I came across this editorial yesterday. Can’t say that I disagree with much:
But in the end, this Super Bowl taught me a lesson: Luxury can actually be debasing. The last great building binge in the NFL was from 1995 through 2003, when 21 stadiums were built or refurbished in order to create more luxury boxes, at cost of $6.4 billion. Know how much of that the public paid for? $4.4 billion. Why are we giving 32 rich guys that kind of money, just to prey on us at the box office and concessions? The Dallas deal should be the last of its kind.
When an owner grows tired of a facility and leaves, guess who picks up the tab? New Jersey still owes $110 million on the old Meadowlands home of the New York Giants and Jets, and when both teams moved to their new $1.6 billion, privately financed stadium, they got a huge tax break. According to the Wall Street Journal under their old agreement they paid $20 million a year in tax revenues; now they will pay only about $6 million a year. Know what New Jersey’s deficit is? I’ll tell you: $36 billion.
At its best the NFL is a deeply embedded piece of American culture, with an indissoluble bond with fans. But it’s grown far removed from the grass-roots recreation it started as, the competitive emblem of mill towns, and their enormous civic resilience. As fans, we share blame for being willing to pay anything for it. We’ve allowed league owners to cash in on American pride, and hunger for entertainment. We should insist they share American economic problems.
I’ll leave the “Hundred!” to someone else tonight. 😉
Potential 2012 presidential candidate Sarah Palin says that if she were president, she would deport pop star Christina Aguilera for botching a portion of The Star-Spangled Banner during her performance at Super Bowl XLV. Making an appearance on Sean Hannity’s radio program on Monday, Palin pointedly criticized Aguilera’s gaffe, and called her out for exhibiting ’diva behavior.’ “Quite frankly, Sean,… Read more »
bob;
Catch ya’ tomorrow sweat pea. Sleep well.
New drilling method opens vast oil fields in US A new drilling technique is opening up vast fields of previously out-of-reach oil in the western United States, helping reverse a two-decade decline in domestic production of crude. Companies are investing billions of dollars to get at oil deposits scattered across North Dakota, Colorado, Texas and California. By 2015, oil executives… Read more »
Tedtam #90; I was always disappointed that the Church didn’t put the hammer down on their behavior and excommunicate them. I’ve made known at least a few times that The church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints’ official political position is that of neutrality and allows all its members as citizens to vote their conscience. Fundamentally I know this is… Read more »
Just because you have lucked out doesn’t mean that these people shouldn’t find something better to do with their time. I have a friend who home schools her kids and got a “nasty gram” because her kids left their bicycles in the driveway while they came in to eat lunch. Her neighbor got a letter for approximately 6″ of mildew… Read more »
Tedtam, the yard nazis around here are pretty reasonable. They only send me letters when a neighbor’s house is on the market and their Realtor complains. I got away with not mowing my back yard for 3 years, and received no yard nazi nasty-grams until the resident two gay bears wearing clown suits started singing show tunes. Obviously, they needed… Read more »
Good night all, hope every Hamster who is in an area under hard freeze is safe and warm tongiht.
Ah, yes, it’s good for them, I suppose.
The yard nazis are nice to their employees.
I still find it difficult to believe that you appreciate the irony and find such humor and pleasure that they have a job telling other people their grass is a half inch too high or their front door is the wrong color.
84 Tedtam, I actually love the irony, and am very pleased that daughter and adopted daughter work for an employer that flexes their hours around their school schedules. It seems so ironic – you the libertarian, raising your kids in such a libber fashion, and your daughter works for the yard nazis. I also love the fact that I haven’t… Read more »
#54 Simple
I think I remember reading that Metro spent 1/2 million each on these little corner bus stops on main routes out in the city — a 3-person concrete bench under a plexiglass roof.
#89 Darren Would Ted have even cared? No, he wouldn’t. The Kennedy family has always seemed to use their Catholic faith to wrap themselves in some kind of respectability. It was more of a prop than anything else. I was always disappointed that the Church didn’t put the hammer down on their behavior and excommunicate them. Although at the end,… Read more »
TT #86;
Would Ted have even cared?
bob42 #42; By o:25 I counted 25 in attendence. By 1:07 I saw 9 people raise their hand to the question, “how many here believe he (Barak Obama) is a Muslim?” That’s less than 50% of the people in attendence who raised their hand in the affirmative. At 1:30 I hear “his religion is liberalism” By 1:39 I heard “I… Read more »
86 TT
Yes, you’re correct. I just didn’t want to confuse anyone.
🙂
Darren / Shannon
…and technically, it isn’t wine.
Though that confuses many, especially the Kennedys.
Shannon #81;
Obviously the late Senator Ted Kennedy wasn’t a Lutheran.
#80 Bob42
It seems so ironic – you the libertarian, raising your kids in such a libber fashion, and your daughter works for the yard nazis.
I hate yard nazis.
El Gordo #11;
That poor man. What a name!
