Where's the Outrage?

American born terrorist was killed in Yemen. Details of how he died and who killed him are unclear at this time. Anwar al-Awlaki was the Qaeda leader who inspired Major Nidal Malik Hasan to shoot up an Army base in Foot Hood, Tx.

Regulatory uncertainty leads to hiring stalemate. Not so much.

Freddie Mac’s interest rates are lower than ever.

Manufacturing appears to have increased slightly in September.

Our GDP is slightly better than we thought it was.

I talked about this case earlier, but I think there’s a real question as to whether Rick Perry, who stated that he sleeps well, allowed an innocent man to be executed.

I continue to support Occupy Wall Street.

Susan Sarandon – Occupy Wall Street

It’s important to remember that it is still extremely early in the political season. Eight years ago Wesley Clark was leading the Democratic field with 22% of the support, followed by Howard Dean at 13%, John Kerry with 11%, and Dick Gephardt and Joe Lieverman with 11% and 10 %, respectively.

The Senate has filibustered a huge number of Obama’s appointments to the federal bench. It appears that Harry Reid has figured out how to get some of these nominees through the Senate.

In the category of the world gone crazy, “actress” and model Holly Madison has insured her breasts for $1 million.

Holly Madison

Tags: Al Qaeda, Business, Economy, Senate by ecthompson md
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I hope this is what I waited for. I love the organic formation of this movement. As far as I know, there isn’t any corporation in the wings pumping in cash. I simply love this. Check out their web site.

Tags: Economy by ecthompson md
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This is always entertaining. Jon Stewart and Bill O’Reilly. Funny. Thoughtful. Worth a watch.

Tags: The Daily Show by ecthompson md
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I have been bothered by the death of Troy Davis. What the hell? There was an opportunity for those who love life… I keep thinking about this case. Why did this guy “have to” die? Where was the governor of Georgia? Could Mr. Davis been pardoned? Where was the president? No one could have saved this man?

From NYT Editorial:

As the unconscionable execution of Troy Davis in Georgia last week underscores, the court has failed because it is impossible to succeed at this task. The death penalty is grotesque and immoral and should be repealed.

The court’s 1976 framework for administering the death penalty, balancing aggravating factors like the cruelty of the crime against mitigating ones like the defendant’s lack of a prior criminal record, came from the American Law Institute, the nonpartisan group of judges, lawyers and law professors. In 2009, after a review of decades of executions, the group concluded that the system could not be fixed and abandoned trying.

Sentencing people to death without taking account of aggravating and mitigating circumstances leads to arbitrary results. Yet, the review found, so does considering such circumstances because it requires jurors to weigh competing factors and makes sentencing vulnerable to their biases.

Those biases are driven by race, class and politics, which influence all aspects of American life. As a result, they have made discrimination and arbitrariness the hallmarks of the death penalty in this country.

For example, two-thirds of all those sentenced to death since 1976 have been in five Southern states where “vigilante values” persist, according to the legal scholar Franklin Zimring. Racism continues to infect the system, as study after study has found in the past three decades.

Tags: Legal by ecthompson md
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We see regulations tying down business but does it, really?

The talking heads and everyone on Capital Hill have told us that regulations add cost to business. We now “know” this as fact, but is it?

From MJ:

We asked experts, and most told us that while there is relatively little scholarship on the issue, the evidence so far is that the overall effect on jobs is minimal. Regulations do destroy some jobs, but they also create others. Mostly, they just shift jobs within the economy.

“The effects on jobs are negligible. They’re not job-creating or job-destroying on average,” said Richard Morgenstern, who served in the EPA from the Reagan to Clinton years and is now at Resources for the Future, a nonpartisan think tank.

Almost a decade ago, Morgenstern and some colleagues published research on the effects of regulation [PDF] using ten years’ worth of Census data on four different polluting industries. They found that when new environmental regulation was applied, higher production costs pushed up prices, resulting in lost sales for businesses and some lost jobs, but the job losses were also offset by new jobs created in pollution abatement.

“There are many instances of regulation causing a specific industry to lose jobs,” said Roger Noll, co-director of the Program on Regulatory Policy at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research. Noll cited outright bans of products—such as choloroflorocarbons or leaded gasoline—as the clearest examples.

Tags: Business by ecthompson md
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Above is a picture I took of people welding a ship or a barge of some kind at the Houston Ship Channel.

(Photo copyright 2011 Neil Aquino.)

Here is a history of welding. At the bottom of that history are other welding related links.

Here is a definition of welding from Merriam-Webster–

Join together (metal pieces or parts) by heating the surfaces to the point of melting with a blowpipe, electric arc, or other means, and uniting them by pressing, hammering, etc.

Sometimes we hear about concepts and themes of unity and connection. Such talk might conjure up images of peace and cooperation.

It is not always that way.

Sometimes things are brought together by—”melting with a blowpipe, electric arc, or other means, and uniting them by pressing, hammering, etc.”

Tags: General by Neil Aquino
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A few days ago I attended what turned out to be the 200,000th Major League Baseball Game seince the founding of the National League in 1876.

I did not know this was the case when I entered the stadioum in Houston.

Who knew?

