tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34376762012-01-26T21:33:03.989-08:00<img src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_zoBCYM4ggaM/RpHWwaZigmI/AAAAAAAAADE/nYO5ZZk5B5s/s320/2382520036_ORIG.jpg" height="203"> <i>Més que</i> -- <i>un blog</i> <img src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_zoBCYM4ggaM/R6zzK-K0DVI/AAAAAAAAAEc/pzy1RkO_ocY/s320/3794820521_ORIG.jpeg" height="203">Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.comBlogger35021100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-10246822006683252392011-11-28T12:35:00.000-08:002011-12-02T11:56:17.299-08:00

Working Class Zero: Early on in an analytical piece about the President's reelection strategy comes this little nugget:For decades, Democrats have suffered continuous and increasingly severe losses among white voters. But preparations by Democratic operatives for the 2012 election make it clear for the first time that the party will explicitly abandon the white working class. All pretense of

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-60789863115100811922011-10-24T08:12:00.000-07:002011-10-24T08:16:32.711-07:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Haka:Unclear whether the French were preparing some sort of response along the lines of the can-can, but thought better of it at the last minute. The All Blacks ended up winning the WC Final, 8-7.

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-89710592324540306832011-09-16T14:57:00.000-07:002011-09-16T15:14:20.522-07:00

Solyndra, solyndra....I suppose there's no point commenting on the faux-outrage about this story, but it is interesting (at least to me) that there seem to be people who are under the impression that it is a horrible, beastly thing for the government to have lost money on this sort of investment. Solyndra was involved a business that is typically high-risk, so any sort of investment was going to

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-74176711916361258462011-08-21T22:55:00.000-07:002011-09-16T14:52:03.435-07:00

Another legacy brat falls: With the pending fall of Tripoli to the rebels comes word that Saadi Gadhafi, idiot son of the dictator, and the subject of this piece from the early days of my blog, has been arrested. Interestingly, after his soccer "career" ended, he had been investing in the moving pictures, with little luck, before events in the homeland compelled his return earlier this

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-29014046294827772642011-08-11T23:24:00.000-07:002011-08-11T23:32:02.480-07:00

Something to know about the Kings of the Jungle: Researchers plotted the timing of nearly 500 of those lion attacks against the phases of the moon. And they found that the odds of being devoured by a lion were highest on nights following the full moon—nights when the moon rises late, providing hours of darkness for lions to stage a strike. And previous studies have found that the fatter the moon

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-36706179365506083622011-08-07T17:39:00.000-07:002011-08-08T17:26:12.862-07:00

About a week ago, I had the opportunity to party it up with some friendly small-l libertarian types. Possessing the Obamian tendency of trying to find common ground with others, particularly ideological adversaries, and not wanting to say the one obviously libertarian tendency that I and other left-of-center types possess (Yes on Pot !!!), I was reminded of something that has rankled me no end on

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-73284195770345031632011-08-04T13:22:00.001-07:002011-08-23T07:47:58.977-07:00

Definitely not the sort of problem that the fans of Phoebe Nicholls have to worry about....

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-64615966092954156572011-07-28T10:24:00.000-07:002011-07-29T12:52:42.376-07:00

All Hail Our Galtian Overlords !!!Ex-TV journalist turned free market shill John Stossel, on a paradise we hard-luck democratic saps should consider: Hong Kong doesn't even have democracy, but because its rulers protected people's personal safety and property and left them otherwise free, Hong Kong thrived. In 50 years, it went from horrible poverty to income levels that are among the highest in

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-47884965091297045252011-07-19T11:34:00.000-07:002011-07-19T11:36:30.435-07:00

Maybe Chapter can play left field:

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-25318820714306170072011-07-18T16:17:00.000-07:002011-07-18T16:34:52.293-07:00

"'Linda Green'" by any other name would smell as sweet: Apparently the scam continues:Mortgage industry employees are still signing documents they haven't read and using fake signatures more than eight months after big banks and mortgage companies promised to stop the illegal practices that led to a nationwide halt of home foreclosures.County officials in at least three states say they have

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-39594238843868476342011-06-27T13:46:00.000-07:002011-06-27T14:24:05.996-07:00

Dodgers Go Red: Here are the initial Chapter 11 filings for the Los Angeles Dodgers, which actually entails five separate bankruptcies, involving the team and the various holding companies that own the team and the surrounding property, including Dodger Stadium. The bankruptcy was filed in the state of Delaware, which is not uncommon for high-end corporate filings, and not surprising considering

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-36706912704736001332011-04-14T23:33:00.000-07:002011-04-14T23:48:53.696-07:00

Perhaps the best reason why it's always a good idea to have legal representation: to avoid the old bait-and-switch from lenders. From this morning's LA Times:Mortgage lenders call it "dual tracking," but for homeowners struggling to avoid foreclosure, it might go by another name: the double-cross.Dual tracking refers to a common bank tactic. When a borrower in default seeks a loan modification,

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-74621391263601848102011-04-12T22:50:00.000-07:002011-04-13T00:50:26.476-07:00

To much chagrin among local hoops fans, The Lads have suffered through a five-game losing streak over the last week, erasing any chance the defending world champs would catch San Antonio for the best record in the NBA, and ultimately pushing them behind Chicago (and likely Miami as well), in the event they meet up in the Finals. Now, it's more a matter of keeping themselves ahead of Dallas and

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-8167183637986730252011-02-19T13:49:00.000-08:002011-02-20T19:59:19.746-08:00

Why Wisconsin is important: Madison has not had demonstrations like this in years, perhaps not since the Vietnam War. Obama's Organizing for America, an offshoot of the Democratic National Committee, has claimed some credit for helping to mobilize the protesters, but the demonstrations have been more bottom-up than top-down. Labor unions have been in the forefront, joined by other progressive

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-90626572164068624932011-02-02T17:46:00.001-08:002011-02-02T23:42:19.017-08:00

This classic was later covered by Nirvana:Hiybbprqag !?! Caliphate !!!

