Great Entertainment. Christian Bale carried the plot during the entire film.

The acting doesn't get better than this. The soundtrack will sell to platinum. After this performance, I am a Christian Bale fan.

By PETE HAMMOND
Saturday January 18, 2014 @ 7:56pm PST

More often than not (click here) the SAG Awards turn out to be a very good barometer of future Oscar success. If that continues to be the case this year then things are looking awfully good for Matthew McConaughey, Cate Blanchett, Jared Leto, Lupita Nyong’o andAmerican Hustle, the latter winning the Outstanding Cast award which is sometimes a harbinger of Best Picture success — as it was last year when the cast of Argo won. Being the first major guild awards of the season, SAG is extremely significant in that it means we have turned the corner from critics awards and moved into peer voting....

The USA Wealth Class are causing economic deterioration. They have no respect for anyone, only money.

Unions are about people. They bring the human side of employment to an employers attention. They bridge the gap of production and profits. The companies could not profit without their employees who also serve as customers. The idea employees are a burden is hideous and ridiculous. Ford Motor takes pride in having some of the best employees in the auto industry and why shouldn't they?

These wealth barrons want to change the entire dialogue between representative government and the people that elect them through control over media and the propaganda it is willing to carry for profit based in a perverted sense of Freedom of Speech. I thought Freedom was 'an honest commodity.'

I thought speech was communication. If one puts honest and communication together it doesn't spell propaganda based in deceit and half truths.

They beat Big Labor in its own backyard. Next up: your state? (click here)

—By Andy Kroll

January/February 2014 Issue

Richardville said he'd spent the previous evening at a fundraiser in western Michigan. At one point during the event, he was escorted into a private room where a dozen wealthy business moguls were waiting for him. Some he recognized as heavy hitters in Michigan politics; others had flown in from out of state.

One of the men in the room glared at Richardville. "You gotta grow a set and move this legislation," the man said, referring to right-to-work. Had he ever run for office? Richardville asked. The man said no. "Well, when you grow a set and give that a try," Richardville snapped, "then you can talk about the size of my testicles."

Jackson was wide awake now. "Good for you," he said. "How'd it end?"

"Mike, you're fucked," Richardville said. "They've got all the money they need, they're going up on the air, and they're going to push this freedom-to-work thing."

Wasn't there some way to head off the bill? Jackson asked. "They've got my caucus," Richardville replied. "You can't imagine the pressure I'm under."...

Mitt Romney is among the most disgusting men ever to live on Earth.

How many jobs has he ever created other than Big Box Stores stocked with Chinese imports?

January 18, 2014
By Zeke J. Miller

...Fifteen months (click here) after the 2012 election, Mitt, a documentary which screened Friday at the Sundance Film Festival and will be available this week on Netflix, provides a historic view inside not one, but two, of Romney’s losing presidential campaigns through the lens of the candidate and his family. In that respect it is the inverse of the seminal 1992 campaign documentary War Room, which told the story of the Clinton campaign through its celebrity operatives. Mitt, in the words of director Greg Whiteley, is essentially “a bunch of scenes of Romney and his family hanging out.” His campaign was always skeptical of the project, and almost never agreed to be on camera....


What makes it even more disgusting is the fact the Chinese people live in squalor and when they don't, they are living and working in overcrowded conditions that cause extreme stress. They have no privacy. They work incredibly long and arduous hours for American based companies. It is completely disgusting what men like Mitt Romney have done to people around the globe. They have left nations helpless to take care of their people while pocketing incredible amounts of money for personal wealth. And justifying as "The American Way." NOT! They are disgrace to the USA. A complete disgrace.

Paul Lewis
Washington
January 21, 2014

President Barack Obama and Pope Francis (click here) will meet for the first time in March, during an encounter the White House said would be focused on tackling the disturbing growth in inequality.

“The president will continue on to Vatican City on 27 March to meet with His Holiness, Pope Francis,” Jay Carney, the White House spokesman, said in a statement on Tuesday.