Well….it seems these nice folks below knew.

Sometimes you just show up someplace and there is a blog post already waiting for you.

The 200,000th game involved the Colorado Rockies defeating the Houston Astros by a score of 4-2 in 13 innings.

Here is a list of the all the major leagues and a number of other historical statistics from Baseball-Reference.com. There have been 6 recognized major leagues in professional baseball history.

A great book to learn the history of Major League Baseball is Koppett’s History of Major League Baseball  by Leonard Koppett.

A strong history of the Negro Leagues is Shades of Glory by Lawrence D. Hogan.

Everything is better when we know what came before. Context gives meaning to events.

Below is a picture from the 200,00th game. This picture features a beer vendor and an outfielder.

Tags: Books, Sports by Neil Aquino
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Rex fumbles (it wasn't called)

Hits
Dallas Cowboys – I’m somewhat hesitant to place my Dallas Cowboys here in the hits section. From an offensive standpoint, they were awful last night. I have no idea what got into the mind of our offensive center. He seemed to be snapping the ball at random. He seemed to be confused by the Redskins defensive calls. I have no idea if the Redskins really were “simulating a snap,” but whatever happened it has to be corrected. Yet, in spite of confusion, the Dallas Cowboys managed to come up with a very ugly win. I have no idea how the Dallas secondary held up. Oh, that’s right, we do have a pass rush. That’s the only thing that saved a bruised and battered secondary. How the the Dallas offensive line managed to allow Felix Jones to rip off three long runs in the second half is a head scratcher. Tony Romo is not Superman. We shouldn’t think that he is, even if he played a very solid game with a confused surrounding cast. I still blame the Dallas coaching staff for what looked like a beleaguered and confused offense through most of the game. (Oh, that’s right, I’m supposed to be giving out praise in this section.) Demarcus Ware had another monster game.

Buffalo Bills – What an outstanding performance against Tom Terrific!! I love to see Tom Brady lose. I’m sorry, but I really do love it. The Buffalo Bills forced four interceptions. Ryan Fitzpatrick made plays. No matter what happens the rest the season, the Buffalo Bills have shown heart, grit and determination. Congratulations to Buffalo!

Detroit Lions – Had you told me two weeks ago that I’d be praising the Bills and the Lions in the same week, I would have said that you’d be lying. Yet, the Detroit Lions had every reason to roll over and play dead in the second half. The Minnesota Vikings, who played awfully during the first two games of this season, figured out a way to generate some offense. Still, the Detroit Lions were down 20-0 at halftime. There is no way the Detroit Lions should have won this game. Matthew Stafford delivered another gutsy performance. Detroit is another city that needs a team that they can rally around. I think the Detroit defense is showing us a lot of good things. Matthew Stafford needs to continue to develop, but the pieces are in place for Detroit to play well throughout the rest of this year. Congratulations to Detroit.

Drew Brees – He continues to figure out a way to get the job done. I’m not sure that his offensive live is where they need to be but he continues to impress.

Torrey Smith – I’m not sure what to say. There are some wide recievers in the NFL who don’t get three TDs in a season. Torrey caught three in a quarter. Outstanding performance.

Da Raiders – I’m really starting to like the Raiders. They are running the ball extremely well. Jason Campbell is doing a solid job at the play action pass. He delivers a nice deep ball. The Raiders are playing solid but not great defense. So far this is a winning combination.

Misses

Washington Redskins – What was that? There was no reason that the Washington Redskins shouldn’t have destroyed the Cowboys. Rex Grossman was “playing well.” The receivers were all that and a bag of hot air. Fred Davis was turning into a real stud tight end. Yet, on Monday night, the Redskins laid an egg. The high powered offense didn’t happen. What about the defense who sports a linebacker core as good as any in football? They allowed Felix Jones to run for over 100 yards for the first time this year. They allowed the Cowboys to convert a 3rd and 21 late in the fourth quarter. I’m sorry, all I can do is shake my head. It was the Skins’ game to lose and lose they did.

New England Patriots – Everyone, including me, was starting to think that Brady and the gang were going to run through the regular season on their way to the Super Bowl. They were ahead in this game. They were ahead by a lot and still lost the game. Tom Brady threw four interceptions!! What’s that? What happened to the Patriot defense? What happened to the idea of controlling the ball on offense and running the clock? Wow!

Dream Team – Many of the smart football folks were marvelling at the talent that the Philadelphia Eagles were putting together. They were supposed to run or fly all over the G-men. DeSean Jackson, who has tons of lip, spends more time on the bench than he does on the field. (That’s my impression, and I could be wrong, but the point is that he is hurt alot.) He ain’t doing the team any good on the sidelines. Michael Vick is hurt, again. I really don’t understand how the Eagles don’t have a better offensive line. You can’t win in the post season without those guys up front. Right now, they simply aren’t getting it done. The Eagles defense is’t getting it done either. The Giants ran and passed the ball fairly well. Eli Manning threw for four touchdowns?!?!? Four? I’m not sure how you let Victor Cruz burn you for two touchdowns. There are clearly some issues in Philly.

Kansas City Chiefs – Please stick a fork in these guys. They are done.

