If Only Obama Were a Gamer

I consider myself a gamer only in the most casual definition of the word. Apart from an on again/off again relationship with World of Warcraft and our Rainbow Six sessions at Ryan's old office, I play games only occasionally (after all, I have training to do if I ever expect to best StupidBike at the races). And despite the negative social stigma about video games (one woman in my Sunday School called video games "Satan's greatest tool") there are some very valuable social and economic lessons to be learned.

The greatest games, or at the very least the ones I enjoy most, are the games that present a problem to be solved. The challenge in the game is planning and executing a solution to the given problem. Ryan and I made a pretty formidable team in World of Warcraft. He was the overbearing, condescending, ruthless dictator to my meek and humble, yet brilliant sidekick. There were more than several occasions when our duo out fought and out lasted groups twice our size.

Where was I?

Oh, yes... solutions to problems.

Recently my 6 year old son has started to spend time playing video games. We limit his time on the computer, making sure he does his reading and homework before he plays. We wouldn't want the neighbors to think our son runs rampant with "Satan's greatest tool" now would we? I saw his interest in computer games and decided to seize the opportunity. I went out and bought a new game. And under the cover of "spending time with the kids" I am able to dabble and play with a virtual railroad empire.

And the best part? I can teach my son the virtues of capitalism while we play.

The game is Railroads!, designed by the iconic Sid Meier, the mastermind behind the Civilization franchise. And the object of the game is simple: make money. You are given a small amount of money and resources to begin, a goal and a time frame to reach that goal. Nearby towns offer incentives and bonuses for deliveries of certain goods - oil, wheat, rock, people etc. Sending goods and passengers to a town that does not need them will end up costing you a great deal of money and time, and eventually you will lose the game. But sending the right commodities to the right towns and cities – solving problems – will earn you millions while growing the industries in those cities. Everybody benefits.

Right now my son enjoys the great graphics, the train sounds and the occasional outlandish bridge or tunnel I will build. But he is starting to catch on to the actual game play, that is, to the basics of supply and demand.

If only Barack Obama played Railroads!, we might not be scratching our collective heads at his unprecedented (some say historical) meddling into the free markets. The rules of the game just don't allow the player to create demand out of thin air (or thick ideology). I can't create a mandate to buy "green" cars or gimmick light bulbs. I can only try and supply what the market demands, and it only demands what is wanted and needed to grow their own respective towns and markets. But not so with Obama. He is cheating the game, and through legislation trying to create demand for goods that nobody is demanding.

It won't work. It never has. It never will.

The self interest that is held in such derision by anti-capitalists is precisely what drives the American economy. To paraphrase Milton Freidman, "no transaction in a free market ever takes place unless both parties benefit". Just as in my railroad simulation, the proper execution of supply and demand in a free market has created wealth, more wealth than the world has ever seen, here in the United States. And with that wealth comes more opportunity, more prosperity and more economic, social, military, and cultural influence around the world.

And I realize that many on the left frown upon American "influence" around the world. And that is an easy position to take from the inside. But the Iranian and Honduran people and their demands for freedom, liberty, and free markets are evidence that that influence is far reaching and deeply felt. To say nothing of the countless rallies, revolutions, wars and revolts in which people demanded, fought for, and died in the name of personal liberty throughout history.

Alas, President Obama does not play Railroads!. Which is a shame. I'd hate to think that my first grader is more articulate about free markets than the President of the United States.

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Thank You, Troops. Good Luck Iraqi Allies

There was a telling moment in the 2004 debates between Bush and Kerry when I knew that Kerry was doomed. At the time, one of the Dems' criticisms of GWB was his inability to maintain a credible coalition in the wars in Iraq in Afghanistan, citing popular disapproval of the war in nations like France and Germany.

Senator Kerry was belittling the viewed-as-meager coalition and appeared to gain some momentum in the debate, when President Bush chastised the Senator by pointing out that making little of what allied contributions there are is no way to increase the support of one's allies and reminded him of the biggest ally in the Iraq War - the Iraqis themselves. There's a lot of unrest in Iraq and I'd like not to debate at this point whether nation-building was a good plan (don't forget, Left, that it was under the Clinton administration that the idea was first embraced vis-a-vis Somalia and Bosnia).

For those of you who don't know--and given the fact that the media is apparently sick of reporting on the Iraq war, I wouldn't blame you--we're reaching a major milestone in the Iraq war tomorrow when U.S. troops withdraw from the front lines of Iraqi urban areas in order to yield to Iraqi police and military. My thoughts have always been that, having made our bed and it being appropriate to lie in it, we should stay the course in Iraq until such time as the government there asks us to leave. This timetable and milestone was set at their request (even mandate) and we are honoring that request tomorrow.

To U.S. and allied troops who have been learning on the fly how to fight an urban war and who have fought so bravely even in the face of, shall we say, lukewarm support from the home front, we are grateful for you and we wish you a safe return and hope to honor your service with the support you need here. To the Iraqi soldiers and police force, best of luck.

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This is Progress?

Of California, New Jersey, and New York:

So goes the real-life experience of progressive governance, with heavy tax burdens financing huge welfare states, and state capitals dominated by public-employee unions. Formerly rich states, they are now known for job losses, booming deficits and debt, wage stagnation, out-migration and laughing-stock legislatures. At least Americans have the ability to flee these ill-governed states for places that still welcome wealth creators. The debate in Washington now is whether to spread this antigrowth model across the entire country.

We need look no further than CA, NJ, and NY for a foretelling of where our nation is headed economically. President Obama is pushing hard for a national welfare state. A dignity sapping nanny that will smile a wide, toothy grin, telling us in a syrupy, condescending voice that "it's for your good" that our freedoms are being limited, and choices being reduced and our money being stolen.

A decade ago all three states were among America's most prosperous. California was the unrivaled technology center of the globe. New York was its financial capital. New Jersey is the third wealthiest state in the nation after Connecticut and Massachusetts. All three are now suffering from devastating budget deficits as the bills for years of tax-and-spend governance come due.

What was it that destroyed the economies of these states?

These states have been models of "progressive" policies that are supposed to create wealth: high tax rates on the rich, lots of government "investments," heavy unionization and a large government role in health care.

Read the entire article. The specific numbers are devastating, and ought to put an end to the "more government is good" arguments. These three states, and you could really add Michigan into that camp, are extremely good examples of what has always been true: Liberal/Progressive economic and social policies will invariably lead to economic and social decline.

History is crystal clear on this matter.

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Fox smells his own hole first

That little phrase takes me back to a carefree childhood where my brother and I would create or quote humorous sayings to blame our flatulence on each other. Yes, yes. Boys will be boys. This was one of our favorites: Fox smells his own hole first.

