LOHAS announced today the 2010 Forum line-up, featuring Mick Bremans, CEO of Ecover; Deborah Szekely, founder of Rancho La Puerta and Golden Door Spas; Tom LaForge, global director of insights, ideas and creativity for Coca Cola; Alan Greene, M.D., author and leading pediatrician; Joel Makower, author and co-founder of Greener World Media; Alec Loorz,14-year old founder of Kids vs. Global Warming; Terry Kellogg, chief executive director of 1% For the Planet; Amy Skoczlas Cole, director of eBay Green Team; among many others. Promoting lifestyles of health and sustainability (LOHAS), the annual Forum brings together entrepreneurs, Fortune 1000 executives, investors, research institutions, academics and media for a program designed to inspire innovation and further expand the LOHAS market share. The 2010 Forum is held from June 23rd to 25th at the St. Julien Hotel in Boulder, Colorado. To view the full program and for registration, visit http://www.lohas.com/forum and to attend as a member of the press, contact Mia Herron at mia@neighboragency.com. This year's Forum will serve as an interactive environment where attendees are given access to industry experts with daily one-to-one mentoring programs; networking opportunities during daily receptions, meals and exercise activities; and intimate break-out sessions each afternoon. Driving conversations both offline and online, LOHAS has created the Aha Café this year where social media panels will take place throughout the conference including ROI on Social Media presented by Earthsite, Twitter Tips presented by Haberman, and Search Engine SEO presented by Gaiam's Everett Sizemore. In addition, Natural Marketing Institute will outline the latest research findings on LOHAS consumer trends. "The LOHAS community finds itself on the doorsteps of the next decade, well-positioned for great expansion across every industry," said Ted Ning, director of the LOHAS Forum. "Now more than ever, we are helping businesses create roadmaps and build partnerships to take a stake it the LOHAS marketplace and eco-conscious economy." This year, LOHAS in partnership with Mohawk Group is offering Scholarships to five students planning to enter the LOHAS industry. To apply for the scholarship, visit http://www.lohas.com/forum/scholarship.html. Currently, LOHAS 2010 Forum sponsors include Gaiam, EcoBonus, Mohawk Group, Ogden Publications, Rancho La Puerta, earthsense, IceStone, 1% for the Planet, Haberman Inc, The SOAP Group, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, White Wave Foods Co, Social(k), Perlage Wines, EarthLust, PeopleTowels, Compendium Blogware, Natural Marketing Institute and Neighbor Agency. Media sponsors include Inc, Mother Jones, Spa Magazine, CSRwire, Experience Life Magazine, Organic Spa Magazine, CTN Green, Ode Magazine, World Pulse and Earthsite. About LOHAS Since its inception in 1996, LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) has been the catalyst for the adoption of sustainable living and environment-friendly practices for the globally conscious business community. The LOHAS Forum is the leading annual gathering of thought and opinion leaders in the LOHAS marketplace. The LOHAS Forum features highly influential speakers and panelists who address and explore some of today's most prominent issues and business challenges, in the world of health and wellness. Other events include musical performances, workshops and networking receptions. For more the full LOHAS Forum program and to register visit http://www.lohas.com/forum.

I would like to share some of my own dos and don’ts in terms of media and communications as a starting point.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about effective brand communications, and the related who/what/where/when/why. I work in advertising, and it’s easy to become stuck in the standard print-tv-radio-digital media planning mode. I don’t doubt that this model is perfect for reaching many targets — in fact, it’s proven to be successful time and again — but I’m not 100% sold on it in regards to reaching the coveted Millennial audience.

I don’t have access to data on Gen-Y as a whole, but I would like to share some of my own dos and don’ts in terms of media and communications as a starting point.

———————————–

I don’t have cable, and don’t watch TV unless I’m at my grown-up boyfriend’s apartment.

I don’t have a landline telephone. In fact, with the exception of work and calling my mother once a day, I don’t speak on the phone much at all.

I don’t even remember the last time I listened to the radio.

I don’t read the newspaper or magazines, unless I buy one at the airport when traveling (although this may even happen less and less as wireless internet makes its way onto airplanes).

I don’t ever text in for special offers/promotions because I’m convinced I’ll be automatically signed up for some crazy horoscope subscription at $9.99/month.

I don’t try a new restaurant/salon/bar without reading a good number of reviews on Yelp (and sometimes Menupages as well).

I don’t play games on corporate/brand websites, and can’t imagine that anyone ever would.

I don’t remember the last time I bought something other than food/drinks in a brick-and-mortar store.

I don’t know when I last bought a full album of music, even on iTunes.

I don’t carry cash, and credit card limits are annoying enough to make me stop frequenting any business. (Seriously, come on — I’ll even pay the extra 35 cents for the processing fee!)

———————————–

I do communicate with my friends constantly.

I do multitask.

I do get 99% of my information online, both via push (Twitter, Facebook, AdAge newsletters) and pull (Google searches, reading blogs, etc.)

I do still buy books and am a voracious reader, but I do think it’s likely that one day I could make the switch to e-books without a problem.

I do love when I have the option to chat live with a customer service rep vs. calling in and sitting on hold for half an hour.

I do watch TV online — and if you don’t offer it for free, I do download episodes illegally from time to time.

I do hate watching pre-roll videos, but I’d rather put up with them than pay for the episodes (and mind them less if I am given a “choose your experience” option).

I do find that companies/brands worth following in the social media space are few and far between.

I do believe that if you can engage, entertain, and/or teach me, I will value what you have to say and come back for more.

———————————–

Marketers: take note.

I’m interested to know how similar or different my dos and don’ts are from other Gen-Yers’. Please share in the comments!

Your work is never done. As soon as one task gets checked off of the typical IT person’s to do list, three more get added. It seems like there is never enough time, but in reality, there is enough time, just not enough efficiency. It should be easier, and with the latest Dell PowerEdge servers, based on the brand new AMD Opteron™ processor-based platforms, the job is becoming more manageable.

Dell has recently taken tremendous steps forward in helping to reduce the amount of time that IT professionals spend updating their servers. With tools like Dell OpenManage, and the recent Unified System Configurator, administrators have a way to better optimize the arduous task of updating software, drivers and other components on the server.

And we are helping on our end, with the AMD Opteron 6000 Series platform. This new platform definition defines what the platform is all about. It is a definition that includes the new AMD Opteron 6100 Series processors, as well as the AMD SR5600 series chipsets.

AMD is utilizing the same processor cores and the same chipsets across all of its new platforms, so as Dell builds out new PowerEdge server offerings, like the new PowerEdge 815, they can utilize the same building blocks. 2P, 4P, it’s all the same to us; it’s a single platform definition that will make keeping all of your systems up to date a snap.

Imagine the ease of managing multiple servers, both 2P and 4P, when the system components are the same. The component drivers all rev at the same time. BIOS are all developed from the same base code, so you can update your servers at the same time versus having to play the “update of the week” game.

All of this is designed to drive better value by making your server management tasks easier.  And speaking of value, you really need to take a close look at the new Dell PowerEdge 815 server. This 2U powerhouse is designed to not only drive great performance and scalability, and give you value like you have never seen before.

The Dell PowerEdge 815 is based on the AMD Opteron 6100 Series processors.  Something that is unique about these processors is that while they are 4P capable (giving the PowerEdge 815 32 to 48 total cores), they are close in price to the 2P processors that you have been buying in the past.  This brings an unprecedented value to the market, making the PowerEdge 815 a great product not only for traditional 4P workloads, but also for many 2P workloads. A  PowerEdge 815 with 4 of the low end processors can have a processor cost that is actually a lot lower than competing high end 2P processors, delivering greater performance at a much lower processor price.* For large businesses looking for more scalability, or small businesses looking for headroom for the future growth that they will see, these new 4P servers deliver all that you could ever want, at a price that you just can’t ignore.

We have defined a flexible platform, and the PowerEdge 815 is the first step in this new platform. It can help you reduce your total cost of ownership with flexibility and value. Combine that platform with tools like the Dell Unified Server Configurator and suddenly, there is more time to actually get to those projects that help grow your business. It’s not that we added more hours in the day, but together AMD and Dell are helping you get the most of those hours.

*Based on comparison of median 1ku prices for complete AMD Opteron™ 6100 Series processor family ($744) vs. median of published 1ku prices for complete Intel Xeon 5600 Series processor family (“Westmere”) as of 3/23/10 ($996). See http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/INTC/874746611x0x357729/DEEBEE81-C386-4EB8-8D9D-F0EA06C57797/Mar_14_10_1ku_Price.pdf for details.

Game Time:  7:30 PM Pacific  TV:  TNT (which means actual game time...9:00 PM, finish...2:30 AM)

The Mavericks come to town with a 47-24 record, good for 2^nd in the West, exactly ½ game ahead of Denver and Utah.  They recently concluded a 13-game winning streak with an embarrassing home loss to the New York Knicks.  Since that point they've gone 2-2, winning against Chicago and the Clippers, losing to the Celtics and Hornets.  They've had five different players lead them in scoring this month:  Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion, Jason Terry, and Caron Butler.  Throw in Brendan Haywood and Erick Dampier at center plus a little bit of Jose Juan Barea at point guard and you have the meat of their rotation.

Of their two mid-season acquisitions Butler has played the best.  He's routinely given the Mavs double-digit games, though his scoring has faltered in the last week.  Haywood has been up and down in scoring, rebounding, and minutes.  He alternates between stretches of looking All-World and Lost In Space.  But with Dirk Nowitzki in the fold the Mavericks can absorb a little inconsistency from the new guys.  Dirk is good for mid-20's scoring or above most games and the Mavs feed him heavily to make sure he gets there.  It hasn't hurt that Jason Terry has bracketed an injury with some phenomenal scoring performances.  Shawn Marion has been scoring incredibly efficiently this month as well.  This isn't a new story with the Mavericks.  Their roster goes up and down like waves.  On a given night they get more up than down and that's how they win.  Sometimes they all sink together.  On the nights they all rise together they're among the most difficult teams in the league to beat.

Once upon a time you'd talk about the Mavericks mostly in terms of their offense.  They still win plenty of games by blasting past 100.  But they can also win quite comfortably in the 90's nowadays.  They're 10^th in the league in offensive efficiency and 12^th in defensive efficiency...a nice balance.  Their offense is more deliberate than it used to be but that's to their advantage with multiple matchups to exploit on a given night.  They're very good percentage shooters from most everywhere and impeccable from the foul line.  Part of that high percentage comes from them knowing how to get good shots against your defense.  Outside of the obligatory Nowitzki shots they don't really care who scores as long as the looks are good.  A guy like Jason Terry is more than capable of delivering the fatal blow while you're preoccupied trying to compensate for Dirk.  Dallas likes to score on the fastbreak but is weak in the paint otherwise.  They're more opportunistic than percentage defenders.  They do force a lot of turnovers.  If you can establish yourself in the paint you can have some success against them.  If they have a consistent weakness it's probably rebounding.  They have guys who can grab them in droves but they don't get production on the boards every night.

The intriguing thing about this game is that for once the shoe is on the other foot in terms of needing both a win and sending a message.  The Blazers, of course, would love the victory.  It would be a feather in their caps, another notch for the standings, and the loss might stick in the Mavericks' minds should the two teams meet in the playoffs, particularly since Portland has already beaten the Mavs twice in Dallas this year.  At some point one might expect Portland has their number.  But Dallas needs this win to stay ahead in their ultra-tight race and to rip said number firmly out of Portland's grasp.  If the Blazers lose people are going to shrug.  If the Mavericks lose people are going to start to whisper.  Should they follow that up with a loss in the fourth game of the series those whispers will become shouts and fans on both sides will begin to watch the playoff pairings closely.  Having clear designs on the #2 seed in the West the Mavericks won't want to mess with any of that.  They'll want to shut Portland down early and make them walk away with bloodied noses at the end of the night.

The Blazers are catching Dallas in a relatively unstable swing.  On the other hand Portland hasn't been playing their best basketball either.  The team that finds its confidence first could have a huge edge tonight.  One of the keys for Portland will be to attack early and often.  Don't worry about the Mavs wanting to run, just run it back at them and attack the lane whether on the break or in the halfcourt.  You won't have any better chance of winning a halfcourt duel with them than you will if you all-out blitz.  Portland has gotten more comfortable defending Dirk Nowitzki over the years so that's not the nightmare it once was.  The Blazers do need solid scoring from their own stars, though.  Portland has done a good job of attacking the Dallas backcourt and that should continue tonight.  On defense the Blazers have to be aware that all five guys on the opposing side can score and most of them can pass as well.  They'll have to be crisp defending screens.  They'll need to limit their reliance on help defense.  Utilizing Marcus Camby could be a challenge against a team that's not going to drive the lane to give him blocked shots.  This may be a night for a smaller lineup.

It'll be interesting to see how both teams respond to this game.  Here's hoping it's a good one at least.

See what Mavs fans are up to at MavsMoneyball.

Enter tonight's Jersey Contest form here.

--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com) 

By Nayelli Gonzalez

It has arrived. Ladies and gentlemen: the compostable water bottle has arrived. Earlier this month, Green Planet Bottle launched an organic, 100% plant-based bottle which is not only petroleum- and BPA-free, but it's also carbon neutral. This is certainly a good business move: Green Planet is entering the $11 billion bottled water market that doesn't seem to go away. But can bottled water really be "green," or sustainable?

The company is targeting schools, corporate campuses, and hotels, and can be used to gain LEED certification. According to the press release that announced the launch, "Green Planet Bottling was formed to help its customers make positive and sustainable differences by making a product that is healthy for our bodies and our planet. Its vision is to become the premier bottler of waters/beverages in organic, sustainable packaging."

This upsets me. According to a study conducted by the Pacific Institute, bottled water raises serious concerns about the energy and water resources required to produce bottles and deliver them to consumers. The process of bottling water produces more than 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide, and it takes 3 liters of water to produce 1 liter of bottled water. Transporting bottled water also requires millions in barrels of oil. And the list goes on...

Most people who know about environmental issues know that bottled water is unsustainable on many levels. Changing the way the bottle is made is not a sustainable answer to bottled water. A compostable bottled water is still bottled water. Even so, the Green Planet website claims it is a "category changer." As a brand, they are reframing the controversy of bottled water and are positioning themselves as a sustainable alternative to old school bottled water. Their strategy, in my opinion, is the strategic version of greenwashing. The company is opportunistically capitalizing on people's desire to be environmentally responsible (and buy compostable vs. plastic products), and is misleading the public about the true environmental sustainability of its product.

Other than promoting the bottle's material, nowhere on the Green Planet Bottling website can one find information about the sustainability of the company. Is the production process sustainable? Do they use alternative sources of energy to manufacture the compostable bottle and then bottle the water? Do they use hybrid or electric vehicles to transport the bottles (or are they still using gas-guzzling trucks)? And what are they doing to teach consumers about water conservation and the larger global water crisis? Those answers are not available online-and that's probably another strategic move.

Reprinted with permission from EcoLocalizer.com

MMATorch Editor Jamie Penick presents the Daily Audio News Brief. Today he discusses the UFC's decision to cut Eliot Marshall after one UFC loss, Jorge Gurgel's problem with Strikeforce's communication, Wanderlei Silva vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama on July 3 and more.

DIRECT LINK: Penick's Daily Audio News Brief 3/24/2010

APP USERS: Here's the direct link URL:
http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/uploads/1/20100324MMA.mp3

After three long days off, the Tournament is BACK. SB Nation's Chris Dobbertean has full previews and predictions of tonight's Sweet 16 action. Gus Johnson is involved, and America's darling, Cornell, takes on Kentucky. Can't. Contain. Excitement.

SB Nation's Chris Dobbertean, editor of Blogging The Bracket, has your rundown of Thursday and Friday's Regional Semifinal action in the NCAA Tournament, including announcer pairings and picks.

All games are on CBS, check your local listings to see your affiliate's choices. You can watch all the games at NCAA® March Madness on Demand®. 

Thursday night sees action in the West and East regions.

West Regional

Gus Johnson and Len Elmore will have the call for the doubleheader in Salt Lake City. 

Game 1: No. 5 Butler vs. No. 1 Syracuse, 7:07 p.m. ET

Road to the Regional
Bulldogs: Defeated UTEP, 77-59, and Murray State, 54-52
Orange: Defeated Vermont, 79-56, and Gonzaga, 87-65

The Orange had better be prepared to face a team that is a bit more defensively focused than either of their opening weekend opponents, which also happens to own a 22-game winning streak. Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim mentioned Wednesday that Butler has played 10 straight games against teams operating a man defense, so the Orange's 2-3 zone may cause them some problems. Turnovers could be key, as the Bulldogs don't turn the ball over much and they know how to capitalize on their opponents' errors.

Arinze Onuaku's missing his third straight game thanks to an injured quad, on the surface, would appear to be an issue, given that Gordon Hayward and Matt Howard are both solid interior players for the Bulldogs. However, as Hayward has struggled offensively lately and foul-prone Howard has issues staying on the floor, that ends up being a push. (Seriously, I'm of the opinion that Howard's foul issues, particularly in Anaheim over Thanksgiving weekend ended up costing Butler a seed line or two.) If Rick Jackson can stay off the bench himself and DeShonte Riley can play the smart game he did against Gonzaga Sunday, the Orange should have enough to advance.

My pick: Syracuse

Read more at our Orange blog, Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician.

Game 2: No. 6 Xavier vs. No. 2 Kansas State, approx. 9:37 p.m. ET

Road to the Regional
Musketeers: Defeated Minnesota, 65-54, and Pittsburgh, 71-68
Wildcats: Defeated North Texas, 82-62, and BYU, 84-72

On the surface, this looks like a matchup between two evenly matched teams, but this wasn't the case when they met way back on December 8. That contest resulted in a 71-56 win for the Wildcats, as K-State dominated on both ends of the court. (The Musketeers didn't even break 30 percent from the field for the game.) Expect this one to be a bit more of a contest as Xavier star Jordan Crawford has matured considerably in the intervening three months, and the first weekend was his coming out party, as he averaged 27.5 points and 6 rebounds a game in the first two rounds. 

Both teams have capable scorers (Jacob Pullen, who took over in the second half of the December meeting, vs. Crawford) good point guards (Denis Clemente vs.Terrell Holloway) and talented forwards (Curtis Kelly vs. Jason Love). However, except in the case of Pullen vs. Crawford, the Wildcat player has a clear talent advantage. In terms of intangibles, Xavier has been to the Sweet 16 three straight times, while none of K-State's players were alive the last time they made the second weekend (1988). Love, Holloway, Jamel McLean and Kenny Frease all played on last year's Xavier squad that fell to Pitt at this stage, while the Wildcats will obviously be lacking the Musketeers' experience.

While both squads aren't afraid to get down and dirty, Frank Martin's team is a bit more tenacious on the defensive end, which should be the difference again.

My pick: Kansas State

Read more at our Wildcat blog, Bring On The Cats.

East Regional

Dick Enberg and Jay Bilas will be courtside in Syracuse.

Game 1: No. 11 Washington vs. No. 2 West Virginia, 7:27 p.m. ET

Road to the Regional

Huskies: Defeated Marquette, 80-78, and New Mexico, 82-64
Mountaineers: Defeated Morgan State, 77-50, and Missouri, 68-59

The Mountaineers suffered a blow with the news Tuesday that point guard Truck Bryant was lost for the Tournament with a broken foot. Bryant is allegedly WVU's "scoring" point guard, something that you wouldn't have figured out just by looking at his recent game log. (He hadn't scored in double figures since the 11 he put up against Georgetown on March 1, and he only managed 14 points combined in the next five games.) But he is among the team's top jump shooters and more of a threat than Joe Mazzula, who takes over at the point.  Our Mountaineer blog, The Smoking Musket, says the team's forwards will have to take on a greater role because of the lack of depth at the point guard slot.

Again, without another point guard on the bench, both Devin Ebanks and Da'Sean Butler will see their ball handling duties to dramatically increase. Mazzulla can't play 40 minutes, so these two must deputize in his absence. Both have shown they are capable of doing exactly that, but when the stakes are this high, the element of doubt starts to rear its ugly head. 

The Mountaineers struggled on offense in Buffalo last week and advanced because they were able to shut down their two opponents. They'll have trouble doing that against Isaiah Thomas, Quincy Pondexter, and company, who are one of the hottest teams in the country right now. Our Washington blog, UW Dawg Pound, credits an emerging interior force with taking a lot of focus away from the Husky guards.

The thing that is driving this surge has been the play in the middle by Matthew Bryan-Amaning. Make no mistake that every Husky who hits the floor is contributing in a big way but the play of Bryan-Amaning is deflecting the pressure on Thomas and Pondexter. his extra push in the middle has helped Washington push its level of play up a couple of notches and the experts are noticing.

Of course, if the Mountaineers can force a free throw duel, they'll likely prevail, as they're just a bit better from the charity stripe. The Huskies beat New Mexico handily despite only hitting half their foul shots, and 68.8 percent against Marquette meant they needed a last-second Pondexter scoop shot to claim the win.

My pick: West Virginia

Game 2: No. 12 Cornell vs. No. 1 Kentucky, approx. 9:57 p.m. ET

Road to the Regional
Big Red: Defeated Temple, 78-65, and Wisconsin, 87-69
Wildcats: Defeated East Tennessee State, 100-71, and Wake Forest, 90-60

Two of the most impressive teams of the first weekend meet in Syracuse. Both teams are going to score, as each sits in the top 10 of Ken Pomeroy's adjusted offensive efficiency ratings. However, the Wildcats rate far higher than the Big Red in the adjusted defensive efficiency ratings (8th vs. 130th). Matt O'Brien points out that Cornell is actually the worst defensive team remaining in the field, making their two easy wins all the more impressive, but a lot of that has to do with some truly mind-boggling offensive numbers.

Cornell had an adjusted offensive efficiency of 158.6 points per 100 possessions through the first two rounds. To give you an idea of how absurd that is, the gap between Cornell and the second-best team (Kentucky) was larger than the difference between the second and eleventh teams.

Our Kentucky blog, A Sea Of Blue, examined the two teams' effective field goal percentages (eFG%) and came to the conclusion that even the Wildcats may struggle to stop Cornell. But that doesn't mean an upset is in the making.

...both Temple and Wisconsin are average offensive teams, both shooting right around 50% eFG% for the season. Kentucky is much, much better than either of them offensively, and the Big Red was unable to hold either Wisconsin or Temple below 50% eFG%. This augers very well for the Wildcats, because the offensive advantages Kentucky has over the Big Red are truly legion, and it hasn't much mattered to Kentucky whether opponents play zone, man, or junk.

Kentucky presents numerous matchup issue for Cornell, but one in particular stands out to me. Jeff Foote has been impressive inside for the Big Red, but he may struggle against the physical combo on DeMarcus Cousins and Patrick Patterson. If Foote is limited inside, the Big Red will have to shoot more threes, which could result in one-and-done possessions and transition baskets for John Wall and the Wildcats. 

My pick: Kentucky

Follow Chris on Twitter, @BracketDobber, for his thoughts and reactions throughout Thursday and Friday evenings' action.

For the first time in what seems like years, the UFC will actually match the two title fights we put on here at the Torch at UFC 111. Zuffa has Georges St. Pierre/Dan Hardy for the Welterweight title and Shane Carwin/Frank Mir for the Interim Heavyweight title, while we counter with Prediction Champ Fernando Trejo defending his title against Jordan "The King" McLachlan and Betting Champ Jamie "The Boss" Penick taking on Mikey "Effin" Fritz. Notice there's no "Interim" tag on either of our title fights. We bring the real deal every time out.

