Imagine That!!! John Lennon a conservative???

You may say I'm a dreamer...
But I hope he's not the only one....
I hope someday all the leftists grow up and join us....
And the world will live as one.....

Oh, that was too easy!

Hat Tip to the Conservative Manifesto, original story appeared in the Toronto Sun.
http://www.torontosun.com/2011/06/28/lennon-was-a-closet-republican-assistant

Of course, this is confirmation of the wisdom behind the old Winston Churchill quote:

"If you aren't LIBERAL when you're 20, you have NO HEART. If you aren't CONSERVATIVE when you're 40, you have NO BRAIN."

Fortunately, many of these idealistic numb-skulls mature and get more realistic than idealistic, but there's always an Al Gore or Howard Dean (among others) that prefer to remain stubborn Pollyanna's.

Unfortunately, too many will continue to let the facts of reality get in the way of the idealistic fantasy world they have constructed for themselves.

Time (and wisdom) is on our side though.

John Lennon, a Ronald Reagan fan? Imagine that!! ROTFLAO.

The Conservative Manifesto -- In great victories, expect attacks.: Personal Assistant Confesses: John Lennon was in the Closet:

"John Lennon was a closet Republican, who felt a little embarrassed by his former radicalism, at the time of his death - according to the tragic Beatles star's last personal assistant.

Fred Seaman worked alongside the music legend from 1979 to Lennon's death at the end of 1980 and he reveals the star was a Ronald Reagan fan who enjoyed arguing with left-wing radicals who reminded him of his former self.

...

He says, 'John, basically, made it very clear that if he were an American he would vote for Reagan because he was really sour on (Democrat) Jimmy Carter.

...

'I also saw John embark in some really brutal arguments with my uncle, who's an old-time communist... He enjoyed really provoking my uncle... Maybe he was being provocative... but it was pretty obvious to me he had moved away from his earlier radicalism.

'He was a very different person back in 1979 and 80 than he'd been when he wrote Imagine. By 1979 he looked back on that guy and was embarrassed by that guy's naivete.'"

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P.S. - BTW, This phenomena is not in any way limited to John Lennon. We have seen in the past where artists such as Prince and Bruce Springsteen have espoused liberal, spread the wealth policies with OPM (Other Peoples Money) but kept as much of the product of their own personal labor as they can. I have nothing against that, it's the American Way, just noting the apparent hypocrisy.

We also see the contradictions on college campuses:
http://slavieboy.blogspot.com/2011/04/brilliant-video-liberal-college.html

Yesterday, I heard a local ESPN jock relating a story about how a Chicago panhandler demanded (and they don't ask anymore, they demand) that he buy him a sandwich inside a local Subway shop. So being the nice, concerned citizen he is, this DJ agreed to buy the guy a meatball sub. As the order was being processed, the vagrant told the dude he also wanted a Diet Coke and a cookie, in addition to the sandwich. The guy claimed he drew the line and said 'No, I said I'd buy you a sandwich, that should be enough'!!

It struck me as ironic, because this guy is a strident Obamanomics, spread-the-wealth acolyte publicly, but from the nexus of the story, appears to harbor some latent Tea-Party philosophies deep down inside. Welcome to OUR WORLD, dude!!! Once again, ROTFLAO!!!

Bruce Springsteen News: brucespringsteen.net - Eulogy for a friend

Following that is a great piece by Joe Posnanski about Bruce, Clarence, the classic Springsteen songs Rosalita and Growin' Up and growing old together. Bruce and the boys really reached a wide audience and Posnanski really captures the influences these guys had on us, mirroring our common feelings almost, as we traveled through life together. He does a great job of reflecting and capturing the greatness of Rosalita.

I have similar feeling about Badlands that I add below.

RIP C.C. - you will be sorely missed and never replaced.

Apologies to all my non-Springsteen fans out there, 1) we are still in a state of mourning and 2) I can't believe I have referenced Bruce Bochy more times in this blog than I have Bruce Springsteen. That simply has to change.

Bruce's eulogy for his friend Clarence Clemons.
Bruce Springsteen News: brucespringsteen.net:

"Of course, also enchanted was Sam's dad, from the first time I saw my pal striding out of the shadows of a half empty bar in Asbury Park, a path opening up before him; here comes my brother, here comes my sax man, my inspiration, my partner, my lifelong friend. Standing next to Clarence was like standing next to the baddest ass on the planet. You were proud, you were strong, you were excited and laughing with what might happen, with what together, you might be able to do. You felt like no matter what the day or the night brought, nothing was going to touch you. Clarence could be fragile but he also emanated power and safety, and in some funny way we became each other's protectors; I think perhaps I protected 'C' from a world where it still wasn't so easy to be big and black. Racism was ever present and over the years together, we saw it. Clarence's celebrity and size did not make him immune. I think perhaps 'C' protected me from a world where it wasn't always so easy to be an insecure, weird and skinny white boy either."

But, standing together we were badass, on any given night, on our turf, some of the baddest asses on the planet. We were united, we were strong, we were righteous, we were unmovable, we were funny, we were corny as hell and as serious as death itself. And we were coming to your town to shake you and to wake you up. Together, we told an older, richer story about the possibilities of friendship that transcended those I'd written in my songs and in my music. Clarence carried it in his heart. It was a story where the Scooter and the Big Man not only busted the city in half, but we kicked ass and remade the city, shaping it into the kind of place where our friendship would not be such an anomaly. And that... that's what I'm gonna miss. The chance to renew that vow and double down on that story on a nightly basis, because that is something, that is the thing that we did together... the two of us. Clarence was big, and he made me feel, and think, and love, and dream big. How big was the Big Man? Too fucking big to die. And that's just the facts. You can put it on his grave stone, you can tattoo it over your heart. Accept it... it's the New World.

Clarence doesn't leave the E Street Band when he dies. He leaves when we die.

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Best ever performance of Rosalita? - Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band (edited)

Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band at the Capitol Theater, Passaic, NJ on 19 September 1978.



Best ever performance of Rosalita? - Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band (full version)

Capitol Theater, Passaic, NJ 20 Sept.1978 Rosalita



http://joeposnanski.blogspot.com/2011/06/big-man.html

I only saw Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band perform Rosalita one time in all the years. I love Rosalita, love the song because it sounds like 17 years old, you know? It is bold and messy and irresponsible and full of life. The words, let's not kid anybody, are ridiculous. We're going to play some pool, skip some school, act real cool, stay out all night, it's gonna feel all right. The instruments seem to me to be attacking each other in a playful way -- like a musical water-balloon fight. Rock and roll can mean so many things. One of those things it can mean is youth. But youth fades. Layla grows old. Amanda grows old, Beth grows old, Melissa, Michelle, my bell, Miss Molly, Good Golly, Billie Jean, not my lover, Judy Blue Eyes, Brown Eyed Girl, sha la la la, Lola, L-O-L-A, Lola, Roxanne, heck, even Mary and Wendy grow old.

But, to my ears anyway, Rosalita stays young forever.

I'm like this with music, ask too much of it, maybe. I do not expect real magic when going to a magic show. But I do when seeing Springsteen and the E-Street Band. I expect something to ignite, something that doesn't quite add up, something that leaps beyond the songs, beyond the instruments, beyond Bruce's voice, beyond ... I expect it because they delivered it every time I saw them play. Sometimes it happened only for a minute. Sometimes, it lasted for 20. Sometimes that something beyond overpowered the whole night.

That was the Big Man, to me. He was the force behind that something beyond.

You probably heard how they met -- Bruce Springsteen and Clarence Clemons. Springsteen told the story many times. It was on the night of the great lightning storm in Asbury Park. The wind was howling, man. Springsteen -- Bad Scooter -- was in a bar with a band, and he was playing for the crowd, but, no, it wasn't happening, he was searching for something, searching (if you will) for his groove, but he couldn't find it. And then it happened. Lightning sizzled. Thunder cracked. The wind howled. The front door of the bar blew off its hinges. And in walked Clemons. He walked on stage. He pulled out a saxophone he happened to be carrying with him. The Big Man joined the band.

