tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58915532024-03-07T02:16:33.970-06:00The End ZoneSome things are very clear from heregcotharnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10912428161978690599noreply@blogger.comBlogger1697125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5891553.post-904395335900936452010-08-09T06:00:00.004-05:002010-08-09T06:00:10.295-05:00Projection<div><br /></div>Jerry Jones and Emmitt Smith have made tremendous contribution to the Dallas Cowboys franchise, and to many people beyond. However, both Jerry and Emmitt are insufferable. It's not the worst trait in the world, but it is trying for the rest of us.<br /><br /><br />When I have such a feeling about another person, it's usually b/c I share the irritating trait with the other person, and therefore clearly recognize a trait which I detest in myself. Yuck.<br /><br /><br />Therefore, as I watched Emmitt's Hall of Fame induction, I remembered: I am insufferable, and cannot stand to listen to myself any more. So, blog vacation. Thank goodness.<div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>If you read this blog: thank you for your friendship. You have my appreciation and love. <br /> </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2004/01/went-to-best-buy-earlier-this-evening.html">1992 Cowboys-49ers NFC Championship</a><br /><a href="http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2006/04/psychological-defense-mechanisms.html">Psychological Defense Mechanisms</a><br /><a href="http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2007/04/more-cathy-seipp.html">Cathy Seipp just would not take any @#$% from any insufferable fool ... not even a little bit</a><br /><a href="http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2007/08/michael-irvin-goes-into-nfl-hall-of.html">Michael Irvin goes into the NFL Hall of Fame</a><br />Courage redeems a lot of foibles:<a href="http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2007/11/then-out-spoke-brave-horatius.html"> Then Out Spoke Brave Horatius</a><br /> <div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div>gcotharnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10912428161978690599noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5891553.post-90219702576674224052010-08-07T23:00:00.001-05:002010-08-08T07:22:47.852-05:00"[The media] lie. That is almost all they do anymore."<div><br /></div><a href="http://minx.cc/?post=304385">Ace rants about the media</a>: <blockquote>They lie. That is almost all they do anymore. They lie in their reportage and then they rub salt into those wounds by lying about the reasons for their reporting decisions.<br /><br />They all lie, and all from the same script of the same lies.<br /><br />They lie to your ... face and then warble about their "integrity" and "professionalism," and how all their "experience" and "schooling" has dictated that only they know which stories are important. (Curiously, a frightening high percentage of "important" stories directly advance the interests of the progressive movement.)<br /><br />They lie, and they lie, and they lie, and then they demand your respect and appreciation for their lies.</blockquote><br />This Mark Cuban quote, which was funny <a href="http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2010/08/mark-cubans-side-of-texas-rangers.html">in context of his blogpost about the Texas Rangers auction</a>, also fits here: <br /><blockquote>What I have learned in 11 years in the sports business is that the dumbest guys in the room are always the media guys.<br /><br /></blockquote>gcotharnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10912428161978690599noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5891553.post-61992028564190317242010-08-06T06:00:00.003-05:002010-08-06T06:00:03.020-05:00Friday Hot: Gun Girl<div><br /></div>at a Phoenix rally in support of Arizona's SB 1070 illegal immigration enforcement law...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1MqVg3i0feJGAVBr_wP4lCb6ER25YPE7wwWWuYfMjKEpmMz-pJrmvYrRjnJcrxb2meMsPd-bn7fnKrKsX5eBzTfTePl3zWO5fAxnwpZ8lAHUzHZiYT-hk8DN9wRBfI-HiNU_h/s1600/Gun+girl+SB+1070+rally+in+Phoenix.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1MqVg3i0feJGAVBr_wP4lCb6ER25YPE7wwWWuYfMjKEpmMz-pJrmvYrRjnJcrxb2meMsPd-bn7fnKrKsX5eBzTfTePl3zWO5fAxnwpZ8lAHUzHZiYT-hk8DN9wRBfI-HiNU_h/s400/Gun+girl+SB+1070+rally+in+Phoenix.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481260306998955234" /></a><br /><br /><div>God bless America, and bless all the legal immigrant daughters who have come to America! Such beauty. Such firepower.<br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br />Related:</div><div><br /><a href="http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2009/07/independence-home-security-shivaree.html">Girls, Guns, Shivaree</a><br /><a href="http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2010/07/feds-file-suit-against-arizona-illegal.html">Feds File Suit Against Arizona Immigration Law</a></div><div><a href="http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2010/06/mcdonald-vs-chicago_28.html">McDonald vs. Chicago: McDonald Wins!</a><br /><a href="http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2010/05/arizona-gov-jan-brewer-speaks-out.html">Arizona Governor Jan Brewer speaks out</a><br /><a href="http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2010/05/arizona-illegal-immigration-law.html">Arizona illegal immigration law</a><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>gcotharnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10912428161978690599noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5891553.post-71261608196672164852010-08-05T16:00:00.003-05:002010-08-05T16:18:07.365-05:00Mark Cuban's side of the Texas Rangers auction<div><br /></div><div>Mark Cuban and Jim Crane bowed out of the bidding for the Rangers at the $600M level, and therefore Greenberg/Ryan will own the team as soon as MLB approves.</div><br /><br />I made a mistake in <a href="http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2010/08/in-bidding-for-texas-rangers-mark.html">this blogpost</a>. I did not know that Cuban had only purchased $2M of Tom Hicks debt. Therefore, Cuban obviously paid as much or more ... in legal fees ... as he gained in profit from the sale price being raised by $85M. <a href="http://blogmaverick.com/2010/08/05/chasing-the-rangers/">Cuban explains his side of the entire sale process at Blog Maverick</a>.<br /><br /><br />Cuban only purchased the $2M in debt so he could gain access to the financial records of the Texas Rangers and the Dallas Stars. Cuban first looked at purchasing the Rangers in 2009, but believed Hicks had included undesirable non Rangers related debt into his demands. This was a deal breaker for Cuban.<br /><br /><br />In mid July 2010, Cuban learned that the bankruptcy process could eliminate the undesirable non Rangers related debts from the deal. This reignited Cuban's interest in owning the team. However, with Cuban having his own money tied up in various investments, and having only a few weeks in which to raise capital for the potential acquisition, the Cuban and Crane partnership was unable to raise more than $600M with which to bid for the team.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>According to Cuban's account, and I've no reason to disbelieve him: Cuban fully intended to purchase the team, and was not acting from any nefarious secret strategy or motive. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Cuban's participation might have been the best thing which could have happened to the Rangers franchise. Here's why: the creditors believed a better price was out there, wanted to force an auction, and - absent an auction - apparently would have been able to tie up the sale of the franchise for years --- through 2012? 2014? 2016? Crazier things have happened. The creditors have the money both to pay for lawyers and to wait for resolution. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>However, because Mark Cuban jumped in: an auction which satisfied the creditors' demand actually did happen, and now the team ownership will pass to the Greenberg/Ryan group within 10 days. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Cuban jumping in did cost the franchise an additional $85M. However, an additional $85M cost is preferable to having the franchise be operated by MLB through the 2015 season (and this is especially true b/c the Rangers will be serious World Series contenders during most or all of those seasons. Such likely would not have been the case if MLB had run the Rangers for 5 or so consecutive seasons.) Because I believe either Cuban's or Greenberg's ownership would have been excellent, therefore Cuban's jumping into the fray was the best thing which could possibly have happened. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Cuban is being portrayed, in many places in DFW, as the villain. In actuality, Cuban was the savior. If Chuck Greenberg did not now have to move his family into a trailer park, I'm sure Chuck would've sent Mark Cuban a bottle of champagne as a thank you. <br /><br /><br />~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br /><br />Funniest Cuban quote in his blogpost: <blockquote>What I have learned in 11 years in the sports business is that the dumbest guys in the room are always the media guys.</blockquote><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>gcotharnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10912428161978690599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5891553.post-379011771753560752010-08-05T12:00:00.001-05:002010-08-05T12:00:01.461-05:00Texas declares war on the EPA<div><br /></div>I am so proud to live in this state.<br /><br /><a href="http://strata-sphere.com/blog/index.php/archives/13870">The Strata Sphere</a><br /><a href="http://pajamasmedia.com/richardfernandez/2010/08/04/the-mess-with-texas/">The Belmont Club</a><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Related, at American Thinker: <a href="http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/08/the_revolt_of_the_states.html">The Revolt of the States</a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div><div><br /></div><div>Sorta kinda related...</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Richard Fernandez: <blockquote>The effects of incompetence build up. With the Left in power and determined to make the most of their chance they’ve tied down the circuit breakers. All at once. Health Care, Cap and Trade, Disarmament, Withdrawal from the Middle East, Cancellation of Wasteful Space Programs, Cancellation of the War on Terror, Open Borders, Gays in the Military, the Stimulus. They’re like a kid in a candy store whose exploits are silently abetted by people like Journolist. Pig away, comrades. Because nothing bad was ever going to happen, right?<br /><br />“The terrible ‘ifs’ accumulate”. If the Administration had diddled with only a bit at a time the entire system could regain it’s balance before it was tripped up again by the Hope and Change boys in Washington. But no. They removed every support all at once and watched in astonishment — an astonishment that was itself astonishing — while jobs sank, the economy tanks, North Korea flexed its muscles and while Julian Assange made a monkey of them all. They watched their political support vanish, watched respect evaporate and still they doubled down.<br /><br />And they’re doubling down again on the weakest of possible grounds and on the most irrelevant of issues. Friggin cap ‘n trade. What distinguishes this administration is the sheer inability to pick and choose priorities. They are policy Flatlanders. There is no terrain in their moral universe but the towering mountain of ego.</blockquote><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><a href="http://neoneocon.com/2010/08/04/robert-gibbs-and-obama-they-feel-your-pain/">neoneocon</a>:<br /><br /><blockquote><blockquote>Asked what it means that voters in Missouri would vote against the federal mandate, Gibbs said: “Nothing.”</blockquote><br /><br />As I wrote last Saturday:<br /><br /><blockquote>…[Obama] ignores the wishes of the American people, something neither FDR nor Clinton would ever do…Obama sees the public as his enemy, a stumbling block that he needs to get around if he is ever to reach his goals. For Obama, the public is an entity to deceive and manipulate if possible, and he regards it contemptuously rather than respectfully. He no longer needs to inspire people. He just needs to exercise power over them.</blockquote><br />And the despicable Gibbs is the perfect mouthpiece for that sentiment.</blockquote><br /></div>gcotharnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10912428161978690599noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5891553.post-83221311436379584492010-08-05T00:45:00.012-05:002010-08-05T09:29:27.380-05:00My twitter feed at 12:40 AM: Greenberg/Ryan win the Rangers auction<div><br /></div>The auction process cost Greenberg/Ryan an additional $83M in order to purchase the team. Their original winning bid, months ago, was $502M. Final winning bid (including assumption of $200ish Million of existing Rangers' debt) is $585M. <br /><br />Note: throughout the day, opposing attorneys have not been shy about directing bitter profanity at each other. This bitter contest would make a good book or movie. Re the tweets: start at the bottom and work up...<div><br /></div><div><br />~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Update 3</span>: <br /><br /><br /><object id="flashObj" width="400" height="270" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,47,0"><param name="movie" value="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9/260808660001?isVid=1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="flashVars" value="videoId=424494996001&linkBaseURL=www.dallasnews.com%2Fvideo%2Findex.html%3Fbcid%3D424494996001&playerID=260808660001&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true" /><param name="base" value="http://admin.brightcove.com" /><param name="seamlesstabbing" value="false" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="swLiveConnect" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9/260808660001?isVid=1" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" flashVars="videoId=424494996001&linkBaseURL=www.dallasnews.com%2Fvideo%2Findex.html%3Fbcid%3D424494996001&playerID=260808660001&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true" base="http://admin.brightcove.com" name="flashObj" width="400" height="270" seamlesstabbing="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" swLiveConnect="true" allowScriptAccess="always" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></embed></object><br /><br /><br />~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Update</span>: More tweets (start at bottom and work up)<br /><br /><br />mcuban <br />Congrats chuck and nolan. Go Rangers !<br /><br /><br />aandro <br />Chuck Greenberg: it was a lot of money but we're still going after Cliff Lee.<br /><br /><br />aandro <br />A happy Chuck Greenberg. <a href="http://tweetphoto.com/36918599">http://tweetphoto.com/36918599</a><br /><br /><br />aandro <br />Nolan Ryan said it was time for someone to say uncle.<br /><br /><br />dkaplanSBJ <br />the court room erupted in applause. congratulations to chuck greenberg and nolan ryan<br /><br /> <br />aandro <br />Hugs everywhere.<br /><br /><br />dkaplanSBJ <br />its over!! cuban just through in the towel!<br /><br /><br />aandro <br />Cheeers erupt in courtroom with standing ovations all around.<br /><br /><br />~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br />aandro <br />If I'm lying, I'm frying and I want Lauria to defend me.<br />less than 20 seconds ago via TweetDeck<br /><br />aandro <br />Don't know what it means but I saw it and heard it.<br />half a minute ago via TweetDeck<br />Reply Retweet<br /><br />aandro <br />Crane just shook Nolan's hand and said Congratulations we're done.<br />less than a minute ago via TweetDeck<br /><br />dkaplanSBJ<br />cuban is taking 10 minutes<br />1 minute ago via mobile web<br /><br />aandro<br />The money in hand right now from Greenberg is worth more than Cuban money.<br />2 minutes ago via TweetDeck<br /><br />aandro<br />The Greenberg bids can be less because of present value of money. They can close bid now.<br />3 minutes ago via TweetDeck<br /><br />dkaplanSBJ<br />greenberg just went to $385 mln. presuming they are factoring in cuban has to be about $25 mln over greenberg<br />5 minutes ago via mobile web<br /><br />aandro<br />Cuban group wants 10 minutes to assess its next bid.<br />5 minutes ago via TweetDeck<br /><br />aandro<br />We are back in session. Greenberg group just bid $385 million cash money for #Rangers.<br />8 minutes ago via TweetDeck<br /><br />GuyKawasaki<br />50 stunning examples of animal photography http://tinyurl.com/28cj3s2<br />11 minutes ago via API<br /><br />dkaplanSBJ<br />greenberg's lawyer says only needs 5 minutes to respond to latest offer<br />19 minutes ago via mobile web<br /><br />aandro<br />We could have another bid in about five minutes. Greenberg didn't need the 30. Said five.<br />20 minutes ago via TweetDeck<br /><br />aandro<br />The Cuban bid for the #Rangers right now could total somewhere in the $610 million neighboorhood. But the pressbox wireless is still bad.