Madoff And Two Other Unethical Salesmen

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CNN Money May 16 2013

Quote Headline:

'Prison exclusive: Bernie Madoff can't sleep'

and

'Bernard Madoff once had billions of dollars, but now he makes $40 a month doing menial prison labor.'

Quotes

 ...'It's a far cry from his former life. Once head of his own finance firm, Madoff is now identified as inmate #61727-054 at Butner Federal Correctional Complex. He's serving a 150-year sentence after pleading guilty, in 2009, to siphoning $17.5 billion from thousands of investors, wiping them out in a long-running, pyramid-style deception.'

 'He said he only works "a few hours" a day, which leaves him plenty of time to ponder his undoing. "I'm usually up at 4:30 in the morning because I can t sleep," said Madoff, 75, who is scheduled to be released in 2139.'

 ...'Certainly his surroundings in a medium-security prison are a lot less comfortable. When his massive Ponzi scheme unraveled in 2008, Madoff had to give up his $7 million Manhattan penthouse, a beach house in Montauk, N.Y, his homes in Florida, and France, as well as a yacht named "The Bull."'

 ...'Madoff said that his deception began after the Black Monday crash of 1987, a massive stock market sell-off from which he never truly recovered. He said that's when he turned his investors into victims, but he insists that his crime was never supposed to go on for so long. "It was certainly never my intention for this to happen," said Madoff. "I thought I could work myself out of a temporary situation but it kept getting worse and worse and I didn't have the courage to admit what I had done. It created a major problem."'

The Book of James which I have been reviewing in parts on my other blog (see right side) deals with this type of person in Chapter 5.

James 5: 1-6 English Standard Version (ESV)

5 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. 4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.

James is likely dealing with those in the First Century Christian Church, and I am not implying or deducing Madoff is a Christian, I do not know, but the concepts of the rich abusing the less than rich overlap between his story and the story in James.

'4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud,'

I am surprised Madoff is scheduled to be released in 2039, although I realize he is not likely to be alive at that point.

"It was certainly never my intention for this to happen," said Madoff. "I thought I could work myself out of a temporary situation but it kept getting worse and worse and I didn't have the courage to admit what I had done. It created a major problem."'

Ethically, morally, theologically, and philosophically this is a lesson that sin and darkness needs to be avoided at the initial stages, especially, as with this case, where it will involve many, many others.

Madoff brought down himself financially, ruined himself and his life as something significantly meaningful in many ways and is now in prison, and then there is the damage he did to others.

He caused financial ruin with those that invested with him, damage to his business partners financially and with their reputation, and career damage to those that worked for and with him.

There will be damage to those that are now unemployed due to his financial collapse that are trying to find work with Madoff listed as previous employer or associate on resumes.

We all sin and we are all sinners, but may the Lord spare most of us from such a disastrous web of destruction and evil.

End

http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/16/justice/new-york-pizza-cocaine/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Quote Headline:

'Papa John's deliveryman accused of selling cocaine with pizza'

Quote

'A pizza deliveryman is accused of selling more than $45,000 in cocaine, hidden among pizza boxes, to undercover agents in New York.'

'Ramon Rodriguez, 45, was arrested Wednesday after more than a yearlong investigation by the New York City Police Department's narcotics bureau in Brooklyn. Rodriguez has been charged with multiple counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance and one count of criminal possession of a controlled substance...'

Well, the fact he is 45 years old and a pizza delivery man just might be one indicator that he just might be interested in 'diversifying' as the saying goes...

'Undercover agents said Rodriguez sold a kilo of cocaine, worth $27,500, to an agent on Wednesday outside the Papa John's restaurant where he works in Brooklyn.'

That is the largest tip for a pizza delivery guy I have ever heard of...

'This marked the largest individual sale of the investigation, according to prosecutors. Officials say Rodriguez, while dressed in his Papa John's uniform, passed the kilo of cocaine to the agent in a bag along with a box of pizza and a chicken nuggets box.'

I am philosophically certain that it was the chicken nuggets that sealed the deal.

Without the nuggets the entire deal was dead...