So, who are your hits and misses for week three?

Which NFC playoff team at 1-2 has the best chance to turn it around?

Should Michael Vick take a week off?

Tags: Sports by ecthompson md
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Over the weekend, I was surprised when I was approached by a fellow physician who was giddy that Herman Cain won the Florida straw poll. First of all, I have no idea what straw polls truly reflect. I know that many states straw polls are no more than cash machines for the state party. Candidates are asked to spend money to participate in the straw poll. The straw polls aren’t open to just anybody to vote. They are somewhat strange political animals. Therefore, winning a straw poll in Florida or Iowa doesn’t seem to correlate with much of anything. Recently, data has surfaced that winning the straw poll in Florida is indicative of winning the Republican nomination. Okay, if you say so.

Herman Cain, for the first time, seems to have distinguished himself from the rest of the field. From my standpoint, Herman Cain, like many of these other Republican candidates, has had a difficult time distinguishing themselves from one another. Basically, they oppose Barack Obama. They support smaller government and lower taxes. They support a strong defense. They do not support bailouts. They believe in a laissez-faire governmental approach to economic policy. There is no significant difference among these candidates, Ron Paul being the exception. One of the few candidates trying to distinguish himself is Rick Perry. He stepped out in an aggressive campaign to hammer Obama and to shake up the status quo. Social Security as a Ponzi scheme would be one stance that clearly separated himself from the field. Once he separated himself from the rest of the field, this allowed Mitt Romney and others to begin hammering him. In my opinion, this is why Herman Cain won the Florida straw poll. Florida Republicans (those participating in the straw poll) are clearly stating that they’re not happy with Mitt Romney or Rick Perry.

Back to Herman Cain and my physician friend. My buddy is a conservative 60-year-old, button-down, never a hair out of place kind of physician. He was brimming with excitement. Why? One of the things that I was struck by was the fact that my friend said that Herman Cain spoke clearly and simply. As he said that, I was wondering why these are good qualities. Speaking clearly and simply and wrong can’t be a good thing, can it? Herman Cain has given us multiple examples of speaking clearly and simply but being simply wrong. For example, several months ago he asked us to reread the Constitution. He talked about life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness… in the Constitution. He also talked about “when any form of Government becomes destructive of those ideals, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it.” He also mentioned that this is in the Constitution. These are both great phrases. They’re associated with our founding fathers. Unfortunately, they’re not found in the Constitution. They are found in our Declaration of Independence. The two documents are not synonymous. The two documents were written for two completely different purposes and to confuse the two is simply wrong. At worst, it is overtly deceptive.

Herman Cain is not unique in this quality to confuse our founding documents. Several of the other candidates have done exactly this. I don’t think that this is done cavalierly. I think it’s done on purpose. The purpose is to get you mad, to get you riled up. When you’re angry, you really can’t think rationally. When you’re frustrated and angry, your brain shuts off reason. In these confusing times, we need reason more than ever.

Finally, let me address this notion that simplicity is inherently good. Let’s look at some of the problems currently facing the United States. We have a sagging economy. We have stagnant wages for the middle class. Our educational system is failing us on multiple levels. We have a threat from Muslim extremists. Who knows what’s going on in North Korea and Iran? We have large swaths of the country that have been devastated by natural disasters. We still have ongoing challenges with regard to our food supply. We still have a dangerous dependence on foreign oil. Yet, we are supposed to believe that there are some “simple answer” to all of these complex problems. Horse hockey. Were there a simple answer, it would have been fixed back in 1950 or 1970. There isn’t a simple answer. The fact that many of these problems have festered for decades (Middle East conflict) clearly tells us that there is not a simple answer. So, in my book, when I hear somebody talk plainly and simply, I know that they’re wrong or lying. There are no simple answers to these problems. There are answers, but the answers are not simple. So, when I hear Herman Cain open his mouth to speak, my radar goes up. I want to hear what he has to say. Is he truly addressing the problems that face the United States today? I think the answer to this question is a plain and simple no.

Tags: Domestic Issues, Party Politics by ecthompson md
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I find it hard to believe that it was just six or eight weeks ago that we were talking about the last possible government shutdown. Tempers flared. There was a lot of finger-pointing but, in the end, Republicans backed off from their extreme positions and the government continued. Once again, we’re looking at a government shutdown. In a terrible game of déjà vu, Republicans have again decided they need to use the American economy as a bargaining chip. Democrats cannot agree to any short-term measures, in my opinion. Republicans are playing a game of death by 1000 cuts (pun intended). They want to hold the economy hostage in order to get not just some of what they want, but all of what they want. The fact that their demands were unreasonable, shortsighted and harmful to the economy (long-term) doesn’t seem to matter to them.

Elena Kagan has now been on the Supreme Court for year.

Average weekly hours worked in the private sector has plummeted over the last several weeks.

Gas prices at the pump continue to decline.

The European Union is still struggling to come up with some rational way to save Greece.

The mainstream media seems to be ignoring protests on Wall Street. Occupy Wall Street could turn into a huge movement. We need Wall Street to begin to work for us again. Currently, they only seem to work for themselves.