Aside from the title fights, UFC 111 is shaping up to be quite the card and, with the return of the prelims show on Spike, we're guaranteed to see at least seven of the fights. Its the first official "main course" for the UFC in 2010, and luckily I didn't fill myself up on the appetizers. With that, we delve into the contests.


PREDICTION CONTEST:

I'm pretty sure everyone knows how this works by now, but just in case...Basically you pick the winners of each fight, including method (e.g. KO, submission, decision) and round. The winner is the one who picks the most fights correctly. Ties will be broken by who had the most number of rounds and methods correctly predicted. In case anyone is wondering, only rounds and methods in fights where you predicted the correct winner count.


Georges St. Pierre (-650) vs. Dan Hardy (+450)

Frank Mir (-160) vs. Shane Carwin (+130)

Jake Ellenberger (+120) vs. Ben Saunders (-150)

Jon Fitch (+120) vs. Thiago Alves (-150)

Jim Miller (-500) vs. Mark Bocek (+325)

Nate Diaz (-300) vs. Rory Markham (+240)

Ricardo Almeida (-160) vs. Matt Brown (+130)

Kurt Pellegrino (-250) vs. Fabricio Camoes (+190)

Jared Hamman (-115) vs. Rodney Wallace (-115)

Tomasz Drwal (+185) vs. Rousimar Palhares (-225)

Greg Soto (+190) vs. Matt Riddle (-250)


BETTING CONTEST:

As you can see, there's a number attached to each fighter. That number represents how much money you can make off each fighter. The way it works is, if a fighter has a positive number he's an underdog. The positive number means if you were to bet $100 dollars on him, you would make the amount of the positive number. For example, if you were to bet $100 on Hardy and he won, you would make back the hundred you bet, plus $450 for a total payout of $550.

If the fighter has a negative number, that number represents how much you would have to bet to make $100 on the fighter. For example, if you bet $650 on GSP and he won, you'd make back the $650, plus a $100 profit, for a total payout of $750.

Each contestant has $1000 in theoretical money. You can bet it on as many fighters as you'd like, but you have to bet on at least three. The most you can bet on a single fighter is $500, and bets have to be in multiples of $100.

I'm setting a deadline of 6p.m. (EST) Saturday to get all of your picks in. The lines are courtesy of Bodog.

Note: In the event that one of the #1 contenders fails to show for their title shot, the champ will defend against the next best performer from the previous contest. You've been warned, so bring your A game everybody!

As always you can submit your picks one of three ways: by emailing me at matt6buckeye@hotmail.com, posting them on the message boards, or by leaving them in the comments section right down there. Good luck!

Houston at Oklahoma City

Could be a fun night tonight, should be a fun night tonight, with 11 games and plenty of good matchups. The Thunder and Rocket one just stands out to me.

Oklahoma City's fallen off, as of late. The defense has gotten worse, the team has lost some close games, and it may have frittered away its chance at a higher seed in the Western playoff bracket. The fact that we're talking about the Thunder and playoff seeding here in late March is still something to be proud of, but ain't it funny how expectations can change so suddenly?

Houston's building, seeing if this chemistry works, seeing if any of these parts can continue to grow, looking forward to next season while still hanging onto that outside chance of making the postseason.

The Rox are 5.5 games out, and they're hurting (Jared Jeffries(notes) and Jordan Hill(notes) might miss this one), but they're a fun watch. And on a night where the fogeys are going at it (San Antonio and Los Angeles, Boston and Denver), this figures to be a bit more sprightly. And Houston's had OKC's number of late.

As mentioned, 11 games, so plenty to comment on. Have fun wit'it.

Oklahoma City Thunder: 42-27, 93 possessions per game (14th), 107.1 points scored per 100 possessions (13th), 103.6 points allowed per 100 possessions (seventh).  

Houston Rockets: 36-33, 93.8 possessions per game (eighth), 107.1 points allowed per 100 possessions (15th), 106.9 points allowed per 100 possessions (14th).

All statistics courtesy basketball-reference.com.

[1]A lackluster representation of Google about to beat up LVMH Excuse me while I go just a little bit off brand for a second with a look at the recent LVMH vs. Google EU ruling. Technically, LVMH produces the sort of Fendi frocks and Louis Vuitton bags that clothes whores everywhere can't get enough of, so it's sort of sartorial. Luxury brand giant LVMH [2] just lost [3] a suit against Google [4] for selling their trademark brand names as keywords to non-LVMH companies looking to associate their sites with, for example, the Louis Vuitton name. LVMH was pissed about two things in this case: The possibility of losing control of their brands when searching for their uber-classy merchandise also yields sites promising "Authentic" designer handbags at impossibly low prices. With all these crap-peddlers snatching up their brands as key words, the price for LVMH to buy its own brand names in Google AdWords has skyrocketed. After several French court rulings in favor of LVMH, the EU's highest court responded to an appeal, saying: cry me a river, fancy boy, Google's not doing anything wrong. Or something like that. Google's victory in this case is being heralded as a major precedent-setting moment for the search engine. And, in the most cut and dry sense, this is a major victory both for Google's bottom line and the level of accountability for the content of the advertisers that buy brand name AdWords [5]. Look a tad more closely at the stipulations, however, and it's not the out and out win Google would have liked. First up, although Google can't be held accountable for the content of sites advertising, they do have to remove ads for sites if the brand owner complains about any sort of blatant infringement. If they fail to do that [6], their lack of legal responsibility takes a nose dive. In terms of the sheer manpower that could be involved in managing these takedowns if brands get serious about monitoring and reporting, this is a bit of a blow to Google. Secondly, Google could be held liable for selling search terms that are determined to encourage counterfeiting (ex: fake Christian Louboutin shoes). Given that Google has a history of taking down link to obvious counterfeiting sites when notified, this isn't too much of a blow. But these cases, if brought to court, will be judged individually to determine whether or not Google accepted the ad buy in good faith or maliciously knowing that the purchaser intended to sell fakes. Again, this is a potential man power/salary issue that feels a bit unnecessary given Google's relatively good faith record. Thoughts? [1] http://fredbenenson.com/copyrightcyberlaw/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/logos.png [2] http://www.lvmh.com/ [3] http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704896104575139132778398608.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsForth [4] http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/22/technology/22iht-brands.html [5] https://www.google.com/accounts/ServiceLogin?service=adwords&cd=null&hl=en-US&ltmpl=adwords&passive=false&ifr=false&alwf=true&continue=https%3A%2F%2Fadwords.google.com%2Fselect%2Fgaiaauth%3Fapt%3DNone%26ugl%3Dtrue [6] http://cbs5.com/wireapnational/Luxury.goods.makers.2.1581803.html

[1]Image by AFP/Getty Images via Daylife In yesterday's column, I wrote about how I believe the California ballot initiative to legalize marijuana is bad policy [2]. Because I did a lousy job of arguing my point, what got lost is that I am for legalizing marijuana. People should be free to do what they like, so long as it doesn't infringe on the rights of others-- duh. What I am against Richard Lee's initiative ballot initiative, which will be on November's ballot. Why am I against it? Because it is doomed to failure. After listening to what many of you had to say, I could have done a better job explaining the issue without putting in confusing personal anecdotes. After all, that's Peggy Noonan's gig. So, let's have another go at it. Here's why this ballot initiative won't work -- and here's how it should be done. The major problem with the bill as written is that it's an ideal, not a practical solution. Let's say that the crime and violence associated with marijuana really is nothing more than a result of it being prohibited and criminalized. Let's just go ahead and say that compared to cigarettes or tobacco, marijuana is the pussycat of good-time substances. Let's say that marijuana has no long-term deleterious health effects. Of course, these are all debatable points, but it's not really a debate I am interested in. Life is hard enough as its, you should be free to eat, smoke, drink whatever you like and when you die, have your ashes fired out of a fireworks canon. There are worse ways to go. Granting all that, when you read The Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010 [3], it becomes clear that this is not a bill about finding a way to make marijuana practically legal, it just opens the floodgates. To use a recent example, imagine if the healthcare bill said, 'healthcare is now guaranteed to all, but it's up to individual cities and towns to decide how they're going to do that.' [4]Greenhouse at a farm in Potter Valley For those who see legalizing marijuana as something on par with repealing the Prohibition, this is a feel good bill in ever sense of the term. How is this going to work in practice, though? The bill tells cities and towns that they're not only responsible for regulating the commercial sale of marijuana, but its "appropriate controls on cultivation, transportation, sales, and consumption of cannabis to strictly prohibit access to cannabis by persons under the age of 21." In fact, it dumps regulation of the entire soon-to-be-legit marijuana industry on individual municipalities. On the surface, this might sound great: Let every place decide its weed according to its need, but in practice, the bill puts a heavy burden on any city or town that decides to sell commercial marijuana. There's an entire chapter of the California Food & Agricultural Code dedicated to avocados, but we're going to leave marijuana crop regulation in the hands of individual towns? Supporters of the bill will be quick to point out that the bill allows for oversight at the local and state level, even if it doesn't establish it. So, if the state legislature wanted to, it could create oversight. This, of course, is a legislature that can barely pass its own budget. Furthermore, as Marcos Breton pointed out in an article in the Sacramento Bee [5], the California Supreme Court's January decision in People vs. Kelly establishes that the state legislature can not establish any restrictions on marijuana usage beyond what is in the bill. Even if marijuana is legalized, it's still illegal. [6]Medical marijuana raid The ballot initiative passes and marijuana becomes legal in California, but it's still illegal under federal law. Do you honestly expect the federal government to do nothing after you pass a bill that provides no state regulation of marijuana. other than to say that it can be taxed, it can't be sold to anyone under 21 and that towns and cities will decide the rest? This is a stunningly naïve conception about how politics works. Under George W. Bush, DEA agents raided pots shops selling medical marijuana [7] and while Obama opposed those actions, one fact is immutable: There is an election in 2012. Sure, the bill might have received 56% approval in a state Field poll conducted last April, but nationally, if this bill passes, you can guarantee it will become a campaign issue. The likely outcome of course, is either Obama cracks down on marijuana in California to look 'tough on drugs' or a Republican takes office -- either way, California's pot dream will go up in smoke. The solution Had the bill's organizers not been so gung-ho to make a point and had actually thought about how to secure legalized marijuana for the long term, they might have realized it. Realizing the unique federal challenges marijuana sellers will encounter, there's only one way to ensure that DEA agents don't go busting down any doors, which is to make California the nation's first marijuana control state. Let me explain. Alcoholic control states have a state monopoly on the wholesale and retail sail of liquor. You buy your booze from a state store and the money goes to the state. There are 18 of them in the country., though California is not one of them, though this approach is a logical stepping stone from the curent medical marijuana dispensary system. The control state system was created as a sort of halfway house after Prohibition and it would make a good model for California legalization, if for no other reason than that it would be nearly impossible for a federal agent to try to shut down a state-owned and run store. If they did, every libertarian-minded crazy (and there seems to be a lot of those today, in addition to the nice, rational sane ones) will be screaming 'revolution!' Unfortunately, while this bill adresses the question of making marijuana legal, it never adresses the practical aspects of how to implement it-- and that ultimately, will prove to be its undoing. [1] http://www.daylife.com/image/0cXF7mh5ch3fJ?utm_source=zemanta&utm_medium=p&utm_content=0cXF7mh5ch3fJ&utm_campaign=z1 [2] http://trueslant.com/japhygrant/2010/03/24/is-california-high-new-pot-initiative-is-bad-policy/ [3] http://www.taxcannabis.org/index.php/pages/initiative/ [4] http://trueslant.com/japhygrant/files/2010/03/Marijuana-grown-for-medical-purposes-inside-a-greenhouse-at-a-farm-in-Potter-Valley-California.jpeg [5] http://www.sacbee.com/2010/01/24/2485094/marcos-breton-california-dazed.html [6] http://trueslant.com/japhygrant/files/2010/03/medical_marijuana_dea_raid6.jpeg [7] http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/feb/05/dea-led-by-bush-continues-pot-raids/

by Stoney deGeyter

The following series is pulled from a presentation I gave to a group of beauty bloggers hosted by L'Oreal in New York. Most of the presentation is geared toward how to make a blog more search engine and user-friendly, however I will expand many of the concepts here to include tips and strategies for sites selling products or services across all industries.

Link Analysis Progression

I said in my last post that each link is essentially a vote for the page that's being linked to. That, essentially, was the original link analysis factors. Things have come a long way since then. Today's link analysis factors are far more complex.

Over the years what gets analyzed as part of the link has changed in order to provide better search results to web users.

The search engines started out looking at sheer link volume. He who gets the most links wins. This created link farms, link trades, link pages and so on. Before Google changed the game in link analysis people did everythign they could to create mad quantities of links to their site. Relevance of the linking page to the linked content didn't matter. While sheer link quantity continues to play a role, it is no longer the only factor in link analysis.

Then Google came a long and started analyzing link text. The words in the link started to matter. The words spoke about the page it was linking to and therefore when the words match up with the text on the page the more relevant your page became for those keywords.

Next, search engines started looking at the quality of each link. Does it come from a low authority website or a high authority website? The higher the site's authority linking out the more link value was passed.

Link age became a factor as it was assumed that the longer a link stayed in place the more "serious" the linker was about the site. If the links came and went then that might say somethign about the quality of the site being linked to, or if the link was an ad purchased under the radar.

As link buying became more and more prominent, the search engines started fighting back. It's impossible for the search engines to determine with 100% accuracy whether a link was purchased or not but there are some signals that they have learned to detect.

The Anatomy of a Link

There is more to a link that meets the eye. As the progression of link analysis has changed, that means we need to pay attention to our links in order to make sure that we are getting the most value out of each. Lets break down the link into its core components as relevant to the search engines.

Anchor Text: As noted earlier link text factors pretty heavily in the search engine rankings. Any clues the search engines can get about the content of the page from external sources weighs heavily. It not only tells them what the page is about, but that someone else found it as a valuable resource for what it is. That last part is important. Linking to a site is one thing. Linking to a site giving your readers context to what they'll find on that site is another thing altogether.

Links you give (and receive) should be keyword rich. Instead of linking out using the name of the website you are linking to, use keywords relevant to that site. Don't say "you can find a good used Honda Accord at Joe's Dealership." Instead, say "you can find a good used Honda Accord at Joe's Dealership."

Where it Appears: Where the link appears on the page tells the search engines a great deal about the link itself. Search engines try to determine the value of the link by its placement on the page. Links in navigation are weighted one way, editorial links are considered more relevant and links in ad spaces are generally ignored.

Editorial links (those linked in the the midst of the page's primary content) are deemed most valuable. These are generally links that are there not because they were purchased (though clearly that can be manipulated) but because the writer of the content finds it relevant to the readers.

Type of Link: There are a lot of different types of links and each carry their own weight. Many people will tell you that reciprocal links are worthless, but that's not entirely true. Context matters a great deal. The same is true for whether the link is a one-way (non-reciprocated) link pointed to the site but not returned. Known purchased links have the least value (none), but can still be useful for driving traffic and getting an audience which can also produce natural links.

Link Style: Text vs. Images. Linking actual text (words) gives the search engines more information as to what the destination site is about. It adds to the page's keyword focus from an external site. Image links don't do that as well. Images can use the ALT text which can be factored in but likely aren't weighted with the same value as a pure text link.

Link Age: How old a link is and how long it's been in place can effect the overall value of that link. In general terms the longer the link remains in place the more power it sends to the linked page. This isn't true in all cases, for example I believe blog links give out some immediate value that then fades back into the normal aging process after a few months. News links likely fade over time rather than build strength. But with these (and possibly a few other) exceptions, the link gains value over time.

Linking Site: The site that links out plays a strong role in the value of the link itself. The higher authority the linking site is, the more link value is passed. The page the link is on is also considered. A low authority page on a high-authority site may not have as much value as a lower authority site linking out from its home page, or the reverse may be true.. The topic of the page, how relevant it is to the topic site, can also be factored into how much relevance and weight the link sends out.

There are other factors as well, and I'm sure Google is always looking at ways to improve their link analysis algorithms. Links from Twitter and Facebook profiles can factor in as can links from other social media sites.

Whether you're buying a link, asking for one, or looking for exposure in social circles, the key is to get as many quality links from quality sites as possible.

Missed a part of this series?
Part 1: Everything You Need To Know About SEO
Part 2: Everything You Need To Know About Title Tags
Part 3: Everything You Need To Know About Meta Description and Keyword Tags
Part 4: Everything You Need To Know About Heading Tags and Alt Attributes
Part 5: Everything You Need To Know About Domain Names
Part 6: Everything You Need To Know About Search Engine Friendly URLs & Broken Links
Part 7: Everything You Need To Know About Site Architecture and Internal Linking
Part 8: Everything You Need To Know About Keywords
Part 9: Everything You Need To Know About Keyword Core Terms
Part 10: Everything You Need To Know About Keyword Qualifiers
Part 11: Everything You Need To Know About SEO Copywriting
Part 12: Everything You Need To Know About Page Content
Part 13: Everything You Need To Know About Links

Be sure and visit our small business news site.

MileHighSports: Nuggets vs. Celtics tonight 5 pm tune into am1510 More... (http://twitter.com/MileHighSports/statuses/11000879727)

There has been a stunning amount of news on state cutbacks over the past few days. Here are the top headlines.

Up To 19,000 Job cuts Projected For New York City

Massive Job Cuts Projected For NYC

It's a game of high-stakes chicken -- with thousands of New York City jobs on the line.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg released a doomsday scenario Tuesday, saying if Albany goes through with cuts to city aid he will be forced to make massive layoffs -- possibly the worst in decades.

It's a grim equation for a grim time. Bloomberg said that Albany's threatened cut of $1.3 billion in state aid equals the elimination of 19,000 jobs.

• 3,150 fewer cops
• 1,000 fewer firefighters, which means the closure of 42 engine companies
• 8,500 fewer teachers in the classrooms
• The elimination of 900 sanitation workers assigned to various street cleaning duties
• 500 fewer parks workers
• 500 fewer people in the transportation department
• 400 fewer librarians

Here's the deal. Not a single fireman, police officer, park district worker, or teacher has to lose a job. If any jobs are lost, blame the unions.

Christie Asks For Voluntary Wage Freezes

Christie calls for voluntary wage freezes by educators

Gov. Christie said yesterday that he has a way for school districts to avoid layoffs even after their state and federal funding is slashed.

His solution: Get all public school employees to agree to salary freezes for the coming year, and to contribute to their health-insurance costs.

Christie laid out his plan before a friendly audience at the library of a Somerville elementary school. He said he would lay out details in a letter to the New Jersey School Boards Association and the New Jersey Education Association.

"We should put the children first, and that means we will have to sacrifice," said the governor, who has often criticized the raises educators routinely received. The increases usually were more than 4 percent.

Putting The Children First

What a novel idea: put the children first. In contrast, union parasites put the union first. More specifically, union parasites put the senior union members first, tossing the junior members to the rats.

Three cheers to governor Christie. I doubt the union goes along.

New Jersey Cuts Workers' Benefits

New Jersey Cuts Workers' Benefits

Late Monday evening, Republican Gov. Christopher Christie signed three bills that require all government employees to contribute, or contribute more, to the cost of their health-care insurance.

For new government hires, the measures limit payouts for unused sick leave, bar part-time workers from being eligible for pensions and eliminate pension benefit raises approved in 2001.

The legislation represents a sea change in New Jersey, where many politicians in the Democratically controlled statehouse who rely on union support typically have resisted any clampdown on benefits for government workers. Indeed, retirement benefits would often be enhanced by Democratic politicians during election years.

"We are motivating our members to respond to this in November and the elections next year," said Steven Demofonte, recording sectary of the New Jersey Fraternal Order of Police, in an interview. "We will show our anger at the voting booth."

The appropriate response to the unions is to fire them all an privatize the services.

Nashville School Board Privatizes Bus Drivers And Groundskeepers

Nashville school board passes budget by 5-4 vote

Boos erupted from the 150 or more people attending the Metro school board meeting Tuesday night as board members narrowly approved a $633 million budget that cuts hours for some 600 bus drivers and contracts out all janitor jobs and groundskeeping work.

As the meeting went on, the crowd became more and more agitated. When the budget proposal passed, quiet mumblings rose to shouts.

Someone yelled, "How can you sleep at night?"

Then, most of the audience rose and filed out of the boardroom, chanting a call for the dismissal of Schools Director Jesse Register, who put together the proposal.

For the school board to stand up to that mob really says something - most likely, that voters are fed up with taxes.

The ultimate irony from that protest is a woman carrying a sign "privatization creates poverty". The reality is public unions create poverty and hardship for everyone not in the union.

I commend Schools Director Jesse Register, while saying "It's a start".

Missouri Lawmakers Ponder Salary Cuts

Mo. lawmakers consider cutting salaries for agency leaders

Missouri House members are considering whether to cut salaries for state agency leaders and staff members of certain elected officials.

Republican Ryan Silvey, of Kansas City, has proposed capping salaries at $86,500 for state department directors and $80,000 for deputy directors. Staff members for statewide elected officials could be paid a maximum $86,500.

Silvey says the salary cap is based on the pay for the lieutenant governor, who receives lowest pay of all statewide officeholders. He estimates it would save $1.1 million and affect salaries for 43 state workers.

Wimpy Proposal

Pray tell why should staff members make as much as the lieutenant governor? Then again, does the lieutenant governor do anything? Of course the same can be said about the staff.

How about a serious proposal that would slash staff expenses by say 60%? After that's done, let the legislators decide how they want to spend it.

Republican Ryan Silvey's proposal is jut plain wimpy.

Illinois Bill To Slash Pensions For New Workers

Bill to slash pensions for new government workers flying in Springfield

A bill that would sharply cut pensions for government employees is all of a sudden moving at lightning speed through the Illinois General Assembly.

But, even though it only would apply to newly hired workers, it reportedly would give huge budget relief to Chicago Public Schools, which has threatened mass teacher layoffs to fill a nearly $1-billion hole.

Under terms of legislation moved to the passage stage Wednesday morning by House Speaker Michael Madigan, newly hired workers generally would be able to retire at age 67, up from as early as 55 now.

In addition -- again, only for newly hired workers -- benefits would be capped on the average salary of eight of their last 10 years of work, compared to four of 10 years now. And the annual inflation adjustment would be the lesser of 3% or half of inflation, far under the 3% minimum figure in law now.

The legislation, which may go to the House floor for a final vote on Wednesday evening, also would apply the pension only to the first $106,000 of annual pay.

The proposed legislation -- known as SB 1946 -- would apply to every government pension fund in the state, excluding only police and firefighters in Chicago and Downstate, according to Mr. Madigan's spokesman.

A spokesman for AFSCME's Illinois council termed the measure "an assault on retirement security." Though now limited to new workers, "We see it as opening the door to slashing pensions for existing workers," the spokesman added.

Almost as unhappy was R. Eden Martin, president of the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club, which has been strongly pressing for pension reform.

The bill is "a small step in the right direction," Mr. Martin said. But by limiting its extent to new workers, the bill does almost nothing to solve today's budget holes. It eventually will save tens of billions of dollars for taxpayers decades in the future, he added.

Baby Steps

The Illinois proposal is indeed only a small step, a very small step.

Illinois should privatize everything everything unless unions bring more to the table. And pray tell why should police and firefighters be exempt? Police and firefighters are the biggest problems cities face.

