definitely one of the best marketing campaigns ever, but it is kind of a funny message in the subtext - the mac guy of course looks cooler and cuter than the nerdy pudgy pc guy, but the pc guy is funnier and smarter and more interesting, would we rather hang out with the passive know-nothing mac guy who just stands there in a t shirt looking dumb, or would we rather hang out with the pc guy who is clever witty and funny and inventive?
Friday, May 28, 2010
Red State Conservatives on Disability and Food Stamps Against Socialism
Those who cannot understand how America can give national prominence to a certifiable ignoramus like Sarah Palin, need only to listen to the the grievances of the Union of Red State Truckers on Disability as coached by Hannity and the Savage Weiner:
http://stennisink.blogspot.com/2010/04/put-me-in-coach-im-ready-to-pay.html
Money quote of the day is from actor Craig T. Nelson, the former star of everyone's favorite 1980s sit com, "Coach."
"I've been on welfare and food stamps. Did anyone help me out? No. No."
http://stennisink.blogspot.com/2010/04/even-youre-welcome.html
"But here's a direct quote from the March 22, 2010 entry (day after health care reform passed) by this lady trucker who lives with her mama:
>>>
I have nothing to report except what I just posted on my Facebook:
I just responded to a personal message about Obama and his socialistic takeover of America: "It just makes me sick - and scared. But, in the back of my mind, lingers the thought that maybe it's God's will - maybe God is bringing the nation down in preparation for the "end days". Whatever the case, I know God will take care of all of us who trust Him to. That's comforting to me in these dark days."
Maybe that's a little dramatic, but I'm drawing unemployment; already paying $400/mo for COBRA health insurance which I'm probably going to lose because AMX won't be able to afford insurance for ANY of it's employees anymore; and I have a heart condition.
Welcome To Socialistic America.
>>>
You just can't teach that kind of AMAZING lack of insight! This gal is drawing unemployment, has a workman's comp case , and she only has health insurance coverage (for her heart condition and other ailments) because of COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act). Oh, and her brother, whom she has nicknamed "Disabro," receives disability benefits.
She has a protest sign in one hand, a cigarette in the other (yeah, she smokes - her brother does, too), and is suckling at the tax dollar teat for all she's worth. Hey, honey - just send back your checks, withdraw the case against your company, and refuse that COBRA insurance extension!
She can't - too depressed. But don't worry - her Effexor is covered by her COBRA plan. Courtesy of "Socialistic America." You're welcome.
http://stennisink.blogspot.com/2010/04/few-proud-idiots.html
a disabled trucker living on socialist handouts protests:
"...I'm talking about the people on welfare trying to suck out the economy of this country...In this country, you gotta get a job and work." [c. 2:20]
Pull yourself up by your bootstraps! Rugged individualism! But then, without one iota of insight, he drops this little nugget of truth:
"I don't pay taxes. I'm disabled from a truck accident and veterans' benefits." [c. 2:35]
(Although one might read this and believe the truck accident and the veterans' benefits were responsible for his disability, he is actually trying to let us know that he is enjoying not one but two forms of socialist government assistance.)
"Who's gonna pay that money back, buddy? Who's gonna pay that money back that Obama is spending?" [c. 2:52]
The question is legitimate, sir. Except for... um, sir? You're protesting tax dollars that are, um, oh, golly...well, some of that money goes to you every month, kinda makes it so you can buy food and fill up your car with gas and drive to freakin' tea parties and protest taxes all freakin' day!
On your protest sign you said we need a "second American Revolation." I don't know exactly what that is, but I'll second that!
http://stennisink.blogspot.com/2010/04/put-me-in-coach-im-ready-to-pay.html
Money quote of the day is from actor Craig T. Nelson, the former star of everyone's favorite 1980s sit com, "Coach."
"I've been on welfare and food stamps. Did anyone help me out? No. No."
http://stennisink.blogspot.com/2010/04/even-youre-welcome.html
"But here's a direct quote from the March 22, 2010 entry (day after health care reform passed) by this lady trucker who lives with her mama:
>>>
I have nothing to report except what I just posted on my Facebook:
I just responded to a personal message about Obama and his socialistic takeover of America: "It just makes me sick - and scared. But, in the back of my mind, lingers the thought that maybe it's God's will - maybe God is bringing the nation down in preparation for the "end days". Whatever the case, I know God will take care of all of us who trust Him to. That's comforting to me in these dark days."
Maybe that's a little dramatic, but I'm drawing unemployment; already paying $400/mo for COBRA health insurance which I'm probably going to lose because AMX won't be able to afford insurance for ANY of it's employees anymore; and I have a heart condition.
Welcome To Socialistic America.
>>>
You just can't teach that kind of AMAZING lack of insight! This gal is drawing unemployment, has a workman's comp case , and she only has health insurance coverage (for her heart condition and other ailments) because of COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act). Oh, and her brother, whom she has nicknamed "Disabro," receives disability benefits.
She has a protest sign in one hand, a cigarette in the other (yeah, she smokes - her brother does, too), and is suckling at the tax dollar teat for all she's worth. Hey, honey - just send back your checks, withdraw the case against your company, and refuse that COBRA insurance extension!
She can't - too depressed. But don't worry - her Effexor is covered by her COBRA plan. Courtesy of "Socialistic America." You're welcome.
http://stennisink.blogspot.com/2010/04/few-proud-idiots.html
a disabled trucker living on socialist handouts protests:
"...I'm talking about the people on welfare trying to suck out the economy of this country...In this country, you gotta get a job and work." [c. 2:20]
Pull yourself up by your bootstraps! Rugged individualism! But then, without one iota of insight, he drops this little nugget of truth:
"I don't pay taxes. I'm disabled from a truck accident and veterans' benefits." [c. 2:35]
(Although one might read this and believe the truck accident and the veterans' benefits were responsible for his disability, he is actually trying to let us know that he is enjoying not one but two forms of socialist government assistance.)
"Who's gonna pay that money back, buddy? Who's gonna pay that money back that Obama is spending?" [c. 2:52]
The question is legitimate, sir. Except for... um, sir? You're protesting tax dollars that are, um, oh, golly...well, some of that money goes to you every month, kinda makes it so you can buy food and fill up your car with gas and drive to freakin' tea parties and protest taxes all freakin' day!
On your protest sign you said we need a "second American Revolation." I don't know exactly what that is, but I'll second that!
Another Hannity Rant - Pulling Stuff out of his rectum
Listened to Hannity yesterday at lunch, as Randi Rhodes was even more strident than usual, and heard Hannity make the outrageous claim that they are not burning off the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico because those dammed environmentalists are blocking it and its all part of Obama's agenda to shut down all oil production and take over everything bla bla bla bla, so then I looked it up later and the reason they are not burning off the oil is that it is a thick gooey asphalt type oil, not the usual light volatile oil, so it doesnt burn well, plus the fact that coming up from 5000 foot depths makes it fan out too widely by the time it hits the surface.
Hannity is such a tool, Rupert Murdoch should be deported or tried for treason and sedition.
Hannity is such a tool, Rupert Murdoch should be deported or tried for treason and sedition.
