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AWT Looks at Justice, Tiger and the Spiral Starecase

On 12.08.09, In Aye Wonder Tuesday, By Mike

Tiger, Tiger, Tiger. Before our very eyes he is morphing into OJ Woods. OK. He didn’t kill anyone but he has gone from saint to sinner in the public eye in 10 days. What do we think of all of this? Amanda Knox, guilty in Italy or scapegoat? It must be AWT because we have lots to cover and we should get right to it immediately.

☞I made the executive decision that today’s soundtrack would be uplifting. The AWT song of the week is one you’ve heard, one you’ve sung to and one you need to hear again today. The Spiral Starecase were one hit wonders but if you are going to leave a legacy, this is how you want to go out. For your enjoyment pleasure (and mine), More Today than Yesterday.

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☞Ok. Lets go to Perugia, Italy. I have to admit the Italians have an odd system of justice. Amanda Knox’ jury consisted of 6 jurors that were not pre-screened for biases and two judges, the sitting judge and an auditor. If the 8 votes are cast with the result ending in a tie, the sitting judge casts another vote, his/her second vote, to break the tie. In other words, someone can be convicted of murder on a 5-4 vote. In Amanda Knox’ case, she was convicted unanimously. I dare say that there is little chance that she would be convicted in the US. Obviously, I can’t say whether she committed this crime or not but think about this for one second; how is it possible that the only DNA in the room was from the murdered roommate, Meredith Kercher and the person already convicted, Rudy Guede? Did they think that Knox returned to the room and cleaned the crime scene? It all doesn’t make sense and one has to wonder if there was something else afoot here. In the meantime, I am banning Perugia chocolate from our house. Italian wine is still welcome.

☞Tiger, Tiger, Tiger. If you are keeping a scorecard, there are now 10 women who have come forward. Yes, 10. An eleventh, who has yet to identify herself, has reportedly delivered naked photos of Tiger to Playgirl. I think you can only say one thing here. WTF??? Was Tiger not watching the Late Show with David Letterman when Letterman came clean? This has escalated to the point where the most revered sports figure in the world is quickly becoming OJ Woods. Like it or not, it is a fact that there is a type of woman who throws themselves at men with some combination of power, fame and money. Marital status is not a factor. Tiger’s perfect tri-fecta meant he was particularly going to see more than his “fair share” if he made himself available, which he clearly did. I cannot think of a bigger celebrity meltdown than this. Perhaps it’s because Tiger is plummeting from such great heights but it’s amazing to me that he hasn’t done a thing about it. What gives here? You guys have any thoughts?

☞This blog will never become celebrity centric but I have to call attention to this. 50 Cent, the in-da Club rapper wants to record with Susan Boyle, the doughty winner of the UK has Talent television show. Dusty moneyed East Lothian meets the rough Jamaica neighborhood of Queens. Music along with politics makes for some strange bedfellows.

☞Do today’s bombings in Baghdad prove that we will never bring stability to regions outside our control? Should we learn this lesson before we double commit to Afghanistan? Should we be placing more emphasis on securing our country internally and at our own borders? I wonder. I do. Seems to me, it would cost a lot less money, money that we don’t have these days. But what do I know.

☞2/10ths of 1 percent doesn’t seem like a big number but it got big attention on Friday of last week. The unemployment rate dropped from 10.2% to 10% for the November reporting period. That’s the first decline in unemployment in 2 years and if you’re looking to hang your hat on some potentially good news, this is it. Confidence is the key to the economic recovery and jobs fuel confidence. If this continues, it could, I repeat–could, be a game changer. Cross your appendages.

☞A couple of weeks ago I promised to post a blueprint for bands trying to make it the cruel, cruel music industry. I haven’t forgotten. I am just trying to generalize the plan (rather than show you Endway’s specific plan) before posting it. But I will post it. Thanks to those of you who expressed your interest.

☞Tom Brady doesn’t look the same to me. I will grant you that the New England Patriots are light on the skill positions of running back and wide receivers but to this untrained eye, Brady seems to be over throwing to all of his targets. One thing is clear to me, ever since my brother Phil changed his allegiance from the Jets to the Patriots, the New England squad has not been the same. Is there anything we can do here?

☞Finally, today’s AWT quote of the week:

Justice denied anywhere diminishes justice everywhere.
~Martin Luther King Jr.

And that, ladies and germs, is another Aye Wonder Tuesday for your consideration and amusement. I find myself only able to crank this out once a week at the moment but I swear I’ll try to be better. Honest.

Aye Wonder who, what, where, when and why.
Do you?

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There is no Joy In Mudville

On 10.20.08, In Baseball, Poem, Red Sox, By Mike

Casey at the Bat – Ernest Thayer Lawrence, June 3, 1888

The Outlook wasn’t brilliant for the Mudville nine that day:
The score stood four to two, with but one inning more to play.
And then when Cooney died at first, and Barrows did the same,
A sickly silence fell upon the patrons of the game.

A straggling few got up to go in deep despair. The rest
Clung to that hope which springs eternal in the human breast;
They thought, if only Casey could get but a whack at that -
We’d put up even money, now, with Casey at the bat.

But Flynn preceded Casey, as did also Jimmy Blake,
And the former was a lulu and the latter was a cake;
So upon that stricken multitude grim melancholy sat,
For there seemed but little chance of Casey’s getting to the bat.

But Flynn let drive a single, to the wonderment of all,
And Blake, the much despis-ed, tore the cover off the ball;
And when the dust had lifted, and the men saw what had occurred,
There was Jimmy safe at second and Flynn a-hugging third.