You Can't Compromise With Termites

Check this out "Senate President John Cullerton had called for more limited pension reductions. But, his spokeswoman said that he will support the measure and put it to a vote later this week if, as expected, it's approved by the House.

Mr. Cullerton changed his stance because unions would not agree to sign on to his more-limited proposal, his spokeswoman said."

Unions in general do not compromise. They have bankrupted cities and states and they still want more. The only solution is to treat them like the termites and exterminate them.

California Gubernatorial Candidate Meg Whitman Says Defined Benefit Plan Era Is Over



Poll Shows Most Believe Public Unions Strain Budgets
52% in California Say Public Employee Unions Significantly Strain Budget

Most likely voters in California (52%) believe public employee unions place a significant strain on the state’s struggling budget, according to a new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in the state.

Just 24% disagree and say the unions are not a budget strain. Another 24% are undecided. The majority of voters in the state (53%) oppose unions for public employees, while 43% are in favor of them. Those numbers include 19% who are strongly in favor and 28% who strongly oppose these unions.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman is focusing attacks on Democratic opponent Jerry Brown for supporting public employee unions that she contends are hurting the state’s budget.

If you want higher taxes and fewer services then Jerry Brown is your man.

If not, vote for the winner of the Republican primary, most likely Meg Whitman.

Anti-Union Anger Mounts In California

Lawmaker after ‘pension’ abuse

Senate Bill 1425, co-authored by state Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, aims to curtail the problem of pension spiking amongst public employees and “double dippers,” those who retire with substantial pensions and then pursue similar jobs often at the same public agency.

Some estimates consider the practices a $100 million loss to state taxpayers.

“I think the public is willing to pay for a decent retirement for someone with years of service,” Simitian said. “I don’t think the public wants to pay the equivalent of two full-time paychecks to someone working in the same job.”

In 25 years of public service, Simitian has never heard the level of anger and frustration from the public on the issue as he has in the past year, he told the Daily Journal.

Simitian anticipates some pushback on his legislation but he is not the only one looking to curtail the high cost of public employee pensions.

A group has formed in Menlo Park aimed at putting a pension reform measure on the city’s November ballot. Citizens for Fair and Responsible Pension Reform say the current rules Menlo Park operates under in paying its employee’s retirement cost will eventually bankrupt the city.

Under current rules, an employee can receive 81 percent of his salary for life starting at age 55. The reform group’s ballot measure intends to move the number down to 60 percent of an employee’s salary at age 60. The measure, however, excludes police department employees.

“Some of Menlo Park’s administrative secretaries or assistants earn from $75,000 to $90,000 a year.

Huge Reductions In Florida Pensions With No Grandfathering

HB 1319/SB 1902 Will Change Retirement for Public Employees

There is a bill (HB… 1319/SB 1902) moving in Tallahassee that will significantly change the Florida Retirement System if passed. Some highlights of HB 1319/SB 1902 include:

Retirement compensation will be computed based on the average salary over ALL years of service. The average of the “highest five years” rule will be repealed. There is no grandparenting clause, so this will apply to existing employees participating in the FRS system who continue to work after July 1, 2010.

All new hires as of July 1, 2011, and all with DROP participation dates beginning on or after July 1, 2011, would pay a 1% contribution of gross income into the FRS system.

Reduction in annual multiplier from 1.6% to 1.44% for regular class; reduced from 2% to 1.8% for senior management class; and reduced from 3% to 2.7% for special risk class (cops, firefighters, etc). There is no grandparenting clause, so this would apply going forward to existing employees participating in the FRS system who continue to work in qualified positions beyond the effective dates.

Normal retirement service years and DROP ages increased to 33 years/age 65 (currently: 30 years/age 62), and by +3 years for all special risk categories. There is no grandparenting clause, so this will apply to existing employees participating in the FRS system who continue to work in qualified positions beyond the effective dates. This would not impact those who enter DROP before the July 1, 2010, effective date.

Average full compensation would no longer include accumulated annual leave paid out of the end. Accumulated sick leave paid out at the end will also not be counted towards calculating FRS compensation benefits.

Maximum benefit reduced to 80% of average final compensation. Existing 90% cap would remain for FRS participating employees who vested (at least 6 years of qualified FRS service) before July 1, 2010.

Also pending is HB 1543 (Rep Zapata) Highlights include:

Cut the maximum benefit to 70% of average final compensation.

Entirely eliminates the elected official, senior management, and special risk administrative support classes for FRS benefits. All in these categories would all remain in FRS, but would be transferred to the “regular class” category.

Finally! A Bill That Bypasses Grandfathering

Those proposals represent common sense. Although the defined benefit pension era will soon be over for public workers, that will not suffice. Union parasites are bankrupting Florida, California, Illinois, and for that matter every state in the nation.

States need to clawback unjust benefits from existing workers as well. The Florida bills do just that.

Great Day For New Jersey Taxpayers

Gov. Christie signs pension cuts into law

A package of public-employee pension and benefit cuts expected to save hundreds of millions of dollars in the coming fiscal year and billions over a longer period was signed into law by Gov. Christie yesterday, 35 minutes after winning final legislative approval.

"Today is a great day for the taxpayers of the state of New Jersey," Christie said at an evening ceremony as he approved the bills, the first legislative action he has signed into law.

The signing ceremony came after the Assembly overwhelmingly approved the three-bill package that had cleared the Senate in late February.

The changes will cut retirement payments for future workers by 9 percent, make all public employees start contributing 1.5 percent of their salaries toward health-care premiums, cap payouts for unused sick time at $15,000, and make changes intended to thwart pension abuses. Except for the health-care contributions, most of the major changes will affect new hires only.

Two of the three bills will combine to save the state $8 billion over the next 15 years, Christie said.

Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D., Gloucester) called the votes "a big victory for the state of New Jersey," saying the health-care law would save local governments $314 million in the coming fiscal year.

Those savings will translate into property-tax relief, said Senate Majority Leader Barbara Buono (D., Middlesex).

The measures passed with almost no legislative opposition, moving swiftly from introduction to law in six weeks. But the day still had its share of backroom drama as Assembly leaders initially planned to delay a vote on the most sweeping piece of the three-bill package, citing questions about a relatively-minor provision.

The move surprised the bills' supporters, who had seen the reforms sail through the Senate without a single "no" vote.

Bipartisanship At Its Finest

Look at what leadership does! The senate majority leader (a democrat) is praising the property tax relief. The Senate president (a democrat) called it "a big victory for the state of New Jersey."

Wow!

Partisanship At Its Worst

Meanwhile healthcare legislation in US Congress was rammed through without a single Republican vote. Less than 24 hours after Obama signed the bill, States launch lawsuits against healthcare plan.

Attorneys general in at least 12 states warned on Monday that lawsuits will be filed to stop the federal government's healthcare reform bill from encroaching on states' sovereignty.

Eleven of the attorneys general plan to band together in a collective lawsuit on behalf of Alabama, Florida, Michigan, Nebraska, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Washington.

"Congress' attempt to force Michigan families to buy health insurance -- or else -- raises serious constitutional concerns," said Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox. "We will fight to defend the individual rights and freedoms of Michigan citizens against this radical overreach by the federal government."

The state attorneys general say the reforms infringe on state powers under the Constitution's Bill of Rights.

Virginia Attorney General Kenneth Cuccinelli, who plans to file a lawsuit in federal court in Richmond, Virginia, said Congress lacks authority under its constitutional power to regulate interstate commerce to force people to buy insurance. The bill also conflicts with a state law that says Virginians cannot be required to buy insurance, he added.

Great Day For California Looms On Horizon

New Jersey had has a string of great days ever since voters elected Governor Chris Christie.

California, and indeed the nation can have a great day if we can bump off Nancy Pelosi. I just got off the phone with John Dennis. He is running against Nancy Pelosi in San Francisco. He has the endorsement of Ron Paul and he has mine as well.

He also has a good chance of winning. Whether or not you live in California District 8, John Dennis Deserves your support.

Dennis is a sound money candidate, a fiscal conservative, and will uphold the constitution. What more could you want?

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List

On today's show, there's tech news, but there's also the new Sprint Evo 4G, and that's kind of all we can think about. Its big 4-inch screen, its two cameras, its kickstand. Sigh. It's my new boo. Also, though, some stuff about Google, the full text of ACTA is leaked, we have a winner in the Apple vs. Predator video contest, and holy crap, did you see that Evo?

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EPISODE 1191

Google co-founder Sergey Brin urges US to act over China web censorship
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/mar/24/google-china-sergey-brin-censorship

Chinese web users boycott Google
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8584985.stm

Has Google been hacked? Corporate site sends users to China
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/pda/2010/mar/24/google-hack-chinese-corporate-site

Complete ACTA text finally leaked
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/03/complete-acta-text-finally-leaked.ars

Sprint 4G phone is fracking awesome
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-10470282-64.html
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/23/htc-evo-4g-is-sprints-android-powered-knight-in-superphone-armo/
http://dvice.com/archives/2010/03/sprint-htc-evo.php

Fox Mobile Offers Hulu-like Subscription Service for Smartphones
http://gigaom.com/2010/03/24/fox-mobile-offers-hulu-like-service-but-itll-cost-you/

Blockbuster To Get New Warner Bros DVDs Four Weeks Before Netflix/Redbox
http://paidcontent.org/article/419-blockbuster-to-get-new-warner-bros-dvds-four-weeks-before-netflixredbox/

EU court: Google not liable for AdWord counterfeits
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/03/eu-court-google-not-liable-for-adword-counterfeits.ars

Microsoft: Want to Learn About Our Secret Tablet? Read Engadget.
http://mediamemo.allthingsd.com/20100323/microsoft-want-to-learn-about-our-secret-tablet-read-engadget/

Airport device follows fliersR17; phones
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/wireless/2010-03-23-cellphones_N.htm

Cablevision to offer 3D programming
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10470391-93.html
http://finance.paidcontent.org/paidcontent/?GUID=12427980&Page=MediaViewer&Ticker=CVC

Does This Headline Know YouR17;re Reading It?
http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/10/03/23/1740241/Does-This-Headline-Know-Youre-Reading-It

Voicemail
John from Canada Can Opera Mini save you money?

Email
Hi Molly, Jason, Tom, et al,

Here is your requested “Apple vs. Predator” trailer, itR17;s short and to the point.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWeZOS8ta04

You might also enjoy R11;
Doctor Who R11; Trek Through Time
http://kelvington.com

Enjoy,
Rick

**********

Hey Buzz Crew,

You have been talking about Opera submitting their browser for the iPhone and how this will likely be rejected as “duplicating functionality”. If I were Opera, I would try to submit my browser for the iPhone as well. If Apple rejects it, why not take it up with the EU? They are already making Microsoft implement a way to select the default browser upon install even though you can download and use ANY browser after you already have ie. IR17;m sure Apple would be thrilled about doing something similar with their beloved iPhone…

Love the show,

Brad the Minneapolis Programmer

**********

So I was watching the tv, and I saw that iPad commercial, u know, the
one from the Oscars? Well anyways, I grabbed my iPod and “tried” to
google it, but every time I did it would “auto correct” it to upas.
Wow, even appleR17;s own iPod thinks iPad isnR17;t a good name. Upas upas
upas!!!!

Joey
Houston of ze Texas

**********

Hi Buzz Crew R11;

It is unconscionable the way Best Buy preys on consumers (who do not
know better) with useless services. This latest example is priceless:
Geek Squad will “sync your 3D glasses for you”, which is required
because… well… just read the quotes:

“Blue shirt one said the glasses need to be synced with the Blu-ray
player. The second geek referred to the 3D glasses needing to sync to
the player via the USB port within the glasses, an impossible feat as
there is no USB port on the glasses. The third stated the need to
acquire the glassesR17; IP address to sync with the Blu-ray player. There
is no IP address for 3D glasses; they have no connectivity to the
Internet.” R11; From Best Buy as quoted on HDGuru

To be fair, Best Buy has responded (2nd link below) that this is more of
a clarification for people who donR17;t know that syncing doesnR17;t need to
happen. HUH??? So, you know, it would be perfectly ok to advertise Geek
Squad computer fixing services as “re-modulating the phase transducers
with Windows”. Which means they tell the consumer that there are no
transducers… just in case they were wondering.

Original story:
http://consumerist.com/2010/03/geek-squad-to-provide-yet-another-useless
-service-for-3d-televisions.html
Update with response from BB:
http://consumerist.com/2010/03/best-buy-clarifies-its-policy-on-imaginar
y-sync-service-for-3d-glasses.html

Cheers!
Fraggle

IR17;ve been thinking and reading a lot about anger.  Not just recently, but for a long time.  One of the joys of studying history, I suppose.  The current waves of anger and vitriol have me worried that weR17;re not going to see an end to it until someoneR11;maybe a number of peopleR11;are dead.  IR17;m not wishing it on anyone, but it seems to be where we are heading.

Late Tuesday, before the health care reform vote, there was a protest outside of Congresswoman Mary Jo KillroyR17;s office in Columbus.  IR17;ll let the video below speak for itself (itR17;s a shorter version of the original posted on the Columbus Dispatch website).

Click here to view the embedded video.

At the beginning of the last century, immigrants and minorities faced violent discrimination and lynchings were common.  It was not uncommon to find local politicians, especially in the South, involved in racist activities.  The first year that no Blacks were lynched in the US was 1952.  That lull lasted until 1955R11;the year after Brown vs. Topeka.  The violence aimed at Civil Rights activists continued through the late 1960s and culminated in the deaths of Martin Luther King, Jr. and others.

Student activism that started with the Civil Rights movement and grew to include protests against the Vietnam War resulted in violent protests at many universities:  Berkeley, Wisconsin, Columbia. etc.  The protests did not end until the shootings at Kent State and Jackson State in 1970.

Extremists in the USR11;racists, militias, Skinheads, and othersR11;experienced a resurgence starting in the 1980s.  The groups were distinct, but one common thread was an anti-government bent fueled by anger about affirmative action, gun-control, desegregation, taxes, and more.  Their numbers and activities grew until 1995 and Terry McVeighR17;s bombing of the Murrah Federal Building.  After that, they continued to be a movement that attracted new members but were viewed as fringe elements that were repudiated by mainstream politicians.

But the fringe is once again becoming more mainstream, more a part of the base that must be appealed to for its support, votes, money, and unity.  Two examples:

• The Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, started in Arizona to patrol and “secure” the border.  The Arizona leaders of the movement voted this week to disband after issuing a “call to arms” that they worried would “attract the wrong people” to Arizona.  Other articles discuss the links between the MCDC and Tea Party activists.
• Scott Roeder, who murdered Dr. George Tiller, was interviewed from prison in February and the interview posted on YouTube.  In it, Roeder defends his actions.  He is supported by Leach and a number of video responses.  Operation Rescue and other mainstream anti-abortion groups officially distance themselves from RoederR17;s actions.

Angry Americans are being egged on by talk radio, demagogue politicians, and each other.  No one will take responsibility for leading or inspiring them.  The few people who have turned violent have been labeled as “lunatics” or “lone wolves.”  In other words, no oneR17;s responsibility or problem.

Until someone ends up dead.

Well, people have been ending up dead, but I guess they havenR17;t been the “right” people yet, because the anger is still boiling.

In the past week, Congressman John Lewis (D-GA), was spit at and targeted with racial epithets by Tea Partiers.  Yesterday, Sam Smith posted “Teabagger Jedi Ex Cathedra Journalism: now being practiced in Lynchburg, VA” about an incorrect address being posted for Rep. Tom Perriello’s (D-Va.) (the address posted was for his brother).  Well, someone went to the brotherR17;s house and cut his gas line.  Bricks are being thrown.  Sarah PalinR17;s PAC is using images of Democrats who voted for healthcare reform with crosshairs on their faces.

Again, no oneR17;s dead yet.  But who has to die before we say, “Stop it!”?

 

Miami, FL (USA): Shine Fight Promotions (Shine Fights) today announced the official signing of another main card bout for its upcoming "WORLDS COLLIDE: MAYORGA VS. THOMAS" event, as 2009 Abu Dhabi Combat Club 88-kilogram/Absolute division champion and Brazilian jiu-jitsu phenom Braulio Estima (0-0) will make his MMA debut against 2004 Olympic judo competitor Rick Hawn (6-0). The fight will be contested at a catchweight of 175 lbs.

"WORLDS COLLIDE" will emanate live at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, North Carolina on May 15^th, and will be broadcasted on pay-per-view.

This highly-anticipated bout will pit two fighters considered to be amongst the best in the world at their respective crafts. Estima is a BJJ black belt, and is the head instructor and owner of the Gracie Barra Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Birmingham, England. His submission competition achievements include winning the CBJJ World Championship in 2004, 2006, and 2009, the Absolute World Cup Championship in 2006, the European CBJJ Absolute Championships in 2006 and 2009, as well as being the ADCC 2007 silver medalist. At ADCC 2009, Estima won both the under-88 kg and Absolute division championships, defeating DREAM veteran Andre Galvao and Sengoku veteran Xande Ribeiro in the respective finals.

Called "the breakout star" of the 2009 Abu Dhabi Combat Club tournament by Sherdog, the 6'3", 190 lb. native of Brazil shocked the grappling community by submitting submission legend Marcelo Garcia, in addition to defeating Galvao and Ribiero on his way to the under-88 kg and Absolute division championships. Also labeled "one of grappling's most underrated and overlooked competitors" by Sherdog, Estima is a multiple-time World, European and Pan-American grappling champion.

 

In regards to his opponent, Estima said, "I've seen a couple of fights and he's a tough kid. He's very strong, very explosive. I'm not expecting an easy fight at all. He's a top judo player in the world, so he's an athlete himself. Whoever makes fewer mistakes will win. He already has experience in MMA, 6-0. He has a pretty good advantage in the cage, but I'm going to try work myself in a situation where this won't affect me."

The 33 year-old Hawn is also a celebrated grappler with many decorations and distinctions in his field of combat. The 5'9," 170 lb. Massachusetts native splits his training time between Pedro's Judo Center and Team Sityodtong. He placed 9th Place at the 2004 Olympic Games, and was a 2007 World Team member. His other grappling accomplishments include his being a four-time U.S. National Champion, a four-time U.S. Open bronze medalist, and garnering a 2007 Pan Am Games bronze medal. Hawn is also undefeated in MMA, and has finished four of his six opponents in the first round. He presents a very tall order for Estima's first MMA opponent.

About Estima, Hawn said, "I'm looking forward to the fight with Estima. Even though he is new to MMA, he has extensive ground skills that will require me to elevate my game. I am more than ready for the challenge. It's not much of a surprise that I want to keep the fight standing with him if possible. This is MMA though, and anything can happen. Either way, I'm going to be well prepared and take advantage of my experience and strengths."

Shine Fights is extremely elated to bring the MMA world a match between world-class grapplers such as Braulio Estima and Rick Hawn. "Braulio and Rick bring ground credentials to the cage that few can match. I expect this to be an amazing fight, and I think it's going to surprise many fight fans," stated Shine matchmaker Ron Foster. "Estima has been working diligently on his striking, and Hawn TKO'd four of his six opponents. ‘WORLDS COLLIDE' just got even more interesting!"

This ground-fighting dream bout joins the previously announced main event between former boxing champion Ricardo Mayorga and MMA veteran Din Thomas as well as the co-main event between former EliteXC star Murilo "Ninja" Rua and Falaniko Vitale on the May 15^th card. "WORLDS COLLIDE" is taking place at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, NC, and will be beamed on PPV on cable and satellite in the United States and Canada. The event will be broadcasted in High-Definition, and it will be available in both English and Spanish (where available). The broadcast will broadcasted starting at 9 PM ET/6 PM PT by MultiVision Media, Inc. There will be a 30-minute countdown show prior to the live event at 8:30 PM ET/5:30 PM PT. The event will be available for $29.95. Tickets may be obtained by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-736-1420, or online at www.ticketmaster.com, or in person at the Crown Coliseum Box Office. For box office hours and more info, please call (910) 438-4100.

Check out photos from last night's Wizards-Bobcats game. http://www.nba.com/wizards/photogallery/photos_100323_1.html

0 comments Source: www.nba.com

 

Since we're down to the final moments of postseason life for teams in contention, Puck Daddy solemnly begins a daily countdown to annihilation.

Before we set the scene for the Detroit Red Wings tonight, a word about the Atlanta Thrashers on Tuesday night: "[Insert your preferred vomit sound here.]"

The 4-0 loss on home ice to the Boston Bruins wasn't a crippling blow to the Thrashers; not with their next four games against two lottery teams in the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Carolina Hurricanes. (Well, technically the Bruins are a lottery team, too, thanks to Burkie.)

But last night should have been a statement to their fans and to themselves that this post-Kovalchuk playoff run was something more than an enthusiastic fluke. The Ice Man believes the pressure once again got to them:

This Thrashers team had spent the past five games working their way back to the point they found themselves in...playing energetic and inspiring hockey...getting to within a point of the Bruins for the 8th spot in conference...and then played about as flat of a games as has been seen around here in quite some time in being blanked 4-0.

"We looked very nervous with the puck," coach John Anderson said afterwards. "I would say in the two years I've been here, this is probably one of the most meaningful games we've played. We just weren't doing things like we have been the last few games."

While the Thrash are chasing the No. 8 seed, the Red Wings are currently in the eighth spot heading into tonight's game against the St. Louis Blues. A win reestablishes some breathing room they lost to the Calgary Flames, after their win over the Anaheim Ducks last night. A win over the Blues, and Detroit's percentage chance of making the playoffs would rise to 91.9 percent, according to Sports Club Stats.

A loss would drop that percentage down to 78.7 percent; and while their fortunes couldn't be more different at the moment, this is a road game for the Blues, which means it's one they can actually win.

Coming up, the playoff pictures for the East and West. The full NHL standings and schedules can be found on Y! Sports.

All playoff percentages are from Sports Club Stats; the Tragic Number is from NHL Standings and Magic Numbers. The former is an industry standard; the latter is a site we discovered this week, and are hopeful that the figures are as accurate as those from NHL Playoff Race. Also: For the Percentage Chance of Making the Playoffs, we've included the figures from Hockey-Reference.com (HR), which is crunching its own numbers. It's listed with the percentage from Sports Club Stats (SCS).

Here's the playoff picture for the Eastern Conference:

Team (Games)	Place/Record/Pts.	Tragic #	% Chance of Playoffs	% Chance of 7th	% Chance of 8th
Boston Bruins (72)	8th/33-27-12/78	-	84.5 (SCS) 86.1 (HR)	26	29
Atlanta Thrashers (73)	9th/32-30-11/75	16	19.2 (SCS) 17.7 (HR)	5	13
New York Rangers (72)	10th/31-32-9/71	14	6.9 (SCS) 6.8 (HR)	1	5
Florida Panthers (72)	11th/30-31-11/71	14	5.3 (SCS) 4.3 (HR)	1	4
Tampa Bay Lightning (73)	12th/29-32-12/70	11	0.4 (SCS) 0.6 (HR)	0	1
Carolina Hurricanes (73)	13th/30-34-9/69	10	0.7 (SCS) 0.3 (HR)	0	1
New York Islanders (72)	14th/29-33-10/68	11	0.3 (SCS) 0.2 (HR)	0	0
Toronto Maple Leafs (73)	15th/26-35-12/64	5	0.0 (SCS)   -- (HR)	0	0

Again, huge win for the Bruins, and they're sitting one point in back of both the Flyers and the Habs with a game in hand. As Mark Recchi(notes) said yesterday: This team can go from the bubble to the sixth seed pretty fast.