There are only two kinds of Republicans - Millionaires and Fools
from the 2008 election archives
McCain's genius tax plan for the rich:
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Blecko the Clown's Morning Zoo Radio DJ Stunts Continue
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_beck#Radio
Glenn Beck aka Blecko the Clown gets to play his Morning Zoo Radio DJ schtick but instead of inventing phony events on-air he invents phony conspiracies, but the schtick is the same, and the rubes continue to buy the product. From Top40 DJ to coke-addict Morning Zoo to Chief of National Willfully Ignorant Paranoia.
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2009/09/21/glenn_beck
"The zoo revolution that transformed morning radio in the 1980s is key to understanding Beck's present-day shtick. Many of the audio and visual tropes Beck employs today -- the Muppet voices, the outrageous statements, the props, the stunts, the fawning and giggling supporting cast -- can be traced to the zoo and post-zoo radio culture that sustained him professionally for years.
"You can see the influence in everything Beck does," says zoo pioneer Scott Shannon, now boss jock at New York's WPLJ and the official voice of "The Sean Hannity Show." "The timing, the voices, the inflections, the whole approach -- so much of it is from the old Top 40 morning style."
http://www.amazon.com/Common-Nonsense-Glenn-Triumph-Ignorance/product-reviews/0470557397/ref=pd_ts_b_5_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1
3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
An illuminating book but I'm still scratching my head over Beck's appeal, May 16, 2010
By D. Michael Elkins "D. Michael Elkins" (Valrico, FL USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Common Nonsense: Glenn Beck and the Triumph of Ignorance (Hardcover)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
Like most non-fans of Glenn Beck, I am always wondering why he seems to appeal to so many people. Do they really believe as he seems to that there is some dark left-wing conspiracy lurking behind every corner? Does he really believe everything that he says or is he just taking advantage of his gullible listeners/viewers?
I am not sure whether this biography provides a clear answer, although it was an interesting account of the twists and turns of his career in which he always seemed to bounce back from whatever temporary failure he was experiencing. Interestingly I live in the Tampa market where he first gained real prominence during the days following 9/11 but never really heard of him until he landed on Fox. Even then on the few times that I tuned in his program to see what the fuss was all about, I found his kooky conspiracy theories too laughable to take very seriously. Nevertheless I have since heard some of his claims tossed around with a straight face by several people who should know better, all of whom then go to the trouble of explaining that this Beck guy is a bit too far out for them. I suspect that to many people, Glenn Beck has become a guilty pleasure. They watch or listen to his shows in the same way that so many people secretly bought the records of The Carpenters or Barry Manilow, all the while disavowing any interest in their music.
Of course much of what Beck spoon-feeds his followers is really nothing new, as this book points out. His brand of right-wing paranoia found voice in the 1950's and the 1960's when there really were questions as to whether communism or capitalism would win out on a global basis. What is amazing is that the anti-communistic rhetoric that was being voiced back in those days can still be heard today from Beck and his ilk, even though the form of communism that was present back then no longer exists in today's world. Someone who just landed on this planet listening to Beck would assume that we are living today in Nazi Germany or Stalinist Russia judging by the dark pictures that he paints on a daily basis.
As a result of the apparent poor state of our nation's educational system, Beck is able to speak of fascism and communism as being one and the same, without fear of any contradiction from his fawning fans. This can be seen by simply viewing many of the slogans found on the signs held at many of their recent rallies. I am certain that at least 90% of them, if asked, would tell you that Germany and Russia were allied against the U.S. in World War II. Throw in all of the the post-9/11 rhetoric against the French and a large portion of our population probably believe that France is either a Fascist or a Communist country today.
In my opinion, those who complain about Beck's ability to create his success are probably providing him with too much credit. The blame lies with the poor state of historical knowledge by our country's citizens. Why crack open a history book when it is so much easier just to turn on Fox and let some crying rodeo clown explain the state of the world to you and how we got here. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Report this | Permalink
Comments (2)
Glenn Beck aka Blecko the Clown gets to play his Morning Zoo Radio DJ schtick but instead of inventing phony events on-air he invents phony conspiracies, but the schtick is the same, and the rubes continue to buy the product. From Top40 DJ to coke-addict Morning Zoo to Chief of National Willfully Ignorant Paranoia.
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2009/09/21/glenn_beck
"The zoo revolution that transformed morning radio in the 1980s is key to understanding Beck's present-day shtick. Many of the audio and visual tropes Beck employs today -- the Muppet voices, the outrageous statements, the props, the stunts, the fawning and giggling supporting cast -- can be traced to the zoo and post-zoo radio culture that sustained him professionally for years.
"You can see the influence in everything Beck does," says zoo pioneer Scott Shannon, now boss jock at New York's WPLJ and the official voice of "The Sean Hannity Show." "The timing, the voices, the inflections, the whole approach -- so much of it is from the old Top 40 morning style."
http://www.amazon.com/Common-Nonsense-Glenn-Triumph-Ignorance/product-reviews/0470557397/ref=pd_ts_b_5_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1
3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
An illuminating book but I'm still scratching my head over Beck's appeal, May 16, 2010
By D. Michael Elkins "D. Michael Elkins" (Valrico, FL USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Common Nonsense: Glenn Beck and the Triumph of Ignorance (Hardcover)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
Like most non-fans of Glenn Beck, I am always wondering why he seems to appeal to so many people. Do they really believe as he seems to that there is some dark left-wing conspiracy lurking behind every corner? Does he really believe everything that he says or is he just taking advantage of his gullible listeners/viewers?
I am not sure whether this biography provides a clear answer, although it was an interesting account of the twists and turns of his career in which he always seemed to bounce back from whatever temporary failure he was experiencing. Interestingly I live in the Tampa market where he first gained real prominence during the days following 9/11 but never really heard of him until he landed on Fox. Even then on the few times that I tuned in his program to see what the fuss was all about, I found his kooky conspiracy theories too laughable to take very seriously. Nevertheless I have since heard some of his claims tossed around with a straight face by several people who should know better, all of whom then go to the trouble of explaining that this Beck guy is a bit too far out for them. I suspect that to many people, Glenn Beck has become a guilty pleasure. They watch or listen to his shows in the same way that so many people secretly bought the records of The Carpenters or Barry Manilow, all the while disavowing any interest in their music.
Of course much of what Beck spoon-feeds his followers is really nothing new, as this book points out. His brand of right-wing paranoia found voice in the 1950's and the 1960's when there really were questions as to whether communism or capitalism would win out on a global basis. What is amazing is that the anti-communistic rhetoric that was being voiced back in those days can still be heard today from Beck and his ilk, even though the form of communism that was present back then no longer exists in today's world. Someone who just landed on this planet listening to Beck would assume that we are living today in Nazi Germany or Stalinist Russia judging by the dark pictures that he paints on a daily basis.
As a result of the apparent poor state of our nation's educational system, Beck is able to speak of fascism and communism as being one and the same, without fear of any contradiction from his fawning fans. This can be seen by simply viewing many of the slogans found on the signs held at many of their recent rallies. I am certain that at least 90% of them, if asked, would tell you that Germany and Russia were allied against the U.S. in World War II. Throw in all of the the post-9/11 rhetoric against the French and a large portion of our population probably believe that France is either a Fascist or a Communist country today.