<br />21 minutes ago via TweetDeck<br /><br />dkaplanSBJ<br />now sal is a hero to them. total price is now at $588 mln, $68 mln more than original deal. lenders look smart right now<br />22 minutes ago via mobile web<br /><br />dkaplanSBJ<br />sal galatioto is a happy man. last night he killed a lender deal with greenberg for $361 and they threatened to sue him<br />23 minutes ago via mobile web<br /><br />aandro<br />We just had a bid of $390 million from Cuban and a cut of the $12 million escrow.<br />25 minutes ago via web<br /><br />dkaplanSBJ<br />cuban and crane just bid $390 mln and cut their escrow.<br />25 minutes ago via mobile web</div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Update 2</span>: <a href="http://www.lonestarball.com/2010/8/5/1606353/nolan-greenberg-wins#comments">Photoshops in comment threat at Lone Star Ball</a>.<br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>gcotharnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10912428161978690599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5891553.post-85348182947054882492010-08-04T06:00:00.008-05:002010-10-20T18:29:27.212-05:00Kickboxing Class<div><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMo9GhFEPdK4-NC14uXqxI2-c9n7WDjbz2nmSrMz8bCnoI3iIWsHpfPfcSRlDpA_XXPqpEGd71vazSu6-IWpgij5mH312HjEoD_DKBU7whVuj_UaQ0Z9HF6S5Oal3JnPs6rqpo/s1600/gina+carano+pinup.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 268px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMo9GhFEPdK4-NC14uXqxI2-c9n7WDjbz2nmSrMz8bCnoI3iIWsHpfPfcSRlDpA_XXPqpEGd71vazSu6-IWpgij5mH312HjEoD_DKBU7whVuj_UaQ0Z9HF6S5Oal3JnPs6rqpo/s320/gina+carano+pinup.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530272500192489970" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAEVQSGWhFqEQTMTqUp8G4jC-w_k0Rflwq-OS7xth7ROTyUXl_mHX-T8xQsjHVf9__N33PR-sVoz_dTvJtrDigc9gjpynaRUvdcESXGBIxSXlRPCkOaoM-CUxEQs1m1XBpbgCr/s1600/Gina+Carano+strap.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAEVQSGWhFqEQTMTqUp8G4jC-w_k0Rflwq-OS7xth7ROTyUXl_mHX-T8xQsjHVf9__N33PR-sVoz_dTvJtrDigc9gjpynaRUvdcESXGBIxSXlRPCkOaoM-CUxEQs1m1XBpbgCr/s400/Gina+Carano+strap.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501423886613721522" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><br />Any day you can put up photos of Gina Carano (in red), and Kyra Gracie (in workout gear) is a good day.<br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><br />Kickboxing Class:<br /><br />it was me + 16 women + a woman instructor.<br /><br /><br />The woman instructor taught mostly exercise, plus a couple of self-defense moves, plus some inspiration to the students - including exhortation to really give it to the imaginary persons we were punching and kicking. We practiced various punches, kicks, throwing elbows, and also driving the palm of the hand through someone's nose. That palm of the hand thing can kill somebody pretty easily.<br /><br /><br />Uncomfortable. I do not wish to practice killing people with the palm of my hand. Plus, I am a big man. If I really throw myself into punching the imaginary person; if I really throw myself into deploying the palm of my hand into the underside of an imaginary person's nose: I would make a vicious and scary looking sight. I didn't come here to be a vicious and scary looking sight. I just came here to exercise.<br /><br /><br />I will not be going back to this class. Plus, I think this was instructor malpractice: the women in the class were not as strong or as expert as Gina Carano, and the instructor had no business building their confidence in their ability to prevail in a fight against a man. A self-defense class is one thing: it would discuss strategy and situational awareness; it would carefully practice what to do when. A woman can effectively defend herself in the right situations, and a true self-defense class will discuss what are the right situations to take such action. Conversely, our kickboxing instructor was taking a chance on creating foolish confidence amongst her students. <div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>If you are a woman, and you are worried about security in your home, do this: </div><div><br /></div><div>1. Inspect your home and take common sense security precautions: outside lights, good locks, safe doors and windows, other smart protection. </div><div>2. Get a dog, and then train the dog. Then get a second dog and train that dog. </div><div>3. Pepper spray. </div><div>4. Purchase a gun, and learn to use it. Take a class.</div><div>5. If you still want more, investigate an alarm. </div><div>6. If you still want more, take a true self-defense class.</div><div>7. If you still want more, hire the security service.<br />8. If you still want more, move to a gated community.</div><div> <div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>gcotharnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10912428161978690599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5891553.post-47214387757540934562010-08-03T15:00:00.004-05:002010-08-05T15:50:16.838-05:00In bidding for the Texas Rangers, Mark Cuban's possible outcomes are win, win, and probable win<div><br /></div><div><b>Update</b>: Cuban bowed out of the bidding for the Rangers at the $600M level, and therefore Greenberg/Ryan will own the team as soon as MLB approves. </div><div><br /></div><div>I made a mistake in the article below. I did not know that Cuban had only purchased $2M of Tom Hicks debt. Therefore, Cuban obviously paid as much or more ... in legal fees ... as he gained in profit from the sale price being raised by $85M. <a href="http://blogmaverick.com/2010/08/05/chasing-the-rangers/">Cuban explains his side of the entire sale process at Blog Maverick</a>. He only purchased the $2M in debt so he could gain access to the financial records of the Texas Rangers and the Dallas Stars. He first looked at purchasing the Rangers in 2009, but believed Hicks had included undesirable non Rangers related debt into his demands. This was a deal breaker for Cuban. In mid July 2010, Cuban learned that the bankruptcy process could eliminate the undesirable non Rangers related debts from the deal. This reignited Cuban's interest in owning the team. However, with Cuban having his own money tied up in various investments, and having only a few weeks in which to raise capital for the potential acquisition, the Cuban and Crane partnership was unable to raise more than $600M with which to bid for the team. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Here's why: in 2009, Cuban bought some of the discounted Tom Hicks debt. Therefore, in thrusting himself into the bidding for the Rangers, Cuban's three possible outcomes are all wins:<br /><br /><br /><br />1. Cuban loses the bidding.<br /><br />Consider: by entering the bidding, Cuban has driven up the sale price of the Rangers by ... $50M? ... $100M? ... $200M? Therefore, Mark Cuban the creditor thus reaps a bigger return on his purchase of Tom Hicks' debt. Outcome: win for Cuban, triggered by Cuban shrewdly and aggressively jumping himself into the bidding process. <div><br /></div><div>Note that Cuban could only be aggressive b/c Cuban is an expert on owning a professional sports franchise. Other creditors, due to their corporate ignorance of what it takes to be a successful professional owner, therefore could not trust their ability to put a proper value on the Rangers franchise, and therefore could not afford to be as aggressive as Mark Cuban.<br /><br />No one seems to consider that Cuban could be bidding in order to drive up the price, and therefore in order to drive up the profit on his 2009 purchase of debt. There's no possible way to know, until tomorrow, what Cuban's true motives are. However, this is a logical motive which everyone in media seems to be overlooking.<br /><br /><br /><br />2. Cuban wins the bidding, then gets his proposed ownership approved by MLB.<br /><br />Win. Cuban now gets to own a franchise, i.e. do something at which he is expert. Further, Cuban eventually gets to use Texas Rangers games as programming for his HDTV Channel. If that happens, the Rangers' placement as prime tenants on HDTV would create wider appeal for the Rangers franchise: would thus increase the profits of and the value of the franchise. Add in that the Rangers are about to contend for World Series titles every year for the next decade, and HDTV exposure could result in the Rangers gaining a national audience, a la the Atlanta Braves in the early days of TBS. Mark Cuban's ownership might be the very best thing which could happen for the franchise.<br /><br />Something else: Mark Cuban knows how to fill a venue to the brim with fans; knows how to create excitement around a franchise. Cuban is a born marketer.<br /><br /><br /><div><br />3. Cuban wins the bidding, then gets denied by MLB<br /><br />Outcome: probable win. In this scenario, if MLB awards the franchise to, for instance, Greenburg/Ryan, then I speculate MLB will insist that Greenburg/Ryan pay a price which is much higher than even the $540M which Greenburg/Ryan agreed to last week, and which was significantly more than the $502M which Greenburg/Ryan used as their bid over the last months. Cuban the creditor, even if he gets denied by MLB, still wins.