Rutgers women’s basketball lost chance

Recently, the UConn women achieved an unprecedented milestone in College Basketball as they won their 89th straight game.  Much of this streak can be attributed to UConn’s great coach, Geno Auriemma, and the ability to recruit great players, such as Maya Moore from Gwinnett County, Georgia.  Maya Moore also represents how far UConn’s program has distanced itself from rivals such as Tennessee.  In fact, Pat Summit is likely so scared of facing a Maya Moore-led UConn team, that she stopped the annual game between UConn and Tennessee.  Summit can always use the argument that Geno used illegal recruiting of Maya, but she’s really jealous that UConn raided territory that Tennessee was already robbing from Andy Landers of Georgia for years, so Summit’s argument falls flat.

In addition to distancing from national rivals such as Tennessee, UConn has also distanced itself from the rest of the Big East conference, such as Rutgers.  In fact, since UConn began its winning streak, Rutgers has been not much more than a speed bump.  This is sad considering four seasons ago Rutgers came within one game of winning a National Championship losing to Tennessee.  C. Vivian Stringer was the toast of Women’s College Basketball and could have used the game and the rise of the Rutgers program to recruit players like Moore to push Rutgers over the hump, supplant UConn as the Big Dog of the Big East, and finally win a title.

Instead, we all know what happened… Radio shock jock Don Imus made a stupid remark and Stringer wanted Imus’s head.  Joined by Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton (both of whom were running away from the Duke Lacrosse rape story that was imploding in their faces), Stringer won the battle to get Don Imus fired from MSNBC and his national radio program.  But has Stringer been able to recruit National 5-star recruits to her program?  Not really, in part because Stringer thought more of her ego more to fire Imus than trying to use the 2007 season to bring more top-rated players to compete with UConn.  Rutgers is further away from a National Championship program that it has ever been.  In fact, now they are more of middle-of-the-road team in the improving Big East—check the current standings.  Stringer is slowly becoming the new Andy Landers—great coach, occasionally making a deep run every once in a while, but not able to win the Big One or build a consistent National program.

Imus ultimately got back on the radio and Cable TV (now on Fox Business), so all the efforts Stringer made to get Imus fired from radio eventually came to naught, although Imus’s audience is much smaller than the minute audience he had at MSNBC.

If Stringer had made more of a push to get Maya Moore and had won the Maya Moore recruiting sweepstakes, UConn would not have won all those games in a row and back-to-back titles.  In fact, we might be doing HBO Real Sports features on how Stringer is a great coach and how she was able to finally overcome the UConn juggernaut and National Title hurdles.  Instead, Geno is the toast of Women’s College BB, and Maya Moore is turning out to be a women who can do anything she wants after college.  I suspect she will go into politics and become an amazing congresswoman some day.  It’s clear she has a huge fan in the Oval Office.  There’s no guarantee UConn’s winning streak will continue or UConn can win three in a row, but Geno and Maya have raised the standard of Women’s BB to a point that even Rutgers can’t follow.

On Thursday (12/30), Rutgers will play at Tennessee in a re-match of the 2007 Title Game.  But even that game will be overshadowed by a bigger women’s college game taking place later in the evening – UConn putting their streak on the line at Stanford, the last team to beat UConn.  I am sure C. Vivian Stringer is not happy to have such a significant game dwarfed by UConn.  But you had a chance, Coach Stringer, to step up to even bigger national prominence and you blew it on a stupid shock jock.

The Graying Democratic Party

Now that the midterm elections have ended, analysis has been pouring in as to what happened, what should happen next, and what it all means.  But there is an underlying current in this election that has not been exposed on a massive level:  age.  Once upon a time, the Democrats used age as a issue to try and vote out Republicans who were “old and out of touch”.  However, when you look at the age issue now, the Democrats appear to be the geriatric party. 

To be fair, the two oldest House members of the 111th Congress are Republicans, but then look at composition of House members above the age of 70.  36 are Democrats, compared with just 18 Republicans.  And it’s not just the fact that the 36 Democrats are old; these Democratic members compromise most of the House leadership and committee chairmanships.  Nationally recognized Democratic figures like John Dingle, John Conyers, Charlie Rangel, Pete Stark, Ike Skelton, Maxine Waters, Henry Waxman, departing David Obey, Barney Frank, John Lewis, and the three biggest Democratic leaders (Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer, and Jim Clyburn) are all 70 or older.  What’s worse is that some of the youngest members of the Democratic caucus were defeated in the mid-term election (most notable locally, one Frank Kratovil from Maryland).  Compare to the younger Republicans leaders:  Dave Camp (future Ways and Means Chairman) is 57, Darrell Issa (future Oversight Committee Chairman) is 57, Paul Ryan (future Budget Committee Chairman) is 40, likely Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy is 45, and incoming Majority Leader Eric Cantor is 47.  Even Speaker of the House, John Boehner is relatively young at 60.  Only Jerry Lewis appears to be the oldest of the possible incoming Republican leadership at 76, but there’s no guarantee he will get back a committee chairmanship he once held because of Republican rules.

And it’s not just the House when the Republican youth movement is being seen.  Look at the U.S. Senate.  The three oldest senators who survived the midterm elections are Democratic (and that doesn’t include Arlen Spector who was voted out or Robert Byrd who died in office at the age of 92).  Then look at the Republicans who are incoming to the US Senate.  Marco Rubio from Florida is 39.  Mark Kirk from Illinois is 51.  Rand Paul from Kentucky is relatively young as well.  Now, the Democratic Party may still be overall younger in the Senate, but if they are, it’s not by much.

And then there is the Governor’s mansions.   Perhaps the biggest turnover of the night from Republican governor to Democratic governor was in California and it was accomplished by 70+ year old Jerry Brown, who once upon a time was the youngest Governor in the State’s history.  Of course, the White House is occupied by a young President Obama, but if something happens to him, old Joe Biden is waiting in the wings.

But it’s not just Democrats in Washington.  One of the staunchest allies to the party is the NAACP.  And although their leader is young, the Executive Board (most notably one Julian Bond) is comprised of some of Dr. King’s lieutenants in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.  Jesse Jackson is now at least in his late 60s as well.

And it appears to be a worldwide movement to go to younger leaders.  In Great Britain, the leaders of the three main parties are all in their 40s, including the defeated Labor Party who jettisoned 59-year old Gordon Brown after their losses.  Even the repressive North Korean regime is looking at a 29-year old successor to the man I mockingly refer to as “Lil’ Kim”. 

The Democratic caucus, particularly in the House, will need to get younger leaders soon.  Heath Shuler is making an attempt to take the top leadership away from Nancy Pelosi.  But for now, perhaps the Democratic caucus will not refer to Republicans as “old white dudes”.  Maybe just “white dudes” at least until younger leaders like Chris Van Hollen and Heath Shuler are ready to take over.

Why the 2010 midterm elections are important

I know this is going to sound like a political statement in favor of Republicans or Democrats, but it is not.  My goal in this posting of Rogue Corner is to explain why these mid-term elections are more critical than any other mid-term since 1990.  At stake is the potential configuration of state legislatures and U.S. Congressional Districts for the next 5 election cycles.  In addition, the usual nature of the U.S. Senate configuration will cause major headaches for both parties in the next three cycles.

As many of you know, every 10 years the U.S. is required by laws to take a census of U.S. citizens to determine the population and where funding should go.  In addition, the Census data is used in many instances to draw Legislative districts in State houses.  But the big key is that as part of the re-drawing of districts, U.S. House of Representatives districts are drawn, and the party that controls the state legislatures in many instances draws the districts in their party’s favor.  This is important in states which add or lose Representatives.  Districts could be drawn to force two congressman from the same party to battle for one spot.  Or new or existing districts could be gerrymandered to guarantee the congress people favors one party.  Don’t believe me?  Check out Maryland’s congressional map, particularly the 2nd and 3rd districts.

There is also Senate ramifications that could spell big trouble for the Democrats in 2012 and 2014 and a huge problem for the Republicans in 2016.  If the Republicans win 8 Senate seats from Democrat control in this cycle (and not NY and WV), the Democrats and their allies will be forced to defend 43 seats in the next 2 elections, compared with a mere 23 for Republicans.  But that also means the Republicans will be forced to defend 26 seats in a Presidential election in 2016, compared with just 8 Democrat seats.  Like I said, it’s headaches for both sides.

