Category: Off Topic

Crash!

I had my first cycling crash of the season this weekend. My fault. No cars involved. I was complying with traffic laws. I just made a mistake. We all make mistakes. This one left me on the tarmac.

Picture3

I spent the weekend dropping off The Girl at sleep-away camp in the Berkshires. (Her first time at sleep-away camp). To keep up my bike training regime for the Pan-Mass Challenge I decided to bike back home.

It was cool and sunny at the start, but the rain came in, turning a pleasant ride into a cold, wet, tortuous ride.

I was not familiar with the route. I was not lost, but was relying on memorization of route and occasional glances at the GPS. Since the roads were unfamiliar, I never knew if there was a big hill up ahead or how much longer to get home. It was getting dark. To the extent I had actually been on the roads before, the features were melting away as the sun set.

When I saw the sign for Davis Mega Maze I finally knew where I was. Now that I knew how much further I had to go, I felt some more energy flow back into my legs. I was excited to see that I only had 30 miles to go.

Perhaps I was too excited. I saw the railroad tracks ahead. I knew they would be wet and slippery. I knew I should slow down.

But I didn’t.

I came up on the tracks too fast. They were at a 45 degree angle to the road, making them even more treacherous. The bike and I went sideways, slipping and sliding down the road.

By slipping and sliding, I mean sliding my skin on the roadway. I stood up bloodied and battered.

Rule #5 was in effect. So I pulled myself back up, wiped off some blood and pedaled the rest of the way home.

That’s what I do to train for the Pan Mass Challenge.

There is still time to sponsor my Pan Mass Challenge ride: http://www2.pmc.org/profile/DC0176

100% of your donation goes to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute to fund its fight against cancer,

IMG_4554[1]

Happy Original Brexit Day

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Those words were true in 1776 and they are true today. Our forefathers fought to pull themselves out from under the weight of British rule, to enjoy better social and economic freedom. I’m thankful for them and all that fought for freedom over the centuries.

declaration of independence

I’m Asking For Your Money

Compliance Building is a free resource I publish for me, and share with you, to help the compliance profession. But I’m asking for money.

I should point out that the money is not for me; It’s for charity.

I’m riding the Pan Mass Challenge in 2016 and hope you will consider supporting me this year. [Click here to make a donation]

Compliance Building readers were very generous last year and help me achieve my fundraising goal. (For those who have already donated, I apologize for this second request.)

Unfortunately, I have another reason to ride this year:

jeff

Jeff was diagnosed with cancer just before Thanksgiving. This terrible disease killed him just after the New Year. He was a big, strong, brash guy. We grew up together, went to high school together, went to college together, snowboarded together and climbed mountains together.

Cancer took him.

I can’t think of a better way to remember him than to to ride for him and raise money to fight what killed him. Maybe we can help save the next person.

Jeff and I grew up with Dave. After Dave’s mom died of cancer, Dave formed Team Kinetic Karma and I first rode my first Pan-Mass Challenge.

I came back to ride again when Dave was diagnosed with cancer. He fought back and won. The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute helped him beat back the disease.

Then my dad was diagnosed with cancer. He fought back and won. The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute helped him beat back the disease. But his sister, brother, and mother (my aunt, uncle and Nana) did not win and lost their battles with cancer.

100% of your donation to my PMC ride with go the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

If everyone who reads Compliance Building donated a few dollars I would exceed my fundraising goals.

I’m really looking to the smaller group of loyal readers. A group that I think gets some value from what I publish. If you think it’s worth $1 a week. Then, please contribute $50…(Or More)

The Pan Mass Challenge ride is 192 miles over two days from Sturbridge to Provincetown. If I hit my fundraising goal, I’m going to add on another 100 miles and a third day of riding from the New York border over the Berkshires to Sturbridge.

Donations can be made by clicking on any of the buttons below, or sending a check to my mailing address:

Doug Cornelius
15 Lockwood Rd
West Newton MA 02465

Click here to make $25 donation

Click here to make a $50 donation

Click here to make a $100 donation

Click here to make a $250 donation

Click here to make a $500 donation

Click here to make a $1,000 donation

Click here to make a donation of any other amount

Can Money Buy An Election?

When Jeb Bush dropped out of the Presidential race this weekend, my first thought was about all that money. Running for elected office costs too much money and all that money is seen a corrupting influence. One of the most controversial rulings was Citizens United that broadened the rights of corporations and unions when comes to political spending. This 2016 Presidential race is the first big test of the Super PAC.

Politician: Holding Out a Stack of Money

The Super PAC has lost. Or at least, they are not assuring victory.

