theKellogs

ULTRA JEANS
Time to take another peek into the "Lifestyles of the Rich... and
Cranky. Today's feature: Blue Jeans. Even the rich like to dress down every
now and then, and slipping into a comfy pair of jeans is perfect for
puttering around the mansion or for driving your Hummer out to pick up
some truffles at the gourmet market.
http://updates.jimhightower.com/ctt.asp?u=3619094&l=76041

U.S. Children Still Traumatized One Year
After Seeing Partially Exposed Breast On TV
WASHINGTON, DC—As the nation approaches the one-year anniversary of the Super Bowl XXXVIII tragedy, an FCC study shows that millions of U.S. children were severely traumatized by the exposure to a partially nude female breast during the Feb. 1, 2004 halftime show.
Full text »

This has been the big news all year, The Tit,

of the year goes to...

janet jackson's tit

AB Passes on Jackson Super Bowl Ad Spoof
Adweek (subscription), NY - Jan 26, 2005
... running a spot during this year's upcoming Super Bowl that parodies Janet Jackson's infamous "wardrobe ... A mutual decision was reached not to air the ad, he ...

I won't be watching the millionares chasing a ball,

baggy pants music, boner pill. and beer ads....

It's time to boycott all the bullshit on network TV!

Wal-Mart faces a class action lawsuit on behalf of 1.6 million women workers, alleging rampant employment discrimination at Wal-Mart.

The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) has announced plans to spend $25 million a year with the ultimate goal of unionizing Wal-Mart, the largest private U.S. employer.

And the company – which has already lost more than 200 site fights – faces an even more-intensified resistance to its efforts to locate new stores, as it increasingly seeks to enter markets in more urban areas.

But while on a bit of a public relations defensive, the company remains the colossus of U.S. – and increasingly global – retailing. It registers more than a quarter trillion dollars in sales. Its revenues account for 2 percent of U.S. Gross Domestic Product.

A February 2004 report issued by Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) encapsulated the ways that Wal-Mart squeezes and cheats its employees, among them: blocking union organizing efforts, paying employees an average $8.23 an hour (as compared to more than $10 for an average supermarket worker), allegedly extracting off-the-clock work, and providing inadequate and unaffordable healthcare packages for employees.

Miller's report's innovation was in documenting how Wal-Mart's low wages and inadequate benefits not only hurt workers directly, but impose costs on taxpayers. The report estimated that one 200-person Wal-Mart store may result in a cost to federal taxpayers of $420,750 per year – about $2,103 per employee. These public costs include: $36,000 a year for free and reduced lunches for just 50 qualifying Wal-Mart families. $42,000 a year for Section 8 housing assistance, assuming 3 percent of the store employees qualify for such assistance, at $6,700 per family. $125,000 a year for federal tax credits and deductions for low-income families, assuming 50 employees are heads of household with a child and 50 are married with two children. $100,000 a year for the additional Title I [educational] expenses, assuming 50 Wal-Mart families qualify with an average of two children. $108,000 a year for the additional federal healthcare costs of moving into state children's health insurance programs (SCHIP), assuming 30 employees with an average of two children qualify.

Wal-Mart's abuses are giving rise to countervailing efforts, but it is an open question whether the company has amassed such power that it will be able to defeat such initiatives.

In California, in November, the company was able to stave off by a 51-to-49 percent margin a proposition that would have required every large and medium employer in the state to provide decent healthcare coverage for their workers, with the employer contribution set at a minimum of 80 percent of costs.

Wal-Mart dumped a half million dollars into the anti-Proposition 72 campaign just a week before the vote.

"As one of California's leading employers, we care about the health of our 60,000 employees here," said Wal-Mart spokesperson Cynthia Lin, in celebrating the defeat of Proposition 72. "That's why we provide our employees with affordable, quality health care coverage."

