Patriot Success, October 2011

It may seem like the Socialists are winning all the battles, but here is some good news for the Patriots! (Most recent news: Wisconsin)

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In Kansas: Brownback: Kansas to Return $31.5 Million Health Exchange Grant -- NationalJounral.com, Aug. 10, 2011

"Kansas is the second state to turn back "early innovator" funds to set up health-insurance exchanges. Oklahoma refused a similar grant in April after initially applying for the funds."

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In Michigan:

Michigan's 401(k) plan saved state more than $4 billion -- LansingStateJournal.com, July 10, 2011

"A 14-year-old reform that ended defined pension benefits for new state employees has saved the state up to $4.3 billion in unfunded state employee pension liability, according to a new report by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy."

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In Wisconsin:

Good Stuff Happening in Wisconsin -- read about statewide cost savings and other quality of life improvements that started in Gov. Walker's office.

On, Wisconsin! GOP Holds State Senate, Left Devastated -- Townhall.com, Aug. 10, 2011

"Democrats, liberal groups, and labor unions spent roughly $20 million on these races -- an unfathomable sum for off-year, state level races. They were better organized, better funded, and seemed to have a distinct intensity advantage. And yet, when the people of Wisconsin had their say, Republicans prevailed."

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Oh Canada!: The Conservative Party won a majority of seats in the House of Commons.

"But the installation of a majority government by itself is not a political revolution. The biggest changes in Canada were indicated by the devastating defeats of two of the opposition parties.

The Bloc Quebecois was reduced from 50 seats to only four. Formerly it represented most of Canada’s second-largest province. Now it represents a tiny rump."

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The Netherlands:

The Netherlands to Abandon Multiculturalism -- hudson-ny.org, June 23. 2011

The Dutch government says it will abandon the long-standing model of multiculturalism that has encouraged Muslim immigrants to create a parallel society within the Netherlands. ....

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The Right Huff is Crista Huff's blog for politics and items of sociological or financial interest. Crista Huff also manages Goodfellow LLC, a subscription-only stock market website. We strive to identify financially healthy companies in which traders and investors can buy shares and earn dividends and capital gains. See disclaimer for the risks associated with investing in the stock market. See your tax advisor for the tax consequences of investing. See your estate planning attorney to clarify beneficiary and inheritance issues associated with your assets.

"Big media outlets ignore subpoena of entire top tier of Obama Administration"

by Anthony Martin, Conservative Examiner, www.examiner.com

Perhaps the biggest story in the political world since the U.S. House of Representatives voted to impeach Bill Clinton in the 1990s, although the Senate refused to remove him from office, is the fact that this week a subpoena from the House was issued to the entire top tier of the Obama Administration. Yet as of today the big media outlets--ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, the New York Times, and the Washington Post--have ignored the story entirely. And if they did mention it in passing, it was buried on a back page or relegated to an inconspicuous web page while never seeing the light of day on the air. Only Fox gave the story top billing.

Regarding the news blackout of the subpoena, one astute observer had this to say:

Big media complicity in the news blackout is a heavy indictment against modern journalism in America today.

As evidence, ladies and gentlemen of the jury of history, I present the undisputed fact that on the evening news shows of NBC, ABC and CBS this week not one -- NOT ONE -- mentioned the unprecedented subpoena by a Congressional committee of information regarding the entire top echelon of the Justice Department in the Gunwalker Scandal.

Had this scandal involved John Ashcroft and the Bush Administration, does anyone doubt that the story would have led the nightly half-hour "puppet theater"? Or, that it wouldn't have been covered like a blanket by all news departments from the moment the blood of Brian Terry dried in the desert sands of Rio Rico?

In a stunningly insightful piece at Sipsy Street Irregulars today, citizen investigative journalist Mike Vanderboegh writes that when history records the dreadful events leading to the Project Gunwalker scandal, and its subsequent cover-up, the mainstream media will not be treated kindly. In fact, they will be the subject of ridicule and scorn for their complicity in the scandal, giving aid to the Administration's attempt to hide its illegal activity and cover-ups by either refusing to report it or by slanting its reporting to imply that the key players at the top did no wrong.

