Can people make a difference??

Let me think out loud for a moment. 

 If I own the company that is the sole provider of a product or service then I can just piss the public off at will.
But if I am not the only provider of that product or service then the customer has a little more control over things.  Here look at it like this, a number of the providers begin to price gouge a bit by ramping up their prices when their suppliers jack up the prices but they are very slow about dropping the prices when the price from the supplier comes down and use the excuse that they have to make up profits they lost when their cost went up this is where I throw the bull shit flag.  The public has more control on the market then we give our self credit for.  The consumer has been trained for so long with this surprise butt sex price gouging that it is no longer a surprise. It is kind of like "oh well we have to have food, gas, or whatever it is so we will just pay the price".  And there is a mentality that all the big companies are in concert with each other and that is how they keep the prices inflated and that there is not a damn thing we can do about it as we struggle to get a grip on the concept the it won't hurt near as much if we would just learn to unclench.
Now let's expand on the idea of how the consumer has at least some control over just how deep the providers can push it in before they break it off.  We will keep this simple by using small numbers.
Three stores. Store A, store B, store C.  (Chain stores)
The product cost is two dollars. They sell it at five dollars +/- a few cents of each other.
The product cost goes up to three dollars but only for 5 days and then drop back to two dollars. During this five days the stores raise their price to six dollars but don’t drop the price back down until ten days later.  Each store is selling two hundred unit of this product a day average.
Here is where the consumer can get some control over this price gouging.  Using today's social networks the consumers, in a concerted effort, stop buying this given product for the next thirty days from store A.  That is an average of six thousand units in the thirty days. And at a three dollar profit per unit that is an eighteen thousand dollars loss in one month.  At this point the consumers demand that for the future patronage of store A there should be a reduction in product prices as a general rule throughout the store. If the powers to be of store A do not see fit to cut prices then we, the consumer, continue a complete boycott of not only the one product but the store as a whole for the next 180 days. 
Ok  lets look at just a few of the big numbers just to get a perspective.

A store in a good location, which most chain stores are in prime locations, can sell from three to nine thousand gallons of gas every three to five days. Lets go to the high end. Nine thousand gallons every five days.

6 loads of gas in a month = 54000 gallons @ $2.98 per gal.

Wholesale cost to store for 30 days $160,920.00

The stores say they only make one to two cent per gallon =$1080.00 (profit)

The first eight weeks of 2011, average gross profit for gas was 4.9 percent, according to the Oil Price Information Service.  So this comes out to  $7885.08.(profit)

  And I know a few truck drivers that are dropping eight to ten thousand gallons every other day at a single store.
And the store says the gas is not there profit it is what you buy in the store is where they make their money.  Ok then with that thought, we should not be buying anything there.  We can choose where our dollar is spent.
Can an organized group of people really make a difference??  Let's ask Mr. Walker if he thinks he will have his job next term.
Will this take a lot of people to work?? You damn right it will, but if we don't take back at least some of the control of the supply and demand system we, the consumer, will only get screwed just that much more. 

What is the product you ask, Why its gas. Here is a little background info, through the first eight weeks of 2011, average gross profit for gas was 4.9 percent, according to the Oil Price Information Service. In 2010, it was 6 percent. 

Anybody remember the trickle down Reaganomics from the 80s?? How about lets trickle this shit back up for a change??
Hey, just something to think about.

Firefighters of Oklahoma

(Reposted from the OSFA)   THIS Wednesday Morning!

At 9:00 a.m., Wednesday March 9th, the Firefighters of Oklahoma are meeting together on the NORTH PLAZA of the State Capitol Building ! Please disregard earlier references to the parking lot as the Partners of the Oklahoma Fire Service has secured permission to meet in front of the Capitol Building at the steps, on the North Plaza ! So, we'll meet at the steps of the North Plaza at 9:00 a.m. Be prepared to demonstrate the Unity of the Oklahoma Fire Service for the benefit of our State Representatives and Senators! THIS is THE time to meet with your Representative & Senator and express your concerns regarding recent bills that have been introduced that have a negative impact upon YOUR Pension System! If you are unsure who is your current representative or senator, go to www.osfa.info and click on, "Find your legislator" right under the Blue Button found on the Upper Right of the Homepage.  Or, go to www.oksenate.gov & www.okhouse.gov to find your legislator's name and office number! REMEMBER! Don't bring any pocketknives or sharp tools of any kind so you won't be stopped at the Security Checkpoints. These legislative issues will have a direct impact on: EVERY Widow!  Who receives a benefit from our Pension System. EVERY Firefighter! Active Paid Volunteer Retired and; future generations of Firefighters

Thanks for all of the calls

I just wanted to say thanks for everybody calling and checking on how things have been the last few days.
It means a lot.