Before I continue, I’ll let you know that I don’t like any of the current major candidates running for President. My political views don’t fit neatly into either party. (I’m liberal on social issues and conservative on economic issues.)

Jeb Bush had a huge war chest for his campaign between his own campaign and the Super PAC that had lined up behind him. He also had the Bush campaign infrastructure in place.

Hilary Clinton had  a huge war chest for her campaign, with a sweep of donations and a giant Super PAC behind her. She had the Clinton political machine in place behind her.

A year ago it seemed very likely that we would see Bush versus Clinton for President.

After three votes, it seems that money does not buy an election. Bush has dropped out after three dismal results. Clinton is in a tough fight with a Socialist Senator from the tiny state of Vermont.

Perhaps I see a bit more faith in democracy and hope that money alone will not buy an election. There is still too much money in politics.  Whether or not it has an actual corrupting influence, it certainly has the appearance of a corrupting influence.

Sources:

Compliance and Supreme Court Nomination

One of the most important roles of the President is appointing judges to the bench, with an opening on the Supreme Court being the most important. We are set for another battle over an opening because the process lacks a set of policies and procedures.

SCOTUSbuilding_1st_Street_SE

The vast majority of Supreme Court cases are uninteresting except to the set of practitioners in that legal area. A few cases each term have broader social issues and attract the headlines. It’s those cases on abortion and marriage and gun rights that attract the most attention.

Justice Scalia took a very dogmatic approach to his view of the US Constitution. He was an originalist and textualist who believed in a static view of the Constitution. Conservatives loved this approach since it mostly aligned with their beliefs. Scalia would have been the first say that his view was not political, but a pure legal view.

He would also likely view with disdain some of the posturing coming out of Washington on how his open spot should be filled.

The Constitution grants the President the power to appoint Justices, “by and with advice and consent of the Senate.”

Scalia himself had an easy route to appointment as a Justice because the Senate opposition had focused its efforts on Rehnquist’s appointment as Chief Justice. It’s hard to fight a battle on two fronts.

The current appointment will also be about politics, and not legal theory. I’m sure the nominee will have a brilliant legal mind. He or she will likely have a short judicial record with few, if any, decisions on controversial issues. I would also guess that the nominee will not be a white male.

Leaving the Supreme Court seat open means that there are an even number of justices. Therefore, a tie is possible and impossible to reach a decision. Any governance practitioner will tell you the perils of an even numbered board.

Compliance practitioners should note that there is an insider trading case before the court. In the Salman case, the Supreme Court will try to decide if personal benefit to the insider is necessary as required in the Second Circuit’s Newman case or whether it is sufficient that there was a close family relationship as decided in this case. It would be a shame to not have a decision because of a vacancy on the bench.

Sources:

Supreme Court of the United States Building, Washington, DC, as seen from the west side of 1st St NE.
by 350z33
CC BY SA

Saying Goodbye To An Old Friend

The world got a little less interesting now that this big, bold, brash guy has left it.

Jeff Levine

I have not posted in Compliance Building while I’ve been trying to deal with this loss.

My best friend, Jeff Levine, was diagnosed with cancer just before Thanksgiving. He lost his battle against the disease last week.

Jeff and I had been friends since high school. We grew up on the same street. Went to high school together. Went to college together. Snowboarded together. Biked together. Laughed together. Cried together.

I’ve been in Los Angeles this week saying goodbye to him, surrounded by his family and friends. There are many stories to tell and remember. His legacy will live on.

I had registered for this summer’s Pan-Mass Challenge to raise money for cancer research last week. I got the call from Jeff’s sister two days later that Jeff had taken a turn for the worse and was not going make it through the day.

One of Jeff’s legacy’s will be me riding my bike in his memory. If you are interested in supporting me you can make a donation using the links below. 100% of the donation goes to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Click here to make $25 donation

Click here to make a $50 donation

Click here to make a $100 donation

Click here to make a $250 donation

Click here to make a $500 donation

Click here to make a $1,000 donation

Click here to make a donation of any other amount

Happy Thanksgiving

That means an extra long weekend for me. In Boston, the big traffic rush was on Tuesday night to avoid the traffic on Wednesday. I think most people have a half day on Wednesday or the day off. I hope you get to enjoy a long weekend before the push for year-end.

I’m going for the #OptOutside Friday instead of Black Friday. Look for me on bike, heading somewhere.

turkey thanksgiving

It would not be a holiday without some kind of government action. On Thanksgiving we get the presidential pardon of a turkey (or two): The Definitive History of the Presidential Turkey Pardon.