A Dobbs Ferry man who has admitted he extorted a White Plains con man testified yesterday that two NCAA Division I basketball programs made illegal payments to him to steer prize players to the universities.
His testimony was dismissed by officials from two schools.
Maurizio "Mo" Sanginiti, 39, made the statements at the federal trial of five Westchester men accused of extorting con man John Perazzo in 2001. The men — Angelo DiPietro, who until recently lived in Mount Vernon; Angelo Capalbo of White Plains; Michael Pizzuti of Eastchester; Harold Bringman of New Rochelle; and Joseph Genua of Mount Vernon — are charged with extortion, conspiracy and carrying a firearm in committing a crime. Some of the men are also charged with robbery, obstruction of justice, burglary and loan-sharking.
Perazzo, who is not expected to testify at the trial, pleaded guilty in state Supreme Court in White Plains to grand larceny charges stemming from a Ponzi scheme he ran. He was sentenced in 2003 to three to nine years in prison and ordered to pay more than $850,000 in restitution.
Some of the men accused of extorting Perazzo had invested with him.
Sanginiti, who worked in construction, invested with Perazzo and said he took part in the extortion after Perazzo fell behind in payments promised from bogus Iraqi oil investments.
Sanginiti became a cooperating witness shortly after he was arrested in February 2004. He pleaded guilty last year to extortion and other crimes stemming from the case. He admitted yesterday that in addition to those crimes, he also had assaulted his former wife, violated an order of protection, failed to file tax returns for most of the past 20 years, regularly used cocaine for a decade and committed perjury.
He also was the director of a basketball camp owned by former New York Knick Charles Smith and coached a traveling amateur team of Westchester County high school basketball players called the Bulls in the early 1990s.
He said he received payoffs from NCAA Division I schools "to steer one of my players to a big university."
He named the University of Louisville and the University of Cincinnati, as well as the Ohio school's coach, Bob Huggins, among those who allegedly made the illegal payments.
Sanginiti said one unnamed school left $20,000 in a hotel room for him. In all, he said, he
received about $150,000 in payments from schools and sneaker companies.
Saturday, May 14, 2005
Friday, May 13, 2005
Are Tax Increases On The Way?
I'm afraid Bruce Bartlett is right:
I now believe that the best we can hope to do is make incremental improvements to the existing tax system and hopefully prevent it from getting worse. Unfortunately, because the current President Bush and the Republican Congress have allowed spending to get totally out of control, I believe that higher taxes are inevitable. In particular, the enactment of a massive new Medicare drug benefit absolutely guarantees that taxes will be sharply raised in the future even if Social Security is successfully reformed.
Too many conservatives delude themselves that all we have to do is cut foreign aid and pork-barrel spending and the budget will be balanced. But unless Republican lawmakers are willing to seriously confront Medicare, they cannot do more than nibble around the edges. With Republicans having recently added massively to that problem, and with a Republican president who won’t veto anything, I have concluded that meaningful spending control is a hopeless cause.
Therefore, we must face the reality that taxes are going to rise a lot in coming years.
I now believe that the best we can hope to do is make incremental improvements to the existing tax system and hopefully prevent it from getting worse. Unfortunately, because the current President Bush and the Republican Congress have allowed spending to get totally out of control, I believe that higher taxes are inevitable. In particular, the enactment of a massive new Medicare drug benefit absolutely guarantees that taxes will be sharply raised in the future even if Social Security is successfully reformed.
Too many conservatives delude themselves that all we have to do is cut foreign aid and pork-barrel spending and the budget will be balanced. But unless Republican lawmakers are willing to seriously confront Medicare, they cannot do more than nibble around the edges. With Republicans having recently added massively to that problem, and with a Republican president who won’t veto anything, I have concluded that meaningful spending control is a hopeless cause.
Therefore, we must face the reality that taxes are going to rise a lot in coming years.
The Olympic Boondoggle
So a $2.43 billion investment returns only $8.97 million. That would get you fired in the business world.
ATHENS, Greece -- The most expensive Olympics in history posted a surplus of $166.79 million for the Athens organizing committee. The committee, known as ATHOC, was only responsible for the organization and operation of the games last August.
Overall, the Olympics cost Greece more than $14.05 billion.
"We have not only succeeded in our goal of a balanced budget but at the same time posted a surplus," ATHOC said in a statement Thursday.
The task and cost of building sports venues and infrastructure fell to the government, which also paid for a record security bill of more than $1.53 billion. The high cost of the games pushed Greece's budget deficit to record levels. At 6.3 percent of GDP, Greece had the biggest budget deficit in the European Union last year.
ATHOC, a private body, said it had revenues of $2.67 billion and expenses of $2.43 billion. The committee gave the Greek state $157.85 million to cover the cost of some Olympic projects, leaving it with $8.97 million.
Television rights generated the biggest revenues at $739.06 million, or 27.6 percent. Money from international and domestic sponsors totaled $685.42 million, or 25.6 percent.
ATHENS, Greece -- The most expensive Olympics in history posted a surplus of $166.79 million for the Athens organizing committee. The committee, known as ATHOC, was only responsible for the organization and operation of the games last August.
Overall, the Olympics cost Greece more than $14.05 billion.