Remember when Republican candidates attacked Barack Obama for not supporting Israel? According to the Israeli president, Barack Obama is a great friend of Israel. In fact, Barack Obama has essentially embraced the policies of George W. Bush, who embraced the policies of Bill Clinton. There’s been no discernible movement in America support for Israel for more than 50 years.

What stories are you following this morning?

Tags: Economy, Israel, Obama administration, Party Politics by ecthompson md
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New England Patriots versus Buffalo Bills – There’s no doubt that the New England Patriots are on fire. Tom Brady, in two games, has thrown for over 940 yards. He’s thrown for seven touchdowns. Ryan Fitzpatrick has also been on fire. Now, don’t confuse Ryan Fitzpatrick with Tom Brady. It isn’t the same. The one thing that the Buffalo Bills have going for them is an outstanding rushing game led by Fred Jackson. Can the Buffalo Bills defense slow down Tom Brady? I don’t think so. I’m giving the edge in this game New England Patriots.

Jacksonville Jaguars versus Carolina Panthers – It wasn’t that long ago that the Jacksonville Jaguars played dominant, suffocating defense, ran the ball and threw the ball deep. They were one of the elite teams in the NFL. I’m not sure what happened. The Carolina Panthers are clearly building. Cam Newton is a construction project which is showing some early dividends. I look for Jacksonville to continue to be mired in mediocrity. I think Cam Newton will make enough plays to pull the Carolina Panthers into victory row.

San Francisco 49ers versus Cincinnati Bengals – This is a head scratcher. Both of these teams are rebuilding. Both of these teams have some issues at quarterback. I’m not sure about either defense. Both offensive lines are somewhat porous. This is a toss-up.

Miami Dolphins versus Cleveland Browns – The Miami Dolphins desperately need a quarterback. They need someone who is not going to turn over the ball. They need someone who’s able to make throws. I’m not sold on Colt McCoy. This game will come down to turnovers. I think that Miami will make enough plays to avoid going 0-3.

Detroit Lions versus Minnesota Vikings – Donovan McNabb. Donovan McNabb has always been a kind of a streaky quarterback. There are times when he’s able to rifle laser shots 30 yards down the field and hit a receiver in stride. There are also times when a receiver is right in front of him and he throws the ball in the dirt. The Minnesota Vikings need him to play much, much better. I think the Detroit Lions are beginning to feel it. They have some talent. They seem to be putting some things together. If Matthew Stafford can stay healthy, they have a real chance to do something special in Detroit. I look for Detroit to win this one.

Houston Texans versus New Orleans Saints – Wade Phillips left the Dallas Cowboys after being fired in the middle of the season last year. He is now the defensive coordinator of the Houston Texans. The Texans defense is playing extremely well. Can the Houston Texans stop the Saints? More importantly, can the Saints defense create turnovers and shorten the field for their offense? I still think that the offensive line from the New Orleans Saints is not quite up to speed. Because of this, I’m leaning towards the Houston Texans.

New York Giants versus Philadelphia Eagles – will Michael Vick play? Will the Giants wake up from their slumber? The Giants seem to be stuck in mud on offense. Eli Manning appears to be lost. The Giants are not running the ball well. On the other hand, the Philadelphia Eagles gave up some large runs to the Atlanta Falcons. I think there are huge questions on both sides the ball for both of these teams. If Michael Vick plays, I’m giving an edge to the Eagles. As a matter fact, I think I’m giving an edge to the Eagles whether he plays or not.

Denver Broncos versus Tennessee Titans – Chris Johnson has received a huge contract and deservedly so. He has yet to find his groove. For some reason, Matt Hasselbeck has been playing extremely well. He has been finding Kenny Britt. I look for this trend to continue. I think that Chris Johnson is going to get on track. Look for the Tennessee Titans to win this one. (I have no idea what to expect from the Denver Broncos.)

New York Jets versus Oakland Raiders – last year, Jason Campbell was basically shoved out of Washington. Many critics say he had this problem and that problem, but he seems to be playing well right now. The Raiders are running the ball well. On the other side of the ball, the New York Jets seem to have some problems stopping the run and running the ball. Neither their offensive line nor their defensive line seems to be as dominant as they were last year. I am not sold on Mark Sanchez. I think that this will be one of the best games of the day. The New York Jets need this game in order to keep pace with the New England Patriots. I’m marking this game as even.

Afternoon Games
Kansas City Chiefs versus San Diego Chargers – I think this one is easy. I think that San Diego will fix their problems and beat the Chiefs into submission. I think the Chiefs are not going to be able to run the ball the way they did last year. The loss of Jamaal Charles is huge. Matt Cassel is not seeing the field well. He’s rushing his throws. If the Chargers are able take care of the ball, they should be able to win this one easily.

Baltimore Ravens versus St. Louis Rams – the St. Louis Rams looked awful last week. The Baltimore Ravens need better play from their quarterback position. If Joe Flacco can avoid turnovers, I really think that the Baltimore Ravens are poised to win this game. I don’t think that this game be close.