The only exception to this stinging indictment against the mainstream media has been reporter Sharyl Attkisson at CBS News. Attkisson's has been a lone voice, an oasis of investigative integrity in a desert of journalistic malpractice within the hallowed halls of what was once the epitome of tenacious gum-shoe reporting, the foundation of which was laid by Edward R. Murrow, Marvin and Bernard Kalb, Douglas Edwards, and Walter Cronkite.

However, the vacuum of serious investigative journalism created by the mainstream media's abdication of its responsibility has been filled by the 'alternative media,' such as bloggers, free-lance writers, and columnists for lesser-known media outlets.

In the case of the Gunwalker scandal, had it not been for National Gun Rights Examiner David Codrea, and investigative reporter Mike Vanderboegh, this story would have never been brought to the forefront of public attention. These astute and tenacious journalists set onto the trail that led to their breaking the Gunwalker story all the way back in December of 2010. Shortly thereafter this writer began to hammer away at the Administration, seeking answers concerning the scandal. At about the same time, writers such as Kurt Hofmann and Dave Workman, both of whom write at The Examiner, did the same thing.

Thus, unlike the Watergate scandal during which the Washington Post and investigative reporters Woodward and Bernstein made sure that the Nixon fiasco stayed at the top of the news heap for months until Nixon was driven from office, this story--which is infinitely worse and much more widespread than Watergate--has been the work of alternative media journalists. And the mainstream media have been dragged kicking and screaming into it due to their dogged determination to bury any story that places Obama or any member of his Administration in a negative light.

The pressure, however, has been building to the point to where it is nearly impossible for the media moguls to continue to bury the Gunwalker story. Even now, with the historic events that have occurred this week, there is much more to come that will stun even the most seasoned political observers.

Waiting in the wings, in the shadows, are numerous figures who know the score and who are ready to tell all they know.

"We fabricated drug charges against innocent people to meet arrest quotas, former detective testifies."

written by jmarzulli@nydailynews.com

A former NYPD narcotics detective snared in a corruption scandal testified it was common practice to fabricate drug charges against innocent people to meet arrest quotas.

The bombshell testimony from Stephen Anderson is the first public account of the twisted culture behind the false arrests in the Brooklyn South and Queens narc squads, which led to the arrests of eight cops and a massive shakeup.

Anderson, testifying under a cooperation agreement with prosecutors, was busted for planting cocaine, a practice known as "flaking," on four men in a Queens bar in 2008 to help out fellow cop Henry Tavarez, whose buy-and-bust activity had been low.

"Tavarez was ... was worried about getting sent back [to patrol] and, you know, the supervisors getting on his case," he recounted at the corruption trial of Brooklyn South narcotics Detective Jason Arbeeny.

"I had decided to give him [Tavarez] the drugs to help him out so that he could say he had a buy," Anderson testified last week in Brooklyn Supreme Court.

He made clear he wasn't about to pass off the two legit arrests he had made in the bar to Tavarez.

"As a detective, you still have a number to reach while you are in the narcotics division," he said.

NYPD officials did not respond to a request for comment.

Anderson worked in the Queens and Brooklyn South narcotics squads and was called to the stand at Arbeeny's bench trial to show the illegal conduct wasn't limited to a single squad.

"Did you observe with some frequency this ... practice which is taking someone who was seemingly not guilty of a crime and laying the drugs on them?" Justice Gustin Reichbach asked Anderson.

"Yes, multiple times," he replied.

The judge pressed Anderson on whether he ever gave a thought to the damage he was inflicting on the innocent.

"It was something I was seeing a lot of, whether it was from supervisors or undercovers and even investigators," he said.

"It's almost like you have no emotion with it, that they attach the bodies to it, they're going to be out of jail tomorrow anyway; nothing is going to happen to them anyway."

The city paid $300,000 to settle a false arrest suit by Jose Colon and his brother Maximo, who were falsely arrested by Anderson and Tavarez. A surveillance tape inside the bar showed they had been framed.

A federal judge presiding over the suit said the NYPD's plagued by "widespread falsification" by arresting officers.

Ballot Question 1A on Term Limits, Douglas County, CO

Many voters don’t know that Proposition 1A gives a third term to the current sheriff, already in his second term.