"We have not only succeeded in our goal of a balanced budget but at the same time posted a surplus," ATHOC said in a statement Thursday.
The task and cost of building sports venues and infrastructure fell to the government, which also paid for a record security bill of more than $1.53 billion. The high cost of the games pushed Greece's budget deficit to record levels. At 6.3 percent of GDP, Greece had the biggest budget deficit in the European Union last year.
ATHOC, a private body, said it had revenues of $2.67 billion and expenses of $2.43 billion. The committee gave the Greek state $157.85 million to cover the cost of some Olympic projects, leaving it with $8.97 million.
Television rights generated the biggest revenues at $739.06 million, or 27.6 percent. Money from international and domestic sponsors totaled $685.42 million, or 25.6 percent.
Ask Dr. Mengala
The folks at Planned Parenthood are either monsters or fools. I prefer to think of them as fools...but it's hard.
Ask Dr. Cullins
Dr. Vanessa Cullins is a board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist and vice president for medical affairs at Planned Parenthood® Federation of America.
Q: My friend says that life begins when the egg and sperm join together. I say that it begins when a baby takes its first breath. Which of us is right?
All kinds of people — theologians, philosophers, scientists, lawyers, legislators, and many others — hold very different views about when life begins. In fact, both the egg and the sperm are living things before they meet and join. There's no real argument there.
The really hot question is, "When does being a person begin?" Most medical authorities and Planned Parenthood agree that it starts when a baby takes its first breath.
Some of our oldest religions have changed their views about this question many times over the centuries. Today, some people sincerely believe that being a person begins when the egg is fertilized. Some, just as sincerely, believe that it begins with birth. And lots of others believe it begins somewhere in between.
What we are all sure about is that a pregnant woman is a person. We know for sure that she has morals, feelings, human needs, and a conscience. Because of this, we know that she is the only one able to make a decision about her pregnancy options. She does it based on her own needs, ethics, and religious belief about when being a person begins. It would be wrong to force her to observe someone else's religious belief.
Ask Dr. Cullins
Dr. Vanessa Cullins is a board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist and vice president for medical affairs at Planned Parenthood® Federation of America.
Q: My friend says that life begins when the egg and sperm join together. I say that it begins when a baby takes its first breath. Which of us is right?
All kinds of people — theologians, philosophers, scientists, lawyers, legislators, and many others — hold very different views about when life begins. In fact, both the egg and the sperm are living things before they meet and join. There's no real argument there.
The really hot question is, "When does being a person begin?" Most medical authorities and Planned Parenthood agree that it starts when a baby takes its first breath.
Some of our oldest religions have changed their views about this question many times over the centuries. Today, some people sincerely believe that being a person begins when the egg is fertilized. Some, just as sincerely, believe that it begins with birth. And lots of others believe it begins somewhere in between.
What we are all sure about is that a pregnant woman is a person. We know for sure that she has morals, feelings, human needs, and a conscience. Because of this, we know that she is the only one able to make a decision about her pregnancy options. She does it based on her own needs, ethics, and religious belief about when being a person begins. It would be wrong to force her to observe someone else's religious belief.
Thursday, May 12, 2005
Quote of the Day
"Conservative reform, in fact, turns out to be a lot like liberal reform. Each involves a whirlwind of government activity. Each is a formula for politics without end--splendid indeed for politicians and government employees, but a bit tiring for the rest of us. Who can blame the public for beginning to show its weariness? The fatigue came to a head in the Schiavo case, and the president's poll numbers have yet to recover ... A lack of modesty and self-restraint is one excellent reason Americans grew to despise liberals in the first place. The high-water mark of American liberalism came in 1993 and 1994, when President Clinton and his wife, under the guise of "health care reform," decided they would assume control of one-seventh of the nation's economy in order to make it more rational and fair. Voters responded by handing the federal legislature to the Republican party. History may record that what offended them wasn't liberalism but busybodyism - the endless, frenetic search by elected officials for ever-new ways to make the country more fabulous. Bush and his Republicans are close to proving that busybodyism can become a creature of the right as well as the left." - Andrew Ferguson
Republican Family Values
The Republican chairman of Seminole County, Florida says his bid to head the state party was sabotaged because a letter accused him of having been married six times.
He says the correct number is five.
He says the correct number is five.
Put Me In The Bioconservative/Bioluddite Camp
Ronald Bailey writes:
Politics in the 21st century will cut across the traditional political left/right rift of the last two centuries. Instead, the chief ideological divide will be between transhumanists and bioconservatives/bioluddites.
Politics in the 21st century will cut across the traditional political left/right rift of the last two centuries. Instead, the chief ideological divide will be between transhumanists and bioconservatives/bioluddites.
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
I Smell A Correction Coming
The NY Times is up to its old tricks. This time with marginal tax rates.
I Love Vigilante Justice
Two points: (1) This guy is my hero; (2) When it comes to their "little boys", mothers are freakin' clueless.
Ice cream vendor ordered to cool off
A Good Humor man was served 18 months' probation Tuesday for losing his cool with a foul-mouthed teenager.
Nazzareno Didiano, 44, stopped dishing out peanut butter bars and Blue Bunnies last May 12 and began pummeling a pudgy-faced Bloomfield teen during a meltdown.
