March 13, 2008
Scholarships and Varsity College Sports
Bill Pennington, of the NY Times, has written a great series about the downside of College Varsity athletic scholarships. I would recommend it for anyone vaguely interested in the craziness of high school and college athletics. You can find one article here, and another here.
I have some connection to college sports. I played football at a Div. I school when I was a freshman, then quit and moved to a swimming pool, where I played varsity water polo for three years. I left the sport for many years, but returned about 7 years ago as a volunteer coach for the now club water polo team of my alma mater. To some degree I see what the impact is on many of the students and the strain it places on their lives. I have become a huge advocate of the club college sports scene. I will write more of that at another time. Please read the articles. Mr. Pennington does a great job of describing many of the conflicts with our current athletic system.
Posted by Chip Spear at 9:04 AM | Comments (0)
March 12, 2008
Sex and Prostitution
So what is it about the MSM that thinks politicians have some unusual sex drive that sends many of them to prostitutes? Are politicians really that much different than all the rest of us? I would think the huge flurry of interest is because these are public figures who will help either sell airtime or magazines. One should remember that prostitutes live off the needs of the larger society, not just celebrities and politicians. We are only aware of the media magnets, not the general population. All these articles are factually ridiculous.
However, the issue of why the question appears is much more interesting. Again we need to explore the motivation behind the headlines, like why bring up the issue? How does it play out in the media? Does it help sell papers or attract more viewers? The issue of truth is completely different. I would even say that all those "expert" opinions are rather suspect. I have not heard one of them try to differentiate between politicians and the rest of us.
Posted by Chip Spear at 8:45 PM | Comments (0)
March 11, 2008
O.I.L. (Our Illustrious Leader) Keeps Pounding for Yards
GW keeps pounding away at anyone who stands in his way as he continues his march to unrestricted Presidential power. He never backs down, he never doubts. His methods are consistent and have generally been very successful, haven't they? The Dems have been exceedingly ineffective to stop him from his torture requests or his recent moves to protect the telecom companies from prosecution for helping the Administration wiretap Americans without a warrant. (NYT)
"The flash point in the debate has been the question of whether to protect AT&T and other major phone companies from some 40 lawsuits pending in federal courts, which charge that the companies' participation in the eavesdropping program violated federal privacy laws and their responsibilities to their customers.
Mr. Bush says the companies acted out of patriotism in responding to what they believed was a lawful presidential order. He has said that the lawsuits are being pursued by money-driven class-action lawyers and that they should not be allowed to threaten the financial solvency of the phone companies."
Why change your strategy when it works?
Posted by Chip Spear at 1:32 PM
That Uncontrollable Urge
Sex, sex, sex. Ah, old Mother Nature sure likes to throw a curve or two into our lives, now doesn't she? Or at least it does for Eliot Spitzer, Governor of New York. Of course, he is not the only one who has succumbed to urges that he or she rationally knows will derail their chosen path. Certainly Eliot knew that his actions were illegal and would lead to his downfall if caught. He knew that he was potentially destroying his marriage and family. He knew that he was putting his career in jeopardy. He knew he was being hypocritical, given his prosecutorial history as Attorney General of NY and Governor. And yet, he still hired a prostitute and had her cross state lines.
So, why would someone in his position destroy so much of his life? What is driving him? That is a silly question really, in the sense that it is so complex that one almost shouldn't even bother asking. But of course, we do. Why does anyone go to a prostitute when they are in a supposedly happy marriage? Obviously they are not getting what they sexually want from their spouse. And therein is the problem.
Is it the culture, or is it something that is inherent in the differences between men and women? Why is it that men have had a desire to continually seek sexual satisfaction outside of their marriages? Do men want to cheat? Or perhaps they are inclined to have sex, more often, in many different forms than are acceptable to their mates? I am sure this also has something to do with the quality of their relationship, but not entirely. This condition is so pervasive, and historical that I feel it extends well beyond the quality of a relationship. One can't individually blame all men or women for this. Maybe it is the Venus/Mars thing.
Posted by Chip Spear at 8:57 AM
March 9, 2008
Bad Attitudes
Jerry Doolittle's blog, Bad Attitudes, has posted some terrific entries over the last couple of days. I urge you to check it out.
Posted by Chip Spear at 7:08 PM
February 25, 2008
Why is Barack Black?
I am very curious why the media, and most of the country considers Barack Obama to be "black" when he has a black father and a white mother. He is 50% white and 50% black, but always referred to as black by the media. Why is Halle Barry considered black also? She has a similar background. If they both marry white partners and have children, will they also be considered black? At what point do they become mixed race, or just Americans?
What is it about our country that we have to label people in this manner? Is it a function of our white culture to exclude those who do not appear to be "pure"? If you have some particular black characteristic, like kinky black hair, are you black?
I would contend that we are still a very racist society and the media does little to turn the re-orient the definitions. We should ask ourselves about the motivation behind the labels. What is going on? Who is scoring points here and who is losing?