The Flyers currently have a 30-percent chance of placing sixth but have as good a chance of finishing fifth as they do seventh (24 percent). The Habs, meanwhile, have a better shot at facing the Washington Capitals in round one (26 percent) than taking sixth place (22 percent).

Here's the West:

Team (Games)	Place/Record/Pts.	Tragic #	% Chance of Playoffs	% Chance of 7th	% Chance of 8th
Detroit Red Wings (72)	8th/36-23-13/85	-	87.0 (SCS) 84.2 (HR)	26	36
Calgary Flames(73)	9th/37-27-9/83	17	19.4 (SCS) 21.4 (HR)	4	15
Dallas Stars (73)	10th/32-27-14/78	12	0.4 (SCS) 0.4 (HR)	0	0
St. Louis Blues (72)	11th/34-29-9/77	13	1.9 (SCS) 3.2 (HR)	0	2
Anaheim Ducks (72)	12th/34-30-8/76	12	0.4 (SCS) 1.7 (HR)	0	1
Minnesota Wild (73)	13th/35-32-6/76	10	0.1 (SCS) 0.1 (HR)	0	0
Columbus Blue Jackets (73)	14th/29-32-12/70	4	0.0 (SCS)   - (HR)	0	0

The big flip in the West came courtesy of the San Jose Sharks' win over the Wild and the Chicago Blackhawks' win over the Phoenix Coyotes. The 'Hawks now have a 79-percent chance of finishing first overall, while the Sharks are at 55 percent for placing second.

The Coyotes are back down to a 3-percent chance of finishing first in the conference, and have a 57-percent chance at the four seed. Which means we could be headed for a Coyotes/Kings first rounder ... even if a Kings/Sharks first rounder would have been 1,000 times more interesting.

CELEBRITY BUZZ: James Cameron called Glenn Beck an asshole in a room full of journalists, then challenged him to a global warming debate. Jimmy is 100% right, and yet you're kind of on Team Glenn, aren't you?

The Best Links:

1. James Cameron Trashes Glenn Beck
2. James Cameron Challenges Glenn Beck to a Debate, Global-Warming Skeptics to a Shoot-out

Read More ›

The following multi-part series is taken from a paper that my colleagues and I published last year in the free, on-line journal Energies. You may access the entire PDF here. All references can be found in the pdf. Part 1 can be found here.

The first section of this post discusses how the economic cost of energy changes with changes in the price of energy. The second section discusses the impact of declining EROI on economies; specifically this section addresses whether or not the time trend of EROI supports the claim by some economists that advances in technology will overcome the depletion of fossil fuels. The third section discusses how surplus energy is used to run the economy by analyzing a simplified economy that is powered by oil only.

2.2. Economic Cost of Energy

In real economies, energy comes from many sources – from imported and domestic sources of oil, coal and natural gas, as well as hydropower and nuclear, and from a little renewable energy – most of that as firewood but increasingly from wind etc. Most of these are cheaper per unit energy delivered than oil. So let’s look at what this real ratio of the cost of energy (from all sources, weighed by their importance) is relative to its benefits.

Economic cost of energy = Dollars to buy energy / GDP

By this token the relation of the proportional energy cost in dollars is similar, as we shall see, to the proportional energy cost in joules; in 2007 roughly 9 percent (1 trillion dollars) of the U.S. GDP was spent by final demand for all kinds of energy in the US economy to produce the 12 trillion dollars worth of total GDP (Figure 1). This ratio certainly increased in the first half of 2008 as the price of oil exceeded $140 a barrel and then fell again. The abrupt rise in the 1970s, subsequent decline through 2000, and increase again through mid 2008 of this value had large impacts on discretionary spending because the 5 to 10 percent change in total energy cost would come mainly out of the 25 or so percent of the economy that is discretionary spending. Thus we believe that changes in energy prices have very large economic impacts. At least thus far the changes in price seem to reflect the generally decreasing EROI only sporadically although that seemed to be changing recently until the economic crash of fall 2008, when collapsing demand took over. What future prices will be is anyone’s guess but even as economies crash there is a great deal of information implying that dollar, and hence presumably energy, costs of fuels are increasing substantially. Our guess is that declining EROI will take a huge economic toll in the future [6].

Figure 1. Percentage of GDP that is spent on energy by final consumers (2006-2008 estimated).

2.3. EROI for U.S. and North American Domestic Resources and Its Implications for the “Minimum EROI”

In the past the first author worked with Cutler Cleveland and Robert Kaufmann to define and calculate the energy return on investment (EROI) of the most important fuels for the United States’ economy. Since that time Cleveland has undertaken additional and updated analyses for the US economy and Nate Gagnon and Hall have attempted to do that for the world average. Our results indicate that there is still a very large energy surplus from fossil fuels -- variously estimated as an EROI (i.e. EROImm) from perhaps 80 to one (domestic coal) to perhaps 11-18 to one (US) to 20 to one (World) for contemporary oil and gas. In other words, globally for every barrel of oil, or its equivalent, invested in seeking and producing more oil some 20 barrels are delivered to society. Thus fossil fuels still provide a very large energy surplus, obviously enough to run and expand the human population and the very large and complex industrial societies around the world. This surplus energy of roughly 20 or more units of energy returned per unit invested in getting it, plus the large agricultural yields generated by fossil-fueled agriculture, allows a huge surplus quantity of energy, including food energy, delivered to society. This in turn allows most people and capital to be employed somewhere else other than in the energy industry. In other words these huge energy surpluses have allowed the development of all aspects of our civilization -- both good and bad.

That’s the good news. The bad news is that the depletion of fossil fuels has been occurring since the first ton of coal or barrel of oil was mined, since these fuels need about 100 or so million years to regenerate. Many economists argue that technology, the market and economic incentives will continue to find oil to replace that which we have extracted, or that prices will increase as oil reserves deplete and society will substitute away from oil as technologies are developed that allow for such a substitution [21]. Thus one can argue that depletion and technology are in a race over time. Which is winning?

We argue that one can determine this from the time trend of EROI. The EROI for oil in the US during the heydays of oil development in Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana in the 1930s was about 100 returned for one invested [22]. During the 1970s it was about 30:1, and for about 2000 it was from 11 to 18 returned per one invested [3, 4, 22]. For the world the estimate was about 35:1 in the late 1990s declining to about 20:1 in the first half decade of the 2000s (Gagnon et al. in preparation). In addition there is considerable evidence that, in the case of oil, we are mostly just pumping out old fields rather than replacing extracted oil with newly found oil. Globally we are using between 2 to 3 barrels for each new barrel found [23]. The analysis of Gagnon et al. suggests that if current trends continue linearly then in about two to three decades it will take one barrel of petroleum to find and produce one barrel of petroleum, and oil and eventually gas will cease to be a net source of energy. (A special case can be made for e.g. tar sands, where it may make sense to extract two barrels from the ground, use one for the process and then deliver the second barrel to society). This also means that the question is not necessarily what the size of global oil reserves is but rather what is the size of that portion that is extractable with a positive net energy value and at what rate the high EROI fuels can be produced. The implications of this are obvious and huge, and help make an argument for seeking possible substitutes earlier rather than later [6].

But the problem with substitutes to fossil fuels is that of the alternatives available none appear to have the desirable traits of fossil fuels. These include: 1) sufficient energy density 2) transportability 3) relatively low environmental impact per net unit delivered to society 4) relatively high EROI and 5) are obtainable on a scale that society presently demands (Figure 2). Thus it would seem that society, both the US and the world, is likely to be facing a decline in both the quantity and EROI of its principal fuels. Our next question is “what are the implications of this?”

Figure 2. “Balloon graph” representing quality (EROI – Y axis) and quantity (X axis) of the United States economy for various fuels at various times. Arrows connect fuels from various times (i.e. domestic oil in 1930, 1970, 2005 – “today”), and the size of the “balloon” represents part of the uncertainty associated with EROI estimates, i.e. larger “balloons” represent more uncertainty. The horizontal line indicates that there is some minimum EROI that is needed to make society work, and the vertical line to the left indicates one estimate of maximum forestry potential and the vertical line to the right is David Pimentel’s earlier estimate of total photosynthesis in the United States (Source: US EIA, Cutler Cleveland and C. Hall’s own EROI work in preparation). (Reprinted with minor changes from [6]).

3. The surplus available to run the rest of the economy

We first generate a simplistic view of the economy in every day units to try to develop for the reader an explanation of how an economy obtains the energy needed for its own function and how differences in EROI might affect that. Assume for the moment that the United States’ economy runs 100 percent on domestic oil, and that energy itself is not what is desired by the final consumer but rather the goods and services derived from the general economy. In the early years of this new millennium the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (proxy variable for the size of the U.S. economy) was about 12 trillion dollars, and it used about 100 quadrillion BTUs (called Quads, equal to 1015 BTUs), which is equivalent to about 105 ExaJoules (1 EJ equals 1018 Joules). Dividing the two we find that we use an average of about 8.7 Mega Joules (1 MJ equals 106 joules) to generate one dollar’s worth of goods and services in 2005. By comparison, gasoline at $3 per gallon delivers about 44 MJ per dollar (at 130.8 MJ per gallon of gasoline), plus roughly another ten percent to get that gasoline (refinery cost ≈ 4 MJ), so if you spend one dollar on energy directly vs. one dollar on general economic activity you would consume about 48/8.3 or 5.8 times more energy.

In the 1970s analyses were undertaken by Bullard, Hannon, Herendeen [24] and Costanza [25] that showed that (except for energy itself) it does not matter enormously where money is spent within final demand due to the complex interdependency of our economy (that is, the final products that consumers buy are relatively unimportant to overall GDP/energy efficiency because there are so many interdependencies, i.e. each sector purchases from many others within our economy, although this does not apply to the intermediate products purchased by manufacturers). According to Costanza [25], the market selects for generating a similar amount of wealth per unit of energy used within the whole economic “food chain” leading to final demand. While this is not exactly true it is close enough for our present purposes and it is certainly true for the average of all economic activity.

What is the energy “price” of the oil in this example to 1) the country (either domestic or if it is imported) and 2) to the consumer -- relative to the total economic activity of each entity? One can do some simple math. There are about 6.1 GJ in a standard 42 gallon barrel of oil, so the 105 EJ of industrial energy the U.S. uses to run its economy for a year is equivalent to roughly 17 billion barrels of oil. At $70 per barrel that amount of oil would take 1.2 trillion dollars to purchase (or at 3 dollars a gallon, 2.1 trillion to the consumer), which is either about one tenth of GDP, or one sixth if we consider it from the perspective of the consumer (the difference between the two estimates going to the oil companies after production or to refineries, gas station attendants etc. as inputs, profits, wages, delivery costs etc.). Thus the price of energy delivered to the consumer is roughly twice that of the wellhead price (or much more if converted to electricity).

Now assume that the real price of oil, that is the price of oil relative to other goods and services, increased by two, that is to $140 a barrel in today’s dollars (which it did briefly in 2008), and that the total size of the economy stayed the same – that is some other components of the economy were diverted to pay for that oil. If that happened, then one fifth (17 billion times 140 = $2.38 trillion/12 trillion) of the economy would be used to buy the oil to run the other four fifths (that is that part not including the energy extraction system itself). If the price of oil increased to $250 per barrel, about one third of all economic activity would be required to run the other two thirds, and at $750 a barrel then the output of the entire economy, that is 12 trillion dollars, would be required to generate the money to purchase the energy required to run the economy, i.e. there would be no net output. While in fact in a real economy there would be many adjustments, alternative fuels and nuances this analysis does at least give an overview of the relation of gross to net economic activity, and the importance of EROI in energy and economic terms to the rest of the economy. As the price of fuel increases (or as its EROI declines) there are large impacts on the rest of the economy. These impacts can be especially influential because changes in the price of energy tend to impact discretionary, not base, spending.

Of course most of our energy costs less than oil so that the 70 dollars a barrel we used in the example above translates to – in the real economy -- the equivalent of about $35 a barrel equivalent at the source or $70 a barrel by the time the consumer gets the energy, hence we can assume for this scenario that on average about 10 percent of the dollar economy (i.e. $70 times 17 billion barrels or 1.2 trillion out of 12 trillion dollars) is used just to purchase the energy that allows the rest of the economy to function, which produces the end products we want. This 10 percent of our economic activity means that roughly ten percent of all workers’ time, ten percent of the energy used in their jobs, and ten percent of the total materials consumed were used in some sense to simply get the energy to the final consumer to make the rest of the economy work. According to the official statistics of the U.S. Energy Information Agency in 2007 the cost of energy to the consumer was about 9 percent of the total U.S. economy Figure 1), so our numbers seem about right on average.

From CNN:

Most Americans eat very little fish compared to chicken and beef (just under 7 pounds a year vs. more than 100 pounds.

Some farmed fish like tilapia and catfish have significantly lower levels of omega 3s than their wild counterparts. Experts say you should choose wild-caught species whenever possible.

Although most fish naturally contain omega 3 fatty acids, oily fish (such as salmon, herring, and trout) are the richest sources. Healthy people should consume two 3.5-ounce servings of fish per week, which provides approximately 500mg of omega 3s per day.

When cooking fish, keep calories in check by broiling, grilling, baking, or steaming it instead of frying. Fresh herbs, spices, and/or citrus contribute great flavor without an excess of sodium.

Try experimenting with different tastes -- add an Asian flair with a gingery teriyaki glaze or go Mediterranean with a creamy cucumber-dill sauce made with low-fat Greek yogurt.

References:
An easy fish recipe to help your heart. CNN.
Five Fab Fish Dishes. Health.com.

Ask anyone who has been in the wireless industry for several years and they will tell you that the U.S. has been trailing behind Europe and Asia in terms of adopting the latest technologies and consumption.

But at this yearR17;s CTIA, speakers have been clear to dispute that image, and in fact, are saying the U.S. is leading the way by any measure. The unlikely speaker to deliver this message today was German telecom giant Deutsche Telekom (NYSE: DT). The companyR17;s CEO René Obermann, said: “The U.S. is the driver and is becoming bigger than Europe.” U.S. data revenues are growing at 29 percent vs. 11 percent in Europe, he said, and non-voice revenues total $15 a month on average in the U.S. and only $9 in Europe.

Deutsche Telekom also has a stake in the U.S. market through its T-Mobile USA subsidiary, but the viewpoint this morning provided a nice outsiderR17;s perspective. Yesterday, AT&TR17;s Mobility Chief Ralph de la Vega delivered a very similar message. He said the U.S. adoption of 3G services is unprecedented. The U.S. has 33 percent of the world’s advanced 3G customers (despite only having 7 percent of the worldR17;s wireless subscribers).

In ObermannR17;s keynote, he skirted the issue of Deutsche TelekomR17;s plans for T-Mobile USA in the near future. The company has been said to be considering spinning off the company through an IPO, or is seeking outside investors.While the U.S. is one of the more advanced networks, T-Mobile USA has been slow to roll out its 3G network, and now is pouring millions of dollars into building a high-speed network. Yesterday, T-Mobile USA announced at CTIA that it is upgrading its network to support speeds up to 21 mbps. The network is available in parts of of New York City, New Jersey, Long Island and suburban Washington, D.C., with Los Angeles coming soon. It plans to cover more than 100 metro areas and 185 million people by the end of the year.

You can have Kentucky. You can take Ashley Judd, Adolph Rupp, Sam Bowie, Pat Riley, Coach Cal, Refuse to Lose, the one-and-done freshmen bound for the NBA, and all the bags of cash needed to make the Wildcats run. via Clinging to an Ivy climber - The Boston Globe [1]. [2]Am I imagining things, or is Cornell-Kentucky becoming a minor subterranean Tea Party cause celebre? I don't even follow college basketball and I still can't avoid hearing every sportswriter in America salivating over the storyline in this game -- the gritty, overmatched Cornell team with all the "intangibles" taking on the showboating NBA-bound street kids at Kentucky. Normally broadcasters reserve their drooling over white-athlete stereotypes for descriptions of individual players like Wes Welker, Steve Nash, and... well, of Wes Welker. You do get some during NFL draft season, when you hear all the various Mel Kipers talking about fourth- and fifth-round talents who are worth a shot because they are "consistent," "able to take coaching," have "high football intelligence," are "good in the locker room," and "try hard and play through the whistle." (My favorite of these cliches is actually, "Mature; is a coach's son."). The commensurate glowing descriptions of black athletes, of course, are more like, "Flattens the fuck out of guys" or "Will dunk on your face and laugh about it." Now they get to rattle off all of these in a team context. Sportswriters love underdog stories and they love white-vs.-black stories, so Cornell-Kentucky is a gold mine of sports cliches. But I find this one a little annoying, because they're painting the Kentucky kids as taking-it-for-granted future millionaires, while the Cornell kids are plucky practice-loving types whose sheer love of the game got them to the Sweet 16. They are, after all, true amateurs, since the Ivies have no sports scholarships and presumably no under-the-table Lincoln Navigators, either. But these Cornell guys pretty much all came from upper-middle-class backgrounds at least (one is the prototypical "coach's son"; Ryan Wittman's dad Randy was an NBA player and coach) and will have cozy lives waiting for them after they graduate. As player Louis Dale joked: "After this, it's just nothing but babies and memories." Meanwhile the Kentucky kids are mostly inner-city types who needed some breaks just to get where they are. John Wall's father died when he was nine and his mother worked multiple jobs to get him his shot; DeMarcus Cousins had no father either and his mother had to move him out of Birmingham to get him away from a bad neighborhood. Obviously they both won the genetic lottery, too, but plenty of parents have blown it for kids with the same luck. I get that within a few years both of them and Bledsoe and Patterson and the rest of them will probably be the overpaid, entitled douche bags most NBA stars turn into. I also get that D-1 college basketball is crooked as a barrel of snakes and that recruiting whizzes like John Calipari are morally probably on par with white-slavers and Colombian drug lords. But while they're still teenagers basketball is a life-or-death deal for kids like Wall and Cousins and their families. So I have a little trouble with all of these stories talking about how we should root for the Big Red because the Cornell kids just try harder and love the game more. I know I'm not the only one who thinks this, because I heard someone talking about it on Mike Francesa [3] yesterday (it's agony for a Boston native to be limited to the sports radio options I have in north Jersey), but does anyone else find all this Cornell-fawning irritating? I'd rip Dan Shaughnessy for his predictable hijacking of the plucky-Ivy meme, but the fact that his rooting interest in Cornell is grounded almost entirely in a desire to see Calipari's all-stars choke is mildly amusing. [1] http://www.boston.com/sports/colleges/mens_basketball/articles/2010/03/24/clinging_to_an_ivy_climber/ [2] http://trueslant.com/matttaibbi/files/2010/03/cornell-basketball-fans.jpg [3] http://www.wfan.com/pages/930323.php

I've just discovered my new favorite mom blog, Ho Mama! [1] There's only one post, but it's a doozy and a poignant, hilarious reminder that there are a lot of different moms out there and most of them aren't arguing over plastic vs. wooden ride-on toys. Never fear, though. Slutty, single, low-income moms are nothing if not resourceful. I brought my premature baby (all five pounds of her) home from the hospital to an SRO hotel in the Tenderloin. My daughter didn't come home to a crib or a nursery. But you know what? She didn't seem to notice. Perhaps cribs and nurseries are more for parents than for babies. Hmmmmmm. Anyway, I did manage to find some cardboard cut-outs of Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, and Piglet to tape to the walls. But my daughter was much more fascinated by my face and voice than by any baby toys or cutesy decorations. Feeding her was cheap and easy. My breasts pumped out a steady supply of milk. Feeding myself was a bit trickier. It's quite a hike from the Tenderloin to Whole Foods, especially with a baby strapped to your chest. But we managed. via Ho Mama! A Blog for Slutty, Single, Low-income Moms - big fat trauma queen - Open Salon [2]. This is just a smidgen of the Ho Mama! wisdom. Other highlights include: being kicked out of her apartment while pregnant, multiple marriages not in conjunction with the getting knocked up and homelessness! Good times. [1] http://open.salon.com/blog/big_fat_trauma_queen/2010/03/16/ho_mama_a_blog_for_slutty_single_low-income_moms [2] http://open.salon.com/blog/big_fat_trauma_queen/2010/03/16/ho_mama_a_blog_for_slutty_single_low-income_moms

At the Web App Masters Tour in San Diego, CA, Christian Crumlish provided an overview of social design principles and patterns in his talk Designing The Social In.

• When telephones were new, people didn’t really understand why they needed one. Phones also didn’t make sense until everybody had one. It’s often the same way with new technologies –including social networking.
• Social design is more like architecting a house than designing a billboard. You set the rooms and spaces –but people will decorate and use them how they want.
• People will create the experiences they desire and in social design, people are a big part of what the experience will be.
• User is singular, social interfaces are plural. Solitary activities like reading headlines are relatively easy to measure. Social activities require engagement with others that are most easily measured through social objects.
• Pave the cowpaths: support people’s existing behaviors with the way you design software. Example: dogster started as a photo-sharing service, but moved to a social network for pets when they saw people were uploading many images of their dogs and cats.
• Talk like a person: use conversational voice to let others know there are actual people on the other side. Self-deprecating error messages can make things more acceptable. Posing questions prompts responses, which results in a dialog.
• Your vs. My: use “you” and “yours” to indicate other people are around. This sets the right expectations.
• No joking around: some people will take jokes the wrong way or get confused. No joke will be 100% understood.
• Play well with others: be open to participation. Build on open standards, share data outside your application, accept external data within your application, support two-way interoperability
• Learn from games: engagement that comes form how games work helps drive business needs. Games, like social networks, are only designed to a point. They have rules, boundaries, and structures but do not dictate a singular experience.
• Respect the ethical dimension: there is an ethical element when people are involved –private data, who they know, etc. In any ethical decision, the business, the individual, and the collective/community have a stake.
• Social design patterns can be grouped by patterns related to the self, activities, community, and social spaces.
• Give people a way to be identified: let people take ownership and customize their identity. Identity doesn’t always have to manifest itself in a complicated profile.
• Indicate presence so people are aware of who else is within a system. Reputation systems help people learn how to interact with people.
• Attribution and avatars –place people’s identity in context to what they’ve done.
• What is the social object in the site you are building? The social object is the reason two people are talking to each other as opposed to talking to someone else. Social networks form around social objects, not the other way around. In Facebook there are many social objects: videos, gifts, groups, etc.
• Social activities give people things to do. Some people will engage in a few small things, and others may engage in many or larger scale things. Social activities include: collecting, broadcasting/publishing, sharing, giving feedback, communicating, and collaborating.
• Feedback allows people to have conversations about objects
• Collaboration is when you are actually making objects together. Goes beyond conversation.
• Social media –when you have the whole ecosystem of sharing, creating, and collaborating. Social media needs context and filtering tools when it takes off but this is a rich man’s problems
• Bridging the gap to the real world includes location, calendaring, etc.
• Let the community elevate people and the content they value.
• Enable people to make connections.

