Interesting story in yesterday's WSJ on how Tiger Woods Protected His Image (sub req):
Mr. Woods had cut an unusual deal with American Media Inc., the owner of both Men's Fitness magazine and the National Enquirer tabloid newspaper. Mr. Woods agreed to the cover shot and photo spread in Men's Fitness, whose circulation of about 700,000 per issue is less than half of Golf Digest's nearly 1.7 million, in return for the National Enquirer squelching a story and photographs purportedly showing Mr. Woods in a liaison with a woman who wasn't his wife, according to people directly involved in the arrangement.
I imagine these "access for control" sort of deals are actually fairly common between celebrities and the media who cover them. You have to wonder how often this also occurs in the world of politics.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Northern Alliance Radio Network
The Northern Alliance Radio Network is back LIVE for a pre Christmas broadcast extravaganza.
It all starts at 11AM (central) with John Hinderaker and me running down the week's highlights, including I'm sure the lastest in ill-considered, rushed through, and destructive public policy for health care and global warming. Two A-list guests are also scheduled.
At 11:15, the best movie reviewer in the country, John Nolte of Big Hollywood. We'll be talking about all the lastest releases and what's worth seeing this holiday season.
Then at noon we have Terry Teachout, drama critic for the Wall Street Journal and proprietor of his own blog, About Last Night. We'll be talking about his terrific new biography, Pops: A Life of Louis Armstrong.
Plus, Loon of the Week, This Week in Gatekeeping, and much, much more.
Remember, The Northern Alliance Radio Network starts at 11AM Central, locally on AM1280 the Patriot. Streaming LIVE worldwide at their web site. You can join the conversation at 651-289-4488. Following us at 1 PM, Mitch Berg and Ed Morrissey. Also, don't forget at 9 AM King Banaian over at KYRC (Business 1570).
Also, special mention for The David Strom Show at 9 AM on the Patriot. Unfortunately, it looks like this is David's final broadcast. For fans of his always intelligent and lively show, this is sad news. David is one of the truly good guys involved in local politics and his regular presence on the radio airwaves will be missed. We wish him the best and hope to hear him surface somewhere else soon.
It all starts at 11AM (central) with John Hinderaker and me running down the week's highlights, including I'm sure the lastest in ill-considered, rushed through, and destructive public policy for health care and global warming. Two A-list guests are also scheduled.
At 11:15, the best movie reviewer in the country, John Nolte of Big Hollywood. We'll be talking about all the lastest releases and what's worth seeing this holiday season.
Then at noon we have Terry Teachout, drama critic for the Wall Street Journal and proprietor of his own blog, About Last Night. We'll be talking about his terrific new biography, Pops: A Life of Louis Armstrong.
Plus, Loon of the Week, This Week in Gatekeeping, and much, much more.
Remember, The Northern Alliance Radio Network starts at 11AM Central, locally on AM1280 the Patriot. Streaming LIVE worldwide at their web site. You can join the conversation at 651-289-4488. Following us at 1 PM, Mitch Berg and Ed Morrissey. Also, don't forget at 9 AM King Banaian over at KYRC (Business 1570).
Also, special mention for The David Strom Show at 9 AM on the Patriot. Unfortunately, it looks like this is David's final broadcast. For fans of his always intelligent and lively show, this is sad news. David is one of the truly good guys involved in local politics and his regular presence on the radio airwaves will be missed. We wish him the best and hope to hear him surface somewhere else soon.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Beer of the Week (Vol. XXXIV)
Another special edition of Beer of the Week brought to you as always by the festive folks at Glen Lake Wine & Spirits. They're the ones who make these beer reviews possible and they can help make your Christmas and New Year's events merrier than ever. It's about more than just beer too. Dan the owner is actually more of a wine guy and is a noted connoisseur (and consumer) of the finest fruit of the vine. He'll take the time to assist you in picking the perfect wine to compliment your holiday meals. If you're looking for a gift for the guy who has everything, you can't go wrong with a good whiskey. And Bill at Glen Lake has years of expertise and experience in recommending the right bourbon, Scotch, or rye to satisfy the pickiest whiskey palate.
Glen Lake Wine & Spirits is conveniently located right on Excelsior Boulevard in beautiful downtown Glen Lake. Easy to get in, easy to get out, and easy to get what you want. All Christmas shopping should be so simple.