What I’m trying to say is no matter your political affiliation, please remember to vote, whether you have already early voted or will vote on Tuesday.  I have no compassion for those who complain about the elections, but refuse to exercise their Constitutional right to vote.

Why most Yankee fans are/should be Democrats…

Many people know Keith Olbermann as the unabashed and combative liberal host of MSNBC’s Countdown show weeknights at 8 pm/ET.  But what many people may or may not know is that Keith is also one of the New York Yankee’s most visible fans.  Seems like an oxymoron that Olbermann, a person who rails against the rich and says they should be taxed heavily would support the richest team in baseball.  I mean, why doesn’t Keith support the Kansas City Royals or San Diego Padres?  And yet, when you look at the Yankees, why wouldn’t Keith be a Yankee fan and a liberal Democrat.  After all, the Democrats have been good to the Yankees – or at least Democratic Presidents have.  Could the real reason that Keith Olbermann is a liberal Democrat have more to do with Keith’s love of the Yankees than his actual beliefs?  It sounds crazy, but when you look at the statistics, it’s not as crazy as you think.

In the 100+ years of World Series play, the Yankees are baseball’s most successful franchise.  They have won over a quarter of the World Series, and almost 40% of the American League Championships.  But, when you look closer, some interesting statistics related to politics show up:

--Since the World Series came into existence in 1903, there have been 57 World Series played under Republican presidents and 48 under Democratic chief executives.  The Yankee’s winning percentage under Republican presidents is just under 56%.  Under Democrats, their winning percentage goes up to over 58%.  The Yankees have made 23 World Series appearances under Democrats and 17 appearances under Republicans.

--In terms of championships, the Yankees have won 20 World Series under the Dems, but just 7 under the Reps.  Translated that means the Yankees have won over 40% of the titles Team Donkey has controlled the Presidency, but just about 12% of the titles when Team Elephant has ruled.

--The Yankees have won their last 7 World Series Appearances under a Democratic administration (last loss occurred in 1964), but even more interesting is they have won each of the last 4 years of Democratic rule (last 3 years Clinton was in charge and the first year under Obama).  New York has lost their last 5 World Series Appearances under a Republican administration (last title occurred in 1958).

In short, considering 2010 is a year that the Democrats control 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and that the Yankees are just 8 wins away from Title #28, are we about to see the same end result that we have the last four times this scenario has played out?  Don’t bet against it.

Having rights v. executing those rights

One of the most emotionally charged issues has finally reached the Supreme Court.  It is the case of Snyder v. Phelps, a case that has forced many to take uncomfortable positions.  And if you think you have figured out what side I’m taking in this fight… well, that’s why I call this blog “Rogue Corner”.

The case of Snyder v. Phelps concerns a protest by the Westboro Baptist Church against a Marine funeral in 2006 in Maryland.  The father of the fallen Marine (Al Snyder) heard about the protest, saw it on tape, then found that the members of the church had posted hate about his son and family on-line.  It was too much.  Snyder sued the church, won a multi-million dollar judgment, only to have the judgment overturned on appeal.  Now, the case has reached the highest court in the land.  At stake:  future definition of the 1st Amendment to the Constitution.

To be fair, I don’t have kind words to say about the Westboro Baptist Church.  This “church”, led by a former civil-rights attorney named Fred Phelps, is at least 2/3 related.  Even folks from Appalachia think this group is largely “in-breds”.  Over the years, they have shown up at funerals from Matthew Shephard to Mr. Rogers to soldiers who died in combat.  They’ve even shown up at Comic Con in San Diego recently.  They have single-handedly brought together political opposites from Keith Olbermann and Bill O’Reilly to Michael Moore and Fox News, who have all tried to use the media to shame this church into changing their tune.  In filing a friend of the Plaintiff’s brief, 48 states’ attorneys (Republicans and Democrats, conservatives and liberals alike) joined together to try and influence the Supreme Court to basically bankrupt this group of bigoted and hypocritical bullies.

So you would think the Supreme Court should vote 9-0 against Fred Phelps and his Jack-booted followers, right?  Not in my eyes.  And apparently not in the eyes of the ACLU, and many national newspapers, from the New York Times to the Wall Street Journal.  We all are arguing the same point:  their language is despicable, and it would be best if they would go away, but they have rights to speak whatever vile they wish.  And, if I am allowed to go further, Al Snyder did go looking for Westboro blogs about what they had to say about him and his family.  That was a mistake, and I think it’s this will ultimately cost Al Snyder at the Supreme Court.  (Side note:  me siding with the ACLU on a freedom of speech issue?  You’d think my name was John Parks Brown!)

Look, saying to someone “God hates you” or “God is angry with you” stings people (and nobody knows that better than me how it feels).  But at the same time, if we had a right to sue for people saying vile things about us, former President George W. Bush would supplant Carlos Slim as the richest man on earth.  It shouldn’t be a reason to start down a dark path where freedom of speech could be compromised.  We already had a stupid court decision in the last ten years with the Kelo case and eminent domain.  Ruling against Westboro would be a bigger mistake, and I think the court should rule in the Phelps favor, although they’ll probably hold their noses in doing so.  Remember, the Supreme Court has allowed Nazis to march through the Jewish Chicago suburb of Skokie, IL in the past.

That doesn’t mean we should tolerate this church in our communities.  The Comic Con folks had a great approach:  dish it back and mock these protesters.  Maybe one day this church will get the message:  just because you have the right to protest doesn’t mean you should execute that right often.

Slots at Arundel Mills… Can I tell both sides to piss off?

In this political season where we are seeing what is a growing tidal wave of anti-incumbent fever, one issue has boiled my blood.  It’s an issue that has been years in the making, has seen incompetence from politicians and horse racing owners, greed from entertainment moguls, stupidity from people assuming that the politicians and entertainment moguls would do the right thing, a court system attempting to bypass a recall system, and a campaign that has come up with misleading one-line slogans, such as “Jobs and Revenue” and “Safer streets”.  I am talking about the vote to Build a Slots Parlor at Arundel Mills Mall, which has been allowed via the Maryland Constitution.  And both sides need to be taken to task.

To summarize how we got to this stupid point, let’s review the history…  In 2007, after years of trying to legalize slots to help the sagging horse racing industry, the Maryland legislature decided that they didn’t want the responsibility to try and pass slots (mainly because Maryland Speaker Michael Busch wouldn’t bring slots up for a vote), so they put the decision in the hands of voters via a Constitutional Amendment.  The Amendment mandated specific locations for the slots to be placed:  Cecil County, Western Maryland Mountains, near Ocean City, Baltimore City, and Anne Arundel County.  And to ensure passage by voters, the legislature tied school funding, union concessions, and police and fire money to the slots, which was initially designed to save horse racing.  Naturally, it passed with about 60%.

With the amendment passed, bids were opened in 2009.  The Maryland Legislature hoped for a windfall just on the bidding process.  Unfortunately, due to the economy and the fact that other nearby states already had slots and were pushing table games, the bidding process was a disaster.  In Anne Arundel County, it was assumed that Laurel Racetrack would be the winner.  However, the owners of Laurel did not place their bid in time nor did they meet the minimum bid.

Enter Frank Cordish, entertainment mogul with an idea:  build a slots parlor near the popular Arundel Mills Mall.  Cordish put forward a proposal that was on time and met the requirements of the bidding process.  Naturally, the bid from the Cordish group was selected and the Anne Arundel County Council voted to support the Cordish bid.

That’s when residents near Arundel Mills Mall got involved.  They obviously hated the idea of a gambling place near their Single Family Home neighborhoods, and, with the help of the Horse Racing Industry, organized a petition to force the Slots Proposal on the ballot.  They got well over the necessary signatures.  Cordish sued claiming (1) most of the signatures were fake and (2) the petition process was illegal to begin with.  Cordish won the legal case at the County level, but the Maryland Supreme Court reversed the lower court ruling, forcing the ballot question.

The campaign has been a mess.  The slots opponents maintained their simple message:  no slots at the Mall, and put the slots at Laurel Racetrack.  The Cordish group has kept it to simple one-liners:  Jobs and Revenue, Safer Streets, Lower Taxes, and Better Schools.  The supporters have even had the chutzpah to place giant signs at Arundel Mills telling people it’s about Jobs and Revenue.  I’m sure residents fume at seeing those signs on a daily basis.