Posted by Chip Spear at 1:50 PM
November 18, 2007
Political States
I have not written on this blog for almost a year. Partly because I needed to concentrate on making $ and partly because I felt that I had only negative things to say about the political system in the U.S. today. How in the world could anyone say anything remotely positive about what this idiot is doing in the White House? He is, in my opinion, a complete disaster. I could easily rant like everyone else in creation. But I refuse. I refuse to live a life consumed with negativity. I live it too much of every day. The specifics aren't too important as to why my life is particularly tough at the moment, but I will just say that I am doing everything I can to be positive and make everything and everyone I touch more positive too. So I stopped writing. But I am going to start again. At least, I am telling myself now that I am going to start. We shall see how long it lasts. So, hi to anyone who happens to stumble upon my little voice in the net.
Posted by Chip Spear at 7:43 PM
May 16, 2007
The Huge Falwell Legacy
I listened to David Gregory interview Chris Matthews yesterday morning while driving into work. Chris described Falwell's political impact on national politics. Matthews said that Falwell was responsible for bringing a huge group of fundamentalists into the political arena by appealing to their concerns that liberal attitudes were destroying the country. Matthews said that almost 30 million of the 127 million who voted in the last election were right wing fundamentalists somehow related to the Falwell movement. Matthews suggested that most of these people would not have voted if it had not been for Falwell. Think about that, almost 25% of the last election. That is an astounding number. 25% of voters were followers of a guy who said that the reason the terrorists flew those planes into the World Trade Center was because of our liberal values. He blamed the gays, liberals and anyone who believed in a woman's right to choose. They were the ones to blame. Hmmmmm.
Posted by Chip Spear at 7:21 AM
April 8, 2007
Hmmmmm, this is a shock
The AP writes:
"The corroded and corrupt state of Saddam was replaced by the corroded, inefficient, incompetent and corrupt state of the new order," Ali A. Allawi concludes in "The Occupation of
Iraq," newly published by Yale University Press.Allawi writes with authority as a member of that "new order," having served as Iraq's trade, defense and finance minister at various times since 2003. As a former academic, at Oxford University before the U.S.-British invasion of Iraq, he also writes with unusual detachment.
The U.S.- and British-educated engineer and financier is the first senior Iraqi official to look back at book length on his country's four-year ordeal. It's an unsparing look at failures both American and Iraqi, an account in which the word "ignorance" crops up repeatedly.
First came the "monumental ignorance" of those in Washington pushing for war in 2002 without "the faintest idea" of Iraq's realities. "More perceptive people knew instinctively that the invasion of Iraq would open up the great fissures in Iraqi society," he writes.
Follow the link, there is much more of interest.
Posted by Chip Spear at 9:36 PM
April 3, 2007
McCain Swings and Misses
John McCain traveled to Baghdad, walked around a market, and attempted to convince America that the media was wrong, the city was actually much safer than reported. "See," he seemed to say as he walked around the marketplace, "it is safe, no one is shooting at me, I am not getting blown to bits."
Do you think it worked? Were you convinced? Did the fact that over 100 soldiers accompanied him alter your thinking? What about helicopter gunship hovering overhead? I bet everyone travels that way everyday in Baghdad. (NYT)
The delegation arrived at the market, which is called Shorja, on Sunday with more than 100 soldiers in armored Humvees - the equivalent of an entire company - and attack helicopters circled overhead, a senior American military official in Baghdad said. The soldiers redirected traffic from the area and restricted access to the Americans, witnesses said, and sharpshooters were posted on the roofs. The congressmen wore bulletproof vests throughout their hourlong visit.
McCain is in a tough spot. He has been in the forefront of the push for more troops to regain the offensive in Iraq. Unfortunately for him, and his Presidential bid, the facts speak a different story. Despite the influx of troops, days are not safer for Iraqis. The plan is not working. McCain has hooked his wagon to a shaky strategy. If it fails, as it appears to be doing now, his candidacy is in serious trouble.
Posted by Chip Spear at 11:03 AM
March 25, 2007
A Great Weekend for PoliticalSports
Wow, what a weekend. The Iranians do there usual condemnation of the UN sanction resolution, then they grab a bunch of British sailors. They ignore an offer from the major powers for new talks....what a surprise. Then our pals the North Koreans are close to walking away from their nuclear talks (that is no surprise either) because the U.S. and South Korea are holding military exercises. And that is only the biggest of the highlights in the foreign policy arena. Domestically things are just as much fun. There are something like 18 days of missing White House correspondence in the Federal Prosecutor firings. More documents are turning up that directly contradict the Attorney General's contention that he knew nothing about the dismissals.
Of course, it would not be a truly great sports weekend for a couple of memorable plays by Vice-O.I.L. (CNA)
US Vice President Dick Cheney has assured political allies that an early withdrawal of US forces from Iraq would not be allowed, despite efforts by Congress to impose a deadline on US combat operations there.
The comments on Saturday followed a historic vote on Friday in the House of Representatives, which called for a pullout of US combat troops from Iraq by August 31, 2008 - regardless of whether Iraqi security forces are ready to take over from them.
President George W. Bush has vowed to veto the measure. But the threat has called into question the future of a US$124 billion emergency funding bill, to which it is attached.
One could write extensively about any one of the above. Unfortunately, it is late, I am tired, so I will have to revisit all of the above tomorrow.
