The Brockovich Report

What a wonderful post! It is going to take time for things to turn around. I get nervous that a lot of people don't realize that instant change is not possible. I do, however, love that we are moving forward with so much hope and renewed energy.

There seems to be too many dramatic stories rising to the top of the pot these days. Some so unbelievable, that we must keep talking them through, over and over again, to make them in the end actually believable and not a false reality.
Listing our own personal inventory, seems the only way for us to check that our own moral compass is in working order.
We are in the Chinese Year of the Ox, which is the same birth year of our new President Barack Obama. What this means is that hopefully, we have the right employee for this job. The job of trudging through the mud and continuing to plow the field, with no complaining, no huffing and puffing, just even temperament, sun up to sun down.

Note to Self: Stay on track.

In reference to the media issues, has anyone other than the big corporations and government taken note of Edward L. Bernay's (1955) engineering of consent? In reference to "moral compass", has anyone considered the orgin of its meaning? If education is the gateway to information and is to be the stabilizing factor of a democratic society, then what role has federal aid and support played in creating cases such as the "Beverly Hills" students with cancer. Can we get beyond distractions to find the engine that drives money in a direction which eventually lead to collateral damage? We are in a time when the Academy of Educational Development is diligently workink towards Universal education...the sponser of this group is the World Bank.To research this issue, don't use an insecure browser; your computer might crash.

I agree with you Erin our media pumps out to much negativity. They expect overnight change in our economy. Obama has been left with a plate full.
He has a tough job ahead.

Erin and Everyone,
I invite all of you to produce and print a no commercial space newspaper like PHP in Japan. How about that?

Yuki Togawa

International Women's Day is coming up and I'm planning to show your movie to my students (English as a second language). The topic of "Strong Women" is one that causes all of us to look inside ourselves and assess our strengths and weaknesses. I'm glad your story is out there because you are a strong role model for us all.

Couldn't agree with you more. My wife and I are about to loose our house to the same bank that has lied before the House Committee on Finance. Chase bank stated in testimony before the House that it had initiated a moratorium on foreclosures. Not so, I
received my Trustee sale notice just 6 days after Chase's CEO testified before congress. They get 35 billion (not sure of the figure frankly) and I get a cardboard box. It's the new America I think. We've contacted Official after Official and none seem to feel that they can help. I didn't create the mess we are in and had my work NOT been outsourced to China, Korea and Canada my wife, who is disabled, and I wouldn't be facing a rather bleak future. I am under no illusions...we have run out of options and our future is painfully clear. We will soon become one of the growing population of Non-people in this country with no voice and no hope.

feel as if i am living a portion of the erin brokovich, and Frederick Miller's story. painful
nightmare, in which i can't quite appear to awake
from. corporations in need of taxpayers dollars, and
yet so unwilling to extend mercy. read proverbs 3:27.

i too am disabled, as well as head of my household.
mtg financed through chase, and holding on by the skin
of my teeth. alleged occupational injury & denied
compensation. difficulty obtaining legal advice and/or assistance. to say the least....in a pickle.

I don't know if it's Media, Commentators, or Politicians, but the cries over speeding up or stopping Pres. Obama's changes is unreal. Do any of you remember the "Stay the Course" mantra of the Reagan years? That was 2 years in his first Term, NOT a few weeks!

I will tell you what is NOT POSSIBLE in America!!!

Every year hundreds and thousands still like up the consulates of USA all around the world hoping to get a temporary visa to this promising land. Many of them end up here and many of them come here as skilled professionals or students. The skilled professionals that come to USA every year brings a small dream with them. That is the dream of becoming independent in the land of the brave and the free , to become an entreprenuer and open up their own businesses. The kind of businesses that can only start in this country and the kind of businesses that has the potential to change this world. All this IS POSSIBLE in USA.

But what is NOT POSSIBLE or ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE is getting the RIGHT to do this ... you may know allready or heard about the years and years of unending wait that these skilled professionals have to wait to get their Green Card - the small 4x3 inch card that will give them the RIGHT to change jobs, to open a business , to go to school , to do whatever they want. That LONGGGGGGGG WAIT is making the land of POSSIBILITY turn into a land of IMPOSSIBLE.

