By John Y. Brown III, on Thu Jun 14, 2012 at 12:00 PM ET
Nothing gets my morning off to a good start better than being tailgated for 3/4 of a mile.
Geez.
Never been tailgated so closely for so long.
It felt like part reckless driving; part sexual assault.
Well, it just makes such good sense, though. By tailgating me by seeming millimeters, my friend arrived nearly 0.2 seconds earlier at Starbucks, which apparently was very important to him.
And here’s the beauty part. I was in front of him at Starbucks. And moved ahead very slowly in line.
By John Y. Brown III, on Wed Jun 13, 2012 at 12:00 PM ET
On airplane Tarmac about to take off. And for a moment was so preoccjpied I couldn’t recall where I was going. And for those few seconds, it was exciting. Anything was possible…
I propose a “Big and Tall” airline for non-anorexics people over 5 ft tall…
I support TSA security measures to combat terrorist threats. And I applaud airlines role in discouraging planes for terrorist purposes by offering cramped seating, delays, and poor service. You are patriots!…
On a plane flight today I noticed the woman next to me doing needlepoint the entire flight. She was an older lady but her hands moved like a precise and steady machine repeating stitch after stitch after stitch. I watched with almost hypnotized interest…it had a calming effect and got me to thinking about more profound things that her knitting represented. In life, we often believe we are the hands doing the frantic and laborious knitting. In fact, I believe we are more like the design waiting for the Divine Knitter to use us in His pattern as we patiently discover how can be most useful to the world.
At least, that’s my hope…
Traveling again today and feel compelled to share TSA humorous interaction of the day. Got selected for a pat down. Yes! That’s right! Me….who never wins anything.
A large male official patted me down and told me to “move ahead” -all clear. A female official came up next with a wand. I whispered, “I’m not sure he really had his heart into it. You may want to do a once over on me to make sure.” She laughed!! Yay!!
The 137th running of the Preakness Stakes, the second leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown, is this Saturday at Pimlico race track in Baltimore, Maryland. The Preakness can either destroy the dreams of the Kentucky Derby winner’s team or it can set up drama like no other at the Belmont Stakes. There has not been a Triple Crown winning horse since 1978, when Affirmed completed the trifecta. I’ll Have Another, the 2012 Kentucky Derby winner, is hoping to do the same in 2012.
Mitt Romney has locked up the Republican nomination for President of the United States in 2012. Just like I’ll Have Another, he is riding high right now. Romney is leading President Obama in a recent CBS News/New York Times poll. His next major campaign move, selecting his Vice Presidential nominee, might decide what looks to be a very close general election. If you don’t believe me, look no further than Sarah Palin in 2008.
So without further ado I give you the “Mitt Romney VP Odd’s Preakness Style” based on the first early morning lines of the race when post positions were drawn. Can there be anything more fun than combining premier US horse racing with presidential politics? I think not.
THE FAVORITES
8-5 Odds – Bodemeister/Senator Marco Rubio (R – FL): Bodemeister led from the gate to nearly the finish of the Kentucky Derby until I’ll Have Another caught him. Just like Bodemeister, Rubio sprinted out to an early lead in the veepstakes and has maintained it up to this point. He is a rising star, has been called the “crown prince” of the Tea Party movement, and potentially delivers the most important swing state of them all. He also helps with the all important and growing Latino vote. Can Rubio seal the deal with Romney or will he get passed in the end like Bodemeister in the Derby? Maybe Romney passes if Mitt can’t handle Rubio’s “star power” potentially outshining him. This pick makes so much sense for Mitt.
5-2 Odds – I’ll Have Another/Senator Rob Portman (R – OH): I’ll Have Another shocked the horse racing world down the stretch of the 138th Kentucky Derby with his closing and finishing speed. Rob Portman is one those guys who has often been mentioned in the running for Romney’s mate, but isn’t as exciting to many Republicans as Rubio. Portman has served his country in the United States House and Senate, as well as in two cabinet positions in the George W. Bush administration. He is from the coveted swing state of Ohio, which President Obama won in 2008. Portman is a lot like Romney when it comes to style and substance, but his experience might make him a tad bit safer choice than Rubio. Portman is closing fast on Rubio in I’ll Have Another fashion.