Green Bay Packers versus Chicago Bears – the Chicago Bears are having difficulty protecting Jay Cutler. They had the same problem early last year. Currently, Jay Cutler’s getting beat up. I’m not sure what to expect from the Bears defense. I think this’ll be a tight game. I think this’ll be a tough, hard-hitting game. I look for Aaron Rodgers to make a few plays to break this game open late in the third quarter. I do find it interesting that the Green Bay Packers have not found somebody to fill the Nick Collins, All-Pro safety, position. He was injured last week and is out for the season. I thought there were going to sign Darren Sharper, but…

Arizona Cardinals versus Seattle Seahawks – This is a game in which the Arizona Cardinals have an opportunity to show that they’re going to be serious the season. The Seattle Seahawks are an extremely mediocre team right now. They’ve got issues on both sides of the ball. Arizona should be able to enforce their will and win this game going away.

Atlanta Falcons versus Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Atlanta has not been playing the dominating offense or defense that I expected this year. On the other hand, Tampa Bay has continued to improve since last year. Josh Freeman is improving. Their offensive line appears to be improving. I’m going to buck the trend and lean toward the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Pittsburgh Steelers versus Indianapolis Colts – This is probably the most lopsided game for today. I just don’t see how the Indianapolis Colts can figure out a way to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Colts have to figure out a way to generate some offense. Kerry Collins must believe what he sees and get the ball out of his hand, quickly. Unfortunately, that’s never been his game. I look for the Steelers to run the ball and play action pass their way to victory. By the way, did I mention that the Indianapolis Colts should return money to season-ticket holders? I just thought I’d mention it again.

Monday Night Football
Washington Redskins versus Dallas Cowboys – I know there are some people pointing to Rex Grossman and stating that he’s the man. As I recall, several years ago in Chicago some people jumped on the Rex Grossman bandwagon and that didn’t work out so well for them. Right now, I think that the Washington Redskins are playing much better football. I think the Redskins have one of the best linebacker cores in the league. I think the Dallas Cowboys could be in trouble in this game. Miles Austin, who caught three touchdown passes last week, is out for this game. The Dallas Cowboys secondary is still banged up with injuries. Terence Newman, cornerback, has been out with a pulled groin. He’s expected to play for the first time this season. Orlando Scandrick, who plays on the slot receiver, has had a high ankle sprain for the last two weeks. He’s out for the Monday night game. It’s unclear whether Dez Bryant will play (the sensational young receiver for the Cowboys).

Tags: Sports by ecthompson md
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Solyndra executives were summoned to Capitol Hill yesterday. They took the fifth. This is curious.

There’s more going on in Wisconsin with regards to Governor Scott Walker and some secret investigation. Scott Walker’s spokesman has received immunity. This can’t be good.

Sometimes, government is hard. Other times, it’s just politics. It appears that a government shutdown is on the horizon, again. The Republicans have not given up on insisting on funding cuts before funding FEMA disaster relief.

I find it kind of amusing that we are instructing Europe to be more aggressive on their debt crisis. This is in spite of the fact that we really haven’t solve our own debt crisis.

Scientists at Penn State College of Medicine announced that they have found a virus capable of killing breast cancer within seven days. If this is true and if there are no untoward side effects, like getting some other type of cancer, this would be a huge breakthrough.

Michele Bachmann during last week’s debates basically proposed no taxes. I’m not talking about a system with fewer taxes. I’m talking about a system without any taxes. I guess that government would run on a voluntary basis. There would be no military. There would be no Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid. There would be nothing. No disaster relief. The crazy, irrational philosopher, Ayn Rand, would be proud.

For quite some time now, some money gurus have been touting the safe haven of gold. After yesterday’s losses, I’m guessing that gold and silver aren’t that safe anymore.

One of the darlings of Wall Street has been this company called GroupOn. Just like every other phrase on Wall Street, Groupon was initially overvalued at $20 billion. Its revenues were nowhere near this lofty number. There seems to be some accounting irregularities which reduce the revenue from over $700 million to $312.9 million. That’s a huge accounting discrepancy.

I’ve been extremely critical of Hewlett-Packard. I think that they’ve lost their way. They have fired their old CEO and have hired eBay’s old CEO Meg Whitman. She’s got a lot of work to do.

Nice article on making your smart phone – smarter.

The NRA is confused and delusional. They seem to be upset that Obama has done what he said he was going to do. Nothing. He wasn’t going to touch gun control. That simple task of Obama’s sticking to his promise has gotten the NRA in a twist. Read this craziness.

Is Putin back in as the Russian president? Nice gig if you can get it.

UBS CEO has stepped down over the $2 billion losses. Remember, I mentioned several days ago that a “rogue” trader lost $2 billion at UBS. I think that it is important to point out the wink, wink, nod, nod that is going on here. This trader wasn’t a rogue. He was just the same as those other knuckleheads. Matt Taibbi put it this way –

They’re not “rogue” for the simple reason that making insanely irresponsible decisions with other peoples’ money is exactly the job description of a lot of people on Wall Street. Hell, they don’t call these guys “rogue traders” when they make a billion dollars gambling.

The only thing that differentiates a “rogue” trader like Barings villain Nick Leeson from a Lloyd Blankfein, Dick Fuld, John Thain, or someone like AIG’s Joe Cassano, is that those other guys are more senior and their lunatic, catastrophic decisions were authorized (and yes, I know that Cassano wasn’t an investment banker, technically – but he was in financial services).