Open Your Mind and Your Ass Will Follow

Sometimes we must come to terms that there are bad people with bad ideas.  They may have started with good intentions but greed, the hunger for power, self centeredness, or maybe a combination there of. But this is not indicative of ALL people and ALL ideas as a whole. There is no reason not to work toward improvement.  And to make improvement we must first know what needs improvement by looking at what has been done in the past.  It's been said that those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.

When we defeat the greedy self centered egotistical closed minded people that are hell bent on forcing his will on others we must also take steps to maintain that victory by organized effort.

These organized efforts are referred to as bargaining.  Let's take a look at some of the things they "bargain" for;

The employer and union agree  not to discriminate against race, creed, age size, sex, religion, or status of union membership.

The employer retains its rights to determine policy, the right to assign work hours including overtime, the right to modify or change work schedules, the right to terminate suspend demote promote or take any disciplinary actions, and to establish and enforce rules, regulations, and orders.

The employer agrees to allow the union members paid vacations and paid holidays and paid sick leave.

The employer agrees to compensate union members for court leave.

The employer agrees to pay a bonus for longevity.

The employer agrees to pay for training.

After the employer agrees to all of this and signs the contract with the union what happens if the employer does not abide by what they have agreed too??  What does the union have to fall back on??        STRIKE!!!

Wrong. 

During the term of their agreement the union agrees to a prohibition of any kind of job action such as work slowdown, mass absenteeism, or being party to such activities.  The union shall not be in breach of agreement where the acts and actions as enumerated above are not caused or authorized by the union.    Upon notification confirmed in writing by the employer to a responsible official of the union that certain of its members are engaged in a job action the union shall immediately and publicly order all employees participating in a job action to cease such action.

And what is this called??  ARTICLE 10 PROHIBITION OF STRIKES.  The one thing that can bring the employer back to order within the agreement that they signed.

Quote history??  It's where the facts come from.  It's how we see the mistakes we make so we don't make them again.

All people are not bad, all ideas are not bad, all unions are not bad, and not all employers are bad.

Open your mind and  your ass will follow.

Try to understand something before you start passing out "bozo buttons"

I was told that I had earned myself a bozo button for a comment that I had made.  The comment was the last sentence in my  post about "UNIONS OR NO UNIONS"  the sentence was "Look at it like this, congress is organized why should you not be?"  And after everything I said in the post that is what he could find to bitch about.  If you haven't yet please go and read the entire post so you will understand the context.

The following is the bozo button insult along with my response:

That very last statement, Tommy, earned you a bozo button. How could you compare anything in real world to what Congress does?

Sorry Mr.Moore.  Here let me give your bozo button back sir.  Really?? You are going to take the last sentence out of what I said completely out of context and just for the words alone with no thought as to the meaning.  People that really do understand organized labor can understand that last sentence.  Let me expand sir, I was referring to congress as being organized as a group much like a labor force is organized as a group. So you see there is something that the U.S. Congress can be compared to something in the real world. Mr. Moore you asked for "Opinions based on many facts and points of view" and when given you turn to bozo button insults.  Sir I'm sorry that you even read  my comment.  

Understand that you  need to read someones entire post and understand how the comments they make come together to create a complete thought  and idea before you insult that person and you have no idea really what the post was about.  It is people like this that make me think it can't be Head-Up-Ass Syndrome, because there's got to be more oxygen and more light up even the flabbiest ass than could account for such rampant and long-lasting self-abnegation.

Employees have no job rights in Wisconsin.

Comments from Scott Walker-Wisconsin on public workers:
 Today, Walker appeared on 'Good Morning America' and said, there "is no room to negotiate public employees rights to collective bargaining". As far as Walker is concerned public employees have no job rights.
It seems the Union Protesters have 'taken' the Capitol building and are now sleeping in it. At the same time, more union protesters, both from the private and public sectors are joining the crowds.  
Meanwhile, the Democrat politicians say they won't return to their jobs until Republican Governor Walker agrees to negotiate. Walker says, 'no negotiations' and plays the proverbial fiddle as his administration 'burns'. 

Mr. Walker you do know that you  were elected to do the peoples bidding??  Can you say "calf rope".

And to all of the union supporters,  You have him in the bowl somebody pull the handle. 
Politicians and diapers have one thing in common.  I think the smell is coming from Wisconsin cause the baby's diaper has been changed.