The teen, now 14, told Allegheny County Judge John A. Zottola during a brief trial that Didiano grabbed him by the arm, yanked him from his bike, punched him in the face and slammed him into a wall.
The attack came after the boy berated and cursed Didiano over the cost of his cones.
"I wanted to tell him I didn't appreciate being talked to like that," said Didiano, who denied punching the boy.
Zottola ruled he did not believe Didiano and convicted him of simple assault. In addition to the probation, Didiano must take anger management classes and reimburse the teenager $20 for damage to his bike.
The teen giggled as Didiano recounted the obscenities directed at him.
Didiano, who worked for Paul's Ice Cream Co., served up his own frosty insults.
"I told him he didn't need any ice cream anyway because he's fat," said Didiano.
The teen, about 5-foot-5 and 140 pounds, responded by calling Didiano a "bald (expletive) ripoff." Didiano later attacked when he found the boy sitting on a bike two blocks away.
Assistant District Attorney Dan Regan presented photographs of a red-faced victim with a cut inside of his mouth.
"He instigated the whole thing," said Didiano, who is looking for a new job.
The teen's mother said she's satisfied with the verdict, but complained that her son is now self-conscious about his weight.
"This has been a nightmare," she said.
Ice cream vendor ordered to cool off
A Good Humor man was served 18 months' probation Tuesday for losing his cool with a foul-mouthed teenager.
Nazzareno Didiano, 44, stopped dishing out peanut butter bars and Blue Bunnies last May 12 and began pummeling a pudgy-faced Bloomfield teen during a meltdown.
The teen, now 14, told Allegheny County Judge John A. Zottola during a brief trial that Didiano grabbed him by the arm, yanked him from his bike, punched him in the face and slammed him into a wall.
The attack came after the boy berated and cursed Didiano over the cost of his cones.
"I wanted to tell him I didn't appreciate being talked to like that," said Didiano, who denied punching the boy.
Zottola ruled he did not believe Didiano and convicted him of simple assault. In addition to the probation, Didiano must take anger management classes and reimburse the teenager $20 for damage to his bike.
The teen giggled as Didiano recounted the obscenities directed at him.
Didiano, who worked for Paul's Ice Cream Co., served up his own frosty insults.
"I told him he didn't need any ice cream anyway because he's fat," said Didiano.
The teen, about 5-foot-5 and 140 pounds, responded by calling Didiano a "bald (expletive) ripoff." Didiano later attacked when he found the boy sitting on a bike two blocks away.
Assistant District Attorney Dan Regan presented photographs of a red-faced victim with a cut inside of his mouth.
"He instigated the whole thing," said Didiano, who is looking for a new job.
The teen's mother said she's satisfied with the verdict, but complained that her son is now self-conscious about his weight.
"This has been a nightmare," she said.
I Need This For My Crumbling Driveway
By mixing fiber in concrete scientists have created a bendable material that is lightweight, resists cracking, and lasts longer.
The newfangled concrete, already in use in Japan, Korea, Switzerland and Australia, will find its first application in the United States this summer, researchers said this week.
Fiber-reinforced concrete is not new. But this variety, developed at the University of Michigan, is said to be 500 times more resistant to cracking than what your sidewalk is made of. It's also 40 percent lighter.
Concrete is a mix of cement, water and sand or gravel. In bridges and buildings, it is typically reinforced with metal wire or bars.
The new mix contains mostly the same ingredients as regular concrete minus the coarse gravel, explained engineering Professor Victor Li. It looks like regular concrete, but under intense strain it gives instead of breaking because fibers slide within the cement. The fibers behave somewhat like your body's ligaments, holding things together in a flexible manner.
The stuff is called Engineered Cement Composites (ECC).
The newfangled concrete, already in use in Japan, Korea, Switzerland and Australia, will find its first application in the United States this summer, researchers said this week.
Fiber-reinforced concrete is not new. But this variety, developed at the University of Michigan, is said to be 500 times more resistant to cracking than what your sidewalk is made of. It's also 40 percent lighter.
Concrete is a mix of cement, water and sand or gravel. In bridges and buildings, it is typically reinforced with metal wire or bars.
The new mix contains mostly the same ingredients as regular concrete minus the coarse gravel, explained engineering Professor Victor Li. It looks like regular concrete, but under intense strain it gives instead of breaking because fibers slide within the cement. The fibers behave somewhat like your body's ligaments, holding things together in a flexible manner.
The stuff is called Engineered Cement Composites (ECC).
The Modern Mind
Sarah Loomis, 32, of Great Neck, N.Y., agreed. "I think it's good for the church to have rules against killing and things like that," she said. "But I was really hoping the new pope would loosen up on things like abortion and homosexuality. This is the 20th century, after all. Or 21st. Whatever."
NBA Evaluation
If all Morris wants is an evaluation, I could oblige him: he can't shoot, play with his back to the basket, dribble, or play defense. I think that about covers it. But in the NBA, it's all about upside.
Kentucky freshman Randolph Morris will enter the 2005 NBA Draft but not sign with an agent, leaving open the option of returning to the Wildcats for his sophomore season, CBS SportsLine.com has learned.
The 6-foot-11, 265-pound Morris averaged 8.8 points and 4.2 rebounds in 19.8 minutes as a freshman. He's not ready for the NBA from a skill perspective, but his size and back-to-the-basket inclinations will merit a look from NBA scouts.
