Goldman caught breaking the law again. I guess this means that the SEC will have to rewrite a few laws to appease the Squid again.

Goldman caught breaking the law again. I guess this means that the SEC will have to rewrite a few laws to appease the Squid again.: "Goldman Sachs Accused by Marvell Founders of Margin Call Fraud Share this:"

Cocky Chris Matthews Slams 2012 GOP Nominees as a 'Dog Pound' and a 'Pig Pen'

Cocky Chris Matthews Slams 2012 GOP Nominees as a 'Dog Pound' and a 'Pig Pen': "

A cocky Chris Matthews on Monday dismissed the possible 2012 Republican presidential nominees as a "dog pound" and a "pig pen." The Hardball host briefly mentioned candidates such as Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty, but focused mostly on Donald Trump and lesser known individuals like Herman Cain.



Talking to Republican strategist John Feehery and former Hillary Clinton aide Mark Penn, Matthews mocked, "This looks more, sounds more like a dog pound than it does like a group of people running for President."



The cable anchor then ran down a list of Trump, Cain, Newt Ginrich and Michele Bachmann, asking his guests if these people could be elected President. Matthews left off Pawlenty, Romney, Mitch Daniels and other possibly strong nominees.

[See video below. MP3 audio here.]

Later, the host berated, "You've got a majority of your guys in this pig pen are unwinnable."



In a moment of introspection, Matthews wondered, "We're sitting here talking about candidates who are wasting our time. Is it my fault or yours, John Feehery?"



A transcript of the April 11 segment, which aired at 5:10pm EDT, follows:

CHRIS MATTHEWS: We're looking at the actual announced candidate in the Republican Party. You're laughing again. Buddy Roamer, former Democratic governor of, what, Mississippi, Louisiana, Herman Cain, business guy down in the-- he's the Godfather pizza guy from Atlanta. Who else? Rick Santorum. You know, you really don't have a lot of winners out there ready to sign up. The question I have, if you have a debate right now, who would show up for it? Who would actually be out there in the debate?



JOHN FEEHERY (Republican strategist): Well, I think you'd have Newt Gingrich. I think you'd have Michele Bachmann. I think you'd have- I think you'd have Mitt Romney, I think you'd have Tim Pawlenty. I think you might have Mitch Daniels. I think you might have some of these other characters. But you know what, this kind of reminds me of what happened in 1991, 1992. The Democratic primary got off to an awfully early start and some little known governor named Bill Clinton, who Mark Penn knows something about, you know, turned out to be the only guy that was worth nominating and he nominated [sic] and he won. And they nominated him and he won.



CHRIS MATTHEWS: Well, you know- This looks more, sounds more like a dog pound than it does like a group of people running for President.



FEEHERY: Well, we might have a governor that surprises people.



MATTHEWS: Okay. I want to try this list by both of you. I want to try this list by both of you, starting with this. Is there a good chance, a reasonable chance that Rick Santorum will be president next- in 2013?

---

FEEHERY: Listen, I like Rick Santorum but he's not going to be president.



MATTHEWS: Do you think there's a good chance he'll be President?



MARK PENN: No.



MATTHEWS: Is there a good chance Newt Gingrich will be President of the United States? Three marriages in?



PENN: Nope. I don't think it's about marriages.



MATTHEWS: Do you think, John- are you allowed to talk about a guy from the House, John? John, do you think he could ever be President of the United States?



FEEHERY: I like Newt. I don't think he'll be president.



MATTHEWS: Okay, let's go to Bachman, Michele Bachmann. You start this time. Will Michele Bachmann be president any time in her lifetime?



FEEHERY: No.



MATTHEWS: Okay. Michele Bachmann?



PENN: No.



MATTHEWS: Okay. Donald Trump. Will he ever be President of the United States?



FEEHERY: Nope.



MATTHEWS: Will Donald Trump ever be president of the United States?



PENN: No.



MATTHEWS: So what are we wasting our time for?



FEEHERY [Laughs]: I don't know why.



MATTHEWS: Let me give you the big ones- Buddy Roemer, Herman Cain, I mean it's quite a list of wastes of our time. We're sitting here talking about candidates who are wasting our time. Is it my fault or yours, John Feehery?



FEEHERY: There were plenty of candidates who were wasting our time last time like Dennis Kucinich. He wasn't going to be president. Ron Paul, he wasn't going to be president. You know, that's what happens sometimes. You get people who want to be president and they get media attention-



MATTHEWS: In this case- A weak argument. You've got a majority of your guys in this pig pen are unwinnable. Anyway, thanks very much, Mark Penn, and Feehery, you've got a good sense of humor. You're going to need one.

