BILLS -- HIDING THE PAST DUE AMOUNT

Since the recession, many of us are a little behind on our bills. Some of us were ALWAYS behind on our bills. Delay in bill paying even has a physiological diagnosis -- bill paying anxiety.

Lately, it seems to be a new policy to have the phone computer tell the customer only the total amount due, not the past due amount. The theory seems to be that, if you do not know the past due amount, you will pay the total amount due. Instead of doing what the companies want, customers just wait to talk to (or yell at) a customer service representative.

Additionally, the extra hassle makes the customer less likely to be eager to call and pay the bill.

I know, you think I am totally weird, because I do not pay my bills on line.

I do not pay my bills on line, because I know how the internet works. You can protect your own computer, and the company can protect the data on its computer, but the information going from your computer to the company's computer is totally unprotected. Companies could provide an encryption so that the data going to and fro is protected, but they do not.

When I pay bills by making a phone call, the company can store my phone number. I notice that many companies add an extra layer of identity questions if I use an unusual phone to pay a bill.

It should be as easy as possible to pay a bill. It should be just as easy to pay the past due amount as the full amount. Playing games with necessary information just angers the customer and delays the paying of any amount of money to the company.

THE DEBT CEILING MESS -- RISKING ANOTHER MELTDOWN

The debt ceiling is really just the government authorizing itself to borrow more money. If we do not borrow more money, then we either default on our debt or most of the federal government stops working.

Why do we care? Don't you remember? "THE FINANCIAL MARKETS RUN ON TRUST, WITHOUT TRUST, THERE IS NO MARKET." Failure to raise the debt ceiling will almost certainly cause a lack of trust in the financial markets. Are we so stupid that we would deliberately risk another global financial crises?

Republicans are refusing to authorize an increase in the debt ceiling unless the Democrats agree to take money from the old and the sick.

Republicans like to ignore the fact that most of the debt was caused by the Bush Administration cutting taxes for the rich and spending WAY TOO MUCH. Then the debt was raised again in order to increase the supply of money to prevent a world wide depression. The sudden drop in the supply of money was caused by the Republican notion that we do not need financial regulations. No one predicted the drop in the supply of money, because no one could believe that any large company would be so stupid as to agree to insure almost every mortgage in the US.

Surely you know people like these Republicans? We all know at least one person who will loudly blame other people for a mistake he/she made.

We do need to work towards a balanced budget. Cutting some of the tax loopholes would help. Raising taxes for those earning over $250,000 would help. Cutting social services is only helpful on paper. In reality, cutting social services causes great difficulties for our most vulnerable citizens; and causes a drop in the GDP, which cuts into overall government revenues.

Republicans are risking the financial health of the US and of the world. I think they do this just so they can have a good slogan for next year's election.

I am afraid that Democrats will have to risk a world wide financial crises in order to protect the old, the poor, education, and our infastructure.

All so Republicans can brag that they held a tea party. Too bad that they are dumping old people instead of dumping casks of tea.

ATTRACTIVE, INTELLIGENT, AND SUCCESSFUL

Some people who are attractive, intelligent, and successful believe that they will always be attractive, intelligent, and successful.

For women, it is usually the attractive that is the first to be gone. Our society only considers young women to be attractive.

Intelligence can be taken by injury or stroke.

Success is the most fragile of all. Success can disappear overnight. Your company may go bankrupt, you may get fired by a boss who spreads incorrect rumors of your incompetence, a new concept may make your life's work irrelevant, the government may decide to stop funding your research.

It is easy to be a libertarian if you are attractive, intelligent, and successful, because you have no personal knowledge that bad things happen to good people.

Sometimes I think that we should make everyone spend a week living in a homeless shelter.

Other times, I think that nothing will teach empathy. For those who continue to live life as if it were an extension of high school, nothing will teach them that the rest of us have value.

I do not want to stop the rich from enjoying and spending their money. I just think that the rich can afford to pay a little more in taxes.

I do not understand why anyone would take from the poor to give to the rich.

MARIJUANA -- BILL TO STOP FEDERAL PROHIBITION -- LET STATES DECIDE

Courageous congresspersons have introduced a bill which would STOP FEDERAL PROHIBITION OF MARIJUANA.

THIS IS OUR OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.