So why am I pissed at both sides?  Simple.  To slots opponents at Arundel Mills, many of them voted in 2008 to legalize slots.  Now they’re upset that Cordish is within the constitutional right to put slots in their neighborhood?  Sorry, hypocrites, but you voted to allow the possibility in the first place.  If slots pass, you’ll just have to deal with it.

As for Cordish, you’re one-liners are full of misinterpretations.  Slots at the Mall will NOT lower taxes or provide safer streets.  It could bring in a criminal element (like it has done in the past).  Better schools is just a pipe dream in a state that already has some of the nation’s best public schools.  And your key point of Providing Jobs and Revenue?  Legalizing prostitution would provide Jobs and Revenue, but you don’t see Marylanders voting for that (oh wait, we already have legalized prostitution in Maryland… it’s called ANNAPOLIS LOBBYISTS!!!)

The games that have been played over the slots issue has been an embarrassment and I have had enough.  Can we eliminate the biggest reason for slots and just put the Preakness up for sale to the highest out-of-state bidder yet?

AT&T caught in 4G crossfire…

This may be one of the few times to feel bad for the Telecom giant AT&T.  Sure, AT&T is a juggernaut in the telecommunication world, particularly with regards to wireless and cable.  AT&T is the sole provider of the iPhone and iPad in the US, two devices that are must haves.  Also, AT&T has the largest network in America in terms of coverage.  And AT&T’s U-Verse is a very formidable cable standard that is gaining in popularity.

But AT&T’s cellular market has taken a hit in recent years as the giant has struggled to provide 3G speeds, particularly in urban areas where iPhone usage has strained the network.  And now, AT&T seems to be lagging in a growing 3-way battle for pre-4G supremacy.  AT&T’s attempts to split the difference may provide turbulence over the next 4 years.

In one corner is Sprint and Clear, who started the 4G war by launching WiMAX 2 years ago in Baltimore.  Though the network stopped and started over the last two years, it now has a good base of customers and devices.  WiMAX may ultimately not survive, but it will be a force at least for the next 1-2 years.

The second corner is occupied by T-Mobile.  T-Mobile has all but officially supplanted AT&T as the fastest 3G network as their HSPA+ network has rapidly spread across the nation.  While AT&T is still modernizing their networks, T-Mobile has put in advanced infrastructure making upgrades to HSPA+ faster via software only, providing speeds that match and, in some cases, exceed WiMAX.  HSPA+ is a cheap alternative to WiMAX and LTE technology, as T-Mobile waits for the arrival of true 4G technologies.

The third corner is occupied by Verizon Wireless and MetroPCS.  MetroPCS has just launched LTE with Verizon following suit later this year.  Both had to go with LTE, considering that their technology was not keeping up with AT&T’s speeds.  Upgrading to LTE surpasses AT&T’s current network speed.

So what is AT&T’s plan?  Right now, AT&T is trying to upgrade to HSPA+ in some areas and LTE in others over the next two years.  In addition, AT&T will probably push Femtocells to help saturate coverage and close the speed gap.  Over the next couple of years, AT&T will likely be playing catch-up with more nimble competitors.  Don’t plan AT&T’s funeral yet, though.  AT&T has the resources to be the likely forerunner of true 4G when it arrives in 2013 or 2014.

For now, Apple is AT&T’s best friend.  As long as the iPhone and iPad maintain their status and are exclusive to AT&T, AT&T is fine.

Coming home

In an earlier blog, I wondered what it would be like to return home to Snellville after being away for almost 5 years.  This past week, I got my answer as my wife, my son, and I returned to the place “Where Everybody’s Somebody”.

In short, the town has changed considerably.  Gone is the Hardee’s and Dairy Queen on West Main Street, and if A&J is still there, I didn’t see it.  McDonald’s and KFC are still in their traditional location, though they have been significantly upgraded.  The New Snellville City Hall is huge and South Gwinnett High School looks like they are adding a skyscraper to the facility.  There are new facilities everywhere.  Most notably the Avenue at Web Gin House has added new shopping areas.  Some old landmarks, though still in original locations are older and more worn down.  And there is a lot of vacant buildings in town.  Heck, the Avenue at Web Gin House is less than four years old, and some shops have already left.  Can we at least tear down some buildings if they are going to remain vacant for years?

It’s clear, however, that even with the new facilities, the town has aged and grown.  What used to be an exburb is now “the Atlanta suburb”.  Memorial Drive didn’t die, it just moved out to Snellville.  The demographics has changed as families have moved on after raising their kids, and I predict an African-American could become mayor of Snellville in 15 years… remarkable considering it was less than 20 years ago when the town was over 90% white.  Even the neighborhood is showing it’s signs of age.  Water lines approaching the age of 40 have already busted.  The neighborhood has tried to go younger, but at least 5 families have been in the neighborhood longer than the 31 years that my parents have lived in the house.

It was good to see old friends in town, though.  Perhaps I will have a chance to visit Snellville again at some point in the future with Liz and Joshua and talk about how the town has changed even more.

Random thoughts (a la Norman Chad)

From time to time, Norman Chad likes to make random statements in the newspaper.  I think I’m going to designate this week to make some random observations right now.  So, here are 23 random thoughts:

1.  The Weather Channel really roots for major hurricanes to develop.  Over the last several years, they got excited when a Tropical Storm formed.  Now, they get excited every time a Tropical Depression develops even if it doesn’t hit the US.  Thankfully, Earl has arrived to roll Cantore out.

2.  David Letterman is still the creepiest guy in the public eye.  I give him five years before he is charged with having inappropriate contact with a minor.

3.  In 2006, the country wanted change, and the Democrats cheered.  In 2008, the country wanted change, and the Democrats cheered.  In 2010, the country wants change, and the Democrats are screaming, Hey, wait a minute!

4.  Maybe the real reason for the possible upcoming NFL lockout in 2011 is so they can guarantee Brett Favre will retire after this season.

5. When the VP choices in 2008 were Sarah Palin and Joe Biden, Dan Quayle had to be jumping for joy.  He realized he would not go down as the most incompetent VP in history.

6.  One reason that the Ravens are a class organization:  after a pre-season game when a second-string LB showboated on a INT return for a TD, John Harbaugh found the guy and chewed him out.  They are everything in class that the Bengals are not.

7.  I keep hearing about this Big Game coming to National TV hosted by PokerStars.net.  Question is:  What channel and when?

8.  OK, we all want green energy, but we’re not willing to use the green energy that will provide the most energy?  Even former Greenpeace founders think nuclear is an option to be considered.

9.  While we’re on the subject of green energy, how about a smartphone that runs on solar power?  Heck, if we can get Calculators to run on Solar, surely we can do the same with an iPhone!

10.  Alternate sports jerseys have reached an epidemic.  The Arizona Cardinals have an alternate Black jersey?  Officially, the worst alternate home jersey is the Lime Green Seattle Seahawks jersey.

11.  I though Gulf Gas Stations disappeared when BP took over all the Georgia stations 20 years ago.  Now Gulf is taking over all the former Chevron and Texaco stations in Maryland.  Huh?

12.  Something tells me the Palins and Murkowskis will not be having dinner together or exchanging Christmas cards anytime soon. 

13.  Sports Illustrated did an article back in 1989 on how power pitchers pitching too many innings early in their career would shorten their careers.  One of the power pitchers mentioned in the article was Roger Clemens, and by the way, he was the only guy to have a career for over 20 seasons.  Anybody want to take a stab at how he REALLY did it?

14.  I want to see a BCS school get denied by Boise State and TCU from playing in the National Title Game.  The BCS conferences would institute a playoff immediately next season.

15.  I think Oklahoma should be banned from College Football National Title Game Consideration until (a) they win all their regular season game, including the Big 12 Title Game, and (b) have no more than 1 other CFB team that is undefeated.  Three times this past decade, they got into a title game they didn’t deserve and didn’t bother to show up.

16.  Why we are on the subject of College Football Teams that should be forced to earn their way to a National Title Game… Exhibit B:  Ohio State.  Sorry, Kirk.  Hope you enjoy this season Buckeye fans, because thanks to incoming Nebraska, it will be your last chance at the National Title for a while.

17.  Best reason to ban the 3D Movie/TV Experience:  Jackass 3D is coming.

18.  I’ll say it once and I’ll say it again:  Today’s young Disney stars become tomorrow’s Tabloid Stars.  Thank you for playing, Miley Cyrus.  Up next:  Demi Lovato.