This week we have a special beer double feature with both attractions coming from hometown favorite Summit Brewing Company. Summit's Winter Ale was probably the first winter beer that I ever tried. It definitely was the first one I ever truly enjoyed. I can recall looking forward with anticipation to the appearance of the distinctive red-labeled bottles on liquor store shelves as fall faded into winter. While the label has changed over the years (regrettably), the beer has remained one of my all-time favorites and I always make sure that I savor it as much as possible during the all-too-short season.
Stout brown Summit bottle with engraved logo. Label is the standard Summit format with light-brown color, faint St. Paul backdrop, logo, and beer name set diagonally in red rectangle.
Beer Style: Winter Warmer
Alcohol by Volume: 6.2%
COLOR (0-2): Dark amber-brown. 2
AROMA (0-2): Sweet malt with a little hoppiness at the finish. 2
HEAD (0-2): Light tan and creamy. Not huge off the pour, but lasts nicely. 2
TASTE (0-5): Again mostly roasted malty flavor with a touch of hoppy bitterness. Hints of coffee and caramel. Medium-bodied. 4
AFTERTASTE (0-2): Smooth and creamy. 2
OVERALL (0-6): I've been a fan of Summit Winter for so long that it's hard for me to be objective about this beer. It's not a heavy hop hitter or a big bold beer, but its flavor is rich and full while remaining quite drinkable. It pairs well with many of the comfort foods of winter (especially chili) which makes it an excellent seasonal selection. After all these years it still holds a warm place in my heart. And taste buds. 5
TOTAL SCORE (0-19): 17
Our second beer today is the second in Summit's Unchained Series:
Welcome to our new line of limited release beers called the Unchained Series. The series is an opportunity for our brewers to show off their skills and creativity. Each beer in the series will be presented by an individual brewer-the style is their choice and they are running the show!
The first beer in the Unchained Series was Kolsch, which was excellent. It's been followed by the 90/- Scottish Style Ale:
We're excited to introduce the second beer in our new Unchained Series: 90/- Scottish Style Ale brewed with heather. Named after the old practice of taxing beers based on their strength, 90 Shilling is a traditional Wee Heavy style from brewer Eric Blomquist.
Usual brown Summit bottle. Label follows the Unchained format with black and white industrial craft look. Green Summit logo with brewer's signature set in black on bottom.
Beer Style: Scotch Ale
Alcohol by Volume: 7.0%
COLOR (0-2): Dark brown. 2
AROMA (0-2): Rich malty aroma. 2
HEAD (0-2): Off-white color, but not much volume. 1
TASTE (0-5): Excellent taste combo with roasted malt with smoke and even a little peat flavor fitting the name. Not much on the hop side. Medium bodied. Frankly, I'm not sure if I could pick up the heather or not. Whether its noticeable or not it definitely works in this beer. 4
AFTERTASTE (0-2): The finish is a little dry, but well rounded. 2
OVERALL (0-6): This beer sneaks up on you. At first glance and taste it doesn't appear all that exceptional. But the more you drink the more it grows on you. Its flavors are complex and rich. The timing of the release is perfect as its just the kind of hearty beer you want to enjoy in winter. Summit scores impressively again by breaking the chains. 5
TOTAL SCORE (0-19): 16
Glen Lake Wine & Spirits is conveniently located right on Excelsior Boulevard in beautiful downtown Glen Lake. Easy to get in, easy to get out, and easy to get what you want. All Christmas shopping should be so simple.
This week we have a special beer double feature with both attractions coming from hometown favorite Summit Brewing Company. Summit's Winter Ale was probably the first winter beer that I ever tried. It definitely was the first one I ever truly enjoyed. I can recall looking forward with anticipation to the appearance of the distinctive red-labeled bottles on liquor store shelves as fall faded into winter. While the label has changed over the years (regrettably), the beer has remained one of my all-time favorites and I always make sure that I savor it as much as possible during the all-too-short season. Stout brown Summit bottle with engraved logo. Label is the standard Summit format with light-brown color, faint St. Paul backdrop, logo, and beer name set diagonally in red rectangle.