It meant that if someone accused you of a foul odor, they were more than likely the culprit or were planning to bake a similar air-biscuit in the near future. The saying came to mind this week as I read up on the MBA Oath which was created by some 2009 Harvard grads and is now being signed by freshly minted MBAs all over the country, most of them from top ten programs. Here is a snippet of the awesomeness:

A set of shared values is one of the defining features of a profession. Lawyers and doctors have their own codes, but business-school professors tend to embrace Milton Friedman’s claim that the only responsibility of business is to maximize profits. They have told their students that as managers their sole mission should be increasing shareholder value

LOL. As an aspiring HR guy, I can say honestly that if I found out that one of my job candidates had signed this well-intentioned pile of crap they would get booted right out of the hiring pool. Why? Because Eliot Spitzer hired prostitutes. Because Jimmy Swaggart did too. Because Mark Foley was a pervert and Mark Sanford just cheated on his wife.

What do they all have in common? They all vehemently fought against and/or spoke out about the very vices that would eventually bring them down.

It strikes me as odd that people who have worked their whole lives (or had rich parents) to get a starting salary of $150,000-$180,000 would be so adamant about this oath of morality, ethics and responsibility to people other than their shareholders.

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Break from the norm

My son loves watching clips on Youtube. I know he is only 2, but the fact that he can pull up clip after clip of trains and planes makes him the happiest 2 year old in the world. Lately he has been quite taken with military jets. Naturally we watch quite a few videos of the awesome F-22 Raptor.



A couple of things to mention. It is awesome. It cruises at the speed of sound, which is about twice as fast at a cruise speed as most other jets. It has a very stealthy signature, you'll notice in the video how it has to open bay doors to fire missiles/guns/etc. That keeps it stealthy and hard to get a radar lock on. It can also fly straight up at an incredible speed, great for dodging missiles and outmanuevering other jets.

So I start asking myself why we need such a fighter made of pure awesome and I see this clip of the counter part.



While scary looking, our F-22 can still kick the Su-47's butt. Of course there is only one of them made, but that can change quickly with a little money. Also we are currently developing/producing the F-35 as a cheaper cost alternative to the F-22. Anyway, I thought some readers might be interested in a little fighter update.

Oh and while I'm on the subject, what was this doing in Top Gun?

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Worthy Article

I know most of our readers have the WSJ opinion page book marked and check on it everyday, but for those that don't or might miss it today, HERE is a very interesting and I might say fair appraisal of the current administration and the reason for rising discontent.

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Reconnected for better or worse

Congratulations to TTKS author, Ryan who just got the internet after 3 months of waiting in his new home in the UK. I also moved to a strange land but I got my internet in one week thanks to an ambitious satellite installer who apparently didn't get the memo that, in the words of Adam, its cool to start living an idle life thanks to a government plunging itself into debt. I don't know how Ryan and co. did it because I was really starting to miss it after only one week.

And now that I have it I'm trying to figure out why I was so anxious to get connected. I find myself in my own little wannabe-Walden with a pond in my backyard and just a handful of neighbors. My fingers are stained purple from the mulberry tree out back. I got passed by 3 cars yesterday on a 20 mile bike ride on the most beautiful new pavement you've ever seen thanks to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. My girls are beside themselves with frogs and turtles to torment. We're paying roughly the same rent for a beautiful 5 bedroom home sitting on an acre that we paid for a 2 bedroom townhouse in Ohio.

And here is the clincher... I am actually scoring bonus points at work for 'being a team player' and coming out to a place like this.

Simplify! Simplify!
- Thoreau

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Race to the bottom

What will bottom out first, the economy or the Republican Party? In yet another example of marriage infidelity, the South Carolina Governor and father of 4, admitted to having an affair with an Argentinian woman.

Mr. Sanford talked of God, his faith and his family, issuing vague mea culpas before solving the mystery. "I've been unfaithful to my wife," he told the throng of reporters, adding that he had spent the past five days "crying in Argentina."

...In the arms of my mistress. Sorry I just had to finish his statement. Plus did he really have to make the "crying in Argentina" reference.

The best part was the end of the article when the WSJ just twists the knife right into the side of Mr. Sanford.

After winning election to Congress in 1994, Mr. Sanford voted to impeach President Bill Clinton after his deceptions regarding an affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Around the same time, he said he struggled with whether to support Rep. Bob Livingston, who was in line to be House speaker when he acknowledged extramarital affairs. "We as a party want to hold ourselves to high standards, period," Mr. Sanford said during a 1998 interview with the Associated Press.

Mr. Sanford's recent disappearance wasn't a surprise to some allies and friends. A surfer and one-time nationally ranked runner, he often sought out time for himself. He would regularly sneak away from the governor's mansion in downtown Columbia. Sometimes he'd ride his bike through the old state hospital compound, a desolate property in a troubled part of town, according to people familiar with the situation.

There is also a bit in there that might be of interest to one of the bloggers here, I live it to him to find the nugget.

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Paging King James. King James to LA, Please.

You gotta love Bill Simmons. On the eve of the NBA Draft, he produces this hilarious history lesson on the LA Clippers, holders of the #1 overall pick tomorrow night. And there appears no question that they will select Blake Griffin with the pick.

A few of my favorite "milestones" in Clipper history that Simmons calls out:

Summer 1983: Cummings gets diagnosed with a potentially deadly condition called heart arrithymia. He can keep playing but has to start taking a super-strong heart medication called Cordarone. At this point, God is running out of ways to torture the Clippers and settles on just blowing out random ACLs for the next few years.

June 1984: Blessed with the No. 8 and 14 picks in the greatest draft in NBA history, the Clips whiff on No. 8 (Gordon, taken just ahead of Kevin Willis and Otis Thorpe) and pick Michael Cage at No. 14 (two picks ahead of John Stockton). Would you rather have Gordon and Cage or Willis and Stockton? I thought so. Blake, please tell me your sneakers are on. As soon as you hit the last line, start running.

January 1988: The Clips sign Michael Phelps to a 10-day contract. Only the Clips could sign the other Michael Phelps.

Amazing stuff. Here's a fun summary:

Our final tally of post-1976 injuries to marquee Clippers players: five career-altering knee injuries (Livingston, Manning, Harper, Smith, Nixon), one career-ending ruptured disc (Johnson), one career-altering back surgery (Vaught), three season-ending torn Achilles (Brand, Archibald, Nixon), one heart arrithymia (Cummings), and multiple foot stress fractures (Walton). Every one of those guys was a top-three player on the team or headed that way.

Final number of rookie forwards drafted in the top nine or higher by the Clips since 1976: Dantley (6), Brooks (9), Chambers (8), Cummings (2), Williams (4), Manning (1), Smith (3), Ferry (2), Kimble (8), Augmon (9, traded), Murray (7), McDyess (7, traded), Wright (7), Odom (4), Miles (2), Chandler (2, traded), Wilcox (8), Griffin (1).