The story always went something like that, impossibly large, because rock and roll is impossibly large, or it can be if you love it enough. And Bruce, Clarence, yes, they loved it enough. The Big Man was the grandson of a Baptist preacher. He was the son of a longshoreman and restaurant owner. He was a football player -- good enough, the story goes, to get a tryout with the Cleveland Browns. When he was 9 he got an alto saxophone as a present. When he was 16, he heard King Curtis of The Coasters play baritone sax on Yakety Yak. When he was 29, he walked through the busted door in a bar in Asbury Park and he saw Bruce Springsteen, and in his own words: "We fell in love."

They were right for each other and wrong for each other, and maybe that's where the magic came from. Rock and roll bands weren't black and white in those days -- or even too much these days, to be blunt about it. Hard-charging guitarists didn't have soulful saxophone players driving their songs. Clemons was already 29 years old when he and Springsteen joined together, and he already had lived a lot of life, had already faced triumph and disappointment and tested the edge. Springsteen was 21 and not entirely sure what he wanted except that he wanted it to be great.

Rosalita, the song, comes from that time. They first performed it in 1973. Rosalita keeps no secrets. Rosalita hides no feelings. Everything in the song is on the surface, above the surface, the longing -- for fame, for love, for heat, for something to do. It is a young man trying desperately, so desperately, to reach beyond himself and write the most joyous song ever written. Windows are for cheaters. Chimneys for the poor. Oh, closets are for hangers. WInners use the door. For years, Springsteen and the band would close out every one of their concerts with Rosalita. Bruce would cry out. Clarence would blow. They would chase each other around the stage. The band crashed sounds together. It was everything that they were about. Springsteen would shout that it was the greatest love song he ever wrote.

Then, one day, they stopped playing it. This was in the mid-80s. They said the song had grown tepid after so many plays. That's probably true. But I think the song was no longer what they were about. By then, Bad Scooter was in his mid-30s, the Big Man was in his 40s, and Rosalita was too young for either of them. No matter how they howled, she was not coming out.

In the late 1980s, the band broke up. Springsteen tried to find his groove again and it wasn't easy; he seemed out of ideas. He recorded a song about how on his television there were 57 channels and nothing on. Clemons went down to Florida, bounced around, backed up up a few bands, did a few solo things, played in some movies. There were no hard feelings, or anyway, no hard feelings that diminished the love. The band did a few things together. And then, they got back together, recorded some more music, some of it inspired, and more than anything they hit the road.

I saw Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band call out Rosalita on August 24, 2008 -- the date stands out because it was the Sunday of the Beijing Olympics. I had flown home that day from China. I felt that deep exhaustion that comes from flying halfway around the world, but I went to the show anyway, and it's a lucky thing because it was the best Springsteen show I ever saw. It was the last night of the tour, and Bruce was hyped, and the band was into it, and everything felt charged.

And before the night ended, they played Rosalita. Throughout the song, I watched Clarence Clemons. He was, by then, 66 years old, and he was an old 66. The Big Man lived uphill. He partied hard. He married five times. He hopelessly chased his own youth. He pushed against the wind. They had put a chair for him on stage, and he needed it most of the night. He could barely stand. He could hardly move.

In any case, they played Rosalita and I watched the Big Man, and I would love to tell you that he grew young before my eyes. I would love to tell you that because it would make for a wonderful tribute. But it isn't so. The music was young. Even the music he played was young. The man behind the saxophone was old. He tried to dance, and in some vague way he did. When he finished, he was breathing heavy. Here's the thing: It wasn't sad. Well, maybe it was a little sad because the years go by too fast. But seeing him step out of his chair, walk slowly toward Bruce, play the familiar riffs for Rosalita, seeing him and the band sing that line, "Your papa says he knows he knows that I don't (have any money)," it was beautiful. Because he loved it. He still loved it. He couldn't be young again. But he could remember being young. And that was the something beyond.

My favorite Bruce Springsteen tale is one he used to tell before singing "Growing Up." It was about going to see God. His father had told him to become a lawyer. His mother had told him to write books. And they had both told him to get rid of that "god-damned guitar" -- that, of course, was what they always called his guitar -- not Fender or Gibson. Bruce went to see the priest. He asked what he should do. The priest said the question was too big. He needed to go ask God.

And this is my favorite part of the story: Bruce went to Clarence Clemons. Why? Because Clarence knew everybody. Clarence would know where to find God. Bruce showed up, and Clarence asked him if he really intended to go see God in a Nash Rambler -- God, after all, had people coming to him in Cadillacs. Bruce said that the Nash was all he had. Clemons shrugged and took Bruce along a dark road, through the woods, to a little house to see God.

The story ends with God telling Springsteen that there was an 11th Commandment left off: "Let it rock." But I don't care much for the ending. I care only for the drive. Clarence Clemons died on Saturday. He was 69 years old. And I think of Rosalita and being young. More, though, I think of Bruce and Clarence, Bad Scooter and the Big Man, in that Nash Rambler driving through the dark to find God.

Bruce Springsteen - Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) Live 1984

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band - Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) at CNE Grandstand in Toronto, Canada on July 26/1984



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For me the song that synonymous of the Bruce / Clarence magic was Badlands (and to a degree, Jungleland). Badlands twisted and turned from confusion, despair and heartache and eventually to triumph. It was the prototypical anthem of hope and it changed my mindset many times when I was down. Almost a combination of philosophical and biblical wisdom interspersed throughout. In some areas, Badlands was Job-esque. In others, it drew wisdom like that which appeared in Paul's letter to the Corinthians. This song was a consistent reminder of the power of perseverance and staying grounded in ones core values.

It always seemed like it was Clemons' saxophone riffs that provided the impetus for the move from confusion, loss and despair into triumph. Thanks for that Big Man.

Bruce Springsteen - Badlands - Live In New York City




Bruce Springsteen-Badlands


Perseverance, endurance, faith

Badlands you gotta live it every day
Let the broken hearts stand
As the price you've gotta pay
We'll keep pushin' till it's understood
And these badlands start treating us good

Wisdom, perspective, values

"Poor man wanna be rich, rich man wanna be king
And a king ain't satisfied till he rules everything"

Faith, hope, love

"Now I believe in the love that you gave me
I believe in the faith that could save me
I believe in the hope and I pray that some day
It will raise me above these
Badlands...":

Triumph

"For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
I wanna find one face that ain't looking through me
I wanna find one place, I wanna spit in the face of these
Badlands..."

Proposed changes to MLB Draft

Economic Changes:

Slotting Bonuses - this has been done on an informal (soft) basis, may be made more formal (hard) going forward. May only apply to the first five rounds with exceptions for multi-sport players, who have more leverage.

Drafting International Players - some sort of clearinghouse to verify players ages in Cuba and DR could complicate this, but an area that would put foreign players on somewhat equal footing with their American counterparts and may curb some of the abuses seen in Dominican Republic with agents and baseball academies in that area.

Capping Signing Budgets and Trading of Draft Picks.



Operational Changes:

Moving the Draft to after the CWS - currently held the first week of June -- before the CWS -- may be moved to the end of June. The colleges need early clarity for recruiting.

Possibly, MLB could arm twist the colleges to adopt composite bat standards that more closely mimic wood bat performance in order to better evaluate hitter / pitchers.

The pros would like to see pitchers operate under stricter pitch counts, perhaps formalized.

In return, hopefully the colleges could arm twist the NCAA to allow for a higher scholarship level for men's baseball. Title IX considerations now seem to be pinching men's programs up and down the line at a time when the is little or no discrimination against women's programs.

Why Can't We Cut Our Way to Prosperity? - Seeking Alpha

This article on spending, the deficit and the debt makes too much common sense, but of course runs counter to the spendthrifts currently in power. They forget their own history and cherry-pick data to fit their narrative du-jour.

Additional spending, in this economic environment, has done nothing to encourage growth. NOTHING!! The answer is NOT, "Well, we didn't spend enough".

There are good reasons why when you are mired in debt, the bank refuses you for a loan and the credit card companies cut down your credit limit. You are an increased risk of defaulting, or not paying the debt back. The same is true for nations, eventually.

