What Would Thoreau Say?

Recently I read that GAP had a tough quarter (I think it's more like a tough decade) because sales are down, same store sales are flat, underwear sales are crusty...can't remember which sales report I read.  It said that they had to open about a gazillion new stores during the holidays to keep up and make sure their shareholders are happy and not revolting.  (Revolting shareholders is for another post...) But I thought as I was reading this when did our economy get so dependent on greed?  Was it always that way?  When I was a kid and we went downtown to shop in Ossining, and the shops were open late one night a week and absolutely closed Sunday, did the merchants suffer?  Did they make it because they were greedy or because they were small business people who did this for a living to feed their families and put a roof over their head? When did we have to start promoting Black Friday starting on the 4th of July?  And when did we begin watching companies ...

Yes, I disappeared... In my morning 'stop' a few weeks ago, from the Tao te Ching I read # 56: Those who know don't talk. Those who talk don't know. Close your mouth, block off your senses, blunt our sharpness... Be like the Tao The End.

Yes it was excruciatingly painful to watch the USA lose yesterday.  But in a sense the game and tournament had far larger implications that were more important.  For here was truly a superb athletic event-the entire World Cup not just this match-that had you glued to the set and watching these wonderful athletes perform.  Here was evidence that women playing sport can be as entertaining as men and maybe more so because of their approach to the game. I have been a woman's sports fan for a very long time.  I take my share of crap from the neandrathal men I hang around with sometimes or sit with at a sports bar.  I have to put up with them providing their 1950's commentary on women playing sports and I have to constantly stand alone in arguing that women's sports are much more pure than men's.  I mean really, I argue, do you think Naismith intended for the game to be played with giants stuffing the ball down each other's throats or setting up behind the arc ...

OK, so let me see if I understand here...Roger Clemen's dna is found on the syringes and cotton balls (man, talk about foresight) but some idiot prosecutor submits some evidence-as in the conversation Andy Pettitte had with his wife saying Clemens did it-now that's controversial...and the judge declares a mistrial. My bet is they don't re-try this case and Clemens goes home.  He ain't goin in the Hall of Fame, but I'll bet he goes home (one time Kurt and I were at a Mets game when an opposing pitcher was taken out...some guy yelled "you don't have to go home, but you gotta leave here!"). Then there's that Anthony trial... And OJ... And a million other trials thrown out on a technicality or because a good lawyer convinced a jury that their client didn't do it. There are also stories like the one on the ESPY's the other night about a guy who went to jail for 35 years for something he didn't do.  The film/story--the interminable ...

[Long time no see....sorry, summer you know?  baseball, women's world cup...gotta lot to do] Derek Jeter Let me start by saying though I hate the Yankees I have always loved Derek Jeter.  Something about class and keeping his mouth shut and playing every day. And something about that time about five years ago when he went 0 for a million and never complained, kept playing and eventually came out of it.  It was that period in his career that made me a fan. So I've been watching and waiting to see when he would do it.  It's well documented what he did so no reason to go into that.  I'd rather talk about the kid that caught the ball. Turns out he's a 23 year old cell phone salesman (who lost his cell phone in the scrum, by the way).  He catches the carom off his old man and holds high the 3000th hit. Immediately people began to wonder about Jeter's legacy in the history of the sport; some talked about his class, his poise...all kinds of thing...

The Cubs --suck, just suck.  Maureen and I were in chicago for a conference last week and I had tickets for two games.  We went Tuesday night and watched Marmol collapse in the 9th.  I was out of the building so fast I turned around and poor Maureen was still in her seat.  Then the next day she had to work (one of us has to) and I went to a day game.  As my son Kurt will tell you, 'ain't nothing like a day game at Wrigley in the sun'...except I always forget what team plays in the building.  Suck, suck suck...got beat again.  Upon my return home Maureen and I watched them give up back to back walk offs to Pujols...suck, suck, suck.  I put everything I owned that had the Cubs logo on it in a box and placed it in front of my house with a sign that said FREE...it's all still there.  Gee, wonder why... LeBron --I actually met LeBron James right after he signed with the Cavaliers and was a shill for Coca-Cola at a press conference we had in NYC ...

Somewhere in Arizona, that bastion of 'take my liberties please" someone has suggested a $50 tax on Medicaid patients that are obese or who smoke---meaning, people overweight and people who are pretty stupid considering they do something that everyone knows will kill them should be required to pay this meaningless tax.  The theory is these folks tax the Medicaid system more because they are sick more. Medicaid is the program for poor people right?  I mean, I want to make sure I'm understanding this new idea coming from the state that hates anyone who isn't white and perfect more than anyone else.  Medicaid provides medical services to the poor...gee, what a shock Arizona wants them to pay more. Now one side of me, by the way, agrees.  I actually do believe those that are continuing to do something (smoke) that they don't have to and that costs others more money should be stopped or at least encouraged to quit.  And frankly I think there is something to be sa...