Draft picks the Clips could have made had they just drafted Player B instead of Player A since 1976: Vandeweghe; Wilkins; Willis; Stockton; either McDaniel or Mullin; Price; Pippen, Jackson and Lewis; Rice; Brandon; either Grant or Jones; one of Wallace, Stackhouse or Garnett; Kobe; one of Pierce, Carter or Bibby; Okafor; either Stoudemire or Butler; and Granger.

Now given this awful history, Simmons is pleading for Blake to flee the country rather than sign with this 'debacled' franchise. (I gotta give Emmitt Smith credit for the word in italics. Thank you, Emmitt.)

But, I say to Blake, "Sign. Sign now. And play your can off this season, raising the play of Gordon, Davis, and Camby and laying the groundwork for the LeBron sweepstakes in 2010."

I know it's outrageous, and I've been on record on this blog before for suggesting it, but LeBron needs to be a Clipper. Even PTI's Michael Wilbon has gone on record in support of my idea. (He didn't give me credit, though.)

Seriously, LeBron. If you really buy into the hype about your kingship; if you really think you are the next MJ; if you really are the best player on the planet -- and I think we can all agree you do, you do and you are -- then sign with this young and talented Clipper squad next year, go head to head with an aging Kobe in LA, challenge the Gods and reverse this Clipper curse. Imagine bringing a title to LA...FOR THE CLIPPERS! The CLIPPERS, LeBron. Seriously, what better way to cement your status as THE KING than by resurrecting (well to resurrect would mean that this thing was once alive, which is debatable) this franchise?

I'm telling you, do it. Make it happen. If anyone can reverse this franchise's fortunes, it's you Mr. James.

Then again, you better consider a secret deal to allow you to use HGH to recover from the knee injuries that seem inevitable for Clippers players.

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Rome and Home

"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance."

~Cicero - 55 BC

What is it that they say about those who forget (or ignore) history?

Although this quote may not be historical. There is a good chance it is made out of whole cloth, or embellished. It does sound rather modern. It is possible that the actual quote is as follows:

The arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and assistance to foreign hands should be curtailed, lest Rome fall.

And still, that may be utterly made up. But the idea is sound, that a government plunging into debt so its people may live an idle life will undoubetdly lead to a cultural collapse.

Just look at Rome.

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Thank Bush!

Countdown until Bush gets some credit for pushing forward with developing anti ballistic missile technology. 3..2..1 Oh wait, I forgot, this is the liberal media industrial complex we're dealing with. 3000000000000003..3000000000000002..3000000000000001..

Mr. Gates told reporters that the U.S. is positioning a sophisticated floating radar array in the ocean around Hawaii to track an incoming missile. The U.S. is also deploying missile-defense weapons to Hawaii that would theoretically be capable of shooting down a North Korean missile, should such an order be given, he said.

"We do have some concerns if they were to launch a missile...in the direction of Hawaii," Mr. Gates said. "We are in a good position, should it become necessary, to protect American territory."

I don't hear much American news out here, but this seems like the sort of thing that would worry me if I was living in Hawaii or even California for that matter.

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T.O.T.U.S.

As the only link (thus far) for the weekend, if you've not yet discovered the comedy that is T.O.T.U.S., check out its blog here.



That's right. The President's teleprompter (Teleprompter Of The United States, T.O.T.U.S.) has taken to blogging for the past several months. After all, what singular piece of equipment spends more intimate time with, as TOTUS calls him, the Big Guy? Who better, then, to give us insights into what's going on?

Enjoy.

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Paging Dr. Obama

Barack Obama, in his historic 4-hour speech to the AMA this week said that: "I’ll be honest, there are countries where a single-payer system works pretty well. " Which of course begs the question: which ones? Where is this idyllic utopia where there are no lines and no costs for your gender reassignment surgery and where medications grow on trees?

Maybe Robert Gibbs knows?

"I don’t know exactly the countries. I think if you talk to the people in the countries that have that system, they think their health care is pretty good...I assume Canada, Britain, maybe France"

Oh he assumes the president meant those countries?

Fantastic. Those are three of the stalwart examples of the beauty of public health care. I hear that the doctors are all unicorns and that they use butterflies to help them out with treatment. But I can't seem to figure out why prominent European politicians, celebrities and anyone with any money inherited from the various and sundry monarchies all travel to the United States when their health is at stake?

I assume it must be that they just like the scenery.

But then, we all know what happens when one assumes something...

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The Message & The Messenger

My wife and I were walking through Costco a couple weeks ago. I love that store. Seriously. Rarely do I buy anything other than food, but I have stroll through every aisle and see all the cool stuff I could buy if I felt like it and/or had the money. I mean, who couldn't use a 72 piece Craftsman tool set with matching tool box? Yeah, you know what I'm talkin' about.

So I'm strolling through the book aisle and come across this gem:


Here's my first question. Has Obama really earned his right to be the poster child of "Great Speeches of Our Time"? Look, I know his mug sells product. Just ask Time Magazine. Laying profit motive aside, what are your thoughts?

Second question, and this is my big question, does the greatness of the speech depend at all on the person's legacy and/or character? No doubt Obama has proven his persuasive qualities, but will he deliver the goods? Does that matter? I recall several speeches by GWB immediately after 9/11 that I would consider quite moving. Are those speeches tarnished by the handling/mis-handling of the Iraq War or by his poor approval ratings?

To my first question I say no, he has not earned the poster child designation, but I understand Mr. Williams is trying to sell his book, as any good capitalist would do.

To my second question, to be fair I have to say "It depends." There have been many great speeches given by men and women who I may not agree with or even trust, but have to concede that at one time or another inspired me, President Obama included.

Discuss.

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Shocking

The President yesterday denounced the "extent of the fraud" and the "shocking" and "brutal" response of the Iranian regime to public demonstrations in Tehran these past four days.

"These elections are an atrocity," he said. "If [Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad had made such progress since the last elections, if he won two-thirds of the vote, why such violence?" The statement named the regime as the cause of the outrage in Iran and, without meddling or picking favorites, stood up for Iranian democracy.

The President who spoke those words was France's Nicolas Sarkozy.

Pres. Hopeandchange just saved or created another 100k jobs by being upstaged by France in supporting democracy in the world.

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Tehran, Iran

"The most powerful weapon in the struggle against extremism is not bullets or bombs — it is the universal appeal of freedom. Freedom is the design of our Maker, and the longing of every soul. Freedom is the best way to unleash the creativity and economic potential of a nation. Freedom is the only ordering of a society that leads to justice. And human freedom is the only way to achieve human rights."