Morris will be the second UK underclassman to enter the draft. Junior Kelenna Azubuike has entered and signed with an agent.
Kentucky freshman Randolph Morris will enter the 2005 NBA Draft but not sign with an agent, leaving open the option of returning to the Wildcats for his sophomore season, CBS SportsLine.com has learned.
The 6-foot-11, 265-pound Morris averaged 8.8 points and 4.2 rebounds in 19.8 minutes as a freshman. He's not ready for the NBA from a skill perspective, but his size and back-to-the-basket inclinations will merit a look from NBA scouts.
Morris will be the second UK underclassman to enter the draft. Junior Kelenna Azubuike has entered and signed with an agent.
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Four Stories That Should Be Huge...
...but have been underreported.
*Al Zubaydi—The Pentagon keeps catching 'important lieutenants' of Zarqawi's, and we all yawn (mainly because the car bombs keep happening at a terrifying rate). This one is different though. Most of Zarqawi's who have been captured to date have been Ansar al-Sunnah graduates from pre-war Kurdistan or foreign Jihadis. Ammar Adnan Mohammed Hamza Al Zubaydi, on the other hand, was a high ranking, trusted apparatchik of the Baath regime and part of a family that was very close to Saddam. Just the kind of person who would have been given the directive to foment a post-invasion insurgency with the help of Al Qaeda. Now that we have him, we can ask him: Did Saddam order you to liase with Al Qaeda? If the answer is yes, then we have first-rate proof that the war was justified for the simple reason that Saddam had aligned himself with our number one enemy. Even if we had found a few beakers of Yersenia pestis in Saddam's underpants, few Americans would really have cared. But it would be hard to find an American outside of Manhattan who would disagree with the invasion if he knew that Saddam and bin Laden were rowing the same boat. Of course this is all hindsight, but as we have seen with the issue of WMD, hindsight matters in our pop culture.
*I Spy with My Little Eye in the Sky—The New York Times reported that U.S. Satellites observed a massive tunnel being dug in North Korea, and then being backfilled with concrete. And then they saw what looks like a reviewing stand. Either it's a makework program for North Korean pep squads or...In fact there is not other explanation besides the one that says: They're going to test a bomb. This has been mentioned in many news sources, but the gigantism of this fact is understated. North Korea is about to test a nuclear bomb! If it happens, that means that the whole world is about to change in huge ways. Why isn't the front page of every newspaper covered with think pieces, news analysis and preparatory graphics? Why is any journalist assigned to cover the Michael Jackson trial instead of being sent to Beijing, Moscow, Tokyo and the Chinese/North Korean border?
*GM and Ford are Junk—Downgrading corporate bonds to junk status is not done lightly. It takes a huge amount of ill will, bad management and poor decisions to get so low. Yet Ford and GM were both downgraded last week to junk by the major credit rating agencies. One of the sharpest investors out there, Kirk Kerkorian, is amassing GM stock. This all points to one thing: GM is on the auction block. In fact, who wouldn't want to buy a company where you get more than $10 in annual sales for every dollar you spend on stock. And maybe Ford is acquirable too (although family control issues make that a much harder sell). The most likely winner? Toyota. Imagine the headlines such news would make. But anyone who doesn't read the business pages regularly (which is about 95% of the population), have no inkling that such a bombshell might drop. Stay tuned because this one is going to get ugly.
*Nano for the Masses—Product launches don't usually have Earth-shattering implications, especially when the 'product' is only a prototype. Motorola's announcement of a carbon nanotube-based television is enormously important, and it has nothing to do with televisions. Sure, it drops the price of an HD monster TV to less than $500 (that's a factor of 10). But the more important implication is that this will be the first consumer killer app that can be attributed to nanotechnology research (no, pants that stain less don't count). It also opens up the door to dirt-cheap computer monitors, which in turn make the $100 laptop that runs for a week eminently achievable. And this is just the beginning of the nano-age.
*Al Zubaydi—The Pentagon keeps catching 'important lieutenants' of Zarqawi's, and we all yawn (mainly because the car bombs keep happening at a terrifying rate). This one is different though. Most of Zarqawi's who have been captured to date have been Ansar al-Sunnah graduates from pre-war Kurdistan or foreign Jihadis. Ammar Adnan Mohammed Hamza Al Zubaydi, on the other hand, was a high ranking, trusted apparatchik of the Baath regime and part of a family that was very close to Saddam. Just the kind of person who would have been given the directive to foment a post-invasion insurgency with the help of Al Qaeda. Now that we have him, we can ask him: Did Saddam order you to liase with Al Qaeda? If the answer is yes, then we have first-rate proof that the war was justified for the simple reason that Saddam had aligned himself with our number one enemy. Even if we had found a few beakers of Yersenia pestis in Saddam's underpants, few Americans would really have cared. But it would be hard to find an American outside of Manhattan who would disagree with the invasion if he knew that Saddam and bin Laden were rowing the same boat. Of course this is all hindsight, but as we have seen with the issue of WMD, hindsight matters in our pop culture.