— Scott Whitlock is the senior news analyst for the Media Research Center. Click here to follow him on Twitter.

"

Time Finds Robert Redford in Denial: 'I'm Not a Left-Wing Person'

Time Finds Robert Redford in Denial: 'I'm Not a Left-Wing Person': "

Time's Ten Questions to Robert Redford drew some silly answers -- like Redford denying he's a lefty.

How helpful or harmful to your career has it been to be known as someone who is passionate about politics?

I am passionate. I am political about my country, about what it is, how strong it is, how strong it remains. [My last film,] Lions for Lambs, got rough treatment, and I think it was because — and I don't want to sound defensive — but I think it was misperceived. I'm not a left-wing person. I'm just a person interested in the sustainability of my country.

So the major political conflicts of our time are between the conservatives and the sustainers? Someone needs to tell Redford that when you favor massive government intervention to "save the planet" and back liberal Democrats for president, that makes you a "left-wing person." Or perhaps he can see that making films seen as left-wing propaganda efforts are box-office bombs, so he's trying to .

Redford's leftism is on display later in the same interview:

You're well known for being an environmentalist. How do you think the Obama Administration is doing on that front?

I've been doing this for almost 40 years, and it's always been tough because of the power of the energy companies. I think the Administration would like to do the right thing, but they're hampered by the extremism of certain elements within Congress.

You can see the fear at being "pigeonholed" in Redford's interview with Jamie Malanowski for Parade magazine, the Sunday newspaper supplement. They talked about his film about the people on trial for Lincoln's assassination:

Mary [Surratt] was tried before a military court. With Guantánamo and other tribunals in the news, the contemporary relevance of the story must have appealed to you.

Obviously, I could see the parallels to the present, and I knew that this could be dangerous for me, because people see me as a liberal and might pigeonhole me and the film as having some partisan point of view. But I don’t feel that the political films I’ve made have been partisan criticisms of the left or right, but criticisms of the political process itself.

I’m not inventing anything [about Mary Surratt’s trial]—I’m just putting a spotlight on it. The other factor for me, having experienced what I’ve experienced in my lifetime, is how could I not see patterns in our history? And one of the biggest patterns I’ve noticed is that whenever there’s chaos, there’s ambiguity, and where there’s ambiguity, there’s fear. And fear gets manipulated.

Robert "Don't Pigeonhole Me" Redford tilts to the left again in the Parade interview extras. How'd Bush do on the environment?

The attempts of the previous administration to do away with all the laws and regulations that were put into place over the last 30 years to protect the people of this country had a devastating effect. They attempted to cynically take out the EPA, to do away with the Bureau of Land Management, to open up everything to gas and oil exploration, which are non-renewable resources. I've been involved with the environment for years, and I always will be. People need to wake up. The climate's changing. Water doesn't reach its destination anymore. We need to realize that this planet is home to all of us. There's not a lot one person can do alone, but I will sleep better at night knowing that I did whatever I could.

Right after this tirade about Bush banning environmental agencies, Redford said there's not enough "moderation" in politics when asked about how Obama is doing:

I think he could do better if some of his advisers weren't from some of the Old School places. So I'm disappointed, but I think he's doing okay, better than anybody else would have. What worries me is that our political system is so degenerated that there's nothing but a war zone. There's no cooperation, there's no moderation, there's no compromise. There is no middle, there's just a demarcation line. Somebody just doesn't see the bigger picture, and we're going to pay.

Another leading indicator of being a left-wing person is being depressed at the Tea Party Republican influx into Washington. See Redford on the depressing current status of the political debate (as opposed to the Hope and Change Inaugural euphoria). On ABC's This Week, Christiane Amanpour asked if he had a dim view of politics:

"It's so dim it's almost black," he said with a laugh. "It's pretty grim right now. I mean I'm so depressed to think that this country, with all of its potential, could reduce itself to games being played with what feels like the dialogue is being done with Stone Age tools. I mean it's really depressing to think that instead of an exchange of ideas between two different ways of thinking, you've just got a war zone."