'When reached for comment, a Papa John's spokesperson said the company was not aware of the case. The manager at the Papa John's restaurant where Rodriguez works had no comment.'

My comment is:

Was he stuffing the Coke in a can of Coke?

That would be irony.

Anyway I am glad he was arrested.

End

http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/16/showbiz/soap-actor-arrested/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Quote Headline:

'Days of Our Lives' actor allegedly sold cocaine from home'

and

'Soap opera actor Dylan Michael Patton faces a judge Thursday on charges he sold cocaine out of his Los Angeles home.'

I do not watch soap operas.

I do not like the acting.

I have never heard of this gentleman, but it does relate to the previous story.

Quote

'Since Patton's Agora Hills home is next to Sumac Elementary School, he is charged with selling drugs within 1,000 feet of an elementary school, the criminal complaint said. Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies arrested Patton at his home, which they then searched, according to the Los Angeles district attorney's office. "Deputies allegedly seized cocaine from the residence," the release said.'

Perhaps he should quit 'Days of Our Lies' and become a pizza deliver man or something?

Perhaps the careers are similar?

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Men's Health.Com

First of all, the fact that post is from Men's Health.Com, March 26, 2012, should start the post off with an LOL, or at least a grin.

The headlines

Quote: 'Girl Next Door Blog'

and

'Is She Stalking You Online'

Quote:

'You might not suspect it, but that hot computer-illiterate girl you’ve been texting already knows everything about you. She’s visited every social media outlet you’re connected to, she’s scrolled all the way down to the bottom of the Google image search results of your name, and she’s already emailed her old high school friend who went to your alma mater (in case they knew someone who was in your fraternity or something). That’s right. There’s a good chance girls are cyber stalking the crap out of you right this very minute. (A MH survey says 59% of people admit to Facebook stalking).'

With the social media culture of for example Facebook, Google+, Blogger and Twitter this kind of stalking or more accurately, the more harmless 'lurking' takes place and since many persons online are younger women this Men's Health article recognizes a legitimate issue.

'She’ll start with Facebook. Private profile? She’ll find photos of you in your weird friends’ public profiles that you weren’t officially tagged in. Then she will search back on your Twitter feed until it won’t let her load any more tweets. She’ll peruse your Four Square check-ins to see what kind of social schedule you keep. And she’ll eye every female listed in your mentions/tweets/posts/pictures and run a search on Linked In to see if they know someone who works at the same company.'

'Scared yet?'

It does not scare me.  My attitude is I will take the pageviews, especially on here. 

As well many younger people now are far from computer illiterate.

I will admit it has been life a lesson for me from when I started in social media.

Having dealt with undergrads in the United Kingdom, I would not have expected this from when I was living in England as in a few years later the internet developing this way, but I have a young mind and am adaptable.

I am not easily shocked.

Well, what does 'scare me' a little is when it is a male that is lurking. 

On two occasions over the years I have been contacted by men in a less than pleasing manner. I immediately at first wondered if it was a joke.  I hoped it was a joke.  

With the last contact a few years ago the man stated that he knew it may seem weird, but I should not freak out. 

I was thinking, 'Does he read my material?'

I generally in those kinds of situations with those of the opposite sex would write a very kind soft rejection letter, but when it is a male, I just ignore them.

Weird even having to write that to be honest.

I reasoned the macho-man, I eat tires and nails in the garage while I drink beer on the weekend, lambasting approach with a bunch of Bible verses and theology, or even a more moderate theological and philosophical rebuke could be used against me by a person or persons in regard to my employment if made public and therefore I stated nothing and simply stayed with my Biblical position on the issue of homosexuality on my blogs and in life. 

I already have taken the stand.

I did not reply.

I just ignored these persons.

Women do that to men all the time, I have learned a thing or two...

By the way I do not consider myself homophobic, even though I used the term 'scare' from the post. Based on my nature and my theological stand, I am simply not interested.

'Scared yet?'