Beer Style: Winter Warmer
Alcohol by Volume: 6.2%
COLOR (0-2): Dark amber-brown. 2
AROMA (0-2): Sweet malt with a little hoppiness at the finish. 2
HEAD (0-2): Light tan and creamy. Not huge off the pour, but lasts nicely. 2
TASTE (0-5): Again mostly roasted malty flavor with a touch of hoppy bitterness. Hints of coffee and caramel. Medium-bodied. 4
AFTERTASTE (0-2): Smooth and creamy. 2
OVERALL (0-6): I've been a fan of Summit Winter for so long that it's hard for me to be objective about this beer. It's not a heavy hop hitter or a big bold beer, but its flavor is rich and full while remaining quite drinkable. It pairs well with many of the comfort foods of winter (especially chili) which makes it an excellent seasonal selection. After all these years it still holds a warm place in my heart. And taste buds. 5
TOTAL SCORE (0-19): 17
Our second beer today is the second in Summit's Unchained Series:
Welcome to our new line of limited release beers called the Unchained Series. The series is an opportunity for our brewers to show off their skills and creativity. Each beer in the series will be presented by an individual brewer-the style is their choice and they are running the show!
The first beer in the Unchained Series was Kolsch, which was excellent. It's been followed by the 90/- Scottish Style Ale:
We're excited to introduce the second beer in our new Unchained Series: 90/- Scottish Style Ale brewed with heather. Named after the old practice of taxing beers based on their strength, 90 Shilling is a traditional Wee Heavy style from brewer Eric Blomquist.
Usual brown Summit bottle. Label follows the Unchained format with black and white industrial craft look. Green Summit logo with brewer's signature set in black on bottom.
Beer Style: Scotch Ale
Alcohol by Volume: 7.0%
COLOR (0-2): Dark brown. 2
AROMA (0-2): Rich malty aroma. 2
HEAD (0-2): Off-white color, but not much volume. 1
TASTE (0-5): Excellent taste combo with roasted malt with smoke and even a little peat flavor fitting the name. Not much on the hop side. Medium bodied. Frankly, I'm not sure if I could pick up the heather or not. Whether its noticeable or not it definitely works in this beer. 4
AFTERTASTE (0-2): The finish is a little dry, but well rounded. 2
OVERALL (0-6): This beer sneaks up on you. At first glance and taste it doesn't appear all that exceptional. But the more you drink the more it grows on you. Its flavors are complex and rich. The timing of the release is perfect as its just the kind of hearty beer you want to enjoy in winter. Summit scores impressively again by breaking the chains. 5
TOTAL SCORE (0-19): 16
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Why The Price Is Right
Kevin Willaimson has an excellent piece in the most recent edition of National Review on the problems caused by lack of pricing information in markets including health care. It's called Priceless Is Worthless (sub req)and includes one of the best explanations of the realities of preexisting conditions I've yet read:
But rather than bring price transparency to health care, we're going full-tilt boogie in the opposite direction, specifically by insisting that insurance companies be barred from putting real prices on preexisting conditions. Set aside, if you can, all those images of poor little children with terrible diseases being chucked out into the Dickensian streets by mean old insurance executives in top hats and monocles, and think, for a second, about what insurance means, and what a preexisting condition is. Insurance is, basically, a bet: The insurer calculates the probability that a certain unhappy condition will befall a consumer. Actuarially speaking, the number of people who will suffer heart disease or car accidents is fairly predictable within a very large pool, so the insurer can figure out roughly what it will have to pay out in a typical year for every 100,000 policies, and the premium will incorporate that number. But predictable applies to things that happen in the future. Maybe 3 percent of those 100,000 people will need to see a cardiologist in a given year, but 100 percent of the people with diabetes will suffer from diabetes. That's a fact: It's what preexisting means.
Unless Governor Schwarzenegger manages to invent Terminator insurance, whereby Allstate agents travel back in time to insure you against problems you haven't developed yet, you cannot insure against something that already has happened, and to pretend otherwise dumps a whole metaphysical can of worms all over the insurance space-time continuum, landing us in an alternative universe where Insurance = Not Insurance. You'd never take a bet that you knew you were going to lose, right? Insurance companies won't do that, either, unless they get paid to do so--specifically, unless they are allowed to charge at least as much for covering Preexisting Condition X as it's going to cost them to treat Preexisting Condition X. Ignoring the reality of prices--waving the magic wand and saying: "There shall be no price put on preexisting conditions"--does not solve the problem. Health care costs money. The price is right, and you cannot politically engineer your way out of that reality, no matter how many sickly toddlers you parade around on CNN.
