Snowden: The truth hurts...

Is Snowden a "traitor", or just a whistle-blower, a man who courageously did the right thing, in spite of the cost to him personally?

Regardless of our opinions, Snowden has tipped the hand of our masters. Not only do they not respect our "right" to privacy, they have no intention whatsoever of ever doing so.

Try to remember this the next time you hear people singing about "the land of the free". It just isn't true anymore, and sadly, hasn't been for quite a few years now.

And while we're at it, what are your feelings when they get to the line "the home of the brave"?

I, for one, stay silent these days while others sing the old patriotic hymn. It would be hypocritical of me to stand there saying words that are no longer true.

If you still believe these words are true, please comment, let me know why you think so.

A final thought: What if we all stopped singing along?

The Rape of the eBay Seller: Human Nature Violated

Once upon a time, the Land of eBay was a great nation, a free country, whose citizens enjoyed the benefits of very little government (the best kind). But things changed. Greedy corporate wolves, ever anxious to devour what ever they can, eventually found themselves in charge. They began to gorge on their nation, handing themselves fat salaries, monstrous bonuses, and rollicking in power far beyond their wildest dreams. Certainly, these greedy beasts were ill-equipped to to manage a great nation, let alone guide it into the future. As a result, the once great eBay, was reduced to a very sad state of affairs.

Today, the Beast at the Top (aka John Donahoe), continues to feast upon the soon-to-be carcass. Ebay languishes, alive, but just barely, by any noble standards. It is said that Donahoe's inhuman and brutal treatment of his customers (the Sellers) is only a dim foreshadowing of what the Beast plans for the Simpleton Stockholder. Certainly, his belly may be full, but other ignoble ideas begin to cross his twisted and depraved mind as he observes his Simpleton Shareholders bending over to pick up the proverbial soap.

At this juncture, there's no use asking "if" he's about to screw the Shareholder, historically, he's been doing it right along! But we can still ask "when". When will the Beast ram it all the way Home? Or perhaps more poignantly, will the bastard at least use some Vaseline as he tears them a new one?

SOME GOOD NEWS. A consensus seems to be developing that Dumbahoe has indeed been identified as the (obvious) problem (finally!). Of course, top-level corporate retention plans, and the high cost of paying these sociopaths off, does tend to slow down the process. His days are likely numbered, and a new CEO may be around the corner. Maybe Meg Whitman has told the son-0f-a-bitch that he can be Mr#2 if she's becomes the latest governator of the Socialist Republic of California. "John, you can do SO much more damage as my lap-dog! And it is SO You, too! Plus, since I'm camera-shy, maybe you can do most of the media stuff for me!" Well, in spite of the fact that John Dumbahoe was hand-picked by Meg to run eBay when she left, the piece-of-shit has spared no opportunity to blame any and all problems on HER. Yes, she was no saint, but compared to him, well, there is no comparison, except maybe to Bush Jr., who has earned his place in history as the worst president of the USSA, ever! So no, it may not be realistic to think he will migrate from the corrupt corporate world, into the even more corrupt political one. What may be more likely, he will worm his way over into PayPal, since shareholders there are over-due for a good horse-fucking. And what better guy to do the deed, than the sick poster-child for bestiality and beastliness, John Fucking Donawhore.

Apologies to the gentle reader for the remarks above, and no worries, no more of that will follow. Back to the title. Human Nature. This is the crux of many issues plaguing our society today. From the fascist Right, we have the never-ending appeals to Patriotism (so-called), the appeals to "decency" (what would they know about that?), and the call to the (ig)noble sacrifice of our sons and daughters, in whatever the latest war-for-profit scheme has been sold to the sheeple. From the Left, the never-ending PC drivel, the insulting labeling of everything that fails to conform (Racist! You didn't vote for Obama because...), the stupid calls to their oh-so-noble Global causes (Global Warning anyone? It's an inconvenient TRUTH, whether you like it or not!).

