January 23, 2015

Iran then, Iran now

After the Shah had to leave Iran, the Ayatollah Khomeini returned from exile and made it an official Islamic State. We installed the Shah, and Iran wanted him returned so he could be tried and prosecuted, but Carter would not have it. So Iran took hostages from our embassy, rescue attempt failed, and Reagan became President. Lots of new leaders came and went in Iran, mostly anti-US.

The latest, President Hassan_Rouhani (2013) visited NY and seemed to be taken with Americans from what I saw on TV. Then I saw Bourdain (CNN) go to Iran to visit, eat, and talk to the people there. They were friendly and like Americans. I am sick and tired of Bourdain, but I have to admit that I watched the Iran episode with a lot of interest.

Point is, when all the bad stuff went down, Iran had different leaders and an older population. Obama's talks with Iran have been more or less secret, but isn't it time? Do they have to be punished forever for past deeds that the new President, a real friendly-lookin' sort, had nothing to do with?

I like the idea, till they give us a reason to distrust them. The King of Saudi Arabia has just died, and he had no use for Iran - the old Iran or the new Iran?

Politics is so interesting, ours AND the world's. Good article here that helped refresh my memory:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#After_the_Iranian_Revolution_.281979.E2.80.93.29

January 15, 2015

Charlie Rangel brings up a Draft bill every year

This ISIS and AlQuida business is the biggest threat to the world that I've ever seen. A growing threat that has no army and doesn't seem to need one..

There's religious fanatics who need to punish, and sociopaths who just enjoy killing & raping, beheading, and terrorizing everyone, and their poor are tired of being poor - it's starting to really scare me. I'm old, ready to go, but people everywhere in any occupation are not safe. Just think of what they would do if they got hold of some nuclear weapons, and they will.

France said that they couldn't keep an eye on everyone who was on their terrorist list because they were short-handed and there were too many on the list. Sleeper cells are ready, asleep until called.

They won't pass your draft bill this year if you submit one, or the next couple of years, but sooner or later, Charlie.

January 5, 2015

Trans-Pacific Partnership

Where can I find the most clear, concise explanation of what is in the TPP agreement? Not opinions or predictions, just the facts.

I'd like one website to go to to check out statements made about it with what's really in it. Every search engine lists so many sites I don't know which if any is reliable...

Thanks so much...

December 15, 2014

There's depression here

We don't know why the Dems didn't come out to vote. They didn't even know about Citibank at the time of the election.

We're all disappointed in our elected officials. Low wages, lousy jobs, health care somewhat inadequate under Medicare, WAR that will never end, drones, black injustice, protests permitted but not effective, just tolerated, ebola, torture of prisoners, terrorism, ISIS, Cheney still loose, and I, I don't know about you, feel sort of lost.

We had such faith at the beginning. True, Obama had some great successes, but none helped the majority. Gay rights was good, as well as equal rights for women, proclaimed if not achieved, and costs of everything except gasoline has just about doubled - beef, bread, butter, etc., you name it.

We are getting our hopes set on Warren. She's not perfect....some have said that they are disappointed in her lack of sympathy for Palestinians or for a state for them. There are enough people who are for it, and it will come.

Sorry for complaining so much. But if not here, where?

December 15, 2014

Citibank

or Citigroup...

We bought a washer from Sears -12 months no interest... This is the second month they charged a carrying charge of $29 that it took a couple of hours in phone calls to get rid of... What they did was charge no interest on the washer, but took our payments and put them on the washer, even though we specified that the payment was for two things - my regular charge and the washer. We specified how the money should be applied. They put it all on the washer, then charged $29 because the regular account hadn't received any payment, $58 for 2 months. We found it could be done with a payment reversal where the $160 a month would go $100 for the washer and $60 for the regular account. This took phone calls 2 months in a row till I paid off the regular account, and have just a small amount left on the washer. We bought the washer in late August and payments were always a few days early. Washer will be paid off in January.

Looked in Wikipedia to find out more about Citygroup and found this gem in the article (among other things like the feds owned Citigroup for a while, maybe still does, who knows): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citigroup#Allegations_of_theft_from_customer_accounts

On August 26, 2008 it was announced that Citigroup agreed to pay nearly $18 million in refunds and fines to settle accusations by California Attorney General Jerry Brown that it wrongly took funds from the accounts of credit card customers. Citigroup would pay $14 million of restitution to roughly 53,000 customers nationwide. A three-year investigation found that Citigroup from 1992 to 2003 used an improper computerized "sweep" feature to move positive balances from card accounts into the bank's general fund, without telling cardholders.[163]

Brown said in a statement that Citigroup "knowingly stole from its customers, mostly poor people and the recently deceased, when it designed and implemented the sweeps...When a whistleblower uncovered the scam and brought it to his superiors, they buried the information and continued the illegal practice."[163]

Those cockroachers knew what they were doing. I wonder how many Sears customers even noticed the late fee - not carrying charges (about $3-4, which I expected - but not a heavy late fee.

December 13, 2014

Senate now coming to order

Prayers said, off to the races!!

Wonder what will happen today ! ! !

December 13, 2014

I think a lot of us are tired of the Kool-Aid

What's in that stuff we've been drinking, anyway?

December 13, 2014

Rachel reenacting Citigroup like a bank . . .

by taking money from assistant, throwing it all over the place, and then when assistant returns and wants her money, Rachel has to get it from the government because it's insured and she gives assistant the money.

December 13, 2014

Sen. Sessions (R=Ala) not voting for bill

He's on C=Span2. sounds fed up.

angry about no amendments permitted - and immigration executive order.