Saturday, February 15, 2014

I want to be able to kill someone without fear of prison if I fear for my life.

I want to be able to kill someone without fear of prison if there is a clear threat to my life.

I want to be able to shoot someone to stop them, without necessarily killing them, without fear of prison if there is a clear threat to my life.

As per a handgun instructor, "There is no reason to have a concealed carry permit unless you are willing to use it and kill."

"...you will understand what you must do and say to survive the legal aftermath of a self-defense shooting...to insure your freedom...improve your draw speed, increase your accuracy and transform you into a more efficient protector...you will be able to stay sharp and prepared and avoid becoming bored and complacent..."

More than 100,000 of your fellow (click here) responsibly armed Americans read every issue of Concealed Carry Magazine from cover to cover. With insight from nationally-known trainers and self-defense experts and no-holds-barred, politically incorrect commentary, Concealed Carry Magazine is The Ultimate Resource For Anybody Who Carries A Gun. 

Obsessed. The revival of "liberty" is the new obsession.

The Concealed Carry for Women. (click here) Who in their right mind would carry a loaded concealed gun that close to their heart?

"Carrying a gun isn't supposed to be comfortable, it is supposed to be a comfort" Clint Smith 

This stuff is insane. It is completely insane.

The bra doesn't carry a warning, "Wear this at your own risk if breastfeeding." 

Some things change and some things don't.


Someone is trying to split hairs.

The jury (click here) did not reveal the verdicts reached on the four other counts.

Earlier on Saturday, jurors had three questions for Healey. The jury asked Healey the following questions:

1) Is the defense of self-defense separate for each person in each count

2) Are we determining if deadly force is justified against each person in each count

3) If we determine deadly force is justified against one person, is it justified against the others?

There is a guns rights protectionist on the jury. 

The social understanding in "Stand Your Ground" is growing in Florida and it enforces the need to carry a gun regardless of who you are. At least that is the understanding whether or not one actually has a gun and carries it.

Fear for oneself grows when there is a wide understanding that a dangerous law allows people to kill each other on PERCEPTION alone. So a jury of PEERS would understand 'subtle fear' and why the actions would be justified. The laws in Florida are escalating fear and justifying killing for more and more subtle reasons. 

I'd say this is about gun sales, but, it isn't. It is about an understanding the public now has about the gun laws as discussed in the media. This is about social permission for death based in 'liberties' as promoted by political pundits. 

It is like fashion. When platform shoes came into fashion they were laughable, right to the point where they were then considered sexy. The longer a trend exists in a society the more honed it becomes to it. 

Florida is becoming insensitive to killing. The unjustified deaths are finding Young African American Men once again. The perception of danger in Florida is connected to Young Black Men and therefore the fear alone is justified as understood by the jury pool. No one will admit they are bigoted in any decision because innate fear over rides rational thought and behavior.

In other words, "Sure I was scared and acted but it had nothing to do with the color of his skin. He gave me reason to fear him and I feared for my life." 

One doesn't have to own an elephant to understand they are big and possibly dangerous in the wrong hands. Where does that come from?

One doesn't have to own a gun or have a carry permit to understand sometimes they are necessary to be used. Where does that come from? It comes from a learning curve. 

I don't believe for one minute that man had the right to kill anyone. The jury trial was thorough. There was testimony to find a guilty verdict of murder beyond a reasonable doubt. I am convinced of it. But, the air between the testimony and the ears of the jury is tainted with something and that is the understanding some or all jurors could find themselves fearful, too. 

This country's justice system relies on a jury of peers. If they are convinced they would be in fear for their lives in that circumstance then they will justify the innocence of anyone, including those that are vigilantes like Trayvon's killer and those that simply hate as in this case with the killer of Jordan Davis. 

It is a paradigm change in dynamics that are social and not economic. In a society people interact at work, at play and it is that interaction that will mitigate the understanding of such issues. If one works in an office that believes it is foolish to scoff at Stand Your Ground as an unneeded liberty, the chances an employee will confront that peer understanding is very slim. The ideas become more popular and is enforced when juries find defendants innocent.