It may scare my Aunt from another Province that I mentioned in a previous post that is afraid I may end up facing a crazy knife wielding female as in the film 'Fatal Attraction'

'Don’t freak out. We’re not psychopaths. We’re only stalking you because we like you. We just want to know what we’re dealing with and if there’s anything on the internet that might lead us to believe you’re NOT the funny, poetic, New-Girl-obsessed Princeton grad that we’ve spent four consecutive Saturdays with.'

Or in my case, the Theologian and Philosopher of Religion certain persons have spent days, weeks, months and perhaps even years checking out online.

' Women have evolved to choose the best mate available,'

I would like to see scientific and philosophical evidence that this has changed over the years. 

Rather I would state that since women have careers more so now than let us state for argument, prior to the 1960's, they have more economic power in general especially in the Western World, to choose a mate.

 '...and if discovering things about you online can help us spot a red flag before it becomes an issue, then we want to save ourselves the effort. And with so much damn information at our fingertips–how can we resist?'

Reasonable.

However, a point is being missed here. An intelligent man (hint) never plays his full hand online. This is not only good philosophy but is taught by online life coaches.

If one wants more information, one has to dialogue on issues of interest.

Otherwise decisions are being made minus much information.

'Why am I telling you how efficient women are at Google searches? Because I want you to be cautious. Build a personal brand you can be proud of.'

Excellent point.

End

Sir Alex Ferguson will retire as Manchester United manager shortly to be succeeded by Everton manager David Moyes. According to Wikipedia as of this date Ferguson has over a career a 58% winning percentage. He won 38 trophies in 26 years including 13 English Premier League titles and 2 UEFA Champions League titles with Manchester United.

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Satirical, Philosophical, Non-Exhaustive Views On Sports Fans

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Non-exhaustive philosophical look at different types of sports fans and supporters, not to be confused with athletic supporters, but rather supporters of athletic clubs.

The Homers

This hardcore group of fans or type of fan seems to think that persons that live within a certain metropolitan area are philosophically, morally and ethically obligated to support the local team, no matter how good or bad the club is.

For some within the group it would be an evil and sinful to support an opposing team, and it would be better to support no team, than oppose the home team, even if it is a team that loses more than it wins or never wins championships.

These persons are often irritated in Canada as fans/supporters of the two remaining 1917 original National Hockey League clubs, the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs appear in uniforms and gear at the arenas of all Canadian teams.

For many in this group even if it means investing years and years via live games, television, internet and radio into losing with the perpetual hope that the team will win, just because it is the local team; the local team should be loved. That is the philosophy.

Local pride. That is the philosophy.

I do not have major philosophically issues with 'Homers'.

It is basically persons that like to enjoy the sport, the events and support the local team.

Winning, if it happens, is a bonus.

I do have philosophical disagreements with those 'Homers' that reason everyone that lives in their metropolitan area should think like them.

The Bandwagon Fans

This may be a casual group of fans within a certain metropolitan area that usually support the local team when and if it starts winning. 

It could also be hardcore supporters of other clubs that temporarily and/or tentatively offer allegiance to the local club.

Some within both groups may be quite critical of that same local club when it loses.

This group may often irritate the 'Homers'.

I do not have philosophical issues with 'The Bandwagon Fans'. 

There is no obviously moral or ethical obligation to be a hardcore sports fan.

There is no moral or ethical obligation to support a team that loses more than its wins, or does not win championships.

Even if the local metropolitan club.

As far as criticizing a team one does not regularly support, this is not philosophically wrong either, as the critique should be judged by its premise (s) and conclusion.

The Earn My Support Group

This group of supporters may crossover with those in the bandwagon group.

I am in this group, but I do not consider myself a bandwagon fan.

On Facebook, I am listed as a fan/supporter of Manchester United, Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan, Manchester City, Germany, France, Italy and Spain, all football clubs that have won championships, so they have earned my support.

I can hope that National Hockey League clubs in Canada, for example, start winning championships soon and therefore earn my support, but I am not a bandwagon fan by hoping they win.

Hoping a team wins a championship does not equate with, in my mind, publicly acknowledging oneself as a fan/supporter.

There is a lack of emotional and intellectual commitment, even at a bandwagon level.

I also support multiple teams. That would certainly upset some 'Homers'.