In the financial press you’re called a “rogue trader” if you’re some overperspired 28 year-old newbie who bypasses internal audits and quality control to make a disastrous trade that could sink the company. But if you’re a well-groomed 60 year-old CEO who uses his authority to ignore quality control and internal audits in order to make disastrous trades that could sink the company, you get a bailout, a bonus, and heroic treatment in an Andrew Ross Sorkin book.

Right on cue, Larry Flynt, founder of Hustler magazine, has offered $1 million for anyone who has proof of a sexual affair with Rick Perry.

Cain wins Florida straw poll. Interestingly, Michele Bachmann finished last. She finished behind – Ron Paul, Newt Gingrich (who has gotten no traction at all) and Jon Huntsman.

What’s on your mind? What stories are you following?

Tags: Business, Congress, Economy, Party Politics by ecthompson md
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I saw this on the Daily Kos yesterday. It was too good for me not to republish.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Other than references to then-contemporary politicians and election dates, this JFK speech is just as relevant today as it was in 1960.

A snippet:

I believe in human dignity as the source of national purpose, in human liberty as the source of national action, in the human heart as the source of national compassion, and in the human mind as the source of our invention and our ideas. It is, I believe, the faith in our fellow citizens as individuals and as people that lies at the heart of the liberal faith. For liberalism is not so much a party creed or set of fixed platform promises as it is an attitude of mind and heart, a faith in man’s ability through the experiences of his reason and judgment to increase for himself and his fellow men the amount of justice and freedom and brotherhood which all human life deserves.I believe also in the United States of America, in the promise that it contains and has contained throughout our history of producing a society so abundant and creative and so free and responsible that it cannot only fulfill the aspirations of its citizens, but serve equally well as a beacon for all mankind. I do not believe in a superstate. I see no magic in tax dollars which are sent to Washington and then returned. I abhor the waste and incompetence of large-scale federal bureaucracies in this administration as well as in others. I do not favor state compulsion when voluntary individual effort can do the job and do it well. But I believe in a government which acts, which exercises its full powers and full responsibilities. Government is an art and a precious obligation; and when it has a job to do, I believe it should do it. And this requires not only great ends but that we propose concrete means of achieving them.

Our responsibility is not discharged by announcement of virtuous ends. Our responsibility is to achieve these objectives with social invention, with political skill, and executive vigor. I believe for these reasons that liberalism is our best and only hope in the world today. For the liberal society is a free society, and it is at the same time and for that reason a strong society. Its strength is drawn from the will of free people committed to great ends and peacefully striving to meet them. Only liberalism, in short, can repair our national power, restore our national purpose, and liberate our national energies. And the only basic issue in the 1960 campaign is whether our government will fall in a conservative rut and die there, or whether we will move ahead in the liberal spirit of daring, of breaking new ground, of doing in our generation what Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman and Adlai Stevenson did in their time of influence and responsibility.

Tags: Other Political Thoughts by ecthompson md
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I was on Local Edge Radio yesterday. I chatted with Blake and Leslie. We discussed the death of Troy Davis. We have to fix this. We need a system that is fair for everyone. Our government shouldn’t be in the business of vengeance. We need to get into a position where the death penalty is used rarely, if ever. We then drift into a couple of other topics. We note that the stock market took a huge hit yesterday. Then we delve into global climate change secondary to man’s burning of fossil fuels. I point to the difficulty of tackling threats that are in the future. I then talk about the science of global warming. Ice core samples reveal that CO2 levels are higher now then at any time during the last 500,000 years. The question that I ask is whether we can face a complex problem like global warming. We then discuss the problem that California is having with water. California has known for more than 40 years that their water supply is dwindling. The population of California’s increasing. The agricultural demands on water continue to increase. Yet, California continually puts the problem off by rationing water. Rationing water is a short-term solution to a long-term problem. There are only two ways to fix this problem. One, significantly decrease demand on water – move large segments of the population. Two, significantly increase water, make water. Leslie mentions the decrease in the water in aquifers. Finally, I mention a book that I’m currently reading called the Watchman’s Rattle. I highly recommend it.

Enjoy.

Local Edge Radio 9-23-11 [ 25:22 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Entertainment, Legal, Podcasts by ecthompson md
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A friend of mine sent me this picture the other day. It is a picture that has been floating around the internet for about two years. I think that this picture points out several things that we believe about our legislators. First, they’re lazy. Second, they’re not paying attention and they’re wasting our time. My first thought when I saw this picture was that it wasn’t true. The caption on the picture suggested that it was from the US House of Representatives. This picture is not. This picture was taken in the Connecticut state capitol in their House of Representatives. The picture is authentic.

I think that this picture speaks volumes. First of all, we conduct legislative business as if it were 1850. This is the exact way they conducted business in England back in the 1700s. Isn’t there a better way? Giving lengthy speeches on the floor of any chamber seems to be a poor way to communicate in the year 2011. Don’t we need to be more interactive? We need to find a better way to get more done. Things need to move faster. If I were sitting around, listening to folks (my esteemed colleagues) yammer on for hours, I would be surfing the Internet and playing solitaire (Madden or Angry Birds on my iPad), too.

