Welcome to The  CRC  Team Channel. The idea of disinformation and misinformation is important. Not for the purposes of using the narrative to censor people that you disagree with. Rather there are many people that believe things about public policy that simply is not true. This a problem with both sides of the aisle. Especially, when there are strong emotions about the election outcomes and the policies of the person elected. People experiencing hysteria will generally believe anything they see because it makes them feel better about their emotional state.  Many of the issues and debates that are occurring in real time have changes along the way, so people may be harping on outdated information. Also, the news pundits tend to try to shape how the public views information, leveraging that emotion. Any proposed cuts to a program are going to end the world and any increase will bankrupt future generations.   Personally, I prefer to be somewhat neutral, giving balan...

    Welcome to The  CRC  Team Channel. The desire for perfection cannot be the enemy of very good. Especially if what you are fighting for is not possible by procedure rules. I agree that our federal government has kicked the can down the road and we are running out of road. But, we also need to balance the tough decisions with how to best shield the citizens from the feeling a burden that is in excess of what can be reasonably absorbed and fair. We all may not something needs to be done but the cost must be reasonable. The taxpayer will bear the burden, both individual and corporate. There is no escaping that. Non-taxpayers will face some impact through scaling back of sevices. There will be shared pain but the longer we wait the greater it will be with little options for offsets. Our annual credit card bill payment is a significant proportion of our income. Not considering other mandatory payments. Our debt was downgraded again. So we need to stop ignoring the prob...

  Welcome to The  CRC  Team Channel. The Dallas Mavericks made one of the most questionable basketball decisions and were rewarded with the first overall pick, where the selected Cooper Flagg. Anthony Davis, Kyrie, Flagg, and the rest of the young talent could help them bounce back. A deep playoff run by the Lakers could tear apart any progress to mend fences with their fan base. Trading away a generational talent, who seems to be taking physical fitness more seriously now is hard to accept. The NBA is coming off a very competitive series in the NBA Finals, but the best may be yet to come. There should be a host of teams able compete next year. And some great teams waiting for the following season to compete when their stars return. Boston fans know their team has tough decisions to make given the financial commitments and their star potentially missing the season. They have traded away a great deal of talent so far. But they have to wait for the smoke to clear to see who...

    Welcome to The  CRC  Team Channel. The Florida Panthers won their second straight Stanley Cup in their third straight appearance. Depending on what happens in free agency, I would assume they will still be amongst the favorites for next season as well.  That team just plays so well together. They are so aggressive and consistent each and every game. They seem to completely understand what kind of team they are. What their strengths and weaknesses are. And have a formula that is repetitively effective.  Their opponents in the Edmonton Oilers seemed somewhat timid or at least unsure of what they were facing and how to adjust at moments. The Oilers just did not compete in the same manner as last year. There was that game where they turned into a goon squad. Game 4 where they showed some life.  But, they just could not keep up with the Panthers and keep them out of their zone. So many mistakes that gave the Panthers possession in their own zone when th...

  Welcome to The  CRC  Team Channel. Thoughts and prayers to those impacted by the political violence that took place in the State of Minnesota, where a sitting state legislator was assassinated, her husband killed, and others were hurt as well. A manhunt is still reportedly ongoing.   There is a need to reduce the rhetoric and the manufacturing of anger in our political debates, which can lead to these tragic events. In the less than a year, we have 2 attempted assassination during the presidential election and now this.  Marketers for years understood that emotional signaling was a very effective method in creating messages that resonated with audiences. If you make a person feel strong emotions, then they remember the message and connect with the position. Even if the delivery is not truthful, the audience will largely side with the brand's position if it made them fell good about doing so.  Naturally, the approach will be applied to the political s...

      Welcome to The  CRC  Team Channel. The sports media always claims that the content broadcasted is what the audience wants to see. But, their declining ratings may show otherwise. Also, the sports pundits are not adequately covering the great competitive series that we are seeing with the Stanley Cup Final, where the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers are battling in a close matchup.  This may be the first time we have seen a competitive Stanley Cup Final as well as an NBA Finals, which is closer than people originally thought. Easy to write off the Indianapolis Pacers in favor of the Oklahoma City Thunder, but the talent, at least in this series, has been equal through the first four games. Both championship series are tied and up for grabs in some manner.  I still think many people favor the Thunder and the Panthers. But many more people would no longer be surprised to see a title go to Indy. They have played above their perceived ability. The...

      Welcome to The  CRC  Team Channel. There are some things in life that are worth the wait. And then there are other things where the wait make them less desirable. I think in sports it can be both, depending on the team and the player. And how many times the player has made teams wait in the past.  The Steelers finally have their quarterback for the 2025 football season under contract, almost 3 months after speculation of a signing. As expected, Aaron Rodgers signs a one year contract worth $13.65 million that can be over $19 million with incentives. A long wait that has some fans a bit angry.  The Steelers, my second favorite team, have chosen the mysterious box this year. Aaron Rodgers is clearly one of the most talented quarterbacks to ever play the game of football. He makes some really great throws that few can replicate. But he is clearly on the back end of his career. One last hurrah, where he can maybe beat the Bears in Chicago one more ti...

      Welcome to The  CRC  Team Channel. The Knicks are not celebrating any more. In fact, they are now in full find a new head coach mode, following the surprising termination on head coach Tom Thibodeau. This season was clearly a high for the franchise, becoming a legitimate contender, despite losing to the Indiana Pacers. But, success does not equate to job security in the NBA lately.  This is the 3rd surprising firing of the season for a team that had success. At the end of the season, the Memphis Grizzlies fired their head coach with less than ten games to go and a playoff spot secured. The Denver Nuggets also made a change shortly after that reliefing a championship winning coach with a playoff spot secured. In the Nuggets case, they reached the 7th game of the second round.  The Knicks had their best season in a quarter of a century, making progress every year Thibodeau lead the team. Making the playoffs and advancing further each year. Overcomi...

       Welcome to The  CRC  Team Channel. Power can be a corrupting force. Especially when the risk of losing access to the privilege of power are real and present. The actions and choices of people around power interests me. The Original Sin book co-authored by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson gives us some insight on what those around Joe Biden did to accommodate a sitting president that was less able to perform his duties with each passing day.  I went into this just interested in seeing what people may have done and what other members of his party might have known. Below I share my thoughts. Please experience the featured content.   To some degree, the blame for the situation is not so much on Joe Biden, who was clearly not in capacity, as it was those around him whose power rested on Joe Biden remaining at the helm.  Some may want to see these individuals as compassionate. But how compassionate can one be when they later share their views t...