Posted by Chip Spear at 9:14 PM
March 21, 2007
Showdown Looms in Attorney Firings
Ha, ha, ha. I have to laugh. This is sooooo ridiculous. What did you expect, really? For the past 6 years the President has treated the entire country, and especially the Democrats with comtempt. The Democrats have taken it on the chin. Now the Dems have some power. They are not about to back down to the Pres on this one. To expect otherwise is silly. (AP)
On the flip side, the President is not going to suddenly roll over to the Democratic leadership in Congress. He is going to continue with the gameplan...Attack! Put the Dems on the defensive anyway he can. He proposes a compromise solution. Of course it is his rules and conditions; no press, no oath, behind closed doors, no record, no nothing. My own guess is no truth either, but who knows.
How do you beat this?
Posted by Chip Spear at 8:32 PM
March 17, 2007
I have been away for too long
It has been more than a few months since I last posted on my blog. Personal commitments resulted in little time to devote to research, reading, analysis and posting. Hopefully that period is behind me. It is time to get back in the saddle and report on my favorite sport....Politics.
Thanks for checking in.
Posted by Chip Spear at 10:38 AM
July 16, 2006
Welcome Back
I was away for over two weeks, then returned to find my services desired in a more lucrative income producing activity. It has been impossible for me to find the time to read enough or think enough about politics to feel comfortable to post anything new. But that is about to change.....too many events, too much conflict....I can ignore it no longer. To recap would probably take more than a book, and if you found this particular site you have no doubt been on others, so I feel no need to recap. Over the next couple of days I will attempt, in my own somewhat limited way to hit on the Lebanon, Israel, Iran, Hamas, Bush, North Korea and Putin. Wow, how can you have more fun, really.
A couple VERY quick thoughts:
Israel, the Palestinians, Hamas and Hezbollah - Let it rip. I am sick of all of them. Nobody is right. There is soooo much anger....just let it blow up until they either kill themselves or stop. There is no reason here.
North Korea - The little man wants attention, nothing new about that.
Iran - An asshole wants to become a bigger asshole.
Bush - Can one become even more incompetent?
Putin - Dictator, or eventual democrat? Hard to tell, but he is definitely maneuvering for position.
Posted by Chip Spear at 8:14 PM | Comments (0)
June 5, 2006
Vacation Alert
I am spending this week and part of next floating around off the coast of Western Europe. Posts will be few, but I will do so as much as possible.
Posted by Chip Spear at 11:11 AM
May 29, 2006
Bush wants to honor war dead
Our OIL wants to honor the war dead. That is a joke, right?b (B.C)
President Bush, delivering a Memorial Day message surrounded by the graves of thousands of military dead, said Monday that the United States must continue fighting the war on terror in the name of those have already given their life in the cause.
"The best way to pay respect is to value why a sacrifice was made," Bush said, quoting from a letter that Lt. Mark Dooley wrote to his parents before being killed last September in the Iraqi city of Ramadi.
Here is a guy who refuses to go to the funerals of war dead, or allow the press to publish photos. I get it.
Posted by Chip Spear at 9:04 PM | Comments (2)
May 17, 2006
NSA, Phone Records and Fox Press Secretaries
Crooks and Liars has a hilarious clip of Jon Stewart commenting on the NSA phone mining controversy. It is worth a listen. (C&L)
I read that the NSA is actually tapping only land lines, no cell phones. That means that they are missing almost all calls of folks under 60, except for businesses. Gee, I wonder how smart that is? Al Qaeda never would use cell phones, would they?
Posted by Chip Spear at 2:23 PM | Comments (0)
May 12, 2006
Random Thoughts
So, the Justice Department attempts to investigate the NSA. The NSA says you don't have the proper security clearance to investigate us. The Justice Department says, okay, oh well, and walks away. Wow! Does something smell fishy about this? The NSA could be doing something very illegal, very dictatorial or something. They tell the Justice Dept., who is supposed to have the authority to investigate anything and everything like this, to take a hike and the Justice Dept. gives up. I hope that bothers you as much as me.
Congress, more specifically Republicans, passed a Bush backed bill to extend his tax cuts another two years. Most all of those cuts help the wealthy and hurt the middle class. Nothing new here, it is just more of the same play they have been running for the past 5 years. Perhaps this is one of the reasons his poll numbers are so anemic. Maybe one day he will start doing something that actually helps most people in the country instead of his major campaign contributors and friends.
NSA phone taps and Gen. Hayden to lead the CIA - the path to dictatorship by a thousand tiny steps......
Karl Rove & Bush's poll numbers - A Harris survey reports that OIL's poll numbers are currently tracking at 29%. If Rove is indicted OIL's poll numbers could drop to 26%. From a strategic standpoint, I have no clue how he can reverse this. Attacking Iran would seriously inflame the country. The economy, despite government numbers is not raising all boats. And then there is the ever expanding corruption disease. Every day brings new charges and new investigations throughout the Republican arena. The team has some serious problems. It actually reminds me of what is happening to the NY Knicks. Dolan, the owner, and Isaah Thomas insist that they are doing the right thing while the team self-destructs.