The line of the day - "The Fed may not be out of bullets, but they appear to be shooting blanks."

And once the this economy / currency goes down, nobody will step in and bail U.S.
out. There are nations (China, Russia) that will step over our cold, lifeless body and reshape the world economy, that's for sure.

These knuckle-heads always point to the Clinton-era as the Shangri-la of recent economic history, but they always misrepresent some of the reasons why and forget that many of the seeds for our recent demise were planted during the Clinton-Rubin-Summers era.

How soon we forget.

Why Can't We Cut Our Way to Prosperity? - Seeking Alpha:

"In his weekly radio address yesterday, President Obama said, in regard to the upcoming talks he will be having with Congressional leaders over reviving the stalled budget negotiations, 'we can't simply cut our way to prosperity.'

He might do well to consider the record of the Clinton administration. As these charts show, federal spending as a % of GDP fell 4 percentage points—from 22% to 18%—during the 1993-2000 period, thanks mainly to 8 years of very low spending growth: 3.1% on average. During that same period, real GDP grew at an annualized rate of 3.8% per year, well above its long-term 3.1% per year average, and the unemployment rate fell from 7.4% to 3.9%.

During that same period, rising prosperity resulted in a surge of federal tax receipts, which rose from 17% of GDP to 20%, as revenue growth averaged 7.8% per year. The combination of very slow spending growth and a strong economy reduced the budget deficit from 5% of GDP to a surplus of 2.5% of GDP. And thanks to the combination of strong growth and tight monetary policy, the dollar rose 20% during this period, further boosting confidence and investment."

The hallmarks of policy during the 1993-2000 period are exactly what we need today: 1) sharply curtailed spending growth and 2) tighter monetary policy. It's not a coincidence that explosive spending growth and easy money have given us the slowest recovery on record. Moral of the story: you can't simply spend your way to prosperity.

UPDATE: To expand on this most important of themes: You can't spend or print your way to prosperity; prosperity comes only from hard work and productive investments. Government doesn't know how to do either very well, since it lacks the profit motive, and politicians have the luxury of spending other peoples' money instead of their own. Printing money doesn't create prosperity because it only fosters speculation and destroys confidence in the value of a currency. The worst thing about policies of the past several years (including the Bush administration) has been the reliance on policies (e.g., lots of government spending and easy money) that don't make any sense, but which sound good because they supposedly put the politicians and the bureaucrats in charge of pulling the economy out of a slump that they themselves (of course) were responsible for creating. The Keynesian belief that politicians and bureaucrats can pull spending and money levers and thus turn around the economy have once again been totally discredited. How long will it take before we as a country learn this lesson?

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Was the President smarter then or now?

“The fact that we are here today to debate raising America's debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. Leadership means that ‘the buck stops here.’ Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better. I therefore intend to oppose the effort to increase America's debt limit.” - Barack Obama March 16, 2006

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From the Daily Capitalist blog:

The New Theater Of The Absurd: The Budget Debates
By Jeff Harding, on June 29th, 2011

http://dailycapitalist.com/2011/06/29/the-new-theater-of-the-absurd-the-budget-debates/#more-11698

The worst thing I heard from Mr. Obama this morning was his assertion that we can’t cut spending that makes the economy grow, or words to that effect. Our President is channeling J.M. Keynes and FDR. Government spending can’t make the economy grow. It never has, never will. Otherwise, just let the government run the economy in its entirety if they think they can make it grow. We all recall the places where that has been tried and the results of that policy. It happened here during the FDR regime when he tried to substitute central economic planning for market forces. The Great Depression lasted about 20 years.

But then, we are witnessing the Theater of the Absurd. Like those Existentialist plays, it is as if we are trapped in an incomprehensible world, devoid of meaning, reason, and morality, and where gibberish is substituted for rational thought and discussion.

I don’t think this will be a spectacle that we will enjoy watching.

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From Kark Denninger's Market Ticker blog:

More Debt Threats: Don't Fall For It Congress

http://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?post=189127

Right. But here's the problem - Treasury has more than enough coming in from tax deposits to honor that thirty billion in rollover.

The government borrows about 40 cents of every dollar it spends at present. This means two things:

There is more than enough money coming in to pay the debt and interest that matures. Therefore, a default would be an intentional act by Tim Geithner, much as it is when you decide not to pay your mortgage (despite having the money to do so.) Selective default is a choice, but it is a freely-entered into choice. What Geithner is doing is threatening an intentional, strategic default if he doesn't get his (and Obama's) way.

If the government does not get its debt increase it must immediately balance the budget. This is good, not bad, in the intermediate and longer term.

The problem is that this situation also exposes the truth, which nobody wants to face in Congress: Whether you raise taxes or cut spending the economic impact is the same - 12% of GDP disappears.

Sorry folks, that's the arithmetic - fifth-grade arithmetic.

This is why it pays to get to the park early and find your seats

Cirque du Soleil First Pitch

Uploaded by ESPN on Jun 28, 2011

Cirque du Solei performer flips before delivering the first pitch at Monday's game between the Padres and Royals at Petco Park.

Normally, the first pitch is a chance to chuckle at the throwing ability -- or lack thereof -- of folks from different sports or avocations. This one was pretty awesome. I'm thinking that would be an illegal pitch. Plus, I have been struggling mightily to figure out how to get a Cirque du Soliel reference into a baseball blog, so not a bad day at the office for me.

from mlb.com:




http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=16343535&topic_id=&c_id=mlb&tcid=vpp_copy_16343535&v=3

The Golden Truth - So you know....

From two top of the line sources, The Golden Truth blog and former Reagan OMB Director David Stockman. Both have solid takes on where we stand economically and where we may be headed. Something you will not find on your local or national MSM news outlet.

The Golden Truth:

"Market-wise, I think we will drift sideways for awhile, until the conundrum of how the U.S. Government will fund the extra $2 trillion in debt that Congress will enable it to issue before the end of the summer.  Of course, we all know that the white elephant in the room that no one wants to acknowledge is called 'more money printing.'

Until the Fed blinks, I think the risk of a big accident in the stock market grows each day.  In case you missed it, the FT Blog ran this article - LINK http://ftalphaville.ft.com/blog/2011/06/24/605331/behold-the-high-yield-exodus/ - about the massive flight of capital out of the high yield market.  When I was a high yield trader, typically the direction of the big flows of capital into or out of the high yield market were a precursor to the next directional move in the general equity markets.  It's not a perfect barometer but it's worth paying attention to.  Please note that near-negative yield in 1 month Treasuries is always a signal of a big liquidity problem in the markets, as big money pays up to insure the return OF their capital vs. the return ON their capital."

I do believe, however, that if the equity markets take a big tumble, we will see a surprise rally in the metals, as capital begins to truly appreciate the historical flight-to-quality characteristics of gold and silver. Take a look at your intra-day charts on gold/silver/mining stocks on May 6, 2010 when the Dow had an intra-day drop of 1000 points. Gold actually traded up sharply as that was occurring, until the Fed stepped in to prop up the markets. I believe we'll see that again.

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David Stockman: Ben Bernanke is finished!

Jun 23 2011 MSNBC The Dylan Ratigan Show -- Former CBO director David Stockman and panel taks about the Federals Reserves acknowledgement of dissapointing growth, higher inflation and a weakening labor market.

Mindsets and Carol Dweck « Live from Planet Paola

I am just getting through reading the book Mindset: The New Psychology for Success and it is a keeper. I felt the same way after reading The Talent Code. Fantastic book with great application for coaches, parents and players or anyone who is more interested in success than failure. It may even change the way you think about things.

The website The Simple Dollar did an excellent review of the book and I highlighted the areas that struck me the most and are most applicable to what we discuss here routinely. I was particularly struck by her advice on how to more effectively praise success in students and how one way that many of us have likely practiced both routinely and reflexively, may in fact be counter-productive in the end. Much food for thought and a great book.


Mindsets and Carol Dweck « Live from Planet Paola:

"In a nutshell, people are usually of one of two mindsets. The “fixed mindset” maintains that people’s ability is innate and static; the “growth mindset” claims that ability is the result of hard work and a learning process. Each of us tends to apply one of these two beliefs, to other people as much as to ourselves, as we go through life; and this has far-reaching consequences for our success and our relationships with those around us.