In my opinion, those who complain about Beck's ability to create his success are probably providing him with too much credit. The blame lies with the poor state of historical knowledge by our country's citizens. Why crack open a history book when it is so much easier just to turn on Fox and let some crying rodeo clown explain the state of the world to you and how we got here. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Report this | Permalink
Comments (2)
Germans Defy Economic Royalists and Ban Derivatives
Derivatives - the ultimate excercise in unproductive financial onanism
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/may/23/angela-merkel-short-selling-ban
"It is true that speculators exploit genuine flaws, but they can wreak their own havoc by magnifying and accelerating events, inflicting more pain on innocent citizens in the process: just ask any Greek facing austerity measures. They create emergencies, when measured progressive and united responses to complex problems would be far better.
The credit default swaps holding eurozone governments hostage are opaque, unregulated and ripe for reform. A ban on naked short-selling is not the unprecedented, unworkable lunacy Merkel's detractors would have you believe. Hong Kong made it a criminal offence in the wake of the Asian crisis in the late 1990s, and officials there believe this has been helpful in the current crisis.
Despite the discrediting of the financial sector, a belief persists that markets are all-powerful. But allowing a free rein to speculators subverts democracy.
We may sometimes despair of our leaders but it cannot be right that they are trampled by unaccountable and unelected traders, acting purely for their own profit and with no thought for the wider social good.
Merkel was foolhardy to act alone – and the fact she went freelance at a time when unity in the eurozone is desperately needed is alarming in itself – but her instinct that the markets must be tamed is entirely correct. This is a battle that governments cannot afford to lose."
----------------------------
Scipio1
23 May 2010, 11:02AM
Hear hear, Ms Sunderland. The notion that markets are somehow benign and merely provide a corrective mechanism for market failure is risible. Note:
'The markets are impartial judges'
The f*** they are. In 1997 hot money poured into what were the healthy emerging markets of East Asia - Thailand, Phillipines, Malaysia and Singapore - and all but wrecked these economies by driving equity, property and local currency values way beyond their equilibrium prices. Having made their little pile they then departed leaving economic and financial chaos in their wake, chaos which was compounded by IMF bail out policies. It took some years for these economies to recover.
The point is that speculative flows of capital do not merely respond to market imperatives, they actually move markets if they are big enough. Short selling is a particularly toxic form of speculation in that the speculators have a vested interest in driving down the value of the assets which they have borrowed.
Mrs Merkel's ban on short selling was maybe ill-timed, but in what is turning out to be a fundamental conflict between markets and states her actions and instincts were very sound. The fact that none of the other governments in the EU made common cause is an indication of how spineless our present generation of politicians have become.
Beast0666
23 May 2010, 3:29AM
This is arrant nonsense. Governments wrought this crisis, for decades buying votes with money they did not have. The markets act as no more than impartial economic watchdogs that will punish those who deny reality.
As for government 'prerogatives', what an arrogance leads you to believe that governments should or can have the final word in resolving such crises? Almost uniformly comprised of the representatives of life's losers, of deluded, venal fools, these fast-decaying and archaic 20th century institutions are ripe for dissolution.
So cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war, for the madness of rule by the mindless masses is all but at an end in this new information age. What comes next I do not know, but it will surely be a period of chaos in which the superior individual rises at last above the mediocrity of this appalling and corrupt democracy that long ago was severed from its honorable roots.
Recommend? (6)
Report abuse
Clip | Link cdr494b
23 May 2010, 4:56AM
Ms. Sutherland's article is absolutely correct. The world has been hostage to speculators for years, and although I do not identify with Merkels overall political views, she is indeed brave to take the action to end naked shorting. Government represents the citizens, banks and brokerages represent only themselves.
I only hope that President Obama and other leaders will take the same action. As for Ruth Sutherland, SHE is a star to me and I'm sure to many thousands of other Minnesotans.
Thank you Ruth,
Chris
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/may/23/angela-merkel-short-selling-ban
"It is true that speculators exploit genuine flaws, but they can wreak their own havoc by magnifying and accelerating events, inflicting more pain on innocent citizens in the process: just ask any Greek facing austerity measures. They create emergencies, when measured progressive and united responses to complex problems would be far better.
The credit default swaps holding eurozone governments hostage are opaque, unregulated and ripe for reform. A ban on naked short-selling is not the unprecedented, unworkable lunacy Merkel's detractors would have you believe. Hong Kong made it a criminal offence in the wake of the Asian crisis in the late 1990s, and officials there believe this has been helpful in the current crisis.
Despite the discrediting of the financial sector, a belief persists that markets are all-powerful. But allowing a free rein to speculators subverts democracy.
We may sometimes despair of our leaders but it cannot be right that they are trampled by unaccountable and unelected traders, acting purely for their own profit and with no thought for the wider social good.
Merkel was foolhardy to act alone – and the fact she went freelance at a time when unity in the eurozone is desperately needed is alarming in itself – but her instinct that the markets must be tamed is entirely correct. This is a battle that governments cannot afford to lose."
----------------------------
Scipio1
23 May 2010, 11:02AM
Hear hear, Ms Sunderland. The notion that markets are somehow benign and merely provide a corrective mechanism for market failure is risible. Note:
'The markets are impartial judges'
The f*** they are. In 1997 hot money poured into what were the healthy emerging markets of East Asia - Thailand, Phillipines, Malaysia and Singapore - and all but wrecked these economies by driving equity, property and local currency values way beyond their equilibrium prices. Having made their little pile they then departed leaving economic and financial chaos in their wake, chaos which was compounded by IMF bail out policies. It took some years for these economies to recover.
The point is that speculative flows of capital do not merely respond to market imperatives, they actually move markets if they are big enough. Short selling is a particularly toxic form of speculation in that the speculators have a vested interest in driving down the value of the assets which they have borrowed.
Mrs Merkel's ban on short selling was maybe ill-timed, but in what is turning out to be a fundamental conflict between markets and states her actions and instincts were very sound. The fact that none of the other governments in the EU made common cause is an indication of how spineless our present generation of politicians have become.
Beast0666
23 May 2010, 3:29AM
This is arrant nonsense. Governments wrought this crisis, for decades buying votes with money they did not have. The markets act as no more than impartial economic watchdogs that will punish those who deny reality.
As for government 'prerogatives', what an arrogance leads you to believe that governments should or can have the final word in resolving such crises? Almost uniformly comprised of the representatives of life's losers, of deluded, venal fools, these fast-decaying and archaic 20th century institutions are ripe for dissolution.
So cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war, for the madness of rule by the mindless masses is all but at an end in this new information age. What comes next I do not know, but it will surely be a period of chaos in which the superior individual rises at last above the mediocrity of this appalling and corrupt democracy that long ago was severed from its honorable roots.
Recommend? (6)
Report abuse
Clip | Link cdr494b
23 May 2010, 4:56AM
Ms. Sutherland's article is absolutely correct. The world has been hostage to speculators for years, and although I do not identify with Merkels overall political views, she is indeed brave to take the action to end naked shorting. Government represents the citizens, banks and brokerages represent only themselves.
