Foul

♠
You would think that if there were one area in American society where blacks are utterly and entirely free from racial discrimination, it would be in professional basketball. But not so says a recent study:

An academic study of the National Basketball Association, whose playoffs continue tonight, suggests that a racial bias found in other parts of American society has existed on the basketball court as well.

A coming paper by a University of Pennsylvania professor and a Cornell University graduate student says that, during the 13 seasons from 1991 through 2004, white referees called fouls at a greater rate against black players than against white players.

Justin Wolfers, an assistant professor of business and public policy at the Wharton School, and Joseph Price, a Cornell graduate student in economics, found a corresponding bias in which black officials called fouls more frequently against white players, though that tendency was not as strong. They went on to claim that the different rates at which fouls are called “is large enough that the probability of a team winning is noticeably affected by the racial composition of the refereeing crew assigned to the game.”

I'm surprised that there were enough white players on which to base a study!

Beyond basketball fans, the greater interest is in the idea of subconscious racism and how it perhaps pervades life in the workplace in general. Well, we've come a long way, but we may never see the Promise Land. At least it's neat to see society still consciously working on it, but then I'm not a very optimistic fellow.


(Source: Alan Schwarz for The New York Times)

xXx

Foul

♠
You would think that if there were one area in American society where blacks are utterly and entirely free from racial discrimination, it would be in professional basketball. But not so says a recent study:

An academic study of the National Basketball Association, whose playoffs continue tonight, suggests that a racial bias found in other parts of American society has existed on the basketball court as well.

A coming paper by a University of Pennsylvania professor and a Cornell University graduate student says that, during the 13 seasons from 1991 through 2004, white referees called fouls at a greater rate against black players than against white players.

Justin Wolfers, an assistant professor of business and public policy at the Wharton School, and Joseph Price, a Cornell graduate student in economics, found a corresponding bias in which black officials called fouls more frequently against white players, though that tendency was not as strong. They went on to claim that the different rates at which fouls are called “is large enough that the probability of a team winning is noticeably affected by the racial composition of the refereeing crew assigned to the game.”

I'm surprised that there were enough white players on which to base a study!

Beyond basketball fans, the greater interest is in the idea of subconscious racism and how it perhaps pervades life in the workplace in general. Well, we've come a long way, but we may never see the Promise Land. At least it's neat to see society still consciously working on it, but then I'm not a very optimistic fellow.


(Source: Alan Schwarz for The New York Times)

xXx

Tenet Gets Dowded

♠
We mentioned George "Slam Dunk" Tenet yesterday and his new kiss and tell book. Maureen Dowd has a good go at him this morning and I want to share the love.

( Read more... )

xXx

Tenet Gets Dowded

♠
We mentioned George "Slam Dunk" Tenet yesterday and his new kiss and tell book. Maureen Dowd has a good go at him this morning and I want to share the love.

( Read more... )

xXx

Dreamable Britney

♠
Off to the library I go. Before I take off, I will leave you with this:



Since her breakdown, I know it's easy to wonder what all the fuss was about. But there is a reason why she was such a sensation. For my psychology friends, she was a Jungian archetype of the dream girl. Mmm, what a piece of ass she was...

(And I think I got the picture on this post working.)

xXx

Dreamable Britney

♠
Off to the library I go. Before I take off, I will leave you with this:



Since her breakdown, I know it's easy to wonder what all the fuss was about. But there is a reason why she was such a sensation. For my psychology friends, she was a Jungian archetype of the dream girl. Mmm, what a piece of ass she was...

(And I think I got the picture on this post working.)

xXx

A Prayer for Dubya

♠
Thomas Friedman imagines President Bush attending a regional conference in Egypt gathering tomorrow and making a speech apologizing for going into Iraq on mistaken pretenses, but then going on to point out that this is not just about American interests:

Friends, we are losing in Iraq. But whom are we losing to? Is it to the Iraqi “Vietcong” — the authentic carriers of Iraqi nationalism? No, it is not. We are being defeated by nihilistic Islamist suicide bombers, who are proliferating across the Muslim world. We are losing to people who blow up mosques, markets, hospital emergency wards and girls’ schools. They don’t even tell us their names, let alone offer a future.