*I Spy with My Little Eye in the Sky—The New York Times reported that U.S. Satellites observed a massive tunnel being dug in North Korea, and then being backfilled with concrete. And then they saw what looks like a reviewing stand. Either it's a makework program for North Korean pep squads or...In fact there is not other explanation besides the one that says: They're going to test a bomb. This has been mentioned in many news sources, but the gigantism of this fact is understated. North Korea is about to test a nuclear bomb! If it happens, that means that the whole world is about to change in huge ways. Why isn't the front page of every newspaper covered with think pieces, news analysis and preparatory graphics? Why is any journalist assigned to cover the Michael Jackson trial instead of being sent to Beijing, Moscow, Tokyo and the Chinese/North Korean border?
*GM and Ford are Junk—Downgrading corporate bonds to junk status is not done lightly. It takes a huge amount of ill will, bad management and poor decisions to get so low. Yet Ford and GM were both downgraded last week to junk by the major credit rating agencies. One of the sharpest investors out there, Kirk Kerkorian, is amassing GM stock. This all points to one thing: GM is on the auction block. In fact, who wouldn't want to buy a company where you get more than $10 in annual sales for every dollar you spend on stock. And maybe Ford is acquirable too (although family control issues make that a much harder sell). The most likely winner? Toyota. Imagine the headlines such news would make. But anyone who doesn't read the business pages regularly (which is about 95% of the population), have no inkling that such a bombshell might drop. Stay tuned because this one is going to get ugly.
*Nano for the Masses—Product launches don't usually have Earth-shattering implications, especially when the 'product' is only a prototype. Motorola's announcement of a carbon nanotube-based television is enormously important, and it has nothing to do with televisions. Sure, it drops the price of an HD monster TV to less than $500 (that's a factor of 10). But the more important implication is that this will be the first consumer killer app that can be attributed to nanotechnology research (no, pants that stain less don't count). It also opens up the door to dirt-cheap computer monitors, which in turn make the $100 laptop that runs for a week eminently achievable. And this is just the beginning of the nano-age.
Condign, Congruous and Supererogatory Merit
Ok, I'm not Roman Catholic, but I'm pretty familiar with the doctrine. The following fits with what I know of the Roman Catholic view of works and salvation, but I've never seen these specific terms used before. Any Catholics out there who can enlighten me? If this is correct, it explains a lot.
Catholics speak of three types of merit, each of which plays a role in salvation:
Catholics speak of three types of merit, each of which plays a role in salvation:
- Condign Merit. This is merit attributed to our works for which God is obligated to give reward. This is like paying a laborer his due wages.
- Congruous Merit. This is merit that is “reasonable”, but not obligated. In secular terms, it is something like a waitress’ tip. It is attained through works and penance.
- Supererogatory Merit. This is the stuff of saints. It is their “excess” merit and it is deposited in a treasury of supererogatory merits. It can then be drawn upon to free people from purgatory. Attaining supererogatory merit is also possible for a priest living a life of celibacy in devotion to Christ. A layman can accrue supererogatory merit through regular church attendance and constant attention to the sacraments. Mary is thought to have contributed enormous excess merit into the treasury.
Illegal Immigration Is Not Good
From a recent GAO report:
In our population study of 55,322 illegal aliens, we found that they were arrested at least a total of 459,614 times, averaging about 8 arrests per illegal alien. [Good grief!] Nearly all had more than 1 arrest. Thirty-eight percent (about 21,000) had between 2 and 5 arrests, 32 percent (about 18,000) had between 6 and 10 arrests, and 26 percent (about 15,000) had 11 or more arrests.
In our population study of 55,322 illegal aliens, we found that they were arrested at least a total of 459,614 times, averaging about 8 arrests per illegal alien. [Good grief!] Nearly all had more than 1 arrest. Thirty-eight percent (about 21,000) had between 2 and 5 arrests, 32 percent (about 18,000) had between 6 and 10 arrests, and 26 percent (about 15,000) had 11 or more arrests.
Bad Move, Lebron
Lebron's made all the right moves...until now.
They hammered out the details for a landmark, $90 million deal with Nike. They leveraged another $12 million from Coca-Cola. And a collection of other deals totaled millions more.
But Aaron and Eric Goodwin couldn't keep their biggest deal from falling apart, as the NBA's biggest power brokers have lost the NBA's biggest star.
LeBron James fired the Goodwin brothers as his agent representatives on Monday, severing his relationship with the team responsible for structuring more than $120 million in endorsement deals before he ever stepped foot on an NBA court.
It is expected that Maverick Carter, James' close friend and a former high school teammate, will be part of a team that will take over deal-making responsibilities for the Cleveland Cavaliers' rising star, who ranks as the fourth-highest-paid athlete endorser in the world. Only golfer Tiger Woods, at $90 million per year, Formula One driver Michael Schumacher ($50 million) and soccer star David Beckham ($35 million) are paid more off the playing field.
They hammered out the details for a landmark, $90 million deal with Nike. They leveraged another $12 million from Coca-Cola. And a collection of other deals totaled millions more.
But Aaron and Eric Goodwin couldn't keep their biggest deal from falling apart, as the NBA's biggest power brokers have lost the NBA's biggest star.
LeBron James fired the Goodwin brothers as his agent representatives on Monday, severing his relationship with the team responsible for structuring more than $120 million in endorsement deals before he ever stepped foot on an NBA court.