I only hope that President Obama and other leaders will take the same action. As for Ruth Sutherland, SHE is a star to me and I'm sure to many thousands of other Minnesotans.
Thank you Ruth,
Chris
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Sprint MiFi Deceptive Business Practices
Sprint shows us the Great American Business Model of how to profit handsomely by confusing the customer which was previously perfected by that paragon of American Business Ethics - the Credit Card Industry - and now adopted by that other paragon of Never Give a Sucker an Even Break - the telecommunications industry:
Offer them a MiFi wireless modem for only 59$ per month with a 5 gigabyte cap and with (fine print start here) only 5 cents per megabyte overage charge.
first, why not tell them the overage charge with the same units as the monthly cap limit? hahahaha, then they could figure it out!
second, why not set the cap high enough to not penalize the average users? hahahhah, then we couldnt bill them 50$/gig duh!
here's our sucker #1:
"strange, my usage quit giving me gb readout and now only gives me kb. well its the 15th of the month and i have used 10374560.11kb. how many gigs is that?"
hahahahahaha, poor guy, he cant even figger it out that he's going to get a 250$ overage bill for going 5 gig over!
but wait, there's more:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Are you hitting your 5gb cap? Verizon or SprintGoto page 1, 2, 3 Next EVDOforums.com Forum Index -> MiFi Forums View previous topic :: View next topic
Are you hitting or exceeding your 5gb cap? Yes 50% [ 22 ] No 50% [ 22 ] Total Votes : 44
Author Message Dj_AmTraXEVDO Fledgling
Joined: 15 Aug 2009Posts: 21Location: San Francisco Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2009 3:39 pm Post subject: Are you hitting your 5gb cap? Verizon or Sprint
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I just got a Sprint MiFi and loving it. The bad is the 5gb cap. I looked at my AT&T data usage on my iPhone and it's about 12gb a month. Just wondering if you guys feel restraint with the cap.
Do you have tips on maximizing the 5gb? Back to top gb5393EVDO Fledgling
Joined: 03 Sep 2007Posts: 24
Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2009 5:01 pm Post subject:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My billing cycle resets on the 23rd, and so far this month, I have use ~71.47GB. I've had service with Sprint since August 2007. And I have not yet been hassled about my usage. Back to top Dj_AmTraXEVDO Fledgling
Joined: 15 Aug 2009Posts: 21Location: San Francisco Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2009 5:26 pm Post subject:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- gb5393 wrote: My billing cycle resets on the 23rd, and so far this month, I have use ~71.47GB. I've had service with Sprint since August 2007. And I have not yet been hassled about my usage.
Are you a "legacy" Sprint customer who has unlimited data plan? I am asking because my contact clearly states a 5gb usage cap. Back to top evdo_matt3Gstore Employee
Joined: 02 Apr 2008Posts: 244
Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2009 5:52 pm Post subject:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I do around 20GB a month on my Verizon account. I try not to do to much downloading though.
Grandfathered 5GB / throttle cap with no overages here. I have never been throttled though. Very rural area. Back to top rblackEVDO Newbie
Joined: 16 Apr 2009Posts: 10
Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2009 8:44 pm Post subject:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I'm such a chicken. I've got both Sprint and Verizon's 5g service for a total of 10g a month, 7 or 8 of which I might use. But it's not enjoyable as I check my usage EVERY DAY for fear of going over. It's no fun. Back to top Dj_AmTraXEVDO Fledgling
Joined: 15 Aug 2009Posts: 21Location: San Francisco Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 12:15 am Post subject:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sprint, I'll be willing to pay $99 month for unlimited data. Are you listening? Back to top gb5393EVDO Fledgling
Joined: 03 Sep 2007Posts: 24
Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 1:09 am Post subject:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dj_AmTraX wrote: gb5393 wrote: My billing cycle resets on the 23rd, and so far this month, I have use ~71.47GB. I've had service with Sprint since August 2007. And I have not yet been hassled about my usage.
Are you a "legacy" Sprint customer who has unlimited data plan? I am asking because my contact clearly states a 5gb usage cap.
As far as I know, Sprint denies 'grandfathering' anybody. But I regularly go well beyond 5GB and have yet to get any letter or be charged by them. Back to top orbitalcompEVDO User
Joined: 28 Apr 2007Posts: 93Location: Texas Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 11:20 am Post subject:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I average about 20GB to 25GB per month on my Sprint plan, and have never been throttled or billed for any overage charges. I have had my plan for about 3 years, so I never renew my contract, I only do ESN swaps when I get a new device.
Currently I am on a MiFi, prior to this I was on a Compass 597 / PHS300 combo, before that I was running an S720 PC Card / Kyocera KR1 combo. I love how these things keep getting smaller and smaller, yet better and better! Back to top Dj_AmTraXEVDO Fledgling
Joined: 15 Aug 2009Posts: 21Location: San Francisco Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 11:59 am Post subject:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Let me get this straight. You guys are NOT being charged over 5gb cap because you have the unofficial "grandfathered" unlimited data plan, right? You are not referring to new customers like me on the new 5gb cap plan, right? Back to top orbitalcompEVDO User
Joined: 28 Apr 2007Posts: 93Location: Texas Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 1:21 pm Post subject:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dj_AmTraX wrote: Let me get this straight. You guys are NOT being charged over 5gb cap because you have the unofficial "grandfathered" unlimited data plan, right? You are not referring to new customers like me on the new 5gb cap plan, right?
That is correct, at least in my case... Back to top evdo_matt3Gstore Employee
Joined: 02 Apr 2008Posts: 244
Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 7:13 pm Post subject:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dj_AmTraX wrote: Let me get this straight. You guys are NOT being charged over 5gb cap because you have the unofficial "grandfathered" unlimited data plan, right? You are not referring to new customers like me on the new 5gb cap plan, right?
Well if your referring to Verizon the "Grandfathered" clause is official. I actually signed up the month before they started charging people overage's. There would be no way I'd have the service if I had to worry about overages. For a while I worried about going over and getting throttled but I just do whatever now. Here is what my account displays under usage.
The moment that would change to a 5GB limit will be the moment I drop the service and just move. Back to top waynefoutzEVDO Junkie
Joined: 31 Mar 2008Posts: 311
Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 8:31 pm Post subject:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- i'm grandfathered on Sprint, again which they deny anyone is grandfathered. I've been real careful NOT to go over. I use wi-fi when it's available. These folks saying that they are using 70+ gigs leave me shaking my head. I wish someone would come across with some clear cut rules. And that page where you check your usage.....I don't understand that thing at all. One month I use my card for what seems like hours a day and I can't budge that thing. Then a week later I get charged for half a gig after being on a half an hour. In any event, I don't do anything but static web pages and online gaming...team fortress 2. I checked that with a usage meter, about an hour of TF2 uses around 20 megabytes. Before the cap, heck I was downloading torrents and podcasts while I was driving down the road. Can't do that anymore. I did get even though. My handset phone has unlimited data, so i stream my audio on that. It's easier than dragging out the laptop anyway. I'd still like to figure out how to get podcasts with it though. Back to top Dj_AmTraXEVDO Fledgling
Joined: 15 Aug 2009Posts: 21Location: San Francisco Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 10:01 pm Post subject:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- waynefoutz wrote: My handset phone has unlimited data, so i stream my audio on that. It's easier than dragging out the laptop anyway. I'd still like to figure out how to get podcasts with it though.