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Separate note: </div><div><br /></div><div>Nolan Ryan is speculated to be gone if Cuban wins. However: what else can Nolan Ryan say? If Cuban wins: Ryan may be gone, or Ryan may be interested in working with Cuban. No one knows. We do know that Ryan, at this moment, cannot possibly give any indication that he would be willing to work with Mark Cuban.</div><div><br /></div><div>Realistically, anyone handicapping this issue would say that Mark Cuban and Nolan Ryan are oil and water. Ryan, however, can surprise. Once upon a time, Ryan was a big booster of pitching coach Tom House' unorthodox teaching techniques. No one, at the time, would have expected the meat and potatoes Ryan to endorse House' fruit and nuts methods. </div><div><br /></div><div>As for Cuban, I expect him to be quite flexible re working with Ryan. Cuban is shrewd and adaptable. Cuban's mistakes are mistakes of enthusiasm. Cuban's are not mistakes of either intractability, or of <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;">I know better</span></i> arrogance. Cuban's decision making process is shrewd and well considered. If Cuban seems hasty, it is often b/c - once he does make a decision - Cuban has the money and the confidence to immediately pull the trigger and go for it. Other organizations, both in sports and out of sports, usually take longer to implement actions which require big money and big risk.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>gcotharnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10912428161978690599noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5891553.post-86457206783086023762010-08-03T06:00:00.001-05:002010-08-03T06:00:03.691-05:00Captured: America in color from 1939-1943<a href="http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/2010/07/26/captured-america-in-color-from-1939-1943/?source=ARK_plog">http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/2010/07/26/captured-america-in-color-from-1939-1943/?source=ARK_plog</a>gcotharnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10912428161978690599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5891553.post-23189341392140491812010-08-02T06:00:00.002-05:002010-08-03T13:44:06.619-05:00Get out of my light bulb!<div><br /></div><a href="http://www.redstate.com/absentee/2010/07/29/ann-mcelhinney-at-rightonline-2010/">Ann McElhinney</a>:<br /><br /><blockquote>“So when my husband and I came to America, we heard a story about conservatives. We heard that these conservatives are a really really weird lot. Nutjobs, basically. And these conservatives, they’re obsessed with sex. They’re obsessed with sex and they’re obsessed with what you’re doing in your bedroom. It’s all they think about. They’re just constantly worrying about what you’re up to in your bedroom.<br /><br /><br />But you know something? Since we’ve moved here, we haven’t found that. But what we have found is that liberals, are in every other room in your house. They’re in the fridge. They’re in your car. They’re in your air miles. They’re in your clothes. They’re in your hair. They’re in your cleaning products, and your washing machine and the refrigerator. They’re all over the place! And they’re in your light bulb! And I want to say them .. This is America! Get out of my light bulb!"</blockquote><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>gcotharnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10912428161978690599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5891553.post-64125843861251397292010-07-30T06:00:00.004-05:002010-07-30T06:00:07.322-05:00Friday Hot: Midwestern Niece<div><br /></div><br />For her hot swimming...<div><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7oGQX0oqEaJq2PyBw9CO_f1O5jd00W8VyoEkkgYXOZHc1DffKNZ-QuYWjfGeRfkjQZwTXtwDMdSWqV_L-kdlkLiKjq5q5bT60gYl6u0Ydcf9wx91-uxQ0AWGXLkgZiLr-mhL6/s1600/KBC_breast+stroke.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7oGQX0oqEaJq2PyBw9CO_f1O5jd00W8VyoEkkgYXOZHc1DffKNZ-QuYWjfGeRfkjQZwTXtwDMdSWqV_L-kdlkLiKjq5q5bT60gYl6u0Ydcf9wx91-uxQ0AWGXLkgZiLr-mhL6/s400/KBC_breast+stroke.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499551646942228898" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoSk2MLUvRBtbyrZ0aH1yHlWB12ubvyGAoSTzOGhFZ_e5OroBZOQK8c4m903q4qUJoBtbR0wxAsU3puNQDMBr0KPpgzrZXeR3Wdlxra3O6-U5qZHz6Inb6sv5v9a9UtuowFrbj/s1600/Freestyle+2010.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoSk2MLUvRBtbyrZ0aH1yHlWB12ubvyGAoSTzOGhFZ_e5OroBZOQK8c4m903q4qUJoBtbR0wxAsU3puNQDMBr0KPpgzrZXeR3Wdlxra3O6-U5qZHz6Inb6sv5v9a9UtuowFrbj/s400/Freestyle+2010.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499551632733485410" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Kris-In-Law writes:<br /><br /><blockquote>In her first season of swim team in the 8 and under group, she has successfully competed in every category offered in her age group: medley relay, free style relay, individual free, fly, breast, and back. Today she completed the individual medley race. Here is a picture of her during that race. She completed 25 meters each in fly, back, breast, and free!</blockquote><br /><br />That's hot.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Related: <br /><br /><a href="http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2010/06/happy-birthday-bro-64.html">Happy Birthday Bro64</a><br /><a href="http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2009/12/bro64-thanksgiving.html">Bro64's Classic Family Thanksgiving</a><br /><a href="http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2009/06/something-sweet.html">Something Sweet</a><br /><a href="http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2009/04/radical-opposite-of-all-dead-things.html">Radical Opposite of All Dead Things</a><br /><a href="http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2009/01/those-who-know.html">They Forgot Santa Claus</a><br /><a href="http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2008/11/like-military-operation.html">Like a Military Operation</a> <br /><a href="http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2008/10/which-is-my-niece.html">Which is my niece?</a><br /><a href="http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2008/07/british-soccer-camp-in-fitchburg-wi.html">Playing Barbies, and being not the favorite uncle</a><br /><a href="http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2008/03/okeeffe-green.html">My niece can never be allowed to date</a><br /><a href="http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2008/02/chicks-dragons-and-tulips.html">The Spring Tulips</a><br /><a href="http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2008/01/book-of-dangerously-fun-words.html">The Book of Dangerously Fun Words</a><br /><a href="http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2007/10/fitchburg-645-am.html">6:45 AM: smile smile smile smile smile</a><br /><a href="http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2007/10/fitchburg-610-pm-soccer-game.html">Soccer game</a><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>gcotharnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10912428161978690599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5891553.post-37400653353342922442010-07-29T06:00:00.000-05:002010-07-29T06:00:04.305-05:00Southern Brother and fellow Temple College coaches<div><br /></div>Southern Brother is on the right: #40, with the other two Temple College baseball coaches. Their team went to the NJCAA World Series this year in Grand Junction, CO. They lost, then won, then won, then lost. A respectable showing for a gritty team.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRtDENNhPl9GcPWcVG0eqdHF1cnd1rwU649vvmgQBXK_oDxctQaY3DETUF-YU0X7U6X0WZwsc1t8ODD6OTVqfYZai6OoXvLCxxn4quewzff1FReac1WV0tvIIT5aRawJxF4JnS/s1600/Temple+College+Coaches+2010.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRtDENNhPl9GcPWcVG0eqdHF1cnd1rwU649vvmgQBXK_oDxctQaY3DETUF-YU0X7U6X0WZwsc1t8ODD6OTVqfYZai6OoXvLCxxn4quewzff1FReac1WV0tvIIT5aRawJxF4JnS/s400/Temple+College+Coaches+2010.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499160309148099154" /></a><br /><br />Southern Brother is 5'11". Coach Craig McMurtry, standing center, is just tall. <div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Related: </div><div><a href="http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2010/04/batting-instruction-from-college.html">Batting instruction from a college baseball coach</a></div><div><a href="http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2010/06/why-are-scores-so-high-in-juco-world.html">Why are scores so high in the JUCO World Series?