"

Come celebrate at the SeaWitch with Chelsea! 20% of net proceeds donated back to the Red Dress Project. "LAST BEAUTY STANDING" Former Miss USA and Miss Universe title holders compete against one another in several nerve-wracking games in a minute's time in an attempt to win the $1 million prize for their respective charities. Chelsea competed for the Red Dress Project. The SeaWitch Cafe & Tiki Bar, along with NHRMC's Red Dress Project Committee and Edge Entertainment is proud to host the viewing party, Monday, August 23rd. We'll have $1.50 domestic drafts and 1/2 price appetizers, and entertainment provided by DJ Lil Mike. The SeaWitch is donating 20% of the net proceeds from this event back to the Red Dress Project... so come out, meet Chelsea and see how she fared on a "Minute to Win It". We'll certainly be cheering her on!!!! Episode airs Monday, August 23rd at 8:00 PM. SeaWitch Cafe & Tiki Bar

Stroke Play Golf Tournament

"GOLF TO GIVE BACK"
Portion of proceeds to benefit Wilmington Area Rebuilding Ministry

You are cordially invited to play in our first tournament of the year.
40 Player Individual Stroke Play Competition
Wilmington Municipal Golf Course
Saturday, February 27th

ALL CASH PRIZES!

$40 Entry Fee
Includes 18 holes of golf, green fee and cart

Staggered Tee Times - 10:04 AM to 11:18 AM

Players of all skill levels are invited. FOUR Flights (based on full field) with two places paid per flight.

Prizes as follows (all flights including Championship Flight):
1ST PLACE - $50.00 CASH PRIZE
2ND PLACE - $25.00 CASH PRIZE

OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO SCORE!

* Individual Skins Game
Each player can participate in the skins game by contributing $5.00 before play begins. Lowest score on each hole wins a skin and a portion of the proceeds based on number of entries. No ties or carryovers.

* Putting Competition
Each player can participate in the putting competition by contributing $5.00 before play begins. Individual with the lowest number of putts at the end of the tournament wins $25.00. Ties will be split between winners.

* Greens in Regulation Competition
Each player can participate in the greens in regulation competition by contributing $5.00 before play begins. Individual with the most greens in regulation at the end of the tournament wins $25.00. Ties will be split between winners.

* Fairways in Regulation Competition
Each player can participate in the fairways in regulation competition by contributing $5.00 before play begins. Individual with the most fairways in regulation at the end of the end of the tournament wins $25.00. Ties will be split between winners.

* 50/50 Drawing
Each player can participate in the 50/50 drawing by contributing $5.00. Drawing will be held at the end of the tournament. Player with the winning ticket will win half of the proceeds.

SCORE BIG!!
ENTER ALL FIVE FOR ONLY $20.00
Click here to Register for Tournament

Register and pay online with PayPal.
Registration deadline is Monday, February 22nd.

Help Wanted -- 'Arrogant Americans' Need Not Apply

Wednesday, February 17, 2010
By Joshua Rhett Miller

Looking for a job? Well, if you're an "arrogant American,' you had better search elsewhere.

An information technology staffing firm based in Rolling Meadows, Ill., posted an advertisement for a technical writer that warned that an "arrogant American" would not flourish in the position.

"Exelon is looking to provide these proposals to Chinese businesses, so someone who is respectful and understands Chinese culture is preferred. An arrogant American will not work well in this role," the listing read.

The ad, posted by Viva USA, an information technology consulting firm, has since been removed. Varuna Singh, the company's development manager, told FoxNews.com it received the language from its client, Exelon Nuclear Partners, and the wording somehow got past a "junior recruiter" who posted the advertisement on CareerBuilder.com.

"We are taking it down immediately, this was a mistake," Singh said. "This was not wordage by Viva. This was sent into us by the client, but we, as the staffing company, should have looked into it before posting."

Singh apologized for the error, citing "negligence" on the company's behalf.

Judith Rader, a spokeswoman for Exelon, said the company was looking into the matter.

"Exelon is researching the issue," Rader said in an e-mail. "We cannot verify or provide comment on this information until we learn the facts."

Diana Johnston, an attorney for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, said a hiring decision based on national origin would be a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination by employers on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin.

"You always have to look at the whole thing in context, but certainly it does violate Title VII to discriminate based on national origin," she said. "If you make a hiring decision based on national origin, including it based on somebody being American, that would be a violation."

Rose Valenta, of Chalfont, Pa., said she received the job description via e-mail from Viva on Tuesday.

"I was OK with the first paragraph, but when I got to the second, I was floored," she told FoxNews.com.

"It made me furious. People need to know about this. There's a lot of things here that need to be looked into."

Ferne Wolf, a St. Louis-based employment law attorney, said the posting "sounds like national origin discrimination" and suggested the advertisement be brought to the attention of EEOC officials.