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Discussion Point: Washington Owned

I've overlooked Washington for far too long. I'm preparing an in-depth post looking at the man known as the father of our great country, as I've just finished reading "His Excellency" and have been profoundly affected by getting better acquainted with the single greatest figure in US history.

So a thought to ponder. Washington gave his farewell address about remaining neutral/isolated from foreign nations. His meaning behind this has largely been misunderstood and I think it is useful in today's world of hope and change. What he believed that made him different from his revolutionary peers (particularly Jefferson, Franklin, and Madison) is that people and nations are not led by ideals. They will never make choices based on ideals but rather on interests. A country doesn't make an alliance that is not in their own best interest, and as soon as it is not, they discard it. In order to survive, a country MUST look first after its own interests.

The best illustration of this was Washington's reluctance to choose sides in the war between Britain and France. Revolutionary ideals demanded he side with the French (particularly when they came to our side in 1776), but the interest and survival of the nation demanded that trade ties be maintained with England.

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I Missed all the Vomit

I think I am regretting attending the nations driest university. Year after year BYU is counted among the most sober American schools. No doubt the ideology and the honor code, along with the dominant LDS student body are the responsible party to that distinction.

And while students and faculty take on a certain pride in that prestigious distinction, I fear that while at BYU I must have been missing out on a cultural experience that no doubt would have added to the rich and rewarding 3 years I spent at "The Y".

For instance, students at Cambridge University recently demonstrated just how valuable a higher education can be to your intellectual development:

The party saw bikini-clad students struggling to stand up and vomiting at midday on a Sunday afternoon...

The students were lying across the verges, lots of them were vomiting and they were singing rowdy drinking songs."

The highlight of the day was the jelly wrestling contest - with hundreds gathering to watch bikini-clad female students battle it out for a £250 prize.

The party-goers shouted and cheered as the girls hurled jelly at each other in an inflatable paddling pool.

One student said: "It was a very hot day and some students drank far too much."

"The event involves lots of drinking games and you soon lose track of how much you've drunk.

"A lot of people could hardly walk by the end of it."

Alas, at BYU I had to settle for students lying across the verges singing hymns and quoting The Princess Bride on a lazy Sunday morning. Which, now that I think of it, was not all that far removed from watching others vomiting uncontrollably.

And actually, this bloke pictured below looks like he might fit right in at one of the weekly tunnel singing sessions (where RPG met his wife, right?), although his date might raise a few eyebrows:

This post saved or created 1.6 trillion jobs.

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Kobe Bryant: Mr. Contrived

As usual, with the spotlight directly on him, Kobe looked fake last night. Kobe's an all-time great talent yadda yadda, but the man has no true identity.

He walks like MJ. He often talks like MJ. His movements on the court often look like MJ.

But he ain't no MJ. And for many reasons, but one of the foremost is that MJ's emotions didn't seem calculated and contrived. Kobe's almost always seem that way.

Did you see him jumping around the court last night after the blowout win? And none of his teammates came to him? And he says it wasn't important to him to win without Shaq?

Sir Charles said it best:

And he wanted us to believe that he didn't want to win one without Shaq? He never jumped that high when they won the last three times.

And then there was the awkward celebration with Derek Fisher where he grabs Fisher's face after they hug and I expect him to open-mouth kiss Fish because of the way he's holding Fish's face. (Seriously, that face hold is straight out of a Matthew McWhatever romance movie.) And then Kobe says, while shaking his head and sounding like he's talking for the cameras, "All that hard work! All that hard work!" I guess you had to see it to really understand how contrived the whole scene was, but I know I'm not the only one who feels this way about Bryant.

I like how the picture above catches the tat on his arm, the old #8 and an experiment in emotion on his face.

He's Kobe Bryant. He's Mr. Contrived.

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TTKS Links of the Week, 6/10

Here's a bunch of stuff to fill your weekend from your beloved TTKS authors:

If you're like me, you relish the real story behind political promises. Thanks, Keith Hennessey, for walking us through what President Obama's trying to do with reforming our energy standards. Also, a breakdown of why a green car might actually cost more in energy consumption during production than it saves in use. [Chris]

As a rabid Lakers fan, it's just not right for me to be as in to Mark Cuban's blog as I am. He's got some ideas for fixing Wall Street that impressed me. [Chris]

It's been a while since stories from the ground in Iraq have been front page news. Here's a report from the L.A. Times on where things stand with the U.S. trying as hard as it can to prepare to withdraw. [Chris]

Is Bill Maher daring to call out the President? Really? That Bill Maher? [Chris]

Interesting take from the pro-gay marriage front on a less-than-enlightening take on opponents. [Chris]

Awesome story about a little charter school in Oakland that is doing more with less. Why isn't it this simple all the time? [Chris]

Part of the Dems' troubles pre-Enlightened One were from their identity crisis--too much inclusiveness diluted their 'vision.' Here's a take on the GOP's similar struggles. [Chris]

I miss Tom Hanks. [Chris]

Judge Sotomayor's nomination has, hopefully for the better, brought out some discussion on affirmative action specifically and race generally. Some takes here and here. [Chris]

The Muslim response to President Obama's overtures. [Chris]

Europe often gets held up as the poster children for successful application of leftist government. The Telegraph's Ambrose Evans-Pritchard (great British name, no?) is of the feeling that Europe's more recent developments indicate frustration with how leftist policies failed to keep Europe safe from the global economic crisis and a resurgence of the right. Good read. [Chris]

Jimmy Fallon, if you pull off this reunion, you'll go a long way towards winning some credibility. [Chris]

Last week we discussed at length the LeBron sportsmanship issue. Here is another WSJ sports piece that addresses the topic of sportsmanship in a broader, more general fashion. [Bitner]

If you missed the Letterman v. Palin drama, here is a good recap. It was quite priceless [Sam]

Karl Rove lays the hammer down on Obama's health care plan. Now is the time to speak up and speak out about health care. [Bitner]

We should all praise the Lord every day that we are not Kansas City Royals fans. And if you are a Royals fan, then heaven help you. [Adam]

Were you a fan of FireJoeMorgan.com? Man, I miss that site. Well, the lead writer at FJM, Ken Tremendous, is also one the most awesome characters on TV. Cousin Mose. I know, it does not get much better than that. Here Joe Posnanski interviews one of the great comedic writers of our day, Michael Shur. [Adam]

Remind to never, ever move to San Fransisco. Ever. Seriously. [Adam].