19.  Is the future of Radio on iTunes?  Since I got iTunes on my Computer, I’ve noticed I can access thousands of stations.

20.  Giving your own money and resources to others or charity is showing compassion.  Taking other people’s money and resources and giving to others is not.

21.  When it comes to people celebrating any political bills being passed without anyone reading the full bill, I am always reminded of a quote from Centauri Ambassador Londo Mollari of Babylon 5:  “You do not understand.  But you will.”

22.  I’ve decided to lower the size limit of campaign signs when I become campaign sign czar.  We will now fine any campaign $1 for every square inch over 400 square inches that any sign exceeds.  Double the fine in heavily traffic’d areas (we shouldn’t be forced to look at those giant signs while stuck in traffic) and double the fine for incumbents (if you have to produce a giant sign to tell us to vote for you, you have made no impact).

23.  I’d like to know how a Maryland driver was able to get “ASS” on their license plate.  Granted, the full license plate was “NENNASS”, but still…

A partial apology to Barry Bonds

I can’t believe I about to utter the following words, especially to someone who is arguably one of the coldest people in baseball.  But after what I have seen in the Roger Clemens saga and with A-Rod and his admitted steroid use, I feel I owe baseball’s Home Run King an apology.  That’s right, I owe Barry Bonds an apology (sort of).  I’m sorry, Barry, that I thought you were the biggest jackass in baseball.  You are clearly not.  I’m sorry that baseball didn’t clean its act up until after you started allegedly taking the juice.  I’m sorry that we ever had to find out about the clear and the cream.  Finally, I’m sorry that you may never get into the Hall, though I think of the alleged “users”, you might have the most compelling case for the Hall.

I didn’t think Barry was doing the right thing by keeping silent about steroid allegations.  I thought, particularly in the latter years of his career, he was mean in how he handled the media.  And yet, by keeping silent, even with a government indictment hanging over his head, Barry may yet emerge as a sympathetic character. 

Amazing what the circus around Roger Clemens has done to improve Barry’s standing around people.  Barry never went before Congress to testify in a defiant manner.  As far as we know, he never publicly filed a defamation suit.  He’s never denied taking steroids in such a vocal manner that he is ruining his lawyers’ reputation (like one Rusty Hardin).  And, most importantly, he made sure his trainer, one Greg Anderson, kept quiet.  I just want to know what deal Barry made with Greg, because Greg has refused to roll over under ALL types of pressure.

When Barry Bonds allegedly began taking steroids after the 1998 season, it was clear that Barry was on his way to the Hall of Fame provided that his knees held out.  The numbers were projecting out to over 500 home runs, over 600 stolen bases, a career .285 batting average, over 3000 hits, and 2 or 3 more gold gloves to add to 8 he already had.  In short, Barry would have arguably been one of the greatest overall players of all time.  The steroids helped the home run total (obviously) and the batting average, but Barry never won another gold glove, his stolen base total went to almost nil, and it cost him a shot at 3000 hits.

Barry’s weakness was jealousy.  While he was on his way to a .303 average with 37 HRs and 122 RBIs in 1998 and his 8th and final Gold Glove, the world ignored him in favor of the photogenic McGwire and Sosa.  Sportsmen of the Year.  Proclamations from Ted Kennedy on the Senate Floor(even if the names were misspoken).  It was like Barry was forgotten, even with 3 MVPs.  Barry probably thought, hey I could hit 70 HRs if I was built like a Greek God, too.  Yes, it appears that Junior avoided the temptation, and, as far as we can tell, the Iron Man, Cal Ripken, had no desire.  But Barry wanted more.  He wanted to be remembered like his Godfather, Willie Mays.  He wanted something great.  It appears the temptation was too great.

For that, I’m sorry that we didn’t stop Sosa and McGwire in time.  Maybe we were too consumed with cheating politicians to worry about cheating ball players.  Only when a stand offish superstar, like you, started doing what McGwire and Sosa had done did we start to care.  It was not your race, Barry, it was your attitude that may have forced baseball to start taking the accusations from that snitch Jose Canseco seriously.  Because of you, we may have found the biggest jerk of all time in Roger Clemens.  Clemens may ultimately be innocent, but the way Roger has handled this makes it clear:  Roger Clemens will only be a spectator in Cooperstown and not a member of it.  Pete Rose has a better chance of making the Hall of Fame.

That’s about the best apology you will likely get from anyone, Barry, about your involvement with steroids.  All I ask is please don’t make me regret offering the apology by trying to out-jerk Roger.

The Swami’s NFL Pre-season Predictions (sure to go wrong)

One of my greatest nicknames is The Swami (not to be confused with that blowhard, Chris Berman).  I got this nickname about 10 years ago, because of my prognostication abilities.  It has been successful in fantasy football as well as weekly NFL predictions.  If you don’t believe me, check out my Fantasy Sports profile on Yahoo! Sports.  But even my prognostic ability has not saved me from some of the worst Post-season football predictions in history.  I have never gotten a post-season prediction right.  So with that in mind, I’ve come up with 10 predictions for this season just for chuckles and grins:

10) With a possible season-long lockout looming, this may be Peyton Manning’s last shot at a Super Bowl.  Crazy thought, huh?  Peyton Manning’s last hurrah being this season?  Think about it, though.  If the NFL’s 2011-12 season is lost, Peyton Manning would be 36 heading into the 2012-13 season.  But a lost season would probably cost Peyton a step and give the elder brother Manning a life-changing choice:  continue on with the slower step risking concussion injuries, or retire intact and do something new.  I don’t think Peyton is consumed with a Favre-like ability to keep playing.  I see him in a broadcast booth, providing analysis for years to come once he retires.  Or maybe acting.  Whatever Peyton’s post-NFL career plans are, I believe a lockout could hasten those plans.

9) The Jets will win the AFC East and lead the league in unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.  If I wasn’t living in Baltimore, I would root for the Jets.  Rex Ryan should have been a head coach years ago.  In his first season, he justified why he should have been a head coach.  Now, he has all the pieces of the puzzle in place to make a serious run at the Jets 2nd Super Bowl.  Though I predict they will ultimately knock out the Colts in the division round, they will not win the AFC title, thanks to Mark Sanchez’s sophomore slump.  Meanwhile, the attitude of their coach will rub off on the Jets, and they will cause so many unsportsmanlike penalties, the U’s alumni will accuse the Jets of getting too rowdy.

8) The Redskins will make the playoffs and the Eagles will not.  Before you all think I’ve lost my mind, consider that the Redskins finally did the right thing and got rid of the dead weight that was Vinnie Cerrato.  They brought in Football personnel in Mike Shannahan and Bruce Allen.  They brought in Donovan McNabb as their QB.  As for the Eagles, they will regret trading McNabb.  Vick and Cobb are not the answers at QB.  Ultimately, the Eagles go 7-9 and Andy Reid gets canned.

7) 9-7 will win both the NFC and AFC West… and the Division winners could be unexpected.  It’s clear that the Arizona Cardinals will suffer with the retirement of Kurt Warner, while San Francisco and Seattle are much improved.  My guess is the 49ers will be the NFC West champions.  In the AFC, Norv Turner will finally remember he’s Norv Turner and the Chargers will regress.  Can the Broncos or Chiefs capitalize?  Maybe not, but I don’t expect San Diego to win more than 9 games this season anyways.

6) Jay Cutler will end the season on the bench.  I remember when all the Bears fans were printing Super Bowl tickets when Cutler came to Chicago.  They forgot that Cutler has never won anything in his career.  That lack of vision will cost Lubby Smith his job.  However, it will also cost Jay his job.  Look for Chicago fans (who notoriously call for the backup QB early and often) to revolt on Cutler around mid-season.

5) 5 of the 8 division champions from last season will not repeat.  The division champs for this year will be… AFC:  Chargers (repeat), Colts (repeat), Ravens, and Jets.  NFC:  49ers, Falcons, Packers, Cowboys (repeat).  Other playoff teams… AFC:  Texans and Dolphins.  NFC:  Redskins and Saints.

4) Brett Favre will not make it through the season.  Even God has to be pissed off at Brett’s act.  My guess is that Brett blows out his Achilles about midway through the season, ending his season and career.  Without Brett, the Vikings will miss the playoffs and Brad Childress will be fired.

3) The Houston Texans will make the playoffs. Finally, the Texans will live up to their expectations and make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.  They may even win a playoff game, but they will ultimately fall in the division round.