Imagine what the average citizen thought after Trayvon's killer was found innocent. Those that were shocked by the decision of the jury had to rethink their understanding of the circumstances in society. "How does all this effect me?"

The more self-defense wins in court in cases like this, there is the possibility more will occur as insensitivity grows. Guns are very powerful things and as one person once stated, "You don't know what it's like until you shoot one."

Some laws are wrong. This is one of them. But, so long as politicians find it advantageous to talk about liberties as a 'new found friend' the more laws will stand causing problems in society, including murder. 

How did oppression prevail after the Civil War? Why was Lincoln persistent in pushing for more and more freedoms of African Americans? Why was the 13th Amendment not enough? Why have there been so many subsequent Constitutional Amendments basically saying the same thing. "All Americans regardless of race are equal." Because they sincerely are not equal. They are equal under the law, but, they are not equal in the business of living in this country. The law doesn't control everything. 

We saw heroic acts by the Late President Nelson Mandella, but, in the wake of his freedom and leadership the economic plight of the people continue. The wealthy in South Africa were able to discern a way to allow Africans to carry out a vote and have leadership, but, deprive them of real equality in being able to earn a good wage and have upward movement. 

Society is a very odd thing. It works to benefit people and create economies such as the "Speak Easy." Legalizing economic potential results because of social pressures. But, it can also work to inhibit freedom and equality. "The Equal Rights Amendment" failed. Until today I have yet to understand why. 

Florida reached a tipping point that was exhibited by Trayvon's death. I am so tired of hearing Black Mothers state, "This is your child, too."

There has to be a Russian oligarch somewhere to put together a professional hockey team with an arena like that.

7:30 AM ET, February 15, 2014

SOCHI, Russia -- T.J. Oshie brainstormed (click here) while he skated to center ice, desperately trying to come up with one last move to end an epic shootout. He had already taken five shots at Sergei Bobrovsky, and the Russians were still even.

Yet Oshie was chosen for the U.S. men's hockey team with just such a situation in mind, and the shootout specialist concocted one last clever goal to silence an arena filled with screaming Russian fans.

Oshie scored four times in the shootout and put the winner between Bobrovsky's legs in the eighth round, leading the United States past Russia 3-2 Saturday in the thrilling revival of a classic Olympic hockey rivalry....

US vs Russia. It wasn't a slam dunk.

February 13, 2014 11:05 am EST 
by Greg Higgins

The U.S. men’s hockey team (click here) took to the ice for the first time Thursday in hopes of returning to the podium at the Olympics. Four years ago, goalie Ryan Miller led the U.S. to a silver medal as the team was beaten by the Canadians in the gold medal game.

Four years later, there are some returning faces as well as new ones. The results, however, were pretty close to the same. The U.S. took on Slovakia in the first game. It took the team about 20 minutes to remember who they were. 24 seconds into the second period, Slovakia tied the game at one goal. That was when the USA squad woke up. The Americans scored six straight goals in the second period as they cruised to a 7-1 victory....
The U.S. men’s hockey team took to the ice for the first time Thursday in hopes of returning to the podium at the Olympics. Four years ago, goalie Ryan Miller led the U.S. to a silver medal as the team was beaten by the Canadians in the gold medal game.
Four years later, there are some returning faces as well as new ones. The results, however, were pretty close to the same. The U.S. took on Slovakia in the first game. It took the team about 20 minutes to remember who they were. 24 seconds into the second period, Slovakia tied the game at one goal. That was when the USA squad woke up. The Americans scored six straight goals in the second period as they cruised to a 7-1 victory.

Read more at http://www.rantsports.com/clubhouse/2014/02/13/sochi-olympics-usa-mens-hockey-team-will-be-standing-on-podium/?6GP3fOkk1B0GD1rD.99

The Middle Class are perfect people. Absolutely perfect people.

They know the value of a dollar. They had to work for it. 

They save for the down payment for their car. 

They rejoice when they move into their first home.

