99er Cindy Paoletti Rates “Hart of the Matter” Guest Post

99er Cindy Paoletti rates “Hart of the Matter” guest post titled: THE AMERICAN DREAM BECOMES A NIGHTMARE FOR MILLIONS.

Remember Velma Hart, the woman who gave Obama a piece of her mind at a town hall meeting? Well, Hart of the Matter is the blog on her website.

Cindy Paoletti, like millions of others in this economic downturn, reached the end of her 99 weeks of unemployment benefits over one year ago. The 57-year-old worked at JPMorgan Chase & Co. for almost 24 years, before being outsourced to India unexpectedly.

The poignant blog post written by Cindy Paoletti reads in it’s entirety:

The long term unemployed who have exhausted all unemployment benefits are facing a nightmare they can't seem to wake up from. We live day to day, wondering where our next dollar is coming from to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table for our families. For many, sleeping in the back seat of their car or in a tent in the woods has become the normal way of life; dumpster dining and panhandling on the streets when desperation and hunger can no longer be ignored.

We used to be hard working Americans who paid our taxes and lived by the rules. But due to a bad economy many of us lost jobs that we went to every day – some performing very well but budgets no longer could support their position. Now our unemployment has been cut off, there are still no jobs to be found and we no longer can contribute to the economy. Our American dream has become an American nightmare.

We live under the hand of a Government that no longer cares about its citizens, and spends most of its time catering to the rich and corporations, while cutting funding to the most important entitlements that the unemployed need to survive. This same government has forced millions to lose everything they worked their entire lives for only to now to be forced to live in poverty. To make matters worse, they blame the unemployed for the horrendous economy this country is suffering.

Even our President, Barack Obama has ignored the plight of the unemployed. Promising job creation that never comes. The "New Working America" Obama has just spoken about will leave our children to suffer the same way that we are now. When you are unemployed with no income for months (a year now for me) where will you get the money to send your children to college? The media keeps repeating Obama’s comments that a high school diploma is a thing of the past. To get a job in the future you will need a degree and a college education. Ironically, the long term unemployed who have these degrees can't find work.

We can't wait for the jobs of the future, we need jobs NOW! Until those jobs are created, we need a life line to survive. Unemployment is insurance. Congress needs to start taking care of the people that put them in office. They work for us, which is something they seem to forget. I dare any one of them to walk in our shoes for 1 year with no income, no savings, nothing left of any value to sell. Worried and stressed out day after day, which is destroying our health. Let them see how they are contributing to the suffering of the unemployed with their selfishness and heartless attitudes.

The long term unemployed will not stand by much longer waiting for the help we should have received over a year ago. There will be more of the same as happening in Wisconsin as we fight for our right of the pursuit of happiness. Congress needs to live the same way they expect the middle class to live. No more perks and freebies. They need to pay for their health care, (the same health care they choose for the country) no lifetime retirement for only working two years, pay their own way in life rather then the government giving them everything. Give up your American dream and live our nightmare.

WELL SAID CINDY!!!!!

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99er Rhonda Taylor to Speak at "Rally to Save the American Dream" this Tuesday

99er Rhonda Taylor will speak at the Rhode Island "Rally to Save the American Dream" this Tuesday, March 15, 2011.

WHAT: Rally to Defend the American Dream Against Republican Budget Cuts

WHERE: 1000 Chapel View Blvd, Cranston, RI

WHEN: Tuesday, March 15, at 4:30 PM

We’re demonstrating to support efforts by Senators Reed and Whitehouse to BLOCK Republican initiatives to make our poor and middle-class American taxpayers “foot the bill” (even more than before) for the damage caused to our economy by Wall Street Banks and their affiliates. We will also express our OUTRAGE over recent attacks by Republican governors on the state and local governmental foundations of our democracy!

We’re standing up to defend our schools, health clinics, fire stations, parks, libraries and more. If the Republicans’ federal “spending cut” initiatives pass, they will kill at least 700,000 American jobs!