It is expected that Maverick Carter, James' close friend and a former high school teammate, will be part of a team that will take over deal-making responsibilities for the Cleveland Cavaliers' rising star, who ranks as the fourth-highest-paid athlete endorser in the world. Only golfer Tiger Woods, at $90 million per year, Formula One driver Michael Schumacher ($50 million) and soccer star David Beckham ($35 million) are paid more off the playing field.
Bad Review
John Podhoretz did not like Revenge of the Sith:
It opens next week. I saw it, and here's the thing: It's unbelievably bad. O I'm telling you this because movie critics won't. So far all the early reviews -- all of them, from Variety to the Hollywood Reporter to Time magazine -- have been favorable. Why? Because while the movie critics of my long-ago youth were middlebrow snobs suspicious of populist entertainment, today's critics have turned into toadies. They are afraid of being on an audience's bad side, afraid that a movie they will pan might really strike a chord. Since it's a foregone conclusion that the final Star Wars is going to make a jillion dollars, the safe thing for critics to do is say nice things about it. The only nice thing I can think to say about it is that it's not quite as mindspinningly wretched as its predecessor, Attack of the Clones, but it's plenty awful anyway. Even Yoda gives a rotten performance. Go see it if you must when it opens next week, but at least you got one fair warning here.
It opens next week. I saw it, and here's the thing: It's unbelievably bad. O I'm telling you this because movie critics won't. So far all the early reviews -- all of them, from Variety to the Hollywood Reporter to Time magazine -- have been favorable. Why? Because while the movie critics of my long-ago youth were middlebrow snobs suspicious of populist entertainment, today's critics have turned into toadies. They are afraid of being on an audience's bad side, afraid that a movie they will pan might really strike a chord. Since it's a foregone conclusion that the final Star Wars is going to make a jillion dollars, the safe thing for critics to do is say nice things about it. The only nice thing I can think to say about it is that it's not quite as mindspinningly wretched as its predecessor, Attack of the Clones, but it's plenty awful anyway. Even Yoda gives a rotten performance. Go see it if you must when it opens next week, but at least you got one fair warning here.
The Persecution of Christians Continues
Now Jesus can't even get a driver's license.
CHARLESTON, West Virginia (AP) -- Even Jesus Christ can't circumvent the rules for getting a driver's license in West Virginia.
Attempts to prove his name really is Christ have led the man born as Peter Robert Phillips Jr. through a lengthy legal battle and a recent victory in the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.
"This all started with him expressing his faith and his respect and love for Jesus Christ," attorney A.P. Pishevar told The Associated Press. "Now he needs to document it for legal reasons."
Described by his attorney as a white-haired businessman in his mid-50s, Christ is moving to West Virginia to enjoy a slower lifestyle. He bought property near Lost River, about 100 miles west of Washington, and has a U.S. passport, Social Security card and Washington driver's license bearing the name Jesus Christ.
But he still falls short of West Virginia title and license transfer requirements because his Florida birth certificate has his original name on it and he has been unable to obtain an official name change in Washington.
CHARLESTON, West Virginia (AP) -- Even Jesus Christ can't circumvent the rules for getting a driver's license in West Virginia.
Attempts to prove his name really is Christ have led the man born as Peter Robert Phillips Jr. through a lengthy legal battle and a recent victory in the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.
"This all started with him expressing his faith and his respect and love for Jesus Christ," attorney A.P. Pishevar told The Associated Press. "Now he needs to document it for legal reasons."
Described by his attorney as a white-haired businessman in his mid-50s, Christ is moving to West Virginia to enjoy a slower lifestyle. He bought property near Lost River, about 100 miles west of Washington, and has a U.S. passport, Social Security card and Washington driver's license bearing the name Jesus Christ.
But he still falls short of West Virginia title and license transfer requirements because his Florida birth certificate has his original name on it and he has been unable to obtain an official name change in Washington.
This Is Not Good News
SAN FRANCISCO, May 9 - The incident seemed alarming enough: a breach of a Cisco Systems network in which an intruder seized programming instructions for many of the computers that control the flow of the Internet.
Now federal officials and computer security investigators have acknowledged that the Cisco break-in last year was only part of a more extensive operation - involving a single intruder or a small band, apparently based in Europe - in which thousands of computer systems were similarly penetrated.
Investigators in the United States and Europe say they have spent almost a year pursuing the case involving attacks on computer systems serving the American military, NASA and research laboratories.
The break-ins exploited security holes on those systems that the authorities say have now been plugged, and beyond the Cisco theft, it is not clear how much data was taken or destroyed. Still, the case illustrates the ease with which Internet-connected computers - even those of sophisticated corporate and government networks - can be penetrated, and also the difficulty in tracing those responsible.
Now federal officials and computer security investigators have acknowledged that the Cisco break-in last year was only part of a more extensive operation - involving a single intruder or a small band, apparently based in Europe - in which thousands of computer systems were similarly penetrated.
Investigators in the United States and Europe say they have spent almost a year pursuing the case involving attacks on computer systems serving the American military, NASA and research laboratories.