They love life and each other. They carry life insurance, health insurance and save for their children's futures. They know more about fiscal equity than Wall Street does and appreciate it 100 times more.

They have a sense of themselves and know life is to live and not deny. Where their budgets provide for 'loose money' they dive into life and enjoy themselves. They endear moments with their neighbors and community and seek to be leaders in many instances. 

They know what sacrifice is and how to achieve goals that would normally be out of their reach. 

They send their children to defend their country and celebrate moments that tell veterans and widows their sacrifice was never nothing. 

They have built in resilience for when times are tough. They never were handed anything and understand how important it is to make it through the tough times. They live for the rainbows to come and make their own path to get there.

They pay their fair share of taxes and support education through property taxes while having a voice at the local school board. They run for office and enjoy leading the way for progress in their community.

They are absolutely magnificent. They are perfect. It is a shame to deprive any people in the world the pure pleasure of mastering life and being a master of their own universe.

UNIONS !

DB (Defined Benefit) Pension Plans aren't stagnant monies. They are very much a player in past, current and future economies.

Research has long shown (click here) that traditional defined benefit (DB) pension plans make sense for most Americans. This is because traditional pension plans offer middle-class Americans secure and adequate retirement benefits, which help to ensure that they remain in the middle-class into retirement. But DB pension plans are not just good for employees—they also make sense for employers, as well as the broader community...

Union officials are used to hearing bad news and seeking ways to make fiscal hurdles work, especially with their members in mind. But, the Defined Benefit Pension Plans were nothing but pure genius when unions looked to the future of their members.

Please remember what occurred in the eight years of Bush. The cash reserves were drained. Currently, Chris Christie is seeking control over $880,000 of cash reserves all over that state. That is now the GOP sees these monies. They are LIQUID ASSETS, not an investment in the future. The Middle Class has a unique perspective on the future, don't allow that to slip away.

This 'pension thing' is a GOP fashionable 'mind speak.' It has absolutely nothing to do with sound economics.

For employers, DB pension plans are a fiscally responsible and cost-effective way of providing broad-based retirement benefits for workers. Also, especially in the public sector, DB pensions help human resource managers to recruit and retain the highly educated and skilled workforce that they require. Finally, DB pensions have a broad economic footprint, supporting jobs and economic output in local economies throughout the United States, and providing much needed patient capital to domestic equities markets.

Pensions invest to grow their stability for their members. They are among the most stabilizing monies in the financial markets. Why do you think Goldman is after European pension management? Just a nice thing to do

GLOBAL - The €246bn civil service scheme ABP (click here) has sued Goldman Sachs Group over the sale of mortgage-backed securities.

ABP, one of the largest pension schemes in the world, claims the collateralised debt obligations (CDOs) Goldman Sachs sold it were riskier than the investment bank had suggested.

According to the complaint filed in the New York State Supreme Court, presented by law firm Grant & Eisenhofer, "Goldman [Sachs] knew the loans it acquired from the third-party originators and packaged and sold to ABP were destined to fail"....


The entire COMPLAINT about pension funds by the GOP is nonsense. They are important stabilizing monies in the Financial Markets. They can't assume a lot of risk and who would think housing investment would ever do anything except increase in value. The housing bubble was never anticipated to be what it was. It was real estate. Since when is real estate, the basis of the American Dream, ever risky.

That's why this entire mess the GOP has created in propaganda about pensions is so laughable. Pensions are a rock solid method of attracting employees and keeping them, especially in the public sector. Pensions were always considered the best bet for this purpose because they benefited the economy in ANY short term prediction and always provided an economic base in the future no different than Social Security benefits.

Come on, get over this political pressure from the rightwing, it is nothing but extremism, lies and propaganda. There was nothing wrong with America the way it was. There was a whole lot wrong in the focus of Wall Street. They wanted the liquid equity in the world and now they want to mine the moon. This is craziness. Better said it is greed that was once inconceivable.

These monies don't belong to Wall Street, they belong to the people and the unions need to succeed to improve the financial circumstances of the working poor so the country has a chance to actually recover it's Middle Class.

