Cheney of Command—Follow The Money!

Dear Friends and Relatives:
Have a close look at the chart (above) of Halliburton's stock ... and its rise over the past four years. Factor in that Dick Cheney had 400,000 Halliburton options when he left to run for Vice President in 2000... that Halliburton has enjoyed a 50-60 point rise since America invaded Iraq...

...and figure out that Dick Cheney's profit from the Iraq war is currently between $20,000,000... (twenty million) dollars... and $30,000,000... (thirty million dollars)!
Wow!

Talk about "War Profiteering"!

Please pass this on! America—and Republicans struggling to remain loyal to the Bush Administration and its murdering NeoilCon members—need to know!

MAD-ly yours,
Al Feldstein

As longtime editor of MAD Magazine from the 50s through the 70s, Al Feldstein encouraged a generation of baby boomers (and their kids) to laugh as well as to question authority. Keep it coming, Al!

Turn Up The Heat & Get Steamed!

If information is the lifeblood of democracy, the public is being bled dry! A recent Zogby poll showed that 85% of US forces in Iraq believed that they were sent in response to Bin Laden's 9/11 attack, when nothing could be further from the truth. Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with 9/11, and Iraq's military had been successfully contained by Bush Sr. and Clinton. Bin Laden-to-Hussein was classic bait-and-switch by Bush/Cheney.

Their ill-considered, badly executed Iraq War has destabilized the Middle East and fomented fundamentalist backlash worldwide. But if this weren't disastrous enough, BushCo. is now planning to attack Iran. Their rationale is that Iran's nuclear capability is yet another imminent threat, an arguable proposition at best. One can only guess at the real motives: an oily brew of greed, geo-politics, and messianic Christianity.

Whether Democrats offer an alternative to war or continue to acquiesce to the NeoCon agenda, ultimately this isn't a left/right debate. The very soul of our democracy is at stake.

We have the best government that money can buy, and big business is the highest bidder. The textbook definition of fascism is ownership of the government by corporations. Corporate fascists don't want democracy; they only want to borrow some of its trappings. Yes, we have elections, but without a paper trail who can trust the results?

Mass media's failure to headline matters of war and peace and broker honest elections is incompetence at very least, if not a massive criminal conspiracy by the power elite. The media (or what remains of independent journalism) needs to turn up the heat, stir the pot, and get the public steamed.

So where is the media? But more importantly, where are the mass protests? If you're not outraged by now, you're just not paying attention! Wake up!

Murray Hill
Berkeley, CA

Starting A New Practice

Dear Janet and Bart:
Since we work together last year, I have felt very well advised and supported by both of you. You are both very professional and full of integrity, and at the same time a joy to work with. You have generously shared your knowledge and provided amazing assistance for a neophite to the world of advertising like me. My experience of advertising with OPEN EXCHANGE has been one of ease, grace, delight and empowerment.

The ad is great. Well worth it! FYI, I have gotten several calls from the most recent ad, and one client from it. I am really thrilled! I look forward to attracting more wonderful clients! Thank you again for being there for me.

Much love to you both!

Christine Metawati, Energy Therapist & Coach
(See Christine's listing Energy Healing in OPEN EXCHANGE's Coaching category.)

Christine, what a lovely letter! We really appreciate your taking the time to write. And as we always tell new listers, trust in yourself and give the public a chance to discover your work. Sometimes that means taking a big leap of faith in continuing to put yourself out there in terms of advertising, personal marketing, and all the rest that comes with starting a new venture. It's a great sign that you're now working with clients, gaining experience, building a track record, and garnering word-of-mouth about your practice. If you stay with it chances are very good that you'll succeed in your goals! In a year or so you'll look back at these "scary beginnings" and realize that you've overcome doubt and fear to strike out on your own and create your own job on your own terms. Whether you ultimately win or lose in a commercial sense, you'll have gained so much experience and knowledge about yourself that the journey will have been well worth the effort!

Are Subscriptions Still Free?

I live in Lake County and I'm not always able to get to the health food stores in Santa Rosa to pick up new issues. Would you please put me on your mailing list?

Sandy Collins
Cobb, CA

Hello!
Do you mail off your magazine to residents that wish to receive it through the mail? If so, how much is it for a subscription to your magazine?
Thank you

Rona Alexander
Albany, CA

Sandy and Rona, you're both now subscribed! Print will be here for a long, long time, and subscriptions by mail are still free for Northern California residents. But if you're also online, check out our listings, calendar, and articles at www.openexchange.org. Our online magazine also has several web-exclusive features as well as newslinks with daily updates!