Supporters tell us we can vote out a bad Sheriff. In Douglas County partisan races, delegates decide who runs for Sheriff, and the incumbent always wins. I know this because I hosted a caucus and chose delegates specifically to help our current Sheriff win his place on the ballot in March 2006, and I have since trained another 2000 Colorado citizens how to become delegates and select candidates for office. There hasn’t been a real two-party contest in the Sheriff’s general election in decades.

The truth is that in Douglas County, November voters don’t really select the Sheriff. This is because our voting population majority is Republican, and the Republican always wins. (There is no elected Democrat in a partisan office anywhere in Douglas County.) Therefore, the candidate chosen at the Republican Assembly or at the Republican Primary becomes the winner of the November election. Our best chance at having a new person take on a fresh, supervisory role at the Sheriff's Department is to keep the current maximum of eight years in office.

Also, a change to elected official rules shouldn’t apply to those already in office. When term limits started, they didn’t affect incumbents. Why should we give our current Sheriff special treatment?

Supporters of 1A say we can’t afford $2,000 for special training required for a new Sheriff. The Sheriff’s budget is $46 million! We could send a new Sheriff to dozens of courses and not hurt the budget!

Supporters tell us the Department will fall apart when we change Sheriffs. The Douglas County Sheriff Department is a large enterprise, and I am confident that there are many qualified employees who would jump at the chance of serving the County in a future elected capacity.

Another more serious problem with ballot question 1A is that, if successful, it will open the door for more ballot questions to extend term limits in other elected offices. Here's how I know this:

In the 1990's in Colorado, a few small rural towns wanted to institute legal gaming in order to shore up their struggling economies. Many voters, including myself, thought, "How bad could this be?" And we voted yes. Gaming was instituted in those three towns.

In the next one or two election cycles, a plethora of Colorado towns put forth ballot initiatives in order to also institute gaming in their towns as well. We had opened the floodgates! The voters got wise to the big picture, and voted "no" repeatedly from that point onward.

Opening the door to the extension of term limits for the Sheriff in Douglas County will invariably lead to efforts to extend term limits for many more offices, which could include Treasurer, County Commissioner, Clerk & Recorder, and more.

I’m voting No on 1A. Eight years in office is long enough.

Sarah Palin Can Save This Republic

(article originally published at finance.townhall.com on 09/26/11)

I am a conservative, which means that I believe in fiscal responsibility, free markets, personal responsibility and the Constitution. When the voting choices are between a Democrat and a Republican, I vote Republican because that gives me better odds that my candidate will be fiscally responsible and loyal to the Republic.

There are other people who vote Republican who bear no philosophical resemblance to me. They think it’s okay to kill babies without restraint, raise taxes and grow government. I don’t know why they call themselves Republicans, because their philosophies do not even remotely mirror the Republican Party platform. I also don’t know why fiscally responsible “Democrats” vote Democrat. But that’s not my problem to solve.

As a citizen activist and a voter, I see it as my job to help save the Republic from socialism and fiscal demise (which, by the way, always go hand-in-hand). I want a presidential candidate who has no history of cozying up to terrorists; nor people from religions and countries which do not denounce terrorists; illegal immigrants; nor socialist policies. That omits Chris Christie, Ron Paul, Rick Perry and Mitt Romney from receiving my support.

I would be wary of supporting anybody hyped by the MSM, because it’s in their best interest to promote the biggest RINO among the candidate field. The MSM wants a Democrat to win, and just as they promoted John McCain, to the shock and horror of my fellow conservatives, they will again promote somebody whose policies bear no resemblance to conservative policies. And then they will refer to that person as a “conservative”, which really galls me, because the public is unfortunately gullible enough to believe that somebody is conservative simply because the MSM says so.

The MSM will keep its distance from any truly conservative candidate who can stand firmly on their record, because the true conservative stands a much, much better chance of winning a presidential election than a RINO.

My conservative candidate of choice is Sarah Palin.

Sarah Palin’s record in Alaska shows her to be the bravest, most effective legislator I’ve ever known. She accomplished incredible feats as Governor and united Democrats and Republicans in order to succeed with projects which brought great prosperity to her state. She swept the Capitol clean of traditional political corruption in situations where typical legislators wouldn’t dare risk their political capital and financial support by rocking the boat.