Red States are welfare states. In order for the Red States to be able to have self-supporting budgets they need the unions to succeed regardless of the ranting of the politicians. What states are most successful and 'donor states' to the federal budget, those with or without unions?  

Far to many see pensions as counter intuitive for states to be creating pension funds, but, it is solidly good economics and the nation needs to appreciate that. 

Wolf in sheep's clothing.

I hope the elections go well in Rhode Island in 2014. But, Ms. Gina Raimondo as Governor? I don't think so.

How did this woman ever succeed in the Democratic Party?

She is a corporate raider. She hates pensions. Do you know what would happen to Rhode Island if this woman was governor? 

Gina Raimondo continues her reign as Rhode Island’s undisputed queen of fundraising.

July 31st, 2012 at 6:36 pm 
by Ted Nesi

...The treasurer raised $258,155 (click here) during the second quarter while racking up just $19,984 in campaign expenses, according to her latest filing with the R.I. Board of Elections
.
Raimondo’s already formidable campaign war chest jumped from $617,922 on April 30 to $857,903 on June 30. The first-term Democrat and former venture capitalist is widely expected to run for governor in 2014, capitalizing on her successful push for the state’s landmark pension overhaul last year.

Raimondo now has far more cash available than Providence Mayor Angel Taveras, a Democrat who had $237,239 on hand as of June 30, and incumbent Gov. Lincoln Chafee, an independent who had $233,108. Unlike her two rivals, the treasurer reported no small-dollar contributions....

She has no loyalties to the voter. Her only loyalties are to Wall Street. Good-bye gun control.

Unions and their pensions are the Middle Class. Not the Lower Middle Class as in Tennessee currently. The Middle Class IS the economy. They are the ones that can purchase most products in the market place. They are not subsistence workers. Their children go to college. Why would anyone want Raimondo in office at all? She is a propagandist. She is among those responsible for the 1% and 0.1%. She must have some kind of silver tongue because her actions don't match any words I can recognize as being responsible for economic growth and upward movement of citizens.

She fashioned herself after Scott Brown. She's horrid. North Carolina is cringing at another three years of McCrory, imagine what Rhode Island is going to feel after she is governor. Huge mistake. Her coattails will be a complete disaster. Electorates have to ask what kind of administration is going to be in their state capital when passing votes for governor. Please don't have another 2010. That is what the GOP is hoping for.

She is an extremist conservative Democrat. Who knew? She should try asking the Tea Party for support.

Republican Scott Brown (click here) hasn’t tipped his hat about whether he’ll run for office in New Hampshire, but the buzz about Brown hasn’t died down in the Granite State.
One poll conducted in January 2014 showed Brown tied in a hypothetical match-up against U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., who faces re-election in the fall. Other polls have him trailing Shaheen by 10 points and 3 points, but within striking distance....

That is a nice round figure

46.9 billion USD (2007)

Rhode Island's GDP. Pre-global economic collapse. But, the housing bubble was underway, though. Rhode Island has a very important level of stability in sustaining a business and employee base.  
Rhode Island's Largest Employers (click here) This page provides a link to the companies employee openings postings.

General Dynamics - Electric Boat (click here)  - the past, present and future of submarines.




This is federal money and Rhode Island can't live up to it's pensions? Really.

Quonset Point Facility
165 Dillabur Avenue
North Kingstown, RI 02852-1009

Initially established (click here) in 1973 to provide off-site support to Electric Boat’s Groton shipyard, the 125+ acre Quonset Point facility is widely recognized for its manufacturing, outfitting, and modular-construction capabilities.
Through the development of unique construction technologies that maximize the workforce’s multifaceted skills over a wide range of industrial projects, Quonset Point has contributed to a revolution in submarine construction and developed a reputation as the crown jewel of the U.S. submarine industrial base.

Newport Engineering Office
2 Corporate Place
Middletown, RI 02842

I am quite confident General Dynamics is very proud of their employees, their facilities and the fact everyone within reach of their business model does well in the community.