Tags: social software, webappmasterstour, patterns, participatory culture, facebook

/PRNewswire/ - With education reform continuing to make headlines and a planned overhaul of No Child Left Behind, the MetLife Survey of the American Teacher: Collaborating for Student Success series continues to offer important insights regarding the current state of the system. Part 3: Teaching as a Career, the final report from the study, includes the views of teachers and principals and examines collaboration in the context of professional growth and career paths. According to the study, teachers are reporting significant changes in their profession. These changes come at a time when the teaching profession faces multiple challenges, including the retirement of teachers in the baby boom generation, economic pressures, and a greater emphasis on teacher quality and student achievement. To address these challenges, career pathways in education are changing, the role of the teacher is evolving, and collaboration is being emphasized as never before -- and today's educators are eager to have their voices heard. The survey of teachers and principals was conducted by Harris Interactive® by telephone in October and November 2009. Major findings from this third report, being released today in conjunction with a forum by the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future, include: Careers in teaching are changing.

• Three-quarters of teachers (75%) say they would like to continue to work in education beyond traditional retirement from classroom teaching.
• One-third of teachers (35%) report that they had a career outside of education before they became a classroom teacher.
• Having "career changers" as colleagues is more common among secondary school teachers (89% vs. 73% of elementary school teachers) and teachers in schools with high proportions of low income students (82% vs. 72% of teachers in schools).

A "hybrid" teaching role -- combining part-time classroom teaching with other roles in a school or district -- has appeal.

• More than half of teachers (56%) and half of principals (49%) say that some teachers in their school have a hybrid teaching role.
• Nearly four in ten teachers (37%) say they are interested in such a hybrid role.
• Hybrid teaching roles are particularly appealing to new teachers (46%) and those who are less than very satisfied with their current career (42%).

Collaboration may contribute to teacher satisfaction.

• Teachers very satisfied with their careers are more likely to work in schools with higher levels of collaborative activities (39% vs. 26%) and to strongly agree that the teachers in a school share responsibility for the achievement of all students (86% vs. 72%).
• Teachers who are very satisfied with their career are more likely to strongly agree that other teachers contribute to their success in the classroom (56% vs. 44%) and that the teachers, principals, and other school professionals at their school trust each other (59% vs. 40%).
• They are also more likely than less satisfied teachers to report that a range of collaborative activities always occurs at their school, including that their school structures time for teachers to work together (40% vs. 26%).

During challenging economic times, teacher satisfaction remains high.

• Six in ten teachers (59%) are very satisfied with teaching as a career -- a level not significantly different than that of recent years, although a significant increase from the 40% "very satisfied" level reported in 1984, the first year of the Survey.
• Nearly two in ten teachers (17%) today say they are very or fairly likely to leave the profession to go into a different occupation within the next five years, compared to 26% in 2006.

"Each year, the MetLife Survey of the American Teacher hears from those closest to the classroom about successes and opportunities, challenges, and potential solutions," said Dennis White, president and CEO of MetLife Foundation. "All of us concerned about education need to actively listen and understand what our nation's educators are telling us about strengthening the teaching profession and serving the needs of all students." About the MetLife Survey of the American Teacher: Collaborating for Student Success MetLife Survey of the American Teacher: Collaborating for Student Success (2009) was conducted by Harris Interactive among a national sample of 1,003 public school teachers of grades K through 12, and 500 principals of grades K through 12, by telephone, and 1,018 public school students in grades 3 through 12 online between October 14 and November 13, 2009. The data were weighted to key demographic variables to align with the national population of the respective groups. No estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. In addition, an online strategy session was conducted on September 15, 2009 among a group of 25 public school teacher leaders, principals, and public education thought leaders to inform the development of the survey. About MetLife MetLife is a leading provider of insurance and financial services with operations throughout the United States and the Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific regions. It has demonstrated its belief in education and contributes to its improvement in part through the sponsorship of the MetLife Survey of the American Teacher series since 1984 to give voice to those closest to the classroom. MetLife Foundation places strong emphasis on education and draws on the findings of the Survey to inform its grantmaking. For more information about MetLife, please visit the company's Web site at www.metlife.com. Additional information about the Foundation is available at www.metlife.org. The reports for the entire series are now available online at www.metlife.com/teachersurvey with links to the ERIC (Education Resources Information Center) website: http://eric.ed.gov. About Harris Interactive Harris Interactive is one of the world's leading custom market research firms, leveraging research, technology, and business acumen to transform relevant insight into actionable foresight. Known widely for the Harris Poll and for pioneering innovative research methodologies, Harris offers expertise in a wide range of industries and serves clients in over 215 countries and territories. For more information, please visit www.harrisinteractive.com.

The Money Times

Bobcats open key homestand vs. woeful Wolves Seattle Post Intelligencer The Timberwolves, who are 5-31 as the guest, are coming off Monday's 106-100 loss versus the Toronto Raptors at Target Center. Al Jefferson led all scorers ... Bobcats Continue Hunt for Playoff BirthFS Carolinas all 242 news articles »

COLLEGES

MEN'S BASKETBALL

NCAA TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

EAST REGIONAL

Semifinals

Thursday in Syracuse N.Y.

West Virginia (29-6) vs. Washington (26-9), 4:27 p.m.

Kentucky (34-2) vs. Cornell (29-4), 30 minutes following

Championship

Saturday

Semifinal winners, TBD

SOUTH REGIONAL

Semifinals

Friday in Houston

SAINT MARY'S (28-5) vs. Baylor (27-7), 4:27 p.m.

Duke (31-5) vs. Purdue (29-5), 30 minutes following

Championship

Sunday

Semifinal winners, TBD

MIDWEST REGIONAL

Semifinals

Friday in St. Louis

Ohio State (29-7) vs. Tennessee (27-8), 4:07 p.m.

Northern Iowa (30-4) vs. Michigan State (26-8), 30 minutes following

Championship

Sunday

Semifinal winners, TBD

WEST REGIONAL

Semifinals

Thursday in Salt Lake City

Syracuse (30-4) vs. Butler (30-4), 7:07 p.m.

Kansas State (28-7) vs. Xavier (26-8), 30 minutes following

Championship

Saturday

Semifinal winners, TBD

MEN'S NATIONAL INVITATION TOURNAMENT

Quarterfinals

Tuesday's games

Mississippi 90, Texas Tech 87 (2OT)

North Carolina 60, Ala.-Birmingham 55

Today's games

Rhode Island (25-9) at Virginia Tech (25-8), 4 p.m.

Dayton (22-12) at Illinois (21-14), 6 p.m.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL INVITATIONAL

Quarterfinals

Monday's games

Virginia Commonwealth 93, College of Charleston 86

Princeton 74, IUPUI 68

Boston U. 91, Morehead State 89

Saint Louis 68, Wis.-Green Bay 62

Semifinals

Today's games

Boston U. (21-13) at Virginia Commonwealth (24-9), 4 p.m.

Princeton (22-8) at Saint Louis (22-11), 6 p.m.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

NCAA TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

DAYTON REGIONAL

Second round

Monday in Tallahassee, Fla.

Florida State 66, St. John's 65 (OT)

Tuesday in Norfolk, Va.

Connecticut 90, Temple 36

Tuesday in Pittsburgh

Mississippi State 87, Ohio State 67

Tuesday in Ames, Iowa

Iowa State 60, Wisconsin-Green Bay 56

Semifinals

Sunday in Dayton, Ohio

Connecticut (35-0) vs. Iowa State

(25-7), 9 a.m. or 11:30 a.m.

Florida State (28-5) vs. Mississippi State (21-12), 9 a.m. or 11:30 a.m.

MEMPHIS REGIONAL

Second round

Monday in Knoxville, Tenn.

Tennessee 92, Dayton 64

Monday in Berkeley

Baylor 49, Georgetown 33

Monday in Durham, N.C.

Duke 60, LSU 52

Tuesday in Austin, Texas

San Diego State 64, West Virginia 55

Semifinals

Saturday in Memphis, Tenn.

Tennessee (32-2) vs. Baylor (25-9), 9 a.m. or 11:30 a.m.

San Diego State (23-10) vs. Duke (29-5), 9 a.m. or 11:30 a.m.

SACRAMENTO REGIONAL

Second round

Monday in Tempe, Ariz.

Georgia 74, Oklahoma State 71 (OT)

Monday in Stanford

Stanford 96, Iowa 67

Monday in Seattle

Gonzaga 72, Texas A&M; 71

Tuesday in Cincinnati

Xavier 63, Vanderbilt 62

Semifinals

Saturday in Sacramento

Georgia (25-8) vs. STANFORD (33-1), 6 p.m. or 8:30 p.m.

Gonzaga (29-4) vs. Xavier (29-3), 6 p.m. or 8:30 p.m.

KANSAS CITY REGIONAL

Second round

Monday in Louisville, Ky.

Kentucky 70, Michigan State 52

Tuesday in Minneapolis

Nebraska 83, UCLA 70

Tuesday in Norman, Okla.

Oklahoma 60, Arkansas-Little Rock 44

Tuesday in Notre Dame, Ind.

Notre Dame 84, Vermont 66

Semifinals

Sunday in Kansas City, Mo.

Nebraska (32-1) vs. Kentucky (27-7), 4:30 p.m. or 6:30 p.m.

Oklahoma (25-10) vs. Notre Dame (29-5), 4:30 p.m. or 6:30 p.m.

WOMEN'S NATIONAL INVITATION TOURNAMENT

Second round

Monday's games

Illinois 74, Marquette 72 (OT)

Northwestern 66, St. Bonaventure 62

Providence 76, Old Dominion 61

Syracuse 69, Richmond 55

Tuesday's games

Wyoming 68, Texas Tech 57 (OT)

BYU 61, Arizona State 53

Oregon 93, New Mexico 67

CAL 64, Utah 54

Third round

Thursday's games

Providence (18-14) at Maryland (21-12), 4 p.m.

Northwestern (18-14) vs. Michigan (19-13), 4 p.m.

Illinois (18-14) at Missouri State (22-10), 5:05 p.m.

Friday's game

Virginia Commonwealth (22-12) at Syracuse (24-10), 4 p.m.

BASEBALL

SAINT MARY'S 5, SACRAMENTO STATE 4

Sac State 000 120 010 150; 4 7 0

Saint Mary's 100 020 002 150; 5 12 2

Guglielmo, Elrod (5), Butler (5), Chamberlin (6), Galvan (9) and Lamb; Agosta, Ek (5), Keane (9). Top hitters: SS150;Young 2x4, 2B, HR, 2 RBIs. SM150;Fazio 2x3; Kalfus 2x2, 2B; Wisdom 2B, 2 RBIs; Channing HR; O'Brien 2x3; Reynolds 2x4; 2B.

SOFTBALL

STANFORD 6, UC DAVIS 2

Stanford 005 010 0 150; 6 9 0

UC Davis 000 002 0 150; 2 2 2

Gerhart, Chinn (8) and Neill; Holmes, Waldusky (3) and Wagoner.

MEN'S GOLF

Oregon Duck Invitational

In Junction City, Ore.

Final round

Team results: 1. Oregon 359-356-358150; 1073; 2. Arkansas 358-359-363150;1080; 3. Oregon St. 365-361-362150;1088; 4. Idaho 363-374-364-1101; 5. Washington St. 376-356-370150;1102; 6. Colorado 362-371- 375150;1108; T7. Pacific 370-360-383150;1113; T7. USF 371-370-372150;1113; 9. UC DAVIS 379-368-370150;1117; 10. Santa Clara 369-368-382150;1119; 11. Portland 372-372- 376150;1120; 12. San Jose State 370-376- 375150;1121; 13. UC Riverside 382-370-388150; 1140.

Individual results (Top finisher and UC Davis only): 1. Miernicki, Oregon, 70- 72-67150;209. UC DAVIS: T22. Honeycutt 74-71-75150;220; T31. Graham 79-71-72150; 222; T36. Booth 74-74-75150;223; T67. Raber 76-79-74150;229; T67. Granger 77- 78-74150;229; T71. Haggen 78-74-78150;230.

WOMEN'S LACROSSE

LEHIGH 11, UC DAVIS 9

UCD150;Lapolla 4, Peterson, Hoffmire, Farquharson, Jamison, Datino. LU150;Draper 3, Dykstra 3, Thomas 2, Healy, Murray, Kelly.

COMMUNITY COLLEGES

SOFTBALL

SIERRA 4, SANTA ROSA 0

Sierra 020 011 0 150; 4 13 2

Santa Rosa 000 000 0 150; 0 2 0

Baker and Stockman; Dericco and Benfield. Top hitters: S150;Stockman 2x3; Bradley 2x3, 3B; Mcmahan 2x4, HR; McMahon 3x4, 2B; Lusi 2x3; Hellon 2x3.

COSUMNES RIVER 10, DIABLO VALLEY 3

Diablo Valley 000 030 0 150; 3 5 1

Cosumnes 251 200 x 150; 10 13 2

McArdle and Brassnassery; Hayes, McGraw (4), Garcia (5) and Morgan. Top hitters: DV150;Ebarra 2B; Pader 2B. CR150;Hayes 3 RBIs; Del Toro 2x4, 2B; Wisdom 2x2, 3 RBIs; 2B; Suitos 3x3, 3B, 2 RBIs; Cook 2x4, 2 2B, 2 RBIs.

SACRAMENTO CITY 16, AMERICAN RIVER 0 (5)

American River 000 00 150; 0 0 2

Sacramento 004 (12)x 150; 16 14 2

Newman, Pryor (4), Newman (4) and McCorkle; Talbert and Lowery. Top hitters: SC150;C. Allen HR; Lowery 2x2, 2B, HR; Liming 2x3, 2B; Sendejas 2x3, 3B; Argee 2B; Hartkop 2B; Tazaikllian 2B.

BASEBALL

SANTA ROSA 10, AMERICAN RIVER 3

Santa Rosa 001 020 016 150; 10 13 2

ARC 000 030 000 150; 3 7 3

Ysui, Mills (5) and Cramer; Hoffman, Graham (5), Newton (8), Surratt (9) and Cesario. Top hitters: SR150;Gillespie 2x4; Kimura 3x6; Santora 2B; Cramer 2x5; DeLorenzo 2B; Pianto 2x3, 2B. AR150;Dentman 2x4; Cesario 2x4.

COSUMNES RIVER 12, DELTA 11 (10)

Delta 302 101 121 0 150; 11 16 2

Cosumnes 000 600 050 1 150; 12 15 3

Hassna, Costa (4), B. Clapper (5), Malcolm (8), Shindledealar (10) and Louie, Pile (9); Berger, Herbert (3), Harrison (7), Mazzanti (8), MacDonald (8) and McMahon, Johnson (8), Valine (9). Top hitters: D150;L. Clapper 4x6; Scornalenchi 3x4, 2B. CR150;Martinez HR, 3 RBIs; Glavine 3x5, 2 2B; Detwiler 3x5.

WOMEN'S TENNIS

COSUMNES RIVER 5, MODESTO 4

Singles: Huynh, CR, def. McCowley, M, 6-2, 6-4. Greenhaw, CR, def. Castro, M, 6-2, 7-6. H. Rose, CR, def. DeLeon, M, 7-6, 6-0. Heinz, M, def. E. Rose, CR, 6-2, 6-2. Valenzula, M, def. Seifert, CR, by default. Default to Modesto.

Doubles: Huynh/H. Rose, def. McCowley/DeLeon, M, 7-5, 6-4. Greenhaw/Seifert, CR, def. Castro/Heinz, M, 6-2, 6-3. Default to Modesto.

SIERRA 9, SANTA ROSA 0

Singles: Miller, S, def. Garris, SR, 6-0, 6-0. Combs, S, def. Bobbit, SR, 6-0, 6-0. Chrisco, S, def. Warren, SR, 6-1, 6-0. Kelsey, S, def. Coleman, SR, 6-1, 6-1. White, S, def. Bruenner, SR, 6-1, 6-4. Dumm, S, def. Minkin, SR, 6-2, 6-3.

Doubles: Combs/Kelsey, S, def. Colman/Warren, SR, 6-0, 6-0. Miller/Chrisco, S, def. Garris/Bobbit, SR, 6-2, 6-0. White/Paradis, S, def. Bruenner/Minkin, SR, 6-2, 6-2.

MEN'S TENNIS

FOLSOM LAKE 5, DIABLO VALLEY 4

Singles: Demetre, FL, def. Beezuvzhenko, DV, 6-0, 4-6, 6-4. Tummala, FL, def. Faucy, DV, 6-4, 6-0. Perez-Smith, DV, def. Van Streefkerk, FL, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. Crawford, FL, def. Rong, DV, 6-2, 6-2. Behchahami, DV, def. Hugenberg, FL, 3-6, 7-6, 6-4. Ambriz, DV, def. DeRyk, FL, 7-6, 6-1.

Doubles: Demetre/Tummala, FL, def. Beezuvzhenko/Faucy, DV, 2-6, 6-2, 6-2. Rong/Ambriz, DV, def. Crawford/Van Streefkerk, FL, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1. Hugenberg/Shurtz, FLC, def. Nguyen/Cruz, DV, 7-6, 7-6.

MODESTO 5, COSUMNES RIVER 4

Singles: Mireles, CR, def. M. Aniss, M, 6-3, 7-6. Solari, CR, def. Lipanski, M, 6-1, 7-5. Y. Aniss, M, def. Drummond, CR, 6-2, 6-2. Chesney, M, def. Mukhtar, CR, 6-1, 6-4. Wright, M, def. McNeal, CR, 7-6, 6-1. Morales, M, def. Phu, CR, 6-0, 6-3.

Doubles: Mireles/Mukhtar, CR, def. M. Aniss/Lipanski, M, 3-6, 7-6, 6-1. Solari/Drummond, CR, def. Y. Aniss/Morales, M, 6-1, 6-3. Chesney/Wright, M, def. Phu/Early, CR, 6-3, 6-1.

In his latest essay El Inglés tackles a contentious topic: modern Western democracy.


The Death of Democracy
by El Inglés

A Question About One of Our Foremost Democracies

The legislative branch of the United States federal government is divided, as are many such institutions, into an upper and a lower house. The lower house, the House of Representatives (Congress), currently has 435 members, with each state having a number proportional to its population. The upper house, the Senate, has 100 members, with each state having two senators. Why the seats in the two houses should be apportioned differently is an interesting question, whose seemingly innocuous answer is of great significance.

Seats in the lower house being distributed amongst the states on the basis of population is an intuitively obvious arrangement: 10 times the population, 10 times the amount of influence in Congress. This requires no particular explanation. It is the structure of the Senate that requires that. Why should the smallest of states have the same influence in the Senate as the largest? Given that the structures of the Congress and the Senate were devised at the same time by the same people, why should a principle considered sound for Congress not have been applied to the Senate?

In effect, Congress considers individuals to be equal and insists that each of their votes is weighted identically, whereas the Senate considers states to be equal and ensures that each of them has identical influence, quite irrespective of their populations. This means that states with small populations such as Maryland have, on net balance, disproportionately great political power and that states with large populations, such as California, have disproportionately little political power. Now, this is clearly somewhat undemocratic in at least some sense of the term. So how did it come to be the case at all?

What Is Democracy?

Upon reflection, it appears to this author that the following definition of democracy is rather a good one: democracy is an organizational mechanism for allowing parties a) with divergent interests, but who b) wish to function as part of the same polity, to reconcile the divergent interests in a) to such a degree that b) becomes possible. Having defined democracy in this fashion as a mechanism, I am forced to conclude that it is a means, not an end, and that it therefore possesses no more intrinsic moral value than a truck or a pair of scissors, themselves devices for achieving certain ends. This point, probably contentious for many, will be explored in greater detail throughout the rest of the essay. It is helpful, in this vein, to observe the sheer variety of organizations that are not organized democratically. Militaries, government bureaucracies, corporations, NGOs, families, sports teams - the list goes on and on. If democracy is intrinsically morally superior to other decision-making systems, are we to conclude that all these organizational types are immoral because they do not use it?

I do not mean here to do down democracy. The point is simply that all mechanisms, be they physical or organizational in nature, have only a finite ability to accomplish their goals and that, when the challenges they face are too great, they will fail. More obviously, they will also fail to do things that they were never designed to do at all.

Consider a society in which everybody agrees with everybody about everything, in which there is simply no disagreement at all. Democracy is not only not required by such a society, it is meaningless in such a society. Any conceivable decision-maker or set of decision-makers drawn from the population will arrive at exactly the same conclusion in response to any and all issues. It makes no difference, therefore, how these decision-makers are selected or how they are held accountable for what they do (which they will not need to be, as everyone will always agree with whatever decisions they make). Democracy has no advantages, moral or otherwise, over an absolute dictatorship in such a society.

If we start to introduce disagreement into this society, what happens? At first, not much. When only minor disagreements exist, most policies will be very close to what most people approve of most of the time, and citizens will be able to grin and bear those policies that are not to their liking. However, if we start to introduce major, deep-rooted disagreements on matters of great importance, then decision-making mechanisms and the selection of decision-makers start to assume crucial importance. If the absolute despot who was tolerated when agreement was complete is still in place, he is going to start encountering difficulties when this consensus collapses, and his opponents will simply no longer have any reason to accept his previously unquestioned power. Only now does democracy start to present itself as a decision-making mechanism worth the time and energy it requires. In fact, it now starts to look indispensable, for how else can people live in peace and prosperity with each other if they feel that the interests of others are being prioritized over their own?

We see that democracy is only meaningful in, and only possesses any utility in, the context of disagreement. Moving from complete agreement out into the uncharted wilds of gradually increasing disagreement, the utility of democracy becomes more and more apparent. However, unhappily for us, this relationship is not a linear one. On the contrary, as disagreement increases, democracy’s utility passes through a maximum, and starts to head towards zero. Eventually its utility will become negative, which is to say that it will a) fail to enable people to live in peace and prosperity, and b) hold them together in a state of conflict, in a single polity, when they would be better going their separate ways. Of course, if they do eventually go their separate ways and become independent, then any new polities may again decide to conduct themselves democratically, with all the benefits this tends to result in. The point I wish to make here is simply that democracy stretched out to breaking point to hold together mutually antipathetic groups is worse than useless. One could, in principle, squash (politically speaking) all five Scandinavian countries together into a single democratic country. But what would be the point? The status of these five countries as separate countries despite their similarities and very strong historic and cultural links suggests that even relatively minor divergences of interests are best handled by independence.

A Closer Look At the Functioning of a Democracy
- - - - - - - - -
I would like to consider here how democracies operate from a very particular point of view. I am not interested in the relative strengths and weaknesses of representative vs. direct democracy, or proportional representation vs. first-past-the-post systems such as we have in the UK. Rather, I am interested in the natures (zero-sum, positive-sum, or negative-sum) of the games that the multitudinous players in any real democracy engage in. To oversimplify for a moment: people participate, and continue to participate, in democratic politics because they consider it to be in their interests (individual or group), to do so. They do not do so because of some morally elevated commitment to the wonder-that-is-democracy. When times are good, they may think that that is what they are doing. But they are mistaken.

A healthy democracy is one in which two things are true: a) interactions between different constituencies within the polity are positive-sum in the long term, and b) participation in the democratic polity is positive-sum for all constituencies in the long term. These conditions are crucial to an understanding of democracy, so we will explore them with a concrete example of a simple game.

Let us imagine a coin-tossing game played between two people, A and B. A coin is tossed. If it comes up heads, A wins 10 pounds and B loses 5, if it comes up tails, the result is reversed with B winning 10 pounds and A losing 5 pounds. However the coin lands, there is a net gain of 5 pounds between the two players, which means the game is positive-sum. This satisfies the first of the three conditions for a healthy democracy, that interactions are positive-sum in the long-term.