Come out and show your support for a federal budget that invests in—not cuts—the American Dream and one which helps our state and local governments better survive the losses of revenue caused by Wall Street misdeeds.

For more information and rallies in your area to join, visit: http://pol.moveon.org/event/defenddream/

How we can EASILY rid ourselves of our “national debt boogieman” entirely!

Throughout our nation’s history, our nation has undergone numerous economic “boom and bust cycles”, and during the “bust” portions of those cycles “boogieman” arguments like the ones we’ve been hearing about our present “national debt” have been used to “morally justify” governmental actions that have devastated the livelihoods of tens of millions of Americans! But the fact is that none of those disastrous actions were ever really necessary, because our federal government is authorized by the US Constitution to “issue money” WITHOUT incurring any debt to do it. Earlier on, those “busts” were created (or at least made worse) by bank or government initiated contractions of our nation’s supply of gold-based and/or silver-based paper money. But nearly a hundred years ago, our Congress (and President Wilson) got duped by a group of Wall Street bankers (led by J. P. Morgan and John D. Rockefeller) into enacting the Federal Reserve act of 1913 which established a legalized “Ponzi scheme” that required our government to borrow from the Federal Reserve in order to issue new paper money. That law CREATED what we now call our nation’s “national debt.” Subsequently, that borrow-in-order-to-create-money principle was ALSO applied to all federal government checks for “new” (non-revenue-raised) dollars and to new electronically created dollars. The bankers who sneaked that law through Congress knew very well that the US Government would ALWAYS spend more money than it received in taxes and thereby engage in “deficit spending.” So given that fact that our national debt get’s automatically “rolled over” each year, the US has been paying compound interest on EVERY new paper dollar, check-created dollar, and electronically created dollar it has issued through the Federal Reserve since 1914!

In principle, at least, when our government issues coins, it pays less than face value for each coin, and it pays it only once! But when our government issues new “paper money notes” (minted dollar notes, dollar checks, or electronically created dollars), it not only pays full face value for those notes, it pays compound interested on those notes FOREVER! This is INSANE! It’s a Ponzi scheme that is increasing our Federal-Reserve-created “national debt” at an exponential rate!

Our government can solve this problem EASILY by repealing the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 and its follow-on legislation. Our Treasury Department could then “create money out of thin air”, just like the Federal Reserve has been doing, but WITHOUT creating any additional debt burden on all future generations of Americans! Eventually, all of the US government bonds that comprise our present “national debt” will get paid off (with interest), and future generations of Americans will no longer need to be concerned about a “national debt” which will no longer exist. This will also enable our economy to operate a LOT more smoothly than it presently does, because our Treasury Department will be able to easily fill in money-supply gaps while “controlling inflation” by limiting the amount of new money it creates, just as the Federal Reserve has been doing (but without incurring debt).

And if you are wondering whether or not the rest of the world will honor US dollars that have no gold or silver backing them up, the fact is that they have been doing so for the past 40 years since President Nixon severed the last remaining relationship between gold and the US dollar in 1971.

So the easiest and most practical way to get ourselves out of this unnecessary “national debt crisis” is to REAPEAL the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 and its follow-on legislation NOW!

Written by: Christopher Currie, 161 Lake Shore Drive, Pascoag, RI 02859

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Japan Earthquake 2011: Unofficial Missing Or Dead Toll At 12,000

First reported at Zennie62.com

The unofficial missing or dead toll as a result of the 8.9 Richter Scale Japan Earthquake is, solely according to this blogger's estimate, standing currently at 12,000 people. That's the result of taking two solid reports from the Kyodo News (which is starting to be recognized as a reliable source for news on the Japan Earthquake).

One report explaining that the victim toll is greater than 2,000, and the second one from Focus-Fen.net, a breaking news story that over 10,000 people are not "accounted for" in the port city of Minamisanriku in quake-hit Miyagi prefecture, according to Japan's NHK.

That's just over half of the town's population of 17,000 people.

