Video: America’s Debt and ‘Break The Bank’ Recap

Video: ‘Break The Bank’ Update #2

Video: ‘Break The Bank’ Announcement

Dear Friend,

SIGN AND SUBMIT YOUR PLEDGE!

Since 2008, major U.S. banks (Chase, Wells Fargo, Citibank, etc.) have received trillions in bailouts and backroom deals from taxpayers and the Federal Reserve for their risky investments, toxic assets and fantasy-driven financial products — all at the expense of the American taxpayer.

There has long been an imbalance between Wall Street and Main Street. No longer can this toxic and corrupt system continue. It’s unhealthy, unrealistic and immoral. Our elected officials in Washington have shown its contempt for its constituents, ignoring public outcry over the banks and Washington’s reckless ways.

SIGN AND SUBMIT YOUR PLEDGE!

Starting September 10, 2010, the ‘Break The Bank’ movement will commence to send a strong message to U.S. banks that Americans will no longer tolerate its practices, blatant theft and cozy relationships with Washington and the secretive Federal Reserve.

How to participate and make a difference

• Pledge to close your Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America or Citibank account by year end (You can do it tomorrow if you choose — Just make sure that you PLEDGE to do so!)
• Post videos, pictures and tweets about your pledge
• Move your assets to a credit union, community, regional or Internet bank (I strongly recommend BankSimple)
• Share this page with friends, family, co-workers and others

Whether you’re lower, middle or upper class, we can all have a profound impact in 2010 on the American banking system. Don’t sit on the sidelines. Don’t make excuses. Break free of this toxic system.

Break the Bank!

Ronald Lewis
Author, “Stick It To The Man”
Denver, Colorado

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On July 4th of each year, millions of Americans fire up their grills for good food and good times. Only this time around, our country’s economy and the political establishment are in shambles. As of this recording, America’s national debt stands at over $13 trillion.

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EXCLUSIVE!

UPDATE: I wanted to add that the photos and video were taken on Apple’s wonderful new iPhone 4. Thanks to Lisa for having a powerful tool to capture a thrilling moment.

On July 3, 2010, I captured several photos and video of this heavily disguised pickup in Mt. Evans, Colorado. The grille and overall design is certainly Ford inspired, but there’s no way to tell for sure. If it’s a Ford vehicle, it could be the long-awaited Ranger replacement. But that’s anyone’s guess at this point.

Video available after the photos. High resolution images (without watermark) are available to the press and bloggers with proper attribution.

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What further proof do we need that the Federal Reserve is magically creating money out of thin air (and siphoning money out of your pocket through inflation)? Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke nods in agreement to questioning by Congressman Ron Paul:

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Fed up with big U.S. banks? Join the ‘Break The Bank‘ movement on September 10th, 2010!

Goldman Sachs isn’t the only rotten apple on Wall Street. They weren’t alone in defrauding investors and America. JP Morgan Chase, along with other major U.S. banks, have made billions in ‘deceptive fees’ in the form of real-time mobile alerts, ‘selective transaction’ postings and other tactics.

For example, Chase’s real-time mobile alerts — until recently — weren’t exactly real-time. Overdraft alerts in the past were always sent the following business day. This feature wasn’t designed with the account holder in mind — only the bank. To their credit, the banks recently changed their deceptive practices. Unfortunately, they didn’t do this for you and me. Oh, no, it took the threat of legislation to change their dirty ways.

Another deceptive tactic employed by Chase and other U.S. banks is selective transaction posting. The banks essentially cherry-picked transactions to levy overdraft fees, choosing to post larger purchases first over smaller ones. How’s that for siphoning your money?

Of course, Wall Street and the banks will all deny any wrongdoing, but the facts clearly show otherwise. After trillions in taxpayer bailouts, and billions in deceptive fees, it’s time for U.S. banks to have their day in court, too.

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Congressman Ron Paul continues to embarrass Capitol Hill with common sense, dignity and clarity. In this video, Congressman Ron Paul asks for a freeze on the salaries of Congress, the Federal Reserve’s ability to create money out of thin air, and much more.

Share with your friends.

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William Black, a former regulator and a guy who sent hundreds of people to jail (over the S&L scandal), talks in depth about bank fraud in America in this UCLA presentation. You’ll gain priceless, honest knowledge about our banks and the cause of their collapse in 2008.

Please watch, learn and share:

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The SEC has decided — three years later — to pursue criminal activity on Wall Street after the collapse of the housing market. Their job is to prevent such activity from occurring in the first place. Here’s a great video of Congressman Paul explaining the failure of the SEC:

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Kudos to Ratigan for this segment. If you’re not familiar with how money really works in America (and around the world), watch this video for some insight.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

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Is this what America stands for?

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WWU’s Klipsun Magazine interviewed me about social issues and my book, “Stick It To The Man”. It’s my best interview to date about social injustices, government, etc.

Download the PDF or read the text article.

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Powerful remarks from Congressman Ron Paul on ending the war in Afghanistan. Whether you’re a democrat or republican, it’s hard to take sides with this video. They aren’t any. Enjoy it. Share it.

