Why was sentencing so harsh for Madoff and not for other scumbags...

The sentencing for Bernard Madoff was just received; 150 years in prison and ordered to liquidate all his assets to repay as much as it allows, to Madoff's victims.

I think that it's great when justice slams it's gavel down with a vengeance on individuals that steal money from people who trusted them with it. I can't help but wonder in amazement though at the quick and harsh trial and sentencing of this particular case...

We're almost numb to it with all the news about corporate corruption in the last decade and the companies that pulled an "Enron" on their employees - (that word by the way should be added to the official dictionary; meaning the act of cheating and stealing from its' employees and getting away with it scott free!) What has happened to those cases and the people that it affected? Did they ever get their retirement money back and were any of the CEOs, CFOs serving a lengthy sentence? Last I read, Jeffrey Skilling / CEO will most likely serve only about 12 years but no mention of making them liquidate any of their assets...??!! Mmmm....

What's really going on is the fact that Madoff had swindled the money of some very famous and most importantly powerful people in high places if you catch my drift!! They pulled all their strings and called their contacts to make sure good ol' Bernie pays his "dues". I may be surprised if he doesn't mysteriously "die" in prison...this is a dirty, unsavory world we live in and someone always knows a few people in low places!

Who's to say this won't happen again? The SEC is suppose to be there to monitor and control transactions of such giants but even it's staff and officials are in question... It's getting harder and harder to live an honest life...

Isn't it?

Kudos Supreme Court - However, do we really want Sonia??

Just reading about the Supreme Courts' recent reversal of a decision made by yours truly, Sonia Sotomayor, then an appeals court judge, filed by a group of white firefighters from New Haven, Connecticut.

They had claimed that the town of New Haven discriminated and passed them up for promotions and positions within the department due to the scrapping of an already taken written exam because no Blacks and only two Hispanic firefighters were likely to be made lieutenants or captains based on the results.

I think it's been shown time and time again and now one more time; that Sonia is not our gal! It saddens me because she is a woman and one of ethnic background. What an opportunity and honor to have been a positive and major influence towards the equality for women and women of color. However, she has since tainted the fact that a women of ethnicity can be unbiased and fair when making decisions that concerns us all.

New Haven was concerned about possible lawsuits from minorities but as stated by Justice Anthony Kennedy in his opinion for the court:

"Fear of litigation alone cannot justify an employer's reliance on race to the detriment of individuals who passed the examinations and qualified for promotions,". He was joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Samuel Alito, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas.

This is one place that I think a fair level playing field is a must. Besides, who wants to know that they got the job or promotion because of the color of their skin or their ethnicity? I most certainly do not and have never had the notion that I didn't get a job because I was Asian?! I interview based on my merits and qualifications and if it didn't suit the potential employer; it wasn't the job for me!

So are the Blacks and Hispanics in the New Haven Fire Department telling us that they're really not qualified for the job and not intelligent enough to pass a written exam? I think that's what they're saying loud and clear because I don't hear any of them standing and speaking out and maybe saying, "Wait, we're playing - no need for this lawsuit!!".

What a disservice and insult to other Blacks and Hispanics who choose to live by means of working hard and sacrificing every day of their lives in pursuit of their happiness and fortune. It's just another stereotype added onto all minorities.

To the city officials of New Haven, you must get some sort of backbone and always CYA - Cover Your Ass and document everything. It can be done and the truth will always set you free; as the cliche goes. It is unfair for those of us that want to compete fairly and evenly but are not allowed to because of the few who goes through life thinking "What is everyone else going to do for me?"

Welcome again, to the Obama-nation...!

A bit of funny...

Sotomayor fractures ankle at airport

Perhaps, being a "Latina" will make her ankle heal faster than a "white" males' would... Yes, she's talking about you Joe Biden!

When will you step up as a Parent?

I was deeply saddened and moved to tears this morning as I watched this segment on Good Morning America about a young man named Christopher David Jones 14, brutally beaten to death by a group of six black males... only ranging in ages from 14 to 16, while riding his bike home on May 30, 2009 around 4 p.m.

As I watched the pain and hurt his parents expressed reliving and retelling what was probably countless number of times the day their son passed away was almost unbearable. You don't have to be a parent to see that the death of Christopher has left a giant, gaping hole in their hearts.

This did not occur in the "bad neighborhoods" or "projects" as one may have assumed but right here in what could be our own backyard and what appears to be a picturesque suburbia of Crofton, Maryland in Anne Arundel County known as the “land of pleasant living" in which nearly 500,000 residents call home.

Two arrests have been made to date with the second being kept anonymous due to his minor age. They were all associated with gangs already at such young ages. The first one being Javel George, 16 who has been charged as an adult with manslaughter, second-degree assault and reckless endangerment. There are pictures of these boys flashing their gang symbols and signs proudly. It is unfortunately another step down for the black community that always claim their "people" are being stereotyped, mistreated or targeted in some way. It is individuals such as these that keep the stereotyping a fact rather than fiction. It should be noted that there are bad people in all races; but few as vocal, demanding and conducting themselves with this sense of entitlement as if everyone else owes them something all the time; as some do within the black population.

Christopher apparently has had run ins with these thugs and has been bullied by them before. His mother had done ALMOST everything to protect him and end this problem. She contacted the school he was attending at the time and even switched to a different school. With that in mind, I have to ask, "Where are the parents of these delinquents?" while this was occurring. How is it possible for them allow their children to be in gangs and worst of all bullying and killing an innocent child!

