Hey!

Welcome to everybody checking in here from different parts of the country and different parts of the world. And to everybody here in New York City... sorry I couldn't hang out with you yesterday. Turned into a really nice day. But, I wasn't given the permits I applied for from the Parks Department anyway.... so, I guess I'll see you guys next Saturday.

Today's gonna be kind of a fun update.

Start you off with a follow-up on yesterday's update about people making a "moot point".

Sent in by webmaster, James Marino

Okay, now for something else that's fun.

Maybe a little bit infuriating and fun at the same time. BUT, I'm gonna share a phone conversation with you that, I think, will leave you smiling and shaking your head. You might even get a little laugh out of it. But, it might help put some truly outrageous events in focus.

Y'know, in this country we're sooooo busy trying to make sense of everything that's going on these days. We truly live in a pinball machine unlike any other in history. We're bombarded by a 24 hour "news" cycle that actually contains so little news it's almost criminal. Whether it's CNN, MSNBC or the propaganda machine that is FOX... all of these talking heads are like a bunch of silly, gossipy high-school kids who are just so impressed by the fact they think they're sitting at the cool kid's table.

It's also clear to every sentient, reasonable person that we live in a country that abandon our principles under the Bush administration, that Dick Cheney condoned and even ordered the torture of people believed to be our enemies. And, it should be clear to anyone with a soul that this practice is cowardly, repugnant, barbaric and... um... uh.. illegal.

But, we've also become tragically aware that unregulated financial institutions, banks, credit card companies and executives of low character and less principle have been bilking the American people for profit in the most outrageous and underhanded ways.

Well... I decided to call CITIBANK!

(By the way... on YouTube I've recently been accused by some shallow-minded, silly right wing dude of "hating on people". Not my style. Listen to this phone call and you decide for yourself ho I try to deal with anger these days. It's certainly not with "hate".)

Anyway, blah-blah-blah....

Make a cup of coffee and settle back. The conversation is about 16 minutes long. but, I really think you'll smile by the end of it. And, I think you'll understand why I named my last CD... "I LOVE THE COMPANY".

The woman on the other end of the phone just made my day! (But, I bleeped out her name on the outside chance that if anyone at Citibank ever heard this sweet person they'd probably fire her ass faster than they raise interest rates!)

Here's the phone conversation.

MY CALL TO CITIBANK

Hope you had fun with that.

I'll be back tomorrow and every day this week with a new update.

Oh hey! Would you guys do me a favor? Would you tell at least one friend about this website and even get them to hit the new FaceBook page and.... um.... become a fan! (I'll explain more about that this week.) It just got started. It'll get better and better real soon.

Thanks for everything. If you're new around here, be sure to check out these videos and feel free to leave a comment of you like.

GLENN BECK SCARES ME

BILL O'REILLY: The Legend of the Big giant Head

Oh, one more...

STEPHEN COLBERT: Special Kind of Friendship

Okay, see you back here tomorrow with another update.

Also, if you're new around here.... there's a lot to check out. Besides being a self-described "possibility-junkie", I was explaining to someone a while ago that I'd also become a photoshop-junkie. You can hit the "Archive" here and search through hundreds of updates. A lot of cool stuff here at the site. FREE songs. Cartoons.

Thanks for everything.

PEACE