“The president looks forward to discussing with Pope Francis their shared commitment to fighting poverty and growing inequality.”

Bridging the growing gap between rich and poor has become a priority for both leaders, although they come to the issue from different standpoints. 

Francis, who made his name caring for the poor in Buenos Aires, Argentina, has won plaudits from Catholics and secularists alike for his impassioned plea to ameliorate suffering in the poorest corners of the world....

Vladimir, you have some problems outside of Sochi because of the highway.

In this photo taken on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2013, the 5a street Akatsiy's house is in the village of Vesyoloye outside Sochi, Russia. As the Winter Games are getting closer, many Sochi residents are complaining that their living conditions only got worse and that authorities are deaf to their grievances. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

There is a story making the rounds in the USA about a small group of people severely effected by the highway built to the "Federation Island." The highway altered rain runoff and now their yards and homes are flooding. It is an impoverished area disregarded by the contractors that built the highway. They don't have the funds to hire representation. It isn't like the USA doesn't have profound poverty it hasn't solved either, but, these folks were sort of okay before this construction. There is also construction materials dumped in that area that could effect their health. I am confident Russia can relocate these people to a safer and more comfortable living accommodations.

BY NATALIYA VASILYEVA

Associated PressJanuary 20, 2014

SOCHI, RUSSIA — A shining new $635 million highway (click here) on the outskirts of Sochi stands next to a crumbling apartment block with a red "SOS!" banner on its roof.

The residents of 5a Akatsy street have lived for years with no running water or sewage system. Construction for the 2014 Winter Games has made their lives more miserable: The new highway has cut them off from the city center. Even their communal outhouse had to be torn down because it was found to be too close to the new road and ruled an eyesore....

They were poor, but, this highway has caused them to fall victim to hardship they can't sustain. I am sure there is plenty Russia can do for a small group of people ignored by contractors and engineers.

"The Evil Empire" strikes again, Edward. Isn't this getting a little old? Decades old. Since 1950.

'I'm not a spy': Snowden dimisses allegations that he is working for Russia as 'absurd'

January 22, 2014

Tom McCarthy

Whistleblower Edward Snowden (click here) has strongly denied allegations by members of the US congress that he has been acting as a spy for Russia. Snowden dismissed the theory in an interview with the New Yorker, stressing that he “clearly and unambiguously acted alone, with no assistance from anyone, much less a government.”

“It won't stick, because it's clearly false, and the American people are smarter than politicians think they are. This Russian spy push is absurd,” he said.

The accusations were made by Republican congressman Mike Rogers. He called Snowden a “thief, who we believe had some help” on American talkshow Meet the Press.

When asked by the show’s host if he thought that the Russians had helped Snowden, the congressman replied that it was not a “gee-whizz luck event that he ended up in Moscow under the handling of the [Russian security services].”...

It is hard to believe generations of Americans actually believe the same propaganda. Nothing ever changes, right? Only war solves problems.

The Earth politicians built.

January 22, 2014
1130:18z
UNISYS Infrared North and West Hemisphere Satellite (click here for 12 hour loop - thank you)

The Arctic Oscillation off the West Coast of the USA is so large, it doesn't oscillate anymore, it just sits and spins and spins and spins.As a matter of fact it is so large it has spawned another circulation center off the Intratropical Convergence Zone (ICZ). Look at the Convergence Zone, it is nearly gone. That has been the case for some time now. The Arctic Oscillation reaches into Alaska and stretches all the way to Hawaii. The same weather system that is effect Hawaii is effecting Alaska. The Arctic air mass is over the entire North American continent.

December 10, 2013
1430:20z
UNISYS Water Vapor Satellite of the North and West Hemisphere

The ICZ is mostly missing.

November 19, 2013
0345 GMT
The Weather Channel Current Temperatures

January 22, 2014
1215 GMT
The Weather Channel Current Temperatures 

Everyone having fun? What is energy to heat the house or apartment costing everyone these days? Consumers are spending money on utilities and not products. What good did the people you elected do you?