WHAT WE NEED TO DO:

Call, fax, tweet or email your US Representative and let him/her know that you are in favor of the passage of HR 2306.

START TELLING THE TRUTH about marijuana. The cost of being silent is the arrest and conviction and imprisonment of people who are growing and using marijuana. The cost of being silent is the imprisonment of minorities who are caught smoking while also being black or brown. The cost of being silent is that research into the health effects of marijuana can not be reliably done in the US.

Follow the bill as it goes through congress. The bill is currently in the House Energy & Commerce Committee and the House Judiciary Committee. The chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Rep. Lamar Smith, a Republican from Texas, has vowed to kill HR 2306. A good website to follow the bill and get the names of committee members is www.govtrack.us.

DO NOT INSULT THE OPPOSITION. Refer the opposition to the multiple presidential commissions that have recommended that marijuana be legalized. Refer the opposition to the LEAP website. Use logic, not rhetoric.

WE CAN DO THIS.

BIG OIL, SPECULATION, AND ELECTIONS

After watching elections for many years, I am convinced that the oil industry tries to affect elections in the US and other democracies.

Many disgruntled voters will vote against the incumbent if they feel they are paying too much for their fuel.

At the moment, gas prices are being artificially inflated by speculation. Not content with ruining the housing market, the speculators have been playing with the price of oil. The excuse is the war in Libya, but that war has not actually affected the oil supply much. (Fear and greed are SUCH a useful things. Fear and greed can be used to fuel speculation in almost anything.)

So a large group of oil importers have gotten together and agreed to release a small portion of the oil they keep for emergencies. They said they would do it again if they had to.

The speculation in the oil market stopped immediately.

Golly, gee. Imagine that.

GAY MARRIAGE -- IS IT ABOUT MONEY?

It has come to my attention that, when a gay person dies, his money generally goes to his birth family.

To often, the partner has to fight the family for every penny.

I am wondering if this attitude goes back over 100 years to Oscar Wilde.

Wilde wrote The Importance of Being Earnest, which was recently made into a movie. He also wrote the Picture of Dorian Gray, the famous story about a vile man who looked young and beautiful while his portrait showed all of his evil.

Wilde was noted for his wit. He supposedly asked a society matron if she would sleep with him for one million pounds. She replied that she might. He then asked if she would sleep with him for one pound. She was upset and asked, "What do you think I am." Oscar replied, "We have already established what you are, we are now negotiating the price."

Wilde was openly gay. He believed his popularity would protect him. When his lover's father accused him of seduction, Wilde sued for libel. Bad mistake as the father was a Lord. The upshot was that Wilde went to prison for sodomy. (Oh, grow up. It is a word used by the courts.)

Anyway, I think Wilde made being gay somewhat acceptable as long as the gay person was discreet and just allowed himself to be termed "a confirmed bachelor".

After all, if the gay person was a bachelor, at least his money stayed in the family.

But now gay people want to have spouses. The law gives spouses certain rights, like the rights to inherit the estate of a deceased spouse. The money would no longer stay in the family.

So now families are guilt tripping gay partners into signing away whatever rights the law has given them. (Note to grieving gays: do NOT sign ANYTHING drawn up by your partner's family without consulting with both an estate attorney and a family law attorney.)

As usual, people use their prejudice as an excuse to legally, but immorally, take monies.

TOO MANY GOOD YOUNG PEOPLE ARE DAMAGED BY THE WAR ON DRUGS

Mothers believe that the war on drugs helps prevent their children from getting into trouble with drugs. Unfortunately, this belief is wrong.

Many people have made a decision that illegal drugs are bad for people, and, if we try hard enough, we can stop drug use by arresting drug users and suppliers. Unfortunately, this decision is wrong.

I know you are busy and do not have much free time. It is important that you take the time to read a short, easy to read, international report on the war on drugs.

The Global Commission on Drug Policy has published a June 2011 report. We all need to read this report.

Sometimes it is hard to face the fact that, when you tried fix a problem, unintended consequences resulted in the problem getting worse, rather than better.

IT IS NOW TIME TO FACE THE FACTS REGARDING ILLEGAL DRUGS.

PLEASE READ THE JUNE 2011 REPORT FROM THE GLOBAL COMMISSION ON DRUG POLICIES. Just do an internet search, and you will get the report.