This has been my favourite blog of this campaign year. It has had unparelleled ntelligent polling and commentary on the current political situation in the US.  The guy behind the blog is Nate Silver of baseballprospectus.com fame.  

Silver, 30, is already celebrated among ball fans for inventing something called PECOTA. Developed while the University of Chicago econ alum slogged through a post-collegiate consulting gig—”I’m used to not sleeping,” he tells NEWSWEEK—PECOTA is now recognized as the most accurate system for forecasting how athletes and teams will perform in the future (down to the number of singles). In 2007, Silver’s algorithm enraged at least half of Chicago when it said the White Sox—2005 champs—would post a 72–90 record. Turned out PECOTA was exactly right. For laypeople, the leap from the national pastime to national politics might seem like a stretch. But not for Silver (who posted his first political item on Daily Kos in October). “Baseball and politics are data-driven,” he’s written. “But a lot of the time, that data might be used badly. In baseball, that may mean looking at a statistic like batting average when things like on-base percentage and slugging percentage are far more correlated with winning ballgames. In politics, that might mean cherry-picking a certain polling result.” In other words, different sport—same skill set.

I only wish I were as smart as Mr. Silver.

This entry about Palin (not written by Silver) is one that I hope a lot of Dems are paying attention to.  If there was ever a time that the Dems were going to pay attention to Jesus’s mandate to turn the other cheek and take the high road, that time is now.  As Ghandi famously said, “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.”  If Palin and the Repubs continue to go negative and angry, the American people are going to get tired of it fairly quickly.

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I found the following quotes from some of the squad members in an AP article:

The photo, which has been running as a newspaper spread in Spain since Friday, shows all 15 players making the gesture on a basketball court adorned with a Chinese dragon. The photo was part of a publicity campaign for team sponsor Seur, a Spanish courier company, and is being used only in Spain.

“It was something like supposed to be funny or something but never offensive in any way,” said Spain center Pau Gasol, who also plays for the Los Angeles Lakers. “I’m sorry if anybody thought or took it the wrong way and thought that it was offensive.”

Point guard Jose Manuel Calderon said the team was responding to a request from the photographer.

“We felt it was something appropriate, and that it would be interpreted as an affectionate gesture,” Calderon, who plays for NBA’s Toronto Raptors, wrote on his ElMundo.es blog. “Without a doubt, some … press didn’t see it that way.”

A couple things I would like to point out:

1. As the article mentions above, the advert was meant for print in Spain. I have not read anywhere in any newspaper in Spain that people in country have found this advertisement offensive. This might sound ridiculous to those of you living outside of Spain, but in the spanish context there really is nothing offensive about the photo. The “slit-eyed gesture” is not, to my knowledge, a racial slur here. Different things are offensive in different countries and we would all do well to inform ourselves and respect the cultures of other people. In my opinion, the international media has failed in understanding the Spanish context when reporting on this subject. I have yet to find an article in English that managed to place the picture in its original context with its original copy, let alone a reporter who managed to truly investigate race in Spain. I don’t see how that is responsible on their part. However, I do think that the company sponsoring the advert and the Spanish Basketball Federation (Federación Española de Baloncesto, FEB) should have been a bit more wise when managing their image in a global village. Which leads to my next observation…

2. What comes across in the quotes from the Spanish players above isn’t racism, but ingenuity. I think that ingenuity abounds in Spain. On the subject of race, cultural awareness and many other things. Who on earth in the twenty-first century thinks that just because something is only meant for print in Spain it won’t find it’s way on to the internet and be available all over the world before the end of the business day? What PR person didn’t think to check into whether or not this would cause an international stir? Believe me, this sort of lack of forward thinking is endemic throughout society over here.

I honestly think it was an ingenuous, silly advert that should not have been made. However, I also believe that no racial prejudice was meant or shown. The international press has blown this out of all proportion an made it into something it isn’t. Between Russia eating Georgia with their afternoon tea and Michael Phelps doing the same with the field in any swimming event, isn’t there enough news to keep us all busy without wasting time on ridiculous stories like this? (Mr. Araton needs to get out a lil’ more often and see that his own culture isn’t the only one setting the standard in the world for what is racist and what isn’t.)

p.d.- Just saw this today on the CNN website:

He pointed to a Wednesday article in El Pais, a Spanish newspaper, that quoted a Chinese Embassy spokesman in Spain as saying “we don’t interpret this gesture as offensive” or racist.

“Ultimately there is a very good relationship between the Chinese and Spanish governments and there is no kind of conflict at all between the two peoples,” El Pais quoted the spokesman as saying.

It begs the question: Has anyone ever bothered to ask the Chinese if the whole gesture is even offensive?

p.d.d.- Jon Stewart had a pretty funny (and insightful) segment on the Daily Show today about this whole mess. Remember what Jesus said about the whole plank in your own eye/splinter in your neighbor’s eye thing? Might wanna check that out America! He didn’t go into English history with racial slurs, but the ground there is fertile too. I only have to say two words: Prince Philip. Of course, when royalty shows an openly racist attitude, it isn’t a slur. It’s a ‘gaffe’.