The biggest immediate challenge facing Wal-Mart is the class action lawsuit filed by its women workers. The women allege that Wal-Mart pays female workers less than men, promotes men faster than women and men above more competent women, and fosters a hostile work environment.

While Wal-Mart is willing to bend to consumer demand on marginal issues like covering over the headlines on Cosmopolitan magazine, it is not so flexible on respect for worker rights. Nor is there any sign of a consumer rebellion on anything like the scale necessary to make the company revisit its employment policies.

Todays Word: Phish

1. Trying to illegally obtain someone's password by false representations. Frequently, "phishers" will send instant messages or E-Mail to new members claiming that they are ISP employees and need the password because of a system problem. GENERALLY, NO ISP STAFF MEMBER WILL EVER ASK FOR YOU PASSWORD. If you are asked for your password, the person asking you is not an ISP staff member, and they should be reported or ignored.
2. The technique is also often used to secure credit card numbers, bank account information, brokerage information, and generally anything that could yield a financial gain in line with fraud operations. This is a tremendous source of identity theft. See this site for the latest scams and advice.

<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>
This Week's Top Phishing Scam - A New, Clever PayPal Scam
<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>

The newest PayPal phishing scam has the Subject: 'PayPal
Flagged Account.'

The email lets you know that your account has supposedly been
randomly flagged as part of PayPal's routine security measures
to 'ensure that only you have access and use of your PayPal
account and to ensure a safe PayPal experience.'

The email looks very professional and even includes a 'Protect
Your Account Info' warning. This warning advises that you
'Make sure you never provide your password to fraudulent
websites.'

Like all phishing scams, it includes a link to the scammer's
website.

Action: Never click on links in these types of emails. If you
are unsure if the email is a hoax or legitimate, type the
website URL directly into your browser.

For more on phishing scams, visit:

==} http://www.scambusters.org/phishing.html

<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>
More on Phishing Scams
<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>

Two weeks ago, we predicted that phishing scams would be one of
the worst Internet scams for 2005. Last week, a Washington
Post article suggested that phishing scams may be growing even
faster than we predicted.

The article describes phishing 'toolkits' that scammers can now
buy that basically remove the technological sophistication
required to operate phishing scams.

These toolkits can be as simple as downloadable Web pages and
sample emails, or they can include software programs that let
scammers customize pages with corporate logos and website
designs and run entire phishing scams.

Further, there are underground Internet chat rooms where
scammers can convert stolen credit card data into cash and
learn more about how to operate phishing scams.

The US Secret Service and international authorities are focused
on shutting these scammers down.

==} http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17680-2005Jan18.html

A civil rights attorney has offered to represent the men and fight the charge. - New York Newsday

(I just got served notice to serve jury duty, for the first time ever. I should tell the lawyer joke, to get out of serving). ~ MK

WEEK IN REVIEW
Washington Post - Washington,DC,USA
... bill that would prohibit teenage drivers from using cell phones. ... in light of the numerous recent accidents on Virginia roads involving teenage drivers ...




	Today, the President takes the presidential oath of office, "to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." But here at the ACLU, we are concerned that his actions will continue to belie that noble oath. Through their actions, President Bush and his Administration have made it clear that they want us to surrender our freedoms. Today I am asking you to help the ACLU hold the President accountable to his pledge to protect and defend the Constitution by telling your Senators and Representative: "I refuse to surrender my freedom." Tell them that you won't surrender your freedom ... and tolerate more and more government intrusion into our bedrooms, our churches and our doctors' offices, to interfere in who we love, how and if we pray and what kind of families we chose to create ... allow FBI investigations provoked by nothing more than exercising our freedom of speech ... accept that government agents could secretly search the books we read, the credit card purchases we make and the Internet sites we visit or stand silently by while they justify the kind of torture of prisoners that has long been held abhorrent to our country. Click here to e-mail your Senators and Representative now! You can urge your Senators and Representative to take the lead in opposing efforts to make the USA Patriot Act permanent. And you can urge them to oppose other affronts to freedom as well. Don't let them write discrimination into the Constitution ... undermine our basic right to privacy ... oppose reproductive freedom ... destroy the separation of church and state ... and selectively apply the right to due process.

