All hail the Dynamex ruling!!!

I can't believe I missed this! Apparently, something good did happen in 2018!

A victory for Permatemps everywhere

Dynamex, Dynamex, a word that is now heaven to my ears. I think this is a real victory for the middle class (what is left of it) and it proves that at least some people in high places have a sense of justice and are responsible, concerned citizens. High tech never intended to play fair, and someone has just given it a huge dose of its own medicine.

I never thought I would see this day. This has enormous implications for possible retroactive lawsuits against companies that abused permatemps in the recent past. Also, we may all see companies like Uber being forced to convert contractors to employee status, with benefits.

See, if you stick around long enough, believe the right thing will be done, and that justice will come to pass, you get pleasant surprises like this. It certainly has returned some of the faith in humanity that I had lost years ago...

Remember to not be yourself...

I realize that I am just a very faint whisper, here on the internets. I do not have the immense, monstrously gravitational pull or power of say, a Bloomberg or a Zuckerberg. But every now and then, I have to call bullshit where I see it, and hope that even a few might discuss where the bad smell could be coming from.

Whenever power fails to win the hearts of the people, you can be damn sure they will try to find someone who will, on its behalf. Power today, as anyone not living in a hole would know, is blatantly corporate. The chosen corporate apologist has now taken form in the guise of 'Zentrpreneur.' Here is a great example: http://idology.eu/the-chief/. Doesn't Ms. McHugh just look like the most huggable little Buddhist nun! You just want to bake apple pies for her. But her message contains some pretty darned insidious propaganda. She looks like someone out of The Matrix, or maybe even the guru known as 'The Ancient One' in Marvel's latest film, 'Dr. Strange.' But even Marvel seems to understand that not all that smells of Chai tea is so sweet. There is a not-so-subtle hint in Dr. Strange that the success of these wizened, harmless-looking characters depends on pulling from a considerable amount of energy on the dark side.

So tell me what you think is wrong with this quote:

"The opening years of the 21st century left us battered by pervasive corporate scandal, broad distrust and a dangerously bruised workforce. Now, we’re looking for more honesty everywhere – never has integrity been a more sought after virtue, and integrity is what happens when what you think, what you say and what you do are in complete harmony with who you are." - Caroline McHugh

For my part, I'm wondering why it is the employee who needs to be honest, when they are, in most cases, working for an employer that is likely dodging US taxes, or engaging in brutally unfair labor practices here and abroad, and the list goes on. But no, it is the humble worker who has to do the intensive 'inner work,' and feel guilty even more so now, because he or she is not 'spiritually pure.' See? Bullshit radar on at full power. I could be wrong, but it sounds more to me like she is the classic corporate apologist, cute Buddhist nun outfit notwithstanding. Isn't the person who makes speeches about 'honesty and integrity' generally proven to be morally questionable in the end? Would you trust someone just because he or she lectured everyone about being honest? I have to admit, that's always the type of person I run, rather than walk away from.

We are living in an era of dangerous lies and literally in the Biblical sense, false prophets. I am not even particularly religious, but I want to see a return to humility and common sense. We need a New Renaissance and to be in awe of human potential again. None of this corporate fake guru crap. Human potential was never amplified by such flimsy sentiment. Much of this faux New Agey culture has also arisen with the advent of tech culture, unfortunately. But, as much as I like technology, I have to wonder why so many consider it our salvation. It is merely a tool. The way I see it, there will never be anything comparable to the human mind, body and spirit. And I can say 'Amen' to that without reserve.

Hasta la vista, baby :D Hate to say it, but I'm thinking my hex may have finally worked. As of now, your stock is almost at junk status. Finally, something to celebrate!

OK bye now! :)

Will they listen to a financial analyst?

I hope so. I like what Ronnie Moas is arguing here:

Downgrade away! :)

"Let every force fail.'