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As an Amazon associate, it’s unfortunate to see this notice, but it’s warranted. Colorado, like most states, is turning to new taxes to solve its budget and revenue challenges. The solution for balancing budgets and attracting more revenue isn’t in taxation, but efficiency. States, like the federal government, are wasteful spenders and incompetent managers of existing revenue streams. Now is the time for governments everywhere to cut, expel and improve its operations like any corporation, family or individual.

Burdening corporations and small business owners with more taxes won’t erase the challenges here in Colorado or elsewhere. Doing so will force other Internet retailers to follow Amazon’s lead. Colorado’s governor and legislators are doing more harm to the state’s economy than they realize.

States cannot use the recession as a scapegoat. It’s time people everywhere stand up and force their political leaders to do what’s right. If the everyday business owner must live within the confinements of his revenue, then so must state governments across America.

Dear Colorado-based Amazon Associate:

We are writing from the Amazon Associates Program to inform you that the Colorado government recently enacted a law to impose sales tax regulations on online retailers. The regulations are burdensome and no other state has similar rules. The new regulations do not require online retailers to collect sales tax. Instead, they are clearly intended to increase the compliance burden to a point where online retailers will be induced to “voluntarily” collect Colorado sales tax — a course we won’t take.

We and many others strongly opposed this legislation, known as HB 10-1193, but it was enacted anyway. Regrettably, as a result of the new law, we have decided to stop advertising through Associates based in Colorado. We plan to continue to sell to Colorado residents, however, and will advertise through other channels, including through Associates based in other states.

There is a right way for Colorado to pursue its revenue goals, but this new law is a wrong way. As we repeatedly communicated to Colorado legislators, including those who sponsored and supported the new law, we are not opposed to collecting sales tax within a constitutionally-permissible system applied even-handedly. The US Supreme Court has defined what would be constitutional, and if Colorado would repeal the current law or follow the constitutional approach to collection, we would welcome the opportunity to reinstate Colorado-based Associates.

You may express your views of Colorado’s new law to members of the General Assembly and to Governor Ritter, who signed the bill.

Your Associates account has been closed as of March 8, 2010, and we will no longer pay advertising fees for customers you refer to Amazon.com after that date. Please be assured that all qualifying advertising fees earned prior to March 8, 2010, will be processed and paid in accordance with our regular payment schedule. Based on your account closure date of March 8, any final payments will be paid by May 31, 2010.

We have enjoyed working with you and other Colorado-based participants in the Amazon Associates Program, and wish you all the best in your future.

Best Regards,

The Amazon Associates Team

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It’s always a lot of fun to get in the kitchen and make something delicious. Here are a set of photos from breakfast. Lisa made the bacon and toasted the muffins, while I seasoned and watched over the home fries. It’s probably the best breakfast sandwich we’ve made.

From In The Kitchen

From In The Kitchen

From In The Kitchen

From In The Kitchen

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I love Cracker Barrel. Great place to dine. But I really love their biscuits and corn muffins. So recently, we picked up a box of their corn muffin mix. I hoped I could duplicate the experience at home. I think I was pretty successful. They’re delicious! The recipe was similar to others I’ve used in the past (including my grandmother’s), yet this one really stands out!

From In The Kitchen

From In The Kitchen

From In The Kitchen

From In The Kitchen

From In The Kitchen

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Lisa and I enjoy baking and cooking very much. She’s a whiz at making cookies, cakes and other treats. I generally ‘wing it’ with things, while she uses recipes for her masterpieces. We’re a great team in the kitchen. While making breakfast recently, I decided to take pictures. Here’s the result of our labor. As the pictures show, we did an awesome job. It was a wonderful meal!

If you want more pictures, see the slideshow or the album.

From In The Kitchen

From In The Kitchen

From In The Kitchen

From In The Kitchen

From In The Kitchen

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Enjoy the live performance of ‘Knock on Wood’ by Michael McDonald and Phoebe Snow from 1990′s Rock & Soul Revue — Courtesy of Lala.

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During a day layover in Kansas City (on our way to Nashville), Lisa and I discovered that the Downtown Hyatt doesn’t use fitted sheets. She caught this detail while we were making the bed. We chuckled, because it was surprising that a four-star hotel would use sheets that 1) didn’t properly fit the bed, 2) weren’t fitted and 3) easily disrupted a night’s sleep.

Until now, I never paid attention to this. So, I’m wondering, has anyone else experienced this, too? Share your thoughts.

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My ticket  (pictured below): 06 17 20 26 31 PB: 11
January 17 drawing: 06 15 20 26 31 PB: 09

What are the odds of matching so closely a drawing three weeks earlier? No, this doesn’t mean I’ll become a regular player, but I think it’s interesting. Quick picks aren’t a bad choice if you’re a regular player.

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Great video of congressman Ron Paul explaining — in plain English — the Federal Reserve to CNBC’s Erin Burnett. If America needs an example of how their elected officials should behave, this video is a good start:

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