Then from 5,000 throats and more there rose a lusty yell;
It rumbled through the valley, it rattled in the dell;
It knocked upon the mountain and recoiled upon the flat,
For Casey, mighty Casey, was advancing to the bat.

There was ease in Casey’s manner as he stepped into his place;
There was pride in Casey’s bearing and a smile on Casey’s face.
And when, responding to the cheers, he lightly doffed his hat,
No stranger in the crowd could doubt ’twas Casey at the bat.

Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt;
Five thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt.
Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip,
Defiance gleamed in Casey’s eye, a sneer curled Casey’s lip.

And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling through the air,
And Casey stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there.
Close by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded sped-
“That ain’t my style,” said Casey. “Strike one,” the umpire said.

From the benches, black with people, there went up a muffled roar,
Like the beating of the storm-waves on a stern and distant shore.
“Kill him! Kill the umpire!” shouted someone on the stand;
And its likely they’d a-killed him had not Casey raised his hand.

With a smile of Christian charity great Casey’s visage shone;
He stilled the rising tumult; he bade the game go on;
He signaled to the pitcher, and once more the spheroid flew;
But Casey still ignored it, and the umpire said, “Strike two.”

“Fraud!” cried the maddened thousands, and echo answered fraud;
But one scornful look from Casey and the audience was awed.
They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain,
And they knew that Casey wouldn’t let that ball go by again.

The sneer is gone from Casey’s lip, his teeth are clenched in hate;
He pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate.
And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go,
And now the air is shattered by the force of Casey’s blow.

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;
But there is no joy in Mudville – mighty Casey has struck out.

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Tagged with: Barrows • Batsman • Casey At The Bat • Deep Despair • Human Breast • Jimmy Blake • Joy In Mudville • Little Chance • Mighty Casey • Mudville Nine • No Joy In Mudville • Safe At Second • Sickly Silence • Sneer • Stranger In The Crowd • Stricken Multitude • There Is No Joy In Mudville • Thousand Eyes • Thousand Tongues • Yell

If I Were Making the Vice-Presidential Picks

On 08.18.08, In Barack Obama, Election, John McCain, Politics, Presidential Candidates, By Mike

Who Can it Be Now?
When it comes to Vice-Presidential picks, my opinion is just one of millions and we all know that the only opinions that count are John McCain’s and Barack Obama’s. But as an avid follower of politics, I want to get my thoughts down and on the record, you know, for posterity’s sake. I will probably be wrong about them but I am really only saying that if I were them, this is who I’d pick.

Let’s start with McCain. Here’s what we know about him: he’s old, he doesn’t know much about the economy, he is a terrible chief executive, he’s a war hero and fancies himself to be a foreign policy expert. To me this leaves him with two obvious picks to choose from, Tim Pawlenty and Mitt Romney. Both were/are governors, both have chief executive experience and both are seasoned but still relatively young. Which will he select? Which would I select for him?

Obama’s pick is much more difficult. It looks like he is running a 50 state strategy with paid operatives all over the country. This is unusual because most Democrats toss in the towel early on the “Red” states where they believe they have little chance of winning. Not so for Obama. He thinks Georgia is in play as is Virginia, to point out two examples. There are some obvious choices like Tim Kaine, Governor of Virginia or Evan Bayh from Indiana. I used to think Kaine would be the choice but upon reflection, I think adding Kaine’s youth to Obama’s youth is an unelectable ticket. I think Sam Nunn from Georgia makes a lot of sense but my pick for Obama is slightly off the reservation.

And you will have to peer behind the My Picks tab to find out.

My Picks

John McCain should pick Governor Tim Pawlenty from Minnesota. Pawlenty is immensely popular in his state, has an excellent record of conservative fiscal policy, he’s young at 48 years old and he’s an Evangelical Christian. His resume is spotless and McCain likes him. This should be a no-brainer. Pawlenty gets the nod over Romney because Romney’s religion, Mormonism, may ultimately turn off a part of the electorate that McCain needs to have in his column. It’s sad but it’s true.

OK. Obama’s pick.

If I were him, I would pick one person, General Wesley Clark. Clark isn’t a safe pick because he may be perceived negatively by Obama’s installed base. But Clark is just what Obama needs. A former valedictorian of West Point and a Rhodes scholar, Clark’s resume is unassailable. In a 50 state strategy, Clark wins Obama many more votes than he loses. He grew up in the South, originally endorsed Hillary Clinton but switched over quickly to Obama after the Democratic primaries, he’s a foreign policy expert and while he has a military background, he is hardly perceived as a hawk. His call out of McCain’s lack of credentials to be the Chief Executive says that Clark is willing to get nasty if necessary. Obama has yet to show he has the stomache for that type of politics. Personally, I like the fact that Clark thinks force is always the last option and it fits perfectly with Obama’s thinking.

So there you have it. Will I be right about either? Probably not. But that’s politics. McCain’s and Obama’s selections will be scrutinized to no end. Mine are now part of my permanent record too. Fingers crossed.

What do all of you think?

UPDATE ALERT

Here’s someone who more elegantly makes the case for General Wesley Clark (Even though it looks like we will both be wrong).

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Tagged with: Barack Obama • Brainer • Conservative Fiscal Policy • Evan Bayh • Executive Experience • Follower • Governor Of Virginia • Governor Tim Pawlenty • Little Chance • Mitt Romney • Operatives • Policy Expert • Posterity • Red States • Sam Nunn • Tim Kaine • Tim Pawlenty • War Hero

AWT Looks at Justice, Tiger and the Spiral Starecase

There is no Joy In Mudville

If I Were Making the Vice-Presidential Picks

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