IN THIS ISSUE:
-- DISASTER IN JAPAN
-- POLITICAL EARTHQUAKE IN WISCONSIN --
"AMERICA IS NOT BROKE"
-- REVOLT IN LIBYA --
WHOSE SIDE ARE WE ON?
(FEATURING MORE VIDEO WISDOM FROM GRASSHOPPER AND MASTER PO)
-- NPR HEAD OUSTED --
"WHO YOU CALLING A RACIST?"
-- NFL ON LOCKOUT --
"WHO YOU CALLING GREEDY?"
-- A TIGER WOODS COMEBACK? --
"WHO YOU CALLING THROUGH?"
FEATURING A TGG READER
POINT/COUNTERPOINT
DISASTER IN JAPAN
The week ended with a fearsome demonstration of Nature's power.
All we can say is,
"God Bless the People of Japan."
POLITICAL EARTHQUAKE IN WISCONSIN -
"AMERICA IS NOT BROKE"
Meanwhile, back in the United States, the epicenter of the political earthquake remained in Wisconsin, where the Republicans in the State Senate used a parliamentary maneuver to pass their controversial bill stripping state public workers of their collective bargaining rights.
The bill's proponents, led by Governor Scott Walker, insisted that it was necessary because the state was "broke." The same arguments were being made in statehouses across the country.
But filmmaker and social critic Michael Moore, in a fiery speech to the workers in Wisconsin entitled "America Is Not Broke," challenged the very premise behind the new round of assaults on government spending and public workers:
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| He Had Something Important To Say |
"America is not broke.Contrary to what those in power would like you to believe so that you'll give up your pension, cut your wages, and settle for the life your great-grandparents had, America is not broke. Not by a long shot. The country is awash in wealth and cash. It's just that it's not in your hands. It has been transferred, in the greatest heist in history, from the workers and consumers to the banks and the portfolios of the uber-rich.Today just 400 Americans have the same wealth as half of all Americans combined...
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| One of The 400 |
...Let me say that again. 400 obscenely rich people, most of whom benefited in some way from the multi-trillion dollar taxpayer "bailout" of 2008, now have as much loot, stock and property as the assets of 155 million Americans combined. If you can't bring yourself to call that a financial coup d'état, then you are simply not being honest about what you know in your heart to be true..."
The entire text and a video of the spech is here (thanks to reader "Stephen Q."
for good looking out).
for good looking out).
Some people call Michael Moore "radical."
Is he? Or has what passes for political debate in this country been taken to a place where his facts and arguments
become deemed "radical"?
REVOLT IN LIBYA ---
WHOSE SIDE ARE WE ON?
In international affairs, the story of the week was in Libya, where the world stood by as Muamar Khadafy attacked his own people with jets and tanks. As this cartoon from a Mideast journal makes clear, the Obama Administration --- starting with the President himself --- was apparently of two minds as to whether to provide desperately needed military assistance (starting with a "no-fly zone") to the Libyan rebels:
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| On The One Hand, On The Other Hand.... |
One prominent columnist, the New York Times' Nick Kristof, weighed in on the question in a piece rather straightforwardly titled "The Case For A No-Fly Zone." Kristof (no warmonger --- he had been opposed to the war in Iraq), quoted former Air Force Chief of Staff General Merrill McPeak, who made some obvious statements and asked a few obvious questions:
“I can’t imagine an easier military problem,” he said. “If we can’t impose a no-fly zone over a not even third-rate military power like Libya, then we ought to take a hell of a lot of our military budget and spend it on something usable.”
He continued: “Just flying a few jets across the top of the friendlies would probably be enough to ground the Libyan Air Force, which is the objective.”
General McPeak added that there would be no need to maintain 24/7 coverage over Libya. As long as the Libyan Air Force knew that there was some risk of interception, its pilots would be much less motivated to drop bombs and more inclined to defect.