</a></div><div><a href="http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2010/05/southern-brothers-baseball-team-wins_20.html">Southern Brother's team wins regional tournament</a></div><div><a href="http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2010/03/everything-i-know-about-batting.html">Everything I know about batting</a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>gcotharnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10912428161978690599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5891553.post-15054071376073668982010-07-28T18:00:00.000-05:002010-07-28T18:00:01.479-05:00NAACP, via crying out an exculpatory claim, actually incriminates itself even more<div> </div><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703958904575387310483001330.html?mod=djemEditorialPage_h">James Taranto in WSJ</a>:<br /><blockquote>When [NAACP leader] Jealous defends himself [and the NAACP] by claiming to have been "snookered" by Breitbart, it calls to mind the politician caught in a sex scandal who says: "Yeah, I slept with the girl. But you can't believe her, she's a prostitute!" Far from being exculpatory, the accusation against the accuser makes the admission even more incriminating, especially if the accusation is true.<br /><br />On the surface, Breitbart's attempt to expose the NAACP as corrupt was a spectacular failure. His charge against Shirley Sherrod turned out to be false. The corollary charge against the NAACP was false in this instance.<br /><br />Yet the NAACP's leaders rushed to the conclusion that it was true. To the extent that they did so because they had faith in Breitbart's credibility, they merely acted stupidly. To the extent that they did so<b> because the charge rang true to them</b>, their behavior suggests that there is truth to the broader accusation of corruption.<br /><br />The NAACP's actions in this matter <b>have not been what one would expect from an organization that is confident in its own integrity.</b> We surmise that Jealous and his colleagues don't want you to think about that, and that this is why they are so eager to shift the blame to those who "snookered" them. </blockquote><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>gcotharnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10912428161978690599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5891553.post-39601185278004046502010-07-28T06:00:00.006-05:002010-07-28T06:00:00.205-05:00From Cousin Sara: Homecoming<div><br /></div>I just saw my cousin, Sara, at her going away party, 3 weeks ago, on July 3. Sara is another of my beautiful girl cousins. Lah dee dah: I've got a million beautiful girl cousins. Their beauty and their density of number are amazing. When our family gets together, sometimes you can barely take a step w/o bumping into a beautiful cousin. A good number of them are End Zone commenter Emjay's granddaughters.<br /><br /><div><br />Anyway, a lot has happened in 3 weeks since July 3.<br /><br /></div><div><br />Sara's husband, Jon, is a U.S. Army lawyer. Jon is beginning service in Italy, so Sara and Jon left for their new home on July 5.<br /><br /></div><div><br />Sara has begun a <a href="http://buonasara.blogspot.com/">heartwarming and entertaining blog</a>. Today, the blog has quite a wonderful story: <a href="http://buonasara.blogspot.com/2010/07/homecoming.html">Homecoming</a>. You'll be happy you looked at it.<br /><br /><div><br /><br /></div><div><br /><br />Cousin (and niece and nephew) related:</div><div><br /><a href="http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2009/08/cousin-wedding-photos.html">Cousin Wedding Photos</a> <div><a href="http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2008/12/year-in-review.html">Love Conquers My Girl Cousins</a></div><div><a href="http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2010/03/watching-cousin-morgan-pitch-for.html">Watching Cousin Morgan Pitch</a></div><div><a href="http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2010/02/my-family-never-yelled-at-referees.html">Cousins Kathleen and Taylor heckle the referees</a></div><div><a href="http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2009/10/my-niece-irresistible.html">Courtney the Irresistible</a></div><div><a href="http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2010/01/its-16-degrees-in-fort-worth-im.html">Sombrero Nancy</a></div><div><a href="http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2009/12/cousin-blake-gets-decorated.html">Cousin Blake gets decorated</a></div><div><a href="http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2009/11/beauty.html">Girl Cousins Everywhere</a></div><div><a href="http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2009/04/radical-opposite-of-all-dead-things.html">Radical Opposite of All Dead Things</a></div><div><a href="http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2009/01/those-who-know.html">They forgot Santa Claus</a></div><div><br /></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>gcotharnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10912428161978690599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5891553.post-17791862274898902662010-07-27T18:00:00.005-05:002010-07-27T18:00:02.578-05:00Future POTUS Piper Palin goes fishing and encounters bear<div><br /></div><a href="http://photos.tmz.com/galleries/sarah_palin_fishing_bear_alaska#tab=most_recent&id=74906">Photos</a><br /><br /><div><br />A man I know had suites at Texas Stadium and at The Ballpark in Arlington. He took his grandson to the Cowboys game, and they had fun. He took his grandson to the Rangers game, and they had fun. He took his grandson, on a sunsplashed day, to a TCU Football game. Grandpa was having a fine time. He asked grandson: "Are you having a good time?" Grandson said: "Well, yes, Grandpa, but why are we sitting outside?"<br /><br /><br />Piper Palin's life reminds of this. I expect she will one day be on a fishing trip, and she will say: "This is fun, but where are all the cameras?"<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>gcotharnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10912428161978690599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5891553.post-74961530269320519452010-07-27T12:00:00.001-05:002010-07-27T12:00:02.084-05:00Some Journolisters helpfully taught others the purpose of journalism<div><br /></div><a href="http://hotair.com/archives/2010/07/27/journolist-day-6-heroes/">Ed Morrissey</a>:<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; "><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 1.5em; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: auto; width: 520px; font-size: 1.1em; line-height: 1.4em; ">Journolisters started debating whether the media should report on Fort Hood terrorist Nidal Hasan’s ties to radical Islamist terrorists. When Luke Mitchell of Harper’s argued that reporting on the ties would lead to something “alarmingly dangerous, such as the idea that there is a large conspiracy of Islamists at work in the United States,” Surowiecki reminded Mitchell and others of the entire purpose of journalism, emphasis mine:</p><blockquote style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 50px; position: relative; width: 480px; background-color: rgb(200, 200, 200); border-left-width: 3px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 1.5em; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: auto; width: 460px; font-size: 1.1em; line-height: 1.4em; ">“I find it bizarre that anyone would argue that an accurate description of what happened is somehow pointless,” Surowiecki said. “That is, that it’s not useful to offer up an accurate picture of Hasan’s actions because nothing obvious follows from it. <strong style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">We want, as much as possible, to have a clear picture of what’s actually going on in the world</strong>. Describing Hasan as a violent Islamist terrorist is much closer to the truth than describing him as a disturbed individual.”</p></blockquote><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 1.5em; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: auto; width: 520px; font-size: 1.1em; line-height: 1.4em; ">One has to wonder why a journalist from Harper’s — and other publications — would need that reminder....