I am sure there are many companies in Rhode Island proud of their place in the state and the idea everyone is doing well. Providence has some of the most progressive art communities in the country. In all this wonderful infrastructure and tax base, I would think the business community of Rhode Island should be alarmed the state hasn't managed their pension funds well and now there seems to be failure. I'll go so far as to say, there needs to be an investigation to the mismanagement of those pension funds.

I strongly suggest the State Treasurer plot a new path forward to return vibrancy to the pension funds and a method to make them whole. Considering how Rhode Island has stability, if I were a Rhode Island taxpayer I would want to know what happened here and why. 2008 didn't hit Rhode Island that badly.

In the January 15, 2014 Executive Summary (click here) of the Governor he notes there is a $150 million deficit. Are you serious about these pension monies? $150 million isn't even one percent of the 2007 GDP. As a matter of fact it is 0.3 percent of Rhode Island's GDP from 2007.

In fact, over the past three years, we have invested over $108.2 million in general revenue in the school aid formula and its categorical aid programs. My FY 2015 Recommended Budget adds another $37.9 million in direct school support. 

The state is not hurting for budgetary funds.You mean to tell me the teachers within this educational system have to dissolve their pension funds to keep the state afloat. That is blatant lie and the entire mess is nothing more than politics. Someone needs to figure out what the State Treasurer's motivation is, because, is sure isn't the truth.

If I were a union leader, I would make it my business to ask for a general meeting of all union officials with the Governor and he can leave the state treasurer at the office working hard to resolve the misdirection of her attack on the pension funds. 

I am sure Governor Chafee is a wonderful governor with his focus on keeping Rhode Island one of the best states to live in. A full one third of the Rhode Island budget is federal dollars. I am surprised pension funds are even considered questionable. 

Tax cuts and the state can't make it's pension obligations? Isn't that rather peculiar? Rhode Island has pension obligations. OBLIGATIONS. When Rhode Island entered into promises regarding pension considerations, there was no small print stating, but, in a few years the pensioners can lose everything while the state cuts taxes for Wall Street.

BY KATHERINE GREGG

Journal State House Bureau

kgregg@providencejournal.com 

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Governor Chafee (click here) proposed a new $8.5-billion budget Wednesday that would set the stage for cutting the state’s 9-percent corporate tax rate to 6 percent, freeze state college tuitions and pump hundreds of millions of dollars into new, legacy-building public works projects, including the repair or replacement of 834 bridges....

All that infrastructure monies is going to private companies. Of that I am fairly sure. If the state is willing to put all those monies into infrastructure I find it odd a tax cut of 3 percent would be prudent. There are always cost overruns. Always.

I tell you what. A one percent tax cut seems appropriate to provide incentive to businesses that more may be on the way in the future. Another one percent can go into a trust fund for any cost overruns of private industries doing state work. And finally, one percent can go toward restoring the pensions for years to come. THEN, when all the contracts are complete and the pension funds are making money with proper and transparent investment, the rest of the tax cuts can go forward to the corporate community in Rhode Island. It sounds like a reasonable plan to me. 

John Arnold is a former Enron trader and hedge-fund manager of Houston-based Centaurus Energy LP.

Philanthropy? You mean the money spent on how much one loves oneself over the best interests of other human beings.

The name Laura (click here) is thrown in the title to soften the blow that human beings need to be grateful for what they get.


The arrogance is incredible. Dig this:

Our strategy is to systematically examine areas of society in which underperformance, inefficiency, concentrated power, lack of information, lack of accountability, lack of transparency, lack of balance among interests or other barriers to human progress and achievement exist. 

Its focus sounds like the chronic problems of the GOP. What a deflection for inhumanity, huh? Pretend to examine the corruption in society when there is only one real party responsible for it.

Systemically better spelled "C-O-N-T-R-O-L." Why is it that people with money form foundations to reflect their focus to grow more of their money? Where do they get the idea making money means success in life? 