The above is a quote from conceptual artist Matthew Barney's film 'Cremaster' (part 2). Anything that is a 'force' of any kind has to run out of steam at some point, right? And it appears this is exactly what might be happening to Crapple. Or at least the beginning of the end. There is now a very aggressive lawyer on the prowl, investigating their antitrust activities. Have a look:

Nightmares do come true...

And there is something interesting about this lawyer's last name 'Bromwich.' It sounds like 'broom witch' to me. Rather fitting, as I like to think some of the spells I've cast against corporate Murka may well be working. A nice New Year's present to the 99% for sure.

Here is Cremaster, Part 2 for your viewing pleasure:

Foreign governments may well have to step up to protect American citizens from their own country

I've been thinking a lot about the Snowden case lately. Here's where it stands now:

Possible asylum locations for Snowden

As may have been clear from some of my entries here, I'm not exactly your average hardcore, flag wavin' pie bakin' American patriot. It has been said, that "Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel." - Samuel Johnson. I get the feeling that the US as a nation has been using such mawkishly sentimental appeal to its detriment. Because intellectually, there is no way to justify a decision as contemptible as that of Citizens United, for example. How can we possibly feel 'patriotic' towards a government that now views money as free speech, and rewards corporations with the status of personhood?

America has become a very unsafe country in which to live, and I think even the most staunch patriot is starting to sense ominous clouds on the horizon. I won't delve too deeply into the Conservative distrust of government here. I'd say their critique of 'too much government' is invalid when discussing the United States, because it is a fact that there really isn't much of a 'nanny state' to speak of and government has not been on the side of its citizenry for a very long time now, let alone fed or clothed any of its more unfortunate citizens with any program of note or genuine social value.

I'm sure that other countries have looked upon the US in horror, as when our government denied victims of hurricane Katrina any sort of help whatsoever. And there are countless other examples, the most current being the extreme level of inequality between rich and poor that now has us at less than third world country status. I wish that were an exaggeration.

In my own life, there have been twists, turns and ironies that make it near impossible for me to be a 'patriot' in any sense. For one, I discovered the incredible warmth of family and community support when I lived in beautiful Italy, from about the age of twelve to twenty one. When I first moved there, being treated like a human being was a novelty to me, sadly. In the US, I was severely bullied at school and was also subjected to some pretty extreme abuse by relatives. TV was a mother surrogate. I'm certain that this culture of abuse and dehumanization was a result of the American love of materialism over people. I remain convinced of it today. Yet, when I arrived in Italy, there was a 180 degree turnaround in how I was regarded. For one thing, children are loved there. As for adults, they are regarded as an important part of the social puzzle at any age, not treated as a burden.

All in all, I lived in Europe a good sixteen years of my life. Perhaps the final kicker was that the British government picked up the tab for my entire college tuition, merely because I was resident in the EU for more than ten years. I will be forever grateful for that. It's hard to imagine Uncle Sam investing in education to such an extent.

Every time I have returned to the US, something abusive seems to happen. The reason for the existence of this whole blog is a result of the abusive corporate American policy of keeping Permatemps. I don't feel my rights as a citizen have ever been protected here. Not in the slightest.

And now we have the insane human rights abuse in the form of the NSA raping our personal space pretty much whenever they feel like it. And government and corporations being more on their side than ours. What reason do we have left to believe in this country? It's a question that deserves serious contemplation at this point. If not, we will see our dignity and every last basic civil right being run into the ground.

Really, it's no wonder that every country, US ally or not, is running to protect Edward Snowden. The US has confirmed the worst fears and concerns the global community has had, that it is an infantile, dangerous country that has no interest in protecting or caring for its own, let alone addressing universal concerns of the human race in general. And unfortunately, when a country that has been given a great deal of responsibility and power starts to behave like a raging sociopath, it's best to quietly remove its influence from the world stage...

I love you, Alternet!

Your success is well-deserved. It takes some real chutzpah to report on corporate corruption:

Tech Monstrosities, Inc.