But the Right and the Left have a lot in common. Both enjoy taking advantage of the lower parts of human nature, and have little trouble exploiting the hapless sheeple, who crave mainly bread, and circuses after all. And certainly, neither of them care for the use of reason anymore, both being far too cynical for anything so out-dated anyway. Together, both the Left hand and the Right, are doing their best to herd the Sheeple along, apparently following what might be seen as a coordinated agenda. But where are the Sheeple being herded off to, or in to? What is at the end of the damnable rainbow?

George Orwell's 1984 continues to shed light on the subject. In the book, a nightmarishly distopian world of the future made life utterly miserable. While the people had food to eat, and roofs over their heads, the fact was that the food was hardly eatable, and life was largely unbearable, most especially for those who realized that their world was not how it was "supposed" to be. Perhaps they had even been born into that ugly world, and shouldn't have known anything different, but because human nature does not change, all efforts to exterminate any essential part of it will ultimately fail. And since freedom is so central to healthy human nature, no government, no matter how "all-powerful" it may become, can completely eradicate it. But, all this being said, this fact will not stop the Right and Left from pushing all into some future "utopia", and the reason for this insanity is, again, that same human nature.

Because those who acquire wealth, and power usually are never satisfied, a perpetual dynamic is set in motion that must eventually result in a kind of Law of the Jungle, that continually tends toward the preservation (at a minimum), and expansion of the wealth and power of the most ruthless. Their goal is actually quite simple: To control EVERYTHING.

Today, a small handful of families, with massive multi-generational wealth at their disposal, carry out continuous warfare, primarily against each other, with their ultimate goal of absolute control of all, serving as the impetus. But along the way, many alliances are made, and broken, as they each vie for eventual supremacy. And above and beyond this more or less naturalistic expose, of the forces shaping all our lives, are other explanations that look to a supernatural level, and might even assert there is literally a Devil at the very top, with his own evil agenda, as he manipulates his mostly oblivious minions.

So, that my friends may be cast as something of a Big Picture, with room still left for those given to supernatural scapegoats. As we examine the various things in our own lives, it seems that this should be left in the background, and not forgotten, since it may be exactly what helps us to better understand the many seemingly enigmatic experiences that batter our lives.

And for those of you still waiting for the eBay connection, well here it is finally. Ebay, like many large innovative enterprises that have in recent times emerged, occupies not just an interesting place in today's world, but it is also pregnant with it's own unique power. As such, the predatory forces-that-be, must not only recognize it, but they must also seek to harness it for their own purposes. Far fetched? eBay somehow on the radar of the richest and most powerful? Well, the first step is to realize that such a thing is not just possible, but at this stage, quite likely.

Why is this? Because eBay directly tapped into one of the greatest powers for good (and evil) that the world has ever known. And that power is that of, the entrepreneur. Such power, previously much more diffuse amongst the masses, now had a central place where the many small, even tiny seeds, could begin to grow. Some of these seeds might indeed become mighty oaks! But surely, even such "oaks" could pose no serious threat to the powerful elite, could they? Well, fear may play some part, but that may not be the main reason the elite took an interest in eBay. Perhaps it is something like this: Here was a place that they could gather information on real-world behavior, of people essentially like THEM! Yes, because another way to look at the wealthy and powerful, is to recognize them (or at least their progenitors), as highly successful "entrepreneurs." Sure, their ancestors probably didn't fool around trying to sell widgets to the masses, most of their august families probably had great-grand-fathers who were simply ruthless thugs, or drug pushing royals, or a bit further back, maybe crafty regicides, who only looked like bootlickers, but all along were excellent at misusing any trust foolishly placed in them. Ah yes, these are their forefathers! But now, to have a ready-made "laboratory" that they could play with, while at the same time suppressing a potentially troublesome group (all empowered peoples are troublesome!)? Certainly, this was something they must get their filthy hands into!

And so today, we have a New EBay, a New Amerika, even a whole New World Order! ALL of it is unfolding the way it is, because it makes the most sense for THEIR agenda. But more on that next time!