Of course, empirical evidence from all sorts of fields (from neuroscience to athletic coaching) tells us that the brain has remarkable plasticity, that performance is far more likely to result from sustained effort, and that people are coachable. But they have to be open and willing to grow: no amount of coaching will improve performance if the subject is stuck in a “fixed mindset”. It has been proven experimentally that even toddlers have one of the two mindsets (I can certainly relate this to my own experience as a child, and some of my residual barriers as a grown-up); and that mindset strongly correlates with performance even when it is briefly and temporarily induced."

The book is filled with illustrations from the world of sports, business, and education; for example, it is interesting to contrast the career of a fixed-mindset athlete like John McEnroe with those of growth-mindset ones such as Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, and many other less well-known athletes. But beyond this, there are some persuasive insights about how we could bring about societal change. For example, it is the combination of fixed mindsets with gender stereotyping that explain why many girls and young women who decide to pursue maths and science studies end up leaving the field. Only the women with the growth mindset feel a strong and stable sense of belonging and are able to maintain it in the face of challenges.

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from The Simple Dollar: Review: MINDSET
http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2009/06/21/review-mindset/

At first glance, Mindset by Dr. Carol Dweck seemed to be one of those pop psychology books that I usually avoid – another The Secret or The Power of Positive Thinking. Books along those lines just repeat the same ideas that are as old as the hills (or Napoleon Hill, at least) – if you think positively and visualize good outcomes, they’re more likely to happen. Great – but it’s a principle that doesn’t work without action and has been around since the dawn of time.

As I said, I originally lumped Mindset into that group of books, writing it off as more of the same on positive thinking. Then something interesting happened – two different people that I respect quite a bit recommended the book to me within a week of each other. One was a personal friend who said it really changed how he looked at his career and at his relationship with his girlfriend – which surprised me, since he’s not a person I would imagine would typically follow pop psychology talk. Perhaps even more surprising, Jonathan Fields, a blogger and writer I’ve exchanged a lot of emails with over the years, wrote a brilliant article entitled Is Gifted and Talented a Life Sentence? that really shook how I thought about parenting issues with my own kids. Interestingly, Jonathan also pointed strongly towards Mindset as a powerful source of inspiration.

When two people I respect suggest the same book completely independently within a week of each other, it’s likely a book I should make an effort to read. And I’m glad I did.

The basic idea behind Mindset is that people either have a “fixed” mentality – a self-definition that is static and doesn’t or can’t change – or a “growth” mentality, meaning that with work and effort, they can change who they are. Dweck argues strongly that people who are successful in life have the “growth” mentality and offers a ton of ideas on how to get yourself – and those around you – from the “fixed” mindset to the “growth” mindset.

This is something I’ve come to believe in my own life, even before reading this book. The people that always seem to succeed are the people that are willing to really push themselves to the limit. Often, the person with the most natural talent doesn’t win the race – and for a long time, I didn’t understand why. This book (and the surprisingly similar Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell) explains it quite well. Let’s dig in.

1. The Mindsets

How do you feel when you fail?

Some people hate it, as they view it as a clear sign to the world and to themselves that they are, in fact, a failure.

Others love it. They see a failure as an opportunity to grow, to learn about the areas where they need to work, and to become a better, stronger person.

The first attitude points to what Dweck calls the “fixed” mindset. In other words, they believe that the person they are is already defined and the outcomes produced by that person are indicative of the person they are. They can’t change – all they can do is bluff and try to make who they are appear as good as possible.

The second attitude is the “growth” mindset. People who revel in failure recognize that a failure isn’t necessarily a poor reflection on them. Rather, it’s an opportunity to see where exactly they fall short and what exactly they need to work on. It’s a reminder not of where they cannot go, but an insight as to what they need to do to get there.

Here’s another way of looking at it: can you change who you are? People with a “fixed” mindset believe they can’t change. People with a “growth” mindset believe that they can change.

2. Inside the Mindsets

The difference in mindsets is interesting, but how does that really appear in terms of how people behave?

People with the “fixed” mindset often back away from challenges. They want to avoid hard things and prefer to thrive on easy things, things they know they can achieve. They also typically don’t like to read or learn, and they certainly don’t enjoy hard or deliberate practice.

People with the “growth” mindset seek out the challenges. They seek out the hard things in life and prefer to tackle things that push them and make them work hard, even if they fail at them. They usually love to read and learn, and they love practicing and improving at specific skills.
In an email exchange with a friend about this book, he stated it very well: “People with fixed mindsets get bored a lot. People with growth mindsets would give anything for a few more hours in the day.”

3. The Truth about Ability and Accomplishment

Here, the message of Mindset overlaps heavily with Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers: the biggest key to success isn’t talent, but focus and practice.

To put it simply, the people that rise to the top of their fields do so because they keep working at it, keep growing, roll through the failures, and practice intensely and often. Kobe Bryant and LeBron James aren’t the two best players in the NBA because of their talent – they rose to the top because of their obsessive work ethics and focus on thriving even through adversity.

Although Dweck doesn’t mention it, I keep coming back to Gladwell’s example of The Beatles. If you listen to their earliest recordings – 1960 and before – they frankly weren’t very good at all (I probably sound better than some of their 1958 “Quarrymen” recordings). By 1963, they were amazing. By 1966, they were arguably the best songwriting and performing collective in the world. What happened? They played almost nonstop for years. They’d play for hours and hours each day in Hamburg nightclubs, then they’d play on their own when they weren’t on stage. They’d mess up songs, laugh it off, and try again – over and over and over and over. Eventually, they went from being the unknown Quarrymen (sounding like a bunch of kids beating on instruments – which they were) to recording albums like Revolver.

To put it simply, effort, not talent, puts people over the top.

Even more dangerous, labels such as talented and smart and skilled give people the opposite message. Hearing things like that tells people they already have the ability and that they don’t need to grow and work for it. The best positive feedback you can give – or receive – is one that complements you on your ethic or work effort, as it nurtures a growth mentality.

4. Sports: The Mindset of a Champion

Yes, we’ve all heard the story: Michael Jordan was cut from his eighth grade basketball team. He then practiced obsessively, made it to North Carolina on scholarship, and the rest is legend.
Michael’s early signals on basketball were that he wasn’t very good at it. If he had a fixed mindset, he would have simply quit after getting cut. Instead, he took getting cut as a giant motivator – he took that lesson and his own work ethic and made hay with them.

It isn’t just an ability to practice obsessively, either. When you reach the top, it takes character to stay there, and character only happens if you subscribe to a growth mindset. You’re not perfect – no one is. What sets the winners apart is that they recognize when they mess up, they accept that they messed up, and they work to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

5. Business: Mindset and Leadership

How do the mindsets work in a modern workplace? It’s pretty simple, actually.

A growth mentality in a workplace focuses on making everyone succeed by having the project succeed. A person with a growth mentality will take on any task that needs to be done to bring on success – often, the hardest tasks are the ones that the growth mentality relishes. A boss with a growth mentality will seek to do everything he or she can to make you better, because the better you are, the better the team is.

A fixed mentality in the workplace features individuals seeking to make themselves look better at the expense of others. Gossip is a great sign of this. Projects where no one steps up to the hard tasks is another sign. A dominating boss who takes credit for everything is yet another sign. A workplace without people pushing themselves and helping others is a workplace that can’t produce amazing things.

6. Relationships: Mindsets in Love (or Not)

Ever been dumped? Some people take it well: they’re hurt, but they recognize that there were problems and that it’s time to move on. Others don’t take it as well: they slip into depression, get angry, and won’t let go of the relationship.

This same dichotomy pops up again and again in interpersonal relationships: some relationships are healthy and mutually beneficial (like a good marriage), while others are not (like bullying or a stalker). What’s the difference? In a healthy relationship, you grow while in the relationship and you grow when the relationship ends – but it takes work to maintain. An unhealthy relationship doesn’t take that effort, but it doesn’t build positive feelings and often results in negative ones.