I'm on an iPhone with unlimited data plan. AT&T caps podcast downloads via 3g to 10MB. I wonder if I can start the download on WiFi via MiFi and then pause it and switch to 3g. Hum..... Back to top Dj_AmTraXEVDO Fledgling
Joined: 15 Aug 2009Posts: 21Location: San Francisco Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 10:07 pm Post subject:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I don't know why I worry so much about the 5gb cap. I looked at my data usage on my iPhone (AT&T) and I have never exceeded 5gb or close to it. But then again, AT&T 3g service SUCKS in San Francisco. Thats why I got the MiFi.
For those who don't care about their data usage because you have "unlimited" data plan. How many gigs have you used in the last months? I am not counting the few who torrent movies. Back to top waynefoutzEVDO Junkie
Joined: 31 Mar 2008Posts: 311
Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 11:31 pm Post subject:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dj_AmTraX wrote: I don't know why I worry so much about the 5gb cap. I looked at my data usage on my iPhone (AT&T) and I have never exceeded 5gb or close to it. But then again, AT&T 3g service SUCKS in San Francisco. Thats why I got the MiFi.
For those who don't care about their data usage because you have "unlimited" data plan. How many gigs have you used in the last months? I am not counting the few who torrent movies.
I use a gig a week with my Sprint EVDO card. I have a Samsung Propel through AT&T. It has an unlimted data plan, $30, $60 if you want to tether. And of course the $60 tether plan is limited, the $30 plan isn't. I don't know what the usage on the phone is, when I inquire it sends back a message saying it's unlimited. By the way, I've tried tethering and it works pretty good if you happen to be in a 3g area, which is a rarity for AT&T.
I keep an eye on my usage with Sprint and try to keep it down under 5 gigs. It's pretty difficult. So far I've used half a gig since my plan rolled over on the 15th.
Offer them a MiFi wireless modem for only 59$ per month with a 5 gigabyte cap and with (fine print start here) only 5 cents per megabyte overage charge.
first, why not tell them the overage charge with the same units as the monthly cap limit? hahahaha, then they could figure it out!
second, why not set the cap high enough to not penalize the average users? hahahhah, then we couldnt bill them 50$/gig duh!
here's our sucker #1:
"strange, my usage quit giving me gb readout and now only gives me kb. well its the 15th of the month and i have used 10374560.11kb. how many gigs is that?"
hahahahahaha, poor guy, he cant even figger it out that he's going to get a 250$ overage bill for going 5 gig over!
but wait, there's more:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Are you hitting your 5gb cap? Verizon or SprintGoto page 1, 2, 3 Next EVDOforums.com Forum Index -> MiFi Forums View previous topic :: View next topic
Are you hitting or exceeding your 5gb cap? Yes 50% [ 22 ] No 50% [ 22 ] Total Votes : 44
Author Message Dj_AmTraXEVDO Fledgling
Joined: 15 Aug 2009Posts: 21Location: San Francisco Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2009 3:39 pm Post subject: Are you hitting your 5gb cap? Verizon or Sprint
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I just got a Sprint MiFi and loving it. The bad is the 5gb cap. I looked at my AT&T data usage on my iPhone and it's about 12gb a month. Just wondering if you guys feel restraint with the cap.
Do you have tips on maximizing the 5gb? Back to top gb5393EVDO Fledgling
Joined: 03 Sep 2007Posts: 24
Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2009 5:01 pm Post subject:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My billing cycle resets on the 23rd, and so far this month, I have use ~71.47GB. I've had service with Sprint since August 2007. And I have not yet been hassled about my usage. Back to top Dj_AmTraXEVDO Fledgling
Joined: 15 Aug 2009Posts: 21Location: San Francisco Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2009 5:26 pm Post subject:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- gb5393 wrote: My billing cycle resets on the 23rd, and so far this month, I have use ~71.47GB. I've had service with Sprint since August 2007. And I have not yet been hassled about my usage.
Are you a "legacy" Sprint customer who has unlimited data plan? I am asking because my contact clearly states a 5gb usage cap. Back to top evdo_matt3Gstore Employee
Joined: 02 Apr 2008Posts: 244
Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2009 5:52 pm Post subject:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I do around 20GB a month on my Verizon account. I try not to do to much downloading though.
Grandfathered 5GB / throttle cap with no overages here. I have never been throttled though. Very rural area. Back to top rblackEVDO Newbie
Joined: 16 Apr 2009Posts: 10
Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2009 8:44 pm Post subject:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I'm such a chicken. I've got both Sprint and Verizon's 5g service for a total of 10g a month, 7 or 8 of which I might use. But it's not enjoyable as I check my usage EVERY DAY for fear of going over. It's no fun. Back to top Dj_AmTraXEVDO Fledgling
Joined: 15 Aug 2009Posts: 21Location: San Francisco Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 12:15 am Post subject:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sprint, I'll be willing to pay $99 month for unlimited data. Are you listening? Back to top gb5393EVDO Fledgling
Joined: 03 Sep 2007Posts: 24
Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 1:09 am Post subject:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dj_AmTraX wrote: gb5393 wrote: My billing cycle resets on the 23rd, and so far this month, I have use ~71.47GB. I've had service with Sprint since August 2007. And I have not yet been hassled about my usage.
Are you a "legacy" Sprint customer who has unlimited data plan? I am asking because my contact clearly states a 5gb usage cap.
As far as I know, Sprint denies 'grandfathering' anybody. But I regularly go well beyond 5GB and have yet to get any letter or be charged by them. Back to top orbitalcompEVDO User
Joined: 28 Apr 2007Posts: 93Location: Texas Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 11:20 am Post subject:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I average about 20GB to 25GB per month on my Sprint plan, and have never been throttled or billed for any overage charges. I have had my plan for about 3 years, so I never renew my contract, I only do ESN swaps when I get a new device.
Currently I am on a MiFi, prior to this I was on a Compass 597 / PHS300 combo, before that I was running an S720 PC Card / Kyocera KR1 combo. I love how these things keep getting smaller and smaller, yet better and better! Back to top Dj_AmTraXEVDO Fledgling
Joined: 15 Aug 2009Posts: 21Location: San Francisco Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 11:59 am Post subject:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Let me get this straight. You guys are NOT being charged over 5gb cap because you have the unofficial "grandfathered" unlimited data plan, right? You are not referring to new customers like me on the new 5gb cap plan, right? Back to top orbitalcompEVDO User
Joined: 28 Apr 2007Posts: 93Location: Texas Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 1:21 pm Post subject:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dj_AmTraX wrote: Let me get this straight. You guys are NOT being charged over 5gb cap because you have the unofficial "grandfathered" unlimited data plan, right? You are not referring to new customers like me on the new 5gb cap plan, right?