This Day in History

Watch video clips and play our Revolutionary Challenge game! ...
www.historychannel.com/tdih/ - 45k - Jan 18, 2005 -

BUSH'S BIG BASH
Have you got your ticket yet? You're simply nobody if you don't have a
seat at the "exclusive" lunch being held for Bush's inauguration, where
you can break bread with George himself.
http://updates.jimhightower.com/ctt.asp?u=3619094&l=74823

Keep your wallet shut on January 20th!

Rumsfeld said "you go to war with the army you've got." Well, HE should be out there leading the troops !!

Since our religious leaders will not speak out against the war in Iraq, since our political leaders don't have the moral courage to oppose it, Inauguration Day, Thursday, January 20th, 2005 is "Not One Damn Dime Day" in America.

On "Not One Damn Dime Day" those who oppose what is happening in our name in Iraq can speak up with a 24-hour national boycott of all forms of consumer spending. During "Not One Damn Dime Day" please don't spend money. Not one damn dime for gasoline. Not one damn dime for necessities or for impulse purchases. Not one damn dime for anything for 24 hours.

On "Not One Damn Dime Day," please boycott Wal-Mart, Kmart and Target. Please don't go to the mall or the local convenience store. Please don't buy any fast food (or any groceries at all for that matter). For 24 hours, please do what you can to shut the retail economy down.

The object is simple: remind the people in power that the war in Iraq is immoral and illegal; that they are responsible for starting it and that it is their responsibility to stop it. "Not One Damn Dime Day" is to remind them that they work for the people of the United States of America, not for the international corporations and K Street lobbyists who represent the corporations and funnel cash into American politics.

"Not One Damn Dime Day" is about supporting the troops. The politicians put the troops in harm's way. Now 1,200 brave young Americans and (some estimate) 100,000+ Iraqis have died. The politicians owe our troops a plan - a way to come home. There's no rally to attend; no marching to do. No left or right wing agenda to rant about. On "Not One Damn Dime Day" you take action by doing nothing. You open your mouth by keeping your wallet closed.

For 24 hours, nothing gets spent, not one damn dime, to remind our religious leaders and our politicians of their moral responsibility to end the war in Iraq and give America back to the people. Please share this email with as many people as possible.
- - - - - - - - - - continue on, please...
As we all know, George Bush was elected President in the 2004 elections. Whether he won fairly or not, he is going to be inaugurated on January 20. This is an occasion for mourning.

Bush seems to think that he has a mandate. He arrogantly thinks he can do whatever he wants (just look at the outrageous amount being spent on the inaugural festivities...)

I would like him to see just how many people are not in agreement with his policies or his presidency. As a way to demonstrate that, I would like everyone who voted for someone other than Bush to wear black on inauguration day.

In order for that to happen, people need to know about this effort. If you agree that Bush needs to have a visible sign of how many people disagree with him and his ill-conceived policies, please forward this email to everyone you know that would also like to demonstrate their feeling toward this tragic presidency.

CLASSIC DAVE BARRY

Road warriors: Why guys act macho
If you do much driving on our nation's highways, you've probably noticed that, more and more often, bullets are coming through your windshield. This is a common sign of Road Rage, which the opinion-makers in the news media have decided is a serious problem, currently ranking just behind global warming and several points ahead of Asia.
DAVE BARRY

Unforgivable Blackness
Jack Johnson - They couldn't knock
him out, so they tore him down.
pbs.org/unforgivableblackness

buyblue.org

You may have voted blue, but every day you unknowingly help dump millions of dollars into the conservative war chest. By purchasing products and services from companies that donate heavily to conservatives, we have been compromising our own interests as liberals and progressives.