“If we can’t do this, what can we do?” he asked, adding: “I think it would have a real impact. It might change their calculation of who might come out on top. Just the mere announcement of this might have an impact.”
Some (OK, "we") had compared our young President to Kwai Chang Caine, "Grasshopper" of Kung Fu fame. Was the crisis in Libya another instance where Grasshopper needed to summon up some of the wisdom imparted to him by the Shaolin monks? Or, As Master Po might have said, "Is A Man's Universe Only Himself?"
NPR HEAD OUSTED ---
"WHO YOU CALLING A RACIST?"
In other news, NPR Chief Executive Vivian Schiller was forced to resign this week after one of the public radio network's fundraising executives was secretly taped calling
Tea Party supporters "seriously racist" and criticizing what he described as
Tea Party supporters "seriously racist" and criticizing what he described as
"an anti-intellectual move[ment] in a significant part of the Republican Party."
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| "Ummmm........and?" |
NFL ON LOCKOUT --
"WHO YOU CALLING GREEDY?"
Unfortunately, for Americans who were hoping that the sports world might offer some break from the madness, the NFL's billionaire owners and millionaire players, as expected, deadlocked over
how to divide
how to divide
$9 Billion Big Ones in Annual Revenue:
San Francisco Chronicle Sports Editor Al Saracevic, in a provocative piece written on the eve of this year's Super Bowl, wondered if this year's NFL season would not represent the league's all-time high point, and if from here on out, because of both greed and brutality, there was nowhere for America's favorite sport to go but down:
"I believe two major issues will knock the NFL
from the summit.
In the near term, greed threatens to weaken the league. If the expiration of the NFL's collective bargaining agreement in March leads to a work stoppage, loyal fans will become bitter. Baseball and hockey paid dearly for their interruptions, and the NFL will, too. In a hardscrabble economy, bickering over billions will leave millions angry.
But greed and labor unrest are light fare compared to the long-term problem facing football. The game simply takes too great a toll on mind and body.
As players grow bigger, faster and stronger, spinal injuries and concussions have become as much a part of the game as post patterns and handoffs. Scientists are only beginning to understand the impact of repetitive head trauma, but already there is an established link between concussions and dementia, or even death."
A TIGER WOODS COMEBACK? --
"WHO YOU CALLING THROUGH?'
Meanwhile, with the golf season about to get back into full swing, sports fans wondered about Tiger Woods, who has not won in his last 19 tournaments. It seemed fair to ask --- was it all over for Tiger --- would he ever return to greatness?
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| A Thing of The Past? |
In our very first Point/Counterpoint, two Global Game regulars weighed in on the question in our first Point/Counterpoint. "Fresno Joe," a scratch golfer himself, is convinced that the Cablinaisian will get his mojo back:
"STAND DOWN, HATERS --
LIKE GENERAL MACARTHUR,
TIGER SHALL RETURN"
"You can mark this down: Tiger will be back. Ballers everywhere know there are at least two reasons why:
- Tiger has created his own practice facility on Jupiter Island, FL (see link for info and pictures for the Haters) http://web.tigerwoods.com/
design/jupiter_island.html . "It's phenomenal," he wrote. "Working with my team, I designed the short-game facility and oversaw its construction. It features four greens, six bunkers with different depths and kinds of sand, a video center and a putting studio. If no wind is blowing, the longest club I can hit is a 7-iron." "It's also set up so I can hit shots out of my second-story studio,". The practice facility also has multiple grass types, allowing Woods to practice his short game from 150 yards and in on any conceivable PGA Tour surface. - The facility is near his new crib which includes 6,400 sq.ft living space, gym/media room/bar, an elevator, a reflecting pond and a lap pool. (again, see link for info and pictures for the Haters) http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/
blog/devil_ball_golf/post/ Tiger-Woods-moving-into-swank- new-home-practice?urn=golf- 330963
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| "Haters Beware" |
On the human side, he's spending more time with his kids, and has gotten back to his Buddhist roots. which will put him at peace mentally. I haven't seen or heard of him in any post-divorce relationships (I'm sure the Global Game "research" team could investigate this and provide something to the TGG readership), but that lack of serious romance will also help him focus and keep him "hungry".