Posted by Chip Spear at 2:36 PM | Comments (2)
May 9, 2006
Our Great Country
Time magazine reports in their current print edition the following statistics:
63% - The portion of Americans ages 18-24 who could not locate Iraq on a world map, according to a survey.
50% - The portion of Americans ages 18-24 who could not find New York State.
And one wonders why we have the problems we do in this country.
Posted by Chip Spear at 3:14 PM | Comments (2)
May 5, 2006
Fox Cuts Back Across the Field
Earlier this week, the Mexican Congress passed a law that would have made Mexico one of the most permissive drug countries in the world. Yesterday Vincente Fox reversed direction, said he would not sign the bill and sent it back for revision. (AP)
Mexican President Vicente Fox backed off signing a drug decriminalization bill that the United States warned could result in "drug tourism" and increased availability of narcotics in American border communities.
Fox reversed course Wednesday and said he was sending the bill back to Congress for changes, just one day after his office had said he would sign it into law. The measure would have dropped criminal penalties for possession of small amounts of marijuana, cocaine, heroin and other drugs.
I wish I could get the phone logs of White House calls over the past couple of days. I would be content to see the ones to Mexico and specifically to Fox and his administration. I am sure George put incredible pressure on the Mexicans to reverse their decisions. The administration would hate to see Mexico change its policies. I think they are terrified that another approach to solving drug problems might work. One can only speculate why.
Posted by Chip Spear at 8:26 AM | Comments (2)
May 4, 2006
Priorities
Read this article then think about the priorities established by the White House. Why are we going to have our largest embassy in the world in Iraq? And 104 acres?
THE question puzzles and enrages a city: how is it that the Americans cannot keep the electricity running in Baghdad for more than a couple of hours a day, yet still manage to build themselves the biggest embassy on Earth?
Irritation grows as residents deprived of air-conditioning and running water three years after the US-led invasion watch the massive US Embassy they call “George W’s palace” rising from the banks of the Tigris.
In the pavement cafés, people moan that the structure is bigger than anything Saddam Hussein built. They are not impressed by the architects’ claims that the diplomatic outpost will be visible from space and cover an area that is larger than the Vatican city and big enough to accommodate four Millennium Domes. They are more interested in knowing whether the US State Department paid for the prime real estate or simply took it.
Bigger than the Vatican? Wow! I would guess that implies something about our long term plans for the country, doesn't it? And what about the big military bases we are building there?
Posted by Chip Spear at 8:53 AM | Comments (2)
April 24, 2006
Something Different
This blog doesn't have anything to do with sports, or politics, however it is a very interesting blog. Explore, especially the interactive toys. It is fun, interesting and could be a bad time waster. It is a very special place.
Posted by Chip Spear at 10:57 AM | Comments (1)
April 18, 2006
Duke Lacrosse
Karen Russell at Huffington Post writes about the Duke lacrosse rape scandal (HuffPo)
I'm also wondering what we should call her? Victim? Accuser? Single mom? Exotic dancer? Part-time student? Stripper? If you are Tucker Carlson, you call her a "crypto-hooker" and if you are Rush Limbaugh, she's a "ho".
Nothing like fair, balanced reporting, or that un-American concept "innocent until proven guilty." There are many unanswered questions about this case. I read reports about the woman, then more reports about the team and the party and I come out confused. I am not sure what to think, but to uncategorically blame one side in this is reprehensible. It appeals to the worst of our sensibilities. Until all the facts are known, I think it behoves anyone with half a brain to keep an open mind.
Posted by Chip Spear at 1:30 PM | Comments (2)
Subject 2 Discusion
Join me this evening at 10:30 Eastern Time on Subject 2 Discussion, an Internet Radio program hosted by the always interesting and amusing Shaun Daily. You can listen by going to LVRocks, then click on "Listen". It is always a fun time for me.
Posted by Chip Spear at 12:39 PM | Comments (1)
April 1, 2006
April Fools
It is late on Saturday night, April 1st, April Fools Day. So yesterday, in my video I said to stop by and I would let you know my April Fools joke for this year. Do you know? Well, we have been fooled, most all of us. The joke, unfortunately is on us. And who pulled off one of the biggest jokes on the world? Our Illustrious Leader (OIL), G. W. Bush. Oh, how partisan you say, so left wing. Perhaps, but consider; a war based on lies costing at least a trillion dollars, thousands of deaths, tens of thousands of injuries that are not properly cared for because of budget cuts, absolutely huge budget deficits, increasing income disparaties between the rich and poor, mismanagement throughout the government, a joke of a Department of Homeland Security, the New Orleans disaster, a mounting energy crisis that the administration refuses to adequately address, serious education issues related to "No child left behind", a medicare prescription drug program that helps only the drug companies and no one understands, global warming that "needs more study" as the ice caps melt, Osama bin Laden still running around Afghanistan, Islamic fundamentalism growing throughout the Middle East, Iran and North Korea developing nuclear weapons and supporting terrorists, the country becoming increasingly politically and culturally polarized, lobbyists controlling our government, a President ignoring laws on whim, illegal wiretaps, leaking the name of CIA agents.....I could go on, but you get the idea. America voted him into office. The joke is on his supporters and unfortunately the rest of us, who failed to defeat him....twice.