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-38372252815423138882011-01-11T11:26:00.000-08:002011-01-11T18:11:36.888-08:00

George Packer, on free speech and crazy people:Loughner might, by chance, have been completely unaware of the climate in his hometown. Or he might have been steeped in it. The point is that the climate is dangerous, in Arizona and elsewhere, and the shootings ought to have prompted its purveyors to step back and do some hard thinking...[A]t a minimum, human decency should have led Sarah Palin to

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-33952909261487863292011-01-10T08:18:00.000-08:002011-01-10T08:28:05.659-08:00

Jared Loughner, and others like him, should not have been able to legally purchase a gun. Period.

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-56953696758724045642010-12-11T10:38:00.000-08:002010-12-11T10:43:12.473-08:00

Orszag to Join CitiBank: Classy. Technically, though, Citi will keep MERS on title as the beneficiary.

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-60376906834371881282010-10-29T18:29:00.000-07:002010-10-29T18:55:18.415-07:00

From a NY Times article entitled "Confidence in Abundance, despite an E.R.A. of Infinity":When the Texas Rangers’ clubhouse opened for reporters after Game 2 of the World Series in San Francisco on Thursday, the only player talking was Derek Holland. Five minutes after the home clubhouse opened Friday, before a workout at Rangers Ballpark, Holland was back at his locker, ready for more.Clearly,

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-88283095440849652572010-10-26T20:36:00.001-07:002010-10-26T21:21:49.587-07:00

Proud and Elite: Compliments of Kevin Drum, here are my answers to the Berlinski Quiz on my plebian qualities, or lack thereof: 1. Can you talk about "Mad Men?" Yes. It pretty much encompasses all of my cultural thinking.2. Can you talk about the "The Sopranos?" Yes.3. Do you know who replaced Bob Barker on "The Price Is Right?" Drew Carey, right?4. Have you watched an Oprah show from beginning

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-36109324868372338722010-09-28T17:22:00.000-07:002010-09-28T18:22:22.682-07:00

Dark Satanic Mills: From the Washington Post comes this inevitable story about Foreclosure Madness: The nation's overburdened foreclosure system is riddled with faked documents, forged signatures and lenders who take shortcuts reviewing borrower's files, according to court documents and interviews with attorneys, housing advocates and company officials.The problems, which are so widespread that

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-64817598049142218532010-09-13T11:28:00.000-07:002010-09-13T11:39:36.488-07:00

One of our great writers, Bill James, writes in defense of the spirit of scofflawery, a uniquely American tradition that, like our lax standards for bankruptcy, is one of the principal reasons our society is more vibrant and entrepreneurial than any other on the planet. James writes: ...America is an immensely creative country, very inventive, extraordinarily dynamic, meaning that things change

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-71940662280995756302010-09-08T17:44:00.000-07:002010-09-08T17:45:59.701-07:00

Sign of the Times: Bankruptcy filings have become so great in the LA area that the mandatory meetings of creditors are being scheduled for the Los Angeles Convention Center; the regular site does not have enough space !!!

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-60657415484873922492010-09-06T16:41:00.000-07:002010-09-07T17:02:15.791-07:00

Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the Obama Presidency so far as been the passive role his administration has taken concerning the primary cause of the Great Recession, the collapse of the housing bubble. The HAMP program has been an unqualified failure, at least from the perspective of enabling financially-shaken borrowers an opportunity to modify their loans at rates closer to the

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-62057193598978151162010-08-25T10:38:00.000-07:002010-08-25T10:46:10.654-07:00

Evidence that being Athletic Director at USC causes you to become the world's biggest asshole:First Mike Garrett, now this clown:Former star USC quarterback and NFL player Pat Haden guested on the Dan Patrick Show today. Haden, who was recently hired as USC Athletic Director, was asked by Patrick during the interview: “If you were Reggie Bush, would you give back the Heisman?”Haden, after a long

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-83182932562179923862010-08-11T15:56:00.000-07:002010-08-11T15:57:33.370-07:00

Without a doubt, the best TV ad run by a losing candidate in this election cycle:Stay classy, GOP....

