Dog Slice

I want to be a billionaire so frickin' bad...

2011-03-15T16:41:00.000-05:00

Obviously Bobby Jindal would have failed any course taught by Allen Sanderson...

ESPN: Hornets expected to get $7M from State

The state likely will have to pay the Hornets about $7 million in subsidies which kick in whenever the team does not meet certain annual revenue benchmarks, but the NBA franchise also is working productively with political leaders toward the goal of remaining in New Orleans, Gov. Bobby Jindal said.

The governor mentioned the anticipated subsidy payment after discussing his role in a new marketing effort designed to strengthen the Hornets' season ticket base and secure the club's future in New Orleans.

Meanwhile, back on the ranch...

Shreveport Times: Livingston Parish schools facing teacher layoffs

The system received more than $9.4 million in federal stimulus money in 2009-10, and $3.1 million in 2010-11, documents show.

The district will receive no stimulus money next year, Spear said.

Spear also said that an expected freeze in the state's main education funding vehicle, the Minimum Foundation Program, would also hurt Livingston Parish.

SW Louisiana American Press: Forest fires double as firefighter roster shrinks

Dry, windy weather, coupled with layoffs of state firefighters, may contribute to bigger fires, said officials with the Louisiana Forestry Association.

With 34 percent fewer firefighters than in 2008, the delayed response times may allow the average size of forest fires to triple, said C.A. “Buck” Vandersteen, executive director of the nonprofit organization that represents forest landowners and related businesses.

"People don't want to hear the facts... Facts are troublesome creatures, sometimes"

2011-02-23T18:52:00.003-06:00

WOW! A pat on the back for Shep. If only Fox's viewers would make note of that title... But is it same to say he's going to end up missing for disrespecting the Almighty Kochs?

Bike-Off!

2011-02-23T08:07:00.001-06:00

By now, everyone's seen Wayne Rooney absurd bike goal v. Man Shitty two weekends ago.

What about the bicycle by Lyon's Jimmy Briand?

Too much off me.

You, Sir, Got Dunked On

2011-02-01T17:02:00.000-06:00

Ummmmmmmmm

We welcome our new Chinese Overlords with open arms

2011-01-31T13:16:00.000-06:00

The GOP's Wild Plan to Avoid U.S. Default is to "Pay China First"

New Republican legislation in the House and Senate would force the U.S. government to reroute huge amounts of money to China and other creditors in the event that Congress fails to raise its debt ceiling.

"I intend to introduce legislation that would require the Treasury to make interest payments on our debt its first priority in the event that the debt ceiling is not raised," Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) wrote in a Friday Wall Street Journal op-ed.

If passed, Toomey's plan would require the government to cut large checks to foreign countries, and major financial institutions, before paying off its obligations to Social Security beneficiaries and other citizens owed money by the Treasury -- that is, if the U.S. hits its debt ceiling.

Takin' It to the Streets

2011-01-29T17:35:00.000-06:00

And why aren't people (see: urban dwellers) in the streets burning cars and rioting at the ridiculous subsidies given out to sustaining the suburban "growth" in America? Why, exactly, am I, a renter, subsidizing this? Though I'm not holding my breath for the day when we'll see that conversation come up - read: eliminating mortgage interest deductions.

The Economist: Et in Arcadia ego

The Sarasota-Bradenton metropolitan area, a two-county sprawl of condominiums, marinas and retirement homes, saw the proportion of people living below the poverty line rise by more between 2007 and 2009 than any other big city in America, from 9.2% to 13.7%, according to the Census Bureau. Nor is Sarasota an aberration. All the other metropolitan areas that saw jumps of four points or more are also formerly fast-growing southern and western cities: Bakersfield, California; Boise, Idaho; Greenville, South Carolina; Lakeland, Florida and Tucson, Arizona. Arizona now has the second highest poverty rate in the nation, after Mississippi. The especially severe housing bust that ended the breakneck growth of these sunbelt cities has brought with it deprivation on a scale they have never previously encountered and are struggling to address.

Poor inner cities in the Midwest and north-east still have higher overall poverty rates, but in recent years, notes Elizabeth Kneebone of the Brookings Institution, a think-tank, poverty has grown fastest in the suburbs, especially in the sunbelt. A third of America’s poor, she notes, now live in suburban areas. Many cities in the sunbelt, adds Margaret Simms of the Urban Institute, are suffering from what it calls “double trouble”, meaning a plunge both in property values and employment, with concomitant jumps in poverty. This trend is significant, says Scott Allard of the University of Chicago, since it is harder for the poor to seek assistance and to hunt for jobs amid the suburban sprawl.

Meanwhile, here is a fascinating look at the shitpile that is more formally known as the state of Florida.
Human Landscapes in SW Florida

Seriously?

Michael McDonald - Takin' It to the Streets

Triceps: Forget Biceps Edition

2011-01-29T11:37:00.003-06:00

Doppelgangers

2011-01-29T11:33:00.000-06:00

Marouane Fellaini

Danger Mouse

I went from ashy to classy

2011-01-29T11:27:00.000-06:00

Because it's worth noting...

Zero Hedge:
1) Inequality In America Is Worse Than In Egypt, Tunisia Or Yemen
2) Robert Shiller Argues That Rising Inequality In The US Was A Major Cause Of The Recent Crisis, And Little Is Being Done To Address It

Note: Bob Shiller is the man.

The Monster Mash

2011-01-19T15:12:00.000-06:00

So good...

The Awl: The Poetics of Mashburn

In part because of guys like Jamal Mashburn, today we take for granted that 6’8” players can and should hit threes. Those that cannot, those whose throwback interior skills makes them in-the-paint players, are often dubbed “tweeners”—as in between positions—and they mostly grade out as good college players who lack the athletic ability or size to make the jump to the professional ranks.

But even ardent college hoops enthusiasts too easily get suckered into grading out players’ abilities based on their future pro potential or physical attributes. There is a temptation to fall into the trap of seeing the college game as something of a minor league for the NBA, and its players in a constant audition. This does a disservice to the players and, more importantly, to the college game overall. Because what makes the college version of the game most intriguing is precisely its fuzzy edges, its imperfections, its beautiful flaws. In NCAA basketball, “tweeners” can be more valuable than a better future prospect, and at this level, it’s routine for guys who are too short, too fat, too slow, too whatever to dominate a better athletic specimen on both ends of the floor.

We do, like Bachelard intoned, get caught up on our perceptions, on our images, of what a player is or is not instead of reveling in the simple pursuit of just watching and appreciating him, not judging or grading at all. But it’s not easy to do. Especially if you watch a lot of teams and a lot of players. You naturally begin to pick and choose and compare. Styles invariably contrast.

For me—and I wager for most folks who view college basketball through its own prism and not simply as a subdivision of professional basketball—it’s important to stop grading and just watch, just enjoy, just let the game happen. We don’t do it enough. If you make the effort to let go, to fall into reverie while you watch, you’ll see how a guy like Gary McGhee at Pittsburgh, or Demetri McCamey of Illinois or Levoy Allen at Temple gets it done despite supposedly lacking the “it.” Stop listening to talking heads tell you a player’s value and start letting that value, that basketball gift, overcome you.

Annals of the South: Gun Control Edition

2011-01-18T14:12:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I saw this bumper sticker on the back of an early 90's model Ford F-series truck (next to some sort of police officer trade group sticker. I won't touch that one...). I'm not totally sure this is the best person to quote to garner support for the pro-gun crowd, but hey, what do I know...

"Sarah Palin's coming south to hunt some skunk"

2011-01-18T14:04:00.000-06:00

To be completely honest, I can't believe Colbert didn't beat these guys to this...

Blake Griffin - Going H.A.M Vol. 47

2011-01-18T13:36:00.004-06:00

It is unreal how well rounded his game actually is, once you actually get to see outside of the absolute filth highlight real dunk shots for which he has become more well known.

And I say "actually get to see" because, of course, the Clippers are never nationally televised. Alas, except this Thursday - Clippers @ Blazers on TNT.

Look after the pennies, and the pounds will look after themselves...

2011-01-18T13:11:00.000-06:00

Warren Buffett, 9/10/2000

NYT: The Billionaire's Buyout Plan

For five decades, I've looked for undervalued stocks. But if I'd been interested in the biggest bargain around, which I wasn't, I would have bought political influence. For many a year, it was far cheaper than anything to be found in the stock market. A relatively modest contribution -- say, $25,000 -- was enough to make the donor a V.I.P. in the political world. And really big amounts? As a fund-raising senator once jokingly said to me, ''Warren, contribute $10 million and you can get the colors of the American flag changed.''

Markets correct, though. Politicians began exploiting the soft money loophole, and pricing became more efficient. Soft money contributions jumped from $86 million in the 1992 election cycle to an expected $360 million in the current one. That's a growth rate worthy of Silicon Valley: 20 percent annually.

And the game has barely started. For most supplicants, cost still lags ridiculously far behind value. American business spends $200 billion a year on advertising to influence consumers. In many industries -- communications, tobacco, banking, pharmaceuticals and insurance among them -- political influence can sometimes be of similar commercial importance. It also matters critically to such professionals as lawyers, doctors, and teachers. Absent reform, these interest groups will continue to ante up for political influence, accepting the soaring prices that the vendors demand.

These vendors, however, maintain that it's all O.K. They argue that a contribution may buy access and empathy but are shocked -- shocked! -- at the thought that it could influence their vote.

Perhaps. But let me suggest a fanciful thought experiment to test their position. Suppose that a reform bill is introduced, raising the limit on individual contributions to federal candidates from $1,000 to, say, $5,000 but prohibiting contributions from all other sources, among them corporations and unions. These entities could still encourage their employees, stockholders, or members to contribute personally, but could do no more -- a ban, incidentally, that applied to them until the ''soft money'' dodge was introduced in 1978. Such a bill would be far from a panacea for all campaign finance ills, of course, but it would at least be a start.

Why should this bill stand a chance in a Congress enraptured with the status quo? Well, just suppose some eccentric billionaire (not me, not me!) made the following offer: If the bill was defeated, this person -- the E.B. -- would donate $1 billion in an allowable manner (soft money makes all possible) to the political party that had delivered the most votes to getting it passed. Given this diabolical application of game theory, the bill would sail through Congress and thus cost our E.B. nothing (establishing him as not so eccentric after all).

The beauty of this plan is that it would highlight the absurdity of claims that money doesn't influence Congressional votes. What a $1 billion promise would buy here is a ''counter-revelation'' among legislators, who'd be induced by the offer to shift their position on campaign finance by 180 degrees so as to prevent the money from being delivered to the opposition party. When the roll call began, Republicans and Democrats alike would, in this scenario, suddenly find merit in a reform that they had previously classified as somewhere between repulsive and un-American.

This hypothetical exercise, it should be noted, does not expose the legislators who now oppose reform as evil or corrupt -- but only as human. How many of us push for laws that are clearly injurious to our self-interest? I can assure you that I've never looked for ways to make retention of my job less secure. Why should legislators?

