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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Tom Clarke who wrote (432831)	6/23/2011 7:10:05 AM
From: Tom Clarke	2 Recommendations Read Replies (4) \| Respond to of 794501

Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob Dick Lehr, Gerard O'Neill In the spring of 1988, Boston Globe reporters Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill set out to write the story of two infamous brothers from the insular Irish enclave of South Boston: Jim "Whitey" Bulger and his younger brother Billy. Whitey was the city's most powerful gangster and a living legend--tough, cunning, without conscience, and above all, smart. Billy, president of the state Senate, was a political heavyweight in Massachusetts. These facts alone make for an intriguing story, but as Lehr and O'Neill found out, this was only the beginning. John Connolly, a rising FBI agent and fellow "Southie," had known the Bulgers since boyhood when Whitey rescued him from a playground fight. After investigating organized crime in New York, Connolly was reassigned to the bureau's Boston office in 1975, and was determined to make a name for himself by relying on his old connections. He succeeded in a big way by lining up Whitey as an FBI informant in an effort to bring down the Italian Mafia--a major coup for both the FBI and Connolly. In exchange, Bulger received protection. Though heavily involved in extortion, intimidation, assassination, and drug trafficking, Connolly's "good bad guy" did not receive so much as a traffic infraction for over 20 years. In time, however, the deal changed, and information began flowing the other direction, with Bulger manipulating Connolly and a small group of corrupt FBI agents to further his nefarious network. The criminals and the lawmen eventually became virtually indistinguishable. Black Mass expertly details the twists and turns of this complex story, painting a vivid portrait of Boston's underbelly and its inclusive political machine, as well as exposing one of the worst scandals in FBI history. It's also an examination of loyalty--to family, home, and heritage--and "a cautionary tale about the abuse of power that goes unchecked." As a final favor, Connolly tipped off Bulger that he was to be indicted on racketeering charges in 1995, allowing him time to go on the lam (he's reported to have access to secret bank accounts across the country). He was added to the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted List" in 1999. amazon.com

To: Tom Clarke who wrote (432831)	6/23/2011 7:49:21 AM
From: skinowski	1 Recommendation Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 794501

There certainly shouldn't be any coercion toward a healthy lifestyle If they pay, they'll push us around. People tell children something like... "for as long as long as you live here you will act.... in a certain way...etc." But kids grow up and leave. With a big nanny state - we would be stuck forever. Maybe Medvedev is right, and we should avoid sinking further into socialism.... LOL

To: Tom Clarke who wrote (432831)	6/23/2011 3:02:27 PM
From: KLP	2 Recommendations Respond to of 794501

It is interesting to see what people ate 300, 200, 100 years ago, then what they ate as recently as 1900-1950..... Most were farming folks who lived off the land. No food additives except salt and peppper...no Wonder-type and others of that ilk breads, cooked food items in lard and used only REAL butter and milk and cream....ate eggs and meat...potatoes, fresh veggies, fruit when they could get it, and home baked bread... And to go along with that, did a "hard days work" generally, with farming their lands, chopping wood, and time off meant fishing or hunting for the family's food supply. Women did all the cooking, cleaning, weeding, laundry without machines, making clothing for the family, etc.... And yes, some died early for lack of current medications. Many millions were killed in the wars. And the Government kept out of the business of overseeing things like sprays for food, types of lightbulbs to use, and checking to see what people were eating. All of my grandparents lived until their late 80's, with one living until she was past 90, and they all lived the life I described above. We would be wise to start looking at what the people who came before us did in their daily lives, BEFORE Government started to intervene in so many different aspects of our lives today. Ronald Reagan said it right when he said "The Government IS the problem!!"