Hoping a club will win also of course does not equate with a strong emotional and intellectual commitment as a 'Homer' would have.

Personally, unlike the 'Homer', and I am not criticizing persons that desire to live this way, I am not interested in spending years of my life, emotionally and intellectually heavily invested into a sports club that is not seriously interested winning to the point of being a perpetual championship contender that wins championships.

Or if they are interested does not have the financial means or intelligence to do so.

Yes, I realize there is a salary cap in the NHL that does not exist in the UEFA and therefore the Canadian hockey clubs are somewhat restricted as far as being able to dominate the game in comparison to the football clubs I mentioned that dominate European and world soccer.

However, there is no excuse for the Toronto Maple Leafs, now reportedly worth around 1 billion US, by far the most valuable hockey franchise in the world, having not won the Stanley Cup since 1967. 

The Vancouver Canucks, in reportedly the third best, per capita, hockey market in the world, also have no excuse for having not won the Stanley Cup having been in the league since 1970.

These are teams I would like to see win, but need to earn my support. Until then I am simply an observer, not a bandwagon fan and certainly in the case of the Canucks not a 'Homer'.

For the teams I actually I support, because the world of football is so large, and limited European football on Canadian television,  I generally watch the UEFA Champions League as opposed to domestic leagues and I views the UEFA European Championships and FIFA World Cups every four years.

There can also be a crossover with the 'Homer' supporters and 'The Earn My Support Group'. These types of fans may publicly acknowledge themselves as fans/supporters but do, to a point, demand excellence from the local club. They will to a point, support the local club by buying tickets, watching games on television and following the team, but will be critical at times.

I am not in this crossover. As noted, I am not interested in supporting with my emotions and intellect an approach where I am not going to likely experience championships.

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Stand Up For The Truth

My Facebook friend Mark shared the following story...

Thanks Mark.

Quotes:

Headline

'MILITARY RELIGIOUS FREEDOM FOUNDATION: “SHARING THE GOSPEL IS LIKE RAPE”'

'What does this current administration think about Christians? That we are “monsters.” The Pentagon’s new “religious tolerance guru” is none other than anti-religious extremist Mikey Weinstein, the man who wants to remove Christianity from the military. And thanks to the Obama administration, his Military Religious Freedom Foundation now has the power and backing to do just that.'

'Weinstein, who heads up the cross-crushing, prayer-prosecuting Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), is the same man who just published a blistering rant calling evangelicals “fundamentalist Christian monsters.” (And that’s the nice part!) “We must,” he writes, “vigorously support the continuing efforts to expose pathologically anti-gay, Islamophobic, and rabidly intolerant agitators for what they are: die-hard enemies of the United States Constitution. Monsters, one and all. To do any less would be to roll out a red carpet to those who would usher in a blood-drenched, draconian era of persecutions, nationalistic militarism, and superstitious theocracy.”'

'Sally Quinn, who highlighted Weinstein’s meeting with the military’s brass, quoted MRFF Board member Larry Wilkerson comparing the act of rape to sharing the Gospel. “Sexual assault and proselytizing are absolutely destructive of the bonds that keep soldiers together… This is a national security threat,” Wilkerson insisted. “What is happening [aside from sexual assault] is spiritual rape. And what the Pentagon needs to understand is that it is sedition and treason. It should be punished.” As Wilkerson probably knows, the punishment for treason in America is death. Are we to assume that MRFF would be lobbying for that as well?'