</p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 1.5em; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: auto; width: 520px; font-size: 1.1em; line-height: 1.4em; "><br /></p><p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 1.5em; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: auto; width: 520px; font-size: 1.1em; line-height: 1.4em; "><br /></p></span></div>gcotharnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10912428161978690599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5891553.post-3728709024296920792010-07-27T06:00:00.001-05:002010-07-27T06:00:07.871-05:00Government is not a multiplier of capital<div><br /></div>Ed Morrissey:<br /><blockquote>We have spent the past two years pursuing the policies that failed in the 1970s, such as large government interventions in labor and goods markets and the imposition of massive regulatory regimes intended to manage the economy from the top down. We’re ignoring the policies that succeeded in the 1980s that eventually provided the antidote to the Keynesianism of the Nixon-Ford-Carter years, and that touched off a massive expansion of the American economy.<br /><br />The semi-annual review shows that the Obama administration still hasn’t learned its lesson. It’s akin to having a money-losing product but trying to convince the bank that you can make up the losses in volume sales. At its heart, Obamanomics holds a central flaw: the idea that government acts as a multiplier to capital rather than a diluter and destructor of capital. The more capital it confiscates for its central-planning economics, the less we have for real growth. Some government oversight is necessary to prevent fraud and theft, but even that doesn’t act as a multiplier for the capital it consumes; it’s merely the rational cost of doing business.<br /><br />Barack Obama still hasn’t learned that, but the voters have begun to figure it out.</blockquote><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">`</span>gcotharnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10912428161978690599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5891553.post-81889583930444234202010-07-26T12:30:00.000-05:002010-07-26T12:30:00.556-05:00Journolisters studied how to frame the Trig story to best help Obama's election chances<div><br /></div>William A. Jacobson studies Journolister's interest in the "is Sarah Palin the mother of Trig" story. Journolisters were mostly concerned with how to frame the story so as to help Obama's election chances. Jacobson concludes:<br /><blockquote>The emerging picture of the Journolist is that it served as a place where like-minded people who had great influence on how the media portrayed events were able to coordinate their story lines for the benefit of the Obama campaign.<br /><br />We saw the media bias on the surface; the Journolistas helped frame that bias below the surface.</blockquote><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>gcotharnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10912428161978690599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5891553.post-27021771850622740882010-07-26T06:00:00.002-05:002010-07-26T06:00:04.655-05:00Barack Protectors<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">`</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidV_n_jR5Is2cQtwn5NmKsUvQC8JVeOLLIuIvknKzLSQ3VbEgDD_kPGRHKAj0IU_Q0eYUbubcv2hnvswkmifnSzny5jth8JAqJJIh3I4De-aankCiWNhSe2_xY_xkahoT7ieqq/s1600/Journolist-protection.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 520px; height: 364px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidV_n_jR5Is2cQtwn5NmKsUvQC8JVeOLLIuIvknKzLSQ3VbEgDD_kPGRHKAj0IU_Q0eYUbubcv2hnvswkmifnSzny5jth8JAqJJIh3I4De-aankCiWNhSe2_xY_xkahoT7ieqq/s400/Journolist-protection.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498048672739918098" /></a><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">`</span>gcotharnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10912428161978690599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5891553.post-56162954305184820792010-07-25T00:22:00.002-05:002010-07-25T00:44:38.087-05:00Timothy Dalrymple's Theory of the Missing Motive<div><br /></div><a href="http://www.patheos.com/Resources/Additional-Resources/Is-the-Tea-Party-Racist?offset=4&max=1">Timothy Dalrymple</a> observes that h/s and university faculty are overwhelmingly on the left, and many students go through entire academic careers w/o hearing conservative ideas be addressed in any more than the most shallow, dismissive fashion. Major media is overwhelmingly on the left, and many Americans who consume major media go through their lives w/o hearing conservative takes on issues be addressed in any more than the most shallow and dismissive fashion. Many Americans simply do not understand what conservatives believe. Dalrymple: "Thus, the Theory of the Missing Motive applies," i.e. it becomes easy, when trying to understand conservative motivation, to mistakenly reach for shallow stereotypes: ignorant, greedy, bigoted, et al. Dalrymple concludes:<br /><br /><blockquote>Even among educated liberals, few have more than a single-layered view of conservatism. They may know the conservative argument superficially, and they are armed with their own objections, but they are ignorant of how conservatives would respond to their objections. This is worse than knowing nothing at all, as it gives liberals the false impression that they have addressed and defeated conservatism. Yet they have only conquered a Potemkin village, where the people are thin and false.<br /><br />[...]<br /><br />Liberals consistently misinterpret what motivates conservatives because they really <span style="font-style:italic;">cannot</span> see the world from the conservative perspective. Liberals cannot imagine that Tea Partiers are really motivated by concern for their country….<br /><br /><br />Thus, the Theory of the Missing Motive applies. Unable to see a rational and noble motive at the center of the Tea Party movement, liberals supply a darker and more convenient motive instead. Just as ancient cartographers wrote "there be dragons here" beyond the bounds of the world they knew, so liberals write "there be racism here" because the mind of the Tea Partier is undiscovered country in their map of the world. The Tea Party cannot be rationally and nobly motivated, the liberal believes, because the Tea Partiers are not rational and noble.<br /><br /><br />In other words, the problem is not that liberals dislike the principles promoted at Tea Party rallies. Most do not understand those principles. The problem is that liberals dislike the kind of people who go to Tea Party rallies.<br /><br /><br />Long before liberals rejected the placards, they rejected the people holding them.</blockquote><blockquote><br /></blockquote><blockquote><br /></blockquote>gcotharnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10912428161978690599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5891553.post-7235943937450556972010-07-24T14:38:00.007-05:002010-07-24T15:19:58.298-05:00Was it ethical for Tucker Carlson to publish the leaked Journolist info?<div><br /></div>~1~ Was it ethical for Tucker Carlson to publish the leaked info?<br /><br />The answer partially hinges on whether or not a wrong was being committed. Opinion journalists were conspiring to use their professional platforms to suppress embarrassing info about Obama, to coordinate dissemination of memes about Palin, and to discredit any newspersons who embarrassed Obama. It's clear to me that wrongs were being committed – not by the existence of Journolist itself, but rather by the immoral actions of professionals who were shirking their professional duties to truthfully opine on the most important news; who were suppressing true opinion in service of political agenda. The unethical behavior of these opinion journalists is a big story – a big scandal – which will only fully set in as the truth about the unethical behavior seeps more and more into the consciousness of American citizens. Therefore, Tucker Carlson acted ethically in reporting the story. <br /><br />Tucker Carlson: <blockquote>"I don't think you can be a journalist and carry water for a politician, and that's what they were doing: 'Here's the line on Palin.' . . . These are political hacks, and I think they should stop calling themselves journalists. It discredits the rest of us."</blockquote><br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/22/AR2010072206024_pf.html">Howard Kurtz of WaPo</a>: <blockquote>"But there is no getting around the fact that some of these messages, culled from the members-only discussion group Journolist, are embarrassing. They show liberal commentators appearing to cooperate in an effort to hammer out the shrewdest talking points against the Republicans -- including, in one case, a suggestion for accusing random conservatives of being racist."<br />~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br />"But there is no escaping the fact that some of the list's liberal literati come off sounding like cagey political operatives."</blockquote><br /><br /><br />~2~ Was it ethical to for an insider to leak Journolist info to Tucker Carlson?