But rather than bring price transparency to health care, we're going full-tilt boogie in the opposite direction, specifically by insisting that insurance companies be barred from putting real prices on preexisting conditions. Set aside, if you can, all those images of poor little children with terrible diseases being chucked out into the Dickensian streets by mean old insurance executives in top hats and monocles, and think, for a second, about what insurance means, and what a preexisting condition is. Insurance is, basically, a bet: The insurer calculates the probability that a certain unhappy condition will befall a consumer. Actuarially speaking, the number of people who will suffer heart disease or car accidents is fairly predictable within a very large pool, so the insurer can figure out roughly what it will have to pay out in a typical year for every 100,000 policies, and the premium will incorporate that number. But predictable applies to things that happen in the future. Maybe 3 percent of those 100,000 people will need to see a cardiologist in a given year, but 100 percent of the people with diabetes will suffer from diabetes. That's a fact: It's what preexisting means.
Unless Governor Schwarzenegger manages to invent Terminator insurance, whereby Allstate agents travel back in time to insure you against problems you haven't developed yet, you cannot insure against something that already has happened, and to pretend otherwise dumps a whole metaphysical can of worms all over the insurance space-time continuum, landing us in an alternative universe where Insurance = Not Insurance. You'd never take a bet that you knew you were going to lose, right? Insurance companies won't do that, either, unless they get paid to do so--specifically, unless they are allowed to charge at least as much for covering Preexisting Condition X as it's going to cost them to treat Preexisting Condition X. Ignoring the reality of prices--waving the magic wand and saying: "There shall be no price put on preexisting conditions"--does not solve the problem. Health care costs money. The price is right, and you cannot politically engineer your way out of that reality, no matter how many sickly toddlers you parade around on CNN.
Vision Quest
A brief update on Beer Quest 2010, my effort to identify and rate beers from the twenty-three states that are not currently represented in the Fraters Libertas beer ratings by the end of 2010. I've received a number of e-mails with suggestions for beers from various states. Here's an update on the list with those suggestions included:
Alabama--Hurricane Brewing
Alaska--Alaskan
Arizona--Sonoran
Arkansas
Connecticut
Delaware--Dogfish Head
I received several e-mails specifically recommending Dogfish Head. It's a name I recognize and have seen it on store shelves, although regrettably not here in Minnesota. It is available in Wisconsin though so a run for the border (Hudson) may soon be in order.
One e-mailer hepped me to a great article on Dogfish Head's founder Sam Calagione that appeared last year in the New Yorker (yes, the New Yorker!):
Like most craft brewers, Calagione came to beer from something else. He grew up in Greenfield, Massachusetts, the middle child of an oral surgeon and the heir to a long line of winemakers. His father and his uncle used to drive to Worcester to meet the trains that brought grapes from California. When they got home, and the juice had been stomped out in the basement, Sam would help bottle it. The process seems to have stripped him of any reverence toward the product. His forefathers worked hard making wine, he recently wrote, "so that I might have the opportunity to produce a superior beverage."
Calagione was a bright student and a scrappy athlete (to keep his weight up for the football team, his father made him eat a cheesesteak every night at ten-thirty). But by the spring of his senior year, at Northfield Mount Hermon prep, he had so many demerits that he was expelled. His offenses were of the usual Animal House variety: flipping a truck on campus; breaking into the skating rink and playing naked hockey; "surfing" on the roof of a Winnebago, going sixty miles per hour down I-91. As a junior, Calagione sometimes waited outside a local liquor store and got customers to buy him a case of beer. Back at school, he hid the bottles in his hockey bag and sold them to other students at a profit. "I remember when I got busted," he told me. "The dean said, 'You think you can make a living doing this?' I didn't have the foresight to say, 'Yeah, maybe someday.'"
I've played a lot of hockey in my day. Ice hockey, roller hockey, pond hockey, street hockey, floor hockey, boot hockey, drunk hockey (not recommended), and hungover hockey. But I've never known firsthand--nor have any inclination to ever know--what it's like to experience naked hockey. The phrases "bad naked" and "shrinkage" come immediately to mind.