On the golf swing side, he's got a new golf coach (Sean Foley) that should make him technically better. He's working his azz off and will not continue to embarrass himself with bad shots on the course like he has in his recent events (although we'll see this weekend at the WGC event in Doral - he's paired with Philly Mac on Thursday and Friday - great golf drama). Admittingly, what's hurting him now is "confidence" in his new swing and applying it and becoming comfortable with it in varying
golf course conditions (and under pressure).
Once he gets that back and under control - he'll be back.
golf course conditions (and under pressure).
Once he gets that back and under control - he'll be back.
On the Old School side, my fellow Buckeye Alum and golfing great Jack Nicklaus has commented that Tiger will regain his top form and best his golf major total of 18 wins (that's a combination of Masters, US Open, British Open and PGA Championship wins for the golfing uninformed) - a phenomenal feat. As all golf admirers know, Tiger has 14 majors (note to haters - at 35, Tiger has 2 more majors than Jack at that age)....this places him second on the all-time list....the next golfing great following Tiger is Walter Hagen who has 11 and has been dead since 1969! (note, the next living golfing great on the golf majors all-time win list is Gary Player at 9). For the left-handed TGG readers, Phil Mickleson, at 40 has 4 golf Majors. One thing I know for sure,Tiger will be better at 40 than Phil is now - whose form is fading a bit from last year (without the negative scrutiny and end of world media hype afforded Tiger, I might add).
Like Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods is blessed with God-given talent and is a killer competitor
(and unfortunately, some of the moral, life trappings that come with that "gift") -
(and unfortunately, some of the moral, life trappings that come with that "gift") -
he will not allow himself to fail
and settle for mediocrity - he'd quit first.
and settle for mediocrity - he'd quit first.
So will Tiger be as dominant as he once was, probably not...he's 35 with a different focus in life than he had earlier, but he'll regain his form (and be #1 again, that's right #1) and be back on top and break
Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 golf Majors."
The opposing point of view comes from "J.B. in D.C.," no stranger to the links himself, who says that Tiger is basically like the old lady of '80s ad fame ---
"[he's] fallen and he can't get up."
Is J.B., in the words of "Joe from Fresno," just another "Hater"? Check out his reasoning and decide for yourself....
"LET'S GET REAL --
YOU CAN STICK A FORK IN HIM,
'CAUSE TIGER'S DONE"
YOU CAN STICK A FORK IN HIM,
'CAUSE TIGER'S DONE"
"Tiger's troubles run deeper than practice facilities and concentration. Golf is a mental game and a game of inches. He can't make it up...
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| His Time Is Up |
My basic premise is that in professional golf, the difference between great and really, really, really good players in miniscule. One errant shot per round,
a couple missed putts, etc.
a couple missed putts, etc.
If Tiger has an 'addiciton' problem, the first step in ANY addiction program is to admit you do not have control. Tiger, if anything his entire life, has been about control. Having to admit that, and work on it the rest of his life, will create permanent doubt about his invincibilty and invulnerability (even when he was cheating, he thought he was invincible). Inside the ropes, that will be enough to cause doubt over putts, chip shots, drives under pressure. It doesn't take much. He will still win, be competitive etc. on his incredible talent alone. But he will never get back to the top.
It's too bad for golf."
Not to be a Hater, but TGG tends to agree with "J.B. In D.C." More than most, golf is a supremely mental game. Back In The Day, Tiger had complete mental dominance. He was perceived, and thought of himself as, virtually infallible. Recent events have changed that perception forever. Once lost, an edge like that cannot be recovered. The Tiger we once knew is gone --- and he's not coming back.
Stay tuned next Weekend for Volume 1, Issue 8 of TGG,
and be on the lookout for periodic updates
"as events warrant"
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