Every interaction is a chance for growth – or a chance to merely maintain some form of the status quo. Interactions that help people grow result in good relationships over time.

7. Parents, Teachers, and Coaches: Where Do Mindsets Come From?

When you are charged with helping someone else improve or grow, you have the ability to help them have a fixed mindset (likely not successful) or a growth mindset (potential for success).

Teachers, parents, and coaches all have these opportunities.

What can such a person really do, though? Dweck compares the approaches of Bobby Knight (who demanded perfection at all times, yelled a lot, and led his players to a fixed mindset where they had to act as perfect as they could whether or not that’s what was really inside of them) and John Wooden (who never raised his voice, focused almost entirely on fundamentals and character growth, didn’t worry about perfection, and strove to produce great people). Both saw great success in college basketball, but Wooden produced more people that went on to do great things in the world – the true product of a coach.

Praise your children and students for their work ethic and their hard effort. Don’t praise them for their talents or the “greatness” of their end product. If they make mistakes, don’t tell them they’re worthless – instead, guide them into what they can learn from the mistake and encourage them to try again.

8. Changing Mindsets

What if you’re in a fixed mindset, but desire to have a growth mindset instead? The first step is to ask for help from those around you and listen to what they have to say. They’re going to criticize you – and that’s where your real decision happens. Are you going to listen to what they have to say and try to grow from that? Or are you just going to discredit or pooh pooh it?
Another key tactic: realize that the world doesn’t owe you anything. You may be naturally talented. So what? The spoils don’t just fall to the people with natural talent. They fall to the people who can do the job well, on time, and with reliability. You might be the best jazz flautist in the world, but if you don’t practice your pieces and ignore what’s going on around you, no ensemble will want you around.

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A growth mindset about our talents and abilities: psychologist Carol Dweck

Uploaded by TalentDevelop on Oct 26, 2009
Carol S. Dweck, PhD, a professor of psychology at Stanford, notes society tends to believe that geniuses are born, not made, but she thinks it is clear "from the histories of so many geniuses that motivation is a key component, perhaps the number one component in the realization of genius."

Other experts such as Peter Doskoch of Psychology Today and Geoffrey Colvin ("Talent Is Overrated") say what really counts in helping us realize our talents and abilities is a combination of passion and perseverance, determination and grit.

From my article It takes more than talent to find your true potential
http://talentdevelop.com/328/it-takes-more-than-talent/

Her book: Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0345472322/talentdevelopmen

Review: A good book is one whose advice you believe. This is a book that can change your life, as its ideas have changed mine. Robert J. Sternberg, IBM Professor of Education and Psychology at Yale University, director of the PACE Center of Yale University, and author of Successful Intelligence.

Source for video clip: Psychology professor discusses 'growth' versus 'fixed' minds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-wD3M59Uiw

In a conversation with Stanford Report writer Lisa Trei, psychologist Carol Dweck says people's self-theories about intelligence have a profound influence on their motivation to learn. Those who hold a "fixed" theory are mainly concerned with how smart they are—they prefer tasks they can already do well and avoid ones on which they may make mistakes and not look smart. In contrast, she says, people who believe in a "growth" theory of intelligence want to challenge themselves to increase their abilities, even if they fail at first.

Carol Dweck quote "People are, to a large extent, in charge of their own intelligence" from video: 9 Growth Mindset Quotations
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPz_h-hAYWY

Related article (with videos): Interviews with Carol Dweck.
http://talentdevelop.com/articles/IWCD.html

Another article: Students Who Believe Intelligence Can Be Developed Perform Better
ScienceDaily news story on research of Carol Dweck, PhD and others.
http://talentdevelop.com/articles/SWBICBD.html

THINK MENTAL MODELS

I remember when I was a bigger fan of Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger and read the graduation speech Munger made outlining how students should have a "latticework of mental models" I was so smitten by the brilliance and simplicity of the concept that I kept repeating the words in my head over and over.

You get an PhD. in the game of life if you can learn the concepts and models outlined in this site.

A neat illustrative story at the end demonstrates how these models blend together in how you are talking about playing bridge or playing baseball. Interesting parallels in terms of mind-set.


Think Mental Models website:
http://www.thinkmentalmodels.com/

“The better decision maker has at his/her disposal repertoires of possible actions; checklists of things to think about before he acts; and he has mechanisms in his mind to evoke these, and bring these to his conscious attention when the situations for decision arise.”
(Herbert Simon, Nobel Laureate)

How the exceptional mind works

According to Warren Buffett, his business partner, Charlie Munger has ‘the best 30-second mind in the world. He goes from A to Z in one move. He sees the essence of everything before you even finish the sentence’ (Forbes, January 22, 1996).

How does he do it?

Well, fortunately, Mr. Munger has explained his approach in lectures and books. Essentially, he thinks by using the BIG IDEAS from disciplines as diverse as physics and psychology. He has a list of these ideas (mental models) in his mind and quickly picks the one(s) applicable to the given situation, much as a pilot automatically goes through a checklist prior to take-off.

This website, inspired by the work of Charles Munger, provides over 100 models that can be brought consciously to mind to aid the thinking process.

Each model is described by at least one distinguished user. Examples include Warren Buffett, Richard Feynman, Robert Rubin and Peter Drucker, among others.

Wikipedia defines it as follows:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_model

A mental model is an explanation of someone's thought process about how something works in the real world. It is a representation of the surrounding world, the relationships between its various parts and a person's intuitive perception about their own acts and their consequences. Our mental models help shape our behaviour and define our approach to solving problems (akin to a personal algorithm) and carrying out tasks.

A mental model is a kind of internal symbol or representation of external reality, hypothesized to play a major role in cognition, reasoning and decision-making. Kenneth Craik suggested in 1943 that the mind constructs "small-scale models" of reality that it uses to anticipate events.

FROM CAPITALISMMAGAZINE.COM:
http://www.capitalismmagazine.com/culture/books-non-fiction/4669-Latticework-Mental-Models.html

Excerpt from Chapter I of "Investing: The Last Liberal Art" by Robert G. Hagstrom

A Latticework of Mental Models

How does one achieve worldly wisdom? To state the matter concisely, it is an
ongoing process of, first, acquiring the significant concepts--the models--from
many areas of knowledge and then, second, learning to recognize patterns of
similarity among them. The first is a matter of educating yourself; the second
is a matter of learning to think and see differently.

He challenged the students to broaden their vision of the market, of finance, and of economics in general; to see them not as separate disciplines but as part of a larger body of knowledge, one that also incorporates psychology, engineering, mathematics, physics, and the humanities.
In this broader view, he suggested, each discipline entwines with, and in the process strengthens, every other. From each discipline the thoughtful person draws significant mental models, the key ideas that combine to produce a cohesive understanding. Those who cultivate this broad view are well on their way to achieving worldly wisdom, that solid mental foundation without which success in the market--or anywhere else--is merely a short-lived fluke.

To drive his point home, Charlie used a memorable metaphor to describe this interlocking structure of ideas: a latticework of models. "You've got to have models in your head," he explained, "and you've got to array your experience-both vicarious and direct-on this latticework of models." So immediate is this visual image that latticework has become something of a shorthand term in the investment world, a quick and easily recognized reference to Munger's approach.

from the book: Poor Charlie's Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger
http://www.poorcharliesalmanack.com/intro3.html

The quotes, talks, and speeches presented here are rooted in the old-fashioned Midwestern values for which Charlie has become known: lifelong learning, intellectual curiosity, sobriety, avoidance of envy and resentment, reliability, learning from the mistakes of others, perseverance, objectivity, willingness to test one’s own beliefs, and many more. But his advice comes not in the form of stentorian admonishments; instead, Charlie uses humor, inversions (following the directive of the great algebraist, Jacobi, to “Invert, always invert”), and paradox, to provide sage counsel about life’s toughest challenges.

Charlie also employs historical and business case studies to great effect. In these presentations, he makes his points with subtlety and texture, often using a story-like context instead of abstract statements of theory. He regales his audience with humorous anecdotes and poignant tales, rather than with a blizzard of facts and figures. He well knows, and wisely exploits, the traditional role of the storyteller as purveyor of complex and detailed information. As a result, his lessons hang together in a coherent “latticework” of knowledge, available for recall and use when needed.