'WeinSein’s own words: Christians are Monsters Ladies and Gentlemen, let me tell you of monsters and monstrous wrongs. And let me tell you what these bloody monsters thrive on. I founded the civil rights fighting organization the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) to do one thing: fight those monsters who would tear down the Constitutionally-mandated wall separating church and state in the technologically most lethal entity ever created by humankind, the U.S. military. Today, we face incredibly well-funded gangs of fundamentalist Christian monsters who terrorize their fellow Americans by forcing their weaponized and twisted version of Christianity upon their helpless subordinates in our nation’s armed forces. Oh my, my, my, how “Papa’s got a brand new bag.” What’s Papa’s new tactic? You’re gonna just love this! These days, when ANYone attempts to bravely stand up against virulent religious oppression, these monstrosities cry out alligator tears in overflowing torrents and scream that it is, in fact, THEY who are the dispossessed, bereft and oppressed. C’mon, really, you pitiable unconstitutional carpetbaggers? It would be like the utter folly of 1960′s-era southern bigots howling like stuck pigs in protest that Rosa Parks’ civil rights activism is “abusing” them by destroying and disenfranchising their rights to sit in the front seat of buses in Montgomery, Alabama. Please, I beseech you! Let us call these ignoble actions what they are: the senseless and cowardly squallings of human monsters. Queasy with the bright and promising lights of the cultural realities of the present day, those evil, fundamentalist Christian creatures and their spiritual heirs have taken refuge behind flimsy, well-worn, gauze-like euphemistic facades such as “family values” and “religious liberty.'

End of Quotes:

An academic comparison of the concept of rape and sharing the Gospel.

Rape from The Concise Oxford Dictionary (1995), Oxford.

Key Definitions

1a the act of forcing a woman to have sexual intercourse against her will. B forcible sodomy 2…violent assault, forcible interference, violation. 3…carrying off by force. 4 an instance of rape. Commit a rape on. 2. Violate assault, pillage. Page 1137.

Sharing the Gospel would often be understood as in concepts of witness and evangelism. A witness in the New Testament is one that testifies to the deeds of Jesus Christ as in his death and resurrection. Browning (1999: 396-397). One who does so would therefore be witnessing the Gospel message.

From Richard Stoll Armstrong, the word ‘evangel’ is a transliteration of the Greek word ‘euaggelion’. εὐαγγέλιον, ου, τό

Translated ‘Gospel’, in the Anglo-Saxon God-spell, and good news. The meaning is to preach the good news and evangelism would be to preach the Gospel. Evangelism is the proclamation of the Gospel. Armstrong (1999: 192).

Comparing the concepts presented the definitions of rape demonstrate that rape takes place against the will of women, females, and persons. To witness is to share the Gospel, which is to discuss it with another person. In other words, a person that knows about the Gospel, or thinks he or she knows about the Gospel and shares it with another person. Now this could be done aggressively, but even if it was, to present the philosophical, theological concepts of the Gospel very forcefully, still would not necessarily reasonably allow the concept to be equated with rape or sexual assault. Even a very aggressive Christian witness would be primarily verbal and psychological and seemingly does not equate with rape and sexual assault which has a large physical, but not only aspect.

With evangelism, the idea is to proclaim the Gospel, as in a person that knows about the Gospel, or thinks he or she knows about the Gospel and shares it will another. Even a very aggressive Christian evangelism would be primarily verbal and psychological and seemingly does not equate with rape and sexual assault which again has a large physical, but not only aspect.

What of this notion of ‘spiritual rape’? If a Christian or pseudo-Christian religious cult, or misguided Christian assaulted someone with mental attacks as a form of perverted witnessing or evangelism, I view this as psychological, mental abuse, but this even does not seem to easily fit the definition of any type of rape. It would seem to me that one would have to go far, far beyond simply witness or evangelism to spiritually rape someone. The idea of brainwashing comes to mind, possibly with the use of mind-altering drugs. Now, perhaps that could qualify as spiritual rape, among other things.

It seems to me this MRFF watchdog group is politically and spiritually anti-Christian and is opposed to Biblical Christian expression in the military, at least. As I have noted I am not an American Christian Fundamentalist, but I am a moderate conservative. As can be noted on my blog I have many theological, Biblical and philosophical differences with the radical left and right within ‘Christiandom’ but I refuse to resort to using the sort of inaccurate descriptions of Christianity and Christians that arose from the article I quoted.

ARMSTRONG, RICHARD STOLL (1999) ‘Evangelism’, in Alan Richardson and John Bowden (eds.), New Dictionary of Christian Theology, Kent, SCM Press Ltd.

BROWNING, W.R.F. (1997) Oxford Dictionary of the Bible, Oxford, Oxford University Press.

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