Clear Channel Won't Play Springsteen's New Album!

Using excuses Clear Channel has banned it's station from playing Bruce's new album. They want this quiet very quiet and not to have a Dixie Chick back lash reaction when they banned the Dixie Chicks for exercising their rights. It's important to remember the airways belong to the Public. I was on the bubble about buying Bruce's new album but now I'm buying it out of spite!

The serious issue here is the consolidation of media (across the board TV & Print) and the control of information to the vast majority too busy to dig for it. What gets played on the radio is what is being marketed. The commercial radio stations are just marketing arms and the cycle for marketing is a short one. I was psyched for a promo copy of one artist a while back but because it was thirty days after the release the record label didn't want to send me a promotional copy. Talk about short sighted but they have very clear marketing strategies.

Back to the main issue - if there is money to be made they'll play anything - artistic quality has zero, zilch, nada, absolutely nothing to do with what you are hearing on radio - it's about unit sales and target markets. So what's with banning Bruce? His album is selling well. Clear Channel's strategy runs counter to their typical business model?

A Free Press was singled out in the Constitution as being essential to our democracy.

"Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom...of the press."

If media across the board is consolidated into the hands of the few because of laws made by this government cleared the way then rights and freedoms are restricted by the whims of the few and the political leanings of the few. In essence the vast liberty that freedom requires and leans on has been SOLD OUT by the establishment, and those wide ranging freedoms guaranteed under our Constitution become the dictate of the few.

The essence of this issue is freedom, dissemination, availability and variety. As the public we not only own the air ways but the public lands they are mining for next to nothing. Some of the worst deals of all time have been foisted onto the American public concerning mining rights and the lost revenue that could /should be plowed back into our public institutions and needs.

Back to Freedom of the Press: Without those broad parameters of freedom of information, and broad dissemination in place and available we more than risk we guarantee that the powerful who wish to remain powerful will restrict pertinent information when it runs counter to their special, specific and highly individualized wants and needs.

Unfortunately, those needs may and often do run counter to what is best for the majority. Including being able to pollute the Delaware and Chesapeake because a company would sell less of something.

Paper back ups for voting machines is a great example although essential for voting integrity they cut into the profit margin of the manufactures. Whats more important here - obviously voting count integrity, but because we have a warped sense of the importance of profit margins trumping all other concerns we have a fight on our hands to get paper back ups for our new electronic voting machines - so much for defending the Constitution.

We shoot ourselves in the foot time and time again even to the point of the destruction of the actual air we breath, water we drink and land and oceans we harvest. It's mind boggling and devoid of common sense.

In order to fix this mess profit has to be dropped from the number one priority of all time and considered only after the Bill of Rights, the Constitution and the health and welfare of our society as a whole is taken into account. Unbridled profit for profits sake is not a panacea or cure all for what ails us. Never has been never will be! In fact unbriddled profiteering is the quickest way to destroying our planet, each other, and ourselves.

I hope we learn this lesson before it is too late.

Did you know there were cars already in production that run on compressed air? This should be front page news. The big boys don't have their hands around it (yet) so we don't hear about it.

Just think how peaceful and clean the world would be today if the guys that make the most off of oil weren't in control of the White House and Congress for the past 60 years. Don't get fooled or roped into a phony fight Republicans versus Democrats. It's the have mores (that's W.'s quote) versus the rest of us.

It's time to put the oil monopoly and their minions their dirty oil money, politics and schemes out to pasture and reclaim our country of the people, by the people, for the people!

Paul Burke
Author - Journey Home

Source Blog

Take Action with Media Matters

Zeitgeist Movie Review

A friend of mine sent me the link below (or click on the title) to this two hour documentary. I'm happy to report that it is compelling viewing and worth the time. Even if some of the conclusions or predictions might not stand up to other points of view this is still worth watching. The first ten minutes if historically correct offer a very fascinating overview of world religions that will give you more than a pause in your assumptions. It's a very well put together montage and the whole documentary is split into three parts. I watched a part then took a break freshened up my apple juice and then hunkered down for the next part. So take the time to review this feature. The worst thing that can happen is that you get another point of view to assess or are spurned on to do some of your own research and fact checking, and always, always, question authority.

Paul
Author - Journey Home
Zeitgeist Movie Link

Finding Neverland

It's movie review time! Yet again I am famously behind the times but Net Flix is such a wonderful company I'm actually catching up on some movies. I'm a huge fan of Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet. Julie Christie and Dustin Hoffman both are strong as ever. As usual it's Johnny's show and he doesn't disappoint as this tale is ripe for his strong acting chops. Emotion runs rampant as the lives of two families intersect and the creative muse of Depp's character is allowed full range in conjunction with the children. Kate Winslet's character is aptly swept along in the process. I loved all the backstage and theatrical scenes as they lent a palpable taste of costuming and stage makeup right at your feet. I want to go into more detail but let's just say it's hard to judge a movie by it's cover. This is a semi-fictional account of the author of Peter Pan and the road traveled in "Finding Neverland". Despite it's historical inaccuracies and the rather tragic adult lives of the fictionalized yet real life inspired children this is the type of movie that restores faith in humanity even when stepping outside of our alleged boundaries of approved behavior. If you have any room in your heart for joy, fear of regret or sense of wonder you will love this movie!

Children's Health Care

Let me get this straight

We don't support Child Health Care but we give uber tax breaks to the richest 1%, subsidies to the super profitable oil companies, promote nuclear energy that piles up radioactive waste both a threat to national security and our health in a very real and serious way, we underfund the inner city public schools and pretend the lack of sex ed doesn't lead to teen pregnancy and more poverty, we stuff our seniors into cold and sad nursing homes to wait out their deaths in loneliness and despair and we wage war and devastate the landscape and all of god's creation to prop up dying industries and outdated modes of transportation.