Kevin Johnson, the former Suns star who is now the Mayor of Sacramento, is in trouble. It was discovered that he has "misused" $400,000 of AmeriCorps funds. Johnson, as you may remember was a big supporter of Barack Obama during the campaign. Which might seem irrelevant to the fact that he is a lying cheat. And it would be, except that Obama has fired the IG who reported the wrongdoing. Long live thugocracy! [Adam]

People are starting to wake up to the fact that Barack Obama is bankrupting the country. The graph below is staggering:


And speaking of staggering graphs, here is another one that hilariously, the AP tries to spin as a "drop" in unemployment. Despite the fact that for 19 consecutive weeks jobless claims have risen. That is a record for those of you keeping score at home. Turns out Obama's presidency is historical after all! [Adam]



The new chairman of GM, whom the Obama administration hand picked (but don't worry, they are not running the company) admits to knowing nothing about cars. He said, "I don’t know anything about cars, a business is a business, and I think I can learn about cars. I’m not that old, and I think the business principles are the same.” [Adam]

It's all the fault of "them Jews"! How did we just find out about Rev. Wright? The guy is certifiably insane, and has been for 50 years. And he mentored our President! Who, it ought to be pointed out said this week that "We must remain vigilant and look out for anti-Semites". Hey Mr. President, I see one! I see one! [Adam]

I am in the wrong line of work. I think I may flee to Pakistan, hide in a cave for a week and then surrender to a patrol of U.S. soldiers. With any luck, six months from now I will be sent away to a small island paradise like the Chinese Muslims from Gitmo. And hey, it only cost the American tax payer 200 million dollars to bribe Palau (yeah, I never heard of it before either) to take them! Upon hearing that the Obama administration is now bribing governments to take Gitmo prisoners, Arnold Schwarzenegger volunteered to take the remaining 200 and put them up in swanky San Fransisco apartments, Alcatraz. - but at $50 million each. [Adam]

This post saved or created 14 jobs.

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Coaching Re-treads

Before I get into it, I have a question. As a Laker fan, I tuned out of the NBA during the Tricky Nick Van Exel phase, so for any of you who were into it during the mid 90s, can you tell me if the Van Gundys were ever considered interesting/relevant? With the 5 minutes ABC spent with Papa Van Gundy yesterday, the riveting story that is Jeff calling games that the gregarious Stan is coaching, and all the insufferable anecdotes that Jeff tells of his days of not winning the big one, I'm wondering if I'm the only one bored out of my mind by it all. But again, maybe I'm the one missing things.

Anyway, I'm trying to figure out why professional sports teams (and upper-level college teams, I suppose) seem to just recycle coaching talent year to year? It makes Mike Brown's apparent (sort of) job insecurity in Cleveland even less interesting because you know some GM out there is going to give him a job after he spends some time riding the pine in some broadcasting or commentating booth for a year.

My suspicion is this: there are very few great coaches out there. The rest are facilitators whose job is to keep the players from self-destructing out there, call time outs at appropriate times, and navigate the space between the media and the front offices. Because of some combination of their egos, whatever metric of their basketball IQ you choose to use, and personality skills with the players, it takes a special coach to really do that: coach. Beyond that, if your foot's in the door, it seems to take a real moron to be banished or demoted from coaching.

It makes you really appreciate those coaches like Popavich, Sloan, and the Zen Master who manage to maintain some credibility and longevity. Check out Mark "Mad Dog" Madsen's take on what makes Phil Jackson a great coach, written in response to Alonzo Mourning's classifying Phil as one of the 'just calls time outs' coaches on Jim Rome is Burning the other day.

Check out Mad Dog's take and let me know why you think GMs continually give the same failed coaches opportunities to coach, what you think makes a coach great, or anecdotes about favorite coaches growing up.

Lakers in 6, regardless of the outcome tonight (still in doubt as of this post). I wish it could be Lakers in 5, because heaven help me if I have to endure many more close-ups of Hedo Turkoglu.

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Wall Street vs. Pennsylvania Ave?

I saw a headline on Drudge that said recent college grads are shunning Wall Street to take government jobs. I had to read the piece to get to the bottom of this brave claim. I have a hard time believing that those who typically would be headed to Wall Street are now "shunning" the idea.

The article bothers me because I find the author a bit conflicted. I think there is plenty of data compiled to show that Wall Street jobs just aren't available right now in the quantities they have been over the last decade. The article cites this. However, the author also attempts to paint this new trend as if it also comes as a result of some deep awakening of social responsibility gripping the drones of recent grads. Opening sentence:

Wall Street may be losing its luster for new U.S. college graduates who are increasingly looking to the government for jobs that enrich their social conscience, if not their wallet.

Look, Wall Street lost its luster because it imploded, not because students are longing for conscientious enrichment. Finance jobs are down 70% this year. If you want to be a financial analyst, your only shot may be in DC crunching numbers trying to figure out how Obama's budget is going to magically work itself out, or working for a DC area government consulting firm. I mean, hey, we're hiring 30 year old recent law school graduates to take over the Detroit meltdown, so DC is the spot to be right now.

The excitement surrounding the election of President Barack Obama, who enjoyed huge support on college campuses, was also attracting young graduates to government and government-service contractors.

While Obama dreams of legions and armies of public service workers all marching to the beat of his mantras, I'm just not buying that this shift in employment has much of a long-term trend. And I strongly doubt this has anything to do with President Obama, other than the fact that his growing government needs people to fill seats. Once the Finance sector regains its footing, the nations best and brightest will, once again, march in throngs to go make the big bills and live the banker lifestyle on Wall Street.

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Remember When California Was Cool?

Well they are now out of money. Keep raising taxes, that will help the situation! BTW for a preview of the path we are headed down as a nation, just look at California's financial situation over the past 10 years. High taxes, lots of government services, and never having enough money to pay for it all.

This is from the state controller:

On May 29, 2009, I informed you of the precarious nature of the State’s cash condition and alerted you to impending risks which threaten the State’s ability to meet its payment obligations.

The situation has not improved. Based on actual revenues received during the month of May, and finalized May Revision data provided by the Department of Finance on June 1, I have the following updates to the State’s 2009-10 cash outlook:

• In the absence of legislative action, the State will not have sufficient cash to meet all of its payment obligations on July 28. By July 31, the cash deficit will increase to a negative $2.78 billion.

• In April, the State’s cash balance will fall to a negative $25.3 billion – the lowest point projected for Fiscal Year 2009-10. To put this shortfall into proper perspective, it is five times the $5.1 billion cash deficit we faced this past spring.

California is broke. By broke I mean out of money in addition to being broken. They generate more tax revenues than any other state and yet can't manage their finances. The numbers aren't even close too. In 2008 they had 117 billion in tax revenues, the next closest was NY with 65 billion. So where is all their money going?

I wish I could feel some sort of sympathy for the state that raised me.

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Baseball's PED Quote Book

Baseball's Steroid Era is both comical and tragic. But we need to find the comedy in these precious moments when superstars take the mic and give us quotes for the ages. These are instant classics and need to be compiled into a book of remembrance for our posterity.

