Political Facebooking

Many people use the Internet in many different ways. This Social Networking Internet has become incredibly popular in recent years and the majority of that which I am involved in is the Facebook side of the Social Web.

More often than not I'm not using this platform in a highly political fashion. Commenting on political groups and sending personal messages to people inflaming political hatred against me or others.

Quickly I am seeing this is all just a road with no end. I only end up "blocking" people as they only lie and deceive even when confronted in a respectful and fact-based manner. This leaves me thinking that it's all pointless to be civil and be fact-based in the first place.

It's possible that much of the dishonesty and vile rhetoric is more tied to the nature of the "no consequences" Web, but I don't think so. I think the art of political debate itself is dead, murdered by the Tea Party and Fox News. Without facts and without any interest in civil discourse on both sides of a debate, the debate is by its very nature non-productive exchanges of name calling and ad hominem attacks of other natures.

How often do people question your faith, or lack thereof? Think on this for a minute. Now realize that on this Easter Weekend I have had some vile Facebooker question my faith. And for what reason? Because I called him out on spouting bigotry.

People want me to be meek, to be "Christian" in my words. I think not. I see all this vile fringe underground of politics coming to surface and I will fight the racist code speak, the outright bigotry, the partisan lies and the anti-American rhetoric. If they want to use their KKK tactics of ganging up on me and hiding behind the sheets of their fake accounts and fake names then so be it.

I shall be the stone that weathers the storm, and if I must die or be made a straw man or made an enemy of civility in the process then so be it.

I see not the strength to stand fast on the Left-wing. I see a lot of good people backing down or letting a pack of comedians lead the way when they are not the best people to bring forth the important issues.

The big part about Facebook that is highly deceptive is that many believe either that people are full of it and being insane or hyperbolic anytime they say anything online, or they believe that Facebooking is the answer to getting their voice out. In all honesty I am no different in the real world than I am online with only minor exceptions.

Some guy is currently trying to pick a fight with me, and I'm not joshing around when I'm trying to set up a time and place to just have the brawl. I don't care. Not anymore.

As the war criminal George W. Bush once said:

"Bring it on!"

Tracking The Stimulus Money

The most obvious choice for a tax-payer who is interested in learning more about the stimulus money and how it is being spent is Recovery.Gov.

There is also the addition of the website Recovery.Org to the mix.

But the most open-sourced transparency and best place, in my opinion, to address this issue while using the internet as a source would be at the George Mason Unversity's Mercatus Center who recently released the website StimulusWatch.Org.

If you desire to take a more direct approach to tracking the funds you should visit ShovelWatch.Org.

 

 

eTrade and the Recession

I have been intentionally over-paying those little everyday expenses like tipping and things like not using the local ‘insider’ coupon clip.

It’s been awhile for me personally since I bought a product online, but supporting eTrade is another way is try to do your little part to shoot some life into the economy while your online.

I plan to buy the next gift for someone special via online.

Net-Trade is complex for the ordinary consumer to understand but there are multiple ways to support domain hosts, web loggers, local businesses and local markets.

Change starts at home.

Making your home more energy efficient in every way possible is a sound investment. Energy costs are not likely to drop in any foreseeable future.

This is just one of many steps I suggest you take to affect real change in your local environment and community.

The federal government can only do so much. Each bailout and stimulus they devise will ultimately fail if the Consumer Markets do not participate.

We need to take the time to educate ourselves enough as citizens to better understand our role at this stage in our national economy.

We all can make some difference.

We all can effect some amount change within our respective spheres.