"I think a jury could reasonably conclude that there's already a predisposition [by the firm] that Americans are arrogant," she said. "That's like saying ditzy blondes need not apply."

Wolf continued, "You'd think they would know better. Maybe they need a lawyer. There's plenty of good defense attorneys in Chicago."

Read this article and more from Fox News.

Greater Wilmington Business Journal

Greater Wilmington Business Journal

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I SURVIVED 2009 CELEBRATION

A community celebration of surviving one of the toughest years on record! Come join the “I Survived 2009″ PARTY!

"This is a party to celebrate making it through one of the most difficult years most of us have ever experienced. Everybody I talked to seemed to share the same sentiment…People had either been laid off, lost their homes, or were struggling to keep their businesses going. They were doing whatever they had to do to survive. We were all in this together. So, I decided we all needed to get together and have a party to celebrate the fact that we made it, and we were still standing! We can look back on 2009 and be proud of what we were able to do, and look forward to 2010 with a renewed hope, confidence and courage. This is also an opportunity for us to pay it forward. The proceeds from this party will be donated to Phoenix Employment Ministry. Phoenix seeks to empower sheltered and nearly homeless people by helping them build self confidence and hope, providing resources in a community environment, teaching job hunting skills, and helping them find and keep satisfying, long term employment. Thank you for being a part of this great event." ----- LIL MERCER  

Ticket prices are $35 to include food, wine, beer, music and dancing. First 350 registrants receive a FREE “I Survived 2009″ T-shirt. 

Buy your tickets online at http://www.isurvived2009guide.com. The first 350 people to register will receive a free t-shirt!  

All Proceeds to benefit Phoenix Employment Ministry – www.phoenixwork.org ORGANIZERS: Kathleen Baylies – Just For Buyer’s Realty www.justforbuyersrealty.com and Lil Mercer – LPL Financial – Member FINRA/SIPC www.lpl.com/lil.mercer  

QUESTIONS: Email contact@isurvived2009guide.com 

For those who would want to enjoy a stay downtown after the party, The Coastline Convention Center has kindly blocked 20 rooms at the Best Western Coastline Inn at a special rate of $69/room for the attendees of the “I Survived 2009 Party”. Please call them for the details (910) 763-2800.  

Sponsors: LPL Financial Just For Buyers Realty Active Entertainment Flash Promotions Front Street Brewery Carolina Craft Distributing Neonexus Web Designs Taste Graphic Design Wilmington Business Journal Middle of the Island Catering Bon Appetit Catering Angie's of Chris' Restaurant Giorgio's Catering AQ Catering and Events International Minute Press Clove Marketing

BUY YOUR TICKETS ONLINE TODAY!
I SURVIVED 2009 Celebration

Dumbest Business Moments of the Decade #2

As the first 10 years of the century draw to a close, we take a long hard look at exactly what got us into this mess.

Jan 25, 2001: The Maestro's dubious debt warning

Just days after President George W. Bush took office, Fed chief Alan Greenspan admonished budgeteers about the dangers of -- get this -- too little federal debt.

"At zero debt, the continuing unified budget surpluses currently projected imply a major accumulation of private assets by the federal government," Greenspan told the Senate Budget Committee.

As it turns out, the United States has been able to kick its nasty surplus habit, spilling at least $158 billion of red ink every year since Greenspan's testimony. Yet thanks to the financial sector debt crisis that precipitated bailouts such as TARP, the feds ended up accumulating huge amounts of private assets anyway. We've got 7.7 billion shares of Citigroup -- any takers?

http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2009/fortune/0912/gallery.dumbest_moments_decade.fortune/2.html

10 Dumbest Business Moments of the Decade - #1

As the first 10 years of the century draw to a close, we take a long hard look at exactly what got us into this mess.

Jan 10, 2000: You've got disaster!

AOL and Time Warner (Fortune's parent company) announced a $165 billion merger, promising to marry the best news and entertainment content with the distribution medium of the future, the Internet. To say it was a bad match is an exercise in understatement.

In 2002, AOL Time Warner posted the largest-ever U.S. corporate loss as it wrote off most of the value of the merger. The next year, the company bid adieu to the managers who created it and stripped AOL from the corporate letterhead.
This month, Time Warner and AOL finally parted ways, nine years later and more than $100 billion poorer. So much for the deal Ted Turner once gushed was better than sex.

By Colin Barr, senior writer
http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2009/fortune/0912/gallery.dumbest_moments_decade.fortune/index.html