The other reason for this, is the apparent lack of desire of the Japanese Government to release actual, reliable data on the latest information relate to the quake. More often than not there are conflicting reports on everything from the death toll, to persons missing, to the possibility of a nuclear meltdown at one of the five nuclear plants of concern.

Stay tuned.

Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel Split

People magazine online reports that Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel have split after their on-again-off-again three year relationship. The magazine also includes rumors that Timberlake may be cozying up with costar Mila Kunis:

Last month, Timberlake, 30, and his Friends with Benefits costar Mila Kunis were "pretty inseparable" at an afterparty for the Screen Actors Guild Awards, but a source said at the time that the pair – who lit up the Oscars stage as co-presenters a couple of weeks later – were just friends.

In October, another source shot down chatter that Timberlake was cheating on Biel with actress Olivia Munn.

Despite the infidelity rumors, Timberlake and Biel continued to show a united front and spend quality time together.

A different source who knows the couple said Biel "looked the other way" when it came to Timberlake's alleged cheating. The source says "it's been a rough road" for the pair who denied rumors of a breakup in 2009 after spending some time apart due to busy work schedules.

Image from Ecorazzi.

UPI.com reiterates that the break up was mutual.

Top Comic Book Artists Headline 25th Wondercon 2011 SF

Wondercon 2011 SF (San Francisco) is fast approaching and will be held April 1st - April 3rd 2011 at Moscone Convention Center South. The Bay Area-born event, created by Bay Area retailers John Barrett, Bob Borden, and Rory Root, along with comics writer and agent Mike Friedrich, was bought by Comic Con International in 2002, and has grown to draw 36,000 people.

Wondercon 2011 is sponsored by BBC America, DC Comics, G4, Showtime, and War North, the 25th Anniversary Wondercon 2011 is bringing some of the World's top comic book artists to San Francisco.

Just check out this list: Jason Aaron, Sergio Aragonés, Berkeley Breathed, Tony Daniel, Mark Evanier, Adam Hughes, Brian Keene, Robert Kirkman, Hope Larson, Bob Layton, Paul Levitz, Jeremy Love, Francis Manapul, Carla Speed McNeil, Terry Moore, Ryan Ottley, Joe Quesada, Frank Quitely, Amy Reeder, Seth, Bill Sienkiewicz, Len Wein, F. Paul Wilson, Marv Wolfman.

Wondercon posted bios of the artists on the event website, like this one for Jason Aaron:

Jason Aaron is an Eisner and Harvey nominated comic book writer whose work includes the critically acclaimed crime series Scalped for Vertigo and celebrated stints on Black Panther, Ghost Rider, and Wolverine: Weapon X for Marvel. He currently writes Wolverine, Astonishing Spider-Man & Wolverine, and Punisher Max, all for Marvel. Jason lives in Kansas with his wife and two sons.

And this one for Sergio Aragonés:

One of MAD magazine's longest-running cartoonists (Al Jaffee holds the record) and the creator of that popular dim-witted barbarian Groo, Sergio Aragonés recently ventured into the popular world of The Simpsons, becoming a featured writer/artist in Bart Simpson Comics. A new book, MAD's Greatest Artists: Sergio Aragonés: Five Decades of His Finest Works, celebrates Sergio's long history with the humor magazine.

Zennie62 Will Be At Wondercon and Comic Con 2011

Follow Zennie62 on Twitter, and subscribe to our YouTube channel Zennie62, to get videos and tweets on what's happening at both Wondercon and Comic Con 2011.

A Badge Warning

Additionally, Wondercon producers want you to know that events are on a first-come, first-seated basis. Having a badge doesn't mean you're going to be seated if a room is already filled to capacity, so get there early.

Satoshi Tajiri (Pokemon), Yuko Yamaguchi (Hello Kitty), Alive After Japan Earthquake 2011

First reported at Zennie62.com.

There's a rumor on Twitter so persistent that it's caused "Satoshi Tajiri," the creator of the game Pokemon (pictured), to become a Twitter Trend over the assertion that he, as well as "Hello Kitty" character creator Yuko Yamaguchi died.