Posted by Chip Spear at 10:29 PM | Comments (2)
March 22, 2006
More Fumbles Than We Imagined
Reports surfaced that the U.S. ignored information provided by one of Saddam's inner circle stating that he did not have any nukes. (MSNBC)
Now NBC News has learned that for a short time the CIA had contact with a secret source at the highest levels within Saddam Hussein’s government, who gave them information far more accurate than what they believed. It is a spy story that has never been told before, and raises new questions about prewar intelligence.
At this point it should not be the least bit surprising that the information was ignored. It falls into a pattern that the Administration did not care about the veracity of their claims of WMD. They were going to war.
Posted by Chip Spear at 2:53 PM | Comments (1)
Paranoia Hits the Church
The Catholic Church is obviously feeling a little more paranoid than usual recently. Dan Brown's novel, "The Da Vinci Code," is about to be released as a movie and the church is worried about its influence. The Church feels threatened by this piece of fiction, using history as a starting point for a fast-paced conspiracy theory thriller. Web sites, articles, books and spokesmen are all on the offensive to counteract the books claims. (CSM) The Church must be concerned that people will be influenced by the book's claims and come to believe it more than the Church. (Amazon) You might also find this 40 minute interview on NPR's Fresh Air extremely interesting.
Posted by Chip Spear at 10:46 AM | Comments (0)
March 20, 2006
Who Are We?
I get up everyday and read the NY Times. Occasionally I finish reading the front page, editorials and op-eds and feel sick. I think how horrible the country is or how disgusted I am with the government. I get discouraged by the thought that we have to endure almost three more years of this administration.
Congressional Republicans support a President who allows torture and misled the country into a war costing hundreds of billions, if not trillions, of dollars. Thousands of American soldiers are killed and injured while VA funding, especially medical services, is cut. Rendition, torture, deception, wiretaps, secret prisons, prisoners dying from torture, wars based on lies, threatening the courts, interpreting laws to suit personal needs, appointing friends and supporters to high positions of power, acting outside the law, suspending habeas corpus, tax cuts for the wealthy and the largest budget deficits in history all occur and yet there are millions of supporters who think this is more than fine. I read today that Bush's Budget proposal cuts cancer prevention programs. The upper 2% in our country get richer while the lower 98% get comparatively poorer.
Internationally, our war inflames anti-American passions around the world. We systematically break international agreements. Global warming might as well be a Disney fantasy film. We accuse three countries of being the "Axis of Evil", invade one of them and then are outraged when the other two refuse to give up their nuclear ambitions. One wonders if they might want to protect themselves. For the most part we have completely ignored Darfur, where thousands die at the hand of government backed genocidal militias.
Last week on a TV show called Boston Legal James Spader's character ran down a litany of occurences, some of which I mentioned above, the lying about war, the torture, the threat to civil rights, etc. and asked, "Where was the outrage? Where were the protests?" Yes, there are a few small ones, and some of us care; we read blogs, post comments (many of which are rather inflammatory) and support organizations like MoveOn.org, which is a good start and certainly better than nothing. Some of us work for candidates or participate in our communities. But for the most part the country does little. Bush’s poll numbers drop, but folks generally go to work and spend their nights watching television or playing with the latest tech toys.
Too many of us blindly follow our teams; Republicans, Democrats, Green Party, Christians, Jews, Muslims, environmentalists, oil industry, whatever. We suspend our analytical thinking and refuse to question our own decisions. We see too much of the "my team, right or wrong" attitude. How else to explain the thinking of 50,000 people turning out to mourn someone like Slobodan Milosevic, a known torturer and political, murderous thug? The same thing happens here. We are not who we say we are. We do not respect other points of view. We act arrogantly. We do not respect civil or human rights. We are not honest with ourselves, let alone others.
We have allowed Bush to become a leader who does not embody long standing American values. And the fault is ours, as individuals. We must do more, even those who have always opposed the administration. To those who write here, or act in other ways, get more friends involved. Today, do a little more than yesterday. It is our job to continue to seek better means of communication in the hope that somehow we will find a way to get people to listen. We cannot stop trying to find the key, for as James Spader says at the end of Boston Legal , "We have become a very mean country."
Posted by Chip Spear at 2:23 PM | Comments (1)
March 5, 2006
Articles of Interest
Free Speech on the Run in the West (RCP)
Dude, Where's My War? (NYP)
White House Trains Effort on Media Leaks. (WashPo)
The Bush administration, seeking to limit leaks of classified information, has launched initiatives targeting journalists and their possible government sources. The efforts include several FBI probes, a polygraph investigation inside the CIA and a warning from the Justice Department that reporters could be prosecuted under espionage laws.
Posted by Chip Spear at 6:11 PM | Comments (1)
March 3, 2006
A Few Good Lessons for All of Us
Tom McMahon writes about some lessons he has learned in the 15 years since his 8 year old son suffered a severe brain injury which left him unable to walk, feed himself or talk. It is well worth the read here.
Posted by Chip Spear at 2:39 PM | Comments (1)
February 28, 2006
When Does It Become a Civil War in Iraq?