It is clear throughout these talks and speeches that Charlie places a premium on life decisions over investment decisions. His mental models, drawn from every discipline imaginable, recur repeatedly and, in no way, focus on “business portfolio strategy” or “beta” or “Cap M.” Rather, they center on fundamental truth, human accomplishment, human foibles, and the arduous path to wisdom. Charlie once said, “I wanted to get rich so I could be independent, like Lord John Maynard Keynes.” Independence is the end that wealth serves for Charlie, not the other way around.

HANDLING LOSSES IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE WINNING IS IMPORTANT:

"After all is said and done, learning to handle losses will be your greatest triumph." -- Robert Prechter.

More from Prechter:

There are many denials of reality which automatically disqualify millions of people from joining the ranks of successful speculators. For instance, to moan that "pools," "manipulators," "insiders," "they," "the big boys" or "program trading" (known today as "high-frequency trading" -- Ed.) are to blame for one's losses is a common fault.

Anyone who utters such a conviction is doomed before he starts. [My] observation, after eleven years "in the business," is that the biggest obstacle to successful speculation is the failure merely even to recognize and accept the simple fact that losses are part of the game, and that they must be accommodated.

The perfect trading system does not exist. Expecting, or even hoping for, perfection is a guarantee of failure. Speculation is akin to batting in baseball. A player hitting .300 is good. A player hitting .400 is great. But even the great player fails to hit 60% of the time! He even strikes out often. But he still earns six figures a year, because although not perfect, he has approached the best that can be achieved. You don't have to be perfect to win in the markets, either; you "merely" have to be better than almost everybody else, and that's hard enough.

---

I read an investment article recently from the Hussman Funds titled "Why Warren Buffet Plays Bridge" and it is especially appropriate to the craft of hitting in baseball in addition to long-term success in investing.

FROM HUSSMAN.NET:
http://www.hussman.net/wmc/wmc061127.htm

The reason relates to the story Buffet's mentor the legendary investor Benjamin Graham tells about the game of bridge. Focus on the process not the results.

"I recall to those of you who are bridge players the emphasis that bridge experts place on playing a hand right rather than on playing it successfully, Because as you know, if you play it right you are going to make money an d if you play it wrong you lose money - in the long run.

There is a beautiful little story about the man who was the weaker bridge player of the husband-and-wife team. It seems he bid a grand slam, and at the end he said very triumphantly to his wife 'I saw you making faces at me all the time, but you notice I not only bid this grand slam but I made it. What can you say about that?' And his wife replied very dourly, 'If you had played it right you would have lost it."

The author rightly observes that it takes restraint to play the game " the right way", with an established "discipline" or approach and let the law of averages work out in your favor. You don't try to win every hand. He describes having the right "temperament" to execute the "approach" and not deviate from it.

The same temperament and approach leads to success in baseball.

----

"Anytime you and I question the schemes of the do-gooders, we're denounced as being against their humanitarian goals. They say we're always "against" things — we're never "for" anything. Well, the trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant; it's just that they know so much that isn't so." - Ronald Reagan

Bruce Bochy Bias

GIANTS SERGIO ROMO - ALL-STAR??


To the victor goes the spoils, right?

San Francisco Giants on Yahoo! Sports - News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games:

“I WILL BE LOOKING AT OUR GUYS AND BE A LITTLE BIASED.”

- Manager Bruce Bochy, the NL All-Star manager who has vowed to pick as many Giants as possible, a reward to his players for winning the 2010 World Series"

Giants Vogelsong continues throwing gems

Ryan Vogelsong continues his incredible run and is now being mentioned as a potential All-Star candidate, if not the N.L. starting pitcher. His microscopic ERA is incredible. Andrew Baggerly notes that it was a minor adjustment that Vogelsong was not able to make in the past that has vaulted Vogelsong from fringe player to potential All-Star. Once again illustrating the thin line between success and failure in the big leagues and the power of persistence and perseverance.

From Mercurynews.com
POSTGAME NOTES: Vogelsong’s starry streak reaching historic levels, the anatomy of a scoring change, how a foul ball turned to horror for a Giants fan, etc. | Extra Baggs:

"He needed his curveball to do that. And it occurred to him: He hadn’t been keeping his front side closed when he tried to throw it earlier. Vogelsong made the adjustment on the mound, something he couldn’t do as a younger pitcher when the big leagues washed him away. And after striking out just one batter in the first six innings, when he faced his toughest spot of the night, he fanned Danny Valencia and Luke Hughes in succession."

From SFgate.com
Ryan Vogelsong's gem lifts SF Giants over Twins
Henry Schulman, Chronicle Staff Writer
Thursday, June 23, 2011

If only Vogelsong could showcase his talents to the manager who will make the final picks for the National League All-Star team (wink, wink).

"He's going to get real strong consideration," Bochy said. "He deserves that. We've still got a couple of weeks to go, but that's how well he's thrown, to have his name mentioned. I will say one thing: He's done everything he needs to do to go there."

Vogelsong is trying to dodge the issue, but when asked what it would mean to be an All-Star, he answered honestly.

"That would be amazing," he said, "especially with the path I've been on. An All-Star team at the major-league level has never been close to a chance for me. I don't think I've ever made an All-Star game in pro ball."

NBA draft 2011: Chicago Bulls get Nikola Mirotic with Rockets' 23rd pick, according to reports; draft Jimmy Butler with 30th pick - ESPN Chicago

MARQUETTE'S JIMMY BUTLER

With their stash of early picks, it seems like the Bulls took one for now, one for later. Jimmy Butler is a big, strong forward who will rebound and play defense. Fits right in with Coach Thibodeau's philosophy. The European kid will develop across the pond and come over here and contribute later, much like Amir Oshik did for the bulls this year.


NBA draft 2011: Chicago Bulls get Nikola Mirotic with Rockets' 23rd pick, according to reports; draft Jimmy Butler with 30th pick - ESPN Chicago:

Butler could join the rotation immediately, while it could be years until Mirotic suits up for Tom Thibodeau's team.

Mirotic signed an extension with Real Madrid in late April that keeps him under contract until the 2015-16 season, according to the Spanish club's website.

These words must have bee like music to the ears of Coach Thibodeau and Bulls fans.

"'They just need somebody to go out there and guard,' Butler said. 'I'm telling you I'm going to make [Dwyane Wade], [LeBron James] work for every dribble, for every shot, for every step that they take. I'm gonna try to make it my hardest on them.'

In his first season with Real Madrid's senior club, the 6-10 Mirotic averaged 8.1 points per game in 29 league games and 6.6 in 20 Euroleague contests.

ESPN's Chad Ford rated Mirotic as the fifth-best small forward in this year's draft class.

'We're excited about what we accomplished, and with Jimmy Butler who we took with the 30th pick,' Forman told 'Chicago's Gamenight.' 'We think is a guy that's a real fit for us. Is a fit on the floor with the versatility he brings defensively and some of the things he can do offensively and is a real fit with our team off the floor. The type of makeup and character he has I think he'll fit in our locker room and with the culture we're creating. '"

REAL MADRID'S NIKOLA MIROTIC

JPMorgan Gets a Break Where Goldman Got Nailed: Jonathan Weil - Bloomberg

JPMorgan Gets a Break Where Goldman Got Nailed: Jonathan Weil - Bloomberg:

"Once again the Securities and Exchange Commission has filed a complaint against a too-big-to- fail bank that hinges on the meaning of one word: “selected.” Last year, the bank was Goldman Sachs, which the SEC accused of intentional fraud. This week, the defendant was JPMorgan, which got far easier treatment.
Why the different approaches? The agency isn’t saying. Judging by the allegations, both companies in essence did the same thing. Yet JPMorgan caught a break, and Goldman didn’t."