Both Satoshi Tajiri and Yuko Yamaguchi are still alive.

In the case of Mr. Tajiri, the Pokemon creator was, in part, the focus of a Nintendo Twitter Tweet reading:

NintendoAmerica Nintendo of America
Thanks for your concern! During the earthquake no one at Nintendo in Japan was injured and there was no apparent structural damage.
17 hours ago

Additionally, the blog Mauritiushot.com reports:

Satoshi Tajiri,45 years old live in Machida, Tokyo. Satoshi Tajiri fainted while seeing the destruction done by the Tsunami but he is not dead.

In the case of Ms. Yamaguchi, there's no evidence or reports of her death in the Japan Earthquake or the Tsunami.

For reasons that add up to insensitive mischief, Twitter has been a cosistent source for rumors of the death of celebrities, and in the wake of the fifth largest earthquake in history, someone elected to play on fears and launch tweets that have turned out to be a hoax.

Japan Earthquake 2011: Nuclear Plant Explosion, No Radiation Rise #prayforjapan

Contrary to reports at The Huffington Post, the explosion at the massive Tokyo Power Electric Co. Fukushima Dai-ichi plant did not cause a rise in radiation levels.

AlJazeeraEnglish on YouTube just issued a new video, the one above, reporting that the metal container that shelters the reactor has not been effected. Radiation is not rising, but decreasing. This information was released by the Japanese Government.

The blast was originally feared to have caused a radiation level increase. Four workers were killed.

Al Jazzera reports that a state of emergency has been declared for five nuclear reactors at two different sites in Fukushima.

As of this writing, the Japan Earthquake 2011 death toll is at 600, although it's believed that number will be revised upward as time progresses.

Philippines Tsunami Evacuation

After the big earthquake hit Japan triggering a tsunami the Philippines is now ordering tsunami evacuation as the tsunami's 3-foot-waves are expected to hit the northern coast, according to Yahoo News.

Yahoo writes:

Philippine Volcanology and Seismology Institute director Renato Solidum says the first 3-foot (1-meter) high waves are expected to hit the northernmost Batanes islands by 5 p.m. (09:00 GMT) Friday.

Disaster management officials in Albay province southeast of Manila say they have ordered residents to move to designated evacuation sites that are at least 15 feet (5 meters) above sea level.

Japan's Earthquake and Destruction

CNN reports that the earthquake in Japan is the largest it has had in over 100 years - it has killed hundreds of people and collapsed many buildings. The earthquake has also brought on a tsunami which adds to the devastation.

CNN writes:


Friday's quake is the strongest earthquake in recorded history to hit Japan, according to U.S. Geologic Survey records. The previous record was an 8.6-magnitude earthquake that struck near the Chubu Region near southwestern Honshu on October 28, 1707, that may have killed 5,000 people, CNN meteorologist Sean Morris said.

The quake, which struck at 2:46 p.m. (12:46 a.m. ET), prompted the U.S. National Weather Service to issue tsunami warnings for at least 50 countries and territories, although initial reports as the waves hit outside of Japan indicated no damage.

The epicenter of the main quake Friday was off Miyagi Prefecture, about 230 miles (370 kilometers) from Tokyo, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

Photo taken from Bharat Chronicle

Japanese broadcasters reported collapsed buildings, power outages and transportation disruptions throughout Japan. In Tokyo, 230 miles from the hardest-hit areas, rail service was suspended, elevated highways were shut down early Saturday and surface streets remained jammed as commuters continued trying to get to their homes in outlying areas


There is a lot of commotion around the Fukushima nuclear power plant, because the emergency cooling system has not been working and there is fear for a meltdown as reported by the LA Times.

The shut down of over 18 percent of all plants has caused much of the electricity in Japan to be shut down.

President Barack Obama has offered condolences and assistance to Japan.

CNN writes:

"I offer our Japanese friends whatever assistance is needed," he said during a news conference. "Today's events remind us how fragile life can be."