Comments anyone?

Ebay, World's Biggest Promoter of Fraud Continues to Do Nothing Real to Stop It

EBay, the world's number one online auction venue, has also been called other things. At one point in their colorful history, some said that they were also the world's leader in trafficking non-electronic "physical" pornography, including child porn, snuff films and the like, third-world versions beyond description, and they even got credit at one time for helping many gay men meet other like-minded persons through their oh-so-gay-friendly site. Well, they may also be the all-time biggest promoter of fraud as well, but with a resume like theirs, what's the big deal?

BUT WAIT! Let's be fair to eBay, they are now (finally) trying to stamp out fraud, under the visionary leadership of CEO John Donahoe, so they appropriately have a new policy. No, you won't find mention of it on their site because it's one of a legion of "secret" policies that now go far beyond merely governing eBay. Due mainly to their CEO's legendary lack of wisdom, as well as his knack for over-micro-managing EVERYTHING, each long day in the eBay Empire brings a host of new and (naturally) unanticipated problems. As they attempt to violate every last vestige of common sense and human nature even, the frustration only increases on all fronts. Myriad details beyond anyone's comprehension now befuddle their mostly inept reps, as they atempt each day to navigate through a mine-field of insanity. This insanity comes right from the top, and manages to twist-up everyone all the way down.

In fact, all the way down to their SELLERS. No, this is not a joke, in fact, one couldn't make this up if they tried (Donahoe doesn't have to try, delusional thinking is completely natural to him). You see, the cumulative weight of what is now several years of continuous disregard for human nature, coupled with what seems to be an Ivory Tower, Utopian (Socialist) agenda, has created a Monster that constantly demands more attention. No longer a largely self-regulating "community", eBay has become a "State", and the state of affairs is truly appalling. Each day, the pathetic eBay employee drags him/herself to work to face yet more insanity. Micro-managed to the point where all that is left is something like a hostile robot. As for the demoralized employees whose job it is to interact with the loathsome Seller, their job is the hardest of all. They sit in between two diametrically opposed worlds. On one side is the famously entrepreneurial and fiercely independent full-time eBay Seller, and on the other, Satan himself! Of course, the poor robot obediently repeats his master's mantra, "Freedom is Slavery!" But somehow, the job must get done.

If you're still with me, here's Satan's (aka John Donahoe) latest marching orders. "Thou shalt saddle the loathsome Seller with yet another heavy fetter..." "But Master, these sellers already have such a heavy burden from all the other horrible stuff you've thrown at them!" "Silence, DOG! My agenda is far beyond your feeble ability to comprehend. The miserable Seller must now help shoulder the incredible burden of controlling fraud in our corrupt company!" "But Master, how can THEY do anything, since compared to us, they are mere ants, who deserve to be crushed?" "Apparently you haven't been paying attention! The media is on to us, they know we promote porno, prostitution, deviance, hatred AND fraud! We've blamed perverts, pushed aside the silly Nazi's, but ALWAYS we get mileage out of everyone! This time, it's fraud. The miserable Seller will step up to the plate, and soon, you will see, eBay shall have no liability! We will even begin to accumulate data on these worthless beasts! Before you know it, we will be completely prepared for the next scandal. The authorities will come to us, and we will hand them their Victim! The miserable Seller will not last long. Soon, they will all finally get the Message." "Ah Master, you are SO wise! But if I may be so bold...what will happen to eBay when we finally kill off all the Seller-Vermin?" "Good question, but I don't plan on being around when that happens. Perhaps you are ambitious, perhaps you would like a promotion? Just keep the faith my little fool, all will go as planned...So Mote It Be!"

