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…