But there's no doubting the value of hockey bags in hiding booze. In college, we used to employ hockey bags to smuggle kegs into our "dry" dorms.
Georgia--Sweetwater
Iowa--Millstream Brewing in Amana
Kentucky--Blue Grass
Mississippi--Lazy Magnolia Brewing Company
Craig e-mailed to provide this particular suggestion:
You need to check out Lazy Magnolia Brewing Company in Kiln, MS. In-state you would just say The Kill. Everybody knows about Kiln, MS as it is the hometown of Bret Favre although he lives here in Hattiesburg now. Well, when he's not kicking butt on the field for you guys!
I'm sure that the hordes of Twin Cities media who descended on Kiln late last summer are all too familiar with the charms of Lazy Magnolia beer.
Nebraska--Empyrean
Nevada
New Jersey--High Point
New Mexico
North Dakota
Oklahoma
Rhode Island
South Carolina--Palmetto
South Dakota
Tennessee--Yazoo
Virginia--Starr Hill
West Virginia
Wyoming--Snake River
There are still several gaps in the list and if you have suggestions for how best to fill them, please drop me a line. Your support is most appreciated.
UPDATE: A few more recommendations added (in red) from Mark, a man who we hope--at least judging by his disturbing crush on Janeane Garafolo--knows more about fine beer than broads.
Alabama--Hurricane Brewing
Alaska--Alaskan
Arizona--Sonoran
Arkansas
Connecticut
Delaware--Dogfish Head
I received several e-mails specifically recommending Dogfish Head. It's a name I recognize and have seen it on store shelves, although regrettably not here in Minnesota. It is available in Wisconsin though so a run for the border (Hudson) may soon be in order.
One e-mailer hepped me to a great article on Dogfish Head's founder Sam Calagione that appeared last year in the New Yorker (yes, the New Yorker!):
Like most craft brewers, Calagione came to beer from something else. He grew up in Greenfield, Massachusetts, the middle child of an oral surgeon and the heir to a long line of winemakers. His father and his uncle used to drive to Worcester to meet the trains that brought grapes from California. When they got home, and the juice had been stomped out in the basement, Sam would help bottle it. The process seems to have stripped him of any reverence toward the product. His forefathers worked hard making wine, he recently wrote, "so that I might have the opportunity to produce a superior beverage."
Calagione was a bright student and a scrappy athlete (to keep his weight up for the football team, his father made him eat a cheesesteak every night at ten-thirty). But by the spring of his senior year, at Northfield Mount Hermon prep, he had so many demerits that he was expelled. His offenses were of the usual Animal House variety: flipping a truck on campus; breaking into the skating rink and playing naked hockey; "surfing" on the roof of a Winnebago, going sixty miles per hour down I-91. As a junior, Calagione sometimes waited outside a local liquor store and got customers to buy him a case of beer. Back at school, he hid the bottles in his hockey bag and sold them to other students at a profit. "I remember when I got busted," he told me. "The dean said, 'You think you can make a living doing this?' I didn't have the foresight to say, 'Yeah, maybe someday.'"
I've played a lot of hockey in my day. Ice hockey, roller hockey, pond hockey, street hockey, floor hockey, boot hockey, drunk hockey (not recommended), and hungover hockey. But I've never known firsthand--nor have any inclination to ever know--what it's like to experience naked hockey. The phrases "bad naked" and "shrinkage" come immediately to mind.
But there's no doubting the value of hockey bags in hiding booze. In college, we used to employ hockey bags to smuggle kegs into our "dry" dorms.
Georgia--Sweetwater
Iowa--Millstream Brewing in Amana
Kentucky--Blue Grass
Mississippi--Lazy Magnolia Brewing Company
Craig e-mailed to provide this particular suggestion:
You need to check out Lazy Magnolia Brewing Company in Kiln, MS. In-state you would just say The Kill. Everybody knows about Kiln, MS as it is the hometown of Bret Favre although he lives here in Hattiesburg now. Well, when he's not kicking butt on the field for you guys!
I'm sure that the hordes of Twin Cities media who descended on Kiln late last summer are all too familiar with the charms of Lazy Magnolia beer.
Nebraska--Empyrean
Nevada
New Jersey--High Point
New Mexico
North Dakota
Oklahoma
Rhode Island
South Carolina--Palmetto
South Dakota
Tennessee--Yazoo
Virginia--Starr Hill
West Virginia
Wyoming--Snake River
There are still several gaps in the list and if you have suggestions for how best to fill them, please drop me a line. Your support is most appreciated.