Sarah Palin scares people. I can understand why she’d scare politicians, especially when entering a White House and federal government completely staffed by Chicago-style thugs. But to me, the liberal fear of Sarah Palin is just incredibly silly. Yes, yes, I know they’re terrified that she’ll force them to have Down Syndrome babies. Get real! The POTUS has no ability to change abortion laws, and this is not (yet) a socialist country, which means the POTUS cannot force you to have abortions OR babies.

We are at a crossroads in America, where the single most important issue is saving America from a socialist train wreck.

Listen carefully, liberals and conservatives. Your abortion-driven vote is a classic case of not seeing the forest for the trees. If we do not elect a fiscal conservative in November 2012 who will dramatically rein in debt and spending, remove onerous business regulations and decrease corporate taxes, your concerns over abortion will be moot, because in socialist governments, your opinion does not count!

If we save the Republic, you still get to fight over abortion. If we lose the Republic, your government will tell you EXACTLY what you can and cannot do with your reproductive system.

You want everybody to have abortions? Then you need to save the Republic first.

You want nobody to have abortions? Then you need to save the Republic first.

You want to save the Republic? Elect somebody who has already saved her state: Sarah Palin.

Governor Dayton Government Shutdown

(reprinted with permission from author Paul Pekarek)

Governor Dayton and the media have made much noise about the Government Shutdown. But what are the facts?

Ready to hear about how the Governor Dayton Government Shutdown came to be?

1. Legislature made a balanced budget. Governor Dayton won’t sign it – in other words, in simple terms: Dayton refused.
2. Earlier on, Dayton offered a budget. It was late. His fellow DFL Legislators failed to even introduce Dayton’s Budget Plan to the Legislature. How can this possibly have happened? Is the governor even trying to make a budget? No. Dayton refused.
3. Republican Legislators gave Governor Dayton 9 budget bills & a tax bill. Dayton vetoed all 10. In other words, Dayton refused.
4. Republican Legislators funded K-12 at Dayton’s levels. Dayton refused.
5. Republican Legislators funded Public Safety at Dayton’s levels. Dayton refused.
6. Republican Legislators removed tax reforms. Dayton refused.
7. Republican Legislators asked for a mere outline of Dayton’s extra $1.8 billion in tax & spend ideas. Dayton gave not even an outline, more-less a plan – So … again we see, Dayton refused.
8. Republican Legislators passed a $34B budget (14% over our prior $30B budget). Despite false claims of “Republican Budget Cuts”, this record budget increased funding for schools, hospitals, and a host of other state activities. Indeed, this record spending shows how Republicans tried so hard to avoid a shutdown, that they actually compromised, no abandoned, their goal of cutting government. Yet, $34 Billion is not big enough for Dayton; the 14% increase in government isn’t big enough for Dayton – Dayton refused to accept all this liberal big-government panacea. Again, we see -- Dayton refused.
9. Republican Legislators compromised, offering to keep MN the nation’s 5th-largest tax burden, per Dayton’s wishes, by eliminating Republican tax reforms & tax reductions. The reforms & reductions would have benefitted all taxpayers. Republicans offered all these taxes to Dayton, instead of to taxpayers, hoping to compromise to avoid a government shutdown. Again, we see -- Dayton refused.
10. Republican Legislators compromised their 2 Nov 2010 election sweep from voters wanting smaller government, by compromising, giving Dayton his preferred huge budget and increased regulations. Even at this supreme Republican sacrifice, for the cause of compromise; again, we see -- Dayton refused.
11. Governor Dayton intentionally shut down the government, and keeps it shut down. First, Republicans were waiting in chambers for Dayton to call them back into session, even at the 11^th hour. Dayton failed to avert this Governor Dayton Government Shutdown even at 10pm on the eve of the shutdown – even two hours before the Governor Dayton Government Shutdown would occur, again, we see, Dayton refused. But that’s not the end of this number eleven. Governor Dayton continues to refuse. Now news outlets are printing endless examples about how the Governor Dayton Government Shutdown is hurting Minnesotans. And still, even with all the media coverage of the Governor Dayton Government Shutdown – again, we see: Governor Dayton refused.
12. Dayton won’t compromise his extra 6%; he won’t give any counter-offer. He demands Republicans compromise on each & every principle, while he insists he not compromise on a single thing. Only in socialist ‘doublespeak’ can that be called “Compromise”. Governor Dayton has behaved as an intransigent ideologue – Republican Legislators compromised on almost every point – even entirely abandoning many points. Again, we see, … Governor Dayton refused.