The quotes run the gamut, covering the mundane (I was recovering from injury) and the outrageous (I didn't rape nobody), and everything in between. It's really something I think will be a great addition to anyone's coffee table.

Here is what I've collected so far:

Andy Pettitte (in response to the Mitchell Report): “I felt an obligation to get back to my team as soon as possible…I wasn’t looking for an edge. I was looking to heal.”

Roger Clemens (in his Congressional testimony referring to teammate and BFF training buddy, Andy Pettitte): “I think he misremembers.”

Roger Clemens (comments on 60 Minutes about McNamee’s statement about shooting up Rodge with Steroids and HGH): “I should have a third ear coming out of my forehead. I should be pulling tractors with my teeth.”

Roger Clemens (more from 60 minutes): “Lidocaine and B-12. It’s for my joints.”

Mark McGwire (at the original Congressional hearing): “I’m not here to talk about the past. I’m here to be positive about this subject.”

Rafael Palmeiro (wagging finger at Congress): “I have never used steroids. Period.”

Rafael Palmeiro (a few months later after failing a drug test): “I have never intentionally taken sterioids.”

Barry Bonds (referring to the stuff his trainer, Greg Anderson, would give him): “When he said it was flaxseed oil, I just said, ‘Whatever.’”

Alex Rodriguez (when confronted by a reporter with steroid evidence): “You’ll have to talk to the union.”

Alex Rodriguez (speaking to ESPN.com’s Peter Gammons): “I was young. I was stupid…it was such a loosey-goosey era. I’m guilty for a lot of things. I’m guilty for being negligent, naïve, not asking all the right questions.”

Manny Ramirez (after weeks of silence during his drug suspension): “ What happened, happened. I didn’t kill nobody. I didn’t rape nobody, so that’s it, I’m just going to come play the game.”

Perhaps we could have a section of appendices (or maybe sequels!) for various political, hollywood, or other categories of famous lies/denials/outrageous statements.

These would certainly make the cut:

Bill Clinton: “I did not…have…sexual relations…with that woman.”

Richard Nixon: “I am not a crook.”

Kobe Bryant: “I sit here in front of you guys, furious at myself, disgusted at myself for making the mistake of adultery. And I love my wife with all my heart.”

Yes, it is high on the tragedy scale, but this is the stuff of high comedy.

Help me grow the list with a favorite of your own. With your help we can get a book or two published by Christmastime.

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In Honor of Sam and Graduation

On my recent cross Atlantic flight (I highly recommend flying Virgin Atlantic) I saw part of a movie that had an insightful exchange that I'd like to share for Sam (and others reading). The name of the movie is How Lose Friends and Alienate People. I didn't watch it all, so don't ask me how it ends. Basically some small time British writer gets hired to work for some mega media powerhouse in NYC, so he has to move from his little shire in England to the big city and big corporation. He meets with the head of the company on the first day for an interesting conversation.

The boss tells this guy essentially, there are 7 rooms in this company. Right now you are in the first room. Eventually you might find the secret door which leads to the second room. Once you get there the door to the first room look obvious and easy to go through, but you won't for the life of you figure out where the placement of the secret door is to the 3rd room. That will take time and searching and you may eventually find it.

I am in the 7th room.

That is a great illustration of how corporations work, and how promotions work within them. On your first day you'll be seeing people in the same room as you, a lot of them are looking for that door and have been unable to find it. Once you get into the second room, you'll notice the same thing. Most people are looking for that secret door into the next room. Your job is to find that door.

One funny exchange happened in a staff meeting when the main guy made a suggestion about something and the head guy quietly answered, "That's a first room comment."

Try not to make too many "first room" comments, is my main bit of advice. I have a co-worker that is constantly trying to think up the next big thing to change the world without properly thinking about the implications of his ideas. He makes a lot of "first room" comments.

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I'm graduating. Now what?

I jumped through their hoops. I paid some money. And now they want to say that I am a master of the subject matter. Wow. I've never actually done what it is they say I'm a master at. But anyway, I'm done with my graduate degree in labor and human resources and I'm going to make more money than I did before because the people at my school say I'm worth it and the people that hired me believed them.

I thought I would be overjoyed with graduation but I find myself jumping inexplicably between happiness, melancholy and party mode. Happiness because I accomplished something. Because a paycheck is a beautiful thing and I've forgotten what it feels like. Beautiful because I'm genuinely excited about the next chapter in my life and career.

Melancholy because academia offers flexibility that you can't buy in corporate America. If I want to ride or run in the middle of the day right now, I can. That is going away forever. Melancholy because the stress of a big test is nothing compared to the stress of a big deadline at work, imo.

Party mode because I'm trying to take full advantage of the few weeks I have to be accountable to no one. I've been staying up late playing old school Dr. Mario with my wife and hitting up all-you-can-eat buffalo wings with friends. Good times.

But now what? The questions that have been on my mind are mostly about, but not limited to starting a new career. What should I be doing to get off on the right foot? Who should I be talking to? How do I navigate a new culture and find/make a place for myself? How long do I stay in the office to show that I'm willing to be a team player and get things done and at the same time show that I have priorities outside the office that I'm not willing to compromise.

Any words of advice based on ya'lls experience in starting new life phases would be great.

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Goldberg on GM

If you have not read Liberal Fascism, you ought to. It is a fantastic read. Honestly. Jonah Goldberg did his homework, and has compiled a political history of the United States that, while may be irksome to people on the left, has yet to be refuted. In fact, It may be more interesting, more useful and more enlightening to left leaning people because of the history it illuminates.

Anyway, he shared this quote from the book on his blog, written over 2 years ago, because it was so obviously relevant today:

GM offers an ironic confirmation of Marxist logic. According to orthodox Marxism, the capitalist system becomes fascist as its internal contradictions get the better of it. As a theory of political economy, this analysis falls apart. But at the retail level, there’s an undeniable truth to it. Industries that once had a proudly free-market stance suddenly sprout arguments in favor of protectionism, “industrial policy,” and “strategic competitiveness” once they find that they can’t hack it in the market. The steel and textile industries, certain automobile companies—Chrysler in the 1980s, GM today—and vast swaths of agriculture claim that the state and business should be “partners” at precisely the moment it’s clear they can no longer compete. They quickly become captives of politicians seeking to protect jobs or donations or both. These “last-gasp capitalists” do the country a great disservice by skewing the political climate toward a modified form of national socialism and corporatism. They’re fleeing the rough-and-tumble of capitalist competition for the warm embrace of It Takes a Village economics, and Hillary Clinton calls it “progress."

I also read over the weekend that GM employs about 95,000 people. They provide health insurance for 1 million people. 1 million. At what point did GM become a welfare state? No wonder they cannot compete.