Can this nightmare be true? Back to reality. In fact, Ebay really is asking a lot of the Seller. Here's what they're demanding of late, or else, face suspension. Sellers (unless they hail from China) will not list items that are too "cheap". Without getting into how ridiculous the notion of "cheap" is, let's look at eBay's rationale. They say (for example) that if a person sells an item for under a dollar, that Seller is PROMOTING fraud, because fraudsters always build feedback using "cheap" purchases, before launching as a seller, who will then promptly defraud the public. Imagine being a part of that! And that strong language might come back to get the poor seller who doesn't quite see what may be really going on, as insane as it is. eBay further classifies this monstrous crime as "feedback manipulation/abuse" (since even a legit seller's own feedback can become skewed with "non-representative" transactions), and on and on it goes.

So, you could theoretically sell an item for 99 cents, and immediately be guilty of two crimes. Of course, they threaten suspension, and they might well love to have good records of the many poor sellers they shut down, in case anything happens. And it may not be that a seller would be turned in as a "suspect" of some kind, that might be a stretch, but rather, eBay would like to point to "something" (anything!) that they're doing that supposedly combats the rampant fraud on their site. There is the motive.

But can any rational person accept eBay's stated reasoning for their actions, especially in consideration of the alternatives?

Alternatives? Yes. But more on that below. To begin with, is it even "wise" to have the Seller worrying about selling an item too "cheap"? This leads to another problem (on eBay, every problem they create leads to more problems): Is the "true auction" now history? It can be argued that the Seller who dares to start his auction at a penny, and is OK with whatever the final outcome is, would now risk SUSPENSION due to his inability to predict the final outcome of the auction! Another dimension to this hasn't been mentioned yet, but eBay actually refuses to state an official dollar "threshold" for what might be allowable, or can we say, "not too cheap". This goes along perfectly with the fact that this diabolical policy is secret, and selectively applied to begin with! How can they tell you what "too cheap" is, when the whole purpose is to arbitrarily control Sellers who don't fit into their future vision, of the New and Better Amazon, that eBay has been desperate to become?

At a minimum, from the standpoint of simple justice, this is an unfair burden to place upon the seller.

Objection! "Why can't you just tow the line? Do you have to sell something for a buck? Can't you see, you're promoting fraud!" Well, let's just say for the sake of argument that "cheap" items do help promote fraud, since the potential fraudster intentionally goes looking for "cheap" items to build feedback on, which will be abused shortly, as they begin to sell items with no intent to deliver. This is where the "alternative" comes in. Rather than asking sellers to turn their worlds up-side-down, shouldn't eBay actually DO something that really makes sense instead?

Ebay enjoys a tremendous amount of data, at their finger-tips, about most of what goes on in the world of eBay. They already have solid "profile" info on real-world fraudsters that they have accumulated, and likely defines 99% of the problem. One of their programmers can easily put together a "net" that identifies potential fraudsters before they can act. Further, other behaviors of potentially fraudulent sellers that have been identified can be used to continually monitor any changes in the behavior of those on te suspect list, as generated by the "net" mentioned above. Too "theoretical"? No, it's common sense, which is probably why it isn't done over at the Evil Empire of Ebay. They would rather screw over honest long-time sellers, while allowing overseas sellers carte blanc.

Real examples. If for example, eBay already knows that potential fraudsters utilize "cheap" feedback, then "cheap" item buyers are automatically on a suspect list. If for example, eBay has data suggesting that the fraudster generally wants "x" number of feedbacks in order to appear legit, then the cheap item buyer list from above is used to "watch" the suspects as they approach the known feedback target. If then the identified suspects begin to list items, as sellers, then you would think they would be well on their way to being stopped dead in their tracks. An obvious example here: The suspect who just turned seller suddenly begins selling higher-dollar items. Clearly, a risk. Or, is the seller operating from a known fraud haven? Add that to the risk level, etc.

In short, it is not only eBay's JOB to do "real" fraud deterrence, but they are also wonderfully equipped to do just that. Certainly, they can do a better job of it than their poor sellers! And that's so obvious, it begs the question, "What is REALLY going on with these corrupt eBay corporate criminals?"

Ah, let us keep thinking about that, because if we can crack that code, we might even be able to see what else is coming.

I'd enjoy your comments!