Rich white people's problems

In the wake of rapidly plummeting oil prices, Continental Resources CEO Harold Hamm is appealing his divorce settlement after previously describing it as "fair and equitable." 

Hamm now says the November ruling ordering him to pay ex-wife Sue Ann Arnall $995.5 million was "erroneous and inequitable." 

At the time the ruling was considered a major victory for the Oklahoma oil man, who was then worth over $30 billion. But since the first divorce filings the price of crude hit a five-year low, dropping shares of Continental 30 percent and cutting Hamm's personal wealth to $10.6 billion, $12 billion less than he worth when proceedings began. 

"The dramatic drop in oil price post-trial and the corresponding drop in the CLR stock price demonstrate the overriding impact of the oil price on the value of the stock," Hamm argues in the December 16 filing reports the Wall Street Journal. 

Arnall, meanwhile, is also appealing the decision, saying she was shortchanged in her slice of the fortune the two had built together.

"[Arnall] has apparently not kept up with the facts regarding the falling price of oil and its impact on Hamm's wealth," argue Hamm's lawyers according to Bloomberg Businessweek. 

"Never before in Oklahoma history has a litigant claimed to need almost $300 million just to get by while an appeal is pending." 

Source: UPI

Not surprisingly, while Mr. (I use the word very reluctantly, since it implies a level of maturity lacking in this case) Hamm thought that a billion dollars was enough for the little lady, he now realizes that ten times that amount is hardly sufficient for his own needs.

Fascinating!

Love your enemies

Proverbs 25: 21-22

If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
         And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; 

For you will heap burning coals on his head,
         And the LORD will reward you. 

St. Paul quotes this passage in a section about not seeking vengeance in Romans 12:19-20.

Verse 19 reads, Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.

Recently when Damien and I were at a holiday arts and crafts show, I saw a t-shirt that read, "Vengeance is mine, says the Lord, but Bob still wanted a piece of the action."

Artistic freedom

I for one will be more impressed by Seth Rogen and James Franco's commitment to bold creative freedom when they make a movie ridiculing the Republican National Committee or Pam Bondi or Ted Cruz. 

It must be pretty easy to sit over here behind the power of the United States, poking jabs at people on the other side of the world. Doesn't matter whether those people are huge jerks who deserve jabs. There are plenty of folks closer to home who need to be called on their crap. Why not use the millions you can get your hands on to do something useful here instead of ranting about another country where your words and movies are meaningless to real reform?

Tomorrow I will try to make nice. 

A long winter's nap

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Because the best response is humor ... and it really pisses people off!

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Some people would ignore it, other might be intimidated, but homophobia wasn't going to ruin the holidays for the tenacious gays of Apt. 611, who posted the above right message after their front door was vandalized with the word "faggots."

WhoVille happens!

from Daniel, Damien, Spot and Rover

Wintry Wishes!

May this season bring the world

the gifts of peace, hope and joy.

FSM forever!

If you don't know about the Flying Spaghetti Monster, click here.

If you do, enjoy this holiday carol:

 

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Calvin and Right Wing Anti-Marriage Equality Politicians and Lobbyists

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Why you never know ...

So the Republicans wiped the floor with the Democrats in the last election. In their hubris -- thy name is Ted Cruz -- they then allowed President Obama to get his Surgeon General appointment because the Democrats in the Senate rushed to do what they can before losing the majority. Now it looks like the President has grown a pair as a lame duck and has established diplomatic relations with Cuba -- something decades overdue. Who knows what other progressive things may actually get off the board and into the books?

So, thanks, Republicans! Ye knew not what ye did!

Back into the fray -- calmly.

I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.

The challenge will be to do so with respect, calm and patience.

A wise friend told me that accepting the things I cannot change may well mean accepting the task to change things. And that just because I need to change things about myself does not mean I do not need to work to make changes in the world to benefit others.

Reflecting 4

Just as a mother would guard her child, 

her only child,

with her own life,

even so let me cultivate a boundless mind

for all beings in the world.

Let me cultivate a boundless love for all beings

in the world, above, below, and across,

unhindered, without ill will or enmity.

~ from the Metta Sutta

Reflecting 3

Let me not do the slightest thing for which the wise might rebuke me. 

Instead let me think:

“May all beings be well and safe,

 may they be at ease.

Whatever living beings there may be,

whether moving or standing still,

without exception,

whether large, great, middling, or small, whether tiny or substantial,

whether seen or unseen,

whether living near or far,

may all beings be happy.

Let none deceive or despise another anywhere.

Let none wish harm to another, in anger or in hate.”

~ from the Metta Sutta

Reflecting 2

Let me be contented, easily satisfied, 
having few duties, living simply, 
of controlled senses, 
prudent, without pride 
and without attachment 
to nation, race, or other groups.

~ from the Metta Sutta

Reflecting

In order that I may be skilled in discerning what is good, 
in order that I may understand the path to peace,
Let me be able, upright, and straightforward, 
of good speech, gentle, and free from pride.

~ from the Metta Sutta

A pause

Recent events in this country have given me much to ponder. So I am taking a short break to give them some thought. Hope you are all well in the interim and that your holiday preparations and celebrations are filled with joy and free from undue stress.

The lawyer in me put in that "undue" because I think some stress is inevitable this time of year.

Ideas

"We have nothing against ideas. We're against people spreading them." 

~ General Augusto Pinochet of Chile 

He's not the only one ... 

Earlier this year, a Harvard economist’s jaw-dropping study of American’s beliefs about the distribution of American wealth became a viral video.  

According to the Harvard study, most people believe that the top 20 percent of the country owns about half the nation’s wealth, and that the lower 60 percent combined, including the 20 percent in the middle, have only about 20 percent of the wealth.  

A whopping 92 percent of Americans think this is out of whack; in the ideal distribution, they said, the lower 60 percent would have about half of the wealth, with the middle 20 percent of the people owning 20 percent of the wealth.

What’s astonishing about this is how wrong Americans are about reality.  In fact, the bottom 80 percent owns only 7 percent of the nation’s wealth, and the top 1 percent hold more of the country’s wealth – 40 percent – than 9 out of 10 people think the top 20 percent should have.  The top 10 percent of earners take home half the income of the country; in 2012, the top 1 percent earned more than a fifth of U.S. income – the highest share since the government began collecting the data a century ago.

Discussions of {fill in the blank} in contemporary America