UPDATE: A few more recommendations added (in red) from Mark, a man who we hope--at least judging by his disturbing crush on Janeane Garafolo--knows more about fine beer than broads.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Publicly Funded Commie Puppets
Earlier this week, John Hinderaker reported on the pro-communism Minneapolis puppet troupe, In the Heart of the Beast, receiving $25,000 in federal stimulus cash.
But $25,000 is just a small fraction of what In the Heart of the Beast has received from the Minnesota State Arts Board in grants since 2002:
2009
$ 37,480 (2009 Institutional Support)
$ 4,763 (2009 Arts in Education Organizational Support)
2008
$36,927 (2008 Institutional Support)
$4763 (2008 Arts in Education Organizational Support)
2007
$44,409 (2007 Institutional Support)
$3650 (2007 Arts in Education Organizational Support)
2006
$44,409 (2006 Institutional Support)
$3650 (2006 Arts in Education Organizational Support)
2005
$27,750 (2005 Institutional Support)
$4260 (2005 Arts in Education Organizational Support)
2004
$29,430 (2004 Institutional Support)
$4260 (2004 Arts in Education Organizational Support)
2003
$50,693 (2003 Institutional Support)
$5665 (2003 Arts in Education Organizational Support)
2002
$52,705 (2002 Institutional Support)
$5900 (2002 Arts in Education Organizational Support)
A total of $360,714 in state funding since 2002 (the Minnesota State Arts Board website only lists grants going back to 2002).
That is a lot of long sticks and red fabric.
The left loves their puppets. The left loves dipping their snout into the public trough. Come to think of it, that would make a great puppet show. Hmmmm, we may have to start the Fraters Libertas Puppet and Mask Theatre.
No Room At The Inn
Mark Krikorian reports on the latest angle in the battle to get illegal immigrants counted in the upcoming census at National Review Online:
One of the Census Bureau's "partners" has produced a poster urging Hispanics (illegal aliens, really) to be counted next year, just as the Holy Family went to Bethlehem to be counted.
There's one rather obvious flaw with the premise of this comparison as Krikorian notes:
Of course, whoever dreamed up this poster missed a basic point. To be counted, every person not living in his ancestral town had to RETURN there, as Joseph left Nazareth and headed south for Bethlehem. By the same token, one could suggest that illegal aliens should head south and return every one of them to his own city. Mexico, the home of most illegal aliens, is conducting its own census next year, after all.
The timing couldn't be better for illegal immigrants to go home and get counted.
One of the Census Bureau's "partners" has produced a poster urging Hispanics (illegal aliens, really) to be counted next year, just as the Holy Family went to Bethlehem to be counted.
There's one rather obvious flaw with the premise of this comparison as Krikorian notes:
Of course, whoever dreamed up this poster missed a basic point. To be counted, every person not living in his ancestral town had to RETURN there, as Joseph left Nazareth and headed south for Bethlehem. By the same token, one could suggest that illegal aliens should head south and return every one of them to his own city. Mexico, the home of most illegal aliens, is conducting its own census next year, after all.
The timing couldn't be better for illegal immigrants to go home and get counted.
Mysterious Ways
Is President Barack Obama actually at heart a secret THEOCON?!?! Joe Carter connects the dots (while cleverly pretending not to) at A First Things Blog:
If you haven't heard the latest rumor/conspiracy theory--and you probably haven't since I'm just now putting this out there in order to debunk it before anyone else connects the dots--it goes something like this: A First Things article which revived interest in theologian Reinhold Niebuhr and connected his views with the Global War on Terror influenced David Brooks, who in turn influenced Barack Obama, who used the idea (mixed with progressive elements) as the basis for the Obama Doctrine.
We're through the looking glass here people.
If you haven't heard the latest rumor/conspiracy theory--and you probably haven't since I'm just now putting this out there in order to debunk it before anyone else connects the dots--it goes something like this: A First Things article which revived interest in theologian Reinhold Niebuhr and connected his views with the Global War on Terror influenced David Brooks, who in turn influenced Barack Obama, who used the idea (mixed with progressive elements) as the basis for the Obama Doctrine.