That is correct, at least in my case... Back to top evdo_matt3Gstore Employee
Joined: 02 Apr 2008Posts: 244
Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 7:13 pm Post subject:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dj_AmTraX wrote: Let me get this straight. You guys are NOT being charged over 5gb cap because you have the unofficial "grandfathered" unlimited data plan, right? You are not referring to new customers like me on the new 5gb cap plan, right?
Well if your referring to Verizon the "Grandfathered" clause is official. I actually signed up the month before they started charging people overage's. There would be no way I'd have the service if I had to worry about overages. For a while I worried about going over and getting throttled but I just do whatever now. Here is what my account displays under usage.
The moment that would change to a 5GB limit will be the moment I drop the service and just move. Back to top waynefoutzEVDO Junkie
Joined: 31 Mar 2008Posts: 311
Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 8:31 pm Post subject:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- i'm grandfathered on Sprint, again which they deny anyone is grandfathered. I've been real careful NOT to go over. I use wi-fi when it's available. These folks saying that they are using 70+ gigs leave me shaking my head. I wish someone would come across with some clear cut rules. And that page where you check your usage.....I don't understand that thing at all. One month I use my card for what seems like hours a day and I can't budge that thing. Then a week later I get charged for half a gig after being on a half an hour. In any event, I don't do anything but static web pages and online gaming...team fortress 2. I checked that with a usage meter, about an hour of TF2 uses around 20 megabytes. Before the cap, heck I was downloading torrents and podcasts while I was driving down the road. Can't do that anymore. I did get even though. My handset phone has unlimited data, so i stream my audio on that. It's easier than dragging out the laptop anyway. I'd still like to figure out how to get podcasts with it though. Back to top Dj_AmTraXEVDO Fledgling
Joined: 15 Aug 2009Posts: 21Location: San Francisco Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 10:01 pm Post subject:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- waynefoutz wrote: My handset phone has unlimited data, so i stream my audio on that. It's easier than dragging out the laptop anyway. I'd still like to figure out how to get podcasts with it though.
I'm on an iPhone with unlimited data plan. AT&T caps podcast downloads via 3g to 10MB. I wonder if I can start the download on WiFi via MiFi and then pause it and switch to 3g. Hum..... Back to top Dj_AmTraXEVDO Fledgling
Joined: 15 Aug 2009Posts: 21Location: San Francisco Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 10:07 pm Post subject:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I don't know why I worry so much about the 5gb cap. I looked at my data usage on my iPhone (AT&T) and I have never exceeded 5gb or close to it. But then again, AT&T 3g service SUCKS in San Francisco. Thats why I got the MiFi.
For those who don't care about their data usage because you have "unlimited" data plan. How many gigs have you used in the last months? I am not counting the few who torrent movies. Back to top waynefoutzEVDO Junkie
Joined: 31 Mar 2008Posts: 311
Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 11:31 pm Post subject:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dj_AmTraX wrote: I don't know why I worry so much about the 5gb cap. I looked at my data usage on my iPhone (AT&T) and I have never exceeded 5gb or close to it. But then again, AT&T 3g service SUCKS in San Francisco. Thats why I got the MiFi.
For those who don't care about their data usage because you have "unlimited" data plan. How many gigs have you used in the last months? I am not counting the few who torrent movies.
I use a gig a week with my Sprint EVDO card. I have a Samsung Propel through AT&T. It has an unlimted data plan, $30, $60 if you want to tether. And of course the $60 tether plan is limited, the $30 plan isn't. I don't know what the usage on the phone is, when I inquire it sends back a message saying it's unlimited. By the way, I've tried tethering and it works pretty good if you happen to be in a 3g area, which is a rarity for AT&T.
I keep an eye on my usage with Sprint and try to keep it down under 5 gigs. It's pretty difficult. So far I've used half a gig since my plan rolled over on the 15th.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Greatest Science Stories of our Age
a short list off the top of my head
Sequencing the Neanderthal DNA:
http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100512/full/465148a.html
Kary Mullis' Invention of DNA Amplification through PCR:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=kary+mullis
http://www.google.com/#q=ted+talk+kary+mullis&hl=en&prmd=v&source=univ&tbs=vid:1&tbo=u&ei=e8nuS-OWG4HutAOA_6i9Dw&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CDAQqwQwAA&fp=aa0ca59868633c14
Discovery of Dark Matter
String Theory
Michelson Morley experiment
Yucatan Asteroid Extinction Event
Global Warming
Fermi Paradox
Failure of AI
Quantum Computers
Everett Wheeler Universal Schrodinger WaveFunction Theory
Mandelbrot's Discovery of Fractal Nature
Chaos Theory's Sensitive Dependence on Initial Conditions and the Fundamental Unpredicatbility of Weather
Sociobiology
Universality of the Kundalini Experience in the World's Religions
LSD and the disruption of the Chaotic Limit Cycles of Egoic Consciousness
hmmm,
Sequencing the Neanderthal DNA:
http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100512/full/465148a.html
Kary Mullis' Invention of DNA Amplification through PCR:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=kary+mullis
http://www.google.com/#q=ted+talk+kary+mullis&hl=en&prmd=v&source=univ&tbs=vid:1&tbo=u&ei=e8nuS-OWG4HutAOA_6i9Dw&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CDAQqwQwAA&fp=aa0ca59868633c14
Discovery of Dark Matter
String Theory
Michelson Morley experiment
Yucatan Asteroid Extinction Event
Global Warming
Fermi Paradox
Failure of AI
Quantum Computers
Everett Wheeler Universal Schrodinger WaveFunction Theory
Mandelbrot's Discovery of Fractal Nature
Chaos Theory's Sensitive Dependence on Initial Conditions and the Fundamental Unpredicatbility of Weather
Sociobiology
Universality of the Kundalini Experience in the World's Religions
LSD and the disruption of the Chaotic Limit Cycles of Egoic Consciousness
hmmm,
Palin's Kenyan Witch Doctor vs Obama's Rev Wright
what a weird synchronicity between opponents palin and obama to both have such a close 'father' relationship to Kenya.
Funny how the media gave such a pass to palin's Kenyan witch doctor while blasting Obama's Rev Wright to kingdom come.
as usual, 'what liberal media'?
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Dystopian Ugly Japan
http://www.japanprobe.com/2006/03/03/ugly-japan/
http://www.amazon.com/Dogs-Demons-Tales-Dark-Japan/product-reviews/0809039435/ref=sr_1_1_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1&qid=1272785999&sr=8-1
this book shattering the west's romantic zen aesthetic fantasies of japan is 10 years old now, it makes me wonder if anything has 'improved'.
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
from an ex-resident, December 8, 2002
By James W (New York) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Dogs and Demons: Tales from the Dark Side of Japan (Paperback)
For people with experience of living in Japan and professing a love of the country, this book may confirm your worst fears, that despite efforts to convince yourself to the contrary, Japan is indeed a grim, ugly and disparaging environment in which to live.
It is a common phenomenon that, despite the reality around them, foreign residents of Japan believe they are living in the coffee-table-book vision of Japanese harmony and simplicity. Occasional glimpses of beauty in the form of a kimono, a beautifully wrapped present or a brightly coloured sushi bento box enable residents to reinforce this view and somehow shut-out the chaotic, claustrophobic, rabbit warren of neon-lit concrete and barrage of noise that surrounds them. Blinkering the obvious and magnifying the minute in order to deny their objectivity and justify their decisions to put off returning home for, just one more year.