Obama said Friday that the main U.S. assistance to Japan for now would probably be "lift capacity" in the form of heavy equipment to help clean up damaged infrastructure.

The U.S. government is taking inventory of how many military personnel are in Japan to provide help, he said, adding that American citizens in Japan will also receive assistance.

Obama called the earthquake and tsunami "a potentially catastrophic disaster," saying the images of destruction were "simply heartbreaking."

The following is video footage from Japan:

Oakland Army Base Redevelopment Update - Phil Tagami Video Part 1

On Tuesday, this blogger visited California Commercial Investments Managing Partner Phil Tagami, who has been a friend of mine since 1990.

Tagami is the developer of the Fox Theater (where such groups as Coldplay and Green Day have performed) and The Rotunda (both in Downtown Oakland), sat down to talk with me about the progress his team, including AMB Realty, is making on the redevelopment of The Oakland Army Base in West Oakland into in a new town and facility called Oakland Global. The 300-acre project's in what is technically called an "Exclusive Negotiating Period," as of this writing.

It's a weird deal in that Phil's team could do a lot of work, from environmental studies to infrastructure planning, and still lose the right to continue the "ENA." There's no sign of that happening, however, and if it does, the City doesn't have a viable "second act" to effectively complete the work.

Print that.

Here's the Oakland Army Base Redevelopment Update video, which is 33 minutes long in total. This is blog post is "part one," because our talk is filled with jargon that has to be explained for the lay viewer, and will be in a follow up post. This blog post presents our talk. Here's the video:



Stay tuned.

Huge Japan Earthquake Triggers Tsunami

The 8.9 magnitude earthquake that struck Japan this morning was the 2nd this week, and triggered a Tsunami that has already passed the coast of Kauai, as coastal evacuations proceed in Oregon, Washington, and California. President Barack Obama has already offered help to the people of Japan, and has a news conference scheduled for later this morning.

"Michelle and I send our deepest condolences to the people of Japan, particularly those who have lost loved ones in the earthquake and tsunamis..."

U.S. President Barack Obama

Twitter is sluggish as the information flows; the two best hashtags are #japan and #tsunami as of now. Further information, including how to help, is available via CrisisWiki.org

Obama offers help to #Japan after quake, FEMA and Coast Guard ready in states as CA and OR opt for #tsunami evacs http://bit.ly/hFG2Wa

@kabiu Tweet

Record 8.9 earthquake, 2nd quake in 3 days, hits japan, triggering tsunami. http://reut.rs/ehpuKV Hawaii evacs in progress

@kabiu Tweet

Political Correspondent Thomas Hayes is a former Congressional Campaign Manager; he's a journalist, communications consultant, photo/videographer, entrepreneur, and union supporter who contributes regularly on topics ranging from economics and politics to culture and community.

You can follow Tom as @kabiu on twitter. Tweet

Tsunami Warning For West Coast After Japan's Massive Earthquake

Japan suffered a massive 8.9 on the Richter Scale Earthquake that MSNBC's reporting to be, as of this writing, one of the fifth largest in history.

The quake caused a 12-foot tsunami in the port city of Kamishi and its tremors shook buildings in the capital Tokyo, over 400 miles away. The sheer magnitude of the quake, which has killed 17 people as of this blog post, is such that tsunami warnings have been issued for Hawaii and for the entire United States West Coast.

Tsunami warning sirens have been sounded in Honolulu after the quake, and the first waves are expected to reach Hawaiian shores at 8 AM Island Standard Time. About 1 meter of waves are expected

The Japan Quake, which struck at 2:46 PM local time in Japan, hit 129 miles off the coast, and resulted in the first giant waves sweeping whole portions of Japanese farmland away, and washing large 18-wheel trucks in its path. The video images are horrifying. Here's some of them from YouTube:









The epicenter of the quake was near the town of Sendai. The airport there is pretty much under water.

AlJazeeraEnglish on YouTube has continued live coverage and videos of the Japan Earthquake and tsunamis. Here's a video:



Stay tuned.