IMMIGRANTS BRING NEW SPIRIT TO OUR COUNTRY... the Government has to understand this and so should the rest of the nation.

On the note of CEOs and pay packages, when are you or someone like you, going to campaign for a legislation that prohibits pay packages above $10 million a year` no matter what or who is involved, be it Julia Roberts or some CEO. It is criminal to have such a huge divide between a cleaner or a file clerk in a small firm and a CEO in a huge company and most of all the company that has dozens of failed projects and a terrible customer service yet it still ranks in top 300. How is it that someone's life is worth only $25 per hour and somebody else's is worth $25,000 per hour yet they have the same education? How is it normal that people who buy islands and towns like others buy shoes, really need them? Sure they do it because they CAN. And to top it off - they flaunt their humanitarian involvement and helping poor! Because of their multimillion or multibillion packages and greed other people are without homes and water, and food, and education. Yet, the rich don't have enough so they make sure they cement their wealth by making sure that they can make even more money while 'looking good' so they open their own charity funds pretending they want to give back to the community. Rubbish. How about bringing something back by vehemently refusing a pay package above $10 million???? How about being a humanitarian by vehemently opposing overproduction? This planet will only starve because people who own islands and a fleet of private boats and jets keep throwing away caviar, champagne, steaks, croissants, and God knows what else in such criminally large amounts that they should be convicted criminals locked up in prison cells for the rest of their lives. Over the past few decades US has only proven that it is itself the greatest cancer that's eating through the remaining healthy fabric of human decency and traditional values. It was the first to introduce insane multimillion pay packages, it was the first to spread the fast-food societal disease and put the name of God on its bank notes just so it's clear who's America's God - Money.So Erin, if you are a crusader for justice, for what's right, for people, then how about you tackle this and put it right.

"After all this time presenting Obama as the poster child of hope, don't just staple him on the wall and make him your bulls-eye for the next four years."

First of all, I loved the movie "Erin Brockovich." I've seen it many times, but that above quote from your post is a joke, right? You can't be serious.

The media is so far in the tank for Obama that he is actually threatening to sic the media http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/05/bankruptcy-atto.html on investment firms that don't do what he wants.

When a White House spokesman feels that he can threaten people with the White House press corps then it is pretty much a given that the media has become lap dogs for the president of the United States.

You should be very worried that our president is in virtual control of the members of the media.

The media has quit being our watchdogs over government. They have become propagandists for his far leftwing views and policies. If George W. Bush had any sort of relationship with a fawning media you would be the first person ringing the alarms bells. But since Obama is a black Democrat we are supposed to stand down and let him do as he pleases without any oversight. Give me a break.

Thank you for allowing me to put in my two cents. I admire you and I believe we need more people, AND MEDIA, just like you. Particularly at this moment in history.

I for one see you as an inspiring person of personal commitment. I do not share all of your views but that's a good thing. America was founded by people who saw it good to let the common folk persue their own lot in life. As for large corporations that lose sight of what's good for the people because they got caught up in their own lust for power, I ask you look at the other side. If we as americans didn't buy products that could harm our environment or ourselves would those same companies have ever reached the point where they forgot about what's good for our country? I ask every american to take some responsibility in their purchases and their ever hungering thirst to live in luxury when their budget simply does not allow that. Let's look at ourselves as part of the problem and stop pointing fingers at the one's we've 'let' become rich on our own stupidity. Let's take some responsibility in our own lives as our forefathers intended.

Why is it that so many immigrants flock to this country as a way to improve their lives? Could it be because this country stands for freedom? If we want our freedom to last we have to make changes in our own lives and stop falling victim to marketing. That in itself will limit companies from growing power hungry and making poor choices.

I for one do 'not' want my government living in my house. I expect them to provide essentials like roads and public schools, etc. with my tax dollars but do not want them telling me that I should feel guilty because some people don't take advantage of education and live within their means. I don't feel that we should use the word 'entitlement' when helping the poor. I come from roots that saw a government 'hand out' as embarassing. Let's go back to 'pride' in this country and the rest of the pieces will fall into place.

I say 'no' to big government and 'yes' to personal responsibility.

Have the number of children you can take care of on your own and stop the trend to 'litters' (multiple births) as a fashionalbe statement worth making a television show about.

Get back to basics people, take responsibility for your families and keep this country great.