What of the second condition? Are interactions positive-sum for all players in the long term? They most certainly will be in the coin is a normal coin. Both A and B will win half of all games, with every two games resulting, on average, in a win and a loss and a net gain of 5 pounds. However, if B can replace the coin with a two-headed coin and contrive to call heads every time, then the game, though still positive-sum, will result in an unbroken string of benefits for B and costs for A. Assuming A is not so dense as to fail to notice this, he will quickly decide that he must do one of two things: a) reintroduce an unbiased coin, or b) quit the game. There is no first-principles moral argument that could convince him that he should stay in the game as it is. Why should he? Is he a slave, to sacrifice himself for the benefit of B?

This is democracy in a nutshell. The democratic process, whatever its exact manifestation in a given case, is an attempt to ensure that the players in the game can all be kept in a democratic ‘sweet spot’ in which both conditions above are met. If they are met for all players in a particular democratic game, it can be expected to continue in an amicable fashion until such time as these conditions change. Note that it is not necessary for all players to benefit equally, a point to which we must return later when we answer the question we posed earlier about the structure of the United States Senate.

It is a simple matter to stitch together the two threads we have introduced so far: 1) democracy as a reconciling of divergent interests between parties who wish to live together, and 2) democracy as the maintenance of participating parties in a positive-sum sweet spot. Consider the following: If I think the minimum wage should go up by 50p and you think it should go down by 50p, then we have a divergence of interests. If the issue is decided through a referendum, we will have reconciled our divergent interests through democratic means. It is crucial to understand exactly what this means. The referendum is a zero-sum game; if you win, I lose. However, let us say that I am confident that it has been conducted fairly, and that I will sometimes be on the winning side in future contests. Let us also say that I do not begrudge you your victory, nor does it represent catastrophic damage to me or my way of life. Furthermore, our ability to amicably resolve disputes in this manner sets the stage for further productive and peaceful cooperation between us, which is a huge benefit for us both quite irrespective of the result of the referendum itself. This creates benefits for us both, with my benefit outweighing my loss in the referendum, thereby creating what is a positive-sum game for all players in the long-term. The referendum is zero-sum, discrete, and what I will call local, while the entire background game of democratic politics of which it is a part is positive-sum in general, positive-sum for all participants, open-ended, and what I will call global.

From this example, we can see that our two seemingly distinct concepts of what democracy-as-mechanism is are simply two ways of describing the same thing. Now that we understand this, we can start to consider more rigorously when and why democracy will start to run into difficulty.

The Connecticut Compromise

I left unanswered above the question of exactly why the upper and lower houses of the legislative branch of the U.S. federal government are structured the way they are. Now we are in a position to understand. The answer lies in the Connecticut Compromise, hammered out at the Philadelphia Convention of 1787, which sought to provide a more permanent constitutional basis for the United States than existed at the time.

The Connecticut Compromise was just that; it was a compromise between the larger and the smaller states over the nature of the U.S. constitution. It was not an attempt to create some theoretically pure and unsullied democratic polity that some alien super-intelligence could admire in all its perfection. It was not an attempt to realize democracy-as-ideal, which is what the common, reflexive notion of democracy always concerns itself with. It was an attempt, and an extremely successful one at that, to implement democracy-as-mechanism, which is to say democracy as a mechanism for reconciling the divergent interests of disparate constituencies by keeping them all in a democratic sweet spot.

The problem collectively facing the states in 1787 was as follows: implementing a ‘pure’ democratic system in which number of seats in the federal legislature was proportional to population would create a situation in which the smaller states (such as Delaware) would have virtually no influence at all. Though technically democratic, the resulting system could hardly be expected to be one favorable to Delaware, as essentially all decisions would be made by representatives of other states who had no particular reason to care about the interests of Delaware. This being the case, why should Delaware agree? The theoretical purity of the democracy so created would have no utility from the perspective of Delaware. Accordingly, unless we believe that the Delawareans had some sort of moral obligation to spend the rest of eternity as the doormat of the larger states, we must conclude that there would be no reason for them to accept such a system. And indeed they did not.

This ‘pure’ system was known as the Virginia Plan. The smaller states at the convention responded with the New Jersey Plan, which proposed to create a single house, with representation split equally among the states, each having the same number of seats. At this, the larger states baulked. If Virginia had, say, 20 times the population of Delaware, how could it settle for equal political influence in the single legislative house? How could individual Virginians? Each Delaware voter would have, proportionately, 20 times more influence than each Virginia voter, which could hardly serve the interests of Virginia voters. Such a system would be grossly unfair.

In response to this impasse emerged the Connecticut Compromise, in which the larger and smaller states effectively split the difference. There would be two houses, a lower house in which seats were distributed on the basis of population, and an upper house in which each state had equal representation, with each house having certain unique powers. This brilliant fudge has allowed the United States to boast one of the longest records of continuous democratic government in the world (we will sidestep the U.S. Civil War here out of deference for the sensibilities of our American cousins). However, the vote of a Delawarean is still worth, on net balance, more than that of a Virginian in determining the make-up of the two houses of the legislature. Is this not undemocratic in some sense of the term?

The answer is clearly yes, if one is concerned with democracy-as-ideal. But if one is concerned with democracy-as-mechanism, it is not obvious that this should be so. In terms of the local game between larger and smaller states, the smaller states won. Relative to population, Delaware has proportional influence in Congress, but disproportionate influence in the Senate. Virginia has proportional influence in Congress and disproportionately little influence in the Senate, and has therefore suffered a defeat of a sort. However, in the global game, both states have enjoyed the massive, long-term benefits of being part of a strong, politically unified state with a consensual politics and all the benefits that derive therefrom, resulting in all states being winners on net balance. Perhaps Delaware did ‘win’ in some sense. But the Connecticut Compromise kept all the players in the democratic sweet spot, and they are all, at least in this regard, still in it today.

We start now to see the problem with democracy-as-ideal. There is simply no reason to believe that, in any given case, a system created to implement democracy-as-ideal (however any given individual conceives of it) will even come close to implementing democracy-as-mechanism, and it is democracy-as-mechanism that allows democracy to work. Delaware was simply not morally obliged to sacrifice its interests to further those of Virginia. If Virginia wanted Delaware on board, then it had to give something up. This is real democracy. I can insist that Denmark and Pakistan should form a single democratic state with the Pakistanis winning every single election and referendum, and that the Danes are evil and undemocratic if they disagree. But unless the Danes are simply the dogs and slaves of the Pakistanis, there is no reason for them to accept this, however perfect a democracy some third party might believe would thereby be created.

Democracy-As-Mechanism and Tribalism

Democratic politics faces certain classic and acknowledged problems such as short-termism, slowness in decision-making, and the capturing of policy-making influence by special interests as described by public choice theorists. Ignoring these particular problems, I will continue to cut my own slice through this topic and ask how powerful democracy-as-mechanism is at accomplishing the goals implicit in our two (equivalent) definitions; reconciling divergent interests and keeping all constituencies in a democratic sweet spot.

Imagine we have two uninhabited tropical islands, and 2 million people to be distributed on them to create two separate countries. One million of these people belong to group X and one million to group Y. Groups X and Y are racially, culturally, religiously distinct, with quite different levels of technological, political, and economic achievement. We would like each of our two countries-to-be to operate on the basis of an amicable, democratic politics. This being the case, how should we divide our 2 million people up? Should we put half of each group on each island, thoroughly mixing up X and Y? Or should we keep the groups intact, putting X on one island and Y on the other?

If democracy-as-mechanism were infinitely good at doing what it is supposed to do, it would make very little difference how we split them up. However, I believe that no intellectually serious person could believe that to be true. We are fairly obviously going to improve our chances of having prosperous, functional societies if we put all of A on one island and all of B on another. Does this require explanation?

This brief thought experiment impresses upon us the limitations of democracy-as-mechanism. Reconciling divergent interests is obviously going to become more problematic the greater the divergence in question and the larger the sub-populations belonging to the divergent constituencies. Democracy-as-mechanism is not a magic wand, and there is no reason to believe that all divergences can be resolved in some amicable fashion, or that all, or even a majority, of constituencies in a democratic polity can be kept in the democratic sweet spot at any given time. This is why democracy-as-mechanism has the greatest potential to work well when the divergence of interests in a polity is minor, and the democratic sweet spot commensurately large.

The best way to maximize the chances of this being the case is to ensure that the population of the polity is indeed a demos, a group of people who feel themselves, on the basis of shared ethnicity, religion, language, culture, history, and narrative, to be a single people. I do not wish to romanticize such groups. There is no guarantee whatsoever that a polity inhabited by a demos will be prosperous, peaceful, or even democratic. The ever-present possibility of political, class, and economic strife should remind us that there is no panacea with respect to the human tendency towards division and conflict. My point is simply that many potential sources of strife are absent in a country-with-demos (such as, until recently, Denmark) that are worryingly prevalent in a country-without-demos (such as India), and that the task of would-be democrats in the former is proportionately easier than in the latter.

Note that this point is widely made and not considered controversial when the legacy of, for example, European imperialism in Africa is being discussed. Our unfortunate historical habit of splitting up huge chunks of territory by drawing lines on a map with a ruler has, we are told, created great difficulties for the states that have come into being as a consequence. Tribal groups have been thrust together and ripped apart at random, creating polities that, though supposed to operate democratically, have no chance of doing so in any meaningful way due to their lack of a demos. Taking mutually antipathetic peoples with no overarching civic identity, weak or strong, and expecting to reconcile their divergent interests with any set of policies at all seems absurd. Surely there will be no sweet spot at all on the democratic tennis racket, with all its strokes clunking the ball wildly out of court?

I am not qualified to form a conclusion as to the extent to which this problem is actually responsible for Africa’s troubles with democratic politics (and also not sure that African tribes are contiguous and concentrated enough to have their own states at all, though that is a separate matter). But it seems plausible that it is a very serious problem for these relatively young and fragile states, and theoretical considerations and the empirical evidence both suggest that it is so.

Why then, does this unobjectionable and relatively ‘right on’ argument (Africa’s problems were caused by the white man) become so politically radioactive when it is applied to European politics? Why is it that people who would be the most inclined to accept such an argument in the context of Africa will not accept it in the context of Europe? The reason is that the same idea cuts across two different taboos in completely different directions. For some, it is taboo to suggest that Africa’s problems are anything but the work of the white man, and such people will also be inclined to adhere to the taboo which states that the presence in Europe of ever-larger numbers of Third World peoples, most of them disproportionately criminal, parasitic, and ideologically subversive, can only be a blessing for the Europeans. Thus the schizophrenic conclusions, which make clear the unhappiness of the non-empirical mind.

For my own part, both political developments in Africa and in Europe (and, for that matter, everywhere else) are strongly suggestive of the weakness of democracy-as-mechanism in the face of disparate tribal actors in the same polity. With the same underlying dynamics, we would expect to see the same emerging problems. Are we not all human?

Third-World Tribalism in European Democracies

It is clear to even the most casual observer of human affairs that our species has a tendency to division and strife. I do not suggest that this is the totality of what human beings are; nor am I blind to the great cooperative efforts that we are capable of making. I simply claim here that any large grouping of human beings will find that it contains distinct constituencies whose interests are divergent and not always easily reconciled. Political stability and positive-sum interactions can hardly be taken for granted in any human context.

Sadly, their absence can be taken for granted under circumstances that are now prevalent throughout Europe. If an economically and technologically advanced country whose people enjoy access to great financial and social capital (capital they themselves created) starts to populate itself with racially, culturally, religiously, linguistically different people who hail from decrepit, miserable societies with little in the way of any sort of civilizational achievement at all, at a stroke a situation will be created in which democracy-as-mechanism will be incapable of reconciling the interests of all groups or maintaining all players in any sort of democratic sweet spot at all.

It will be intuitively obvious to anyone suffering from the contamination of untrammeled third-world immigration that this is so, but it is important to understand exactly why. The situation is clearest with respect to Muslims, so let us consider the influx of Somalis into Sweden. I must preemptively discount here the predictable objection that I am ignoring the huge ‘cultural enrichment’ enjoyed by the Swedes as a consequence of their rapidly-growing population of clitoris-choppers and tax-eaters. I would like to keep the discussion serious, and even the most mindless multicultural zombie will eventually realize that gang rape does not enrich its victims.

Every single interaction between Swedes and Somalis in Sweden is at best a zero-sum game, bar none. The enormity of the error the Swedes have committed in allowing Somalis into their country, the sheer mind-numbing magnitude of it, becomes clear when we consider this point carefully. Economically speaking, the Somalis are a huge drain, both in the sense of the direct transfers made to them and the costs of their crime and dysfunctionality. Their horrendous crime rates are part of a game which is zero-sum at best and negative-sum at worst. Simply by virtue of being in Sweden, the Somalis enjoy access to a degree of social capital that their compatriots will never, ever create in their ‘country’ of origin, social capital which has in effect been transferred to them from the Swedes, who now enjoy less due to the crime, pathology, and psychopathology the Somalis have brought with them.

This is bad enough. But even more terrifying is the fact that Sweden is slowly handing political influence to these people in the form of the franchise. Many Somalis are doubtless too far from the Swedish mainstream to consider voting, and others disqualified from doing so due to criminal records. Nonetheless, as the community grows larger and more organized, it will start to corral its votes more effectively. What can the Somali community be expected to vote for in Sweden? Why, the same things that any tribal and dependent population will always vote for: more welfare payments, more immigration from its country of origin, and more political concessions and ‘sensitivity’. Every single one of these things will represent a continuation of the zero-sum games already mentioned. And the ongoing immigration and higher birth rates of the colonizers will simply guarantee that the scale and severity of these games increase with time.

Note that each of these interactions is what I earlier called local. Strictly speaking, even a situation as hideous as this could keep the Swedes in the democratic sweet spot if there were some global interaction which was massively positive sum, with huge compensating benefits for the Swedes. But the exact opposite is in fact the case. Across Europe, mass immigration of hostile and subversive Muslim peoples is shattering the confidence Europeans hold in their elected representatives and political systems, destroying their sense of being in control of their own historic territories, and filling them with justifiable dread for what the future may hold. Muslims and Europeans are not exactly Delaware and Virginia, embarking on the great historical enterprise of building the United States of America together. All the global games are negative-sum in the long term for the Swedes, making Somali immigration an unmitigated catastrophe for them.

There is no democratic sweet spot between the Swedes and the Somalis. Nor will there ever be. The only remaining questions are how exactly things will get bad, and how bad exactly things will get. Democracy-as-mechanism is no more useful in reconciling the divergent interests in this system than a hammer is for sawing a piece of wood in two. If the Swedes had taken in large numbers of, say, South Koreans, who have proved to be model immigrants in the U.S., then the democratic sweet spot would have been large and easy to stay within. But they decided to be ‘compassionate’ with the world’s most degenerate people, and hurl their country out of a 10th-story window in the process. They may not have hit the ground yet, but they are approaching it fast. People who look at the massive influx of Somalis, Iraqis, and other Third World peoples into Sweden and see a happy ending for anyone should explain their reasoning.

The Death of Democracy

Needless to say, the franchise has been extended to alien and hostile peoples in European countries because this is the ‘right’ thing to do. By and large, universal suffrage is accepted in a completely reflexive fashion in the West today. It is one of the most important pillars of democracy-as-ideal as usually conceived. But as we have already established in detail, democracy-as-ideal is not what enables democratic polities to function and prosper. Only democracy-as-mechanism can do that.

Universal suffrage has worked thus far in the West because it has had a useful role to play in the democracy-as-mechanism that evolved to suit the political needs of Western countries. Smeared out to include alien, hostile, and tribal peoples, it will eventually force democracy-as-mechanism to fail. One cannot simply let political influence bleed away to civilizational incompetents who will suck all the marrow out of the bones of a country and then cry for seconds when the carcass is dry. The presence of parasitic Muslim peoples in Europe is an existential problem in its own right. Extending the franchise will simply hasten the death of the status quo, and democracy with it. When though, can we expect it to die?

It is important to understand that, though the status quo is being destroyed by the presence of Muslims, they will not be the ones who finally put a stake through its heart. Their presence destroys it, but they benefit from its continued existence, and will therefore try to maintain it. It will be the rage of Europeans that destroys it, so it will only be destroyed when a sufficiently intense rage exists. If the status quo is still in place, we must ask ourselves why a sufficiently powerful rage has not yet swept it away. There are several reasons for this, which we will consider in turn.

1. Costs per Person

The accumulated per-capita financial and social capital of European countries are, by and large, so huge that there is a great deal of ‘slack’ in the system. By this I mean that a fairly substantial degradation of that capital can take place before things will really start to bite on a personal level. We can be sure, even given the atrocious game structure between Swedes and Somalis as outlined above, that the Swedish people, on average, still enjoy a very high standard of living, even interspersed as their lives may now be with the occasional to-them-inexplicable piece of ‘cultural enrichment’. The withdrawal of the franchise from hostile Muslim aliens is the last thing on their mental horizons. The losers of a string of zero-sum games though they may be, they have still not suffered enough to want to change the system.

2. Switching Costs

The sheer scale of the upheaval that would be required to politically marginalize Muslim fifth columnists and devise a permanent solution to the problem they pose would be so vast that even many who understand the nature of the difficulties will tend to shy away from it. The unacceptability of a given state of affairs is not a guarantee that it will be changed. Just as an unacceptable utilities account (water, electricity, etc.) may go unchanged for some time due to the time and effort that would be involved in changing it (the switching costs, to use the technical term), unacceptable political developments will also go unchallenged for some time due to the costs that reforming the system would require. The costs of allowing the status quo to continue will have to become more severe than one might otherwise expect before a switch will occur.

3. Moral Intimidation

The initial response to criticisms of democracy-as-ideal on the part of a) those who really believe in it, and b) those who simply consider it to work to their advantage, will be to assert that the franchise is a fundamental right of all in a healthy democracy, and that it is fundamentally immoral to suggest taking it away from part of the population. As already explained, this is an assertion of the primacy of democracy-as-ideal, which will, in the long term, only ensure that democracy-as-mechanism fails. Intellectually serious people who propose to defend their countries against foreign invasion and infiltration will pay it little heed. But we are not all equally robust in the face of this moral intimidation, and its ability to cow and silence otherwise concerned individuals is considerable. Having your car incinerated by an Arab is annoying. But for many, being called a racist is a fate worse than death. I do not understand why such charges concern people one way or the other, but that they do is a reality that cannot be ignored.

4. Belief in a Turnaround

Lastly and most pathetically, we have hope and its eternal springing. Maybe ‘they’ (meaning the political class which created the problem) will now solve the problem. Perhaps the Somalis in Sweden will refrain from engaging in their usual criminal antics and perfect quantum computing technology instead. Perhaps the Iraqis will abandon the raping and molesting of Swedish girls and prove (or disprove) Riemann’s Hypothesis, thereby contributing to the general edification of mankind. Well, perhaps they will. But they seem to be getting everything they want out of Sweden already, despite their not-inconsiderable savagery and dysfunctionality. Why try to improve on a winning formula? A turnaround remains unlikely, but as long as people hold out for one, the rejection of democracy as it is currently constituted will not take place.

In Closing

Readers may wonder why I decided to write such a pessimistic essay. After all, I have identified a problem without suggesting that there is much of anything to be done about it.

The scale of the collapse awaiting us in Europe is so vast, and the measures that we will be required to take so severe, that we should be asking ourselves right now what, if anything, can be salvaged of democracy on the other side. It is a sad truth that the existential crisis that Europe has brought onto itself in the form of Islam has not been ameliorated in the slightest bit by democracy as practiced there in the last sixty years. Enlightened dictatorship has rarely looked better.

Whether democracy, in the very long term, is a good idea or not is a question that will be asked more and more frequently in Europe as the crisis worsens. A committed democrat myself, I would like to suggest here that democracy is still just about viable if it is understood rather than romanticized. The latter task seems to have been taken care of already; this essay is my attempt to carry out the former.

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Some people are scared to talk to Mikey Wild. Maybe it’s because he’s a living, breathing South Philly legend. Or maybe it’s because he can be an ornery guy who threatens to burn you with his lighter if he takes a dislike to you.

But some awe is in order, as Wild is the crazy dean of the South Philadelphia punk scene, making his living as a local performer and artist for more than 30 years. You can hear Wild’s honest bawl on area dive-bar jukeboxes, singing classics like “I Hate New York,” and “Chicks With Dicks”—great songs with a swingy grind offsetting Wild’s “Sid Vicious via South Street” vocals. His anthem, “I Was a Punk Before You Were a Punk, Punk” refers to Wild’s unchallenged status as the very first punk rocker in Philadelphia, as frontman for the Hard Ons and the Magic Lanterns, and opening act for punk provokers like Lou Reed and GG Allin on their stops in our fair city in the ’70s. Wild famously upstaged Allin, exposing himself during a rendition of “Chicks With Dicks,” although he’d prefer “not to go into that” these days.

“I do scary psychedelic music now,” Wild says, discussing his new horror-themed solo performances that seem ripped from a ’60s chiller flick. “The lyrics are real scary. I do a song called ‘Zombies in the Basement.’ And another one called ‘Don’t Go in the Cellar.’ I used to come out of a coffin onstage, but I don’t do that anymore. I just play my guitar or my keyboards.”

There’s a lot of laughter at these shows, as Wild plays with ideas of silliness and scariness. When not playing solo, Wild is backed by legendary local punk outfit Scareho, self-described as both “a bad joke that just keeps going” and “an enema recorded with a Dictaphone.” Scareho vocalist and impresario Fran Frank Francis is full of praise for Wild’s authenticity and intensity, as well as his humor.

“The crowd’s laughing with him, and it’s always good times whenever Mikey’s involved,” he says. “But I’ve played with a lot of different musicians, and Mikey gives it 100 percent no matter what. And when it comes to his art or his music, he’s as serious as can be. To know Mikey and to know what he puts into it, he’s pretty amazing.”

Wild is true punk royalty in this town, and his services to Philly music were formally recognized in the 1980s when Wild was anointed “Mayor of South Street” in a formal presentation at the storied rock club J.C. Dobbs. Beloved Philly rock star Alan Mann presided over the ceremony, and bestowed Wild with his official sash. There are still no credible challengers for the office.

If you spend any time on Ninth Street south of South, you’ll run into Wild. At the very least, you’ll see his artwork, which hangs prominently at haunts like 12 Steps Down and Connie’s Ric Rac. Although he’s still known for his music, Wild is now even more popular as a visual artist, represented at the contemporary gallery Pageant : Soloveev.

He pens magic-marker portraits of people in his life, in his head and in popular culture, and sells them at cafes and stores throughout the Italian Market. “Yeah, I do the art. I’m making the big money. I’m selling them for about $5 now,” Wild says dryly, referring to a recent price hike from just $2 per picture.

Recurring themes in Wild’s drawings are giant lizards, horned devils and Santa Claus. Wild also has an obsession with Vincent Price—particularly his performances in Roger Corman’s B-movie horror flicks like The Tomb of Ligeia and The Pit and the Pendulum —which shows up in his work.

Obsession isn’t used lightly here. It’s difficult to overestimate how central Vincent Price is to Wild’s art. Approximately half his drawings depict the actor in some way, although even Wild can’t fully explain the attraction. “I just love the way he acts,” he confesses.

“And now I’m in a movie, playing Vincent Price and his twin brother Brandon,” says Wild, who plays both roles in the short film Paying the Price , a Cain vs. Abel tale in which the “good” brother Brandon is preyed upon by his evil twin, Vincent. Without giving too much away, the plot involves wife-stealing and the kind of general depravity that would make the late Mr. Price very proud. The movie will be released on DVD shortly.

Buoyed by the experience of movie-making, Wild says he’s “looking for shows again” after a brush with illness that brought South Philly punkers together for a Mikey Wild benefit show, and left doctors astounded by his miraculous recovery.

Show bookers and admirers should look for the musician, artist, actor and quintessential Philly renaissance man at Scareho’s summer gigs with the PennJersey She Devils at The Warehouse (1801 W. Indiana Ave.). And don’t be scared to talk to him, since he’s at least 90 percent sweetie-pie. Just as long as you agree that he was “punk before you were punk, punk.” ■

■

Learn more about Mikey Wild at myspace.com/mikeywild, where you can hear his music, purchase

Paying the Price and commission personal artwork.

A possible new pharmacy along Bardstown Road would mean the end of some well-loved Louisville businesses. A developer is in the early stages of exploring leasing the properties in the 2100 block of Bardstown Road to build a CVS.

Why is Chad Ochocinco so undervalued?

As another year of dynasty drafts approach us, I thought it might be worth asking this question. I've already finished up one dynasty draft this year and this issue struck me again (much like it did last year). Referencing the draft I just finished, looking at last year's drafts, and researching his trade value in leagues, I come to the conclusion that Chad is undervalued yet again this year. I come to this conclusion for a few reasons and, I'll apologize in advance to Wayne owners, it comes in direct comparison with Reggie.

If we look at ADP for 2009 and the limited data thus far in 2010, we have:

From fantasyfootballcalculator.com:

Ochocinco
2009 - 39.7 (I didn't see him go before the 5th round in any draft I did last year)
2010 - 5th-6th round

Wayne
2009 - 11.6
2010 - 2nd round

That's a pretty large gap. And I know that fantasy football is a "what have you done for me lately?" hobby. So, last year's ADP following the disastrous Fitzpatrick led 2008 makes sense. And those owners sharky enough to snag him up at that ADP last year reaped the benefits. I'm thinking that this year he represents the same value when you consider a few things.

1. Numbers vs. ADP -- Wayne is still being drafted 3-4 rounds before Chad, even though their numbers aren't far apart (at least not a 3-4 round gap difference). The last 4 years:

Ochocinco




Wayne




2. Age -- Whether you realize it or not, they are basically the same age. Reggie is only 10.5 months younger than Chad. And considering the top physical shape that Chad keeps himself in, you can't discount him vs. Reggie for "age".

Ochocinco - Jan 9, 1978 / 32
Wayne - Nov 17, 1978 / 31

3. Carson Palmer -- Carson will be another off-season and year removed from his elbow injury. I've talked in other threads about what I felt was a tiring of Carson's arm (resulting in his loss of confidence, ineffectiveness, and conservative play-calling). The first half of 2009 he was on pace for his career average numbers and then he just fell off. Considering I don't think he can play any worse than last year (often over/under throwing receivers), Chad's numbers could legitimately go up from 2009. Now, I get the other end of this argument. Reggie has Peyton Manning. That is definitely a valid point. But, I'm not questioning two equally valued players. If that were the case, I'd obviously give the edge to Reggie Wayne.

4. Antonio Bryant -- Chad will have a receiving threat opposite him on the field that he hasn't had since Housh left and, IMO, the best of his career (Henry's untapped potential will always be a mystery). And, as we saw in Seattle, Chad made TJ a lot better than he really was. Bryant is far superior athletically to Housh and that will benefit Chad quite a bit IMO. This is the exact opposite of how I feel about Indy. They have a logjam at the WR spot.....Wayne, Clark (I know he's a TE), Garcon, Collie, and AGonzalez coming back. That's a lot of mouths to feed. Not to mention the targets Addai sees out of the backfield. This should cancel out the feeling of Cincy as a "running team" considering they have fewer WRs to keep happy. However, the majority don't see it this way.

Other than the certainty you get with Peyton, I just don't see the benefit of taking a marginally more productive WR who is the same age 3-4 rounds earlier in a dynasty startup draft. Likewise, I don't get why anyone would be buying a WR who should put up 250+ points at 2nd round prices, when you can get one for a 6th round pricetag. It's all leading back to Chad being very undervalued again this year. Unlike last year, this time I don't get it.

NOTE: On the flip side, this could also be a case of Reggie Wayne being just as overvalued as Chad is undervalued.

My sister in law Trish is a regular reader of Tiny Choices, which tickles me to no end!  And when we were talking the other day, she told me about a tiny choice her and my brother recently made which she thought I should write about here.  And itR17;s a good one, so I agreeR11; [...] Related posts:

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Scott26 provides some sketches and notes to a BMW M1 vs. S1000RR commercial. It reads: In the city traffic a lone superbike (S1000) weaves in between the traffic itR17;s heavenly sound reverberating off the tall skyscrapers that surround the street…and the S1000 RR hits speed as it crosses an interchange, focus on the car that [...]

To make the initial list for the April 3 launch, iPad apps have to be submitted and approved by March 27. Getting onto the launch list is sure to generate a decent number of app sales; making an Editors' Picks or Top Downloads list can launch you into The Bigs: Whether it's sales or just installs and marketshare developers are chasing, the final leg of the race is now. The Kindle app [1] on the iPhone is slick and handy. It's TBD whether this app makes it through Apple's screening process for iPad: Amazon competes directly with Apple's bookstore and cuts them out of the loop completely when you buy books through the Kindle app. Amazon's hedging its bets noting Kindle runs on other "tablet computers" they're expecting to hit the market post-iPad. Apple's expanding [2] its bookstore [3]; Amazon's got a big head start - if the Kindle and Nook apps are accepted, their combined titles will all be available, too. Tens of thousands of Project Guttenberg [4] titles will also be freely available. Padders will have access to the whole shebang. [5]Choose from the photos Vogue selects or upload your own [6]Click the "crosshairs" to find the nearest retailers carrying the look you like On the iPhone's screen, Vogue's shopping app [7] is pretty and cool; with more available space on a tablet, it has a better chance to be useful with added depth and detail to the fashions promoted. There will be more opportunities to reference more - and more-immersive - editorial and advertising from the magazine, too. The current app store gold rush - a $500 million per year business [8] in the US - hasn't nearly peaked. The iPad's bigger screen and all-around beefier specs (faster processor, more storage and expansion capabilities) bring more possibilities to more developers - and consumers, players, interactors. And that's just Apple - Google 's Android Market [9] is coming on strong, and Android OS is designed to run on phones, netbooks, and set-top boxes. The whole "lean-in" vs. "lean-back" experience is yet to be tested on a mass scale: will users interact with these devices more like they do with a laptop, or will they find themselves consuming more passively? Where and what people do with these next-gen tablet [10] computers is difficult to envision completely today because we’re not already immersed in it. The way we engage with our news and entertainment will change and be changed by the halo of products and habits developed around them. Update 1:  Sony's dropping the price of their e-reader [11] just in time for iPad's launch. Price wars are good for you [12]. Update 2: Here's a look at some of the initial "magazines" to be offered on the iPad [13]. It includes a tool from Zinio that lets publishers of all sizes - bloggers, even - format for and take functional advantage of the new tablet computer. [1] http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?docId=1000490441 [2] http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/22/perseus-signs-an-ebooks-deal-for-the-ipad/ [3] http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/03/amazon-and-barnes-noble-plan-to-ride-the-ipad-e-book-train.ars [4] http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/ [5] http://trueslant.com/ppi/files/2010/03/VogueStylist1.png [6] http://trueslant.com/ppi/files/2010/03/VogueStylist.png [7] http://www.stylelist.com/2010/02/25/vogue-launches-free-iphone-app-vogue-stylist/ [8] http://techcrunch.com/2010/03/22/flurry-iphone-games-500-million/ [9] http://www.mobilecrunch.com/2010/03/16/google-android-market-now-serving-30000-apps/ [10] http://trueslant.com/ppi/2010/02/18/subscription-revenues-and-the-ipad/ [11] http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2010/03/22/let-the-e-reader-price-war-begin-sony-drops-to-169/ [12] http://trueslant.com/ppi/2010/03/21/apple-google-duking-it-out-is-good-for-you/ [13] http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/first_looks_magazines_on_the_ipad.php

The big question for the Bulldogs in 2010 is can they go all the way with what seems to be the huge acquisition of Barry Hall?? To be honest, $4.75 to win the flag seems short with the likes of the Cats & the Saints a better bet, but many “experts” are predicting a Bulldogs premiership.

The Bulldogs 2010 list averaged 1190 points in 2009 with an average 2010 price of around $304,300.

Best Buys

Matthew Boyd (midfield) $456,400 – Boyd has seemed to always be the midfielder in the shadows of Cooney & Co, but his stats have always proved otherwise after averaging 103.9 in 2009.

Boyd racked up 30 or more disposals 6 times with a career high of 39 disposals .vs. St Kilda in round 17 & an equal career high 23 handballs .vs. West Coast in round 19. Boyd ranked 3rd in disposals & handballs, 4th in Dreamteam score & disposals per game, 5th in handballs per game, 13th in Dreamteam scores per game & 20th in kicks.

While Boyd just falls short of the elite player, he’s still a handy $23,800 discount.

Jason Akermanis (forward) $413,200 – Averaging 94.0 in 2009, Akermanis can still hold his own in what appears to be his last season of AFL.

Akermanis had an equal career high of 15 handballs .vs. St Kilda in round 17. Akermanis ranked 6th in goal assists, 10th in goals contributed, 15th in goals, 16th in inside 50s, 17th in goals assists per game & 18th in goals contributed per game.

So, Akermanis may not have so much of the spotlight, but with Brad Johnson out & Barry Hall in all probability not getting it all his own way, Akermanis has to get the footy & is an estimated $7,700 discount.

Nathan Eagleton (forward) $352,900 – Averaging 80.3 in 2009, I guess it all depends on how much game time Eagleton will get.

Eagleton had a career high 9 tackles .vs. Richmond in round 3 & ranked 6th in inside 50s & 19th in inside 50s per game. At an estimated $33,600 discount, & with many Bulldog players too expensive, Eagleton’s stats may be tempting with Johnson to miss.

Lindsay Gilbee (defence) $360,900 – Gilbee averaged 82.1 in 2009 & is so motivated for 2010 that how can you pass him up?

Gilbee racked up 30 or more disposals twice career highs of 35 disposals & 19 kicks .vs. Geelong in the 2nd semi final, which doesn’t score, & 11 marks .vs. Adelaide in round 7. Gilbee ranked 16th in kicks & 20th in kicks per game. With an estimated $24,000 discount, Gilbee could be the cheap defender you’re looking for.

Josh Hill (forward) $333,500 – Hill’s 2nd year saw him average 75.9 in 2009 with career highs of 23 disposals & 7 tackles .vs. Carlton in round 5 & 4 goals .vs. Richmond in round 11.

Hill ranked 20th in goal assists & with an estimated $42,600 discount, Hill still performs even when the chips are down & that’s a good sign for an upcoming 3rd year player.

Jarrod Harbrow (forward) $332,400 – Averaging 75.6 in 2009, Harbrow had career highs of 31 disposals & 22 kicks .vs. Brisbane in round 20 & 14 handballs .vs. Collingwood in round 22.

With an estimated $15,200 discount, the smaller forwards will be licking their lips with Hall lurking & Harbrow has the added bonus of a leading type forward.

Mitch Hahn (forward) $309,200 – Averaging 70.4 in 2009, Hahn had a career high 12 marks .vs. Brisbane in round 20.

Hahn ranked 19th in goals & is going to get plenty more of it with the attention focused on Barry Hall. With an estimated $42,900 discount, set your attention to other Bulldog forwards.

Callan Ward (midfield) $309,200 – Ward averaged 70.4 in 2009 playing a full season with his best a career high of 33 disposals & 22 handballs .vs. Port Adelaide in round 12.

Amongst the rising stars, Ward ranked 2nd in inside 50s, 3rd in kicks, tackles & Dreamteam scores, 4th in disposals & handballs, 7th in goals, 8th in goals contributed & 9th in inside 50s per game.

With an estimated $10,200 discount, Ward sounds a better young prospect than Daniel Rich & much cheaper.

Will Minson (ruck) $296,000 – Just making the cut as a good buy, Minson averaged 67.4 in 2009.

Minson had career highs of 23 disposals & 15 handballs .vs. Port Adelaide in round 12, 28 hitouts .vs. Collingwood in round 22 & 9 tackles .vs. Richmond in round 11. Minson comes with a very good estimated $43,100 discount & will get more time in the middle than up forward this season. That’s a handy buy for a cheap ruckman.

Risky Bargain Buys

Ben Hudson (ruck) $273,500 – All of a sudden, Minson becomes the Bulldogs No 1 ruckman with Hudson averaging 62.2 in 2009.

Hudson had career highs of 17 handballs .vs. Essendon & 7 tackles .vs. Adelaide in round 5. Hudson ranked 12th in hitouts & 18th in hitouts per game. With an estimated $44,300 discount Hudson should get a decent run with Minson now spending more time in the middle.

Liam Picken (midfield) $248,300 – Averaging 56.5 in 2009 as a rookie listed player, Picken performed well against the big guns with 21 disposals & 14 handballs .vs. St Kilda, , 8 kicks, 6 marks & 2 goals .vs. Collingwood & 9 tackles .vs. Carlton.

With an estimated $46,600 discount, Picken should get more game time as a fully listed player, but also faces the 2nd year syndrome.

Bulldogs Top 10 2009

1. Matthew Boyd (midfield) $456,400
2. Brad Johnson (forward) $431,400
3. Jason Akermanis (forward) $413,200
4. Daniel Cross (midfield) $420,900
5. Ryan Hargrave (defence) $409,500
6. Adam Cooney (midfield) $396,800
7. Lindsay Gilbee (defence) $360,900
8. Nathan Eagleton (forward) $352,900
9. Brian Lake (defence) $356,900
10. Ryan Griffen (midfield) $372,300

Your Feedback

Will you be having any Western Bulldogs players in your Dreamteam this year? Will you risk suspension with choosing Barry Hall or you been burnt too often? What about Boyd? He is a premium midfielder or do you go for someone like Gibbs instead?

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Related K2K Posts

• Last Minute Dreamteam Questions? (0)
• West Coasts 2010 Dreamteam Preview (1)
• SydneyR17;s 2010 Dreamteam Preview (3)
• 2010 NAB Grand Final Wrapup (5)
• 2010 NAB Grand Final Tips (3)

I want to implement a simple barcode inventory system, but this has lead to surprisingly complicated questions.

The equipment being inventoried is stored at different field locations. The minimal requirement is that someone can go to a field office, scan everything (less than 100 barcode labels), come back to the main office, and sync with a computer there.

The end result should be a file with a list of what was scanned, in some sort of standard format that can then be manipulated by an in-house program.

From what little I can tell, any untethered scanner that has a batch mode will do this and transfer over a text file when synced, in which each new item is separated by a carriage return. Is that correct?

Second question:

Could an expected inventory be uploaded into a more complex scanner, so that while in the field, there is a running count of scanned items vs. the expected # of items? (A display that says something like, 34 of 55 items scanned, for example? And/or that indicates if a scanned item was not an expected one?)

If so, what are the standards involved? How difficult would this hypothetical more comlpicated scanner be to program? What is the "name" of that feature so I can compare prices? Etc.

Third question:

Will any ol' barcode printer do, or are there certain requirements I need to make sure are met in order for a barcode printer and scanner to speak the same languages?

Fourth question:

Any website with a basic introduction to terms, standards, etc., might be helpful. (I've already read wikipedia.)

The Blinkbox chief executive responds to BSkyB's claims that the TV-on-demand project is unnecessary and will damage rivals

There has been a great deal of recent discussion about the merits – or lack thereof – of Project Canvas. In assessing its value, the litmus test surely has to be "Does Canvas benefit consumers who want to watch internet video on their TV?" Clearly it does.

Canvas promises to create an open, standardised platform where consumers will be able to view programming from a vast number of video providers across a broad range of devices. Viewers will be able to access catchup TV, blockbuster movies, US TV series and a host of great programming from the internet on their TV sets. This will bring to-life domestic TVs with 100s of great "video apps" (comparable to iPhone apps) in addition to regular channels.

The characteristics of being open and standardised are key for consumers. An open, not-for-profit platform like Canvas ensures that viewers gain access to the largest selection of programmes at the lowest price. As Canvas will be subscription-free, it means the consumer doesn't have to go through someone else's paywall to find content. To put it more simply, and here lies the truth behind the objections from a few commercial parties, viewers can watch shows without having to be locked into a 12-month contract with a cable or satellite provider.

It also means that the end price for consumers, when they buy or rent programmes, is lower. As a streaming service for Hollywood movies and TV shows, Blinkbox relies on micropayments for revenue, and from a £1.99 movie rental, we operate on tight margins. When we offer consumers programming through a service like Canvas, we can lower our prices because we do not have to share revenues with the platform.

For content providers and users alike, Canvas will provide a range of benefits from a common standard for internet video on TVs. As consumers, we all appreciate the ease of use of a common standard and the annoyance of waiting for a standard to emerge. Canvas is not only helping to establish the standard, but is fast-forwarding a process that would otherwise take far longer. A common standard also lowers the prices consumers pay. Service providers are not burdened with having to supply different formats for every TV/set-top box combination, driving down costs and lowering prices to viewers

Common standards also help foster innovation and creativity. Far from BSkyB chief operating officer Mike Darcey's suggestion that Canvas will deter "commercial players from launching new products and services", it will do the exact opposite: encouraging companies to develop apps in much the way that the iPhone has fostered a huge growth in externally created applications.

I simply cannot accept Darcey's claim that the "user interface [UI] being imposed will prevent companies improving their offering by differentiating their product": the opposite will occur. Again, just look at the iPhone; a slick UI but plenty of room for content providers to present their content however they choose, and huge innovation.

Freeview was successful because it offered users an attractive, subscription-free alternative to pay-TV, backed up by an educational and brand-building programme to make customers aware of the benefits. Canvas will do much the same, and as a result, the consumers will benefit most.

Michael Comish is chief executive of the video-on-demand service Blinkbox

Last week I wrote a post about retrieving data from an OData feed by using classes that were generated by the OData SDK for PHP. This week I will go one step farther and look at how to perform CREATE, UPDATE, and DELETE operations (CRUD operations) with the generated classes. Of course, this means that I need access to a read-write service, so before writing PHP code for CRUD operations, I’ll walk you through the steps for creating a service that implements the OData protocol.

But first, the requirements…

 

Requirements

I want to make note of a couple of things before starting in hopes of saving you some frustration as you work through this post. Note that there is a free option for each required Microsoft product in this list:

1. You will need SQL Sever Express with the Northwind example database installed.
2. You will need Visual Web Developer 2008 Express (free), Visual Studio 2008 SP1, Visual Web Developer 2010 Express, or Visual Studio 2010.
3. You will need to enable the cURL and XSL extensions in your PHP installation.

 

Creating an OData Service

To create an OData service that is based on the Northwind example database, follow these steps:

1. If you have Visual Web Developer 2008 Express or Visual Studio 2008 SP1, follow the instructions in the Quickstart here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc668796.aspx. If you have Visual Web Developer 2010 Express or Visual Studio 2010, you can follow the Quickstart here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc668796(VS.100).aspx.

2. After completing the Quickstart, change the project properties so that the service is handled by the local Web server, not the development sever that is part of Visual Studio. (If you are on Vista or Windows 7, you will need to restart Visual Studio with Administrator privileges to do this.)

     a. Right-click the project name in Solution Explorer and select Properties.

     b. Click the Web tab on the Properties page, select Use Local IIS Web Server, and click Create Virtual Directory.

At this point, you should be able to access the service metadata with the following URL: http://localhost/NorthwindService/Northwind.svc/$metadata. You should also be able to access Customers data with the following URL: http://localhost/NorthwindService/Northwind.svc/Customers, but note that accessing this data requires that the identity under which your Web Server is running must map to a valid SQL Server login. (For more information, check out one of my past posts: Understanding Windows Authentication.)

 

Generating Proxy Classes with the OData SDK for PHP

Now that I have an OData service, I need to generate proxy classes that allow me to write clean code to consume the service. To do that, I follow these steps (which are essentially the same steps in last week’s post):

1. Download the OData SDK for PHP here: http://odataphp.codeplex.com/.

2. Follow the directions in the Installation and Configuration section of the User_Guide.htm file (in the doc directory of the SDK download).

Note: There is a small mistake in the user guide. You will need to capitalize the library path variable that you add to your php.ini file (step 4 in the Installation and Configuration section):

     ;Odata SDK for PHP Library Path
     ODataphp_path = "C:\PHPLib\odataphp"

3. Don’t forget to re-start your Web server after making changes to your php.ini file.

4. (Optional) Add your PHP installation directory to your PATH environment variable. This will allow you to run PHP scripts from any directory.

Now I can generate a file (NorthwindProxies.php) that contains my proxy classes with the PHPDataSvcUtil.php tool from the command line:

php C:\PHPLib\odataphp\PHPDataSvcUtil.php /uri=http://localhost/NorthwindService/Northwind.svc /out=C:\PHPLib\odataphp\NorthwindProxies.php

This will generate the NorthwindProxies.php file in the C:\PHPLib\odataphp directory.

 

CRUD Operations with the Generated Classes

The generated NorthwindEntities class manages all the in-memory objects that represent tables, rows, relationships, etc. in the database. So to create a new object, I just create a new customer with the static CreateCustomers method, add it to the in-memory collection of Customers, then save the changes I’ve made to the in-memory collection:

$proxy = new NorthwindEntities();

//Create a Customer with the static CreateCustomers method. The parameters are CustomerID and CompanyName
$customer = Customers::CreateCustomers("BRIAN", "Brian’s Diner");

//Add the new customer to the in-memory collection of Customers 
$proxy->AddObject('Customers', $customer);

//Save the in-memory changes to the database.
$proxy->SaveChanges();

Updating is similar. Note that if an object is already in the in-memory collection, I don’t have to execute a query to get it. This code assumes that the object I want to update is not already in the in-memory collection:

$proxy = new NorthwindEntities();

//Get the object to be updated.
$response = $proxy->Execute ("Customers('BRIAN')");
$customer = $response->Result[0];

//Update the CompanyName property
$customer->CompanyName = "Microsoft";

//Add the object to the list of objects that need to be updated
$proxy->UpdateObject($customer);

//Save changes to the database 
$proxy->SaveChanges();

No surprises when deleting an object:

$proxy = new NorthwindEntities();

//Get the object to delete.
$response = $proxy->Execute ("Customers('BRIAN')");
$customer = $response->Result[0];

//The object is added to the list of objects to delete in the database
$proxy->DeleteObject($customer);

//SaveChanges persists the changes in the database 
$proxy->SaveChanges();

That’s it. And once again, I’ve revealed only a small part of the functionality that is available in the SDK. You can investigate more on your own by looking at the user guide (User_Guide.htm in the doc directory of the SDK download). If you have questions or if there is something you’d like to learn more about, please let me know.

Thanks.

-Brian

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Note: I have to confess up front that I cannot take credit for this list, but it was recently forwarded to me and I wanted to share…

As a follow on from my post on performance, here is a set of resources that are Microsoft and 3rd party that might be of interest. They are primarily technical, but will be a big help when looking at architecting your virtualization solution..