2) The New England Patriots will not finish above .500.  Speaking of fate catching up with a team, the Patriots will finally pay the price for years of undercutting veterans.  Also, Tom Brady is not happy and the risk of holding out will crush any hopes of avenging last year’s playoff debacle.  They go 8-8 and finish 3rd behind the Jets and Dolphins in the AFC East.

1) A regular season match-up will be a Super Bowl LXV preview… and it will take place on Veteran’s Day.  That’s right, I’m not going with the easy pick of a Colts-Cowboys Super Bowl re-match from the regular season.  My dream Super Bowl will become reality when the Baltimore Ravens win the AFC and the Atlanta Falcons win the NFC, setting up The Swami Bowl (regular season match-up will be Veteran’s Day in Atlanta on NFL Network).  Both teams are dark horse candidates to go all the way to Dallas.  The Falcons have all the pieces assembled to win now, while a potentially explosive offense in Baltimore may be Ray Lewis’s last shot at glory.  Who will win?  I’m not saying…

Lessons from Joshua’s first real road trip

So we learned a lot from Joshua’s first vacation trip.  I can’t count Pennsylvania Amish Country as Joshua was still an infant and did not recognize many people, plus it was only one night.  Still, this trip was useful in many ways.

First, we learned Joshua is now at an age where he has trouble napping in the car.  This became a problem, especially on the return trip and especially as we were trying to cross the Bay Bridge.  Joshua was very upset, which made driving for me and calming down tasks for Liz very difficult.  At home it’s easy:  put Joshua in the crib and he will fall asleep.  It also didn’t help that Joshua could not watch his TV shows.  A portable DVD player will help on the next long trip…

Second, we learned Joshua can sleep in his pack and play and in a hotel.  It may not be the best sleeping conditions, but he could sleep through the night.  It also probably helped that he knew Mommy and Daddy were nearby.  This was a great fear of ours considering Joshua has never really slept in the pack and play before.

Third, Joshua hates very hot weather.  The fact that Maryland was having a triple-digit heat wave made us all miserable from 10 am to 6 pm each day.  But Joshua really hated it.  Most times we got him out of the car before we turned off the car and A/C.

Finally, Joshua is now at an age where he wants to move.  Extended times in his car seat and staying in a cramped hotel room made Joshua fussy.  Even when we went out, there was little for Joshua to move around.  By the time our next road trip commences, there is a good chance that Joshua will be walking, so restricted movement will be a problem.

It’s a good thing our next road trip will be in September, when the weather will be a little cooler.  The bad news:  the next trip, which will be in September to Atlanta, takes 12 hours.  Honey, we made need a lot of DVDs on this trip…

Man vs. (Spicy) Food

One of my current favorite shows on television is the Travel Channel’s Man vs. Food.  The host, Adam Richman, visits many cities, checking out some the city’s best restaurants, and taking on some of the most legendary eating challenges.  Many of those challenges involved eating ridiculous amounts of food in a small amount of time (like eating a 4.5 pound steak, a 4 lb. grilled cheese sandwich, a 6-pound shake with a 1.5 pound sandwich, or a 12-egg omelet).  But, some of the most fascinating challenges involve eating spicy food, particularly hot wings from hell and spicy sushi.  Those spicy challenges intrigue me, particularly as I have gotten older and grown more accustomed to spicy foods.

Adam’s battle with the Ghost Chili and Habanero peppers have been the most insane to deal with.  The fact that someone can put their stomach through so much Scoville units of heat has been painful to watch.  And yet, I am working my way towards increasingly higher spicy levels, which is most ironic.

When I was younger, I hated hot and spicy foods.  I ate hot dogs covered with applesauce, and I couldn’t eat the Spicy Fried Chicken found at BoJangles or Mrs. Winner’s.  As I have gotten older, my tastes for spicy meats has become more dominant.  When I go to Chick-Fil-A, for example, I must have a Spicy Chicken Biscuit or their Spicy Chicken Sandwich.  At KFC, I loved consuming their Sauceless Hot Wings, until I discovered their Fiery Grilled Wings were even hotter and better.  My current favorite restaurant is Nando’s, a worldwide restaurant I discovered when in Canberra, Australia.  They specialize in Peri-Peri, a Spicy chili on the Scoville Scale between serrano and habanero peppers.  I’m working my way up to the extremely hot peri-peri chicken  at Nando’s (I’m now on moderate and feel like I could take hot next).

As I go up the spicy level, I come to appreciate how good spicy food really is.  Now, instead of running away from spicy meats, I’m looking for it (still cautiously, though).  Maybe one day I’ll feel confident and brave enough to go after some of the spicy wing challenges that Adam has encountered. Or maybe not.

Art Modell, vindicated

As someone wise pointed out “You learn a lot about people in times of adversity.”  What we have learned in the wake of the LeBron James circus is this:  Cleveland cannot lose gracefully.  It has been 46 years since any Cleveland franchise has won a title.  The way Cleveland fans acted Thursday night proves they deserve a few more years in purgatory.

And somewhere in Maryland, one Art Modell can sympathize with LeBron James.

You remember Art Modell… The most hated man in Cleveland for moving the Browns to Baltimore.  Cleveland fans wanted to kill Art, Art was a traitor, blah, blah, blah.  First off, Cleveland fans, get a grip.  You want to talk about traitorous owners.  Robert Irsay made Art Modell look like a saint in comparison.  The only reason history makes Modell look worse is because ESPN was still an infant when Robert lied to the people of Baltimore, then snuck out the Colts in the middle of the night during an ice storm.  What did Baltimore get from the NFL after the Colts left town?  Pretty much the cold shoulder.  They even thought Jacksonville was a better NFL town than Baltimore.  Shows you what the NFL knows… 

When the first Browns left, the NFL was ready to bend over backwards to ensure Cleveland was not teamless for long.  They made sure the Browns kept their records, colors, and nickname.  Cleveland even built a new stadium for the Browns… something Art Modell had wanted just to keep the original Browns in Cleveland.  But no, Cleveland wanted to build a new stadium for the Indians and Cavaliers instead of their most successful sports franchise.  The Browns could stay in that hell hole that was Cleveland municipal stadium and like it.  No wonder Art always wanted to keep Baltimore as an option.  He knew he couldn’t trust Cleveland to help him out of a bad stadium.

Which brings me to LeBron.  LeBron had taken the Cavs about as far as he could.  He provided Cleveland with memorable moments, and made Cleveland a destination spot.  He wanted to win for Cleveland.  And how did Cleveland treat him?  They expected him to be Bernie Kosar, Bob Feller, and Jim Brown all rolled into one… at all times.  If he struggled, he was hot dogging.  If he didn’t hit a game-winner, he was the reason they lost.  They wanted him to win the title for Cleveland and go undefeated in the process.  When he moved on, his former owner and fans trashed him in such a way that no free agent will touch the Cavs for years to come. 

This is the ugly side of Cleveland.  It has shown itself again.  Maybe this time people will understand that it is the people that make owners and players want to leave it.  Art Modell, you have been officially vindicated.

Why some areas never embraces pro/college teams…

It’s always been interesting in my time and travels across this country to see how people show their passions for certain sports, whether it be professional or amateur in nature.  As a die-hard sports fan who grew up in Atlanta, I’ve heard every other city bad mouth Atlanta’s sports fans saying how they don’t care about sports.  They cite the poor attendance for Braves’ game when the Braves were actually good (a failure to sell out home playoff games), the blackouts for Falcons games, the miserable attendance for Hawks basketball, and that the Thrashers should be moved to Canada where people care.  Based on that, Atlanta is a bad sports town?

Look, Atlanta may be a lot of things, but just because the capital of the South doesn’t support professional teams at a level their Northern counterparts do, it doesn’t mean Atlanta hates sports.  Go to a Prep football game on Friday nights in the Fall, or go try and find a seat on Saturday across any major College Football stadium in the South.  The passion is there.  In fact, as you look across the country different sports take different importance. 

In the Northeast, collegiate sports, once powerful, have now all but vanished.  Aside from Boston College and maybe Penn State, there is no reason for fans to support college team and prep teams are ignored.  In those areas, professional teams dominate.  In the South, college and prep teams have dominated while the professional teams struggle to draw crowds.  The Midwest, except for Chicago, is very much like their southern counterparts.