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For Grizz and StupidBike...

Let's kick off Monday with a little entertainment. This is absolutely insane.

Watch Awesome Trials Bikers and more funny videos on CollegeHumor

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TTKS Links of the Week

I've been skeptical of the WSJ beefing up their sports department, but if this piece on The Big Unit, Randy Johnson, is any indication of the fruit of their labors, then I support the decision to delve into sports. It's a fun read about Johnson's effective use of the beanball and his place historically in that category. Unit is my favorite lefty pitcher of all time. Nolan Ryan is my favorite righty of all time. Both owned the plate. [Bitner]

Here's another fun and fitting tribute to Unit. Several players commenting on how fearsome Johnson was on the mound. It's hilarious, really. [Bitner]

Adam's post about Tiller got me thinking about the abortion issue again. Here and here are two great articles, both contrasting the sides of the issue. [Josh]

Thanks to the boys at www.sonsofstevegarvey.com for keeping score of the Dow, Big Papi, and Andruw Jones here. [Chris]

I enjoyed this take on the Kobe-LeBron feud and how the hatred for LeBron is ramping up in L.A. He's just getting too close to Kobe-ville for Laker Fan comfort. [Josh]

Here's a primer on health care and what the actual problems are vs. those alleged under the crisis label. [Ryan]

Barack Obama, before his history making speech from the historical city of Cairo, said in an historic interview that "if you actually took the number of Muslim Americans, we'd be one of the largest Muslim countries in the world". This is fuzzy math at best, and delusion at worst. The US, a nation of 306 million people, has around 2 million Muslims. 40 other nations have more Muslims than the U.S. It is one of the more bizarre comments made by Obama, because, well, there is simply no way to know what the hell he is talking about. Consider this, there are nearly 6 million Mormons in the United States, roughly triple the number of Muslims. What do you think would have happened if during the presidential campaign Mitt Romney had come out and declared the US a Mormon nation?

Oh, and speaking of Mormons, Brother Harry Reid (yes, he is a Mormon) delivered the quote of the week earlier when asked about Judge Sotomayor: "I understand that during her career, she’s written hundreds and hundreds of opinions. I haven’t read a single one of them, and if I’m fortunate before we end this, I won’t have to read one of them." Excellent. And why on earth would the majority leader of the group of people in charge of confirming Sotomayor's nomination want to read her past decisions? What a waste of time that would be! Thank you Brother Reid for confirming once and for all that you are with out a doubt, most incompetent. [Adam]

Thinking about buying a Prius? You might want to reconsider. After all, you wouldn't want to contribute to the harmful effects of Global Warming with that little resource hog would you? In fact, the smug little Prius costs more in energy to build than a Hummer. [Adam]

Barack Hussein Bush. I'd be really interested in hearing our Left leaning readers' take on Obama's speech in Cairo, you may have heard about it, it was in all the papers. I will probably write more about it next week, I still need to read the entire thing (not just the excerpts I have already read, lest I pull a Harry Reid...). But in many, many ways he sounded exactly like...GWB. [Adam]

In about 400 years the Russians appointed 22 Czars. In 5 months, Obama has appointed 21. The latest is a "pay Czar". He is apparently going to make sure that companies who have received bailout funds will be spending them "appropriately". But wait, was not that Joe Biden's job? [Adam]

And finally (from me) is this picture. It is just too good to not post. I will let you form your own opinion of it:

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A Fun Economic Exercise

I came across this article today reading Calculated Risk, an excellent finance-related blog.

So for fun, let's see if you can spot what is wrong about this article from the New York Times.

Ms. Ulery, 63, is the face of the latest wave of troubled American homeowners, a surge of people in financial danger not because of reckless gambling on real estate, but because of lost income.

Far from being one of those who used easy-money loans to speculate on homes proliferating across the desert soil of greater Phoenix, she has lived in the same modest, stucco-sided condo in suburban Mesa for a dozen years. She bought the two-bedroom home in 1997 for $77,500.

Doesn't sound like anything is wrong with that. I wonder if there is more to the story of this troubled, thrifty, hard-luck individual.

Like tens of millions of other American homeowners, she added to her mortgage balance as the value of her condo swelled, at one point exceeding $200,000. She refinanced to pay off some credit cards and settle into a 30-year, fixed-rate loan. Later, she took out a home equity line of credit to buy a new Hyundai. She refinanced again in 2007, borrowing $20,000, mostly for a new roof.

Ahh, they just slip that in at the end as if it was merely coincidental to her struggles.

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Obama Motors Is Already In Deep

Looks like the government wants to run GM afterall.

"Let me be very clear -- I don't believe that companies should be allowed to take taxpayer funds for a bailout and then leave local dealers and their customers to fend for themselves with no real notice and no real help. It's just plain wrong," he said.

First there was Obama reassuring Michigan that GM wouldn't be moving their headquarters, now we have Senators getting upset that dealerships in their states are getting closed. Auto companies will find, just as the banks have, that the government is the absolutely worst creditor in the world.

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If mama ain't happy...

There is an oft quoted saying that is commonly cited among men as they explain to their friends why they won't be participating in a sporting or grilling event:

"If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy."

This common refrain came to mind as I read a recent study entitled, "The Paradox of Declining Female Happiness." You can read the abstract here (sorry, I only have access to the entire article through my university).

It is sure to be a controversial study that is explained away by the feminist movement and heralded by traditionalists for years to come. The study reveals a striking decline in female happiness since the 1970s relative to men and in overall measures. The finding holds across industrialized nations, socio-economic status and age. The paradox is that women are freer, richer and more equal than ever before.

I was forced to read an interesting book as a Sociology major when I was an undergrad entitled, "The Second Shift" that explains how women are being stretched by the first shift at work and the second shift at home. It was a good read and traditionalists will certainly point to the strain that steady employment puts on a mother.

On the other hand, the feminists will use this as a rallying cry that they still have a long way to go and that they must be more equal to men in order to be happy (If it isn't obvious already, I'm not committing to either side of the argument for the purposes of this post as my opinion is immaterial).

With all this talk about the happiness of men and women and in light of the aforementioned quote, my question is how the declining happiness of women impacts the family. As a husband and father, I can speak to the incredible impact that my wife's demeanor has on me and on our kids. If, collectively, women are a little more sullen, melancholy and just plain unhappy, what will it mean for the rest of society when all those trophy kids grow up?

If my mom is sadder than my grandmother was, will my daughter be sadder than my wife? And what can I or she do to make sure that doesn't happen?

Would really like to hear from any readers of the finer sex on this (although to make things equal, you guys can chime in too).

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Obama Condemns Terrorist Attack

President Obama rightly denounced the cold blooded murder of Dr. Tiller, an abortionist who was shot inside of a Church by an anti-abortion nut-job (he was obviously not pro-life). In the wake of the attack security was increased at abortion clinics around the country. Obama stated that:

I am shocked and outraged by the murder of Dr. George Tiller as he attended church services this morning. However profound our differences as Americans over difficult issues such as abortion, they cannot be resolved by heinous acts of violence.

The very next day a radical Muslim shot and killed an unarmed, but uniformed United States soldier in Arkansas. Below I am quoting the President's full denunciation of that attack:

Oh right. He hasn't said a word about it.

And why would he? After all, he couldn't possibly condemn a radical Muslim on the eve of taking his Global Apology Tour to Cairo.

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Boy Are My Arms Tired

I just flew in from Florence, blah blah. Anyway I've been a horrible blogger since moving to the UK and hopefully that will be fixed once I get internet next week. That's right, it is now 2 months since moving in, and I'm just finally getting internet installed. I called during my first week to get it setup...

Anyway I ran into this quote while reading the editorial section of the Wall Street Journaland found it beautiful in its simplicity and wit. I had to have it on our blog.

As public policy, ethanol is like the joke about the baseball prospect who is a poor hitter but a bad fielder. It doesn't reduce CO2 but it does cost more. Imagine how many subsidies the Beltway would throw at ethanol if the fuel actually had any benefits.

And why do the A's have so many poor hitters and bad fielders anyway? This is a good season to be out of the country for me.

Ok, now for a real post.
One of the challenges I’ve been grappling with at work lately is why they would bring someone like me into this company when I’m not necessarily a cultural fit, ok I’m pretty far from what I’d consider a cultural fit. Those that know me know that I’m a pretty direct person. I want the right answer, and I’m not interested in what it takes to get there, except that my preference is for the shortest and most direct route.

The culture in my company and probably in corporate America in general (Fortune 100 companies) is more along the lines of the process in getting to the answer is more important than the actual answer. Making sure all the stakeholders are engaged and on board, hearing everyone, using bits of everyone’s ideas, etc. are critical to the success of anything new or creative happening.

The two are generally incongruent and in fact if you place them on a spectrum with answer on one and process on the other you can plot your own company on that for a fun exercise. If you don’t know where your company is on that spectrum then you need to pay better attention. The interesting thought I had this past week is that this same spectrum also works in marriage. (Don’t worry Adam, I won’t be veering too far into this marriage thing) I’m pretty far over on the answer side of things while my wife is closer to the process side of things. (A fun exercise you can do to test this on yourself, consider your phone calls. Are you able to get on, talk, and then when you have accomplished the purpose of the call, you can cut it off and end the conversation. Those that can cut off a social interaction quickly would be on the answer side of things with me while those that struggle severing the social fabric would be on the process side of things.)

Tying it all together for myself, I have to consider my own marriage and how things have developed over the past 5 years. Jamie is now quite a bit more direct when dealing with me, and I think I’m a bit more process oriented when communicating with her. The same should happen at work, there will be movements by me towards the process and hopefully (if I’m doing my job right) the culture itself will shift just a bit to the direct side. I believe that was the intention of the head of HR in starting up this rotation and investing in us, he sees us as guide posts that gently pull the culture and keep it from becoming too process focused and too “nice”.<

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Obama's Cyber Fantasy?

No, no, no. No! Not that sort of cyber fantasy. Get your mind out of the gutter.

Rather, he said, Friday that:

America's economic prosperity in the 21st century will depend on cybersecurity... And this is also a matter of public safety and national security. We count on computer networks to deliver our oil and gas, our power and our water. We rely on them for public transportation and air traffic control. Yet we know that cyber intruders have probed our electrical grid and that in other countries cyber attacks have plunged entire cities into darkness.

Now, I agree that our networks, both private and public are very important. That simply goes without saying. But his comments provoked a few people to wonder exactly when and where and who "plunged cities into darkness"? Rob Rosenberger (via BoTW) illuminates the issue:

Who plunged entire cities into darkness with the click of a mouse? No one knows.

When did these cyber-terrorists plunge entire cities into darkness with the click of a mouse? No one knows.

Where are these cities that plunged into darkness with the click of a mouse? No one knows.

Why did the cyber-terrorists plunge these cities into darkness with the click of a mouse? No one knows.

How widespread were these cyber-terror blackouts? No one knows.

Whose power grid Internet connection did the cyber-terrorists exploit? No one knows.

How many victims perished in these cyber-attacks? No one knows.

What did it cost to clean up after these cyber-terror attacks? No one knows.

Does Interpol want to extradite a U.S. citizen so he can stand trial on charges of cyber-terrorism? No one knows.

Exploring the issue further is one James Taranto, the snarky columnist for the oft-linked, very authoritative Wall Street Journal. You might have heard of him before, he's been mentioned in all the papers. His response is exactly why I love his daily column:

To be sure, it's possible that Donahue and Obama are telling the truth...Then again, the government doesn't seem to have many details either: "We do not know who executed these attacks or why," according to the Donahue statement. And do we know that we know what Obama says "we know"? Donahue said only that "we have information," leaving open the question of how reliable the information is. It would be a shame if the president were to make major policy decisions on the basis of faulty intelligence.

And.... Zing!

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LeBron's Sportsmanship

After Saturday night's Game 6 defeat to the Orlando Magic, LeBron James walked off the floor, head down and didn't shake anyone's hand or talk to any players or media.

Sports talk radio is abuzz about this and I thought I'd post LeBron's day-after comments and my opinion.

James stormed out of Amway Arena without speaking to the media Saturday night after the Cavs were eliminated with a 103-90 loss to the Magic in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals. The league MVP, who also did not shake hands with Olympic teammate Dwight Howard or congratulate any Orlando players as he left the floor.

James said he sent an e-mail to Howard following Saturday's game.

"It's hard for me to congratulate somebody after you just lose to them," he said. "I'm a winner. It's not being a poor sport or anything like that. If somebody beats you up, you're not going to congratulate them. That doesn't make sense to me. I'm a competitor. That's what I do. It doesn't make sense for me to go over and shake somebody's hand."

Um, correction. It is being a poor sport or anything like that.

I know we ask a lot of you LeBron and we want to see greatness all the time. You delivered an unthinkable performance through five thrilling games in this series and, granted, you have not made many (if any) mis-steps so far in your career. But c'mon. Be a man and go congratulate your opponent. I don't care if he's a former Olympic teammate or a hated rival. Go shake his hand.

For the record, I agree Steve Zaban (Fox Sports Radio) who said LeBron's avoiding of the media is acceptable, even wise, because it prevents the awkwardness about addressing inadequate coaching or teammates. So that's fair. But this whole not shaking your competitor's hand after the contest is Bush League.

What's your take?

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Goode Humor

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