All the million-billionaires are still making money off you though. You betcha. Isn't it great that human behavior turns a quick buck for day traders? 

Jan. 22, 2014

By ABC NEWS via GOOD MORNING AMERICA

Transportation Problems Linger Following Messy Storm. Travel remains troublesome as the Northeast digs out from Tuesday's storm. The swirling storm dumped nearly a foot and a half of snow on some areas, grounded thousands of flights, closed government offices in Washington, D.C. and made a mess of the evening commute. Some areas such as Manalapan, N.J. got more than 15 inches of snow. Philadelphia got slightly more than a foot, while New York City had 10 inches....

The words the politicans need to say are: Climate Crisis, Global Warming, Alternative Fuels, CO2 emissions, Methane pollution, METHANE LEAK AT WELLS. Those are the 'keywords' the electorate needs to listen for. That is human behavior, too.

In regard to New Jersey, I am fairly serious about being skeptical of the $100 million to Hoboken. A lot of the services for rescue were paid for by the State and/or Federal government. National Guard Troops are not the cost to the city.

Stinking water recedes and the clean up is to be sure the clean water services are intact and online. The water damage, unless it is permanent can be treated successfully if done quickly after it happens. The streets and gutters are only a problem if the infrastructure was damaged by rushing waters that break up the pavement. 

Commercial and residential damage can be covered by private insurance. Real estate values probably wouldn't change that much UNLESS the area flooded was listed as a new flood plain on the federal maps. Then it would be a problem. 

Windows that would be needing replacement due to wind damage doesn't cost $100 million.

Hoboken is a little more than 2 square miles with approximately 55,000 people as residents. If everyone of those residents were adversely effected $100 million would be distributed at the rate of $1800. 

I know $100 million sounds right, but, is it really? I have my doubts and they are real doubts.

The food and water that came in was supplied by non-profits that work with volunteers and donations. They don't send cities invoices for their services. Hoboken may or may not have opened empty buildings for temporary shelter. So Hoboken spent some money on electricity not usually running the meters, there was some overtime for employees for the clean up, fuel to run the cities street sweepers, water to flush the cities water systems. But, I'll be completely honest, for 2 square miles, I could build another city for $100 million dollars.

He was more or less a placeholder in Virginia. He didn't really do anything for Virginia.

Former Virginia governor Robert F. McDonnell  and his wife, Maureen, were charged with 
illegally accepting gifts, luxury vacations and 
large loans from a wealthy Richmond-area 
businessman.

Economically Virginia takes care of itself.

He lost it a bit when the Sequester hit and he was threatened to the worst Governor affiliated with the Tea Party extremists.It wasn't as though he was facing re-election either. So, that was really him, unless he thought he'd be a candidate for President. But, Virginia governors serve one four year term. They don't really have to put on a political facade. His administration was really him.

Realizing that makes him a really odd guy. His legislature and he passed some sincerely hideous laws.

By Bill Bartel
The Virginian-Pilot
© February 25, 2013

The Obama administration (click here) released further details Sunday of how Virginians would be affected by spending cuts set to start in four days, even as it pressed for a compromise to head them off.

Pentagon officials have already warned of reductions in military spending that would be particularly crippling to the defense-heavy economies of Virginia - and Hampton Roads. Now, the White House is highlighting other cuts to federal funding for education, law enforcement, public health, national parks and environmental protection....

He set Virginia's womens right back about 60 years before the pharmaceutical "The Pill" became a reason to seek a career.

Even after the shooting at Virginia Tech his point of view was to build a mental health data base with the National Instant Background Check. Nothing serious about reducing gun violence.

He opposed Gay Marriage and Legalizing Marijuana. I think he opposed medical marijuana, too. He wanted to spend a lot of money on transportation without funding the projects; just left them as deficit items. Needless to say it didn't get done. 

That what McDonald was like as a governor. A lot of fanfare but not substance.

The indictments are unfortunate, but, the wasted four years is more serious to the people.