Something to Know - 7 February

1.  Do you have those mornings where you wonder where the hell this country is headed?  While sipping your coffee, you recall the "Frontline" piece on insider trading- where all these brilliant minds out of the Wharton School of Economics are scheming plans that subvert the SEC laws on trading information, and they make billions, and walk free?  Meanwhile, Republicans in Congress pass bills that cut SNAP (Food Stamp assistance) to those in need, and raise subsidies to rich agri-business corporation. It just sucks.   So, this piece from the Albany News reporter, fits right in with my mood right now:

http://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/article/A-worse-affliction-than-cognitive-dissonance-5212423.php?t=7a8c364247

2.  Still sipping coffee, this NY Times piece comes up, referencing the above subject, and you think that perhaps things are not so bad.  But then, you look closer, and see that SAC's Steve Cohen is still swimming in the tank of Wall Street Sleaze, and wonder what it takes to clean up the dark side of Capitalism's Greed.  You get sick again:

http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/02/06/former-sac-trader-found-guilty-of-insider-trading/?emc=eta1

3.  The Sochi Winter Games are now the focus of NBC's programming.  Yes, it will showcase the host's country's attempt to blind the behind-the-scene efforts by Putin to mask all that is wrong with the Soviet's system of governance.  May the athletes and all the participants do well.  Unfortunately, the success of these games is all built on a house of cards dealt by a corrupt and ugly KGB bureaucrat:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/07/opinion/a-spotlight-on-putins-russia.html?emc=eta1

4.  David Brooks has this piece on his opinion on when to go with the flow, or against the grain.  Not sure if his opinion is totally valid, but it helps to guide those who are not grounded in their own core beliefs.  If everyone behaved as Brooks suggests, then would we have the George Carlins, the Lenny Bruces, the Richard Pryors, and the Pete Seegers of the world where advancement is made by pushing the envelope?

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/07/opinion/brooks-other-peoples-views.html?emc=eta1

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Juan

 
Freedom is the right to one's dignity as a man.
-- Archibald MacLeish