Would a system that allows an E.B. to influence legislation by a $1 billion promise make sense? Of course not. And neither does a system that allows an anything-but-eccentric individual, corporation or union to achieve similar influence by a large check. Only individuals vote -- and then just once per election. Let only individuals contribute -- with sensible limits per election. Otherwise, we are well on our way to ensuring that a government of the moneyed, by the moneyed, and for the moneyed shall not perish from the earth.

He ain't The Professor...

2011-01-13T16:17:00.000-06:00

...but for a 4 year old, some may say this kid has some upside. From Business Insider:

Strengths:
-Can handle 2 balls at once
-Can run between defender's legs
-High-arcing jump shot

Weaknesses:
-Weighs 43 lbs.
-Already has a personal barber

Hopefully Earl Boykins' new nickname will really catch on...

2011-01-13T12:59:00.000-06:00

I want to shake hands with the production crew of NBA TV, who inserted this gem onto the screen during a Bucks game last week.

HFT: Just like Transformers!

2011-01-13T12:55:00.003-06:00

This is a topic that I really don't think gets enough press, considering how it essentially shapes the way the equities markets operate. So it's great to see, in Wired, of all magazines, a piece on the development and consequences, both good and bad, of algorithmic trading.

Algorithms Take Control of Wall Street

Certainly worth a read...

But these are not ways of controlling the algorithms—they are ways of slowing them down or stopping them for a few minutes. That’s a tacit admission that the system has outgrown the humans that created it. Today a single stock can receive 10,000 bids per second; that deluge of data overwhelms any attempt to create a simple cause-and-effect narrative. “Our financial markets have become a largely automated adaptive dynamical system, with feedback,” says Michael Kearns, a computer science professor at the University of Pennsylvania who has built algorithms for various Wall Street firms. “There’s no science I’m aware of that’s up to the task of understanding its potential implications.”

I'll be damned if there isn't a similar, yet more catastrophic, flash crash in the near future. I mean, how can there not be? There is a system pushing a huge majority of the trading volume in the markets that fundamentally operates in a way that is uncontrollable - and as we've seen before, to the detriment of stability in market prices. So how is one supposed to invest with confidence in that type of market?

When you get featured in the NYT Mag...

2011-01-13T12:24:00.001-06:00

...I believe that is the pinnacle of success. Not to discount Gregg Gillis' definition of the pinnacle of success:

“When the Jordan brand is sending you free shoes,” he tells me, “it’s pretty much the peak of success in my mind."

If one has not yet heard Girl Talk, one cannot understand the sheer brilliance of hearing Birdman over New Order. THIS is the future of music...

NYT Magazine: The 373-Hit Wonder

Beast Mode!

2011-01-09T10:30:00.000-06:00

Marshawn Lynch cares not for your safety and will run you and your buddies over. Seahawks upset special.

Hixx Pixx

2011-01-01T10:40:00.005-06:00

Chiddy Bang - Opposite of Adults
Why can't every song have an MGMT sample?

Or a Passion Pit sample!

Chiddy Bang - Truth

SoCal > *

2010-12-21T13:38:00.002-06:00

This is the greatest tweet of all time. From the Los Angeles Fire Department:

Friday night at the GARDEN

2010-12-17T20:45:00.000-06:00

Tremendously underwhelming effort on the part of the Knickerbockers tonight against the Heat. These guys got absolutely RUN in the second half. Granted, LeBron couldn't miss in the 3rd quarter as Miami pulled away (seriously, that guy is pretty damn good. As much as it pains me to admit that he's more than just a physical freak. Dwight Howard, on the other hand, does not yet allow me to compliment his skill-set), but these Knicks are the reincarnation of the Seven Seconds or Less. You can't score only 34 points in the second half with that talent in that system.

I love the Knicks and D'Antoni and what they have going this year, but this performance doesn't bode well for any sort of playoff prospects. Their volatility in terms of performance is off the charts. They would lead the league in beta, if that existed.

Annals of the South

2010-12-17T20:34:00.000-06:00

I must be honest, I feel pretty fortunate to live in Nashville. It is certainly a bastion of normality in comparison to many other areas in the region. Like my neighbors to the north in Kentucky, where there is a biblically-themed amusement park being built, with replicas of Noah's ark, the Tower of Babylon, and an insistence on the earth being only 5,000 years old. From today's WSJ:
Rebuilding Noah's Ark, Tax-Free

On Dec. 1, Kentucky Gov. Steven L. Beshear announced that the state would provide tax incentives to support the construction of Ark Encounter, a sprawling theme park on 800 acres of rural Grant County. Under Kentucky's Tourism Development Act, the state can compensate approved businesses for as much as a quarter of their development costs, using funds drawn out of sales-tax receipts. It's a considerable sweetener to promote development and jobs.

But in this case, say critics, it may pose a constitutional problem. The developers of Ark Encounter have close ties to a Christian ministry called Answers in Genesis, which promotes "young-earth" creationism—the belief that the account of creation provided in Genesis is scientifically accurate and that the Earth is only 6,000 years old.

Let's make a deal, you guys get to subsidize your biblical amusement park if they get to subsidize the Islamic center in New York. Or better yet, how about neither of your cockamamie projects get any public subsidies?

Evangelical Christians are really the best. Never a dull moment with those folks...

I'm Gonna Go Ahead and Dunk On You, and You Can't Stop Me

2010-12-17T08:00:00.001-06:00

Denver Nuggets shooting guard J.R. Smith decided that he was going to dunk on Gary Neal (who the f is Gary Neal???), and there was nothing anybody was going to do that could stop him. Dunk of the year?

So Bay

2010-12-15T10:16:00.000-06:00

Udinese's Pablo Armero goes bay against Fiorentina. The celebration is also fun.

The next person who mentions "Activist Judge" is going to get pistolwhipped...

2010-12-14T12:52:00.000-06:00

Business Insider: Everything you need to know about Henry Hudson, the man who shot down Obamacare

Hey guys, remember last year? GOP to label Sotomayor as 'Activist'

What ever happened?

2010-12-12T10:23:00.001-06:00

I'm sure the entire tax/unemployment deal was done in a game theory matrix, and the outcome was the equilibrium that did not benefit a particular side, but both got something out of it. However, here is my favorite reaction, from Charles Krauthammer in The National Review:

If Obama had asked for a second stimulus directly, he would have been laughed out of town. Stimulus I was so reviled that the Democrats banished the word from their lexicon throughout the 2010 campaign. And yet, despite a very weak post-election hand, Obama got the Republicans to offer to increase spending and cut taxes by $990 billion over two years — $630 billion of it above and beyond extension of the Bush tax cuts.

No mean achievement. After all, these are the same Republicans who spent 2010 running on limited government and reducing the debt. And this budget-busting occurs less than a week after the president’s deficit commission had supposedly signaled a new national consensus of austerity and frugality.

Some Republicans are crowing that Stimulus II is the Republican way — mostly tax cuts — rather than the Democrats’ spending orgy of Stimulus I. That’s consolation? This just means that Republicans are two years too late. Stimulus II will still blow another near–$1 trillion hole in the budget.

At great cost that will have to be paid after this newest free lunch, the package will add as much as one percent to GDP and lower the unemployment rate by about 1.5 percentage points. That could easily be the difference between victory and defeat in 2012.

Obama is no fool. While getting Republicans to boost his own reelection chances, he gets them to make a mockery of their newfound, second-chance, post-Bush, tea-party, this-time-we’re-serious persona of debt-averse fiscal responsibility.

The National Review! But yeah, what ever happened with all that noise? That was, like, a month ago when folks were hollering about "no more unfunded government programs." By this creed, I then suppose that means we're getting out of Afghanistan, too? Oh wait, not happening...

But let's get to meat of this argument - it doesn't matter what the tax rate for the top earners is. They're going to find ways around it, of course (see: Warren Buffett's 17.7% tax rate). These folks will pay MUCH less than the either low thirty-something or high thirty-something percent that would have been the outcomes to both sides of this debate, what, with all the ridiculous deductions that get to be made and the like. So let's please shift our attention to tax reform. I've hollered about this before, and I'll do it again. We are terrible at collecting taxes - solution: lower the effing rates, and actually, you know, enforce it. Problem solved.

Another Sweet Goal

2010-12-08T20:59:00.001-06:00

Tel Aviv's Eran Zahavi riding more bike than Lance Armstrong. Nice goal sir.

Is Arsenal's Samir Nasri the Best Soccer Player in the EPL?

2010-12-06T10:10:00.000-06:00

As an Arsenal fan, it's tough to make objective arguments regarding Arsenal players, but Samir Nasri is making a pretty decent case that he is the best player in the Barclay's EPL:

12/5/2010 - The day the great recession ended.

2010-12-05T20:34:00.002-06:00

ESPN - Jayson Werth agrees to $126 million, 7 year deal with Nationals

Jayson Werth is getting paid. Handsomely. Look, he's a great ballplayer - he hits for power, gets on base, can steal a few bases. And, he has a great beard. But good god, $18 mil a year? I was going to bring up the fact (but, naturally, fangraphs beat me to it...) that Adam Dunn just left the Nats to grab a 4 year, $56 million contract with the White Sox, so is there really much of an upgrade there. Defensively, maybe. But are they really getting $4 million more a year out of Werth? Had I been GM of the Nats, I would have refrained from paying either of them and grabbing a second tier hitter and a top of the rotation starter (take your pick). Not a ton of common sense running around D.C. these days, I guess (DOUBLE ENTENDRE!). I suppose that's what years of winning percentages in the .3's will do to you...

So who is the happiest person on this day - Jayson Werth, taking home $126 million, or the yet-to-be-signed Carl Crawford?

.....Or Maybe You Just Makin' Excuses

2010-12-05T15:56:00.000-06:00

Somebody mashed up an old MJ commercial with the newest Lebron one. Impossible to not workout immediately after viewing.

Because not digging deeper is easy...

2010-12-02T17:29:00.001-06:00

So I was just watching Glenn Beck for a few minutes, which I do on occasion to get in touch with what Real America is thinking (since my educational background and socioeconomic situation have put me out of touch with Real America), and he was just describing how the state debt situations, specifically New Jersey, Illinois, New York, and California, are so closely in line with the current situation with the various EU countries. I can't say that I disagree with Beck here - it's a pretty ridiculous and terrible situation, especially in my native California and my adopted Illinois, where state budgeteers have run amok with the finances.

However, there is a bit of a different distinction in play here.

Let's take a look at the amount of federal income dollars received per dollars of federal taxes paid (source). This is from 2005, so it is a bit dated, but it certainly shows some relevant points. How much did each of these states receive per dollar paid?

New Jersey - $0.61
Illlinois - $0.75
New York - $0.79
California - $0.75

I know Mr. Beck loves talking about how it is about not relying on the government to give you a handout, which, frankly, I agree with (in principle; in action, well, I don't think our political system or the American population is ready for the alternative. But I digress...). So why, then, should these states, with the most budget troubles, be subsidizing many (most) of the other states? It's even more interesting when you throw voting patterns in here...