These rare glimpses of the traditional Japan that people rightly admire and cherish are the last remnants of an aesthetic that is rapidly being buried beneath a shroud of concrete and Hello Kitty by Japan Inc. In "Dogs and Demons", Alex Kerr describes how this process has occurred and why. Those Japanophiles excited by the Japanese landscape as a symbol of an inevitable modernization, a futuristic prototype for all the world's cities will be disappointed to find that it isn't modernism that is responsible for the grim rubbish-tip quality of the Tokyo cityscape but a dated developing-world mentality and seemingly endless bureaucracy pocket lining.
The book offers startling statistic after frightening statistic detailing the environmental damage done, the millions of dollars being passed from old-boy palm to old-boy palm and the lemming-like inevitability of Japan fs slow march to the economic and environmental disaster that will eventually stop the rot.
Although awareness is rising, timing compounds the problem. Now that Japan fs economic growth has come to an end, funds won ft be available to beautify the cities, return the countryside to its original state, clean up the toxic waste or to build a decent stock of housing for people to live in.
All in all a pretty depressing book for anyone with a love of, or strong connection with, Japan. Despite Alex Kerr fs negativity in this book his criticism seems to stem from a love for the country in which he spent over 30 years, and with a bit of luck his next book may concentrate on more positive aspects to modern Japan, such a book could then act as an antidote to the depressive emotions generated while reading gDogs and Demons h.
http://www.amazon.com/Dogs-Demons-Tales-Dark-Japan/product-reviews/0809039435/ref=sr_1_1_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1&qid=1272785999&sr=8-1
this book shattering the west's romantic zen aesthetic fantasies of japan is 10 years old now, it makes me wonder if anything has 'improved'.
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
from an ex-resident, December 8, 2002
By James W (New York) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Dogs and Demons: Tales from the Dark Side of Japan (Paperback)
For people with experience of living in Japan and professing a love of the country, this book may confirm your worst fears, that despite efforts to convince yourself to the contrary, Japan is indeed a grim, ugly and disparaging environment in which to live.
It is a common phenomenon that, despite the reality around them, foreign residents of Japan believe they are living in the coffee-table-book vision of Japanese harmony and simplicity. Occasional glimpses of beauty in the form of a kimono, a beautifully wrapped present or a brightly coloured sushi bento box enable residents to reinforce this view and somehow shut-out the chaotic, claustrophobic, rabbit warren of neon-lit concrete and barrage of noise that surrounds them. Blinkering the obvious and magnifying the minute in order to deny their objectivity and justify their decisions to put off returning home for, just one more year.
These rare glimpses of the traditional Japan that people rightly admire and cherish are the last remnants of an aesthetic that is rapidly being buried beneath a shroud of concrete and Hello Kitty by Japan Inc. In "Dogs and Demons", Alex Kerr describes how this process has occurred and why. Those Japanophiles excited by the Japanese landscape as a symbol of an inevitable modernization, a futuristic prototype for all the world's cities will be disappointed to find that it isn't modernism that is responsible for the grim rubbish-tip quality of the Tokyo cityscape but a dated developing-world mentality and seemingly endless bureaucracy pocket lining.
The book offers startling statistic after frightening statistic detailing the environmental damage done, the millions of dollars being passed from old-boy palm to old-boy palm and the lemming-like inevitability of Japan fs slow march to the economic and environmental disaster that will eventually stop the rot.
Although awareness is rising, timing compounds the problem. Now that Japan fs economic growth has come to an end, funds won ft be available to beautify the cities, return the countryside to its original state, clean up the toxic waste or to build a decent stock of housing for people to live in.
All in all a pretty depressing book for anyone with a love of, or strong connection with, Japan. Despite Alex Kerr fs negativity in this book his criticism seems to stem from a love for the country in which he spent over 30 years, and with a bit of luck his next book may concentrate on more positive aspects to modern Japan, such a book could then act as an antidote to the depressive emotions generated while reading gDogs and Demons h.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Bill Moyers Signs Off With Powerful message against plutocracy
so long Bill, great work! What this country needs is more Moyerss and fewer Limbaughs, yet what we are getting is more Limbaughs and fewer and fewer Moyerss. alas for us. Too bad Limbaugh's listeners dont recognize how deeply un-American Limbaugh is and how much he truly hates America for making fun of him in the 60's for being fat, gay, and uncool.
Moyers mentioned this stunning Citigroup memo on his last show:
http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20090907/citigroup-2006-americamodern-day-plutonomy.htm
Citigroup 2006: America - A Modern Day Plutonomy
By Trader Mark
07 September 2009 @ 10:15 pm ETSurfing around this weekend I happened upon some review's of Michael Moore's "Capitalism: A Love Story". Reading some of the UK paper's view of the movie, I saw an interesting reference to an internal 2006 Citigroup memo regarding "America, which has turned into a modern day plutonomy". With the wonders of the internets (sic) I was able to unearth at least part of the report, which frankly pretty much reinforces things that are plainly obvious.
In a "plutonomy", according to Citigroup global strategist Ajay Kapur, economic growth is powered by and largely consumed by the wealthy few.
If this wealth concentration in a democracy is good, bad, or indifferent is the subject for an entirely different blog but that's neither here or there right now.
According to new Internal Revenue Service data announced last week, income inequality in the U.S. is at its worst since the 1920s (before the Great Depression). The top percentile of wealthy Americans earned 21.2% of all income in 2005, up from 19% in 2004, while the bottom 50% of wage earners earned 12.8% that year, down from 13.4% a year earlier.
More interesting are what the views are from within investment banking circles on why the economy acts differently than it used to as wealth is concentrated in a level seen in the States similar to only the 1920s. Below is at least part of the report; a quite fascinating read - I've also attached at the bottom of this post an entry in the Wall Street Journal Blog section from January 2007 - which does a quick summary of the report's findings/opinion. I vaguely remember reading about this at the time, but now in retrospect - after what has happened in the financial system - it is interesting from a totally different prism.
[sidenote: 1 bit of humor - Citigroup listed "financial crisis" as one of the threats to the plutonomy status quo. Oh, irony.]
Now that it has become clear that unlike the 1930s where this historic concentration of wealth was reversed for a good 4 decades post crisis, that this time around a financial crisis is actually serving to concentrate wealth even further, it might be helpful to readers to see how the entrenched money thinks on how to benefit from it. Basically the same way you'd invest in feudal Europe in the 1400s - avoid the peasants, stick with the lords. I don't see this changing anytime soon - as I said in 2007, in time you will not want to have anything to do with the bottom 80% of the country; it won't be a fun place to be. [Dec 8, 2007: Do the Bottom 80% of Americans Stand a Chance?] I think in the nearly 2 years since written, the fissures I spoke about have already begun to widen considerably.
From the WSJ Blog:
It's well known that the rich have an outsized influence on the economy.
The nation's top 1% of households own more than half the nation's stocks, according to the Federal Reserve. They also control more than $16 trillion in wealth - more than the bottom 90%.