More than a few news sources are suggesting that Iraq is on the brink of Civil War. (AP) I would like to know how they define that point? What has to happen and when, before one concludes that it is in fact a civil war? I really don't know. Wikipedia states:
A civil war is a war in which the parties within the same country or empire struggle for national control of state power. As in any war, the conflict may be over other matters such as religion, ethnicity, or distribution of wealth. Some civil wars are also categorized as revolutions when major societal restructuring is a possible outcome of the conflict. An insurgency, whether successful or not, is likely to be classified as a civil war by some historians if, and only if, organized armies fight conventional battles. Other historians state the criteria for a civil war is that there must be prolonged violence between organized factions or defined regions of a country (conventionally fought or not).
Posted by Chip Spear at 6:42 PM | Comments (3)
Apple Scores
I read the news and had a smile on my face. Apple continues to open doors, expand beyond what we expect. It is innovative and clever. It is not perfect, but it always seems to create products that stand out in a market known for invention. One is hard pressed to think of another "computer" company who is as creative and well known for design and innovation. After reading the article here, go to Apple's website.
Apple Computer Inc. (Nasdaq:AAPL - news) on Tuesday introduced a new iPod "Hi-Fi" home stereo system and a new Mac mini powered by an Intel (Nasdaq:INTC - news) chip the company said was nearly five times faster than the previous version.....
Apple also introduced on Tuesday a new Mac mini with a single core Intel chip as much as three times faster than the previous version. He also said the Mac mini with an even more powerful dual core Intel chip was nearly five times as fast as the previous version.
The Mac mini is Apple's entry level machine aimed at people who already have a computer or are thinking about replacing one because it is sold without a monitor, keyboard or mouse.
Posted by Chip Spear at 3:04 PM | Comments (0)
January 30, 2006
Nah, Nah, Nah, Nah, Nah
You can't catch me.
Al Qaeda's number two is standing behind a tree, taunting Bush, teasing him, over and over again. You can't catch me, you are a loser, you're a liar, you're bad luck. If American's die, it is your fault. (CNN)
Al-Zawahiri directs a message to President Bush.
"My first message is to the butcher of Washington, Bush: You are not just defeated and lying about it, but you are, with God's help, a loser. You are bad luck to your people. You brought them disasters and catastrophes, and you will bring them even more disasters."
Al-Zawahiri also taunts the U.S. president, saying, "Bush, do you know where I am? I am among the Muslim masses enjoying their care with God's blessings and sharing with them their holy war against you until we defeat you, God willing."
Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah you can't catch me...........and off he goes into the night.
Posted by Chip Spear at 2:57 PM | Comments (2)
October 11, 2005
This Past Weekend
I wasn't able to post any items this past weekend, I was too busy playing and coaching in a water polo tournament. I love swimming and always have, but I also love team sports. Water polo is the best of both worlds. If you have never had an opportunity to see a game, or better yet, play, I highly recommend it. It is not actually as rough as many people think. It does require a bit of swimming though, so if you can't to that you are probably in trouble. However, there is a variation called Inner Tube Water Polo, where you play in inner tubes. That is fun too. What did you do this weekend?
Posted by Chip Spear at 8:42 AM | Comments (2)
October 3, 2005
Political Sports Player of the Week
John Roberts is this week's Political Sports Player of the Week. It is not every day that someone becomes a Chief Justice of SCOTUS. With so few, 17, in our history, it is a "supreme" accomplishment. Thousands dream from the time they think of the law and law school, but so very few make it. Our congratulations to him. Watch the video here.
Posted by Chip Spear at 1:35 PM | Comments (2)
September 30, 2005
Large Number of Deaths Expected with Avian Flu
Numerous reports have surfaced indicating that the world can expect at least 2 million deaths from a new strain of flu.
While WHO's flu spokesman at the agency's Geneva headquarters did not say the 150 million prediction was wrong, he emphasized that 7.4 million deaths is a more realistic estimate.
Scientists have made predictions ranging from less than 2 million to 360 million. Last year, WHO's chief for the Asia-Pacific region predicted 100 million deaths, but until now that was the highest figure publicly mentioned by a WHO official...
Most human cases have been linked to contact with sick birds. But WHO has warned the virus could mutate into a form that spreads easily among humans - changing it from a bird virus to a human pandemic flu strain.
These people are sooooo stupid. Don't they know there is no such thing as a mutation? There is only Intelligent Design.
Posted by Chip Spear at 4:20 PM | Comments (5)
September 28, 2005
A little problem
I had a computer meltdown on Monday evening when I was hit with a brownout. The power spike somehow got through my surge protector and fried the motherboard of my computer. I am using an old laptop until I receive the new board tomorrow and replace it. I was consumed with the issue yesterday, trying to determine exactly what was wrong and order the replacement part. It was a fun day. Until I get my main machine up and running I will not be producing any insightful, humorous videos.
Posted by Chip Spear at 11:56 AM | Comments (1)
September 26, 2005
Leadership
In light of the controversy regarding Bush's "crony" appointments I feel it is important to question what defines good leadership. Think back to organizations in which you participated, i.e. athletic teams, social organizations, business, religious groups, any group of individuals trying to accomplish a goal. Who were the good leaders and what personality charactistics drove their actions and commanded respect. Watch the video here where I question the age old leadership issue.