... You may think that I’m more dangerous than Bin Laden and that a strong America is more dangerous than Al Qaeda. You’re wrong. If we are defeated in Iraq, they’ll come after you. They already are. And if we’re defeated in Iraq, you’ll no longer have to contend with a world of too much American power. You’ll have to contend with a world of too little American power. You will not like it.

Dubya apologizing? That really is a fantasy. Apparently Mr. Friedman does not understand that Dubya believes he is the greatest president ever. You see, when it comes to fantasizing, Dubya does it better than most.


(Source: Thomas L. Friedman for The New York Times)

xXx

A Prayer for Dubya

♠
Thomas Friedman imagines President Bush attending a regional conference in Egypt gathering tomorrow and making a speech apologizing for going into Iraq on mistaken pretenses, but then going on to point out that this is not just about American interests:

Friends, we are losing in Iraq. But whom are we losing to? Is it to the Iraqi “Vietcong” — the authentic carriers of Iraqi nationalism? No, it is not. We are being defeated by nihilistic Islamist suicide bombers, who are proliferating across the Muslim world. We are losing to people who blow up mosques, markets, hospital emergency wards and girls’ schools. They don’t even tell us their names, let alone offer a future.

... You may think that I’m more dangerous than Bin Laden and that a strong America is more dangerous than Al Qaeda. You’re wrong. If we are defeated in Iraq, they’ll come after you. They already are. And if we’re defeated in Iraq, you’ll no longer have to contend with a world of too much American power. You’ll have to contend with a world of too little American power. You will not like it.

Dubya apologizing? That really is a fantasy. Apparently Mr. Friedman does not understand that Dubya believes he is the greatest president ever. You see, when it comes to fantasizing, Dubya does it better than most.


(Source: Thomas L. Friedman for The New York Times)

xXx

The Painting

♠
Got into another discussion about science and religion and the meaning of life. This is perhaps silly for an older man of rather limited intellectual facility, but that's how I get my thrills, this and violent pornography. I'll spare you the violent pornography. Anyway, in this discussion, I have come up with the metaphor of a painting, a great work of art. It's awkward, but...

( Read more... )

xXx

The Painting

♠
Got into another discussion about science and religion and the meaning of life. This is perhaps silly for an older man of rather limited intellectual facility, but that's how I get my thrills, this and violent pornography. I'll spare you the violent pornography. Anyway, in this discussion, I have come up with the metaphor of a painting, a great work of art. It's awkward, but...

( Read more... )

xXx

Dry Days

♠
The front really needs a mowing
if we can get a couple of dry days
in a row.

There is never a good drought when you need one.

xXx

Dry Days

♠
The front really needs a mowing
if we can get a couple of dry days
in a row.

There is never a good drought when you need one.

xXx

Sowell

♠
“When I see the worsening degeneracy in our politicians, our media, our educators, and our intelligentsia, I can't help wondering if the day may yet come when the only thing that can save this country is a military coup.”

-- Thomas Sowell

This quote has been getting some play, at least on the Web and perhaps in print media. I hope Mr. Sowell is just having a bad day. Or maybe he was just joking around with some right-wing buddies. Chill, dude!

xXx

Sowell

♠
“When I see the worsening degeneracy in our politicians, our media, our educators, and our intelligentsia, I can't help wondering if the day may yet come when the only thing that can save this country is a military coup.”

-- Thomas Sowell

This quote has been getting some play, at least on the Web and perhaps in print media. I hope Mr. Sowell is just having a bad day. Or maybe he was just joking around with some right-wing buddies. Chill, dude!

xXx

The Commander Guy

♠
“The question is, ‘Who ought to make that decision, the Congress or the commanders?,’’ Mr. Bush said. “As you know, my position is clear – I’m the commander guy.”

-- Sheryl Gay Stolberg for The New York Times

Well, that's a relief!

How Dubya became the "commander guy" will probably long be a national embarrassment. And re-elected to boot!

xXx

The Commander Guy

♠
“The question is, ‘Who ought to make that decision, the Congress or the commanders?,’’ Mr. Bush said. “As you know, my position is clear – I’m the commander guy.”

-- Sheryl Gay Stolberg for The New York Times

Well, that's a relief!

How Dubya became the "commander guy" will probably long be a national embarrassment. And re-elected to boot!

xXx