BuyBlue.org is a concerted effort to lift the veil of corporate patronage, so consumers can make informed buying decisions that coincide with their principles.

Our collective buying power WILL make a difference, and we WILL be heard.

Get the Word Out – with Buy Blue Gear

Still have that Kerry bumper sticker on your car? I do too, but not for long! We’ve got the goods and soon you will too! It’s official. The Buy Blue Store is open and it’s time to show your true blue colors.

Continue reading "Get the Word Out – with Buy Blue Gear"

Inaugural Blues

A lot of people are wondering who is contributing to the Inauguration "bash" (other than Oscar de la Renta, who we hear is helping the First Lady look just fabulously feminine, since oddly enough a dress from Target or Walmart just isn't good enough for her). We are glad to help in any way we can in getting that information out there. Unfortunately, the list of "major donors" is very long. Based on the requests we've gotten for companies to research, here are some that might be particularly good to know.

Continue reading "Inaugural Blues"

Posted by Stacy at 01:27 PM | Comments (2)

The List: 2.0

We have been working long hours and you have all been waiting patiently for it for the last 3 weeks and the day has finally arrived – the list is back! You can view an A - Z Company Listing and you can view a Ranked Company Listing.

When you check out the site to see the list you’ll probably notice a few changes. First, there are fewer companies present than we had over the months leading up to Christmas. That isn’t a mistake; we are just double checking every number for accuracy and ensuring that we run everything through our research methodology. We will be adding every company we had on the list prior to Christmas in the coming weeks. We’ll also be adding new companies over time as our research team has a chance to work through their queue.

Continue reading "The List: 2.0"

Posted by Raven at 12:38 AM | Comments (7)

Costco: Company for the People

There is an excellent article in the Seattle Weekly from the December 15th to 21st issue that you may have missed. On our Blue Christmas list (returning in less than a week) we had listed Walmart/Sam's as Red and Costco as Blue based strictly on political donations. For most people this didn't come as a real shock. However, this article further expands on that showing that Costco's business practices are very blue as well. Costco values the people that work for them and they value the customer.

Continue reading "Costco: Company for the People"

THE COSTCO MODEL
Costco is different... and that really POs Wall Street. The nationwide
retailer treats its 100,000 clerks, forklift operators, and other
workers as valued assets to be invested in and nurtured - unlike the
Wal-Mart model of paying the least you can to rank & file employees, squeezing
the last ounce of toil out of each of them, busting any whisper of
unionization, and causing a workforce turnover like employees are nothing
but disposable coffee cups.
http://updates.jimhightower.com/ctt.asp?u=3619094&l=73175

3 Days And Counting ...

from :http://dailyconfession.com/display.asp?CID=68593

It’s Tuesday, and I’ve not had a shower, bath, or even a wash (apart from my face) since Sunday.

I don’t smell, I use deodorant and wear perfume and my hair is not greasy. What harm am I doing? I just don’t seem to get the time. I’m either going out, writing essays or at work, or I’m so tired I collapse into bed.

I’m a 22-year-old female by the way. Is this wrong? Because it doesn’t really bother me!

from NEWS of the WEIRD - Current News

883, by Chuck Shepherd, January 9, 2005

* Those Hardy Floridians:  Rudolph Jessie Hicks, Jr., 30, was
arrested in Brooksville, Fla., for trespass, but not before he had
gotten up from a police dog takedown, five Taser shots, and an
entire can of pepper spray (December).  And police in Port St.
Lucie, Fla., were considering whether to charge Ms. Robin Bush,
who strangled a 130-lb. Rottweiler after it would not let go of her
tiny Yorkie (December).  And a 20-year-old man suffered only
minor injuries after driving his car through a fifth-floor wall of a
parking garage and landing inside the second floor of a store at the
Shoppes of Sunset Place in South Miami (December).