I say Christopher's mother did ALMOST everything but not in a judgmental context. I have to wonder if these bullies parents were ever contacted by her personally since the school did not take any action. It has not been mentioned whether or not that was ever done or if she even knew who they all were... So I am in no way making light of any of her efforts. It is no longer good enough to raise your kids with morals and values; but you also have to raise them to be cynical and wary of others; which tears us down as a functioning society.

It is hard to believe that in all the past and present coverage and discussions of bullying that occurs, nothing has changed. It can be just as deadly as children bringing guns or knives to schools but somehow we don't treat it the same way with the same urgency.

These bullies were obviously not from a loving nor stable home and no apparent evidence of discipline either. I say these things under assumption of course, because I don't know how you cannot know or do anything as a parent if your child is in a gang or is bullying someone. I understand some choose to turn a deaf ear but most just don't want to face it or deal with it. So the rest of us suffer for their negligence.

It's another example of the deconstruction of America; our continuing lack of efforts to raise good decent human beings.

How far are you willing to go to step up and be a positive influence in your childrens lifes and bring back the values and moral standards that America USED to have?

Here a billion, there a billion...

It just angers me every time I see our "president" on TV, read about him or just a mention of him. I've never felt such hopelessness and sadness for our country as I do now. You're not suppose to dislike (I choose not use the word "hate") your leader of the free world (and I use the term "free" loosely); are you? I mean I was disgusted by Bill Clinton for what he did to tarnished the presidency with his indiscretions and I know he's not the first, but dislike? No...!

Yes, our president is a cool cat, even in his walk with a little bit of jive. However, a great deal of us are looking for something a bit more substantial. One of his latest tasks is tackling the lack of adequate and affordable health insurance.

Congress is proposing that mandatory insurance be provided to all Americans and how do you propose we do that? Making employers pay for the cost. Well, being that we're self employed, I have a huge issue with that!! In my household we currently pay our own insurance and I hate having that monthly premium withdrawn from my account every month but like all insurance you have to have it -- just in case--. In addition, we have children and with that it's not even an option to not have health coverage; so who do we go to be able to afford it? Ummmm, let's see...let me look around...wait let me get to a mirror...oh, that's who - Me, Myself and I!

I'm all for taking care of our employees because a happy employee makes for a happy company but we have also chosen to put their pay scale at a higher rate so they too can afford to pay for their own insurance.

There has been one component missing from this current administration and that's "ACCOUNTABILITY".

Mr. Obama was quoted as saying, “If we are going to make people responsible for owning health insurance, we must make health care affordable,” Ok, so why don't we work on making health care professionals charge at a decent rate? I have personally experienced how outrageous doctor visit charges are and even questioned my children's pediatrician recently on a bill I received. We were there for a minimum of 10 minutes with the doctor (but of course waited for her to show up in the room another 20 minutes) and our bill came to $104.00! Now in the grand scheme of things; it's $104.00 and we're fortunate enough to be able to afford that; but for some families that's a utility bill or money for groceries - it could be detrimental!

Do the math, that doctor makes $624.00 an hour billing at that rate!! I'm not saying that they don't deserve it and do not by any means belittle their time or profession. However, if you really want to get a grip on rising medical costs; let's start there!

I'm all for capitalism and the pursuit of happiness but when I have to start making the money and then giving it to everyone else to pursue their happiness while they sponge off of the government; we have a problem!

The rest of us are out there working towards the American Dream just to watch it be taken away by a man in power who thinks that the solution is "share the wealth". Forget about the ones that are working hard, sacrificing and living within our means! Nobody twisted your arm to buy that house, car, tv or rack up your credit cards...right? Why are we obligated to bail you out?

What eventually will happen is if it's mandated that employers provide health insurance coverage for their employees; small businesses such as ourselves will have to offset that cost by lowering the employees pay grade and that's pretty much a given.

Does anyone see the big pictures or are we just groovin' along with the obama-nation?

What's wrong with people...

As you may or may not be following the recent "drama" of the Gosselin family, the family of sextuplets on the TLC show - Jon and Kate plus Eight.

I have to wonder what is going on with this world of ours. What happened to being decent human beings and living a quiet unassuming life. I know blogging is not any better but I can at least choose who reads my going ons and I guarantee you no one is paying me $50,000 each time I blog!

I'm assuming these people are not actors and especially not the children so it saddens me that these kids, unbeknownst to them, that their tight little family is unraveling. I know Kate, the mother has been pitted as the "bitch" of the relationship and I have to agree she has set herself up for the labeling. However, as they say, it takes two to tango and it just was in poor taste that Jon was seen out late (and I mean late - in the a.m.'s) with girl(s).

We normal folk can usually get away with that crap but when you're this new kind of "reality celebrity" and cameras are with you 24/7; you had better watch what you say, do or eat with! I don't buy the whole "Oh, I didn't know what this would do to us!!" garbage. You're putting your life in the hands of our critical society, what did you think would happen?

As always, the children will be the ones who suffers and who knows maybe they're not suffering that much. More drama means more money which equals more toys bought for them or places to take them. I could be wrong...probably not though.

These are real people but they also are grown ups and made a choice without limitations perhaps...