So, what areas support what sports?  Here’s my view on key areas, mainly those I have been to…

New York:  Professional, and although split, Yankees have the edge

Baltimore:  Professional, Ravens

Buffalo:  Profession, Bills

Philadelphia:  Professional, either Eagles or Phillies

Pittsburgh:  Professional, Steelers

Washington:  Professional, Redskins

North Carolina:  Collegiate, ACC Basketball

Atlanta:  Collegiate and Prep, SEC Football

Cincinnati and Cleveland:  Collegiate, Ohio State Buckeyes

Indiana:  Collegiate and Prep, Basketball

Chicago:  Professional, Bears

Denver:  Professional, Broncos

Atlanta’s dark hours re-visited

So I finally had a chance to see the CNN Special about the Atlanta Missing and Murdered Children Cases which to this day is still the darkest chapter in Atlanta’s 20th century.  And once again, Wayne Williams, the man who was convicted of two of the murders, was trotted out and proclaimed his innocence, tried to convince everyone a new trial should be started, and was once again the smooth talking man who you possibly couldn’t think was the guilty mass murderer, blah, blah, blah… We have seen this act for nearly 30 years.  Oh, I hear the scuttlebutt that the Klan was actually behind the murders, witnesses lied or were coerced, the defense was not prepared, etc.

No matter what people think about whether or not Mr. Williams was the guilty party, one undeniable fact remains:  since Wayne was arrested, no male African-American child/young adult ever disappeared to be found strangled in the manner these 30 young men were during the crisis.  It’s something that not even Wayne’s staunchest supporters can deny. 

Does it mean the Police got the right man with Wayne?  Probably.  Did the three failed lie detector tests Mr. Williams take hurt his case?  Certainly.  Did Wayne’s cross-examination hurt the defense?  Yes.  Even with that, are there still doubts?  Of course.  Only a select group of people knew what really happened:  the victims and the killer or killers.  Unfortunately, the victims can’t speak.

Growing up in the Atlanta area during this time was nerve-racking.  Sure, I was a Caucasian child living in the suburbs, and since the victims were African-American in the city, you would think there would be nothing to worry about.  Wrong.  Just because other kids were dying, you had to wonder:  What if the killer started targeting white boys?  What if girls were targeted next?  What if other adults began to disappear?  What if the killer moved out to the suburbs?  You never knew.  Just like in a bizarre echo over 2 decades later you didn’t know if the D.C. Sniper was hanging out in your area waiting to take you out, the same paranoia filled Atlanta.  Heck, they found Patrick Baltazar’s body in the parking lot of the Office Complex that my dad was working at the time.  What if the killer began targeting the Buford Hwy./North Druid Hills area?

Still, some 30 years after those season of fear, the echoes haunt those of us who had to live with the reality of a child killer on the loose in our town.  Now that I’m a father, how will those echoes affect my desire to protect my son?

The realignment of the big college conferences

So the cannibalization of the Big 12 has begun with Nebraska and Colorado realigning to the Big 10 (or should we now call them the Big 12) and Pac-10 respectively.  The question is how will this all end and what will the Big conferences look like after the carnage.

Here’s one scenario on how this will all play out:  Let’s assume Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech all join the Pac-10 as well.  The 16th team to the Pac-10 would either be Utah or Texas A&M with Utah being the backup plan if A&M goes to the SEC.  Let’s also assume Missouri joins Nebraska in the Big Ten.  That leaves Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, and Baylor for either the Mountain West or Conference USA to scoop up.

Let’s also assume that in addition to Nebraska and Missouri, the Big Ten also adds Notre Dame.  Then the question is whether the Big Ten would be happy with 14 or would like to expand to 16.  If they want 16, the guess is that they will further raid the Big East adding Syracuse and either Pittsburgh, Rutgers, or West Virginia.  That would then set in motion the beginning of the end of the Big East.

The ACC would not be free of pillaging either as the SEC will not stand idly by.  If the other conference go to 16 teams, the SEC will follow suit.  So who becomes the SEC’s next four?  Assuming A&M does NOT join the SEC, the selection is easy.  First, Florida State and Georgia Tech make the most geographical sense.  Also, Clemson makes some sense as well.  The final team comes down to either Miami or Louisville.  My guess is Louisville will be that final team, because the ACC will make sure Miami stays. 

The ACC will then pick apart the rest of the Big East adding South Florida, the two losers in the Big Ten Beauty contest of Pitt, West Virginia, and Rutgers, Connecticut, and Cincinnati to reach 14.  Throw in Georgetown and Villanova in Basketball and you now have 16 for Basketball.  The remaining Big East schools (which only play conference Basketball) would realign to the Atlantic 10, Horizon (Marquette), or Conference USA.

Whether this new group of super-conferences (ACC, SEC, Big 16, and Pac 16, plus a super-size Mountain West) will help or hurt NCAA Sports remain to be seen.  Still, what is going to happen in the next few years will prove interesting.

Is Thomas Wolfe Right?

Thomas Wolfe (the writer from the early part of the 20th century) summed it up nicely in the words of his character George Webber: "You can't go back home to your family, back home to your childhood ... back home to a young man's dreams of glory and of fame ... back home to places in the country, back home to the old forms and systems of things which once seemed everlasting but which are changing all the time — back home to the escapes of Time and Memory."

It's been over four years since I last went home to Georgia. In those four plus years, a lot has changed in my life and in the life of Snellville (from what I can gather). From my perspective, I've gotten married, traveled across much of this great country and around the world, experienced locations I've never been to, and become a father. From Snellville's perspective, new shopping locations, a new city hall, a more decentralized downtown, and a changing, more diverse population has given the town a new look and feel.

How will I feel when I return to Snellville this September? The Snellville I knew and loved as a kid is forever gone, replaced by this new larger version of an Atlanta suburb. Joshua and Liz will never see what I saw in the town that made this city great. No Snellville Day parades going down Main Street. No rural farmland just outside of town. No small town feel. A high school that has completely changed. I can only convey how this town looked in the 1980s as I grew up without showing it. And what will the people who remember me as a kid think of me upon my return now that I am a father and husband? They'll see certain flashes of the old me, but it will be a person shaped by years of Chicago and Baltimore experiences and not Snellville ones.

One thing is for sure: this will be the most interesting trip I have ever had going back to the town I grew up in.

The 4G Wireless Battle that Wasn't: WiMAX vs. LTE

Over the last 4 decades, technology has been largely a battle of competing ideas. VHS vs. BetaMax, 8-track vs. cassette, Apple vs. Microsoft, DVD vs. Laserdisc, HD-DVD vs. Blu-Ray, and iPod vs. everyone else. The best technology hasn't always won, and once the technology war is over, those who supported the losing side are left far behind the curve.

In the world of cellular phones, the fight for cellular dominance has been just as fierce: GSM vs. CDMA, HSPA vs. Ev-Do, iPhone vs. Droid. It looked like a fight was brewing for the next generation of Wireless Communications (commonly called 4G, even though it's not truly 4G) between WiMAX (based largely from data/internet comms) and LTE (based largely from voice and SMS comms). Supporting WiMAX has been largely start-up companies looking to expand laptop capabilities far beyond WiFi hotspots (companies like Clear, Yota, Alvarion, Airspan, Redline, but also Intel, Samsung, and Google). Supporting LTE has been the giant cellular telecoms (AT&T, Verizon, Vodaphone, Telecom Italia, NTT DoCoMo), which dictated that LTE handsets be backwards compatible with existing communication standards. A classic battle of Lilliputians vs. giants was developing, with the winner dominating the new all-IP cellular network being built for the 21st century.

It looks like the war has ended before LTE even made an appearance in the U.S.

For months, WiMAX, which has enjoyed a 2 year headstart over LTE, has been hit with serious setbacks. The global economic crisis has devastated WiMAX companies. Alvarion has recently had to lay off workers. Other WiMAX providers have ceased to exist. The WiMAX telcos are starting to concede that LTE maybe the future. Clear has openly stated that LTE is the future. In the last week, Yota, the largest provider of WiMAX outside the U.S. announced they were no longer deploying additional WiMAX services, instead announcing LTE deployments starting next year. Even Intel, the principal WiMAX player, has admitted WiMAX's future is in doubt.

So why has WiMAX apparently lost? In short, the little providers oversold the hype and under produced in markets. By now, WiMAX was supposed to be nationwide in the U.S., covering every major city. So far, WiMAX has reached only a handful of cities, and Clear has even pulled out of Baltimore, the first city to deploy WiMAX. WiMAX was advertised to download at 70 Mbps a ranges up to 40 miles. Actually, you'll be lucky to get 4-8 Mbps at 2 mile ranges.