Posted by Chip Spear at 9:30 AM | Comments (1)
September 20, 2005
Player of the Week for Sept. 19th
We name Karl Rove as this week's Political Sports Player of the Week for his surprise appointment to lead the Gulf Coast reconstruction effort. A political strategist with no or little administrative experience, Karl was named by President Bush to lead one of, if not the, largest reconstruction efforts in U.S. history. Known as an extremely partisan political operative, Karl scored big with the appointment and is sure to help his friends to huge gains in both the political and economic arenas. Congratulations Karl! Watch the latest video here.
Posted by Chip Spear at 9:33 AM | Comments (2)
September 19, 2005
Hats! Political Hats?
Check out the hats! Watch it here.
Posted by Chip Spear at 1:39 PM | Comments (0)
September 16, 2005
Why Political Sports
Find out about Political Sports. Watch my video where I explain some of my goals. Get a clearer idea of what Political Sports is all about.
Posted by Chip Spear at 11:22 AM | Comments (1)
August 7, 2005
Vacation Time
It is time for me to take a vacation with my two amazingly wonderful, fun, beautiful daughters. Postings shall be very infrequent for the next two weeks. Internet access will be very infrequent, which is both good and bad for a news junkie like me. Enjoy!
Be right back...........
Posted by Chip Spear at 11:23 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
July 11, 2005
So, How Good Is GW?
I keep wondering how history is going to look at our current President. He has a vision. He has pursued it with vengence. He doesn't compromise. He knows what he wants and what he believes, which is rare in major politics. Usually people like that live on the wings of the major decision making apparatus. Political power usually comes to those who not only offer a vision, but also manage to compromise in ways that allow all facets of a complex political party to feel that their leader represents them. That is quite a trick in large organizations. George is a different animal though, because he doesn't compromise. He also does not change directions or re-think he decisions, at least to this point.
A great leader, or a great person is someone who has the courage of their convictions, but also has the ability to change directions when the situation warrants. Think of great sports dynasties. A new coach or owner comes in and immediately implements a new, and winning formula. It doesn't really matter if their new strategies involve new offenses, or defenses, the point is that they bring a new energy and a new way of playing the game. After a season or maybe two of success other teams adjust, adopt similar strategies or develop new ones to counteract their opposition's success. A great coach learns and changes strategies again, to stay ahead of his opponents, to always have them guessing. Think of John Wooden, the famous UCLA basketball coach who adjusted his teams to fit their skills and personalities. It enabled him to win 10 NCAA Championships in 12 years. Or Mario Andretti, who adjusted his style to win in Mascar, Formula One, and Indy cars. It is the ability to adapt and change that makes someone more than a one hit wonder.
So with George Bush we have a disastrous war in Iraq. Most people in the country think he knowingly mislead them about WMD in Iraq. The country faces HUGE deficits because of his tax cuts. His energy policy seems like it was developed in 1950 rather than the early 21st century. The discrepancy between rich and poor, or middle class, is getting progressively wider. Mainstream America is increasingly anxious about the extreme right wing religious agenda. Much of the world distrusts the President. Overseas approval ratings for the U.S. is at about as low as it has ever been. And yet, he continues to run the same plays, refusing to accept or recognize that things aren't working. Is he capable of changing strategies to realize his goals, or is his stuck, unable to adapt to changing realities?
Posted by Chip Spear at 2:08 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
June 30, 2005
Republicans Continue "My Way or the Highway" with Baseball in D.C.
This time Republicans have shifted their focus to the baseball sports world. George Soros, a major liberal donor and activist is rumored to be part of a group competing to purchase the Washington Nationals baseball team. Several House Republicans threatened to withdraw baseball's antitrust exemption if it allows Mr. Soros to be a partner in any group purchasing the team. These House Republicans expect anyone and everyone who might need business in Washington to do exactly as they want, or else. Given the President's sagging poll numbers one wonders how much longer this strategy will work.
Posted by Chip Spear at 12:14 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
June 23, 2005
Politically Clueless
There are people in the world of sports who are politically clueless, just like there are people in politics that are politically clueless, (is that a contradiction?). Anyway, Bernie Ecclestone, the head of Formula One Racing recently made this statement to Danica Patrick, the woman who recently raced in the Indy 500;
"Women should be all dressed in white like all other domestic appliances."
In 2000 he made this statement:
"Ecclestone has made controversial remarks about women before. He told Autosport racing magazine in 2000 that women could not compete in Formula One, but if one did, "she would have to be a woman who was blowing away the boys. ... What I would really like to see happen is to find the right girl, perhaps a black girl with super looks, preferably Jewish or Muslim, who speaks Spanish."
You can find the entire article at Sports Illustrated online here.
People involved in the Formula One community must think this attitude is acceptable, which is odd to me, but what do I know.
Posted by Chip Spear at 10:13 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
June 14, 2005
Sometimes the Sports/Politics Metaphor is Quite Amusing
A recent article in the Washington Post here describes how important and real this sports and politics business is. (He must have been quite cute up there on the stage.)
