November 25, 2015

President Obama honors Willie Mays, Yogi Berra with Medal of Freedom

Source: ESPN / AP


WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama recognized 17 Americans with the nation's highest civilian award Tuesday, including the first African-American woman elected to Congress, one of the greatest catchers in baseball history and a "Funny Girl."

"Today we celebrate some extraordinary people: innovators, artists and leaders who contribute to America's strength as a nation," Obama said.

"It's because of giants like Willie [Mays] that someone like me could even think about running for president," President Barack Obama said Tuesday as he awarded Mays and Yogi Berra (posthumously) the Presidential Medal of Freedom. AP Photo/Evan Vucci

The sports honorees were Baseball Hall of Famers Willie Mays and Yogi Berra. Berra, who died in September, was a famed Yankees catcher, an 18-time All-Star and a 10-time World Series champion. The president noted that Berra also served in World War II. Mays was among the first African-American players in Major League Baseball.


Read more: http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/14217458/president-barack-obama-recognizes-yogi-berra-willie-mays-presidential-medal-freedom

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I was a huge fan of Willie Mays (and the Giants) growing up and for life (and attended at least one Giants game every season between 1959 and 2003).

I was at Candlestick when Mays hit his 512 home run.

The many Black and Latin players on the Giants in the 1960s had a positive impact on me far beyond baseball.

So I was going to put this in The Lounge but the article is Late Breaking News and may be of general interest.

There is a really sweet photo of POTUS Obama putting the award on Willie Mays at the link.

November 25, 2015

PKD's Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch.

John Lennon had a movie option at one time (prior to Bladerunner or any other PKD sourced movie).

That said though a major long term fan of PKD and liking the movies in general, there has never been a movie yet made from PKD fiction that I have found satisfying as a PKD reader.

November 17, 2015

Yellen warns proposed law on Fed would damage US economy

Source: AFP/MSN

Janet Yellen warned Tuesday that a proposed law in Congress to more closely oversee the Federal Reserve would politicize monetary policy and do deep harm to the US economy.

The "Fed Oversight Reform and Modernization Act" would tie the hands of Fed policy-makers to a formulaic rule that, if in place during the last six years, would have greatly worsened the impact of the economic crisis, Yellen said in a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi.

"This legislation would severely damage the US economy were it to become law," she wrote.

It would also "likely lead to... a diminished status of the dollar in global financial markets, and reduced economic and financial stability."

Setting up an economic rule to guide Fed monetary policy, as the FORM Act proposed, "would essentially repeal the Federal Reserve's remaining ability to act in a crisis."


Read more: http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/yellen-warns-proposed-law-on-fed-would-damage-us-economy/ar-BBn80gN?li=BBgzzfc&OCID=DELLDHP

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Yellen is correct. Bad proposed legislation that plays well politically.