* A 39-year-old man in Chillicothe, Ohio, was hospitalized in
December after an unsuccessful suicide attempt that accidentally
blew his own house to pieces and did heavy damage to neighboring
homes.  The man had turned on the natural gas to kill himself, but
then realized that other houses might be in danger, and just as he
dashed to the basement to turn off the electricity, the house
exploded (probably from an electrical spark) and was leveled.  A
month before, the man had tried to kill himself with automobile
exhaust and a garden hose, but his car ran out of gas before he
could die, and he then hooked up a propane tank for the same
purpose, but once again, he outlived his fuel supply.

* Readers' Choice:  Paul Eugene Levengood, owner of the Tasty
Flavors Sno Biz dessert shop in the Chattanooga, Tenn., suburb of
Red Bank, was charged with two counts of sexual battery in
November when two 19-year-old female employees said he had
occasionally spanked them for workplace errors (for example, once
for forgetting to put a banana into a smoothie drink).  A defensive
Levengood pointed out that the women had each signed a form, "I
give Gene permission to bust my behind any way he sees fit." 
Police found at the store many photographs of women's posteriors,
even though a Sno Biz executive called Levengood a "very
Christian person."

Carlo Ponzi immigrates to America from Italy on this day. The small-time con man would later stumble into one of the largest scams of all time and have an entire type of crime named after him: the "Ponzi scheme."

For 20 years, Ponzi bounced from job to job, always dreaming up a way to make millions but never coming close. But in 1919, he came up with a new plan. Ponzi told friends and potential investors that they would get a 50 percent return on their money within three months if they invested with him. The hapless investors were never told much about what Ponzi planned on doing with their money, but, when pressed, he told them that it had to do with international postal exchange coupons, an obscure field that virtually no one knew much about.

Ponzi told his marks that they could cash out at the end of three months or roll over their investments. Ponzi promptly paid off his initial investors and soon the investment dollars were pouring in. Thousands of people came to his offices, where money was stuffed in every desk drawer and filing cabinet. Ponzi was taking in an estimated $200,000 a day at the frenzy's peak. When a local writer questioned Ponzi's financial record, he threatened to sue and scared off further inquiry.

Ponzi went on a personal spending spree in 1920, buying 100 suits and 100 pairs of shoes. He also took $3 million in cash to the Hanover Trust Company and bought a controlling interest in the reputable firm. However, when state investigators finally began examining his books and interviewing his workers they found that there was no real investment going on. Of course, only the very early investors actually got any money back, and these funds came from later investors.

Such a scam, known as a pyramid scheme, inevitably explodes, as it did on August 13, 1920, when thousands of investors demanded their money back. Ponzi, anticipating the collapse, had already taken $2 million to the Saratoga casinos in a vain attempt to make up the lost money. Ponzi went to jail and was deported to Italy in 1934. He told reporters, "I hope the world forgives me."

Perhaps taken in by his apparent contrition, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini gave Ponzi a high position in the government's financial sector. However, human nature is very difficult to change, and Ponzi eventually embezzled funds from the country's treasury and escaped to Brazil, where he died in 1949.

Stop destructive drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Can We Count on You?

The most anti-environmental Congress and President in a generation will resume their assault on our nation's air, water, and natural heritage in 2005. You can make a difference by joining with others who are committed to stopping the plunder and pollution.

Make a year-end donation to our 2005 war chest.

Together, we can stop destructive drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, stop the Cheney energy plan, reverse efforts to repeal clean air and water laws, and protect our magnificent natural monuments.

If you believe that we have an obligation to future generations, and if you care, there is no more powerful statement you can make than adding your voice with more than 700,000 Americans who support the Sierra Club. We need your support now more than ever.

Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that
you do it.
-- Mahatma Gandhi

I love quotations because it is a joy to find thoughts one might have,
beautifully expressed with much authority by someone recognized wiser
than oneself.
-- Marlene Dietrich

I went out and ate a seafood dinner with a girlfriend, the food was delicious,