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-86209094064812778202010-07-14T17:16:00.001-07:002010-07-14T17:45:26.689-07:00

Perhaps it's not the biggest story to come out of the world of hoops this past fortnight, but one of the ramifications of the LeBron James signing last week is the decision by each of the twelve players on the gold-medal winning 2008 Olympic basketball team to take a powder in this year's 2010 FIBA Championships. The tournament, to be played in Turkey starting in late-August, has always been the

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-80908740554023382682010-07-12T15:52:00.000-07:002010-07-12T16:16:04.416-07:00

World Cup Final--Spain 1, Netherlands 0: It took 117 minutes, but Spain finally overcame the Orange-clad Stormtroopers to win their first World Cup. Don't believe me? Ask Johann Cruyff (website in Spanish): Dutch football legend Johan Cruyff has launched a scathing attack on Netherlands' display in the World Cup final, deriding it as "anti-football".The Dutch received nine yellow cards, and a

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-69147824487724249882010-07-10T16:01:00.000-07:002010-07-10T16:26:18.030-07:00

Sorry, but there's no vintage video of past World Cup games between Spain and Holland, simply because the World Cup finalists have never played each other in this tournament. Not only that, but they've never been placed together in the same qualifying group. They've never played against one another in the next biggest international tournament, the European Championship, or in the third, the

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-18200413046945951112010-07-10T14:43:00.000-07:002010-07-10T15:05:43.262-07:00

Germany 3, Uruguay 2 [Third Place]: The Kings of Bronze of international soccer, Germany, "won" their fourth third-place game in soccer's showcase tournament, coming from behind in the second half to win a typically lively affair. Thomas Müller and Luis Suárez, both barred by infractions from playing in their team's semifinal losses, figured prominently in the scoring, Müller knocking in a

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-57412283785951154372010-07-09T22:57:00.000-07:002010-07-12T23:00:42.796-07:00

Germany and Uruguay have played each other three times before in the Cup, each before the fall of the Iron Curtain allowed us to retire the moniker "West Germany." In 1966, they drew each other in the quarterfinals; the West Germans were expected to breeze, but after scoring an early fluke goal struggled to put away the Uruguayans, until a rather questionable non-call in the penalty area pissed

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-16709668437170986932010-07-09T20:49:00.000-07:002010-07-09T22:28:27.911-07:00

Quick, which team has finished third in the World Cup the most times? Time's up, it's....Germany!!! Yep, the Germans "won" the Bronze in 1934, 1970, and most recently, in 2006. And guess who's lost the most consolation games...you got it, none other than tomorrow's opponent, Uruguay, the only country to have lost the Third Place game more than once, in 1954 and in 1970, the latter occasion

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-70202995434720294242010-07-07T16:14:00.000-07:002010-07-09T22:28:37.789-07:00

Spain 1, Germany 0: A better game to watch than to summarize. Nothing flashy, just good, solid, efficient German-style football, used in the crusade to beat the Germans, who obviously were exhausted from having to celebrate all their goals in the earlier rounds. First time since 1978 both teams in Finals are championship-virgins.

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-90510740757020955452010-07-07T11:42:00.000-07:002010-07-07T12:10:54.200-07:00

Why are my compatriots in the progressive blogosphere such whiny assclowns? I guess it's unfair to limit such a generalization to left-of-center bloggers, since someone like Andrew Breitbart or Patterico can sound positively gruesome when they detect some trivial bit of political bias in the media, but I don't generally don't read (and don't care) what the far right has to say. But when I'm

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-78293438747174473822010-07-06T20:16:00.000-07:002010-07-06T21:46:21.529-07:00

Tomorrow's semifinal involves two teams that have met each other on more than a few occasions. In World Cup play, they have played three times, with Germany winning twice and the teams drawing on the other occasion.The first game, in 1966, was the final game of group play; Spain, then as now, was the defending European champions, but thanks to a loss in their opening game to Argentina, needed a

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-44041712470399446962010-07-06T15:45:00.000-07:002010-07-06T21:41:11.510-07:00

Holland 3, Uruguay 2: In the highest-scoring regulation semi-final game in 48 years, the Dutch held on to defeat an undermanned but gutsy team from South America, and will now return to the Final for the first time since the glory years of the Clockwork Oranje. I don't know if Uruguay's performance this time was the biggest fluke since Renee Zellwegger won the Oscar, but three cheers to the

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-6975923494213933222010-07-06T00:05:00.000-07:002010-07-06T00:16:25.125-07:00

For those few of you are interested, today's semifinalists, Holland and Uruguay, have played once before in the World Cup, all the way back in 1974. At the time, Uruguay was a perennial contender, having made the semifinals four years earlier, but had gone through a prolonged period of stagnancy, dating back to its previous championship a quarter century earlier. In short, they were similar to

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-62082991283245600852010-07-03T13:36:00.000-07:002010-07-03T15:15:44.499-07:00

Spain 1, Paraguay 0: Two penalty kicks missed in two minutes !!! Paraguay somehow went the final 304 minutes of play in the 2010 World Cup without scoring a goal and still made to within breathing distance of the semis. Well done, wizards; please accept these parting gifts and go home. Spain, of course, sticks around, thanks to a H.O.R.S.E.-inspired shot by David Villa eight minutes from the

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-65418668606049654182010-07-03T13:08:00.000-07:002010-07-06T21:41:54.022-07:00

The World Cup is only eight days from being over, but there is another big international sporting event coming up: the World Basketball Championships. It starts on August 28, 2010, in Turkey. And yes, the U.S. is ranked number one two.* Team America hasn't won this since 1994, although the possible participation of Kobe^, LeBron, Durant, and Melo offers hope this time around. The Olympics

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-88631638498638717462010-07-03T09:36:00.000-07:002010-07-03T15:16:48.972-07:00

Germany 4, Argentina 0: Some pre-game puffery about the Argentine coach, courtesy of Dave Zirin: In his playing days, Maradona made people reconsider the sacred idea that Pele was surely the greatest player to ever patrol the pitch. He went from soccer superstar to Argentine folk hero during the 1986 World Cup, when he “avenged” the 1982 British defeat of Argentina in the Falklands War by

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-12457749876005323112010-07-02T18:44:00.000-07:002010-07-02T18:55:02.857-07:00

Uruguay 1, Ghana 1 [PK: 4-2]: The finish of the game was like Bill Buckner's error, only it came in the midst of an event the whole world was watching, not just the New York-Boston corridor. In other words, Gyan's miss in the final seconds mattered a little more, and broke the hearts of a few more people. Uruguay, in the meantime, returns to the World Cup semifinals for the first time since 1970,

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-64032910680766196802010-07-02T10:08:00.000-07:002010-07-05T00:33:38.072-07:00

Before anyone starts weeping over the pending demise of Christopher Hitchens, here's an obit he wrote about Bob Hope several years ago, and another one about former Secretary of State Alexander Haig. There's too much unkindness here for anyone not to believe that, if she does indeed exist, God is Good. A sample: To be paralyzingly, painfully, hopelessly unfunny is not a particular defect or

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-35363652914128171732010-07-02T09:30:00.000-07:002010-07-02T10:16:25.697-07:00

Netherland(s) 2, Brazil 1: The least-popular Brazilian team in memory gets bounced in the quarters again. Bye, bye, Brazil...losing by a goal doesn't have the same descriptive ability that losing by a run has in baseball, or by a point in football or hoops. It's the same thing in the so-called "real world": when the Supreme Court rules 5-4, that's a strong indication that the court is hotly

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-27993389940004697602010-07-01T09:53:00.000-07:002010-07-07T17:58:26.819-07:00

Spain 1, Portugal 0: Finally playing like the top team in the world, Spain permitted a few chance to their Iberian rivalry, scored halfway through the second half, thanks to David Villa, then shut down the 2006 semifinalist convincingly.We have now reached the quarterfinals, the point in the World Cup that the tournament goes from being an event that unites the sports fans of the planet to just

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-65893465027225229492010-07-01T09:42:00.000-07:002010-07-01T10:16:00.651-07:00

Paraguay 0, Japan 0 [PK, 5-3]: Three hours of my life, shot to hell. A more pressing problem for the integrity of the World Cup than the occasional blown call by the ref (somehow, when Brazil has its star sent off on a bogus second yellow card, it always manages to survive) has to be the willingness of inferior teams, like the Japanese, to play for penalty kicks pretty much from the opening

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-55584696631407012022010-06-28T22:00:00.000-07:002010-07-01T10:05:35.083-07:00

Brazil 3, Chile 0: If anyone can make a 3-0 game entertaining and seemingly close, it's Brazil. Still no magic, though.

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-63050751624153545112010-06-28T09:12:00.000-07:002010-07-01T10:05:35.084-07:00

Holland 2, Slovakia 1: Pathetic effort by the Slovaks, whose only goal came on a penalty kick on the final play of the game. If the game had been played in the US, the FBI would have been investigating the Poor Man's Czechs for match fixing. Just go away.

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-710447048363466372010-06-27T14:17:00.000-07:002010-07-01T10:05:35.085-07:00

Argentina 3*, Mexico 1: Holy shit, where does FIFA come up with these idiots? I can't wait to see the quarterfinal where Argentina gets to play with a twelfth player, or Lukas Podolski picks up the ball and carries it over the goal line....

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-18965206782449063252010-06-27T13:44:00.000-07:002010-07-01T09:41:04.531-07:00

Germany 4, England 1*: Interestingly, by all statistical measures England was the better team: it had more touches, corners, shots, shots on goal, and even had the edge in time of possession. So I guess they really won, at least on an existential level. Suck on that, Huns... actually, the Goal-That-Wasn't-Counted changed the game completely, especially in those categories (btw, the ref was the

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-64693432379734231472010-06-27T11:26:00.001-07:002010-07-03T10:19:42.921-07:00

Ghana 2, USA 1 [OT]: This might be a sign of the emerging base of true soccer fans in America: that a tactical mistake by the coach of the national team could be a subject of discussion, as a cause for blame for the team's early departure. Bradley's decision to start Ricardo Clark would have a questionable move the first time it happened, since there is nothing in his pedigree or career that

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-65867716205875206752010-06-27T11:25:00.001-07:002010-07-06T17:54:28.562-07:00

Uruguay 2, South Korea 1: 0-0, 2-1, 0-0, 0-4, 2-0, 0-0, 0-1, 1-0 (OT), 1-3, 0-1, 0-2, 1-1, 0-3, 1-1, 1-6, 0-0, 0-1, 0-0, 1-3, 1-0, 0-2. Those are Uruguay's World Cup results from 1966 to 1990. Notice a pattern there? In 21 matches, they had five scoreless draws, twelve games where they were shut out, with another game where they didn't score their one goal until the final minute of extra time. In

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-41445509528263430272010-06-25T16:25:00.001-07:002010-06-25T18:06:46.136-07:00

Spain 2, Chile 1 // Honduras 0, Switzerland 0: How did the Swiss do it? Beating the number one-ranked team in the world is apparently not good enough to get out of group…in their seven games played in the last two World Cups, they've conceded one goal, officially lost only once, but have almost nothing to show for it. Getting outplayed by Honduras, a team which pretty much knew from the outset

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-22485900948799878682010-06-25T15:27:00.001-07:002010-06-25T18:10:43.240-07:00

Portugal 0, Brazil 0 // Ivory Coast 3, North Korea 0: Not a whole lot to be said about Brazil v. Portugal; a dull, poorly-played game between two defensive-oriented teams who will have to elevate their game some to go much further in the tourney. Not surprisingly, the result was enough to send both through to the next round, with Brazil "winning" the group. Being the best African team in

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-25474209191351392842010-06-25T12:08:00.001-07:002010-07-06T21:41:54.023-07:00

Perhaps the most disturbing thing about the recent imposition of severe sanctions against USC's college football program (ie., L.A.'s only pro football team) is the lack of anything resembling journalistic propriety or balance in covering such a story. An athlete, in this case Reggie Bush, gets accused of having received benefits (or, in Bush's case, his parents), and the sports media will go

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-37451858620183728492010-06-24T19:31:00.000-07:002010-06-24T19:41:19.453-07:00

Japan 3, Denmark 1 // The Netherlands 2, Cameroon 1: The Danes usually have one really stinky game in the tournament, but it’s usually not in the first round. The score could have easily been 6-1. This continues the trend of the Cup so far, which is that European teams are overrated and in decline, much like their governments. Must be something about the penny-pinching, budget

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-69145808965073687242010-06-24T11:14:00.000-07:002010-06-24T13:43:10.637-07:00

Paraguay 0, New Zealand 0 // Slovakia 3, Italy 2: And the fans celebrate...actually, the Azurri may have good reason to gripe, losng two goals off of a marginal offsides call as well as a ball defended behind the goal line. Comparisons with Les Bleus are inevitable, although even the Frence can take solace from the fact that they played in a relatively tough group, while Italy was in the weakest.

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-62307840793220814952010-06-24T08:50:00.000-07:002010-06-24T19:44:25.878-07:00

Germany 1, Ghana 0 // Australia 2, Serbia 1: Missed these games too. Will have some great pics of the Great White North soon...it does seem that Ghana and Germany, of all countries, had the first-ever match-up in the Cup between two brothers, Jerome and Kevin-Prince Boateng. The Aussies have to be kicking themselves for not putting up a better effort in their first game with Germany.Nice set of

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-26624370601680551452010-06-23T08:19:00.001-07:002010-06-24T22:52:24.748-07:00

England 1, Slovenia 0 // U.S.A 0, Algeria 0: Can someone tell me if anything happened in these games? I'm on a coach and rail tour today into the Yukon…no, seriously. Hugely important games, and I'm in Skagway, a tiny Alaskan community that doesn't have WiFi. I suspect the Americans had a close one again.

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-54789398348096608092010-06-22T09:21:00.000-07:002010-06-22T09:38:26.401-07:00

Uruguay 1, Mexico 0 // South Africa 2, France 1: Although there was a brief scare for the Tricolores, both Uruguay and Mexico live to play another day, with the South Americans winning the group. As a result of the loss, Mexico gets to play these guys in the second round.In the other game, the Bafana Bafana salvage some national glory, winning only their second game in nine previous attempts in

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-24018027996415927432010-06-22T06:52:00.001-07:002010-06-22T07:15:39.135-07:00

Spain 2, Honduras 0: Another one-sided affair, although the world's number one-ranked team failed to convert their dominance into something as gaudy as goalscoring. David Villa scored once in each half, then missed a penalty kick that would have given him a hat trick. All in all, a bad day on the pitch for dictatorships….Half the games of have been played, and we're now at the stage where every

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-77552098167673326822010-06-21T08:56:00.000-07:002010-06-22T01:15:41.552-07:00

Chile 1, Switzerland 0: Winning be contagious; after not having a positive result in nearly fifty years (when they hosted the Cup, so that doesn't really count), Chile now has back-to-back wins. Ironically, having had the worst record of any team ever to make it out of group play back in 1998 (3 games, 3 draws, 3 points), it may now be the first team since 1982 to win two games in group and not

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-29266356667676063242010-06-21T08:54:00.000-07:002010-06-21T08:56:22.176-07:00

Portugal 7, North Korea 0: I don't do 7-0 routs, especially when the losers are all going to disappear in less than a week.

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-91735443850544901632010-06-20T14:14:00.000-07:002010-06-20T17:00:54.450-07:00

Brazil 3, Ivory Coast 1: I understand this was a disappointing game for the Ivorians, but since I am on a cruise ship that didn't pick up ABC's feed, I played bingo instead. ESPN seems to believe the game was a feast for afficianados of bad coaching, with the winner losing its best player to a red card with the game well in end, and the loser getting the benefits of the technical banality of the

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-37140191171639053192010-06-20T13:53:00.000-07:002010-06-20T16:58:26.101-07:00

New Zealand 1, Italy 1: In perhaps the most lopsided, one-sided game of the tournament so far, a shocking result. Both goals were tainted by botched decisions by the officiating; the All-White / Kiwis scored off an offsides call that wasn't made, Italy evened on perhaps the worst dive since Lewiston, Maine, and fans thereafter were treated to a game that could have easily ended in a six or

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-50412380953609020152010-06-20T10:18:00.000-07:002010-06-20T14:13:44.451-07:00

Paraguay 2, Slovakia 0: Yes, you read that correctly. Paraguay beat Slovakia.An even more entertaining spectacle than Las Albirrojas defeating the poor man's Czech Republic is the utter collapse of the French National team in the run-up to their final group game. By all accounts, the French head coach, Raymond Domenech, is nuts: there is no other way to describe a coach who admits to using

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-38062968950251293442010-06-19T18:24:00.000-07:002010-06-20T14:08:55.169-07:00

Denmark 2, Cameroon 1: An African team finally played a wide-open and exciting brand of soccer, and for its reward gets tossed from the World Cup. Unlike their opening performances, both teams played positive and attacking soccer, with the Danes becoming the first side to gain a come-from-behind win. Samuel Eto'o scored early, and the Indomitable Lions had more chances, but their inability to

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-822569227319098352010-06-19T18:09:00.000-07:002010-06-20T14:08:55.170-07:00

Australia 1, Ghana 1: Almost as if FIFA was disappointed that a photograph materialized showing that the ref made the technically correct in the waning minutes of the USA-Slovenia game, so it decided that this game would set the bar even lower. Harry Kewell, the one remaining world class player among the Soccerroos, received a red card following a clearly-accidental hand ball in the goal area,

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-87662711247960192222010-06-19T17:51:00.000-07:002010-06-19T18:08:51.778-07:00

Holland 1, Japan 0: Another dull, unimpressive win by the Dutch over a surprising Japanese team. The Netherlands are rapidly approaching the same pattern which afflicted Uruguay forty years ago. There's no doubt they have talented, albeit overrated, stars, but watching them play in the last two World Cups has been very painful for soccer fans who grew up in the '70's, and like Uruguay starting

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-17294638536250444872010-06-18T15:22:00.000-07:002010-06-19T18:08:51.779-07:00

England 0, Algeria 0: Are you shitting me? Is Tony Hayward also in charge of this?

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-55057549695984471132010-06-18T15:00:00.000-07:002010-06-18T15:10:09.718-07:00

The Vic & Paul Show: I saw Game 7 last night at a lounge in Woodland Hills called Push, a small, cozy setting usually ideal for those who want to watch a game, but only one game. No sports bar, however, since Push was simultaneously hosting a cabaret show in the adjoining room, forcing the patrons to temper our enthusiasm in the second half. Midway through the third quarter, with the Lakers

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-53997509571899084992010-06-18T12:57:00.000-07:002010-06-19T18:08:51.779-07:00

Slovenia 2, U.S.A. 2: Just about every reaction to the result today blames the Malian referree for stealing a win richly deserved for the Americans. Rallying from a two-goal deficit to tie an opponent noted for its defensive savvy, then having what appeared to be the winning goal taken away with less than five minutes to play for what appeared to be a phantom foul seems a bitter pill to swallow.

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-70829222611611993062010-06-18T10:54:00.000-07:002010-06-18T11:22:20.876-07:00

Serbia 1, Germany 0: An upset only to those who assumed the former Yugoslavia would play down to its underachieving reputation. Germany uncharacteristically played stupid soccer, receiving its first red card, in any competition, since the 1992 Euros, and missed a regulation penalty kick for the first time since the 1974 World Cup.In what may be classified in the realm of totally useless info, the

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-26501833286595643592010-06-17T17:39:00.000-07:002010-06-19T18:08:51.780-07:00

Mexico 2, France 0: Stick a fork in 'em.

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-139200831629702772010-06-17T16:02:00.000-07:002010-06-19T18:08:51.781-07:00

Greece 2, Nigeria 1: It may surprise people, but it was only about ten years ago that a lot of people thought that the Nigerians were on the verge of being the next great soccer power. They got out of their first round group pretty easily in 1994 and 1998, and won the gold medal at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. The last time they made the Cup, in 2002, they were placed in the Group of the

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-69685398204258745042010-06-17T15:53:00.000-07:002010-06-19T18:08:51.781-07:00

Argentina 4, South Korea 1: First hat trick of the tourney goes to Gonzalo Higuain of Argentina in a one-sided affair (the Koreans only goal came on a breakaway against a napping defense on the final second of the first half). The strategy of tightly marking star Lionel Messi appears to have the same effect that double-teaming Kobe or Rondo has; it just means someone else is going to be open,

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-76936942666107351962010-06-16T13:56:00.000-07:002010-06-16T14:16:28.053-07:00

Uruguay 3, South Africa 0: Finally, someone came up with a way to shut up the vuvuzela. Thanks to the two goals of Diego Forlan, Uruguay breezed over the hosts, and effectively knocked them out of their own tournament. In addition, the victory was only Uruguay's second in the last 18 games for the two-time World Cup champions, going back to 1970, and the three goals scored is only the second

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-31355055216678785592010-06-16T10:57:00.000-07:002010-06-16T14:23:27.333-07:00

Switzerland 1, Spain 0: A shocker. After dominating the first half, the world's number one team showed why it may be considered the Cleveland Cavaliers of the Beautiful Game by conceding a goal off a counterattack, which the Swiss performed frequently to perfection in the second half. The final minutes were back-and-forth madness, with the Spanish unlucky not to tie at the end.In spite of the

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-14214046099035360332010-06-16T08:23:00.000-07:002010-06-16T10:57:01.005-07:00

Chile 1, Honduras 0: Another freezing day saw Chile end a winless WC streak going back 48 years. The Chileans should have had many more goals against a Honduran team that was just happy to be there, no doubt almost as relieved as the North Koreans yesterday to be out of their national hellhole. Hopefully, soccer fans will be spared the efforts of the Honduran military to reverse the

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-71728425191051621112010-06-15T18:19:00.000-07:002010-06-15T18:35:02.514-07:00

Brazil 2, North Korea 1: In one of the coldest games in World Cup history, tournament favorites Brazil shook off a scoreless first half to barely defeat the crazier half of the Axis of Evil. With a wind-chill factor below freezing in Johannesburg (it's wintertime down there), defender Maicon hit a shot from an impossible angle to put his team ahead shortly before the hour:After a second Brazilian

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-62098382289295780802010-06-15T14:58:00.000-07:002010-06-15T15:07:29.096-07:00

Annie Liebowitz, the Thomas Kinkade of photography, hops on the World Cup bandwagon, complete with the same cheesy music and half-clad subjects you get in an SI swimsuit video.

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-38995959760021780022010-06-15T12:16:00.000-07:002010-06-15T18:35:09.120-07:00

Ivory Coast 0, Portugal 0: Two evenly-matched teams played conservatively and got a result which satisfied both teams, but no one else. Cristiano Ronaldo seems to have an ungodly gift at being able to almost-but-not-quite score whenever he plays for his national side, and his booming shot off the goalpost in the first minutes of the game was the closest either team came to scoring. The Ivory

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-38933156932195456692010-06-15T09:17:00.000-07:002010-06-15T18:35:15.094-07:00

New Zealand 1, Slovakia 1: An underconfident Slovakian team couldn't blow out the least-respected team in the World Cup, and paid for it at the end. Robert Vittek scored five minutes into the second half for the country known mainly for its ice hockey team, making its first appearance in the tourney since the Velvet Divorce. The All Whites rarely threatened*, and seemed content to walk off the

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-75717710266889528012010-06-14T17:43:00.000-07:002010-06-14T18:28:12.158-07:00

Paraguay 1, Italy 1: An inauspicious start for the defending champs. Falling behind on a shock goal late in the first half, the Azzurri overcame a driving rain and sluggish defending to tie on yet another goalkeeping blunder, this time by Justo Villar, whose feeble efforts to corral a corner kick in the 63rd minute seemed more reminiscent of Lamar Odom trying to snag an offensive rebound in the

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-18787868576895093652010-06-14T13:55:00.000-07:002010-06-14T17:43:43.365-07:00

Japan 1, Cameroon 0: First upset of the WC. Late first-half goal by Japanese star Keisuke Honda, who may or may not be related to a friend of mine from Berkeley, and his team withstood heavy Indomitable Lion pressure in the second half to pick up their first "real" victory in their tiny nation's history (home wins don't count).Efforts to ban the vuvuzela, the horn that has become ubiquitous

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-88242083766944032612010-06-14T13:05:00.001-07:002010-06-14T13:54:08.515-07:00

DutchLand 2, Great Danes 0: That is, Holland over Denmark. The Danes played defensively, seeking to shut down their much more talented opponents, struck first, less than a minute into the second half; unfortunately, it was into their own net, and things went downhill from there. First own goal of the Tournament.

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-30074454412116148012010-06-13T16:23:00.000-07:002010-06-14T13:54:08.516-07:00

Germany 4, Australia 0: Don't know if this means anything, but of the four goalscorers for Germany, three were born and raised in other countries. European teams are looking more and more like the US national soccer team used to look: foreign mercenaries who wear the national colors largely because it's where they started playing club soccer. As far as the game is concerned, the Germans scored

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-4445905738971104092010-06-13T13:00:00.000-07:002010-06-14T13:54:08.516-07:00

Ghana 1, Serbia 0: A continent celebrates. Unlike Nigeria yesterday or Algeria today, the Ghanians actually seem like they knew something about basic tactics, and had something up their sleeve other than relying on a hot goalie. Asamoah Gyan was the star of the Black Stars, nailing a penalty kick with ten minutes to go, and could have had a hat trick were it not for the Goalie's Best Friend on

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-46450709764380788442010-06-13T12:48:00.000-07:002010-06-14T13:54:08.517-07:00

Slovenia 1, Algeria 0: In a result that is much more beneficial to the U.S. of A. than it is to England, the least-populous nation in the tournament stole a win against a team of French mercenaries disguised as the Arab World's only representatives. With a win or tie on Friday, the Americans will almost certainly clinch advancement should they beat the Algerians the following week, who will

