John Bleeping Carney

John Bleeping Carney

John Bleeping Carney. One of 30 'Democrats' to vote to enable 'financial advisors' to continue to rip you off. Worse than useless. Check out this article from Daily Kos:
The Labor Department proposal, known as the “fiduciary rule,” would change the ethical standards by which employer-based retirement products like 401(k)’s and IRAs are marketed and sold. The rule has not been updated since 1975, before 401(k)’s and IRAs even existed. The Labor Department wants to broaden the definition of a “fiduciary” to cover all financial advisers who offer individual investment advice for a fee. Under the rule, they would be legally required to work in the best interest of their clients. For example, a fiduciary would not be able to push investment products on customers in which they have a financial stake.
Delaware ranked 5th best state for women

Delaware ranked 5th best state for women

The Center for American Progress (CAP) report, “The State of Women in America,” uses 36 different health, economic, and leadership factors to measure disparities between states and rank the best and worst states for women." Delaware women don't have it so bad (relatively speaking). We are fifth overall and our gals make $0.81 for every dollar men make for the same job. The national average is $0.77 - so not too shabby ladies. Maryland is number 1 by that measure. They pay their daughters $0.85 for every dollar their sons make doing the same job. The worst states in which to be a non-man are predictably, more often than not, in the south. Louisiana's Mesdames et Mesdemoiselles take down a measly $0.67 compared to their Messieurs. [...]
The myth of “shareholder primacy” continues to crumble; employers, employees and shareholders win

The myth of “shareholder primacy” continues to crumble; employers, employees and shareholders win

When I was getting my MBA 10 years ago, the manifold virtues of shareholder primacy were so ingrained in the culture of business academics that, while they informed every bit of the curriculum, they were only discussed in passing. There was no more attention paid this foundational concept than you would pay attention to the concept of addition in a calculus class. Fortunately that is changing. Lynn Stout, the Distinguished Professor of Corporate and Business Law at Cornell Law School, helps move shareholder primacy into a coffin and provides some coffin nails for the myth that has wrecked our economy in her most recent book, The Shareholder Value Myth: How Putting Shareholders First Harms Investors, Corporations and the Public. This abstract of the book explores the logical connections between the 40 year rise of shareholder value thinking and subsequent declines in investor returns, numbers of public companies, and corporate life expectancy. It also shows that shareholder primacy is an bullshit economic theory, completely lacking in support from history, law, or empirical evidence. [Set aside a few minutes to read the whole thing.]
NSA Is Out Of Control. Time To Rein It In.

NSA Is Out Of Control. Time To Rein It In.

James Clapper, the Obama Administration's Director of National Intelligence has said NSA does not "wittingly" collect data on citizens. General Keith Alexander, NSA's Director as well as his predecessor have testified that NSA is not spying on or collecting data on citizens. Even the Chair of the House Intelligence Committee has told the media that the American intelligence community is not intrusively monitoring the communications of our citizens without a warrant.
Wednesday Open Thread [10.29.13]

Wednesday Open Thread [10.29.13]

The News Journal has a haunted house expose up. Here is an interesting tidbit from the story:
Former Delaware GOP Chairman Terry Strine, for example, feels exactly the opposite of Milliken about his home near Centreville where a Delaware socialite was beaten to death in her first-floor bedroom in 1967. He finds it “totally illogical, irrational and psychologically crazy” that anyone would be spooked from buying the house where Katharine “Kaa” Thompson Wood died.
In fact, he enjoys conversing with the undead spirits every night as he refines the latest Republican talking points.

Rampant child rape and abuse going unreported

A new study says that each year approximately 7,500 children are admitted to U.S. hospitals having been raped and more than 500 children die during hospital admission as a result of rape.
An abstract of the study, titled "United States Child Rape--Disturbing Trends," was presented on Sunday by researchers at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition in Orlando, Fla.
  Why isn't it a national scandal that this isn't covered in the media? It is almost as if someone is covering it up? Oh wait. I changed "gunshot" to "rape." Here is the original.
Tuesday Open Thread [10.29.13]

Tuesday Open Thread [10.29.13]

So last night I attended the Delaware Democratic Party's annual Jefferson-Jackson Dinner. My thoughts: 1) Dem Party Chair John Daniello really hates the 21st Century. He hates the blogs. He hates social media. The venom that dripped off the word "blogs" as he said it was amazing. I looked across my table to a particular State Representative as he said and said "Boy does he hate me." The Representative laughed. The point Daniello was making was that the people in that room are what is important, not blogs and Facebook or Twitter. I wonder if Daniello realized just how many bloggers and former bloggers and users of Twitter and Social Media were in that room. 2) Senator Carper needs to stop drinking caffeine around noon or so. The man spoke at warp speed and wandered around the stage with a microphone in his hand making jokes like he was Robin Williams. Too bad he wasn't as funny as Robin Williams. Also, Tom, for the love of God, it is the DemocratIC Party. I know you just love love love your Republican friends (or should I say Republic friends), but you have been talking like them for far too long. Come inside for more...