]

[youtube][/youtube]

[cowboyangel]

littleflower, the problem IS capitalism. Marx was always right. Uncle Joe fucked it up for the Russians.

that's the problem, cowboy. someone ALWAYS fucks it up!

I was gonna ask, CA, I suppose this is the answer, though?
Are you a communist?
and, I don't mean that pejoratively, at all. It would just help me understand some of what you post.

Laughing. no. not a commie. Maybe a little bit a Fabian Socialist. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/top ... -socialism or Earth Firster more likely. A Wobbly soon.

cowboyangel CWA Local 39521 Freelancers Guild

[cowboyangel]

[youtube][/youtube]

Sola..that was brilliant! I'm gonna try that next time. So, Rudy Gulliani says Obama controls the occupy movement?????

[Sola Gangsta]

Hope I don't see too many more ideas...

ideawentoffinmyhead.jpg

[Sola Gangsta]

http://motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2011/ ... 21-and-you

I think some elites might be floating the overpopulation argument to scientists as an excuse for genocide, but I'm not sure about the math. There seems to be some valid arguments that world population will top out at about 8.5 billion and the logarithmic growth model may be inaccurate.

[Sola Gangsta]

So, Rudy Gulliani says Obama controls the occupy movement?????

I hadn't heard that, but its pretty stupid and fit for the consumption of "stupid like a Fox" news.