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I got up early on Saturday morning to see the men’s cycling road race.  The race came down to the last second and a Spaniard pipped in on the final sprint and won by a head. Very exciting. I could actually hear neighbors cheering along with me as Samuel Sánchez crossed the finish line.  I think you miss those sorts of manifestations of community when you live in a more rural society (like the United States).  When was the last time you heard your neighbor cheering on your country in the Olympics?

At the moment, I’m watching the US Men’s Basketball team again.  Two questions:

1. When, between 1992 and the present, did NBA stars lose the ability to do two basic things: make a jumpshot and use a bounce pass instead of a lob?

2. What are those half sleeve things some of them wear on their arms?  I can’t help but think they look like something a teeny bopper girl’s group would wear.  Can you imagine Magic and Larry wearing those?  Or even MJ? 

I am guessing that Joel will be best positioned to answer both these questions…

One sport that really needs some digital help is fencing.  If they could put some sort of digital effect on point of the foil, the spectator would be able to follow what is going on.  As it is the foils are black or near black and fencing arenas are generally not very well lit.  I’m thinking something like what network TV used to do with the puck in hockey.  Then fencing would look more like Jedi knights fighting with light-sabres.

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In 1996, I was in Portugal without a TV and working with several charities full-time as part of an international short-term team.  The year 2000 found me in Madrid and recently married.  Because the Olympics were in Australia, all the really good events were in the morning.  I was working with YWAM then and they always kept me busy in the morning.  In the summer of 2004 found Heather and I in Ibiza working with 24-7.  We were living in the guest quarters of a house that had no TV.  We spent most days with short-term teams engaged in various activities.  And when you are in Ibiza for the summer, it really is a sin to sit inside and watch TV all day.

All that to say that this is probably the first summer in 16 years that I find myself anticipating the Olympics with an emotion verging on excitement.  

I’m looking forward to seeing USA vs. Spain in men’s basketball.  American basketballing pride was severely wounded in Greece when they were only able to take the bronze medal.  Then NBA stars had a terrible time in the World Basketball Championships where Spain took home the winner’s trophy.  I caught bits of the USA vs. Australia friendly match and it does look like the USA squad is much improved.  They have never lacked talent, that much is obvious.  What they have this time that I don’t think they have had since 1992 (the first year NBA stars were allowed to compete, head over to youtube and search for “Dream Team 1992“.  They were so far above any other nation’s team, it was almost sad.) is two things: motivation and an attention to the basics.  The US men looked ready to compete today.  Although Australia only finished 11 points behind the US, they were never really in the game.  Anytime the aussies got within 10 points, LeBron James came off the bench, did his game dominating “thang” for about 5 minutes and then went back and sat down.  If LeBron is angry and ready to win, then the rest of the squad will be too.  They out-rebounded the aussies and also had a better shooting percentage from the field.  Those are two things that Team USA haven’t done in international competition of late.

 

Los hermanos Gasol

Having said all that, the NBA All-Star team had better be ready for a fight.  Team Spain (or el ÑBA as they call them here) are a pretty serious threat to take them out in the semifinal round (August 22) of the men’s basketball bracket.  The Gasol brothers (pictured left) are from Barcelona, but from looking at them you’d think they were good ol’ boys from the Appalachian mountains.  Marc and Pau are big, they are strong and they don’t play nice. Team USA had better be ready to fight it out in the paint against these two if they want to get the rebounds they will need to be able to win.  Many of the spanish squad have played or are currently playing in the NBA.  They have talent and experience.  And did I mention that they are world champions?  These guys are no push-overs and are probably the biggest challenge to Team USA getting the gold in three weeks.  I don’t know who I’ll be pulling for on August 22nd.

One of the funniest changes of perspective has to do with the Medal Count.  As an American, I’m curious to see if the US can hold off China at the top of the Medal Count.  But as a long-time resident of Spain, I’m excited to see if Spain can get more than the 14 medals they got in Athens.  Whereas I couldn’t tell you who won even 5 of the USA gold medals in the last Olympics, each Spanish medal is front page news here.  I can name all the gold and silver medal winners for Spain four years ago.  Each one of them are national heroes, instantly known throughout the country.

I do have to say that I am a bit disappointed that China’s failings in the area of human rights has not been more in the news.  It seems like the big elephant in the room that no one is talking about.  I hope history doesn’t look back on these games in a similar way to how we look back on Berlin 1936.  And it isn’t just the Tibetan fight for freedom.  What about the 60 to 80 million Christians in China who suffer near daily oppression and are unable to practice their religion freely and openly? I appreciate all the changes that it seems the Chinese government has made to be able to put their new, modern country on display before the world.  But there is something in me that demands some true reformation of government at the most basic level.  I apologise if a few new European-designed buildings in Beijing don’t impress me much.  Here is a question: When was the last time the Olympics were awarded to a totalitarian regime?  Let’s see if anyone can remember…

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Either way, this is bad news on two fronts: 1. CBS left McCain’s true response on the cutting floor when this sort of thing is clearly news-worthy. 2. McCain is running on a platform that purports him to be integrous and able to lead the U.S. on the world stage.  His response shows the contrary on one or both counts.  And this isn’t the first time he’s done this.