They never wrote a classic book, composed great music, produced a award winning play, won a Olympic event for their nation or stopped to fill a ladle at a soup kitchen. So what makes them an authority to what society needs? They have no expertise society wants.

What is it with PBS? First it was the Kochs and these jerks.

Feb 14, 2014, 7:51am CST
Emily Wilkerson

Houston billionaire (click here) John Arnold's foundation donated $3.5 million for a PBS series on government policies on unfunded pension liabilities, an issue he has encouraged governments to do away with. 

The Laura and John Arnold Foundation donated the money to New York's PBS station. The series, "Pension Peril," debuted in December and was produced by WNET. The series will run for two years. 

The foundation has no editorial control over the content in the series, reports the Chronicle of Philanthropy....

If they wanted to be helpful they could have gone to Detroit and asked how they can help grow the economy in great cities.

Enron and oil. The so called philanthropists never worked a day in their lives. Enron, what next?








A week after (click here) the simultaneous release of my Institute for America’s Future report and Matt Taibbi’s Rolling Stone investigation into John Arnold, huge news hit California: The Enron billionaire whose former company wrecked the Golden State’s economy appears to be using a shadowy Texas front group to now try to loot the Golden State’s public pension system. As the Sacramento Bee reports (emphasis added):

With the first deadline looming for a new public-pension proposal to make the November 2014 ballot, a Texas nonprofit has emerged in a behind-the-scenes battle poised to break into public view next year.

San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed, a Democrat pushing a controversial idea to dial down government retirement benefits, asked a Houston-based group (called Action Now Initiative) to give $200,000 to his local chamber of commerce last summer for “policy analysis for statewide pension reform” according to a report Reed filed in August.

A message left Wednesday with Action Now wasn’t immediately returned, but it shares an address with the Laura and John Arnold Foundation, which was launched in 2008 by a former Enron executive and his wife. Its website lists a number of causes, including “structural changes” to public pensions that are “comprehensive, sustainable and fair.”...

The governor that will never be. The unions need to back a gubernatorial candidate that actually cares about people. Get rid of her. She is too worried about balance sheets and not enough about economic growth and dynamic investments to return funding for pensions.

By Allysia Finley
February 13, 2014

A court-mediated settlement (click here) over Rhode Island's pension reforms was yanked at the eleventh hour Wednesday morning without explanation. The parties involved in the mediation—Gov. Lincoln Chafee, state Treasurer Gina Raimondo and public unions—are under a gag order that prevents them from publicly discussing the settlement. However, we suspect politics may have fueled its spontaneous combustion....

...Fast forward to 2014. Ms. Raimondo is running for governor and faces a formidable primary challenge from Providence Mayor Angel Taveras, who championed similar benefit reforms in his city. One key difference though is that Providence's pension changes were negotiated with the unions rather than imposed via legislation. So the state treasurer has been under pressure to mollify the unions with a settlement....

It is easy to loot funds from people that became dedicated to public service, working for less than the private sector and working hours others would never tolerate. It is difficult to actually manage funds to make money and maintain confidence in government. Why work for the government at all if there is absolutely no benefit in doing so?

...Since taking office, Comptroller DiNapoli (of New York - click here) has made it a primary objective to manage the $160.7 billion (As of March 31, 2013) CRF in a manner that maximizes investments and provides security for employees through their golden years. He has instituted a number of reforms to make the CRF one of the most transparent and prudently managed public pension funds in the country.... 

When public employees have no reason to resist corruption because they don't have a life to look forward to, it will be a very sad day in the USA.

Corporations know that all to well. Why does Jamie Dimon recieve a paycheck of $20 million per year? Primarily to maintain loyalty and dedication. It works. He has openly stated if he was ever removed as CEO he would still hold great loyalty to the company and seek to work for Morgan regardless.

There is no reason why pension funds can't be viable and keep their promises when those that value them have transparency and knowledge in how to monitor them. 

Accountability, Reform, Disclosure of Transactions (transparency), Placement Agent Disclosure, with mismanagement criminally accountable to the State Attorney General. This is difficult? Really? If that is the case, then close down Wall Street. 