We overtax the middle class and dump mountain tops into valleys and streams destroying communities because big coal doesn't want to pay actual people to mine for their dirty fuel source. We politicize the Justice Department and strengthen the Executive Branch in direct contradiction of the Constitution and the laws governing this land - and to reconfirm we are against Health Care for Children.

What a ridiculously, absurd and ugly country we have become. The Bush family, their cohorts and their legacy are a bunch of frauds and self promoting thieves who cloak themselves in the Flag and the Bible while they violate every principle those two icons represent. Bush can't figure out away for his family, cronies and funders to profit from the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) so he is against it - plain and simple!

The Family Stone - Movie Review

I finally saw this movie the other night. If you are sitting on the fence on this one - rent it. I'm not a big SJP fan but she does a good job. Even though she is the central character to the story line there are plenty of other actors and story lines to follow. It's a heartfelt movie with a ridiculously strong cast including Diane Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Craig T. Nelson, Luke Wilson, Dermot Mulrooney and Claire Danes. There's some real acting chops going on here by both the name and not so famous actors. It's a top flight cast and they have great material to work with. This is not a gun, murder, rape, drug movie and that's another reason I love it! Nothing blows up and there are no car chases but what you get is a slice of life and that's real enough without all the usual Hollywood embellishments and trappings.

Now I hail from a big family and I gotta tell you there's a lot of truth ringing here. So if you have a few years of "real" life experience under your belt and you have been grist for the mill you will love this movie. Bitter sweet and over the top but still wonderfully shot and directed. I've seen Rachel McAdams in a few movies but her cereal eating comfy clothes turn in this role stole my heart and Claire Danes always delivers the goods. If you see some bad reviews out at Net Flix ignore them. I immediately went back and watched the movie again and tuned into the family dynamics on the peripheral of the main story line. The extras are worth watching. They will help you pick up on some subtleties that are bound to be missed because there is a lot there. The comfy, cluttered, home really took me back and will put you in the homecoming holiday mood. Now move over on the sofa and pass the popcorn! This is a good human movie my friends!

Human Dignity - Amnesty International

Is it any wonder that Human dignity has all but evaporated. From the willingness to blow up people in a market getting their daily bread to the visceral, violent and ugly words and images from our entertainment industry the idea of human dignity has all but disappeared. Somewhere along the time that it became hip to be stupid we have trended downwards. Look at the talking heads screaming at each other on television (pathetic, immature, irrational and stupid) or the trash that is sensationalized and paraded on daily television for what we have become. It's not funny it's sad. Decorum, respect, dignity, class, education, elite, excellence, work, awareness, sharing, kindness, tolerance, peace, patience, understanding and love these have become the dirty words. How about our politicians and the examples they set with lying and corruption justified as the norm and how much one can get away with the goal. That's the petulant behavior of a five year old and not very wise. You can only lead by example. We show up on foreign soil with Christianity in one hand and an empty basket to fill up in the other pathetic hypocrites.

No Human dignity is a thing of the past. It's hip to be an aggressive punk. Throwing trash in the street and crying about being dis-respected we don't see that our actions are what actually earn respect. Religious bigotry, intolerance forgetting to live and let live or simply ignoring the golden rule (do unto others as you would have them do unto you) are all symptoms of an immature world petty and futile with no real vision beyond greed and ego. The world is flipped out. I guess an era of uncivilized behavior is necessary to re-educate man that ignorance is self and globally annihilating.

Well World in order to survive the word we must relearn is civilization. Without it we reduce ourselves and our neighbors to less than nothing defecating in our water, poisoning our food, polluting our air and waging war all for profit. A respect for all humanity (including yourself) is the cornerstone of success. Jefferson called it the obligation of the good citizen. I call it common sense.

Paul
Author - Journey Home
Amnesty International

"when Ghandi was asked what he thought of Western civilization he said he thought it would be a good idea"

Air Powered Car vs. Mid East Oil and Texas

It's here already cars that run on air. You didn't expect the oil whores in the White House to tell you about it or the press Corporate America controls? They know. They are keeping it quiet to make the very last penny off of the remaining oil in the ground. If Texas has it's way not until the oil completely dries up will big energy in this Country give up the ghost. To hell with the Polar Bears were trying to get oil to a $100.00 dollars a barrel. While that attitude serves the limited interest of less than 1% of the worlds population the rest of us are moving ahead. The race is on India, and France both have cars that run on AIR! That's right compressed air!

Check out the links below and then start calling your representatives. It's time to break the log jam of control of our Nation's power. It's time to have a more representative government that thinks outside the box, and stops hoarding all of everything for themselves. It would be nice to get our environment and health back along with a booming economy based on innovation and a real free market as opposed to this limp wristed economy of tax breaks for the super rich and their trickle down propaganda. We need the flood gates open. A trickle down economy is just that a trickle to protect the greedy from sharing!

AirCar
Air Car Videos
Wikipedia reference (lots of links)
Popular Mechanics Article
How Stuff Works Web Site Article
Business Week Article

Look this isn't bull - dust off your imaginations and accept that we have to make another leap forward to leave the ignorant past behind. Business Week and Popular Mechanics are the bastion of Conservative Media. There's a problem out there and the big oil companies will fight this tooth and nail. Do you want change? Find out where your representatives get their funding. Don't let big oil stack the legislative deck. A rule of thumb...anyone from Texas running for office is a BAD idea!

Paul