Read the rest of… Jason Grill: Mitt Romney VP Odds, Preakness Style
By John Y. Brown III, on Mon May 7, 2012 at 12:00 PM ET
Favorite horse racing story.
When my son was in kindergarten his school had a tradition of a stick horse derby race. Parents take it seriously.
There were rumors of moms and dads advising their children on tricks and techniques for winning…and I didn’t want our son to be at a disadvantage.
So I took him out to our backyard to show him some stick horse racing tricks of my own–which I was making up as I go.
The key, I said, was staying focused on running hard no matter what. I demonstrated. Tucking the stick part of the stick horse between my legs and running back and forth as fast as I could. Until I stepped into a hole in the yard and tripped.
At that point I was jarred from my “hyper-competitive parent” mode and looked up and around me. I realized there was at least on neighbor watching me racing on a stick horse in my back yard. And injuring myself.
She was courteous enough to pretend she was looking in another direction in that way that says, “I’m so embarrassed for you that I’m going to do you the favor of pretending I didn’t see that. But I did. And, yes, you looked that ridiculous.”
I went inside and put ice on my ankle.
And didn’t go outside to the backyard again for several weeks. Until I had some dignified and serious reason to be there.
Still, the stick horse race went well. My son finished “in the money” so to speak. I was proud. And I like to think I may have helped contribute to his successful run.
It was a proud moment that made me think to myself in that loving way, “Like father, like son.” Sort of.
By John Y. Brown III, on Mon May 7, 2012 at 10:00 AM ET
Derby brush with celebrities…..
OK…yeah, I went to Derby…and, yeah, I tried spotting the celebs. I saw Fred Willard (who is a great comic I have long admired). I saw three people who seemed to be Brad Pitt but none were. I saw two people who appeared to be Cindi Lauper and one was.
For the past few years I’ve watched “The Real Housewives of….(fill in the blank with a city)” with my wife.
Yes, it was my wife’s idea. But only at first. What I didn’t realize is that watching that show was really just preparation for today’s big moment when I met Vicki Gunvalson, Real Housewife of Orange County.
My good friend John Esham (right) and I approached The OC Real Housewife and found her very very approachable and pleasant.
Of course, this picture with Vicki Gunvalson was really just a ruse for John and I to get our picture taken with authentic Louisville celeb and Unbridled Eve impresario, Tonya York Dees.
So why is MLS and the sport of soccer having so much recent success? Many factors contribute to this formula. Soccer is no longer just for “hipsters” or people who like to be different in the America sports culture. I have seen this up close with the growth of Kansas City’s soccer franchise Sporting KC. A re-brand from the KC Wizards to Sporting KC, as well as the opening of the state of the art, soccer-specificLivestrong Sporting Park has taking soccer in Kansas City to the next level. This is happening all over the country with the number of soccer-specific stadiums being built. Currently 13 of the 19 MLS franchises have soccer-specific stadiums with one more on the way and one being proposed. This has changed the all-around fan experience and made the in stadium intimacy unlike any other in American sport. Throw in supporter and member sections like the Kansas City Cauldron and you have a recipe for a lively experience at every match. The members section in Kansas City is comparable, if not better than, the bleachers atWrigley Field or the student section at a major college football or basketball game. Brett Bates, a founding member of Sporting KC’s Brookside Elite supporters club believes, “No other sports league in America has the supporters culture that MLS does and that’s what sets it apart. The individuals at the top know how important the average Joe is to building a passionate fan base in the city and region.” Not only is this happening in the Midwest, it is also happening in the Pacific Northwest. The Seattle Sounders andPortland Timbers have formed a great rivalry very quickly and their supporters sections are incredible. The Seattle Sounders are number one in MLS merchandise sales by a large margin and their attendance issetting records. Have you seen the Portland Timbers Army sing the national anthem on ESPN?
Chilling isn’t it?
Read the rest of… Jason Grill: Not Your Older Brother’s MLS: Soccer Matters America
The RP referred in his Provocation to a recent market analysis sponsored by the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, a pro-gaming organization. Below is an excerpt from the report, as well as a link to its Executive Summary:
Based upon our assumed parameters, we developed a detailed market analysis and casino project assumptions that were based on site visits, the competitive landscape, owner interviews and our experience. Spectrum concludes that the eight Kentucky casinos as described in this report would produce the following statewide outcomes (first-year numbers are assumed to be for 2015):
• First-year full-time equivalent direct jobs of as many as 10,953, with a payroll of $289.3 million.