Chart of the Day - The Dow - priced in gold - at post-crisis lows

Chart of the Day - The Dow - priced in gold - at post-crisis lows:

For some perspective on the long-term performance of the stock market, today's chart presents the Dow priced in another global currency – gold (i.e. the Dow / gold ratio). For example, it currently takes less than a mere eight ounces of gold to 'buy the Dow' which is considerably less than the 44.8 ounces it took back in 1999. Priced in gold, the Dow has been in a massive 11-year bear market. Recently, the Dow (priced in gold) stopped declining for long enough to break above its six-year, accelerated downtrend channel. However, shortly after the break out, the Dow (priced in gold) pulled back to post-crisis lows.

Giants' Barry Zito raves about Triple-A catcher

Sanchez is regarded more for his prowess with the bat, but this endorsement of his defensive ability should help speed his arrival. He has hit -- Panda style -- at every level of development. Let's hope he continues the same trajectory as Sandoval moving forward.

Giants' Barry Zito raves about Triple-A catcher:

"Hector Sanchez, the organization's top prospect at the position, caught three of Zito's four rehab starts, and the left-hander raved about the 21-year-old Venezuelan. Zito said he would be comfortable throwing to Sanchez in a major-league game, an opinion that might carry significant weight as the front office decides whether to give the kid a shot.

'He's beyond his years,' Zito said. 'He's got a good idea on mixing pitches. We threw changeups to lefties and cutters in to righties. I definitely shook him, but I like the way he mixes and the way he receives the ball. The kid is so young, and he rakes' at the plate. He is hitting .299 with eight homers and 52 RBIs combined"

CARPE DIEM: Thanks to War on Drugs, U.S. is World's #1 Jailer

It is ridiculous in the Land of the Free, that we have this much of a spike in the number of people we have incarcerated, for whatever reason. Did human nature in this country all of a sudden change that significantly when this huge spike occurred?

THE LAND OF THE FREE AND THE HOME OF THE GUILTY UNTIL PROVEN INNOCENT, I GUESS.

CARPE DIEM: Thanks to War on Drugs, U.S. is World's #1 Jailer:

"But none of them even come close to the incarceration rate of the World's #1 Jailer - the United States, largely because of the 'War on Drugs' war against peaceful Americans using intoxicants currently not approved of by the U.S. government (see chart below).
 


Note that in the full list of countries, neighboring Canada ranks #124 (117 prisoners per 100,000), and countries with liberalized drug laws like Portugal rank #128 (112 per 100,000) and Netherlands ranks #145 (94 per 100,000).

Update: AIG claims that 'There is ZERO evidence that this greater number of prisoners in the U.S. is due to the war on drugs.'  Here is some evidence:"

1. "A major cause of such high numbers of prisoners in the United States system is that it has much longer sentences than any other part of the world. The typical mandatory sentence for a first-time drug offense in federal court is five or ten years, compared to other developed countries around the world where a first time offense would warrant at most 6 months in jail. Mandatory sentencing prohibits judges from using their discretion and forces them to place longer sentences on nonviolent offenses than they normally would have."

2. "One of the biggest contributors to the United States' spike is the war on drugs. Around 1980, the United States had 40,000 people in prison for drug crimes. After the passage of Reagan's Anti-Drug Abuse Act in 1986, incarceration for non-violent offenses dramatically increased. Part of the legislation included the implementation of mandatory minimum sentences for "the distribution of cocaine, including far more severe punishment for distribution of crack—associated with blacks—than powder cocaine, associated with whites."

Under the Anti-Drug Abuse Act, users of powder cocaine can possess up to 100 times more substance than users of crack, while facing the same mandatory sentence. The Anti-Drug Act targeted low-level street dealers, which had a disproportionate effect on poor blacks, Latinos, the young, and women.

The United States houses over 500,000 prisoners for these crimes. Ethan Nadelmann of the Drug Policy Alliance said, "We now imprison more people for drug law violations than all of Western Europe (with a much larger population) incarcerates for all offenses."

---

It's a rare day when I will be in agreement with former President Jimmy Carter, so we may as well celebrate the moment.

Call Off the Global Drug War
By JIMMY CARTER
Published: June 16, 2011

From the New Yoprk Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/17/opinion/17carter.html?_r=2

---

And just to show that politics does make for strange bedfellows, Ron Paul and Barney Frank are reaching across the aisle to push for some measure of a cease fire in the War on Drugs.

Lawmakers to introduce bill to legalize marijuana - Yahoo! News:

"The bill, which is expected to be introduced on Thursday by Republican Representative Ron Paul and Democratic Representative Barney Frank, would be the first ever legislation designed to end the federal ban on marijuana."

Three weeks ago a group of ex-presidents of Latin America as well as former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan denounced the failure of the global war on drugs and called for urgent changes, including the legalization of cannabis.
Between 1998 and 2008, worldwide consumption of opiates increased 35 percent, with cocaine use growing 27 percent and marijuana use growing 8.5 percent, according to the Global Commission on Drug Policy.
June marks the 40th anniversary of the "War on Drugs" launched by President Richard Nixon in 1970, the first major US anti-drug initiative.

Crazy Zito Trade Proposal - Zito for Soriano?

Crazy Zito Trade Proposal

I say do it. Both teams need what the other player brings and both players are badly in need of a change of scenery. Zito has been an innings eater, but watch his ERA soar when he goes from the cavernous ballpark he now calls home to Wrigley. And if that happens, they won't be calling it the "friendly confines" for very long. The same Cubs fans who blister the airwaves with calls complaining about Soriano will suddenly extol his virtues.

How about swapping Barry Zito for Alfonso Soriano?

Tom Hanks never made a sequel to “The Money Pit.” If he did, he could’ve called them, “The Sori Strikes Back” and “Return of the Zito.” There aren’t many contracts in baseball history that have been more widely panned, ridiculed, dissected and excoriated.

It's almost even on the "bad contract" swap side.

Soriano, 35, is making $18 million this year. Zito, 33, is making $18.5 million.

Next year: Soriano $18 million, Zito $19 million.

In 2013: Soriano $18 million, Zito $20 million.

And 2014: Soriano $18 million, Zito $7 million buyout. (Let’s leave aside the vesting option language for now, shall we?)

So assuming Zito gets the buyout in 2014, and prorating this year’s salaries, we’re looking at a difference of roughly $7.75 million between the two players. Given the longer time frame, that seems like a number the two sides could smooth out one way or another.

Sure, why not? You think the Cubs are that desperate to give away Big Z?

And while Brian Sabean and Jim Hendry are at it, might as well throw Carlos Zambrano and Aaron Rowand in the deal, too.

Trade Barry Zito Central:
http://www.tradebarryzito.com/

Chart of the Day - Corporate earnings near credit bubble highs

Chart of the Day - Corporate earnings near credit bubble highs:

One positive for the stock market has been the dramatic rise in earnings since early 2009. For some long-term perspective, today’s chart illustrates inflation-adjusted, as reported S&P 500 earnings since 1900. One period that stands out is the 92% plunge from the Q3 2007 peak to the Q1 2009 low which brought inflation-adjusted earnings to near Great Depression lows. Since its Q1 2009 low, S&P 500 earnings have surged (up over eleven-fold) and are currently fast approaching credit bubble peak levels. It is interesting to note that the only time that inflation-adjusted S&P 500 earnings have been higher than current levels was a relatively brief 18-month period from late 2006 to early 2008.

A loss never troubles me after I take it. I forget it overnight. But being wrong — not taking the loss — that is what does the damage to the pocket book and to the soul. -- Jesse Livermore in Reminiscences of a Stock Operator

R.I.P. Big Man - Clarence Clemons (1942 - 2011)

Jungleland

From the churches to the jails
Tonight all is silence in the world....

He always seemed larger than life. He was the heart and soul of the E-Street Band and without a doubt belonged in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the rest of the band, before his death. A grievous error on the part of the R&RHOF voters. He left his mark on so many great songs, setting the mood with great versatility and range. Such a great loss.

I can listen to the Jungleland solo a thousand times more and it just never gets old. It was interesting to hear the story of the sixteen hours it took Clarence and Bruce to refine the three or four minutes of greatness we hear today. The price of greatness and perfecting your craft. Time well spent indeed.