The break-ins exploited security holes on those systems that the authorities say have now been plugged, and beyond the Cisco theft, it is not clear how much data was taken or destroyed. Still, the case illustrates the ease with which Internet-connected computers - even those of sophisticated corporate and government networks - can be penetrated, and also the difficulty in tracing those responsible.
Monday, May 09, 2005
Dumb Luck
This morning, I remembered reading this on one of my favorite blogs:
Despite having worked as a hot walker at Belmont Park one Summer, I know next to nothing about horse racing. But my Dad loves the ponies, and offers these picks for Saturday's Kentucky Derby: Here are my picks for the Derby:
Remember who the #10 horse was? Yep, Giacomo.
Despite having worked as a hot walker at Belmont Park one Summer, I know next to nothing about horse racing. But my Dad loves the ponies, and offers these picks for Saturday's Kentucky Derby: Here are my picks for the Derby:
- $12 Triple Box 10,15,16
- $10 Win and Place on 10
- $5 Place on 15
Remember who the #10 horse was? Yep, Giacomo.
They've Come Unhinged
From Hugh Hewitt:
A day after Senator Uriah Reid (D-Nev) brands the president a "loser" and then apologizes, a week after Senator Ken Salazar (D-Colo) labels Focus on the Family as the anti-Christ and then apologizes, and a month after Senator Robert Byrd (D-WVA) brands the Senate GOP as Hitler's heirs, Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) appeals to President Bush to bring moderation to the Republican side of the debate on the filibusters. Now that is rich. Wildly amusing and ineffective, but rich.
Especially when you consider this account of Senator Reid's appearance before high school students yesterday:
"Reid took students through a primer of the five most-disputed judicial nominees, arguing some were opposed to the 1973 Roe v. Wade case legalizing abortion. He charged others with trying to dismantle government programs like Social Security.
'I don't want them. I think they're bad people,' Reid said of the nominees.
He described California Supreme Court Justice Janice Rogers Brown, one of the Bush nominees Republicans will probably float first for approval, as an African-American opposed by the Congressional Black Caucus.
'She is a woman who wants to take us back to the Civil War days,' Reid said."
A day after Senator Uriah Reid (D-Nev) brands the president a "loser" and then apologizes, a week after Senator Ken Salazar (D-Colo) labels Focus on the Family as the anti-Christ and then apologizes, and a month after Senator Robert Byrd (D-WVA) brands the Senate GOP as Hitler's heirs, Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) appeals to President Bush to bring moderation to the Republican side of the debate on the filibusters. Now that is rich. Wildly amusing and ineffective, but rich.
Especially when you consider this account of Senator Reid's appearance before high school students yesterday:
"Reid took students through a primer of the five most-disputed judicial nominees, arguing some were opposed to the 1973 Roe v. Wade case legalizing abortion. He charged others with trying to dismantle government programs like Social Security.
'I don't want them. I think they're bad people,' Reid said of the nominees.
He described California Supreme Court Justice Janice Rogers Brown, one of the Bush nominees Republicans will probably float first for approval, as an African-American opposed by the Congressional Black Caucus.
'She is a woman who wants to take us back to the Civil War days,' Reid said."
Tired of Blaming the U.S.
From Strategypage:
The Sunni Arab media in the Middle East has gotten tired of blaming the United States for everything that doesn't work in Iraq. More and more stories blame Iraq's Sunni Arabs for the terrorism, corruption and tyranny in Iraq, and other parts of the Middle East. This is part of a trend, the growing popularity of Arabs taking responsibility for their actions. This is a radical concept in Middle Eastern politics. For several generations, all problems could be blamed on other forces. The list of the blameworthy was long; the United States, the West, Colonialism, Infidels (non Moslems, especially Jews), Capitalism, the CIA, Israel, Democracy and many others too absurd to mention. Giving up this crutch is not popular in the Middle East. Oil wealth has made it possible to sustain, for decades, the belief of all these conspiracies to keep the Arab people down and powerless. But the invasion of Iraq, and the overthrow of Saddam, forced Arabs to confront their long support for a tyrannical butcher like Saddam. Here was a dictator who knew how to play the blame game, and position himself as an Arab "hero." Saddam's supporters turned to terrorism to restore themselves to power. Two years of killing Iraqis has shamed an increasing number of Arabs into admitting that this is an Arab problem, not the fault of the United States.
The Sunni Arab media in the Middle East has gotten tired of blaming the United States for everything that doesn't work in Iraq. More and more stories blame Iraq's Sunni Arabs for the terrorism, corruption and tyranny in Iraq, and other parts of the Middle East. This is part of a trend, the growing popularity of Arabs taking responsibility for their actions. This is a radical concept in Middle Eastern politics. For several generations, all problems could be blamed on other forces. The list of the blameworthy was long; the United States, the West, Colonialism, Infidels (non Moslems, especially Jews), Capitalism, the CIA, Israel, Democracy and many others too absurd to mention. Giving up this crutch is not popular in the Middle East. Oil wealth has made it possible to sustain, for decades, the belief of all these conspiracies to keep the Arab people down and powerless. But the invasion of Iraq, and the overthrow of Saddam, forced Arabs to confront their long support for a tyrannical butcher like Saddam. Here was a dictator who knew how to play the blame game, and position himself as an Arab "hero." Saddam's supporters turned to terrorism to restore themselves to power. Two years of killing Iraqis has shamed an increasing number of Arabs into admitting that this is an Arab problem, not the fault of the United States.