Another reason WiMAX lost: the iPhone. The iPhone was a game-changing technology that helped people realize the dream of a mobile internet device in the palm of your hand. Why should people be forced to carry around bulky laptops, when you can get data and internet services on a small machine you can put in a pocket. Now, when you talk about 4G devices, it's always iPhone with ______.

WiMAX's disappointing returns have forced its providers with a tough choice: stay with the standard or jump to LTE, where support is strong, even if the technology is not quite as good from an IP perspective as WiMAX. The bigger names in WiMAX have largely opted to go with the latter, realizing that if they want to stay in the game, it's better to join the big telcos. The smaller ones might still survive, but the LTE telcos could always buy them out if they got too big.

With Intel the likely big loser in all of this, who is the big winner? China. Yeah, that's right, China. For years, China has been trying to get the world to adopt a standard the Chinese could be heavily involved in. They failed with trying to change WiFi, and TD-SCDMA came around too late in the game. In LTE, China has backed a time division variant called TD-LTE, which use less spectrum than the European variant. Although the speeds will be less than European variants, the spectral efficiency makes the TD-LTE variant more attractive, particularly to current WiMAX operators looking to switch to LTE. Currently, China is demonstrating the LTE variant at the World's Expo in Shanghai, and China Mobile will launch its own LTE network soon (if it hasn't already). It will mark just the third nation to launch LTE (after Sweden and Norway). Chinese providers ZTE and Huawei have been involved with WiMAX infrastructure, and both are playing critical roles in LTE development. In fact, it is the estimation of this author that as LTE starts coming more on line, Huawei will be not just the #1 Provider of LTE equipment even out performing Sony Ericcson, Motorola, Nokia Siemens, and Alcatel-Lucent, but they will ultimately supplant Microsoft, Apple, and Google as the world's most recognized dominant technology company. It's not so bold of a prediction, considering Huawei is currently #2 to Sony Ericcson in LTE manufacturing.

Another winner is Qualcomm. Qualcomm initially was looking to build their own technology called UMB (ultra mobile broadband), but the lack of interest forced Qualcomm to abandon its efforts. Qualcomm then joined forces with LTE, which was an interesting pairing. The builders of LTE did not like Qualcomm's involvement in 3G technology, so they were initially trying to avoid Qualcomm with 4G technology. However, Qualcomm had a bigger rivalry with Intel, so it actually made sense for Qualcomm and LTE to join forces. In the end, Qualcomm's chipset has become the largest chip provider of LTE gear (even more than Samsung) and Qualcomm's cooperation with Huawei has paid huge benefits for the San Diego company.

Both WiMAX and LTE had been working on a true 4G communications standard. WiMAX 2.0 was supposed to be WiMAX's 4G standard and LTE's 4G standard is known as LTE-Advanced. Both standards were based largely on LTE similarities. Yota had completed a pre WiMAX 2.0 trial in Russia with Samsung at the end of last year. However, with Yota's move to LTE, the future of WiMAX 2.0 is in grave doubt. LTE-Advanced trials are scheduled to begin soon.

In the end, although WiMAX had a head start, the major telco backing give LTE a huge advantage and ultimately the winning edge. In the U.S., LTE is being trialed by Cox Cable, but it will be first rolled out by MetroPCS, then Verizon, and AT&T. T-Mobile will stay with 3G standard HSPA+ for now, but will ultimately go to LTE in 2013. And Sprint? Since Clear's infrastructure is what Sprint uses for 4G, when Clear decides to go to TD-LTE (probably by 2012), Sprint will join LTE then.

I was looking forward to seeing which technology would emerge victorious. Sadly, due to events in recent weeks, it appears I will not get that chance.

The Flooding in Nashville

Today's Brief Rogue Corner will focus on one of the biggest stories that has not been covered in recent weeks. Several weeks ago around the time of the Kentucky Derby, central Tennessee was inundated with up to 15 inches of rain in a short period of time. The creeks, streams, and the Cumberland River flooded to record levels. Many of Nashville's famous landmarks flooded, including the Grand Old Opry, and LP Field. The Opryland Hotel and Opry Mills were for all practical purposes destroyed. As of the last report, up to 30 people were killed, and there were reports of others missing. Total damage was estimated at over $1.5 billion. Many people do not have flood insurance because no one thought a flood like this could happen. This is now the third southern U.S. metropolis to experience major flooding in 5 years, joining Atlanta in September, and New Orleans back in 2005.

Yet, unlike the Atlanta and New Orleans floods, you haven't heard much about the story. Obviously, the whole world focused on New Orleans with Katrina. And Atlanta is the home to CNN and The Weather Channel, so the story has personal implications for the reporters. But Nashville... When National folks think of Nashville, they think Country music, which means rednecks. And why in this day and age would anyone care about a city dominated by perceived hillbillies?

Some have speculated that Nashville didn't get enough coverage because there was no political angle to it. At the time, the Arizona Immigration Bill and Gulf Oil Spill dominated the headlines. Some reporters said that because the flooding had no political thread (unlike the other two stories), no media person was interested in it. OK, this city is reportedly the home of Al Gore, who screams about global warming, a natural disaster strikes that could be blamed on climate change, and no one wants to even visit his house and cover it?

Fortunately, the people of Tennessee have responded to the challenge. They are not waiting for the Fed to bail out the state. They are actually trying to pick up the pieces by the themselves and recover. They held a telethon recently to help raise over $1.5 million. The country stars also pitched in to help. And amazingly, not one of them blamed the government for not caring. In the end, I believe the people of middle Tennessee will make a complete recovery. I hope I get a chance to go back down to Nashville one day and help support the folks by spending money.

Wine in the Woods Recap

The third weekend in May should be renamed Maryland weekend. The events that occur in Maryland during this weekend are always well attended. Usually the Nationals and/or Orioles are in town for a weekend series. The first round of the NCAA Lacrosse always features multiple teams from the D.C. and Baltimore area. Of course, the big horse race at Pimlico will draw a number of people. But increasingly, it appears that the Preakness is losing people to an event that keeps drawing more and more people to Columbia, MD. The Wine in the Woods Weekend festival is becoming so popular, that as my wife and I left yesterday in mid-afternoon, there were still hundreds of people trying to work their way into the festival, even though the event closes Saturday and Sunday at 6 pm.

The festival is now in its 18th year and it keeps getting more bigger and better. This year, over 30 Maryland wineries set up tents in the Symphony Woods area in-between Columbia Mall and Merriweather Post Pavilion. Crowds thronged to each of the tents to taste this years version of the Maryland harvest. In addition, local restaurants and shops set up tents allowing souvenior purchases. Entertainment also was present as guys dressed up as statues, musical acts, and stilt people were sprinkled across the woods. The fee of $30 covered unlimited tastings of regular wines (desert and reserve wines cost $1 for tastings). You could also purchases glasses and full bottles of wine to enjoy in the woods. A much larger section of the Woods area was opened up, and even that area was filled to capacity.

Certain wineries bring forward some special wines for the festival that you can't purchase in stores. Elk Run makes a Maryland Sangria that is very popular with the masses. Other wineries bring forward special reserves just for this weekend. Saint Michael's produces a Chocolate Zin and Serpent Ridge Vineyards had a special Cab reserve. Though Maryland Wines will probably never match the fame of California wines or their neighbor Virginia's wines, Maryland wines are growing in award recognition and popularity.

From a personal standpoint, Wine in the Woods has definite advantages over the debauchery in the Preakness infield. For one thing, you are limited to one type of beer that you can drink at Pimlico (provided that the Preakness doesn't run out), while Wine in the Woods has hundreds of wines you can enjoy. If you can't find at least a couple of wines you like, you aren't trying. A second advantage is the clientele. In the Preakness infield, the area is dominated with 20-somethings (mostly guys), while Wine in the Woods draws all ages of adults and has a clear female advantage. That female advantage has dwindled in recent years. The Alcohol Ban in the infield at Pimlico last year may have unwittingly pushed more young men to consider a look at the Wine Festival.

The future of the Wine in the Woods seems to be bright. And next year, it's possible that the festival will not be dealing with going head-to-head with the Preakness. Can you imagine how big the festival will be then?