He was such an integral and irreplaceable part of the band. I'm glad I was able to see them the last time they passed through the Midwest -- thanks to my wife -- and that I was able to take my son to see the greatest rock and roll band in history, while they were still intact.



Clarence Clemons showing origins of Jungleland

Kaneland shuts down opponent’s stars - DailyHerald.com

Kaneland players pile on after winning the Class 3A title on Saturday. (Jeff Vorva/Tribune)

Congrats to Kaneland High School for winning the Illinois state 3A baseball championship.

I was fortunate enough to be involved with the program as a freshman baseball coach when we first moved to Illinois back in 2005 and you could see then that the program had all the ingredients to make such a run possible. All they lacked at the time was a prior history of winning, but the kids seemed enthusiastic about reversing the fortunes of the program from top to bottom.

Hard-working, high character, athletic, hard-working kids and enthusiastic, supportive, involved parents who are positive complements to the coaching staffs.

It was welcome news to see that the program was able to reach the mountain top.

KANELAND HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL - 2011 ILLINOIS STATE 3A CHAMPIONS - CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL!!


Kaneland shuts down opponent’s stars - DailyHerald.com:

"Frustrated? Sure, but that was nothing compared to what Oak Forest’s No. 3 hitter Tim Barry had to say Saturday. Barry, entering with his 12 home runs, went 1-for-4 with just a seventh-inning single.

“Very frustrating because every high school pitcher has to pitch around me because they are a bunch of babies,” Barry said. “They can’t test their abilities against a really good hitter, especially myself. A really good pitcher can pitch against a really good hitter no matter what.”

Babies? I think state champion is a better way to describe Kaneland pitchers Drew Peters and Kyle Davidson.

Or intelligent pitchers doing what needs to be done to win a game ... and doing it in high pressure situations like Barry’s first 2 at-bats.

Barry obviously was focused on the game Saturday and not all the IHSA “Add-A-Tude” commercials that kept flashing on the big scoreboard. Otherwise he would know it’s not good sportsmanship to call the pitchers that just beat you “babies,” and it’s not Kaneland’s job to give you more than “one fastball in my zone” — it’s Kaneland’s job to get you out and win the game."

Barry came up in both the first and third innings with two runners on base, and both times Peters retired him. First on a pop-up to second baseman Brian Dixon, the next time on a comebacker that Peters turned into a 1-6-3, inning-ending double play.

“I knew he was their big hitter,” Peters said. “I knew I had to be careful with him. I was pitching him low, outside. The ball moves a lot I guess, he couldn’t get quite on it. I got him out pretty easily but there were some other guys I couldn’t get out as easily. Overall it was great.”

Several teams have walked Barry intentionally this year. Kaneland went after him and it worked. Getting out of those early jams proved to be a momentum boost in the Knights’ 11-3 victory.
“We weren’t going to let him beat us,” Aversa said. “We handled him perfectly today. The park is big enough we had confidence in our guys. We’re going to challenge guys.”

Some of the comments cited above by the were quite interesting and I wonder if some of them had to do with the aftermath of the ML Draft. Barry, who was one of the more highly rated prospects in the state, amazingly went undrafted. It's possible he may have expressed a strong desire to go to college or was called on draft day and he could not come to terms with a ream or teams who expressed interest.

It is a shame that the timing of the event over shadows and effects both HS State Tournaments across the country and the College World Series in that kids have their focus shifted from their team's success to individual fortunes.

Overall, I think this years crop of local players were horribly undervalued by the draft and I'm not sure if the miserable weather that permeated the area for virtually the entire season hurt local prospects efforts to be seen by scouts under anything resembling near ideal baseball conditions.

New Trier OF Charlie Tilson, as expected was drafted early, #79 overall.
RHP Nick Burdi surprisingly lasted until #748. That's ridiculous!!
Barry as mentioned was not drafted. Ludicrous!!
SS Jake Junis (876) and RHP Joey Ceja (#1153) went way lower than expected.
RHP Nic Hibbing was selected #1262 and St. Charles East LHP Wes Benjamin was selected #1469.

Quite a few players who were equally well regarded locally were bypassed entirely. It was amazing how undervalued this years local crop was by TPTB.

I did a blog some time back (titled Baseball Hotbeds of Talent) detailing the importance of warm weather on the production of baseball players historically where we found a relatively high correlation (note below) between average state temperature and success in developing players, but the results of this years draft, specifically the shunning of local Illinois players, seemed a little over the top.

(note - a .5408 correlation which indicates that about 29.25% of the effect on a states ability to produce baseball players can be attributed to Temperature )

Baseball Hotbeds of Talent
http://slavieboy.blogspot.com/2010/07/baseball-hotbeds-of-talent.html

Baseball Players by State vs. Temps
http://www.scribd.com/doc/34586202/Baseball-Players-by-State-vs-Temps

CONGRATS TO THE DALLAS MAVS FOR WINNING THE RIGHT WAY

MAYBE YOU SHOULD FIND ANOTHER, BETTER CITY / TEAM / TEAMMATES, LEBRON!!!

This story is cool on so many levels. 

It highlights the humble, quiet, unassuming, unpretentious super-star who took the many career "wide rights" that have come his way and kept grinding and working with his teammates to make himself / themselves better within the context of a "real" team. 

Once again, LeBron reveals more about himself in defeat by shrinking in the big moments, playing small at the time a superstar of his "alleged" ilk should be playing big, and then lashing out at anyone and everyone within the sound of his voice in the aftermath. 

To all those LeBron supporters who seem to believe that everyone should climb on board and enjoy the ride that the Heat were supposed to provide to basketball fans of every stripe -- Stick it!! Not happening!!

When given a choice of a "lesser" opponent who does things the "right" way -- Mavs, Bulls to name a couple -- I will choose to root for that team over the Heat every time. That's not "hating" (the Heat), it's appreciating (the teams that do things right and persevere). 

Thank you for allowing those of us who admire the qualities that LeBron and D-Wade may never possess as teammates and players, the right and privilege to abstain from jumping on the overly self-indulgent, petulant, bandwagon that are personified by the Miami Heat.

from Yahoo Sports:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=aw-wojnarowski_nowitzki_mavericks_win_nba_finals_061311

"If I would have won one early in my career, maybe I would have never put all the work and time that I have over the last 13 years," Nowitzki said.

"It wasn't about our high-flying star power," Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. "Come on, how often do we have to hear about the LeBron James Reality Show? When are people going to talk about the purity of the game and what these guys accomplished?"

Forever now. Once again, James was an uncertain, uneven star with a championship on the line. He didn't play well in these Finals, and worst in the moments that the Heat needed him most. He didn't want the ball in the fourth quarter, passing it away as fast as it had come to him.

To hear James suggest that the world will have to return to its sad, little ordinary lives and he'll still get to be LeBron James late Sunday night was a window into his warped, fragile psyche. It was sad, and portends to how disconnected to the world he truly is.

"They have to wake up and have the same life that they had before they woke up today … the same personal problems," James said. "I'm going to continue to live the way that I want to live. … But they have to get back to the real world at some point."

There's nothing real about James' world, and never has been. He's a prisoner of a life that his sycophants and enablers and our sporting culture has created for him. He's rich and talented and something of a tortured soul. He's the flawed superstar for these flawed times. He's a creation of a basketball breeding ground full of such twisted priorities and warped principles. Almost every person who's ever had to work closely with him, who has spent significant time, who's watched him belittle and bully people, told me they were rooting hard against him. That's sad, and that's something he doesn't understand and probably never will.

When the game was over, his attitude was downright defiant. They had done enough to win, he insisted, and of course he was wrong.

Strange, but Chris Bosh knew the truth. When he talked about Nowitzki, you had to wonder to whom he was directing his words. "There's nothing extra. There's nothing super. [Nowitzki] was just himself. And in these situations, I think when you're yourself and you play your basketball, the best thing always happen.

"He's worked very hard, for a very long time and he deserves it. I think we can take a page out of their book and really just pay attention to people's work ethic and how much time they put into the game. Obviously, what we did wasn't enough."

It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard... is what makes it great. -- Jimmy Dugan, A League of Their Own