More from Snopes

Tags: Congress, Domestic Issues by ecthompson md
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This is an excellent post which looks at how two schools of thought explain our current problem.

The other school of thought -

Nice explanation here.

Tags: Economy by ecthompson md
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Currently it’s 10 PM on Wednesday, September 21, 2011. Troy Davis was scheduled to be executed a little over three hours ago. His execution has been delayed by the United States Supreme Court. The question that looms is whom the state should execute. When do you institute the death penalty? Right now, the Troy Davis case hangs over this country. No matter what you think of this case, there are a few undeniable facts. First, nine eyewitnesses initially testified that Troy Davis shot and killed off-duty police officer Mark MacPhail in 1989. Since then, seven of the nine eyewitnesses have recanted their testimony. There is no physical evidence that I know of. The weapon used to shoot Officer MacPhail was never found. So, is this a case in which the death penalty should be instituted?

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Interestingly, Lawrence Russell Brewer was executed in Texas tonight. He died at 7:21 EST. Mr. Brewer was convicted of dragging James Byrd, Jr. to death. This was a famous case at the time, a terrible race-based crime. Interestingly, the family of James Byrd holds no animosity toward Mr. Brewer. They actually petitioned the court not to execute him.

As I mentioned earlier, I think that somebody like Timothy McVeigh should have been executed. So, once again, should we consider using the death penalty much more narrowly than ever before? Should it be something that is used rarely, maybe once or twice a year across the United States? Will it be possible for us to have a serious debate over the death penalty or will it turn into a media circus, like every other major issue that we have discussed over the last 10 years?

Update: The U.S. Supreme Court has denied Davis’ motion for a stay of execution. I suspect that My Davis will be executed later on tonight. So sad, so very sad.

Tags: Domestic Issues, Legal by ecthompson md
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Troy Davis is scheduled for execution later on today. His final appeal has been denied. In my opinion, the question is whether justice be served by executing Troy Davis. Will we be safer?

If you are seen in the company of extremists, does that make you out of the mainstream? Who’s that with Rick Perry? (By the way, I do not play the game of guilty by association. I think the game is wrong and dangerous.)

American hikers who have been jailed for espionage (being stupid beyond belief) have been released from an Iranian jail. Look for them to be hitting all the media outlets by tomorrow morning or late tomorrow afternoon at the latest.

Reports are circulating that the Hewlett-Packard board may be looking to boot out the CEO.

The Fed’s instituting Operation Twist seems to have stocks falling. I’m guessing that investors are not believing in the wisdom of the Fed.

Existing home sales rose in August. This looks like speculators taking advantage of a depressed market rather than homeowners buying houses. If we immediately stop construction on all new homes, we still have an eight months’ supply of empty, unoccupied houses.

Former first Lieutenant Dan Choi who was an outspoken critic of don’t ask, don’t tell was one of the first to reenlist once this awfully destructive law was repealed. Now this is patriotism.

Bank of America, Wells Fargo and Citigroup have all been downgraded by Moody’s. Over the next few days, we should figure out what this means. I don’t see how this can be good for the average American.

Finally, several Republican members of Congress have written Fed Chair Ben Bernanke and have basically asked him not to help the economy. Really? How does this help Main Street? Politicians are always talking about helping Main Street. One of these guys can step up and at least propose something that’s going to help – MainStreet.

Tags: Business, Economy, Legal by ecthompson md
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Hits
New England Patriots – I’m sorry, but I’ve never liked New England Patriots. Therefore, it is difficult for me to say anything good about Tom Brady and the gang. I thought San Diego was ready. I thought this was a time for San Diego to step up and say I’m ready to play with the big boys. I guess not. San Diego Chargers had the number one defense in the league last year. It was not on display on Sunday. Tom Brady threw for over 400 yards and three touchdowns. The game was really never in doubt. Two interceptions by Philip Rivers weren’t going to get it done. The Patriot defense is not dominating yet. Then again, I’m not sure they have to be. In my book, nobody’s playing better than the Patriots.

Cam Newton

Buffalo Bills – when I thought about coming up with a segment to sum up the weekend’s games, I never thought I would be talking about the Buffalo Bills being one of the best teams in the NFL. They are playing well on both sides of the ball. Ryan Fitzpatrick is playing well. Let me say it again for those of you who do not believe. Ryan Fitzpatrick is playing well. In two games he has thrown for seven touchdowns and one interception. He has a passer rating that is almost 110. He’s only had one sack. Buffalo clearly has something to cheer about.

New Orleans Saints – I thought the New Orleans looked terrible in their first game. I thought that the Chicago Bears looked outstanding in their first game. What a difference a week makes. As I see it, the formula for the New Orleans Saints to win is for their defense to create turnovers and their offense to generously cash in. This is how they won the Super Bowl two years ago. The New Orleans Saints pressured Jay Cutler all day long. They forced him to throw the ball before he was ready. Six sacks! They forced a fumble. On offense, they were patient. They’re using Darren Sproles magnificently out of the backfield. I still think that the New Orleans offensive line has some issues. These issues have to be worked out if the Saints are going to go deep into the playoffs. Right now, they seem to be playing winning New Orleans Saints football.