<br /><br />Tougher call. The leaker broke his word, yet did so in service of shining light on significant unethical behavior. My principles are this: once significant unethical behavior occurred, then the leaker was released from his commitment to keep the information secret. Your principles may be different. I say it was ethical for the insider to leak the info to Tucker Carlson.<br /><br /><br />~3~ How does the Journolist leak compare to the Palin emails leak?<br /><br />The comparison of Journolist to Palin emails in an interesting initial thought. Yet, once fleshed out, the comparison does not hold up well.<br />First, the guy who stole the Palin emails broke the law; the Journolist leaker broke no law.<br /><br />Second: the Journolist leaker was highlighting unethical behavior; the Palin email leaker was just releasing everything in a cast-a-wide-net hope to embarrass the candidate. <br /><br />Third, in releasing the Palin emails, you create a lot of collateral damage amongst innocent civilians whose personal medical information, personal thoughts, personal prayers, and personal email addresses were put into the public domain. Journolist was about professionals who ought have calculated the risk of being on the list. The Palin emailers were rank civilians, most of whom never dreamed Palin would be on a Presidential ticket and thence targeted by the son of a Dem state senator. Most or all of those civilians had to change their email address, some had to make apologies to their friends for things said in private emails. <br /><br /><br />~4~ Is the contentious issue about "kicking around ideas in a bull session"?<br /><br />No. Such is uncontentious. The issues were laid out in ~1~.<br /><br /><br />~5~ Is it a downside that anything a person puts in writing or says on video can be held against them?<br /><br />No. Exposing oneself as a fool is a feature, not a bug.<br /><br /><br />~6~ What of professionals who undertake bland careers so as to not say anything which can later be used against them in a potential nomination, et al?<br /><br />This is interesting, and I've considered this before. We're in a moment in media and societal history in which political demagogues can get away with a lot of mischaracterization; can overly influence voters via overemphasizing what ought be considered minor historical transgressions on the part of individuals, if such were even transgressions at the time they were committed. No human is perfect. For various reasons, at this moment in media and societal history, demagogues are able to overly punish other human beings for being human, i.e. for being imperfect, as every single human is. This moment shall pass. Until it does: nominees are being unfairly punished, and that is a shame; our nation is suffering a rash of bland, uncreative, uncharismatic nominees, and that is a shame.<br /><br /><br />~7~ Does an overplayed "scoop" invalidate the true scandals which have otherwise been reported?<br /><br />From <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/23/AR2010072304131.html">Kathleen Parker</a> comes the idea that an overplayed scoop (about a UCLA Law Prof wanting to jerk a broadcasting license from Fox News) invalidates the true scandals which are being reported beside the overplayed scoop. Kathleen is engaged in fallacious reasoning.<br /><br /><br />~8~ What is "verbal ju jitsu"?<br /><br />An excuse one flings out as cover for having gotten the worst of a reasoned argument.<br /><br /><br />~9~ Kathleen Parker: "Are we better off never having the ability to speak offhandedly among friends, to say in private what we could never say in public, to think aloud and uncensored?"<br /><br />No. We are not better off. Yet, this Journolist scandal is not about that. The scandal is about professional opinion-journalists being engaged in unprofessional, unethical, immoral behavior, as explicated in ~1~. There is a difference. When Kathleen Parker misidentifies the scandal as being about mere offhand, private conversation + idea bouncing, then she either intentionally or unintentionally misleads her readers. <div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>gcotharnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10912428161978690599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5891553.post-8931965003869802052010-07-16T06:00:00.028-05:002010-07-18T19:18:00.802-05:00Friday Hot: Tamara Standard is Yoga Girl<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">`</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv_2JWODV9wWUTC7GZbOL-2cdngrXGIV-mOIAAnjlUdzbH9fMn1Romhy81Vr1T2Mo97ZpeRm6BgxKqcoXG7-q4vQ8U2uSiNbbRXIeyN_wz2O0Kx2V6fxv7T9v10gNXDlRFZHh2/s1600/Tamara+Standard+on+6th.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 440px; height: 330px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv_2JWODV9wWUTC7GZbOL-2cdngrXGIV-mOIAAnjlUdzbH9fMn1Romhy81Vr1T2Mo97ZpeRm6BgxKqcoXG7-q4vQ8U2uSiNbbRXIeyN_wz2O0Kx2V6fxv7T9v10gNXDlRFZHh2/s400/Tamara+Standard+on+6th.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495396402826931954" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.yogagirlsf.com/node/63">Video on 6th Street in San Francisco</a>.<br /><br /><br />Tamara draws us in. She is engaging, demonstrates leadership, is full of life, is sporting outstanding dental hygiene. We instinctively sense she will jump in beside us for life's activities: will hike to the top of the mountain with us, will jump in beside us for whatever needs doing - gardening, cleaning, whatever. Tamara is up for it. <div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFGhOGd7uOL0OqJn-Oirt93MsI908FZwHerzv3UnpDmIBBMe2ANqib0qVYqvcwHdtRMdsvkHpVzAGR4TIg2agzi9dItYztR8yI0Bra24JgDdyl6sko8ehpmiL80sWROVBSgWAT/s1600/Tamara+Standard+student.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 289px; height: 215px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFGhOGd7uOL0OqJn-Oirt93MsI908FZwHerzv3UnpDmIBBMe2ANqib0qVYqvcwHdtRMdsvkHpVzAGR4TIg2agzi9dItYztR8yI0Bra24JgDdyl6sko8ehpmiL80sWROVBSgWAT/s400/Tamara+Standard+student.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495399531143593314" /></a>A large part of Tamara's appeal generates from the balance, happiness, and energy which she derives from her yoga practice. Decent, well adjusted, <a href="http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2009/12/friday-hot-tammy-roy.html">regular American girls</a> are more appealing than most of the celebrities which our culture celebrates. Tamara is more appealing than most any actress or model we could name (and is equally appealing with the rest!).<br /><br /><br /><br />Tamara used to teach yoga, at Fort Bliss in El Paso, to the soldiers and their spouses. She loves Texas. We love anyone who loves soldiers and Texas. <br /><br /><br />Take a look, in the better light of <a href="http://www.yogagirlsf.com/node/30">the studio video at Tamara's website</a>, at how strong she is: look at the definition in her shoulders and arms. If you were unfamiliar with the physicality of yoga, you might never suspect that Tamara is a very strong girl. Some yoga poses, which seemingly require expert balance, actually depend to a greater extent on coordinated strength amongst muscle groups. Tamara is strong throughout all her muscle groups. Such is difficult to achieve. We exercisers typically develop popular muscles, while accidentally ignoring less popular muscles. Yoga helps us be strong all over. Yoga is the healthiest workout I know of; is the most balanced and complete workout I know of.<br /><br /><br />Tamara <a href="http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/03/31/san-frans-yoga-girl/">envisions bringing yoga studios to economically depressed areas of SF</a>. I stand beside her in saying yoga can help any of us turn our lives around. Yoga helps us be healthier - which triggers all types of positive benefits in capability, energy, stamina, brain chemistry (peptides; endorphins!), happiness, and more. Yoga is an effective tool for turning lives around - just as Alcoholics Anonymous is an effective tool for turning lives around, just as the Salvation Army is an effective tool, just as a good friendship or a good marriage are effective tools. If you want to take a look at Tamara's vision, <a href="http://www.yogagirlsf.com/">her website</a> has more info.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Update</span>: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Yoga-Girl/51669775805?v=app_2392950137&ref=search#!/video/video.php?v=47490289773&oid=51669775805">excellent Facebook video, by Rosalyn Fay, in which Tamara explains her story</a>. Also: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Yoga-Girl/51669775805?v=app_2392950137&ref=search#!/pages/Yoga-Girl/51669775805">Yoga Girl Facebook page</a>.