Super Bowl Quarterbacks

Check out my latest at The Partial Observer - Super Bowl Quarterbacks. Rates the careers of every qb who started the game.

The Partial Observer - Revamping the NFL Playoffs

Check out my latest at The Partial Observer - Revamping the NFL Playoffs.

Stop Taxing Our Children

Check out the latest at DownsizeDC.org: Stop Taxing Our Children

Iran's Defiance is Not Surprising

At DownsizeDC: Iran's Defiance is Not Surprising: "The endless and increasingly stiff sanctions against Iran only encourages that nation to seek any kind of leverage."

How Louis C.K. Discouraged Online Piracy - Without Help From the State

Check out my latest at the Downsize DC Foundation. Excerpt:

Can creative performance artists thrive in the Internet age?

Media companies say no. Their business is to distribute artists'
content and then lobby the Federal
State state to pass bills such as the
Stop Online Piracy Act.

But what happens when the artist goes around them?

The comedian Louis C.K. decided to find out.

The Partial Observer - Rolling Up the Score, Passer Ratings, and NFL Prediction Results

Check out my latest at The Partial Observer - Rolling Up the Score, Passer Ratings, and NFL Prediction Results. The title says it all.

Why Are Today's Politicians So Incompetent?

Check out my latest at the Downsize DC Foundation. Excerpt:

I'm inclined to agree that the quality of our politicians has gotten worse. The
same holds true for our Presidential candidates. In my post-Watergate youth
there were few candidates who frightened me, but in recent cycles most of the
candidates have been people I wouldn't hire for ANY job, let alone the position
of President.

Peace on Earth, Good Will to ALL

Source: http://www.downsizedcfoundation.org/blog/peace-on-earth-good-will-to-all

This is a special message from the Downsize DC Foundation...

Christmas Day, and the whole Holiday Season, is a time when many people sing songs about "peace on Earth, good will to men."

Even for the non-religious, this ideal of Christmas can warm the heart.

But the feeling quickly passes... often as soon as we turn on the news or go on the Internet.

The ill will starts to flow, against...

• Democrats or Republicans
• Muslims or Christians or atheists
• Persons who live "alternative" lifestyles or persons who uphold "traditional" values

Whoever we are, and whatever our values, we often feel under attack. We believe that OTHER PEOPLE - inside and outside our country -- want to undermine our values or way of life.

But there's one common element. No matter what "side" we are on, we usually tend to think as AMERICANS. We ask questions like...

• What is America coming to?
• Has America lost its way?
• Is such-and-such good for America?

It is natural to think this way. After all, we are Americans. This is our home. Of course we have an interest in our home.

But, we are human beings first.

When we think of "peace on Earth, good will to men," does this mean peace for just some parts of the planet, or all of it? Is it good will to some people, or to all?

• Are poverty and unemployment important only when Americans suffer?
• Is war tragic only when Americans suffer?
• Do your rights come from your American citizenship, or are they inherent in your humanity -- in the humanity of all persons on the planet?
• Is the use of violence and coercion the path to peace and good will?
• Isn't it possible that the people you resent and fear the most, might also have reasons to resent and fear YOU?
• And if resentment and manipulation causes trouble in personal relationships, should we give our consent to States to routinely use coercion and violence?

It seems healthy that we do more than sing about "peace on earth, good will to men." Perhaps, we should actually give real thought to why we have not yet reached this ideal.

We hope you find these questions helpful.

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

The Downsize DC Team

The Vain Pursuit of Perfection

Check out my latest: The Partial Observer - The Vain Pursuit of Perfection

Excerpt:

We have seen other great achievements from the 1970's or 60's that have yet to
be duplicated. No male tennis player has won the Grand Slam since Rod Laver did
it twice in the 1960's. No team has won the NFL championship three years in a
row since the Packers in the 1960's. No NFL team has had a perfect record before
or since the 1972 Miami Dolphins. Tiger Woods may be in decline, and still needs
five Majors to eclipse Jack Nicklaus. A few of John Wooden's UCLA basketball
teams went undefeated, and Bobby Knight's Indiana team duplicated the feat in
1976, but no one has done it since.These long-ago achievements loom large. It's
almost too much to ask for anyone to reach them.

My Latest: If I Became Basketball Dictator

Check out my latest at The Partial Observer - If I Became Basketball Dictator: let's make the NBA a real Association instead of a league!

The Greed Fallacy

My latest for Downsize DC: The Greed Fallacy

The Department of Justice Says You're A Criminal

From DownsizeDC.org: The Department of Justice Says You're A Criminal

2011: Best Year and Worst Year For Sports

Check out my latest at The Partial Observer - 2011: Best Year and Worst Year For Sports

Ideology and Climate Change

My latest at The Downsize DC Foundation: Ideology and Climate Change

My latest at The Partial Observer - Stumbling Upon Evil

The Partial Observer - Stumbling Upon Evil - about the Penn State scandal.