You Think What?

As a  public service YouThinkWhat presents another article to inform and edify banking consumers. We suspect while we’re all focusing on Gitmo, the auto industry and John Yoo, et al, the bankers, taking full advantage of  our attention being diverted from them, are planning their next scheme.

We present A Banking Faerie Tale.

Once upon a time there was a very rich king named Sam Daddy-dearest, who had many daughters. The princesses had names like Skank of America, Sniti Skank, and Wacky Skank.

They were all very rich. Each princess owning her very own kingdom, a domain for which they were in charge with lots of money. Their domain was to collect money from others; just like the aristocracy of old, the counts, the dukes, and the landed gentry who collected taxes, grain, food, livestock and gold from the serfs, except these princesses collected money. But they were not satisfied to have lots of money, and besides they had extravagant habits. They wanted to play skanky banky. (more…)

We came across an interesting quote by the late American novelist, writer, playwright, poet, essayist and civil rights activist James Baldwin.

“What societies really, ideally, want is a citizenry which will simply obey the rules of society.

If a society succeeds in this, that society is about to perish.”

James Baldwin, “A Talk to Teachers,” 1963

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Today is the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the woman credited with founding modern nursing, the reformation of the hospital system and the mathematician.
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In March 2009 we got emails which hammered us for repeating information we’d received from some activists who submit information to us from time to time about topics of concern to them.

We were roundly criticized by some folks who actually read our articles. These folks are activists who had done their homework and tried to pull our coat to tell us what was going on with this interesting piece of legislation.

We read, as promised, the proposed bill. We did not see anything that looked like a red flag. So we went to one of the places we always go to check our facts. It’s the same place we would have gone if we’d had time back in March. (more…)

Just imagine you are a West Point graduate who is also an officer in the Army National Guard.  You are fluent in Arabic and you  recently came back from a tour of duty in Iraq. Then you received notice  the military is about to fire you. You’re going to be getting a pink slip because  you disclosed your sexual preference. You announced you are gay.

That’s what happened to Lt.  Dan Choi. He is one of the founding members of Knights Out, an organization of 35 gay and lesbian military officers , graduates of West Point, America’s prestigious military academy for Army officers, who say they refuse to live a lie. The incongruity is astounding when you consider they’ve been trained as West Point cadets to not lie, to not cheat and to not steal.

These GLBT officers say the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell law is illegal, immoral and unethical. They say it’s just plain bad law.

President Barack Obama agrees. (more…)

That’s right. Jacob Zuma, who served time in a South African prison along with former President Nelson Mandela, is now the President of South Africa.  Mr. Zuma is the fourth democratically elected president of South Africa since the end of apartheid. As they say in the vernacular, “That’s all good.” 

The real, important news is the fact President Jacob Zuma has three wives. Polygamy is legally recognized in South Africa. (more…)

“A baseball manager has learned a lot about his job from having played the game, but a parent has not learned a thing from having once been a child.”~ Bill Cosby

Happy Mother’s Day to all who are parenting, and those have parented and continue to parent.

It does not matter if you’ve given birth to the child or children you guide, you provide the consistency in their life;  you are the reliable adult your young humans require for their development.

It does not matter if you are a mother who has given birth or a father who is acting as both mother and father to some youngsters, we honor you all. You males are very special mothers, and that’s one word, not two.

Raising children is an incredibly hard and risky business in which no cumulative wisdom is gained: each generation repeats the mistakes the previous one made.~ Bill Cosby

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From the “Hey-This-Is-America-They-Can’t-Do-That” Department of YouThinkWhat comes a story that is shocking news to most.

The news piece you are about to view deals with one North Carolina suburban teen and his  family’s encounter with law enforcement. (more…)

There’s good news for great kids and parents of great kids in Volusia County Florida!

Great Kids Explorer Club, a not-for-profit 501(C)(3) organization is partners with Volusia County schools, churches and civic organizations in order to provide no charge after school programs for elementary school youngsters who are considered at-risk and economically disadvantaged.

The Great Kids Explorer Club programs are designed to  inspire children of elementary school age to improve their lives through building a better self image,  improved behaviors, more productive attitudes toward learning,  developing the ability to handle life’s challenges and strengthen their academic skills. Important qualities  such as self-respect, respect of others, and a desire to do their best are instilled in these youngsters through interaction with teams of dedicated, passionate volunteers.

In the free  program the youngsters learn skills useful for a lifetime. Among those skills the ability to deal positively and effectively  with difficult issues they are confronted with now and those they will face in the future. (more…)

We believe it is up to the people of the world, led by us, the people of the United States of America to demand to go forth with a campaign to shame and disgrace the administrators of torture. We believe this is the right thing to do.

We believe it is right because we can take a stand to make amends for the many times in history where it seemed expedient to allow the perpetrators of the most heinous crimes to not only go free, but continue with their liberty and dignity intact without criticism of their acts; no public fault finding of their behavior as shameful. They were not humiliated,  nor made to feel remorse; They were not given any indication how extremely  offensive their behavior was to the population of the planet. Their crimes against humanity were totally unacceptable and repulsive. (more…)