Posted by Chip Spear at 5:08 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
June 13, 2005
Bush a Creationist? Or Darwinist?
G.W. preaches Creationism, but when it comes to reality he is clearly in the Darwinist, survival of the fittest, camp. His political strategies all favor Darwinian thinking. If you aren't strong enough, work hard enough and can't make it on your own, or with your parents help, then too bad, you lose. One can look at myriad examples, from his tax cuts favoring the rich, is Medicare drug policies which are giveaways for the large pharmaceutical companies, health care policies which are leaving millions in the country unable to afford health care, to his environmental policies which favor the entrenched oil, gas and coal industries. Sometimes I get really cynical and even think that he and the neo-cons are happy to see the poor able to afford health care. If they die, no problem, there are fewer lazy riff-raff and less money they have to spend on whatever social programs still exist. Abstinence, the U.S. health care solution to AIDS throughout the world, is the perfect way to eliminate the unworthy masses of the world. An ineffective program will do that you know. And it also helps solves that burgeoning population problem. George might say that he believes in Creationism to his right wing fundamentalist supporters, but he definitely plays with the Darwinists.
Posted by Chip Spear at 12:31 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
May 27, 2005
A Great Quote
This doesn't have much to do with PoliticalSports, but it is funny and sometimes too appropriate. Plus it does put a smile on one's face, and that is always a good thing.
"Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies." - Groucho Marx
Posted by Chip Spear at 8:19 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
May 25, 2005
World Statistics
I received this in a e-mail from a friend. I am not sure of the source so take it with a grain of salt. However the numbers seem fairly reasonable. If you happen to know otherwise, let me know and I will post them.
If we could shrink the earth's population to a village of precisely 100 people, with all the existing human ratios remaining the same, it would look something like the following: There would be:
57 Asians
21 Europeans
14 from the Western Hemisphere, both north and south
8 Africans
52 would be female
48 would be male
70 would be nonwhite
30 would be white
70 would be non-Christian
30 would be Christian
89 would be heterosexual
11 would be homosexual
6 people would possess 59% of the entire world's wealth and all 6 would be from the United States.
80 would live in substandard housing
70 would be unable to read
50 would suffer from malnutrition
1 would be near death; 1 would be near birth
1 (yes, only 1) would have a college education
1 would own a computer
Is there anything you are doing today that is addressing some of those statistics in any meaningful way? And if it is not relevant, why not? Ever curious.
Posted by Chip Spear at 2:59 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 19, 2005
Tools of the Trade
I think it is interesting to ask yourself how often politicians use fear, hate and anger as a tool in furthering political positions?
Posted by Chip Spear at 9:54 AM | Comments (1)
May 8, 2005
Ford and GM bonds dropped to junk status
As a young boy I looked at Ford and GM as the Gods of the business world. My grandfather used to sell buses for GM and my uncle had a Pontiac dealership. I can only remember one car that my parents bought that was not a Pontiac. My Grandfather had a new Cadillac every year and my grandmother always had a nice Pontiac, at most two years old. I was so attuned to car sales that I would check every year at the car sales ranking to see if Pontiac was catching up to Ford and maybe, just maybe it would one day pass Chevy as the best selling car in the United States and the world. Boy, have those times changed.
My first car was a Chevy Impala convertible that my uncle had in his lot. What a wonderful car, unfortunately I didn't know much about cars and my father was fairly non-existent. There was a little problem with adding oil that I missed and the car died. Since then a German or Japanese company built every car I owned. American cars became big and sloppy to me and to many others in the U.S. I realized they were poorly made, stuffed with accessories that often broke, and generally fell apart long before their overseas competition. And this was at least twenty-five years ago.
One would think that they would have gotten their acts together and started to compete, but they haven't. Ford and GM moved into the minivan and SUV market where they could make big profits and not have to compete with the Japanese and Germans. They fought every attempt at Federal safety standards citing expense, and they have lagged behind in developing new technologies for innovation, fuel economy or alternative energy engines. From a design standpoint their cars are pretty boring. That is not to say that a Honda Accord or Toyota Camry are flashy, but you know when you purchase one that it will run for 200,000 miles. Now the price of oil is very high, people are looking for alternatives to expensive SUVs. Ford and GM left the market to the competition. I don't want to dismiss the financial burden that their companies have with their retirees benefits, but they have made some very serious errors for a very long time. We are the most technologically advanced country in the world, at the moment. You would think that these companies could have developed a set of cars that were at least as good, if not better than Honda, Toyota, Volkswagen, BMW, etc. They have no one to blame except themselves. They have been idiots and are clearly getting their clocks cleaned in this game.
Posted by Chip Spear at 10:02 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 7, 2005
Why are you a Democrat?
Explain what makes you think the way you do about government. What should it's role be with regard to schools, roads, the environment, education, civil rights, resources, health care, etc? The role of the military, I assume, is a given.
Posted by Chip Spear at 8:20 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Why are you a Republican?
Explain what makes you think the way you do about government. What should it's role be with regard to schools, roads, the environment, education, civil rights, resources, health care, etc? The role of the military, I assume, is a given.
Posted by Chip Spear at 8:16 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack