Congratulations Blackhawks

A better outcome for them than the last time around.



Though I remain indifferent to the Hawks success, I appreciate it since the mere idea of seeing the odious Chris Pronger’s name on the cup is too horrible to contemplate.

H/T and more Michael Bérubé.

Understanding Economics

H/T to an anonymous commenter at The Baseline Scenario

Mellow Yellow Monday

They seem like flowers

In a bouquet of fresh fruit

To look at or eat

A Mother's Day gift my wife got from her older son.

Quote of the day

So wise policy, as defined by the G20 and like-minded others, consists of destroying economic recovery in order to satisfy hypothetical irrational demands from the markets — demands that economies suffer pointless pain to show their determination, demands that markets aren’t actually making, but which serious people, in their wisdom, believe that the markets will make one of these days.

Awesome.

From the always wise and mostly right Paul Krugman.

Everyone thinks the right approach to solve a demand crisis is to emulate Herbert Hoover.

Wow.  We are SO screwed.

Shadow Shot sunday - 6/06

A brown spotted toad who lives in my yard.

This Amphibian,

Moved from grass to patio,

Saved from lawn-mower's bite.

Sunday Music Blogging - 6/06 Memories of you

Six Word Saturday 6/05

House full of grandchildren -- blogging pre-empted.

Family Fun

I'll have family visiting from out of town this weekend.  Posting will sporadic or even non-existant until possibly Tuesday.

Cheers and happy week-end.
JzB

First Base Umpire Makes History

Not in a good way.   This is worse than Phil Luckett blowing a coin toss.

Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga just pitched a no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians, for which he will not get credit because of a horrendous blunder by Jim Joyce, the first base umpire.  This would have been the 21st perfect game in MLB history.

Several replays clearly indicated that the 27th batter was thrown out by a half-step or more.  This play always goes to the defense - as it should.  Much closer plays are called out a dozen times in every game.  The view angle that pointed into the Cleveland Indian's dugout showed that they couldn't believe it, either.

How many chances in his career does a pitcher get to throw a no hitter?

Earlier in the inning, Austin Jackson made a spectacular, running, Willie Mays style, back-to-the-plate, over-the-shoulder catch in deep right-center to maintain Galarraga's no-hitter to that point.

Then, with two ninth inning outs in the books, and the third out clear at first base, the idiot umpire took it away from him.

Galarraga got the next batter on a ground out to end the inning, the game, and - I hope - that hapless umpire's career.

Update:  Upon further review, I over reacted in the heat of the moment in calling Joyce an idiot an demanding his firing.  I have since learned that he has always been an outstanding umpire and a stand-up guy.  As soon as he saw the replays, he owned up to his mistake and apologized. Unfortunately, he will not be remembered for any of that.  He will go down in history for his massive, inexplicable blunder.

So it's sad for everyone involved.  But I have no sympathy for Joyce.  He should have realized the context and the importance of getting that call right.  Clearly, his head was not in the game.  Wie Shade.

A Terrible Moment of High Irony

Check this out.

Read it and weep.

Money Illusion Delusion

This is going to be a long post with lots of words and graphs.  Grab an apple or your favorite quaff, put your feet up and your thinking cap on.

Over at The Money Illusion, Scott Sumner, an Economist with a PhD in economics from the U. of Chicago recently posted an entry with the title: America’s amazing success since 1980: Why Krugman is wrong.

His thesis is that neoliberal economic policies promote economic growth, and further, that a country's growth rate relative to other countries is a direct result of having or not having employed neoliberal policies.

I am about to deconstruct Sumner's methodology and eviscerate his conclusions.  First, though, a disclaimer.  I am not an economist. I do not speak the jargon, and am unfamiliar with many of the concepts.  However, I have a technical background, two masters degrees (Chemistry and an MBA) some proficiency in math, critical thinking skills, a finely-honed sense of skepticism, and the ability to graph data sets.  Most importantly, I believe in data-driven conclusions, not conclusion-driven data mining.

Next, let's take note of the kerfuffle Mike Kimmel and Spencer over at Angry Bear got into with Sumner.  This illustrates the hazard of getting into a point-counter point with someone who is ideology driven, especially after he has framed the debate in a way that is favorable to his conclusions.   The thing to do, I'm convinced, is go after their basic assumptions, and refute them with actual facts.  That will be my goal in this post.

Random Thought

On the universal applicability of Massage Therapy

During my massage session this morning, the therapist mentioned that if you use your body, you will have knots in your muscles.  She then added that if you don't use your body, you will have knots in your muscles. 

Thinking then upon the life styles of the laborers and the indolent, along with ancient wisdom that it rains equally on the rich and the poor, I came up with this.

The haves have knots,

and

The have-nots have knots.