We're through the looking glass here people.
Kings Of Beer
The WSJ reports that the Sacramento Kings expect an attendance surge this week:
17,317
Estimated number of tickets the NBA's Sacramento Kings expect to sell for Wednesday's game, 5,240 more than their league-worst average.
The team will be selling beer for $1.
One buck beer almost makes it worthwhile to go to a Kings game. Almost.
17,317
Estimated number of tickets the NBA's Sacramento Kings expect to sell for Wednesday's game, 5,240 more than their league-worst average.
The team will be selling beer for $1.
One buck beer almost makes it worthwhile to go to a Kings game. Almost.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Cup For Sale
Don't you hate it when teams with the most money use their wealth to "buy" championships, making it difficult for the poorer teams to even compete much less win titles? I'm not talking about baseball either. I've long maintained that spending is usually equated with success in the NHL. Yesterday's WSJ had the data showing that the NHL Is Where Dollars Buy the Most Wins (sub req):
Many sports fans assume baseball is the game that's most driven by owners' pocketbooks. For proof, they could point to the 2009 playoffs, where the final four teams were all near the top of the league in payroll. But the sport where spending money most closely equates to winning games is played on ice, not grass and dirt.
From 2000 to 2008, NHL teams' winning percentage has a 0.49 correlation to their payroll (where 1 represents a direct correlation and 0 represents no correlation at all). This number doesn't suggest an airtight relationship, but it's a stronger correlation than the three other major sports leagues. Major League Baseball has a 0.43 correlation, and the NFL is at a nearly meaningless 0.15, according to a new study by Dave Berri, a professor of economics at Southern Utah University.
The numbers make sense when you scan the standings. In hockey, the Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins have consistently made the playoffs in recent years, and they're the teams willing to use the league's salary cap to its full extent. The data are a bit skewed by the spending binges some teams thrived on before the cap was implemented during the 2004-05 lockout, but even since then, the correlation has held true.
This correlation does not bode well for Minnesota Wild fans. While the team has loosened the purse strings a bit of late, they still rank in the middle of NHL payrolls. In hockey, more often than not, you get what you pay for.
Many sports fans assume baseball is the game that's most driven by owners' pocketbooks. For proof, they could point to the 2009 playoffs, where the final four teams were all near the top of the league in payroll. But the sport where spending money most closely equates to winning games is played on ice, not grass and dirt.
From 2000 to 2008, NHL teams' winning percentage has a 0.49 correlation to their payroll (where 1 represents a direct correlation and 0 represents no correlation at all). This number doesn't suggest an airtight relationship, but it's a stronger correlation than the three other major sports leagues. Major League Baseball has a 0.43 correlation, and the NFL is at a nearly meaningless 0.15, according to a new study by Dave Berri, a professor of economics at Southern Utah University.
The numbers make sense when you scan the standings. In hockey, the Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins have consistently made the playoffs in recent years, and they're the teams willing to use the league's salary cap to its full extent. The data are a bit skewed by the spending binges some teams thrived on before the cap was implemented during the 2004-05 lockout, but even since then, the correlation has held true.
This correlation does not bode well for Minnesota Wild fans. While the team has loosened the purse strings a bit of late, they still rank in the middle of NHL payrolls. In hockey, more often than not, you get what you pay for.
Pulling Strings
Over at Power Line, John Hinderaker ponders bellying up to the public trough:
There are any number of arts organizations that could have gotten "stimulus" money, and I assume that quite a few did. This seems like a horrible idea across the board. But if "spending equals stimulus," and an employed artist is as valuable as an employed construction worker, then why shouldn't stimulus money find its way to National Review, a formidably literary publication, where Kathryn Lopez and her colleagues have been raising money from readers for quite a while now? Hey, if "spending equals stimulus," then how about a few bucks for radio talk show hosts? Brian Ward and I have been broadcasting for free on AM 1280 the Patriot for years now; how about $25,000 to "save" our jobs? I'm pretty sure we have more listeners than the Heart of the Beast has customers.
The First Team may indeed have more listeners, but alas they have no puppets. It's all about puppets these days John. Work a couple into your radio production and then maybe we can talk about getting you guys on the dole. If not a puppet, maybe a ventriloquist's dummy would do.
UPDATE-- It might look something like this:
Okay, maybe that's not such a good idea after all...