Regards,

- Paul

Paul Pekarek, Major, USAF (Retired)

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The Right Huff is Crista Huff's blog for politics and items of sociological or financial interest. Crista Huff also manages Goodfellow LLC, a subscription-only stock market website. We strive to identify financially healthy companies in which traders and investors can buy shares and earn dividends and capital gains. See disclaimer for the risks associated with investing in the stock market. See your tax advisor for the tax consequences of investing. See your estate planning attorney to clarify beneficiary and inheritance issues associated with your assets.

Republican Calendar of Events in Colorado

July 10, Sunday

Coffee4Conservatives meets at 6:30 p.m. at the Franktown Fire Station. Our speaker will be former Congressman and one of the 2010 Gubernatorial Candidates for Colorado, Tom Tancredo. The discussion will be "Let's Talk Politics" plus a myriad of other interesting discussions with Congressman Tancredo on illegal immigration, The Agenda, etc. Please let me know if you can attend as space will be limited: margoknutson@gmail.com.

Food and drinks will be served.

July 12, Tuesday

Politics on the Rocks -- Summer Kick-Off, 5:30 - 7:30 PM at The Warehouse Restaurant and Gallery in Colorado Springs. More info on Facebook!

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The Right Huff is Crista Huff's blog for politics and items of sociological or financial interest. Crista Huff also manages Goodfellow LLC, a subscription-only stock market website. We strive to identify financially healthy companies in which traders and investors can buy shares and earn dividends and capital gains. See disclaimer for the risks associated with investing in the stock market. See your tax advisor for the tax consequences of investing. See your estate planning attorney to clarify beneficiary and inheritance issues associated with your assets.

Copa Holdings (CPA): Flying Over Stock Market Turbulence

Copa Holdings S.A. (CPA, $64.90) is a Latin American provider of airline passenger and cargo service in Panama, Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador.

"Copa Holdings, S. A. is one airline that is benefiting from the growth in Latin America. The company is growing earnings as it is able to more than offset rising fuel costs with higher revenues." -- Zacks.com, 05/25/11

(Subscribe now to read more about Copa's financials, stock chart history, price target and Wall Street comments at www.GoodfellowLLC.com)

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Goodfellow LLC is a subscription-only stock market website. We strive to identify financially healthy companies in which traders and investors can buy shares and earn dividends and capital gains. See disclaimer for the risks associated with investing in the stock market. See your tax advisor for the tax consequences of investing. See your estate planning attorney to clarify beneficiary and inheritance issues associated with your assets.

It's Time To Buy Low in Your Stock Portfolio!

The latest post on my financial website, Goodfellow LLC, is a model portfolio of growth stocks, most of which pay dividends. Unfortunately, you can't read the stock recommendations unless you subscribe. But here's a synopsis.

I listed stocks in fourteen industries: growth companies whose stocks are not in a free fall during the current stock market correction. Remember, stock market corrections are normal. And when the market goes back up, which stocks rebound first...the ones in a free fall or the ones which fell to the bottom of their trading ranges and bounced? The latter.

Most of the stocks which I recommended in the article pay dividends, many in the 3-5% area.

The industries are diverse, but do not include technology stocks, clothing retailers, nor American banks. These industries are out of favor in the market right now, despite some fantastic sales and earnings. No problem. I'll wait a few months and watch for a sector rotation.

You can send me questions from Goodfellow LLC's website, and there are free articles which non-subscribers can view, including How to Structure a Stock Portfolio.