DING DING DING!
We have a winner!
Shannon – the drain pipe for the sacristy lavatory, where the vessels are washed, goes to ground, and not to any sewer line. In this way, none of the sacred body or blood is defiled.
Come on, let’s have it wagonman or TT.
I’ll add that in our chuch, unused wine is returned to the ground and NOT down some drain.
At least it used to be. Who knows about now. Some moron decided volunteer-baked bread was cheaper than unleavened wafers!
Don’t get me started…
#73 Mharper420, yes, that is their workplace. It’s an outfit hired by area homeowners associations, and my girls drive around looking for violations, write nag-o-grams, and on the phone, try to soothe the irate residents who receive them.
Adopted daughter just celebrated a birthday, hence the stuffed critter.
#65 Tedtam, believe it or not…
…I know.
Okay, I’m back. Wagon – what is the answer?
#75 Simple: It was not my intention to imply nor did I wish you to infer any accusation whatsoever. If you did infer accusation please forgive me as that was not my intention.
#75 Simple: I am not accusing you of anything. Amtrack is just another in a long string of public boondogles, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae included that have to be excised from the public teat like the cancers they are.
Boney 57
I don’t think that I ever defended Amtrak. I know that no private enterprise & publically traded company would ever think about cooking the books. Especially here in Houston.
/sarc off
Simple
#69 bone
Close, but not close enough.
#51 Bob
You sure these girls really have jobs? Seems to be some big stuffed toys in the background.
But yah they are cute. 🙂
It took you a while, but it looks like it’s finally soaked in. 😆
I’m not implying I’m smarter than Erin and I hope she doesn’t infer that
/punkazz Okie 😉
#68 Hamous: When I was taking an English class at UofH given by Professor J. P. Morgan, a single error like that would have resulted in an automatic F for the paper. She was one tough prof.
#65 TT: Is it unique because it is not to be used for any other purpose?
Silent Bob sheds some poundage. That’s nice. While scanning the article in Time this caught my eye: Smith, who’s best know for his role as Silent Bob in the movie franchise Jay and Silent Bob, spoke to Joy Behar on her CNN show Wednesday about the “traumatizing” experience that led him to lose weight — as well as his pension… Read more »
Can I answer?
Heh heh heh. Taranto smackdown of Paulie K. The most intelligent thing Paul Krugman has ever written was a Jan. 28 entry, titled simply “Egypt,” on his New York Times blog: I don’t know anything, have no expertise, haven’t even ever looked at the economic situation. Hence, no posting. If there comes a point when I have something to say,… Read more »
We are canceling our Faith Formation classes for the second week in a row. Last week I sent out my teacher notes and a completed worksheet for the lesson, hoping against hope that at least one of the kids might give it a fleeting glance. Yes, I’m an optimist. Tonight I had on the schedule a tour of the church.… Read more »
Double Heh
Heh.
Spouse arrived about an hour ago and is working from home. Big relief.
This just hit my in box: I am going to try to sanitize it. Alan Simpson, Senator from Wyoming, Co-Chair of Obama’s deficit > commission, calls senior citizens the Greediest Generation as he > compared “Social Security” to a Milk Cow with 310 million teats. > August, 2010. > > Here’s a response in a letter from a unknown fellow… Read more »
Superlatively well spoken sir.
post in the bucket
It has now been colder for longer and more snow has fallen than occurred when Custer went after the Comanche during the Washita Campakign of 1868.
Eat buffalo shizzle, Al Gore.
#54 Simple: This is what happens with rail.
That action would get anyone in private business thrown in jail.
The North Texas and Oklahoma plains have now been colder for longer and seen more snow than occurred when Custer went after the Comanche during the Washita Campaign of 1868.
Eat buffalo shizzle, Al Gore.
#54 Simple: Houston is a very unique and is the DEFINITION OF A WORLD CLASS CITY. Most cities have very strict nazi zoning boards and have very well defined business centers and residential areas usually arranged in a hub and spoke fashion; that design lends itself very well to mass transit. Houston does not even come close to that model… Read more »
50 Boney, I like the Downtown Train when I get Jury duty. I take the Eastside Express Bus to the Downtown terminus for the toy train and ride it a few blocks. I have used the same mode when going to the Medical Center. Ms Simple and I would go there 3-4 times a week when our granddaughter was first… Read more »
There’s an even bigger problem with nation spanning passenger rail that is rarely dissussed. ALL mass transit systems are prime targets for terrorism and/or strategic attack. While air and water systems are vulnerable at the hubs (airports and port terminals), or individual carrier vehicles (air planes and ships), rail is the only mass transit system that is vulnerable throughout the… Read more »
Hi everybody. Blowing a gale and 29 on the north bank of the Brazos at Richmond. A light covering of ice on the roofs and everything above the ground. Stepping bricks on the walkway to the barn are glazing over, but the puddles on the driveway are still liquid–for now. The front roared in about 10, just as I was… Read more »