Memories of Grandma Walker

Last Sunday, my wife and I celebrated the sixth anniversary of our first date. In the six years we have been together, we have been blessed with marriage and a son named Joshua. Yesterday marked another six year anniversary, though it is somewhat more somber. On this day six years ago, I had my last conversation with my Grandma Walker.

Grandma Walker was the only one of my four grandparents that I had any sort of relationship with. This was because of three reasons. First, both of my grandfathers had either died before I was born or passed away when I was a toddler. I didn't have much of a relationship with Grandma Walton. Second, Grandma Walker and I shared the same birthday. I was the youngest of her five grandchildren. Third, while most of my friends spent their summer vacations in Panama City or Myrtle Beach, my family's vacations always ended up in Cincinnati to visit Grandma Walker. Sometimes we would see members of my dad's family up in Dayton.

Anyways, back to my Mother's Day conversation... It's a conversation I remember because I told her about meeting a special women who attended the same church as I did. She seemed really pleased to hear that I had met a young lady. Shortly after the Mother's Day conversation, my grandmother fractured her hip, and a rapid deterioration of health followed. Within two months, my grandmother passed away.

Sometimes, I wonder if my grandmother was waiting on me to find that special someone. I wanted for my grandmother to meet Liz so much. I wanted my grandmother to know everything turned out all right with that special young lady. I have a feeling she would have liked Liz.

I miss you Grandma Walker. Happy Mother's Day to all the Mom's out there.

The Death of Maryland Horse Racing

Now that the Kentucky Derby has been concluded, the eyes of the horse racing world turn to Baltimore and the Preakness. During the second week of May, the racetrack at Old Hilltop will take it's place in the limelight as the Kentucky Derby champion will try to duplicate the victory at Louisville on the tight turns at Pimlico. Politicians will take their turns at the microphone talking about how special the race and horse racing industry is to Maryland.

And then after the race... the horse industry will disappear for the next 51 weeks in the Old Line State.

It is a story that has repeated itself over the last 10+ years in Maryland. The same politicians who profess their undying loyalty to Maryland's horse industry will go back to berating the horse track owners almost immediately. But what many politicians fail to realize is that horse racing in Maryland is already dead. The horse industry has abandoned the state for greener pastures in West Virginia, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. Those that are left can't leave. And except for the day before and the day of the Preakness, average attendance at daily events in Pimlico are announced in the hundreds (more like single digits), not the high five and low six figure totals for the second jewel of the triple crown.

Pimlico is in pitiful shape as well. No other track in Maryland is equipped to handle Preakness crowds. Track owners haven't had any support from the state to help maintain the track. The grandstands are in such terrible shape (I speak from personal experience after injuring my knee on the grandstand steps back in 2003), the best thing that could happen to them are if they were demolished and rebuilt. The neighborhood that once was home to the elite now is run-down. The best that the owners could do every spring is re-paint, and add some pretty Black-Eyed Susans.

The current owners, MID (parent company of the former owners, Magna Entertainment), have pledged to keep the Preakness in Maryland. But I wonder how long they will keep that promise when the Maryland legislature starts criticizing their operations (which should start around the 2011 General Assembly session). When Magna was rudely greeted by the Maryland legislature in 2004 for their push to legalize slots in the hopes of saving Maryland Horse Racing, Washington Post's legendary horse racing columnist, Andrew Beyer, suggested Magna should threaten to move the Preakness to another Magna track like Santa Anita in California or Lone Star Park in Texas. I know the Dubai folks were looking to have the Kentucky Derby move to Dubai for one year when they had money. For the cost of one Kentucky Derby, they could have bought the Preakness forever.

Horse racing in neighboring Delaware and West Virginia is drawing horse racers to their states and now Pennsylvania is getting in on the act. The reason those states are doing better is simple: slot machines are already there to support horse racing. Maryland only recently passed slot machine legislation in 2008, but the way it was done was so messy and complicated that by the time Maryland's first slots parlor become operational, Delaware will have full gambling to help their horse racing industry (including sports booking). Also, it will only be a fraction of help to the horse racing industry, as slots will be used to fund education, unions, and the usual array of government interest groups as well. Maryland is also playing catch-up at a time when the economic situation is much worse than it was when the final push for slots began. The person most to blame for this is Maryland Speaker of the House, Michael Busch, who opposed slots and who wouldn't even bring a slots bill to the floor because he didn't want to potentially hand a victory to a political rival, former governor Bob Ehrlich. Even when a more favorable governor in Martin O'Malley came in, Busch couldn't bring himself to push the legislature to vote in favor of slots, so he allowed passage of a bill to make the voters do the dirty work and add it to the state constitution.

In addition to the political upheaval for slots, the Preakness Saturday rules make you wonder if they are trying to kill interest in horse racing. For many years, the Preakness has been divided into two areas: those watching the race in the grandstands and the infield. The infield is basically Baltimore's version of Blue Collar Spring Break. Up until recently, beer was allowed from outside in the infield as long as you could carry it in. And believe me, they could carry it in by the garbage can load. It set up a raucous situation where portajohn racing mixed with wild partying complete with young women going French Quarter and showing their goods for liquor and jewelry. Thanks to the infield parties, the Preakness attendance totals would go well over 100,000 for many years.

Then last year, the Preakness barred outside beer. The college kids revolted and the infield, though much tamer, was a shell of its former self. Even though the race tried to add more family-friendly activities, beach volleyball, and concerts which included ZZ-Top, the actual attendance fell by over 31% from 2008 to just under 78,000-its smallest crowd since 1983. Despite race officials spinning that the race was a success because betting had increased by $18 million (likely due to OTB and interest in Rachel Alexander), the loss of about $2 million of just gate revenue clearly hurt. So, this year in an attempt to bring the crowds up, the infield is instituting an all you drink beer promotion, cutting the price of admission, and bringing in acts like the Zac Brown Band. A new promotion, where they are encouraging the 20-somethings to "Get Their Preak On" is also occurring. The hopes of getting the attendance back over 90,000 is the goal. Of course, the all-you-can drink policy may have an ulterior motive: the city of Baltimore may use the mugs used in the promotion as a way to identify intoxicated people to pull over, check, and fine for public drunkeness to help their budget woes.

With MID pledging to keep to Preakness in Maryland, everyone feels good that the Preakness will remain a long time in Baltimore. People used to think that way about blue horseshoes. But if the Maryland legislature uses Maryland Horse Racing as its own personal piggybank and not support what's left of the horse industry, I'd be on the lookout (particularly on cold snowy winter nights) for any Mayflower trucks hanging around Old Hilltop.

ANZAC Day and the Australian War Memorial...

As I am writing this, it is ANZAC Day in Australia and New Zealand. Thousands around Australia have gathered to remember the anniversary of the landing of Australian and New Zealand forces in an area of modern-day Turkey called Gallipoli, near Istanbul. Though disputed by many, the events of this campaign in 1915 is regarded by many as the moment when Australian national identity was born.

I am not here to write about these points. Rather, I write about how the Australians get it right when it comes to making sure their government understands what it means to declare war. If you have ever been to the city of Canberra, you know of what I am talking about. The old and new Australian parliament houses are built in such a way that they have a direct line of sight with the Australian War Memorial about a mile or so away. The meaning is simple: when Australia's parliament votes to goes to war, they should look across the lake and realize that they will likely add to the names of the dead at the Memorial.

Could you imagine the U.S. Capitol being in direct line of sight of Arlington National Cemetery? How would that effect, if any, the Congress personal when it comes time to vote to authorize military action? It is difficult to say what it would do, because we do not have that setup. Nevertheless, it is something to consider.

One day, I would like to go back to Canberra and see the ANZAC Day events in person. My brief time down under at places like the Australian War Memorial has made an impact on me. I am one who believes in using force sparingly and only when necessary. How you define when to use that force is always a tough question to answer.

Introduction

Greetings. This new blog "Rogue Corner" is my thoughts on the events of the day, though it won't necessarily focus on the big topics. Given my passions, it will probably range on a lot of topics from sports (probably my biggest passion) to technology to movies to weather to who knows. At this time, I don't know how my topic discussions are going to work, and not everyone will find my posts interesting or agreeable. Still, I will try to keep the discussions to timely subject material. I hope my blog will at least be informative to a point, probably opinionated, and maybe a little controversial. After all, the title of this blog is "Rogue Corner", so I have to take a somewhat different path from the ordinary opinions.

Let's see where this journey will take us...