There are any number of arts organizations that could have gotten "stimulus" money, and I assume that quite a few did. This seems like a horrible idea across the board. But if "spending equals stimulus," and an employed artist is as valuable as an employed construction worker, then why shouldn't stimulus money find its way to National Review, a formidably literary publication, where Kathryn Lopez and her colleagues have been raising money from readers for quite a while now? Hey, if "spending equals stimulus," then how about a few bucks for radio talk show hosts? Brian Ward and I have been broadcasting for free on AM 1280 the Patriot for years now; how about $25,000 to "save" our jobs? I'm pretty sure we have more listeners than the Heart of the Beast has customers.
The First Team may indeed have more listeners, but alas they have no puppets. It's all about puppets these days John. Work a couple into your radio production and then maybe we can talk about getting you guys on the dole. If not a puppet, maybe a ventriloquist's dummy would do.
UPDATE-- It might look something like this:
Okay, maybe that's not such a good idea after all...
Monday, December 14, 2009
Light My Way
Cut to the asylum interior. An unshaven, wild-eyed man sits in the corner bound in a straitjacket, nodding his head, and muttering, "C7, C9, C7, C9..." over and over again.
"What's he in for?"
"Christmas lights."
The great Christmas light quest of aught-nine is officially over. After many failed attempts to find the last few strings I needed, I settled on some that I discovered at Bachman's on Saturday. They're not ceramic which was what I really wanted, but they are multi-colored. They're also LED and have a five year warranty, so they should save energy and last longer (as in they actually might work again next year). I had to pay more for such features, but I'm hoping the investment pays off in the long run. Yes, I've finally acquired those C7s that I've been looking so hard for.
As I was stringing up the new lights in the fast diminishing light of late Saturday afternoon, I noticed that they looked a little different than the one string of ceramics I already had on the roofline. It wasn't just the finish and color of the bulbs either. It was the size. They were definitely smaller.
So all this time that I was searching very specifically--and would accept no substitute--for strings of multicolored, ceramic C7 bulbs, what I actually was trying to match was a string of multicolored, ceramic C9 bulbs. Funny, isn't it? Yeah, I'm still laughing today.
UPDATE-- Tim e-mails to twist the knife:
I hope in your quest for the C7 Christmas lights you didn't pass up C9 lights that you really needed.
Oh, you mean like when I was at a Target on Saturday and saw a string of C9 ceramics, but decided not to get it because you know I HAD to have C7s?
If they ever make a sequel to or updated version of A Christmas Story it should include a side story that kind of runs throughout the movie in the far background, kind of like the squirrel chasing the nut in Ice Age, with you, of course, as the "quiet, never bothers nobody, until Christmas that is," OCD-Christmas-light-obsessed town crazy guy.
"What's he in for?"
"Christmas lights."
The great Christmas light quest of aught-nine is officially over. After many failed attempts to find the last few strings I needed, I settled on some that I discovered at Bachman's on Saturday. They're not ceramic which was what I really wanted, but they are multi-colored. They're also LED and have a five year warranty, so they should save energy and last longer (as in they actually might work again next year). I had to pay more for such features, but I'm hoping the investment pays off in the long run. Yes, I've finally acquired those C7s that I've been looking so hard for.
As I was stringing up the new lights in the fast diminishing light of late Saturday afternoon, I noticed that they looked a little different than the one string of ceramics I already had on the roofline. It wasn't just the finish and color of the bulbs either. It was the size. They were definitely smaller.
So all this time that I was searching very specifically--and would accept no substitute--for strings of multicolored, ceramic C7 bulbs, what I actually was trying to match was a string of multicolored, ceramic C9 bulbs. Funny, isn't it? Yeah, I'm still laughing today.
UPDATE-- Tim e-mails to twist the knife:
I hope in your quest for the C7 Christmas lights you didn't pass up C9 lights that you really needed.
Oh, you mean like when I was at a Target on Saturday and saw a string of C9 ceramics, but decided not to get it because you know I HAD to have C7s?
If they ever make a sequel to or updated version of A Christmas Story it should include a side story that kind of runs throughout the movie in the far background, kind of like the squirrel chasing the nut in Ice Age, with you, of course, as the "quiet, never bothers nobody, until Christmas that is," OCD-Christmas-light-obsessed town crazy guy.
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