From where I sit, the Republicans are offering us more of the same.

And all this after I said I wasn’t going to talk politics.

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I do, however, find “when Obama wins” very funny.

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Two things I learned from this video:
1. Even heads of state blow off steam in public. The King will more than likely get in trouble for this, but I still think he’s a dude.
2. Hugo Chavez is a whiner. He needs to learn when to speak and when to shut up.

I might comment on this later and why I think the Juan Carlos was so incensed by Chavez’s comments.

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•  Since when is the cost of living in Brooklyn almost exactly the same as living in Sevilla?
• Taking money out of the Spanish bank in the US is fun.  Euros = muchos dolares.  Nice.  Usually it’s the other way around.  Dolares = not very many Euros.
• Variety of choice in US supermarkets.  Who really needs 100’s of breakfast cereals?  We seem to get by in Spain with about 15.  How do we do it?
• 800 television channels?  Seriously?
• People you don’t know talk to you.  Its kind of cool, but it freaked me out at first.  Folks in Spain will always say something about Sophia.  But a guy in line at the supermarket the other day just started talking to me about the weather.  That doesn’t really happen in Spain.
• Analog mobile phones still work over here.  Hilarious.
• MLS Soccer looks about as elegant as my high school soccer team.  Note to Fox Soccer Channel: Don’t put Spanish Primera League highlights in the same program with MLS highlights.  It doesn’t make American sports look very good.

We’re on the East Coast until the 7th of November.  Then we head to California for fun in the sun. 

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The article features a summary of a study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry in which “researchers found that once the daily average temperature rose above 18C each further degree increase was associated with a rise in suicides of almost 4%.”

Wow! What if the Brits lived in Andalucia where the current average temperature is around 35C? Shouldn’t they all be lining up nooses in their back gardens for a communal “offing”? Oh wait, they do live in Andalucia. About 1.4 million of them are having the retirement of their lives down on the sunny Costa del Sol. Be right back, just going to go check the news here in Spain…

… Nope, nothing there. I am happy to report that there has not been a self-imposed purge of Brits on the coast surrounding Málaga!

I might be the only one that finds this to be a humorous insight into the British psyche, but isn’t it a bit odd that as a country recovers from the worst spat of bad weather (in which several friends of mine were either nearly flooded or flooded) anyone can remember, London’s Institute of Psychiatry publishes a study that the good weather can kill you too?

Talk about being stuck between a rock and and a hard place.

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• The Holocaust of the Jews during WWII, horrific as it was, involved about one fifth of the fatalities of what must surely be considered in today’s parlance “Africa’s Holocaust”. Conservative estimates put the total traffic of the Atlantic slave trade at around 40 million total slaves bought on the African coast. Around 27 million survived the “middle passage“.
• As much as we’d like to think that an altruistic appeal to Judeo-Christian humanistic values led to the abolition of the slave trade, it is more likely that it ended because a)it was becoming less profitable and b) it was in the best interest of the British Empire and its unbelievably large naval fleet to do so.
• William Wilberforce was probably not at all like he was portrayed to be in the recent movie “Amazing Grace” and countless sermons and Christian books. (This might lead me to go on a rant about why we, as followers of Jesus Christ, seem to have a penchant for being dishonest about our history?)
• Thomas Clarkson was a dude worth making movies about.

Rant continues after the break…

• There are instances when what we today consider to be “big government” is a very good thing. What I wonder is why don’t today’s “big governments” in Europe do more to take care of human trafficking and the slave trade? Probably because said industries, illegal as they may be, are still profitable and not bothering the status quo. It’s enough to make you cynical.
  • The French, British and especially the Portuguese have a terrible historical debt with the continent of Africa and its inhabitants. Not to mention the Caribbean and parts of South America (Brazil).
  • Racism costs money. It would have been cheaper and more profitable to ship white serfs and indentured slaves from Europe to the America’s to work on plantations than buy slaves in Africa and ship them across the ocean. But buying more expensive African chattel slaves was more culturally acceptable.
  • Not all Africans were victims. Many local rulers and traders became very rich by selling Africans into perpetual slavery.

These are all blatantly assertions, but I can argue them quite well. Maybe I’ll post my essay here when I’m done. It doesn’t touch on all these points, but quite a few of them.

Wikipedia has an excellent article on the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade.
If you have access to JSTOR, any of the numerous articles by David Eltis expounding his seminal database of slave trade data is pretty mind blowing.

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