Grammer and Spelling

I use MS Office and I have the spell check and grammar check turned on.  But sometimes I can make it say "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT HOMIE??"

I am putting this down here to get a point across, and yes there will be a typo from time to time

Unions or No Unions??

Making note of the Wisconsin protest a close friend of mine openly asked for opinions on unions, and to be honest about our thoughts.  I don't think he knew at the time what he was asking for.  I'm just glad he did it online and did not invite everybody to a cookout and ask for this.
 I am pro union.  And yes there are some bad ones out there but that don't mean they are all bad.  And if you are anti union that is fine by me.  You have the right to be treated like crap on your job if you so choose.
Any way, I just wanted to put up what I had posted on the subject matter:

Now someone brought up workers rights laws and OSHA.  Research it, a number of unions were involved with getting the workers rights in place and setting the regs for OSHA.  Unions pushed to get child labor laws in place and to set the 40 hour work week and overtime set at time and a half and workers comp laws and yes higher wages and better benefits. (it's not a bad thing to want better wages and benefits)  Can all of the good that a union provides be abused??  You damn right it can, and it has been.  Some union members have been abused by their own.  Remember Jimmy Hoffa??

In Wisconsin, some cities are looking to reduce wages of public worker unions by 30%, cut pensions by half and get rid of paid vacations.  Yes they are ragging on the unions but make no mistake it will affect everyone if they can get the changes made.  Your degree that you are still paying student loans on, won't make you the same wages after the changes are made as it does now.

Here in Oklahoma let me show you how unions have helped a non union job.  Volunteers for instance, they are there for the job and they DO get a pension just like the paid firefighters do and they don't have to make contributions to the system.  You can put money on it that if the unions leave the fire and police departments here they will lose benefits and be working for 7 dollars an hour.

GM, yes the union flushed them down the crapper.  But that is no indication of how every union works.  How many of you that are anti union take a cut in wages and benefits and give up your health insurance so the company can make higher profits?

Look at it like this, congress is organized why should you not be?

Remember union contracts go both ways.

Keeping an Open Mind

This came up in a class I was in a number of years ago and this really reflects my feelings about the time that we live in now.

Not interested in keeping an open mind

I am not interested in keeping an open mind about members of some radical extremist religion that want to kill me, my family, and my entire culture.

I do not care to keep an open mind about a religion that openly declares that OUR only options are to convert to islam, serve islam, or be put to death by the hand of islam.  I will not keep an open mind about the partys of our government that are only interested in gaining power by undermining the current administration rather than focusing on the hatred against the American people.

I am not interested in keeping an open mind about the biased media that is often factually incorrect.

I refuse to keep an open mind about teachers that preach anti American theories to their captive audiences and then publicly chastise a student that does not pander to the extreme leftist views and agendas.

I am not interested in keeping an open mind about people who have a moral Equivalence in what we are doing in Iraq and the actions of those that behead people, blow up children with suicide vest, and target the general population.

I am not the least bit interested in the pseudo intellectuals that feels no need to learn a little history but instead would rather regurgitate the latest news sound bite that has no concept historical context to compare with.

Keeping an open mind is great in theory but for some it is an excuse not to choose a side, or to not stand behind what you believe in, or to simply ride the fence and not own up to the side you have chosen.

An open mind is a wonderful thing to have but you must also have convictions to what you believe in.

There are times in life you must take a stand, for yourself and sometimes for the sake of others.  So to keep an open mind is to know and believe in what you open your mind to.

A new bill working it's way through Oklahomas state congress.

The new bill about texting and driving if pass will make it a $500 fine if you get a ticket. Twice that in a school zone. We already have laws for keeping your damn eyes on the road. And if you don't and run up in the safety zone and scrape somebody out we have another law to go on top of not keeping your eyes on the road.  Why can't it be this easy to get something about autism passed? Or stopping meth? Or abuse of the public welfare system? Oh wait how about fixing the laws that allows your 8 year old daughter to get on birth control pill at the public health dept without you knowing. Ok, how about that. People will die while talking on their cell, or texting, or eating, or whatever. and there is not a  damn thing we will be able to do about it. Man and machine will come to odds at some point. You just always hope and pray that it will not happen to our own loved ones. but it is one of nature's little ways of population control.  Yes, I get pissed off sometimes and most people irritate me. But if people weren't so ignorant, self-absorbed, and down right stupid about things like this, I wouldn't be so Bitchy all the time.