Yet a new body of research from Citigroup suggests that the rich have other, more-surprising impacts on the economy.
Ajay Kapur, global strategist at Citigroup, and his research team came up with the term "Plutonomy" in 2005 to describe a country that is defined by massive income and wealth inequality.
In a series of research notes over the past year, Kapur and his team explained that Plutonomies have three basic characteristics.
1. They are all created by "disruptive technology-driven productivity gains, creative financial innovation, capitalist friendly cooperative governments, immigrants...the rule of law and patenting inventions. Often these wealth waves involve great complexity exploited best by the rich and educated of the time."
2. There is no "average" consumer in Plutonomies. There is only the rich "and everyone else."The rich account for a disproportionate chunk of the economy, while the non-rich account for "surprisingly small bites of the national pie." Kapur estimates that in 2005, the richest 20% may have been responsible for 60% of total spending.
3. Plutonomies are likely to grow in the future, fed by capitalist-friendly governments, more technology-driven productivity and globalization.
Kapur says that once we understand the Plutonomy, we can solve some of the recent mysteries of the American economy. For instance, some economists have been puzzled (especially last year) about why wild swings in oil prices have had only muted effects on consumer spending.
Kapur's explanation: the Plutonomy. Since the rich don't care about higher oil prices, and they dominate spending, higher oil prices don't matter as much to total consumer spending.
The Plutonomy also could explain larger "imbalances" such as the national debt level. The rich are so comfortably rich, Kapur explains, that they have started spending higher shares of their incomes on luxuries. They borrow much larger amounts than the "average consumer," so they have an exaggerated impact on the nation's debt levels and savings rates. Yet because the rich still have plenty of wealth and healthy balance sheets, their borrowing shouldn't be a cause for concern.
9.Mauibrad
Nov 2, 2009 4:44am
In reading these two "Plutonomy" reports, I find them badly written, with bad punctuation, containing repeated slang and colloquialisms, too many "I" and "we" references, a boorish misplaced overconfidence, misstated understanding of some of the statistical data presented from limited sources, too many references to just one book, and overall an oversimplified thesis that shows a breathtaking lack of knowledge of finance and economics. It is a wonder that Citigroup paid for badly written junk like this to be published to their clients and beyond.
Moyers mentioned this stunning Citigroup memo on his last show:
http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20090907/citigroup-2006-americamodern-day-plutonomy.htm
Citigroup 2006: America - A Modern Day Plutonomy
By Trader Mark
07 September 2009 @ 10:15 pm ETSurfing around this weekend I happened upon some review's of Michael Moore's "Capitalism: A Love Story". Reading some of the UK paper's view of the movie, I saw an interesting reference to an internal 2006 Citigroup memo regarding "America, which has turned into a modern day plutonomy". With the wonders of the internets (sic) I was able to unearth at least part of the report, which frankly pretty much reinforces things that are plainly obvious.
In a "plutonomy", according to Citigroup global strategist Ajay Kapur, economic growth is powered by and largely consumed by the wealthy few.
If this wealth concentration in a democracy is good, bad, or indifferent is the subject for an entirely different blog but that's neither here or there right now.
According to new Internal Revenue Service data announced last week, income inequality in the U.S. is at its worst since the 1920s (before the Great Depression). The top percentile of wealthy Americans earned 21.2% of all income in 2005, up from 19% in 2004, while the bottom 50% of wage earners earned 12.8% that year, down from 13.4% a year earlier.
More interesting are what the views are from within investment banking circles on why the economy acts differently than it used to as wealth is concentrated in a level seen in the States similar to only the 1920s. Below is at least part of the report; a quite fascinating read - I've also attached at the bottom of this post an entry in the Wall Street Journal Blog section from January 2007 - which does a quick summary of the report's findings/opinion. I vaguely remember reading about this at the time, but now in retrospect - after what has happened in the financial system - it is interesting from a totally different prism.
[sidenote: 1 bit of humor - Citigroup listed "financial crisis" as one of the threats to the plutonomy status quo. Oh, irony.]
Now that it has become clear that unlike the 1930s where this historic concentration of wealth was reversed for a good 4 decades post crisis, that this time around a financial crisis is actually serving to concentrate wealth even further, it might be helpful to readers to see how the entrenched money thinks on how to benefit from it. Basically the same way you'd invest in feudal Europe in the 1400s - avoid the peasants, stick with the lords. I don't see this changing anytime soon - as I said in 2007, in time you will not want to have anything to do with the bottom 80% of the country; it won't be a fun place to be. [Dec 8, 2007: Do the Bottom 80% of Americans Stand a Chance?] I think in the nearly 2 years since written, the fissures I spoke about have already begun to widen considerably.
From the WSJ Blog:
It's well known that the rich have an outsized influence on the economy.
The nation's top 1% of households own more than half the nation's stocks, according to the Federal Reserve. They also control more than $16 trillion in wealth - more than the bottom 90%.
Yet a new body of research from Citigroup suggests that the rich have other, more-surprising impacts on the economy.
Ajay Kapur, global strategist at Citigroup, and his research team came up with the term "Plutonomy" in 2005 to describe a country that is defined by massive income and wealth inequality.
In a series of research notes over the past year, Kapur and his team explained that Plutonomies have three basic characteristics.
1. They are all created by "disruptive technology-driven productivity gains, creative financial innovation, capitalist friendly cooperative governments, immigrants...the rule of law and patenting inventions. Often these wealth waves involve great complexity exploited best by the rich and educated of the time."
2. There is no "average" consumer in Plutonomies. There is only the rich "and everyone else."The rich account for a disproportionate chunk of the economy, while the non-rich account for "surprisingly small bites of the national pie." Kapur estimates that in 2005, the richest 20% may have been responsible for 60% of total spending.
3. Plutonomies are likely to grow in the future, fed by capitalist-friendly governments, more technology-driven productivity and globalization.
Kapur says that once we understand the Plutonomy, we can solve some of the recent mysteries of the American economy. For instance, some economists have been puzzled (especially last year) about why wild swings in oil prices have had only muted effects on consumer spending.
Kapur's explanation: the Plutonomy. Since the rich don't care about higher oil prices, and they dominate spending, higher oil prices don't matter as much to total consumer spending.
The Plutonomy also could explain larger "imbalances" such as the national debt level. The rich are so comfortably rich, Kapur explains, that they have started spending higher shares of their incomes on luxuries. They borrow much larger amounts than the "average consumer," so they have an exaggerated impact on the nation's debt levels and savings rates. Yet because the rich still have plenty of wealth and healthy balance sheets, their borrowing shouldn't be a cause for concern.
9.Mauibrad
Nov 2, 2009 4:44am
In reading these two "Plutonomy" reports, I find them badly written, with bad punctuation, containing repeated slang and colloquialisms, too many "I" and "we" references, a boorish misplaced overconfidence, misstated understanding of some of the statistical data presented from limited sources, too many references to just one book, and overall an oversimplified thesis that shows a breathtaking lack of knowledge of finance and economics. It is a wonder that Citigroup paid for badly written junk like this to be published to their clients and beyond.
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