• First-year statewide total direct, indirect and induced jobs of 20,471 (non-farm, but inclusive of equine). This excludes any government jobs that might be created.
• The eight prospective casinos would generate first-year gross state product of $1.737 billion and first-year total personal income of $1.009 billion.
• The 30-month construction period would create 4,297 full-time-equivalent construction jobs with a total payroll of $338 million.
• First-year gross gaming revenue of $1.14 billion. • First-year gaming tax of $464.7 million, and total state tax receipts from all sources of
$541.3 million, including funds dedicated to horse-racing industry programs. • One-time license fees of $266 million. • First-year funds for horse-industry programs of $164.6 million:
o $152.5 million for thoroughbred and standardbred purses o $10.5 million for the Equine Breed Authority o $1.6 million for Quarter Horse Purse Program
• Funds dedicated to the racing industry would generate an average of 2,861 additional jobs in the equine sector each year over the first three years of casino operations, with an estimated 1,500 jobs created in the first year.
By Jonathan Miller, on Mon Jan 30, 2012 at 8:30 AM ET
Over the past three weeks, we’ve launched a new tradition at The Recovering Politician: a great virtual debate on the issues of the day among our recovering politicians; with provocations, rebuttals, responses, and defenses. Our first discussion focused on presidential leadership; our second on legalizing marijuana; and our third, Tim Tebow.
This week, the RP stirs up the mix with another controversial subject: the morality of gambling The RP starts off with his provocative article from The Huffington Post. Tune in every half hour to read what other RPs have to say.
It was one of those awkward, seemingly-endless moments that elicited pained winces from both secular liberals and those of us who believe that prayer is a sacred communication with God.
Rev. Hershael York stepped up to the Speaker’s lectern, before a televised joint session of the Kentucky General Assembly, purportedly to deliver the opening prayer. Instead, he launched into a blistering political diatribe, attacking Gov. Steve Beshear’s signature proposal to generate tax revenue by expanding gaming in the Commonwealth:
May [the Legislature] never resort to leveraging vice and avarice to pay our bills… May they not lead this state to share profits from an industry that preys on greed or desperation. Help us to foster salaries, not slot machines, to build cars and enable jobs, not license casinos and seduce the simple into losing what they have.
While York’s oration was as inappropriate as it was unsubtle, it certainly reflected a widely-shared worldview within the conservative Christian community: Gambling is immoral, and its creeping sprawl through Middle America should be contained.
Read the rest of… The RPs Debate Gambling: The RP Provokes
By Zack Adams, RP Staff, on Thu Sep 8, 2011 at 3:00 PM ET
The Politics of Speed
“Killing the Nissan Leaf’s battery” – How to do it and what happens when you do. [Cars.com]
Do you like driving? I thought so. Well, good news for you: Pres. Obama’s to-be-unveiled spending bill will focus heavily on infrastructure and rebuilding roads and bridges. [Bloomberg]
General Motors is making money, but they aren’t sharing it just yet. [Detroit Free Press]
By Zack Adams, RP Staff, on Thu Sep 1, 2011 at 3:00 PM ET
The Politics of Speed
It is really not looking good for Saab as the company that owns them: Swedish Automobile NV posted a $220 million second quarter loss. It is not likely that Saab will be kept afloat much longer. [Bloomberg Businessweek]
You may not have heard yet, but Formula 1 is finally making a return to America! The inaugural race has been pushed back, but the official premiere date is Nov. 18, 2012. The first race will be at the still under-construction Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. [The Austin Chronicle]
Here is an interesting story that asserts that if Dick Cheney had his way the Detroit Three would be no more. This is apparently stated by Cheney himself in his new memoir. [Detroit Free Press]
The Chevy Camaro is the most popular car on Facebook with 1.8 million fans. [Facebook]
Smaller, smaller, smaller. Auto makers are churning out more compact cars to meet demand for lower prices and better gas mileage. [Associated Press]
Nothing gets my morning off to a good start better than being tailgated for 3/4 of a mile.