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Tamara's faith in yoga as armor reminds of <a href="http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2007/07/cha-chas-ooda-loop-was-tighter_15.html">Cha Cha's OODA Loop was tighter</a>; her willing spirit reminds of <a href="http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2009/07/lisa-hannigan-i-dont-know-but-i-am-game.html">Lisa Hannigan: I Don't Know [But I Am Game]</a>.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">`</span></div>gcotharnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10912428161978690599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5891553.post-62088787772262004312010-07-15T06:00:00.004-05:002010-07-15T06:00:00.235-05:00Super-determined little girls of summer<div><br /></div>Needing to complete a cell phone conversation: pulled off the road to watch soccer camp at TCU while I did so. Watched an 11 person team of 19-20ish year old camp counselors sequentially take on various age groups of campers in 10 minute scrimmages. At one point, an entire 18 girl team of 10-11ish year old girls charged onto the field, en masse, and played with endearing determination. There were so many of them on the pitch: they were like ants who played with supremely determined body language and flying pony tails. They chased the ball and the counselors all over the field. Their enthusiasm and energy never flagged. They were out there to give those counselors a serious game, and nothing was going to prevent their doing exactly that.<br /><br /><br />And thats all I have to say. I just really enjoyed watching those super-determined little girls of summer.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>gcotharnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10912428161978690599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5891553.post-29599190650200922552010-07-14T06:00:00.010-05:002010-07-14T17:20:18.977-05:00For some Arabs: hatred is their self esteem<div><br /></div><div><br /></div>I have reasoned this: Arafat, in 2000, when offered 90% of all his demands by Ehud Barak at Camp David, rejected Barak's offer b/c Arafat's ultimate goal was to drive Israeli Jews into the Mediterranean.<br /><br /><br />Brigette Gabriel, <span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2010/06/30/why_do_arabs_ha.html">Why Do Arabs Hate Israel?</a></span><blockquote>I was raised in Lebanon where I was taught that the Jews are evil, Israel is the devil, and the only time we will have peace in the Middle East is when we kill all the Jews and drive them into the sea...</blockquote><br /><br /><br /><br />Shelby Steele suggests another motive for Arafat: to have accepted Barak's offer would have resulted in Arabs being forced "to forego hatred as consolation and meaning". Steele also mentions Arabs being forced to forgo victim status as explanation for lack of modernity.<br /><br /><br />I would reshape this last assertion, and here's why: Islam and tribalism, in many areas of life, actively oppose modernity. Therefore, I would say foregoing victim status would force Arab Muslims to forgo a beloved explanation for why Islam is not currently dominating the world, i.e. would force Arab Muslims into a reckoning about the supposed infallibility of the Koran and the Hadith, as well as into a reckoning about the continued viability of many tribal principles and values which are centuries old and are revered. <br /><br /><br />Arafat had two choices:<br />1] peace, and the inevitable religious and tribal reckonings which would follow; or<br />2] instigation of war.<br /><br /><br />Arafat feared the reckonings, and chose instigation of war. It's as simple as that. If, as consequence of war, Israeli Jews were eventually driven into the Mediterranean? Bonus! Thank goodness Arafat, the smiling lying evil murderous corrupt animal-sex pervert, is dead.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704198004575311011923686570.html?mod=djemEditorialPage_h">Shelby Steele</a>:<br /><br /><blockquote>Palestinians—and for that matter much of the Middle East—are driven to militancy and war not by legitimate complaints against Israel or the West but by an internalized sense of inferiority. If the Palestinians got everything they want—a sovereign nation and even, let's say, a nuclear weapon—they would wake the next morning still hounded by a sense of inferiority. For better or for worse, modernity is now the measure of man.<br /><br />And the quickest cover for inferiority is hatred. The problem is not me; it is them. And in my victimization I enjoy a moral and human grandiosity—no matter how smart and modern my enemy is, I have the innocence that defines victims. I may be poor but my hands are clean. Even my backwardness and poverty only reflect a moral superiority, while my enemy's wealth proves his inhumanity.<br /><br />In other words, my hatred is my self-esteem. This must have much to do with why Yasser Arafat rejected Ehud Barak's famous Camp David offer of 2000 in which Israel offered more than 90% of what the Palestinians had demanded. To have accepted that offer would have been to forgo hatred as consolation and meaning. Thus it would have plunged the Palestinians—and by implication the broader Muslim world—into a confrontation with their inferiority relative to modernity. Arafat knew that without the Jews to hate an all-defining cohesion would leave the Muslim world. So he said no to peace.<br /><br />And this recalcitrance in the Muslim world, this attraction to the consolations of hatred, is one of the world's great problems today—whether in the suburbs of Paris and London, or in Kabul and Karachi, or in Queens, N.Y., and Gaza. The fervor for hatred as deliverance may not define the Muslim world, but it has become a drug that consoles elements of that world in the larger competition with the West. This is the problem we in the West have no easy solution to, and we scapegoat Israel—admonish it to behave better—so as not to feel helpless. We see our own vulnerability there.</blockquote><br /><br />Steele has more essay at the link, and it is smart stuff.<br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>gcotharnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10912428161978690599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5891553.post-1202000922770426282010-07-13T06:00:00.005-05:002010-07-15T07:35:15.684-05:00I'm pretty sure Jesus doesn't care what you do with semen<div><br /></div>This blogpost deserves a place inside the conversation about which <a href="http://thebloggess.com/">The Bloggess</a> post is the funniest: <a href="http://thebloggess.com/?p=1603">http://thebloggess.com/?p=1603</a><br /><br />As always, profanity warning, along with every type of bad taste warning imaginable. <div><br /></div><div><br /><br />~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://twitpic.com/21srn9">Completely adorable twitpic of moving day</a>.<br /><br /><br /><br />Sample <a href="http://twitter.com/TheBloggess">@TheBloggess</a> tweets, from after she moves into a new house. Work from top to bottom:<br /><br /><br /><br />We've been here 1 day and we've found 2 scorpions in our house. Stung once already. Stop being such an asshole, Texas Hill Country.<br />2:34 PM Jul 5th via web<br /><br />No, I can't buy a chicken to curb the scorpion infestation problem because we also have a fox infestation problem.<br />2:47 PM Jul 5th via web<br /><br />Ooh. Unless we had a TON of chickens so there were too many for the foxes to handle.<br />2:49 PM Jul 5th via web<br /><br />Okay, text ads for sale for $75 *OR* a truckload of fast chickens.<br />2:50 PM Jul 5th via web<br /><br />No, y'all. I can't get a lion to eat the foxes that eat the chickens that eat the scorpions. Because we have deed restrictions.<br />3:07 PM Jul 5th via web<br /><br />The exterminator is here to murder all the scorpions. He did *not* bring a lion. I'm starting to question his expertise.<br />about 13 hours ago via web<br /><br />@#$%!^&! The exterminator just accidentally let in a wasp. This whole thing seems counterintuitive.<br />about 12 hours ago via web<br /><br />At the closest restaurant to our new house. They specialize in live bait, uhauls, and computer repair. And tacos. <a href="http://twitpic.com/231a2o">http://twitpic.com/231a2o</a><br />about 8 hours ago via Echofon<br /><br />Holy shit. Some guy just walked in and yelled "Frank! I need some goddam worms!" at our waiter. He paid by check.<br />about 8 hours ago via Echofon<br /><br />He paid by check. For worms. Also, our waiter's name is not even close to being "Frank". Oh Texas Hill Country, Never change.<br />about 8 hours ago via Echofon<br /><br />Okay, I just had the best Mexican food in my life. Well-played, "Frank's bait & taco".<br />about 8 hours ago via Echofon<br /><br /></div><div><br /></div>gcotharnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10912428161978690599noreply@blogger.com0