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The Right Huff is Crista Huff's blog for politics and items of sociological or financial interest. Crista Huff also manages Goodfellow LLC, a subscription-only stock market website. We strive to identify financially healthy companies in which traders and investors can buy shares and earn dividends and capital gains. See disclaimer for the risks associated with investing in the stock market. See your tax advisor for the tax consequences of investing. See your estate planning attorney to clarify beneficiary and inheritance issues associated with your assets.

Living Life As I Choose by Nancy Wenlock

(reprinted from Facebook, June 10, 2011)

Waking up this morning the first thing I heard were the meadowlarks. Made me smile. Then a car drove by. A neighbor heading to work. A small airplane passed overhead. Sounds of people doing what they do. We and those we know love it out here. And it occurred to me that none of this needs government intervention. People are perfectly capable of living their lives, making their decisions, doing what they need to do, without being held down by an oppressive government interfering with every facit of our lives.

Those who want to control others are simply perverted. Those who want to take advantage of others are simply mean. Those who want to allow people to live their lives are wise. Those who take from others are thieves.

The founders of this country had a great amount of knowledge about governments throughout history. They took great care to chain the government down so that the government could not grow into being an oppressive government like almost all governments have done. And yet here we are, with a government in this country that has usurped our liberties instead of protecting them. And Congress has been complicit in this for decades.

People are capable for the most part. Some small part of the population are not capable but it's a very small part of the population. The vast majority of the population are not only capable, but a free people can invent and create an incredible society. Every single time we the people or our representatives allow a government to dictate over the people, we help it along to tyranny.

Regulations and more regulations do not keep us safe. Regulations and more regulations do not keep our lives free. Regulations and more regulations do not keep prices down.

We must push back against all of this. We must repeal laws, we must drastically reduce the number of agencies of government because the cost has become oppressive. It does not take hundreds of agencies to "care" for people. the government's job is to PROTECT OUR ABILITY TO LIVE OUR LIVES FREELY. That job however, is not the job tyrants have any interest in doing.

What can we do? We can learn about our government set up. We can teach others about how our government works because there is not another government like it on earth. We can find out what is going on at all levels in government. We can insist loudly, that the size of local, state and federal government be REDUCED NOW.

Every time we hear about some usurpation of power by any governmental agency or person, we must call attention to it and we must take effective action to nullify it and we must see to it that those people doing it get properly hauled up for the crimes they commit. And every official at every level of government are UNDER THE SAME LAW as anyone else. Corruption is corruption and must be tackled and fought loudly and tenaciously.

So in my exasperation I sometimes get shrill. Sometimes we have to yell.

But Americans are awakening to something amazing: we are seeing tyranny do its work. We must step up and take action locally and at every level of government in order to pare back government to an affordable size and a government that actually upholds our rights instead of stealing them.

We have very good people trying to do this. Every person who learns about government and adds his voice to this is helping. We need to judge people on deeds, not words and make sure our elected officials do only what they are supposed to. Does this take work? Yes. It takes information, it takes awareness and it takes a lot of energy. We have a chance now, with the liberty groups that have sprung up, to voice our love of life and to voice our intent to keep our liberties and seriously get government off our backs.

The alternative is to live in a grey, sour, oppressive society like the USSR was, like East Germany was - a society so evil that freedom of spirit was punished with imprisonment and death. There are countries in which freedom is still punished with torture and with death.

What's the difference between those countries and ours? Government.

What this country has in its founding documents is unlike anything else in the world. If we do not stop the onslaught of destruction, future generations will be living in terrible circumstances. The buck stops here. We must do everything we can. It is not going to be up to a majority of Americans. It's going to be up to those who have heard the call and understand the consequences.

We love life. We love freedom. It's time we work hard to get them back. I want to keep hearing those meadowlarks every day because this is the life I chose. Future generations deserve to live the life they choose, not the life that is chosen for them.

written by Nancy Wenlock

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The Right Huff is Crista Huff's blog for politics and items of sociological or financial interest. Crista Huff also manages Goodfellow LLC, a subscription-only stock market website. We strive to identify financially healthy companies in which traders and investors can buy shares and earn dividends and capital gains. See disclaimer for the risks associated with investing in the stock market. See your tax advisor for the tax consequences of investing. See your estate planning attorney to clarify beneficiary and inheritance issues associated with your assets.