By Matt Taibbi
September 26, 2013 7:00 AM ET
In the final months of 2011, (click here) almost two years before the city of Detroit would shock America by declaring bankruptcy in the face of what it claimed were insurmountable pension costs, the state of Rhode Island took bold action to avert what it called its own looming pension crisis. Led by its newly elected treasurer, Gina Raimondo – an ostentatiously ambitious 42-year-old Rhodes scholar and former venture capitalist – the state declared war on public pensions, ramming through an ingenious new law slashing benefits of state employees with a speed and ferocity seldom before seen by any local government....

A Rhodes scholar and former venture capitalist. Well. That is an interesting combination. The credentials are indeed impressive, but, what good did she do to protect and defend the best outcomes of those most vulnerable in Rhode Island? She demolished hope with smoke and mirrors. Where are the demands for her to apply expertise and stop running away from the challenge?

She's Yale, Harvard, Oxford – she worked on Wall Street," says Paul Doughty, the current president of the Providence firefighters union. "Nobody wanted to be the first to raise his hand and admit he didn't know what the fuck she was talking about."

Exactly. Every shareholder in these pension funds, including the Blue Collar workers need to understand and consent. No excuses. Transparency is not about simply opening files to be read, it is about all the shareholders understanding the documents and concepts available. This is THEIR money. Hello?

...Donors from Wall Street firms like Goldman Sachs, Bain Capital and JPMorgan Chase showered her with money, with more than $247,000 coming from New York contributors alone. A shadowy organization called EngageRI, a public-advocacy group of the 501(c)4 type whose donors were shielded from public scrutiny by the infamous Citizens United decision, spent $740,000 promoting Raimondo's ideas....

This is corruption and the desire to deceive the electorate of the truth and what is best. Pouring money into those that want to destroy what generations built is not noble. I take it Goldman, Bain or Morgan is rushing to the rescue, right? NOT. They waiting for the payoff from their political investments. Why not just brainwash the public and wait for the destruction of THESE MONEY RESERVES. 

These are not shareholders to the pension funds, these are the junk yard dogs salivating at the mouth. All too often public employees are viewed by the wealthy as parasites to their monies as they bemoan their tax rates. But, would these same people take their garbage to the dump or plow the streets or move on a moment's notice to protect people when a hurricane is approaching? Of course, not. But, they tout that lack of need for public employees and defame them of their service.

What was it Romney said about the London Whale? "There really aren't any losses to the market, the money always goes somewhere." Basically, what is one person's bad news is another's opportunistic moment.

The unions have to stop accepting bad news and find solutions without the help of the so called qualified. Come on, get up off the floor. Life is getting better everyday. In ten years from now when it is obvious the reforms were never necessary, what are members going to think then? The economy is still recovering and the Fed is still weaning Wall Street from it's indulgent cash programs, why do this now? There is no reason. When an economy continues to expand and there are markets opening up as in health care and medical research, there is absolutely no reason to wave the white flag. Stop buying the propaganda.
One more week until next Sunday. The Netherlands, Norway and the USA have accumulated the same exact medal count. The host country has the most medals.

That athletes are amazing. They love what they do. It shows.

I've never been a fan of brutally physical sports. I rarely watch hockey, but, Olympic hockey provides a venue of fairness and rules that actually work. It is a pleasure to watch the competition.

Saturday at Sochi (click here) is dominated by curling, short track speed skating, skiing and hockey. Highlighting the four-game men's hockey slate is the United States and Russia facing off. 

Happening now:

It would be the Russians (click here) who would break through first on a breakout pass from Montreal Canadiens' defenseman Andrei Markov, finding Pavel Datsyuk in the neutral zone, where he expertly split Team USA's defense and left Brooks Orpik in his dust, wiring a wrist shot through Jonathan Quick low on the glove side for a 1-0 lead 9:15 into the second period. Vladimir Putin was all smiles as the CBC camera panned to him, shaking hands with those around him.

"He Scores and the crowd goes wild!"