Cam Newton – this guy appears to be the real deal. He’s throwing the ball with authority and confidence. He seems to be seeing the field extremely well. It is still extremely early in the season, but the Carolina Panthers may have picked up a gem in this quarterback.

Misses
Indianapolis Colts – I hate to give up on a team this early in the season. It is only the second game, but the Indianapolis Colts look awful. I’m going to reiterate what I said last week, that they need to refund the season-ticket holders their money back.

St. Louis Rams versus New York Giants – what an awful game. Fumbles, turnovers, backwards passes, drive all the way down the field and then no score inside the 10 yard line – twice. I wish I could say there was something that happened outstanding in this game, but if it happened, I missed it.

Baltimore Ravens – come on. The Baltimore Ravens played a near-perfect game last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers. They dominated the Pittsburgh Steelers. So, on Sunday, they play the Tennessee Titans and lay a large egg. Joe Flacco throws two interceptions. They can’t get the running game going. Ray Rice only runs for 43 yards. This is not Baltimore Ravens football. Then, to add insult to injury, Matt Hasselbeck, 100 years old,  riddles the Ravens defense for over 350 yards. Let me state that again, the Baltimore Ravens gave up over 400 yards of total offense. This has me scratching my head. This isn’t Ravens football.

A Few Other Things
Tony Romo is not Superman. The Cowboys sustained a ton of injuries on Sunday. Donovan McNabb played a better game on Sunday. He’ll to improve even more if the Minnesota Vikings are going to save their season. I’m still not buying into the Rex Grossman hype. He seems to be the same Rex we’ve seen over the last several years. He’ll make some great plays. He’ll make some really boneheaded plays. The Green Bay Packers need to tighten up their pass defense. With Nick Collins injured, look for them to try to pick up a safety like former Green Bay Packers, Darren Sharper. I’m still not sure what to make out of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Seattle Seahawks are really, really bad. When you’re so bad you can’t make my bad list, that puts you in a separate class all by yourself.

So, what are your thoughts on week two? What match-ups are you looking forward to seeing next week?

Tags: Sports by ecthompson md
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There’s been an outpouring of support for Troy Anthony Davis. Mister Davis, 42, is on death row in Georgia. He is accused of killing an off-duty police officer.

First, before I go on, we need to set the ground rules. I believe that capital punishment should be reserved for the worst of the worst. I believe that capital punishment should only be applied in extremely clear-cut cases. With capital punishment, we must be 100% correct, 100% of the time. There is no excuse to execute an innocent person. None. Timothy McVeigh is an excellent example of someone who deserved the death penalty, in my opinion. We had the evidence. We had his confession. We had his accomplice. There was no doubt that he was the one that bombed the federal building in Oklahoma.

Back to Troy Davis’s case. There are several places on the Internet where you can read up on his case. (Here, here) Basically, there was a fight in the parking lot back in 1989 in Savannah, Georgia. An off-duty police officer, Mark MacPhail, steps in to restore order. The off-duty police officer gets shot twice. The police officer dies. At trial, there are several eyewitnesses who testify that they saw Tony Davis with a gun. Davis maintains his innocence. Davis gets convicted for the murder of Mark MacPhail. There is no physical evidence. So, basically, the whole trial boils down to a combination of he said, she said. In subsequent trials and appeals many of the eyewitnesses stated that they were coerced into their testimony. Troy Anthony Davis is set to die, tomorrow.

There are only a few of us who have brains that actually act as a recorder. There are some remarkable individuals who can remember almost everything, down to the most minute detail. Most of us remember bits and pieces of an event. Later, when we are retelling the event, we fill in the details with pieces of our imagination. This is the way our minds work. For the majority of what we do as human beings, this is perfectly adequate. If you’re trying to remember how to get home, you don’t need to remember every single detail of every single street in order to get back home. Instead, all you need to remember is a few details, landmarks, and you can get home every single time. (Read more on eyewitness testimony – here and here.)

Our brains fail us in times of stress. There are multiple reasons for this which I will not go into. Basically, in times of stress, fight or flight, your body is primed for survival. You have a surge of epinephrine and multiple other hormones and cytokines that are designed to give you strength, speed and agility to preserve yourself. These hormones also give you the ability to block out extraneous information and focus intently on survival. Because of this, you’re not focused on the face of the stranger that is attacking you. There are many psychological studies which have shown this to be true. We also know that cross-racial identification is extremely poor. Therefore, all witness identifications should be thought of as suspect and unreliable. They may be true; on the other hand, they may not be true.

So, what do you do with Troy Anthony Davis? I do not know if there’s enough evidence to say that Troy Davis is completely innocent. I do know that there isn’t enough evidence to say that he is guilty beyond a shadow of a doubt. Because our system is designed in such a way that you’re innocent until proven guilty, the State must NOT execute Troy Davis. In my opinion, it is the right thing to do. (f you want to do more, if you want to fight for justice – Amnesty International.)

Tags: Legal by ecthompson md
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