160;

Title of Performance Materials

Hyper-V performance comparison: Microsoft Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 with Intel Xeon processor X5570- and E5450-based servers http://www.principledtechnologies.com/clients/reports/Microsoft/HyperVR2_0709.pdf

1,000,000 IOPS with iSCSI - That's Not a Typo… http://communities.intel.com/community/openportit/server/blog/2010/01/19/1000000-iops-with-iscsi--thats-not-a-typo

AMD and Windows Server 2008 R2 + Virtualization https://academymobile.microsoft.com/AcademyLive/Pages/PodcastDetail.aspx?itemId=1571&psid=,16385,&caid=&csId=%257b38cf0515-9906-482a-8fd5-8e79ce78830f%257d%2540%257bF933AF51-7E82-4A33-BCF8-BCA268E54679%257d

NetApp Solution Guide: Microsoft Exchange Server, SQL Server, SharePoint Server Mixed Workload on Microsoft Hyper-V and NetApp Fabric MetroCluster http://media.netapp.com/documents/tr-3804.pdf

Avanade - IT Firm Virtualizes Databases: Trims Servers 85 Percent, Ups Performance 50 Percent http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/Case_Study_Detail.aspx?CaseStudyID=4000006429

Virtual Hard Disk Performance - Windows Server 2008 / Windows Server 2008 R2 / Windows 7 http://blogs.msdn.com/tvoellm/archive/2010/02/27/windows-server-2008-r2-virtual-hard-disk-vhd-performance-paper.aspx

Windows Server Performance Team Blog - Windows Server Operating System Performance information, tools and discussion http://blogs.technet.com/winserverperformance/

Microsoft Hyper-V 2008 R2 IDE vs. SCSI Performance http://www.nodnarb.net/post/2009/11/30/Microsoft-Hyper-V-2008-R2-IDE-vs-SCSI-Performance.aspx

Benchmarking Hyper-V on Windows Server 2008 R2 x64 http://capitalhead.com/articles/benchmarking-hyper-v-on-windows-server-2008-r2-x64.aspx

Virtualization Performance of SAP ERP* Solutions on the Intel Xeon Processor 5500 Series with Microsoft Hyper-V http://download.intel.com/business/software/testimonials/downloads/xeon5500/323041.pdf

A Performance Comparison of AMD OpteronTM Processors with Microsoft® Hyper-VTM Server 2008 R2 http://www.dell.com/downloads/global/products/pedge/en/poweredge-amd-hyperv-whitepaper.pdf

Implementing Microsoft® Windows Server® 2008 R2 Hyper-V™ and Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 on HP ProLiant servers http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c01925882/c01925882.pdf?jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN

How do NASCAR drivers recover from a race? By relaxing, hanging out and...changing tires?

On Monday, buddies Scott Speed and Kyle Busch had an idea: For $100, see who can change tires the fastest.

They went to Kyle Busch Motorsports to test their skills, as seen in this video from Joe Gibbs Racing athletic director Michael Lepp.

Check out Speed changing the front tires (in blue) and Busch changing the rears.

Who won? Watch the video to find out.

Gary McCormick & Bill Murray

In an historic meeting (our first interview with a sitting PRSA chair since early 2006) this writer and O’Dwyer editor Kevin McCauley met with chair Gary McCormick and president Bill Murray for nearly an hour March 19 in O’Dwyer offices.

We think all would agree that no one budged an inch on any of the issues raised.

We again stated our demand that the Society pay us at least $200,000 for the more than 50,000 copies of our articles that it sold up until 1994, when we exposed the practice. (PDF of four-page study).

The Society, while admitting no wrongdoing, immediately removed all our articles from the information packets, joined the Copyright Clearance Center, and announced that info pack prices were raised from $20 to $41 for members and $55 to $76 for non-members.

O’Dwyer articles constituted a quarter to a third of some of the 60-70 page packets.

CCC made the Society join its most expensive service, reserved for publishers who set prices for individual articles, because what the Society was selling was not “education,” but “professional development.”

Users of the service hoped to make or save money, hoped to improve their job skills, by using the advice in the articles.

Heavily copied O’Dwyer articles included one on “How to Hire a PR Firm,” copied and sold thousands of times. Packet volume was 3,800 in one year. Other articles told PR firms how to write contracts with clients, how to place stories in general and specialty media, etc.

Thousands of Society members were able to read O’Dwyer articles without paying us a nickel.

Society Saw “No Financial Harm”

Yet Joe Vecchione, 1994 president, wrote to Society leadership: “We do not believe we are in violation of the copyright laws nor have we caused Mr. O’Dwyer any financial harm.”

Both statements were absurd. The Authors Guild made the same comment when we showed them the Society’s practice.

Since then, the Society has been on a flight from reality, embarking on an all-out campaign to vilify this reporter and the O’Dwyer Co. rather than take up the responsibility for the unauthorized sale of hundreds of thousands of copies of works by authors without their permission.

A dozen authors hired a law firm and pressed for a lawsuit. But none of their publishers would back them. The copied authors, unable to afford the $200K needed to wage the suit, were left twisting in the wind.

But the moral obligation to pay them, in the form of money and ads for their books, remains.

M&M; Believe We Are Evil Incarnate

McCormick and Murray presented a list of O’Dwyer behaviors that they say are so offensive that the Society will have absolutely nothing to do with us. That includes letting us join or buy ads or having our questions answered by Society staffers.

This vilification has been spread to the 100+ chapters for nearly two decades. No chapter president will talk to us much less buy any O’Dwyer products.

A sure route to ostracism at the Society is for a member to be caught talking to or helping the O’Dwyer Co.

Whether this war has hurt the O’Dwyer Co. is open to question since a lot of our readers like to hear about the almost endless shenanigans of the Society.

It has not done the Society any good because membership is only a little above the 19,800 members it had in 1998. More importantly, the Society has failed to live up to its lofty ethical standards.

We offer to publicly debate McCormick and Murray on these issues with the proceeds going to victims of the Haitian earthquake or the groups that help families of slain and imprisoned journalists.

Alternatively, we would like a trial before 12 PR pros in which we present our copious evidence. Only two should be APR. Others should be corporate and agency PR executives and several reporters.

Biggest Offense: Gail Baker

Gail Baker

Pressed for concrete reasons for our ostracism, McCormick and Murray pointed to the full page attack on us in the Sept. 2008 Tactics. We had given them a copy of this attack along with a dozen pages on the copying scandal and the Society’s help to PR Week/U.S. when it was launched in 1998.

The board’s letter, after accusing this writer of stepping “far beyond the bounds of accurate and professional reporting,” specifically referred to our e-mailing and calling superiors of Prof. Gail Baker of the University of Nebraska in early 2008 (although neither Baker nor the University were named in the letter).

Baker had become Ethics Board chair although she had never served on the EB, a break with tradition. She wouldn’t return our phone calls or e-mails, which we consider unethical, especially in an EB chair.

Baker was Engraved Opportunity

Although past EB chairs such as Bob Frause or Dave Rickey worked for themselves or a corporation and also didn’t talk to us, an EB chair at an educational institution represented a golden opportunity to us.

Plagiarism or even failure to properly credit an idea taken from another educator are cardinal sins in academia.

One can imagine what educators would think of the massive copying and sale of articles without their authors’ permission that the Society engaged in for many years.

We presented documentation of this practice by e-mail to University Chancellor John Christensen at 11:55 a.m. on March 20, 2008. Less than four hours later, at 3:49 p.m., staffer Joseph DeRupo e-mailed us that Baker was no longer EB chair. The school had obviously given her a choice: stay as EB chair or stay with U of N.

So the full page attack on us in Tactics was based on a faulty investigation of what happened.

We did no wrong. The Society refused to give us space in Tactics for our version of this incident and McCormick and Murray reiterated that stand on March 19.

Audit Chair Unfairly Attacked

Another one of our unforgiveable offenses was attempting to question 2009 audit chair James Finkle, managing editor of Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean, Va., $4 billion consulting firm that mainly works for the government.

Finkle had no business being audit chair since he had no formal financial background and was not even on the board as demanded by Sarbanes-Oxley.

The Society’s website pledges “commitment” to SOX.

Attempts to reach Finkle by phone or e-mail resulted in an e-mail from him saying he had never heard of the O’Dwyer Co.

When further questions were sent to him we got a phone call and e-mail from a BAH lawyer warning us not to try to contact Finkle again.

According to Murray, this was another instance of us abusing our role as a reporter.

Query to Fiske Was Rebuffed

Not mentioned at the meeting March 19 was another instance of us “going far beyond the bounds of accurate and professional reporting.”

Rosanna Fiske, chair-elect, talking about herself on sources available on Google, says she is the daughter of a famous photojournalist who traveled the world taking pictures of kings and heads of state.

But when we asked Fiske to give us the name of her father, we were accused of improperly invading her personal life and causing her distress that could lead to charges of harassment against us, a criminal offense.

Fiske, a PR professor at Florida International University who is making her fourth trip to the board (although Society founders decreed that directors are not to succeed themselves and everyone on the board is a director), has stressed her Hispanic background. However, bio details provided on the internet say she is also Jewish, French and Chinese.

Why won’t she discuss this with us?

Unkindest Cut: Comparison to Hapsburgs

An especially unforgiveable offense was saying that leadership suffers from too much inbreeding like the Hapsburgs who developed physical and mental deformities. [Story link]

We stand behind our view that picking leaders from the fewer than 20% of members who are APR for more than 35 years has resulted in an deepening of anti-democratic, anti-communications and anti-New York practices.

The APRs are a special class of members who believe their APR status makes them better than the other members.

Only a few percentage points of the 20% are actually available for office-holding as evidenced by the return of numerous directors to the board after leaving it.

The founders did not want a self-perpetuating clique running things which is just what happened.

We Called Them Nazis?!

Another capital offense we are allegedly guilty of is calling Society leaders “Nazis.”

What we have said and wrote is that it took decades for the victims of the Nazis to collect reparations and that, like them, we would never give up on trying to collect for our copied articles.

We were encouraged in our pursuit by Horst Avenarius, 2008 chair of the German Council for PR.

There is no “statute of limitations” on righting a wrong, Avenarius told us, specifically mentioning efforts by German companies to conceal “their behavior in connection with forced labor during World War II or the expropriations of Jewish possessions.”

Avenarius said “transparency is the lifeblood of our information society” and this includes “transparency without any reservation in the accounting of past events involving the misconduct of an organization.” [Story link]

The Society should follow the ethical practices of the Council which has an enforceable ethics code. Offenders are publicly chastised.

Blatant Anti-New York Practices

As for anti-New York practices, the move of h.q. downtown is evidence enough. New York director Lynn Appelbaum only agreed to join the board after two nominating deadlines had passed. New York influence on the board approaches zero.

Further evidence of this bias is that the 2013 national conference will be in Philadelphia although that city hosted the conference in 2007.

Bypassed again is New York, which had the biggest conference ever in 2004—attendance of 4,000 spurred by a keynote address by Donald Trump. Previous New York location was in 1990.

McCormick and Murray said one reason for picking Philadelphia is that hotel rooms are only $150 while they are $300-$400 in New York.

We don’t buy that. We think the 25-35 staffers who go to the conference (when at one time only 5-6 went and local members were used) like out-of-town because it’s 7-10 days of living on the Society expense account. We agree they work hard.

But New York has upwards of 20,000 PR and IR pros plus the national media and numerous associations. Philadelphia has nowhere near that reservoir of potential attendees.

New York is also a much more convenient location for exhibitors and saves hotel and travel expenses for staffers.

PRSA vs. O’Dwyer Is Apples vs. Oranges

The Society’s casting of aspersions on our reporting ethics and accusing us of unfair verbal attacks on leaders, in response to our documented charges that it illegally copied and sold our articles, is a case of apples vs. oranges.

We are accusing it of palpable intellectual theft and they are accusing us of saying bad things about them.

It’s like someone stealing our car and refusing to return it because we denounced them. Oooooh. We have hurt their feelings. We have offended them.

Ignored by the Society are our positive suggestions: that Prof. Tim Penning’s essay in Tactics on PR being debate, discussion and dialogue be put on the Society website; that members be given a complete list of Assembly delegates; that Society financials be distributed early in the year (which 1997 president Debra Miller did); that the 2010 Assembly be audiocast; that the June 4-5 “Leadership Rally” be converted to a spring Assembly; that minues of board meetings be distributed two weeks after the meeting and not two to five months later, and that APR be removed from throughout the bylaws (as recommended by the 1999 Strategic Planning Committee).

(10 votes - 4 comments - 274 views)
LOL. Love its head movements.

From http://icanhascheezburger.com/2010/03/17/funny-pictures-kitteh-vs-lazer/ ...

This is the last in a series previewing the teams the Cubs play this season. This year's interleague opponents include, as always, the White Sox (home and away), as well as the AL West clubs. The Cubs will host the Angels and Athletics (they still have not visited the Oakland Mausoleum), and take road trips to play the Rangers and Mariners. It will be the Cubs' second trip to Seattle (the first was in 2002) and Texas (they went to Arlington in 2007).

Once again, the team previews after the jump are in no particular order.

Chicago White Sox -- 2009: 3rd place AL Central, 79-83

The Cubs and White Sox have already met four times in spring training, so there's a familiarity -- even though the Sox have made significant changes from their team of last year. Gone are Jermaine Dye, Scott Podsednik, Chris Getz and DH Jim Thome (who was traded to the Dodgers last year and not brought back, even though he wanted to return). The Sox plan to go with a "DH by committee", according to Ozzie Guillen. Plans for "(baseball idea) by committee" rarely work and in my opinion, it seems likely that by midseason Andruw Jones, who has reported to camp in better shape than he's been in for years, will be the Sox primary DH. At the very least, they'll probably wind up platooning Jones and Mark Kotsay in the role.

The White Sox' strength this year will be starting pitching. Jake Peavy appears healthy and ready to take on the #1 role they envision for him. I still wonder whether his numbers, great in Petco, will stack up the same way in a league with better hitting, and in a home park that's known as a launching pad. Mark Buehrle, John Danks and Gavin Floyd make up a very strong first four. The fifth spot appears to still be up for grabs; Freddy Garcia, Daniel Hudson and Carlos Torres (who threw seven shutout innings vs. the Cubs last September 3) are candidates.

The rest of the Sox team appears to be an attempt to reconstitute the 2002 All-Star team, with the signings of Jones, Juan Pierre and Omar Vizquel (although Pierre finished 10th in MVP voting in 2003, he's never been on an All-Star team). I'm not quite sure how this aging of the roster is going to produce a winner, but Kenny Williams has never really cared what anyone else thinks. He makes bold moves. Sometimes they work -- he got a World Series title out of some of them -- and sometimes they don't.

Texas Rangers -- 2009: 2nd place AL West, 87-75

The Rangers surprised a lot of people in 2009 with their second-place finish (and contention for a wild card). A lot of credit was given to new pitching coach Mike Maddux; Nolan Ryan, now team president, put an emphasis on pitching and Maddux's pitching staff beat the league average in ERA, although they finished 10th in runs allowed. Scott Feldman, after having been a mediocre reliever/spot starter for several seasons, broke through with a 17-8 year in which he finished 16th in the AL with a solid 1.28 WHIP. He'll lead a staff that has added former Cub Rich Harden. Harden hasn't looked good yet in spring training, though. The Rangers' bullpen was also better than expected last year; a name to watch is Neftali Feliz, who could wind up as a relief help, or even in the rotation.

Texas' offense has always been their strength, ever since the hitter-friendly Whatever They're Calling That Ballpark At Arlington opened in 1994. The Rangers scored 784 runs with Josh Hamilton missing much of the year due to injury. Ian Kinsler and Nelson Cruz both hit 30+ home runs to pick up the slack. Marlon Byrd's departure opens CF for Julio Borbon, a minor league speedster. Vladimir Guerrero will attempt to resurrect his career as the DH.

The Rangers will be the Cubs' first interleague opponent, on the weekend of May 21-22-23; this will include a rare Fox-TV Saturday night date at 6:10 pm CDT on May 22.

Los Angeles Angels -- 2009: 1st place AL West, 97-65

This year will be a real test of the managerial skills of Mike Scioscia, generally recognized as one of the best in the game. In his 10 years as Angels manager, Scioscia has guided them to six playoff berths and a World Series. The last five postseason appearances have all ended in losses, though, and after six straight years of 89+ wins, the Angels said goodbye to several mainstays via free agency: the above-mentioned Vlad, plus Chone Figgins (who will face the Angels many times in his new role as a Seattle Mariner) and rotation star John Lackey.

Longtime top Angels prospect Brandon Wood, who burst on the scene with a .321/.381/.667, 43 HR, 116 RBI season between two minor league levels in 2005, will finally get a shot at the third base job -- the job is his to lose. He's almost exactly the same age as Felix Pie (one month younger), so you can see how some prospects can rise or fall. The rap on Wood is that he strikes out too much. If he can conquer that, the Angels could have a top power hitter.

They lured Hideki Matsui away from the Yankees to replace Vlad at DH. With no pressure to play the outfield at all, Matsui, who turns 36 in June, should provide consistent power and OBA (lifetime: .370).

Replacing Lackey may not be as easy. The Angels signed Joel Pineiro as a free agent. He takes Lackey's spot in the rotation -- Jered Weaver becomes LAA's #1 -- but will he replace Lackey's production? Pineiro had a fine comeback year for the Cardinals last year; was that a product of Dave Duncan, or has he really gotten back to his earlier productive self, when he was a Mariner? Pineiro is only 31, so he may still have some good years left.

The Angels make their first-ever visit to Wrigley Field on June 18, 19 and 20.

Oakland Athletics -- 2009: 4th place AL West, 75-87

GM Billy Beane rolls the dice often. Last year he acquired Matt Holliday, hoping Holliday would provide some of the "bash" that the A's have been famous for over the last couple of decades. Instead, Holliday's numbers in Oakland were mediocre (some say adjustments he made at the suggestion of new Cardinals batting coach Mark McGwire were responsible for that), and Beane traded him to St. Louis for the half of the Cardinals farm system that didn't go to Cleveland for Mark DeRosa.

None of those players will help the A's this year, so Beane's productive (well, at least it used to be) farm system will have to help out. Also, Billy acquired veterans Kevin Kouzmanoff and Coco Crisp to fill vacancies at third base and center field, respectively. Kouzmanoff is the type of player who, if he ever could play a full season in a hitter's park, might put up a .300/30/100 season. Unfortunately for him, he's played most of his career in the hitter's graveyard known as Petco, and the Oakland Mausoleum isn't likely to help him. I suppose a lot of Cubs fans will be watching the A's to see how ex-Cub Jake Fox does this year, too.

The A's also signed Ben Sheets, in one of the most head-scratching moves of the offseason. Oakland finished last in the AL West in 2009 and isn't likely to contend this year. Sheets got pounded early in spring training, but had a good outing vs. the Cubs last weekend. The pundit consensus is that Beane is probably hoping that Sheets has a good first half so he can ship him off for more prospects.

I was hoping the Cubs would go to Oakland this year -- they have not yet played there -- but the series will be at Wrigley, June 15-16-17. The A's last played at Wrigley in 2004, the only time the teams have met in the regular season. The Cubs won two of three.

Seattle Mariners -- 2009: 3rd place AL West, 85-77

The Mariners are a puzzle. In 2008 I thought they'd win the AL West. They lost 101 games, so I picked them to do that again in 2009. Instead, they floated around the edges of contention last year and wound up with an apparently solid 85-77 record.

That might have been a mirage. The Mariners scored 640 runs -- dead last in the AL, and that total would have been pretty bad in the lower-offense NL, too (15th). They allowed 692 runs, making a Pythagorean projection for a W-L record of 75-87.

If you've studied how Pythagorean projections forecast future performance, you know that teams that outperform their projection by a significant margin tend to regress in the following season. You need look no further than the 2007-08 Diamondbacks for an example. Arizona won 90 games and the NL West title in 2007, despite being outscored by 20 runs (712-732). Their projection that year was for a 79-83 record, and sure enough, in 2008 they almost matched that, going 82-80.

So if that pattern holds, the Mariners should be forecast to regress by as many as ten wins. Do I believe that? Yes, and with this Seattle team, almost anything can happen. They do happen to have one of the best pitchers in baseball with King Felix Hernandez, who finished second in AL Cy Young voting last year, won 19 games with a 2.49 ERA, and he won't be 25 until next month. The Mariners added former Indian and Phillie star Cliff Lee, only to have Lee get into a beanball war in spring training that may cost him a start during the regular season. Still, those two are a solid top of the rotation. The rest of Seattle's rotation: not so much.

They'll have to try to win with that and a pretty decent bullpen. Ichiro is, well, Ichiro, still going strong at 36; Chone Figgins will help offensively, but he's really their only big threat. 40-year-old Ken Griffey Jr. struggled last year, hitting .214/.324/.411. He's there to be a franchise icon and sell some tickets. He is fifth on the all-time HR list with 630, 30 short of Willie Mays. Griffey hit 19 homers last year; I suppose, if he's healthy and motivated, he could muscle up enough to have one last 30-HR salvo. If you don't believe older players can do this -- have one final great season at an older age -- check out Ted Williams, who hit 38 HR and .388 at age 38 in 1957, or Stan Musial, who hit .330 and nearly won a batting title in 1962 at age 42, after having a couple of years almost as bad as Griffey's the last couple years.

The Cubs have played the Mariners twice, once in Seattle in 2002 (the Cubs won two of three), and once in Chicago in 2007 (again, two of three for the Cubs). This time, the series will be in Seattle, on June 22, 23 and 24.

Oh, and the Mariners have a new left fielder this year. He may or may not have an impact on the team.

Change, transformational change is here; the health-care debate has become health-care legislation. But last night's vote in the House is more than a victory for liberalism, more than a life-saving, debt-reducing transformational policy change: the vote is a victory of reason and fact over fear. In a column today full of angry pride, Paul Krugman wrote, the emotional core of opposition to reform was blatant fear-mongering, unconstrained either by the facts or by any sense of decency ... and then This is, of course, a political victory for President Obama, and a triumph for Nancy Pelosi, the House speaker. But it is also a victory for America’s soul. In the end, a vicious, unprincipled fear offensive failed to block reform. This time, fear struck out. via Op-Ed Columnist - Fear Strikes Out - NYTimes.com [1]. And he's right, regardless of your policy preference or political philosophy (liberal vs. conservative), the Republican power structure from Palin to Grassley to Gingrich chose racism and fear as the battleground for the debate. [2]But how is this any of my business? I write about things like technology and health, about the psychology of emerging technologies; politics is not my "beat." Well, I want to send kudos to my T/S colleague Rick Ungar [3] whose writing became my guide through the complex health-insurance reform story. Rick is one of the people who fought fear with reason and fact. He deserves a "shout-out." Whenever there was news about health-care reform I increasingly found myself thinking, "hmm, wonder what Rick thinks about this?" His piece The inevitability of an American single-payer health system [4], regardless of agreement with his forecast, frames the issues with reason and fact, not fear. And when the complexities of the discussion got the better of me, his page was where I went:  A short summary of the health care reconciliation bill [5] remains the clearest explanation of the issues I've seen. I know we're not done, there is that reconciliation thing still to come in the Senate. But, thanks in part to Ungar's page, I've been able to follow history's first draft of the story about the creation of this transformational policy. [1] http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/22/opinion/22krugman.html?hp [2] http://trueslant.com/toddessig/files/2010/03/rickungar_136.jpg [3] http://trueslant.com/rickungar [4] http://trueslant.com/rickungar/2009/09/20/the-inevitability-of-an-american-single-payer-health-system/ [5] http://trueslant.com/rickungar/2010/03/19/a-short-summary-of-the-health-reconciliation-bill/