So you're right, Glenn, let's stop giving people handouts! Real America (see: left-hand column) will really be on board with that! Those bozos who don't understand what it's like out there (see: right-hand column) are running up huge state deficits, and they just don't get it. What are you waiting for America!?!? Wake up!!! Why haven't you bought your family a year's supply of food and started canning your own subsidized corn?

Look, I get it - we're in some shit right now. Our established way of living is unsustainable, and we MUST change it or we're going to be shit out of luck. Let's just stop all the pandering, and actually do something about it. It's going to be a lot easier to sail out the storm when you make $30+ mil a year than those folks who sit at home buying crap gold from disingenuous sellers capitalizing on one media personality's meteoric rise (though recently tempered) to fame.

FIFA's Best Goals of the Year

2010-11-25T14:14:00.001-06:00

Too bad no one in this clip can beat me at FIFA. Also, Arjen Robben doesn't know how to celebrate goals.

Blake Griffin Cares Not For Your Safety, Will Dunk on your Face

2010-11-23T08:11:00.001-06:00

I feel dunked on by just watching these crams. Thanks Blake. (How bout an intra-Clippers Eric Gordon, Blake Griffin dunk contest?)

Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

2010-11-19T15:20:00.002-06:00

What a fantastic music video. This ties in perfectly with the recent row over airport scanners and aggressive pat downs. It sure seems like a lot of the people complaining about this were the same people who thought the Patriot Act was going to make sure that all terrorists were expunged from our great land. But then didn't send in their census forms last year because they didn't want The Man to have their info. No, you may not have your cake and eat it too.

Glenn Beck excoriating George Soros for "funding" revolutions to topple autocratic, communistic regimes to bring democracy to the Ukraine, Czech Republic, etc., also fits in here, somehow, as well.

But I digress. Enjoy.

It's always Hawk Harrelson season...

2010-11-19T11:28:00.001-06:00

Is there any doubt that Hawk Harrelson thinks Leslie Nielsen is the greatest actor of the past century, or laughs uncontrollably at words like "tromboner?" I can only imagine his reaction to the comedy schtick where a cat or raccoon jumps out of a trash can and latches on to somebody's face...

So Eric Cantor and Larry Kudlow walk into a bar...

2010-11-18T16:10:00.000-06:00

WSJ: Another Deficit Plan Targets Taxes

The Rivlin/Domenici proposal is likely to attract the most attention for its proposed 6.5% Debt Reduction Sales Tax, which some will liken to a value-added tax that exists in some parts of Europe.

Rep. Eric Cantor (R., Va.), who is likely to become House majority leader in January, said Tuesday that many lawmakers wouldn't support VAT-type tax because its ties to Europe might make it politically poisonous in Washington.

"I don't think any of us want us to go the direction of the social welfare states around the world," Mr. Cantor said at the CEO Council.

And let us give thanks by slaughtering all these crazy Indian folks...

2010-11-18T15:54:00.001-06:00

...Or give them diseased blankets, either way.

I love Thanksgiving. It really reminds me that we (we, as in the ancestors of myself, a white American) are truly blessed to have had technological advancements so far beyond anything the native folks who lived on our continent had that we wiped them out almost clean with basically no effort at all. We shared with them, the natives that lived in our great land (because even though we were recent settlers in this foreign, western place, it was OUR land), a wonderful meal celebrating the bounties of the Autumnal season: cranberries, turkey, corn, or maize as it was so called, and Smallpox.

So please, let us all give thanks this week that because, as Jared Diamond would have it, we were blessed (by God, obviously. The Christian one.) with guns, germs, and steel, we should remember that gilded period of our great Nation's formation when we started a wonderful American tradition and shared with the Indians (we thought we were in India/Indonesia/what have you) a great meal. Then murked their brown asses.

The scalability is not the issue!

2010-11-18T08:42:00.000-06:00

Two great articles this week on how we can better organize our tax policy, one from David Leonhardt in the NYT, and one from the Economist. Both are absolutely spot on regarding just how inefficient our current tax policy is. But as great of proposals as these are (or at least getting the ball rolling on a serious discussion on changing tax policy), there is no way either of these are being implemented in these United States any time soon. So long as special interests and corporations continue to have the largest say of what goes on in our legislative process, a simplified tax code is just not in our future.

David Leonhardt - One Way to Trim Deficit: Cultivate Growth

Today’s tax code is a thicket of deductions, credits and loopholes that force people to change their behavior and waste time trying to avoid too large of a tax bill. A tax code with fewer deductions and lower rates — which, to be clear, is not the same thing as a tax cut — would instead let businesses and households focus on being as productive as possible. The potential to make good money would drive more decisions, and the ability to qualify for a tax break would drive fewer.

The Economist: Tax from Scratch

But in a review of Britain’s tax system from the Institute for Fiscal Studies, a think-tank, which was released on November 10th, they argue that most governments could find a way to raise the amount of money they need from the tax system while imposing much lower costs than they currently do.

The economists propose a tax system with three main features. It would be progressive (that is, it would place a larger burden on richer people); it would not discriminate between income earned in different ways; and it would be simple. Such ideals are not new, of course, but Sir James and his colleagues contrast them with Britain’s current system, which they describe as being marked by “a jumble of tax rates, a lack of a coherent vision of the tax base, and arbitrary discrimination across different types of economic activities”. Other rich-world countries also fall short.

Let's make this happen. Though I'm not holding my breath...

Getting to know athletes is fun!

2010-11-15T20:20:00.000-06:00

It's no secret on this blog that we absolutely love former Memphis Tigers forward/center Jartavious Pierre Henderson-Niles on this blog. So what a treat it was that he shared a Q&A session on Facebook last night/this morning! He's playing professionally in Japan, somehow, these days, so let's see what he has to say. Please note, all quotes sic'd.

Q: I heard u got sum gud head
A: shit u heard rite I do
Q: y u Neva gave me head
A: cuz u fukd me n 2 of homies in da same house n u came n like u Neva been there b 4 while me n one of da 2 was eaten changes. U trife as he'll lmao
Q: y u kic my friend out after y'all had sex
A: lol cuz I only got her num for one reason n I got dat. Real nigga
Q: was my sex good
a: oh my I loved ur sex n wish I cud get it while I'm ova here.
Q .. Y u so freaky
A cuz it make da sex better.
Ques to u... Y u not freaky lol
Q.. Y me
A bcuz as a nigga young 16 years old I wanted u then..n u red n sexy.
Q . Y u join a gang n u play ball..
A I was 14 back wen I join it was young wit da wrong dudes but I dnt live dt life n i dnt regret it either.
Q.. Do u really wana get to knw me or have sex wit me..
A.. To b honest u r cute as he'll got a nice body never heard nun bout u or shit so both. Wat dude dnt wana have sex wit a gud looking girl..
Q.. If I was n japan wit u for one nite wat wud I do..
A.. I haven't had sex since aug 31st n i left Memphis sept 1 lol. So I'm horny as fuk now so I'll eat u alive n fuk u so hard u dnt Neva wana fuk me again.
Q. Y r u dmac n Willie so close.
a bcuz we came to college together n left to gether n if one of us needed sum we asked each other real shit. Bro hood
Q.. Will u join a frat
A I'm n one now da grape st crips
Q..can I lic ur lips
A.. Yea if ur breath ain't stanky
Q.. Can I get da 60 bac I let u have
A yea wen I cum home n u n da club I got cha
Q do I c my self play ball forever or so I have other plans
A I wana play ball till I can't play no more than after ball I jus wana relax n own my own business or sumthing.
Q y u like older women ..
A bc dats wat my ppl raised me around. Wen i was young older women use to call me they Lil boy friend nbi ran wit it.
Q I wana knw how big ur Dick is
A well dat won't b n e time soon lol.
Q. Have u had sex wit a jap girl yet
a naw but I had plenty of chances jus not wat I'm n to.
Q have u had a 3 sum b 4
A lol i don't do those things lmao
Q how u become a great dad
A jus in me.
Q wats da oldest woman u Eva slept wit
A lmao oldest I think she was 38 or 39. But she look bout 30 no bs.
Lmao at dis one.., q. Do u jack off sense u not having sex ova there..
A no lol I BEAT my shit

I love social media. We truly are living in a truly special age.

Dreamcatcher: The Biggest Piece of Shit Movie Ever

2010-11-13T16:50:00.000-06:00

I had the unfortunate luck of being coerced into wasting 2 plus hours of my life watching this piece of dogshit of a movie. It is disappointing that this pathetic excuse of a movie grossed $33.7 big sticks (big sticks would be millions).

The ridiculous storyline follows 4 best friends, all with some form of psychic powers acquired as children when rescuing a seemingly mentally slower kid - who's actually an alien - from bullying, on an annual hunting trip in Maine. After a few bizarre events and a weird house guest, the movie joins the 'parasitic alien infection' genre. Also Morgan Freeman plays the character in charge of the part of the armed forces who's task is to eradicate the newly-arrived aliens.

The whole thing is just absurd. The main alien antagonist's name is Mr. Grey and has a British accent. The aliens are essentially pooped out of human shells. Morgan Freeman's only job is to repeat ridiculous 80's war movie cliches. He also, obviously, has horrible aim with the Gatling gun mounted on the helicopter he flies around. Oh the helicopter he flies around is shot down with a hand-gun. The aliens are CGI slugs that have mouths running lengthwise and are really quite stupid and annoying. The 'bro-dialogue' at the beginning of the movie is over-acted and forced. The overall storyline and various subplots are ridiculous, unnecessary, discordant, and sophomoric. (SAT word!)

I hate everything about this movie. I don't know why Morgan Freeman, Donnie Wahlberg, Jason Lee, Thomas Jane, and Timothy Olyphant read the script and thought that this would turn out anything but god-awful. I hate you Dreamcatcher.

Hixx Pixx

2010-11-12T14:02:00.002-06:00

Tom Petty - Running Down a Dream

"Democracy in America" indeed...

2010-11-08T21:22:00.000-06:00

I think the folks over at the Economist have been reading my posts...

Democracy In America Blog: A difficult conversation indeed

I would be remiss if I failed to note, along with the New York Times, that the cuts to Medicare we're talking about here are in fact cuts to how much the government will reimburse for relatively expensive, private Medicare Advantage plans. If you have plain-vanilla government Medicare, as 75% of beneficiaries do, this doesn't affect you. These are the easiest entitlement cuts one could imagine making: cuts to government subsidies for private businesses, mainly serving the well-off.

Or maybe I'm wrong about that. Maybe it's easier for politicians to cut the social safety net for poor people than it is to cut subsidies to private businesses that serve the well-off. Poor people don't vote much, let alone fund 501(c)(4)s that run political attack ads. In any case, actions speak louder than words. Mr Cantor's party just won an election with a barrage of attacks on anyone who tried to start a tough conversation on the choices that are needed in entitlement reform, and I find it unlikely that this will lead to a better atmosphere for discussing such choices going forward. A little side box in Mr Cantor's letter contains the following note:
Fast Fact: Over two-thirds of Republican voters believe the budget can be balanced without reducing spending on Social Security or Medicare.
What could have given them that idea?

Yeah, what gives?

It's like a truffle-foam topped turd sandwich...

2010-11-08T18:12:00.000-06:00

I am ELATED to hear that Joe Morgan is finally going to be leaving ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball. However, losing Jon Miller cuts right to the core. My affection for Miller runs deep, but sometimes I suppose you have to make some sacrifices in order to create a better product. So adios, Jon, I'll be listening to you on Giants radio broadcasts. I'll miss hearing about the likes of "Alexi RRRRAH-MEE-rez" and "Ah-YO-han Sahn-TAH-na" every Sunday evening.

But is it a bit odd that I'm going to miss Joe Morgan as well? Who else can provide the utterly incorrect, and in turn, hilarious musings that he provides? Who else is going to get into an asinine argument with the play-by-play announcer, and not back down after they are proven wrong?

Quitness!

2010-11-05T12:25:00.000-05:00

The city of Cleveland retorted to Lebron's latest commercial with one of their own.

This is actually pretty well-done, clever, and much more mature than jersey burning. I wonder if Nike will get angry from the upside down swoosh at the end. Defamation suit?

Kevin "Buzz Killington" Garnett

2010-11-04T13:57:00.000-05:00

You know, if it wasn't for Kevin Garnett's little slip of the tongue ("No really, I meant that you're cancerous to your team and the league! Not that you're a cancer patient!"), the Celtics could easily be labeled the most fun team in the league. You're telling me you wouldn't want to hang out with these guys for an afternoon? Nate Cornelius Rob alone would make it worth it, but you have this, this, and this as well to keep you entertained indefinitely. And now Shaq wants to get his starting five out there against Harvard's crew team?

Shaq Calls Out Crew To Race on Charles

Within the past month, both teams have shown that they’ve still got it. The Crimson heavyweights took second at the 46th Head of the Charles despite clashing oars with another boat, and the Celtics knocked off the much-hyped Heat, 88-80, in their first game of the season.

Since both teams have made a habit of excellence, it’s not surprising that it was the Big Aristotle who proposed their meeting.

Of course, the appeal of this race has little to do with the historical legacies of the two franchises. Just think of all the intrigue that would surround a competition such as this.

Would Shaq fit into the boat? What seat would he row? Would any of them be good? (Personally, I think Garnett, Allen, and Rondo have potential.) Could the Celtics manage to stay afloat or would they finish the race (or the warm-up) with a Charles River baptism?

Come on now, let's make this happen...

Wait... who are you with again?

2010-11-04T13:43:00.000-05:00

Zerohedge: To Reduce Taxes, We Must Abolish Our Tax Breaks

So while it’s fair to assume that the recommendations of President Obama’s bipartisan deficit commission will be ignored in the same way that past commissions have been, one can hold out hope that some of their ideas will be voted on. Specifically, there’s talk of abolishing some of the deductions that ensure a high nominal tax rate; one that those in the game can reduce if they do as Washington desires.

This piece should in no way be construed as something which supports higher taxes. Quite the opposite. Instead, it seeks an end to high penalties placed on work that are only high thanks to both parties using a complicated tax code to ensure behavioral outcomes among the citizenry that wouldn’t otherwise reveal themselves.

By now most are likely aware of the “good” behavior that Congress rewards through deductions foisted on our nation’s “miscreants.” On its own, the deficit commission has happily listed mortgage interest, child tax credits and health insurance deductions as tax giveaways that should possibly go. Thank goodness.

Indeed, as financial historian Niall Ferguson observed in his book The Ascent Of Money, English speaking peoples already have an obsession with property, with or without tax breaks. In that case, why should those of us who choose not to own houses subsidize those who do? That the mortgage interest deduction is landlocking individuals at a time when they need to be highly mobile in pursuit of work is yet another reason to abolish a tax-code provision that the property-less must cover.

But just last week, the Journal had a front page piece on the "threat of losing tax breaks"
Key Tax Breaks at Risk as Panel Looks at Cuts

Even though officials are focusing on issues where they believe they can get broad agreement, they will likely face stiff resistance from certain lawmakers and interest groups. Some Republicans are expected to label any caps on tax breaks as a backdoor way of raising taxes.

I suppose we'll just have to wait and see how true pols are to their word that "we all must sacrifice" to clean up the mess that is the entirety of our economy. After all, according to theory, "smaller" government/free markets must disallow all subsidies, right?

And just for fun,
GOP Leader McConnell Already Threatening to Make the US Default

Too Much Dougie?

2010-11-03T18:50:00.000-05:00

First overall pick of the 2010 NBA draft John Wall performs quite the dougie routine when announced last night. He dougie'd for 30 seconds! Not a stranger to performance, did he dougie for too long? Furthermore, if one analyzes Wall's moves, one notices that this is not a traditional dougie, but more of a hybrid dougie/Halle Berry dance. Well, he had a ridiculous game with 29 points, 13 assists, and 9 steals, not to mention the Wizards went home with the win. So I guess limits on dougieing should not be instituted.

As we head into election day, let's remind ourselves that there is no such thing as a "fiscal conservative"

2010-11-01T12:29:00.002-05:00

At least within the two party system...
Forbes - A Medicare Explosion

The Medicare Trustees tell us that Medicare's expected future obligations exceeded premiums and dedicated taxes by $89 trillion (measured in current dollars). No, that's not a misprint. To put that number in perspective, Medicare's liability is about 5 1/2 times the size of Social Security's ($18 trillion) and about six times the size of the entire U.S. economy.

Reason - Boehner on Medicare Cuts: No Thanks!

At the same time, the party has been fairly vocal in worrying about our unsustainable debt levels. Yet Medicare is a major contributor to the long-term deficit problem. Of course, as Republicans are well aware at this point, it's also very popular with seniors. That turns Medicare policy into a pretty clear test of whether Republican leadership is actually serious about making good on its fiscally responsible rhetoric. And right now, with Rep. Boehner primed to become Speaker of the House after the election, it's a test the party is failing.

I am of the opinion that Medicare is a very valuable program - for those seniors who can't afford care. Lest, there are plenty of rich seniors out there getting free medical care, out of the pockets of young neerdowell's like myself, when they can more than afford it. So these seniors get to rack up thousands and thousands of dollars of medical care on my tab? And now they don't have to pay an estate tax when they die? Why would anyone ever think the Republican Party represents the interests of anyone but rich white folks? As beholden as the Democratic Party is to public sector unions, the Republican Party is equally beholden to old people, and it's equally, if not enormously more destructive. But repealing spending cuts with no way to pay for them? Sounds like Medicare Part D! But no no no, that makes plenty of fiscal sense...

California > *

2010-10-29T09:33:00.000-05:00

This would make me, a Dodgers fan, root for the Giants with every bit of passion I have. California... What a place.
Giants Homers Means Free Weed For All!

This could quite possibly be the best baseball promotion ever. No, it definitely is the best baseball promotion ever.

For every San Francisco Giants home run hit during the World Series, ReLeaf Herbal Center will donate one doobie to each Giants fan present at the local marijuana dispensary in San Francisco.

Free grass.

Oh but that's not all. ReLeaf is also offering a super special, bright orange strain of pot at a discounted price, as well as a THC-infused orange drink called "Giant Punch."

We don't need your litres, and your grams, and your Kelvin units, thank you very much...

2010-10-27T21:23:00.000-05:00

Format Wars: A History of What-Could-Have-Been, From Betamax to Dvorak
Great article altogether on format wars, but I truly love this the most...

Inevitably some nationalistic outcry arises or studies come out showing that the cost of transitioning to metric would be too onerous (despite evidence from almost every other country in the world to the contrary). So, 200 years later, we still cling to our precious yards, miles, quarts and pounds -- one of just three countries, along with Burma and Liberia, on the planet still not using the metric system.

Nice.

The New Look Miami Heat Provide Something Seemingly Politically Agnostic to Contemplate

2010-10-26T21:19:00.000-05:00

Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and Lebron James started their campaign together tonight, as the Miami Heat power-trio, against the Boston Celtics. Too bad the Celtics were the bigger story. A few observations/thoughts:

- I know the Heat trio is 'learning how to play with each other', but scoring more than 9 points in a quarter, as they did in the first, might be a good thing.

- The Celtics play fantastic defense; Doc Rivers uses his deep bench wisely. (Can't believe I just complimented Doc Rivers. Actually he did sire last year's best high school basketball player in the nation. So that's another good thing about him.)

- A 45-pound lighter Charles Barkley called himself a 'fatass' on national television. (Jokes aside, good for you Chuck)

- Lebron and Wade are having issues meshing with one another. They both need the ball a lot, but each seem to be trying too unselfish with the other.

- The injury to Mike Miller really hurts the Heat. Teams need only worry about three players.

- Shaquille O'Neal and Kevin Garnett are still relevant, even at their advanced ages.

- Rajon Rondo is actually the best point guard in the league.

- The HP commercial with the baby is sweet.

- Marv Albert needs to lose 'from downtown' when referencing 3-point shots. He should probably adopt 'from the bay'.

- Big Baby Glenn Davis is actually pretty good, despite his dancing displays.

- Not sure it is necessary to cut to Ray Allen's mom/twin every time he hits a shot.

- The Celtics deserve this win playing inspired, team ball. With but a few lapses, their defense is proving very solid. Contrarily, the Miami Heat were stagnant playing predictable ball. Although this is the first game, this is a bad sign for this Heat squad. Their issues seem to be deeper than just X's and O's. Roles must be defined, and soon, for them to find success this season.

RIP Pulpo Paul - Collapse of Capitalism to follow?

2010-10-26T11:04:00.000-05:00

Paul the Octopus died today. In addition to being the greatest World Cup handicapper in the entire world, he was also the keystone to Western Free-Market Democracy. Please take a moment of silence today for Paul as you build your fallout shelters and stock up on non-perishable food stuffs.

Lebron Still Doesn't Get It

2010-10-25T21:24:00.000-05:00

I don't think Lebron gets it. Commercials like these only make him more polarizing. Maybe that's what he wants.

To set all confusion aside on Prop 19...

2010-10-22T17:04:00.000-05:00

...here is Next Media to explain the situation. Clear as mud?

Mis-Guided Mission

2010-10-20T11:53:00.000-05:00

Good Reason.com article delineating the issues with this administration's shortcomings vis a vis business policy.

Neither small nor large businesses can flourish in an environment of anxiety about government intrusions and burdens. By reaching into virtually every sector of economic life and by picking winners and losers, the government is injecting uncertainty into the marketplace and making it harder for the economy to recover. To start helping American business, Obama needs to stop trying to help.

It is clear that recent policies have not been working, with unemployment still stubbornly high, underemployment quite high, and uncertainty at extremely high levels. It is time to take a breathe and regroup, most notably at the polls.

There Shouldn't Be Much Praise

2010-10-20T10:30:00.000-05:00

I gave There Will Be Blood another viewing last night. I am quite aware of the praise this movie has received, but outside of Daniel Day-Lewis' performance, I don't see more than a timepiece in this movie, a documentary on the turn-of-the-20th-century oiling world.

The most glaring characteristic of this movie is the pace: There Will Be Blood is snail-slow. Unfortunately the rest of the movie was not poignant enough to counteract this pace.

Focusing on Daniel Day-Lewis, the point of the movie seems to be the documenting the transformation of the human with the arrival of money and power. The magnitude of this dynamism seems to actually be quite small as Daniel Plainview at the beginning of the movie is very much at least halfway to Daniel Plainview at the end of the movie. That being said, Daniel Day-Lewis does a pretty good job as Daniel Plainview, creating at times a terrifying character.

Paul Dano's Eli Sunday serves as a foil to DDL, but is not believable as a minister - due to his age - and mostly just embodies frontier religious fanaticism of the time.

The score is a little bit confusing and often at odds with what is happening on the screen, often building tension when there is no tension to be built. I actually had to turn the volume down because at times the score is too loud and makes watching the movie uncomfortable.

The movie's final bowling-pin bludgeoning scene and previous tirade provide some closing humor to this otherwise dry movie. It's tough to describe what I did not like about this movie, but it definitely felt 'off'. The point of this movie is elusive to me, again, outside of showcasing an era of American frontier history.

5 out of 10

Heel Flick Master Goes Reverse Chipper

2010-10-19T11:08:00.000-05:00

No-name heel-flick master goal scorer is back at it with a disgusting reverse chipper. I guess he has a name, and that name is Matty Burrows.

Weekend Sports Medley

2010-10-18T18:54:00.000-05:00

Philadelphia Eagles wideout sensation Dasean Jackson gets bodyrocked by a guy named Dunta.

Newly-signed Manchester City midfielder David Silva bodyrocks Blackpool's defense off a set-piece.

Some guy named Keion Bell out of Pepperdine bodyrocks the rim with some nice dunkballs.

Bodyrock.

Teach Me How to Dougie

2010-10-14T12:28:00.000-05:00

The Dougie is taking the sports world by storm. Bleacher Report counts down the top ten Dougies in sports thus far. This sample with John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins at some rookie affair is particularly good.

Kicking Cleveland While It's Down

2010-10-14T09:52:00.000-05:00

This year's Cleveland Cavaliers team calendar initially featured a Lebron James on the cover. As if Cleveland needed a reminder of the city's lone bright spot of the past decades. Thousands of Clevelandites/ans/anians have been re-placed on suicide watch.

When TV Diagrams Maybe Shouldn't Exist

2010-10-13T21:49:00.000-05:00

All 33 Chilean miners recently trapped for 69 days in a Chilean mine in Chile were elevatored safely to the Chilean surface. Apparently that fact was too boring for some station that an 'Ascent Time' diagram was necessary. I had 5 hundo on Jimmy Sanchez, unfortunately. Jimmy did not come to play though.

DeLong Diatribes > *

2010-10-13T11:48:00.001-05:00

I must say, I really do enjoy it when Brad DeLong goes off...

Brad DeLong: Somehow I am now wishing I had read more Nietzsche when I was younger...

Last week I spent some time with a group of people I don't usually spend much time talking to. They were not rich--by which I don't mean that they had overstretched themselves by buying a seven-figure principal residence but rather that they weren't rich: their household income was in the five or, for some of them, perhaps the very low six figures. And (which is unusual for Berkeley) they were not lefties, neither cultural nor sociological. They were deeply concerned with the future of our country. And they were desperate to figure out how to engage in effective political action--but had few illusions that the politicians they would vote for in November were their kind of people with their interests at heart.

I suppose that in a previous era, back when there were private-sector unions, they might have been union stewards. But now we have no private-sector unions.

And so they are activists from the California Tea Party.

So I went through my standard spiel. Housing bubble. 5 million excess houses built in the desert between Los Angeles and Albuquerque, and on all of them the least $100K of mortgage debt will not be repaid. A $500B loss in an $80T world economy. Shouldn't have been a problem—securitization exists to spread risks. But the banks pretended that the AAA MBS issued by other banks were high-quality Basel capital even though they knew full well the dreck that they were issuing. A financial multiplier of 40. A flight to safety. A big shift away from spending on currently-produced goods and services and on currently-employed labor as people tried to build up their stocks of safe assets. A multiplier as people who lost their jobs stopped spending, and the situation snowballed.

It could have been worse, I said. Without all of the rescue policies we would probably now have an unemployment rate of 16 percent rather than 10 percent.
But they question is what to do now with the economy. The idea is not to go to socialism—not to nationalize large chunks of the economy and have everybody work for the government—but to conduct strategic interventions in financial markets. Relieve the excess demand for safe high-quality assets and you remove the pressure on people to spend less than they earn as they try to build up their stocks of safe assets, and you get a virtuous circle of strong recovery.
So, I said, the right thing to do is the Bagehot rule: lend freely at a penalty rate. The government should throw huge amounts of money at the financial markets and in the process take a large chunk of the upside in equities and options.

SOCIALISM, they said. We don't want SOCIALISM.

But it's not socialism, I said. It's an attempt to avoid socialism—it's an attempt to conduct a strategic intervention into the market economy so that it can rebalance itself.

SOCIALISM, they said.

Well, I said, how about lending freely to the financial sector but forget Bagehot's "penalty rate" stuff?

BAILOUT, they said. BAILOUT OF CORRUPT FINANCIERS WITH WASHINGTON CONNECTIONS, they said. WE LIKE THAT EVEN LESS.

Well, I said, how about pushing off taxes into the future, bringing forward infrastructure spending we know that we will want to do, and financing it by issuing more government debt? The spending should put some people to work, and the extra government bonds we print up will increase the supply of safe assets, decrease the excess demand, and so remove some of the downward pressure that is inducing people to spend less than they earn/

DEFICIT, they said. DEFICIT BAD. MUST REDUCE THE DEFICIT. GOVERNMENT MUST LIVE WITHIN ITS MEANS.

But, I said, the U.S. government now can borrow at unbelievable terms. If you could borrow at such terms, you would bust out the top of your house and add a second story immediately.

GOVERNMENT MUST LIVE WITHIN ITS MEANS.

OK, I said. How about having the federal government aid the states. We want to keep our police and our fire and our road maintenance and our schools running at their efficient levels, don't we? It's stupid to cut back on the long-term foundations of our economy and its growth because of recession, isn't it. How about a large program of federal aid to the states so that teachers, sewer workers, police officers, and firefighters can keep their jobs, keep protecting us—and keep spending and so provide employment for the rest of us?

ARE YOU KIDDING? THEY HAVE KEPT THEIR UNIONS. WE HAVE LOST OUR UNIONS. WE HAVE LOST OUR JOBS. THEY HAVE GONE TO CHINA. THEY HAVE VANISHED. WE ARE UNEMPLOYED. IF WE ARE EMPLOYED WE HAVE NO BARGAINING POWER WITH OUR BOSSES. IT IS NOT FAIR FOR STATE WORKERS TO NOT ONLY HAVE UNIONS, BARGAINING POWER, AND PENSIONS, BUT FOR THEM TO HAVE THEIR JOBS TOO. SINCE WE ARE LOSING OUR JOBS THEY SHOULD LOSE THEIR JOBS TOO. IT IS NOT FAIR.

Oh.

EVERYTHING YOU PROPOSE TAKES OUR HARD-EARNED MONEY, TAXES IT AWAY FROM US, AND GIVES IT TO SOMEBODY ELSE.

Oh.

BERKELEY SOCIALIST.

So what do you think we should do?

GET US JOBS!

But you have just rejected every idea I have for boosting unemployment—short of nationalizing the means of production and employing everybody by the government, that is. What are your ideas?

CUT TAXES. ABOLISH THE EPA. REPEAL HEALTH CARE REFORM. KEEP GOVERNMENT'S HANDS OFF OF MEDICARE. RAISE SOCIAL SECURITY PAYMENTS. CUT THE DEFICIT.

A few of the only redeeming elements of rap remaining, all together...

2010-10-13T11:32:00.001-05:00

Enjoyable. I can't get enough of Pusha T.

Impeach Barack Obama? Impeach Barack Obama...

2010-10-13T09:47:00.001-05:00

...perhaps will be the main bullet point in next year's Senate, reports Ben Smith (reporting Jonathan Chait). I will be very, very curious to see on what basis this impeachment will be brought up. I don't think "Well he's a Communist Fascist Kenyan Dictator" will fly...

Politico: The Impeachment of Barack Obama

Jonathan Chait predicts:
Hear me now and believe me later: If Republicans win and maintain control of the House of Representatives, they are going to impeach President Obama. They won’t do it right away. And they won’t succeed in removing Obama. (You need 67 Senate votes.) But if Obama wins a second term, the House will vote to impeach him before he leaves office.

Certainly, many House Republicans would please their constituents by doing so. And certainly, it's going to be open season for investigations. Worth noting a few things: A wave would sweep in some moderates who don't like the idea; and Republicans may recall that the Clinton impeachment worked out poorly. Anyway, you heard it there first.

I swear, if Christine O'Donnell gets elected, she HAS to be accused by some Senate Dem of promoting a Witch Hunt in the impeachment proceedings...

Dr. Ken and Dwight Howard: Two Peas, One Pod

2010-10-12T13:23:00.001-05:00

I must say, Dr. Ken makes up for my distaste of all things Dwight Howard in this commercial. Maybe even raises my respect level for Dwight a bit.

And while we're at it, let's not forget that one special deleted scene from Knocked Up...

Links of the Day 10.11.10

2010-10-11T18:50:00.000-05:00

Tech and web is moving roughly 8 million miles an hour these days... Does AAPL break 300 tomorrow?

SF Chronicle: Why Yahoo Would Spend $2 Billion on Groupon

Groupon, makes ALL of its money ($400 million this year?) sending coupons to its users' email inboxes.
Its biggest cost is user-acquisition – buying its way into inboxes.

If Yahoo were to buy Groupon, it would at once eliminate Groupon's biggest cost AND increase its subscriber base to over 100 million people. Cha-ching!

The New Yorker: Search and Destroy - Nick Denton's Blog Empire

Through Gawker, Denton wages war on self-regard—or presumed self-regard, as his cast of mind is both abstract and deeply tribal, inclining him to sort nearly all people into one or another category that could be judged full of itself. There is a well-travelled image of Denton on the Web, in which he is wearing a tuxedo and tilting a wineglass to his lips. The image bothers him, because it suggests a level of comfort and formality in his presentation that doesn’t accord with his self-image. Denton is tall and rangy, and has a famously large head that sits precariously on a thin neck and narrow shoulders, leaving the impression of an evolved brain that is perhaps a little too conscious of its pedestrian context. He looks perpetually unshaven, with gray stubble complementing his close-cropped, receding hair, which he teases casually forward. He is someone who likes and knows how to have fun—“Nick has a fairly strong hedonic streak,” his friend Matt Wells, of the BBC, says—but who doesn’t wish to be seen enjoying himself overly. “Hypocrisy is the only modern sin,” he likes to say.

Jalopnik: Are Google's Driverless Cars Legal?

And sadly, modern vehicles have been replacing drivers with technology for years. Adaptive cruise control is standard on many luxury models; Ford and Lexus vehicles can parallel park on their own with only brake inputs from the driver, and more advanced systems engage braking controls automatically if they sense a crash is imminent.

For now, there's no legal limits keeping Google or other researchers from developing their cars on public roads as long as there's a human behind the wheel. Going beyond that will make the legal questions as challenging as the technical ones.

And finally, coming back to the Economist link I posted last week... Tea Partiers making a shred of sense! Wow!

Business Insider: Hypocrisy Watch: Neocons Talk Tough On Deficit But Won't Budge on Defense Cuts

The idea that we need a defense budget almost 60 percent larger as a share of GDP than a decade ago is ludicrous. While it is true that the wars initiated by George W. Bush and a Republican Congress will impose a financial burden on American taxpayers for many years to come, that isn’t enough to justify spending more than half of the world’s military expenditures. Almost all our NATO allies get by spending well less than half what we spend as a share of GDP.

To their credit, many of the tea party candidates likely to be elected to Congress next month have made clear that Pentagon spending will be on the chopping block. Politico’s John Bresnahan recently quoted Tea Party Patriots leader Mark Meckler saying, “Everything is on the table. I have yet to hear anyone say, ‘We can’t touch defense spending,’ or any other issue ... Any tea partier who says something else lacks integrity.”

Beirut - La Llorona

The Celtics can move for being a bunch of geriatrics...

2010-10-08T09:30:00.001-05:00

These guys love filming themselves dancing and posting it on the internet. First we had Big Baby doing the Dougie, and now we get a teamwide effort.

I'm guessing Glen Davis was the 4th gentleman to dance?

Joints and Jams

2010-10-06T14:04:00.006-05:00

The addendum to today's Wall Street Journal article Democrats Look to Cultivate Pot Vote in 2012 is California Pot Legalization Wouldn't Trump Federal Law, and brings up some interesting points about the oversight and regulation of federal marijuana laws. Currently, cannabis is classified as a Schedule I Controlled Substance, on par with Heroin, and a class higher than Cocaine and Opium (both Class 2 due to their limited medicinal uses[?!?!]). No matter, California is voting to legalize marijuana, allowing it to become a taxable good. Considering marijuana is already California's largest cash crop, and the United States' 4th largest cash crop, that's a lot of money that is being withheld. Regardless, the WSJ writes:

The federal government could try to use federal tax law to crack down on sale and distribution of marijuana. It might choose that avenue if it decides the California ballot measure runs afoul of international treaties signed by the U.S. that attempt to control the drug trade. That isn't clear.

Another potential problem for federal officials: Legalization in California might make marijuana more available throughout the country, potentially undermining state laws elsewhere. That would put federal authorities "in an incredibly tough spot," said Gerald Uelmen, a professor of criminal law at Santa Clara University.

Well that first one is a non-issue. United States v. Leary already decided that you shouldn't have to incriminate yourself by paying taxes on the purchase/sale of marijuana.

The next paragraph worries is that the legalization of marijuana in California will increase "crime" in other states. This is an interesting parallel to the recent study, reported in the New York Times as Lax State Gun Laws Tied to Crimes in Other States - essentially, half of guns picked up at crime scenes across the country are traced back to Mississippi, Kentucky, and West Virginia (I see a trend here...), where gun restrictions are next to nil. So sure, there is a similar chance that marijuana will be trafficked across state borders and sold elsewhere, much like what has happened with handguns.

But isn't there a little (a lot?) of hypocrisy in action here though? Gun advocates have successfully argued on a Federal level that states and local governments cannot ban handguns, that it is a fundamental American right. States still have the choice to restrict (or not restrict) guns, to some level, but at the end of the day, these guns are still ending up in the hands of criminals. So if a group against legalization of marijuana in one state due to the threat of crime in another state, can we at least apply it to handguns as well? I suppose the convergence on the Venn diagram of the supporters of these two groups is rather narrow.

Because my opinions on illicit substances were not shaped by Nancy Reagan, I understand that there is an extremely shaky link in causality between marijuana use and crime. Sure, anyone who possesses marijuana is a "criminal," but for the most part, watching the Discovery Channel and eating Taco Bell isn't a criminal activity. And can anyone legitimately argue against the statement that someone who doesn't have a medical marijuana license and/or lives in California who is in possession of marijuana - a "criminal" by that definition (or a criminal in the federal sense, no matter) - poses less of a threat to society than a person who does not have the proper authority to carry a handgun. And look, I'm all for states rights in these issues - guns, abortion, marijuana, gay marriage, and so on. Let's just at least be consistent.

[Sections on hypocrisy regarding legal status of alcohol/tobacco and not marijuana, overreach of federal government on decisions of rational, consenting adults, and taking power out of hands of true criminals intentionally left blank]

Heel Flick Game

2010-10-06T11:22:00.001-05:00

Fantastic goal from some no-name on some no-name team in some no-name league. Thank you Yahoo! (yes there's officially an exclamation point in their name) for the show.

Because... he was on the Port side!

2010-10-05T09:33:00.000-05:00

This is why I love The Economist. Meowsy McDermott, Snarky Cat Lawyer, approves of this article...

Hands off the welfare state!

Will nations with an equally strong interest in keeping the peace simply faint on their divans whenever a commerce-threatening war breaks out? Of course not. Even the French are perfectly capable of keeping the sea lanes open.

The reality is that much of the world is free-riding off the security provided by American military dominance. Were American taxpayers to refuse to bear so much of the burden of keeping the world safe for Danish container ships, other countries would surely step up. Furthermore, considerations of basic distributive fairness suggest they should.

So listen up tea partiers! Slashing military spending will not only shrink government and help put us on a path to fiscal responsibility while stripping unaccountable, fat-cat defence contractors of hundreds of billions in corporate welfare. It will also strip foreigners, many of whom speak ridiculous languages, of large defence subsidies paid out of your pocket! What's not to love?

Hixx Pixx

2010-10-04T21:01:00.000-05:00

Yolanda Be Cool - We No Speak Americano

Probably played this song 25 times yesterday during Sunday funday. Impossible to not dance/bop/shimmy/lean/what have you to this jam. Impossible.

This is Why Mr. Wall was the Number One Pick

2010-10-04T09:42:00.000-05:00

As point-forward, it is safe to say that I can do this.

"Yeah buddy, rolling like a big shot....."

You Have Got to be Kidding me Andrea

2010-10-02T18:11:00.001-05:00

A.C. Milan midfielder Andrea Pirlo launches a U.N. sanctioned Tomahawk missile from Sacramento (thanks Gack) upper right corner. Absolutely insane shot. Ronaldinho can't even believe it! This shot is from so far away that when watching in real time, Pirlo was not on the screen when he shot it for the cameraman had not yet panned over!

Nathaniel Cornelius!

2010-10-01T19:41:00.002-05:00

Sub 6-foot Nate Robinson dunks on over 7-foot Shaquille O'Neal during some sort of practice. In other semi-related news, Lebron plays race-card to explain the PR backlash against him post 'The Decision'. Seriously. People are angry you at you because of your skin color, not because you selfishly and callously exploited a situation that clearly meant more to the others than yourself. You're a good guy Bron. A good guy.

Andre Igoudala, Russ Westbrook, and Josh Smith... Tax Experts

2010-10-01T17:15:00.004-05:00

via Deadspin... Let's hammer Fox News (well, Fox Business in this case) again. Aren't leading questions are fun?!?!

Well, to really get down to it, Russell Westbrook, for example, is making $3,755,640 this next year, which, of course, puts him in the highest tax bracket of, currently, 35%. The state of Oklahoma has a top tax rate of 5.5%, but players must pay state taxes in the states where they play their games. So 41 games, he'll pay 5.5%, and he'll pay state taxes for road games. Well, since the Thunder play 9 games this year in the states of Texas, Tennessee, and Florida, where there are no state income taxes. So his total tax bill is, let's generously say, 42% of his salary. Well, 8% is the difference between this particular anchor's claim and what is closer to reality, which calculates out to be $300,451. So not an insignificant amount - that alone would put him in the top tax rate. And yet, I somehow fail to believe that he'll struggle to get by if they tack on an extra 3% to his tax rate. I would say he should consult one of his teammates on how to make that transition, but, with an average age of 24, not a single one of them was in the League pre-Bush tax cut.

And on that note, Lakers-Thunder in the Western Conference Finals.

"Gay rights killed Clementi" - version Outdated Moral Absolutism

2010-10-01T09:37:00.001-05:00

Here's your bit of hilarity for the day, as the suicide of Tyler Clementi is posited under the context of moral absolutes, like "Well he knew he gave into his desire for evil, so it's his own fault!"

Vox Popoli: Gay rights killed Clementi

I weep for humanity. Isn't saying one giving in to their "desire for evil" akin to claiming, say, that people can be possessed by witchcraft must be thrown into a body of water, or perhaps burned at the stake? Didn't that become a completely ludicrous belief, like, 300+ years ago? What's that, some people still believe in witchcraft? Isn't religion fun?

Feliz Jueves... Radiohead - Reckoner

2010-09-30T16:45:00.001-05:00

Quality...

Because the FNC narrative is just that - a narrative...

2010-09-30T15:29:00.000-05:00

via Gawker... Rupert Murdoch promoting a path to citizenship for immigrants in America, because they are important to our economy, and currently don't pay taxes so we'd pull them out of a "shadow economy" and have them contribute to our nation's human and economic capital? Wow, quite the stance for the man who owns Fox News. And perfectly in line with the Democrats' current stance on immigration policy. And the Republicans' - George W. Bush era, of course.

But that's not my beef - the xenophobia that spews from all Fox News anchors (how have they not picked up Lou Dobbs?) is what sticks with their viewers. People eat that shit up. So as a business man, well played, Mr. Murdoch.

My beef lies with his statement that Fox News doesn't promote an anti-immigrant agenda. So you're telling me that Glenn Beck doesn't enjoy talking about how Mexicans are taking our Liberties (capital "L." And I'm not quite sure how those connect, but then again, I'm not sure how people take Beck seriously. But I digress...)? Or that Sean Hannity doesn't talk about how illegal immigrants are pushing OUR kids (read: white) out of schools, and monopolizing publicly funded health programs? You sure about that, Rupert?

Murdoch: Fox News Is Not Anit-Immigrant

Rudy... RUDY... Rudy Moise

2010-09-30T14:56:00.001-05:00

I love election season. This is undoubtedly the greatest political ad I've ever seen.

I Want to Kiss a Pygmy Giraffe

2010-09-29T13:39:00.000-05:00

Where can I get a pygmy giraffe?

What's Wrong with Our Society - Bottled Water

2010-09-28T09:59:00.001-05:00

At first glance this Voss water bottle looks more like the new Burberry winter scent adorning your local Sephora's shelves as opposed to a receptacle for the world's most common liquid. I don't understand how drinking bottled water has become such a fad in America. Companies are battling one another to put out water in the most avant-garde looking bottles. One dons a ridiculous sense of importance (swag) when one drinks water purchased in a sealed bottle, water that is probably just tap water. This absurdity needs to stop. It's fucking water.

Dear Chicago Bulls, you MUST pull the trigger...

2010-09-27T15:54:00.001-05:00

True Hoop: Would you deal Joakim Noah for Carmelo Anthony?

Interesting question, Henry Abbott. A few years ago, the Bulls had the chance to trade Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich for Kobe Bryant. Granted, had this happened, they would not have ended up with Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, et. al., but now they have the chance to redeem themselves and trade Deng and Noah for Carmelo Anthony. Now you build your team around a starting 5 of:

PG - Derrick Rose
SG - Ronnie Brewer
F (x2) - Carmelo Anthony and Taj Gibson/James Johnson/Kurt Thomas/Kyle Korver
C (or, F no. 3) - Carlos Boozer

Center? Who needs a Center?

Love this squad though - they would fit right in with a FIBA-style game with Korver at the 3 and Anthony at the 4. The Bulls are probably a bit more rounded going with Deng/Noah/Boozer, but if you have the chance to add the League's most capable scorer this side of Kevin Durant, you kind of have to do that, right? And with the arms race that is the Eastern Conference, I'd feel more confident giving Rose the opportunity to play with Anthony than Deng and Noah, if my goal is to win the Eastern Conference, if not the NBA championship (hello, Lakers...). Deng and Noah are by no means marginal NBA players (Kirk Hinrich, on the other hand...), very good on a well rounded team with a great coach (finally) in fact, but throwing Anthony in the mix is almost a necessity at this point. The Heat are the USSR, putting all their chips on the table at once to try to overpower everyone else in the East, but the Celtics haven't backed down, the Knicks haven't backed down, and now the Bulls must do the same.

David Brooks got it, Lexington wants it

2010-09-27T14:18:00.000-05:00

I am such a fan of what the Economist's Lexington columnist drops week after week. Maybe it truly does take a complete outsider to clearly see what happens on the inside. A snippet, echoing David Brooks' sentiments from not long ago:

Lexington: The perils of constitution-worship

When history is turned into scripture and men into deities, truth is the victim. The framers were giants, visionaries and polymaths. But they were also aristocrats, creatures of their time fearful of what they considered the excessive democracy taking hold in the states in the 1780s. They did not believe that poor men, or any women, let alone slaves, should have the vote. Many of their decisions, such as giving every state two senators regardless of population, were the product not of Olympian sagacity but of grubby power-struggles and compromises—exactly the sort of backroom dealmaking, in fact, in which today’s Congress excels and which is now so much out of favour with the tea-partiers.

More to the point is that the constitution provides few answers to the hard questions thrown up by modern politics. Should gays marry? No answer there. Mr Klarman argues that the framers would not even recognise America’s modern government, with its mighty administrative branch and imperial executive. As to what they would have made of the modern welfare state, who can tell? To ask that question after the passage of two centuries, says Pietro Nivola of the Brookings Institution, is to pose an impossible thought experiment.

None of this is to say that the modern state is not bloated or over-mighty. There is assuredly a case to be made for reducing its size and ambitions and giving greater responsibilities to individuals. But this is a case that needs to be made and remade from first principles in every political generation, not just by consulting a text put on paper in a bygone age. Pace Ms Bachmann, the constitution is for all Americans and does not belong to her party alone. Nor did Jefferson write a mission statement for the tea- partiers. They are going to have to write one for themselves.

Making snap judgments on a small set of data...

2010-09-27T13:34:00.000-05:00

Malcolm Gladwell would be proud of me for making observations based on limited information and small sample sizes over reason...

3 weeks of the NFL season down, and the question looms: Who will be the first head coach fired?

0-3 Teams - AKA don't answer your cell phone, fellas...
Carolina - John Fox
Because Jimmy Clausen starting at Notre Dame worked so well, let's throw him in! Granted, the other option is David Carr. I think Coach Fox's best bet is to adopt Harvard's legendary late-19th century Flying Wedge into his offense.

San Francisco - Mike Singletary
It was, of course, only two years ago when Coach Singletary dropped trou in order to motivate his squad, so I can't wait to see what motivational technique he uses this year. Extra points, however, for coming within a few yards of beating the defending champion Saints last Monday night. Regardless, he's my A-number one candidate to get the first pink slip. Singletary's OC already got his...

Buffalo - Chan Gailey
Poor Ralph Wilson. The man is 91 years old and as much still involved in the Bills' day-to-day operations as ever. "So we need a coach. Who was the guy who was fired as the Chiefs' offensive coordinator that one preseason? That's the kind of leadership we need."

Cleveland - Eric Mangini
Tough breaks for the Browns so far - 0-3 with only a -12 point differential. And let us not forget, this man led the Browns to a 4 game win streak to end last season, to finish up 5-11. It's a miracle what getting rid of a few bad apples will do to a team's morale.

Battered, bruised, and beaten:
Jacksonville - Jack Del Rio
Yes, they did beat the Broncos in Week 1, but with a -43 point differential through three games, second worst only behind the Niners, it may be a long season in Northeast Florida. Maybe they should have drafted Tim Tebow after all, then they would have God's hand propelling them to victory. Perhaps a bit of irony that they did beat the Broncos...

Yeah Mike!!!

2010-09-22T21:13:00.000-05:00

Haven't seen a headline as audacious as this in, well, ever. I respect the gall. I do not respect Andy Reid for not naming Vick the started for this coming week's game. The new Eagle greens are pretty sweet too.

Austerity, Creativity > Keynesianism

2010-09-21T12:12:00.001-05:00

It is pretty clear at this point that a Keynesian response to the financial crisis was completely incorrect. Initially scorned and initially without results, the German response of austerity has eventually led to tremendous growth and a positive outlook for future growth. Many employees in Germany were, instead of let go, given temporary status and kept on board. Perhaps our leaders should have tried and been more creative as opposed to blindly throwing money around.

Doppelgangers

2010-09-21T08:06:00.000-05:00

Josh Hamilton

Iron Chef Bobby Flay

Wow. Bravo.

2010-09-20T20:47:00.000-05:00

Yet another time lapse video sequence. Make sure you watch with headphones or your computer hooked up to your Hi-Fi.

Timelapse Montage from Mike Flores on Vimeo.

When the lights... go down... in the cit-ay

2010-09-19T21:56:00.000-05:00

This is honestly one of the coolest videos I have ever seen. What an incredible city, that San Francisco is.

The Unseen Sea from Simon Christen on Vimeo.

Hixx Pixx

2010-09-18T11:52:00.000-05:00

Coldplay - Lost

For some reason a great hangover song, if that exists.

Unions Are Just Awful

2010-09-15T12:46:00.001-05:00

At a town hall meeting, New Jersey governor Christie outlines how poisonous unions - in this case the teacher's union - can be, even to their own kind. Christie for president? I'm in.

I heart Clinton Portis

2010-09-14T15:06:00.000-05:00

His comments on sideline reporter Ines Sainz, who filed a complain against the offensively-challenged New York Jets for inappropriate behavior by players and coaches while doing her job:

Portis said he wasn't aware of the Sainz situation, but offered his opinion on what he considered to be a female reporter's perspective.

"You put a woman and you give her a choice of 53 athletes, somebody got to be appealing to her," Portis said. "You know, somebody got to spark her interest, or she's going to want somebody. I don't know what kind of woman won't, if you get to go and look at 53 men's [bodies]. ... I know you're doing a job, but at the same time, the same way I'm going to cut my eye if I see somebody worth talking to, I'm sure they do the same thing."

I mean, get off the guy's back. He's in the NFL, what do you expect?

And just for reference, to whom Clinton speaks of, courtesy of thesuperficial

From the department of rationality

2010-09-14T13:36:00.005-05:00

David Brooks, well done, sir.

The Day After Tomorrow

Yet the story Republicans are telling each other, which Ryan and Brooks have reinforced, is an oversimplified version of American history, with dangerous implications.

The fact is, the American story is not just the story of limited governments; it is the story of limited but energetic governments that used aggressive federal power to promote growth and social mobility. George Washington used industrial policy, trade policy and federal research dollars to build a manufacturing economy alongside the agricultural one. The Whig Party used federal dollars to promote a development project called the American System.

Abraham Lincoln supported state-sponsored banks to encourage development, lavish infrastructure projects, increased spending on public education. Franklin Roosevelt provided basic security so people were freer to move and dare. The Republican sponsors of welfare reform increased regulations and government spending — demanding work in exchange for dollars.

Throughout American history, in other words, there have been leaders who regarded government like fire — a useful tool when used judiciously and a dangerous menace when it gets out of control. They didn’t build their political philosophy on whether government was big or not. Government is a means, not an end. They built their philosophy on making America virtuous, dynamic and great. They supported government action when it furthered those ends and opposed it when it didn’t.

If the current Republican Party regards every new bit of government action as a step on the road to serfdom, then the party will be taking this long, mainstream American tradition and exiling it from the G.O.P.

Somewhere Glenn Beck's head is spinning in a fit of rage.

And while we're at it, let's recall just how much Joe Kernen doesn't like David Brooks:

There's no one that wants to listen to them...Let me guess: liberals are so cerebral and erudite that they don't, they don't, they're at the opera. They're at the opera, they don't listen to talk radio or watch TV. They're reading Sartre. Is that what you're telling me?

That's rich.

Kevin's Team

2010-09-13T21:09:00.002-05:00

Over the weekend Team USA coolly and decisively defeated a solid Turkish squad to take home the world championship, a title the US has failed to bring home since 1994.
Many were skeptical about bringing home the gold with Coach K leading the Durant's, Rose's, and Russell Westbrook's as opposed to the Lebron's, D Wade's, and Kobe's. After initially taking a look at the roster, I myself was amongst the skeptics. What is Tyson Chandler doing here? How is this motley litter of shoot-first, recently paid, young stars going to come together and play the team ball necessary to win in international play?

Combining swarming defense, relentless offensive rebounding, ridiculous overall athleticism and Kevin Durant, Team USA did just that. Coach K harnessed the athleticism of the likes of Russell Westbrook, Rudy Gay, Derrick Rose, Eric Gordon in a Duke-style pressure defense. Lamar Odom, Tyson Chandler, and Andre Iguodala grabbed offensive board after offensive board. Kevin Durant did the rest, averaging 22.8 ppg for the tournament.

At 6'10" and with a 6'15" wingspan, Durant has proven himself to be unguardable. His 3 point shot is quick and effortless. He has Glenn 'Big Dog' Robinson mid-range game. (Yes that's a Big Dog comparison). But he can also take you off the dribble and literally glide to the basket for a layup/dunk like he's having a cup of coffee. I would posit that Kevin Durant is the best basketball player on the planet right now. Oh yeah, he's 21 years old.

KD man-crush aside, it's nice to see Team USA go to Turkey and dominate. They played hard, they played together and deservedly brought home the gold. Go team.

Blowin' in the wind

2010-09-13T13:19:00.003-05:00

Much respect to Iowa’s Chet Culver (D) and Rhode Island’s Don Carcieri (R)

A crucial moment for clean energy

We all agree that creating jobs must be a national priority. We have reached a crucial moment in the renewable energy race. We are not likely to realize the job-creating potential of these technologies unless Congress passes legislation setting a robust minimum standard for the use of renewable electricity.

More than one-half the states have passed — and proven the value of — a state-level RES. A federal renewable electricity standard could build on these examples, while giving states flexibility to set higher goals.

Europe, China, India and other countries are far ahead of the United States in terms of capturing the economic benefits of wind and other renewables — despite the fact that America has some of the world’s richest wind resources. The reason is simple: We lack a strategic, long-term policy with a bold yet practical RES requirement as its centerpiece. Such a policy creates the certainty needed by renewable energy investors, developers and manufacturers to deploy necessary resources here at home.

Creation of a federal standard in order to help push dollars from petro/carbon projects to clean, renewable technologies, all the while creating jobs and not costing taxpayers a cent? And with the oil companies as the leaders in knowledge/funding of clean energy projects, isn't this something they have to support for their long-term viability?

My UAV is jammed

2010-09-12T20:18:00.000-05:00

Great article in this week's NYT Magazine on the genre of war video games
Video games that bring Afghanistan home

Greg Goodrich told me that the “holy grail” of his medium was to get game play and fiction to interact in such a way that the fusion of the two would affect players in ways that movies and books cannot. “I think you have the potential to touch them in a more emotional and engaging way because they took part in it,” he said. Penney’s study suggests that military shooters, by grounding their stories in the lived experiences of American soldiers, have had more success in this realm than their designers are given credit for. Feeling empathy for real soldiers fighting in foreign wars is not the same as feeling it toward fictional characters, but without being moved by the fiction in these games, it’s hard to see how players were subsequently moved to feel more humanely toward their fellow citizens.

I've always had a slight twinge of guilt playing games like Call of Duty. What kind of desensitization really happen to one's emotions when they plays this game? And is it taking advantage of this extremely barbaric human element that we all have somewhere down there that was suppressed with the advent of civilization? But whatever, it's really effing fun.

Because it has been way too long...

2010-09-07T22:02:00.002-05:00

...since somebody in Arizona has done something great.

Here is Congress candidate Ruth McClung, running out of Tucson, on the cause, or lack thereof, of global warming:

After researching the causes of temperature fluctuations on earth, I found the largest factor to be the sun. The earth’s orbit changes. Also the earth’s spin and axis change over time. When areas of the earth are closer to the sun, the temperature is hotter and when they are further away, cooler.

I'm sorry, ma'am, I think you're confusing it with the Summer and Winter seasons...

The toxicity of admitting to global warming is just incredible, to the point where it will make or break one's electability. Candidates who take their own stance on party-bending beliefs are chastised (see McCain, John; Crist, Charlie). Even Carly Fiorina, who is obviously a smart person and has spoken before about man-made climate change, can't say anything remotely leading to that belief on the subject, and must back California's Prop 23 in order to stay in her race. And nobody will even toe the line of perhaps the most reasonable, centrist stance - that it may or may not exist, but if it does, it will have severe repercussions to our overall economy and security, so let's keep pressing the issue to know for certain, and in the meanwhile create efficiencies in our energy and environmental policies. But I guess folks aren't kidding when they say they want to go back to the values held by our founding fathers, which means sticking to their body of scientific knowledge as well.

Hixx Pixx

2010-09-06T14:58:00.001-05:00

Kid Cudi - Cudi Zone

Not sure how I wasn't all over this when the album came out. So good.

Speaking of Robinho.....

2010-09-02T21:06:00.000-05:00

Ummm, excuse me.

Dog Slice

I want to be a billionaire so frickin' bad...

"People don't want to hear the facts... Facts are troublesome creatures, sometimes"

Bike-Off!

You, Sir, Got Dunked On

We welcome our new Chinese Overlords with open arms

Takin' It to the Streets

Triceps: Forget Biceps Edition

Doppelgangers

I went from ashy to classy

The Monster Mash

Annals of the South: Gun Control Edition

"Sarah Palin's coming south to hunt some skunk"

Blake Griffin - Going H.A.M Vol. 47

Look after the pennies, and the pounds will look after themselves...

He ain't The Professor...

Hopefully Earl Boykins' new nickname will really catch on...

HFT: Just like Transformers!

When you get featured in the NYT Mag...

Beast Mode!

Hixx Pixx

SoCal > *

Friday night at the GARDEN

Annals of the South

I'm Gonna Go Ahead and Dunk On You, and You Can't Stop Me

So Bay

The next person who mentions "Activist Judge" is going to get pistolwhipped...

What ever happened?

Another Sweet Goal

Is Arsenal's Samir Nasri the Best Soccer Player in the EPL?

12/5/2010 - The day the great recession ended.

.....Or Maybe You Just Makin' Excuses

Because not digging deeper is easy...

FIFA's Best Goals of the Year

Blake Griffin Cares Not For Your Safety, Will Dunk on your Face

Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

It's always Hawk Harrelson season...

So Eric Cantor and Larry Kudlow walk into a bar...

And let us give thanks by slaughtering all these crazy Indian folks...

The scalability is not the issue!

Getting to know athletes is fun!

Q: I heard u got sum gud headA: shit u heard rite I do

Q: y u Neva gave me headA: cuz u fukd me n 2 of homies in da same house n u came n like u Neva been there b 4 while me n one of da 2 was eaten changes. U trife as he'll lmao

Q: y u kic my friend out after y'all had sex A: lol cuz I only got her num for one reason n I got dat. Real nigga

Q: was my sex good a: oh my I loved ur sex n wish I cud get it while I'm ova here.

Q .. Y u so freaky A cuz it make da sex better.Ques to u... Y u not freaky lol

Q.. Y meA bcuz as a nigga young 16 years old I wanted u then..n u red n sexy.

Q . Y u join a gang n u play ball..A I was 14 back wen I join it was young wit da wrong dudes but I dnt live dt life n i dnt regret it either.

Q.. Do u really wana get to knw me or have sex wit me.. A.. To b honest u r cute as he'll got a nice body never heard nun bout u or shit so both. Wat dude dnt wana have sex wit a gud looking girl..

Q.. If I was n japan wit u for one nite wat wud I do..A.. I haven't had sex since aug 31st n i left Memphis sept 1 lol. So I'm horny as fuk now so I'll eat u alive n fuk u so hard u dnt Neva wana fuk me again.

Q. Y r u dmac n Willie so close.a bcuz we came to college together n left to gether n if one of us needed sum we asked each other real shit. Bro hood

Q.. Will u join a frat A I'm n one now da grape st crips

Q..can I lic ur lipsA.. Yea if ur breath ain't stanky

Q.. Can I get da 60 bac I let u haveA yea wen I cum home n u n da club I got cha

Q do I c my self play ball forever or so I have other plansA I wana play ball till I can't play no more than after ball I jus wana relax n own my own business or sumthing.

Q y u like older women .. A bc dats wat my ppl raised me around. Wen i was young older women use to call me they Lil boy friend nbi ran wit it.

Q I wana knw how big ur Dick isA well dat won't b n e time soon lol.

Q. Have u had sex wit a jap girl yet a naw but I had plenty of chances jus not wat I'm n to.

Q have u had a 3 sum b 4 A lol i don't do those things lmao

Q how u become a great dadA jus in me.

Q wats da oldest woman u Eva slept wit A lmao oldest I think she was 38 or 39. But she look bout 30 no bs.

Lmao at dis one.., q. Do u jack off sense u not having sex ova there.. A no lol I BEAT my shit

Dreamcatcher: The Biggest Piece of Shit Movie Ever

Hixx Pixx

"Democracy in America" indeed...

It's like a truffle-foam topped turd sandwich...

Quitness!

Kevin "Buzz Killington" Garnett

Shaq Calls Out Crew To Race on Charles

Wait... who are you with again?

Too Much Dougie?

As we head into election day, let's remind ourselves that there is no such thing as a "fiscal conservative"

California > *

We don't need your litres, and your grams, and your Kelvin units, thank you very much...

The New Look Miami Heat Provide Something Seemingly Politically Agnostic to Contemplate

RIP Pulpo Paul - Collapse of Capitalism to follow?

Lebron Still Doesn't Get It

To set all confusion aside on Prop 19...

Mis-Guided Mission

There Shouldn't Be Much Praise

Q: I heard u got sum gud head
A: shit u heard rite I do

Q: y u Neva gave me head
A: cuz u fukd me n 2 of homies in da same house n u came n like u Neva been there b 4 while me n one of da 2 was eaten changes. U trife as he'll lmao

Q: y u kic my friend out after y'all had sex
A: lol cuz I only got her num for one reason n I got dat. Real nigga

Q: was my sex good
a: oh my I loved ur sex n wish I cud get it while I'm ova here.

Q .. Y u so freaky
A cuz it make da sex better.
Ques to u... Y u not freaky lol

Q.. Y me
A bcuz as a nigga young 16 years old I wanted u then..n u red n sexy.

Q . Y u join a gang n u play ball..
A I was 14 back wen I join it was young wit da wrong dudes but I dnt live dt life n i dnt regret it either.

Q.. Do u really wana get to knw me or have sex wit me..
A.. To b honest u r cute as he'll got a nice body never heard nun bout u or shit so both. Wat dude dnt wana have sex wit a gud looking girl..

Q.. If I was n japan wit u for one nite wat wud I do..
A.. I haven't had sex since aug 31st n i left Memphis sept 1 lol. So I'm horny as fuk now so I'll eat u alive n fuk u so hard u dnt Neva wana fuk me again.

Q. Y r u dmac n Willie so close.
a bcuz we came to college together n left to gether n if one of us needed sum we asked each other real shit. Bro hood

Q.. Will u join a frat
A I'm n one now da grape st crips

Q..can I lic ur lips
A.. Yea if ur breath ain't stanky

Q.. Can I get da 60 bac I let u have
A yea wen I cum home n u n da club I got cha

Q do I c my self play ball forever or so I have other plans
A I wana play ball till I can't play no more than after ball I jus wana relax n own my own business or sumthing.

Q y u like older women ..
A bc dats wat my ppl raised me around. Wen i was young older women use to call me they Lil boy friend nbi ran wit it.

Q I wana knw how big ur Dick is
A well dat won't b n e time soon lol.

Q. Have u had sex wit a jap girl yet
a naw but I had plenty of chances jus not wat I'm n to.

Q have u had a 3 sum b 4
A lol i don't do those things lmao

Q how u become a great dad
A jus in me.

Q wats da oldest woman u Eva slept wit
A lmao oldest I think she was 38 or 39. But she look bout 30 no bs.

Lmao at dis one.., q. Do u jack off sense u not having sex ova there..
A no lol I BEAT my shit