More Good Government
This time from Detroit, the mecca of good government:
DETROIT (AP) - Would you like fries with that? Either way, the Detroit city treasury would like a bite. Faced with a $300 million budget hole, Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is hoping people in this already heavily taxed city won't mind forking over a few extra cents for their Big Macs and Whoppers.
Kilpatrick wants to ask Detroit voters to approve a 2 percent fast-food tax - on top of the 6 percent state sales tax on restaurant meals. The mayor says consumers will barely notice the extra cents at the cash register, but critics say the tax would unfairly burden the poor and hamper economic development.
"Just tell him we're going to go to Bloomfield Hills to McDonald's if he puts a tax on it," said 18-year-old Ebony Ellis, referring to an affluent Detroit suburb, as she and four friends ate at a Golden Arches in Detroit. The high school classmates eat at McDonald's every day after school because their schedule doesn't leave them time for lunch.
Other cities and states have special taxes on prepared food, and some have tried "snack taxes." In New York, Assemblyman Felix Ortiz has proposed a 1 percent tax on junk food, video games and TV commercials to fund anti-obesity programs.
But if approved, the Detroit tax would be the country's first to target fast-food outlets, the National Restaurant Association said. The tax would apply to anything sold at a fast-food restaurant - even salads.
DETROIT (AP) - Would you like fries with that? Either way, the Detroit city treasury would like a bite. Faced with a $300 million budget hole, Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is hoping people in this already heavily taxed city won't mind forking over a few extra cents for their Big Macs and Whoppers.
Kilpatrick wants to ask Detroit voters to approve a 2 percent fast-food tax - on top of the 6 percent state sales tax on restaurant meals. The mayor says consumers will barely notice the extra cents at the cash register, but critics say the tax would unfairly burden the poor and hamper economic development.
"Just tell him we're going to go to Bloomfield Hills to McDonald's if he puts a tax on it," said 18-year-old Ebony Ellis, referring to an affluent Detroit suburb, as she and four friends ate at a Golden Arches in Detroit. The high school classmates eat at McDonald's every day after school because their schedule doesn't leave them time for lunch.
Other cities and states have special taxes on prepared food, and some have tried "snack taxes." In New York, Assemblyman Felix Ortiz has proposed a 1 percent tax on junk food, video games and TV commercials to fund anti-obesity programs.
But if approved, the Detroit tax would be the country's first to target fast-food outlets, the National Restaurant Association said. The tax would apply to anything sold at a fast-food restaurant - even salads.
Sunday, May 08, 2005
When Hal Speaks, You Should Listen
Hal McCoy, the dean of Red's beat writers (and a Hall of Famer), on various topics (hat tip to Lance McAlister):
On the NBA
What's that, the National Ballet Association? I'd rather watch a dog hike his leg on a fire hydrant than watch the NBA without Michael Jordan, Larry Bird or Magic Johnson.
On Red's Pitching Coach Don Gullett
Gullett is right up there with Atlanta's Leo Mazzone in knowledge and expertise. But you can't make Cy Young out of Cy Old and Cy Done and Cy Bad. The minor-league system has produced nothing and there is no money to buy top-shelf products. Gullett can only show them and tell them. He can't do it for them. If he hadn't ruined his rotator cuff at a young age, he might still be the best on the staff.
On Trading Sean Casey
Casey is an excellent defensive first baseman. And why would you trade a yearly .300 contact hitter and a team leader? I have a whole bunch of other trade suspects.
On Danny Graves
OK, I'll say it. If Graves doesn't get 30 saves this year, I'll eat this column. I've already written that I'd eat a column if Ken Griffey Jr. doesn't hit 30 homers, so I guess I'll make it a paper banquet.
On Second Base
Freel, Freel, Freel. Did I mention Freel? He has Jimenez beaten in any category you can mention, including the way he wears his hat."
On the NBA
What's that, the National Ballet Association? I'd rather watch a dog hike his leg on a fire hydrant than watch the NBA without Michael Jordan, Larry Bird or Magic Johnson.
On Red's Pitching Coach Don Gullett
Gullett is right up there with Atlanta's Leo Mazzone in knowledge and expertise. But you can't make Cy Young out of Cy Old and Cy Done and Cy Bad. The minor-league system has produced nothing and there is no money to buy top-shelf products. Gullett can only show them and tell them. He can't do it for them. If he hadn't ruined his rotator cuff at a young age, he might still be the best on the staff.
On Trading Sean Casey
Casey is an excellent defensive first baseman. And why would you trade a yearly .300 contact hitter and a team leader? I have a whole bunch of other trade suspects.
On Danny Graves
OK, I'll say it. If Graves doesn't get 30 saves this year, I'll eat this column. I've already written that I'd eat a column if Ken Griffey Jr. doesn't hit 30 homers, so I guess I'll make it a paper banquet.
On Second Base
Freel, Freel, Freel. Did I mention Freel? He has Jimenez beaten in any category you can mention, including the way he wears his hat."
A MUST SEE!!
If you've got $20 and a few hours to spare on May 18th, you've got to go to this. There was only one C.S. Lewis...but Ravi Zacharias is the next best thing.
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