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-64280026872176735552010-06-13T12:09:00.000-07:002010-06-14T13:54:08.517-07:00

U.S.A. 1, B.P. 1: I assume most of the readership here has seen this game, so there's no need to go into the details of yesterday's American win. When the back-up English goalie is known as David "Calamity" James, one can't really be surprised that their starter would play a largely negative role in games such as this. A dramatic reenactment of the Clint Dempsey goal is shown here:For some

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-74569053310021392692010-06-12T10:55:00.000-07:002010-06-14T13:54:08.518-07:00

Argentina 1, Nigeria 0: Against a talented but often clueless African representative, Argentina scored early on an unmarked header off a corner kick, then lucked into some of the lamest shooting in Cup history by Nigeria before cruising to victory. For all the talk about this being an "African World Cup", one can really have no conclusion other than that the continent is reverting back to the

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-34934782534391365122010-06-12T10:35:00.000-07:002010-06-14T13:54:08.518-07:00

South Korea 2, Greece 0: Koreans impressive, Greeks lame as always, in the first TiVo match of the tourney. Soccer is a sport uniquely suited for digital video recording, since it has long spells where nothing of consequence happens, so an entire game can be digested by the casual fan in fifteen minutes or less, and this game, which started at 4:30 a.m. on the Pacific Coast, was no exception.The

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-74067415992762798362010-06-11T13:52:00.000-07:002010-06-14T13:54:08.519-07:00

France 0, Uruguay 0: Both the expected (a Uruguayan player was ejected for a thuggish play) and unexpected (Thierry Henry didn't cheat, which may explain why the game ended scoreless). All four teams in Group A tied today, which means all four will be mathematically alive on going into the third game of the round robin, no matter what happens in the second game. Yipppeeee !!

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-92030052664358407912010-06-11T11:08:00.001-07:002010-06-14T13:54:08.519-07:00

Mexico 1, South Africa 1: And so it begins. The Bafana Bafana narrowly avoid being the first host country to lose its World Cup opener, holding Our Neighbors to the South to a draw, causing great joy in South Africa and great consternation among teabaggers in Arizona. In fact, it was the Tricolores who needed to rally late, tying the game on a goal by Rafael Marquez in the final twelve

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-87856374604463855732010-06-07T16:10:00.000-07:002010-06-07T16:25:46.581-07:00

With the World Cup starting in four days, it's time for what has become a quadrennial tradition at Smythe's World: the breakdown of the entrants by what team they would be in the NCAA Tournament. So hear goes with the first draft:Algeria -- Southern Conf. championArgentina -- Michigan St.Australia -- SienaBrazil -- KentuckyCameroon -- Pac-10 runner-upChile -- BaylorDenmark -- GonzagaEngland --

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-36337098737345794312010-05-12T13:32:00.000-07:002010-05-12T13:59:21.050-07:00

Obama and the White Sox: This is over a month old, so perhaps I should have blogged about it earlier, but insofar as Reason Mag decided this morning to interupt its usual defense of white, pot-smoking, gun-packing militiamen with a repeat of this canard, I had to respond. As you can tell from the interview, presented here in its entirety, Obama states that he became a White Sox fan when he moved

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-35245233019713112872010-05-06T10:34:00.000-07:002010-05-06T11:45:12.906-07:00

An oldie but a goodie: If my blog will be remembered for anything, it will be for accurately predicting the collapse of the real estate market back in 2005, and the role that the passage of the 2005 Bankruptcy "reform" act (or BARF, as it has come to be known) in exacerbating the crisis. How badly the GOP-enacted law screwed things up, however, can best be seen in a more scholarly paper recently

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-80211236853304870112010-04-21T15:47:00.000-07:002010-04-21T15:59:45.601-07:00

The Best and the Brightest:During oral argument on a case involving privacy rights and electronic communication devices, some disturbing questions were raised about the street-smarts of the men who run the Supreme Court: (I)n the case City of Ontario v. Quon, which considers whether police officers had an expectation of privacy in personal (and sexually explicit) text messages sent on pagers

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-75259094821323657262010-04-06T12:31:00.000-07:002010-04-06T12:33:24.315-07:00

True Fact: The use of the term "flake" to describe an eccentric individual was originally coined by a star baseball player on the 1950's.

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-71046202398975555502010-03-17T09:11:00.000-07:002010-03-18T11:41:44.204-07:00

The poet laureate of Great Britain has composed a new verse about her nation's fallen hero:Achilles (for David Beckham)Myth's river- where his mother dipped him,fished him, a slippery golden boyflowed on, his name on its lips. Without him,it was prophesised,they would not take Troy.Women hid him,concealed him in girls' sarongs; days of sweetmeats, spices, silver songs...but when Odysseus came,

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3437676.post-12803309228359648602010-03-10T09:46:00.000-08:002010-03-10T09:54:11.068-08:00

The Cleveland Cicero: When your only accomplishments over the dozen or so years you've spent in Congress is to sponsor bills "to make available to the Ukranian Museum and Archives the USIA television program 'Window on America,'" a bill "to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 14500 Lorain Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio as the 'John P. Gallagher Post Office Building'"

Steve Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10819441983325861409noreply@blogger.com1