Is the United States of America now properly considered a "rogue state." Yes. Yes, it seems to me it is. America is a rogue state tonight. This is an unmitigated catastrophe. Self-inflicted.

Where was Feinstein today? Carney? King? They knew about this. Under American law silence is not golden. Silence in the face of a direct allegation of wrong-doing can be considered an admission of the specific accusation.

US Bugging Europe.

Has any action of any president ever done more damage to America's place in the world?...I'm thinking..."To America," damage to America's place in the world is damage "to America."...I'm reeling, I can't think in historical terms now. This is so bad that that question will have to be addressed by all of us. And what of Obama's standing now in presidential history? Nixon's level? Harding's? Grant? The consensus worst is Buchanan. Buchanan?  Too many historical questions on a day of a shattering public occurrence. I don't see how the Obama administration recovers from this. Every country in the world that was not already contemptuous of him, now is livid with him. He destroyed, destroyed, trust. "Hope." "Change." "Forward." His campaign slogans are meaningful now only as bitter irony. I believe his presidency is gone. He's a political dead man walking--and walking in Africa. That's fitting: Africa is where hope goes to die, where change is an unknown species. Barack Obama, a dysfunctional president, is in the most dysfunctional, incompetent continent on the planet. While America lies wounded, Europe seethes, and Asia mocks. 

US Bugging Europe.

No more question mark. The Guardian has confirmed US operations on the EU, French, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Mexican, South Korean, Indian and Turkish embassies in Washington but weirdly, not the German, Spiegel's angle.

Watergate? That was purely domestic and clearly criminal. This is infinitely worse for being international, that we bug, wiretap, our allies for Godssake, infinitely more threatening to America's place in the world, but not, seemingly, domestically criminal, none less harmful for not being criminal. How is this non-criminal? Is it not against American law to wiretap? It's legal if you get a court order.  But that's for domestic wiretapping. These were embassies, sovereign foreign territory. Whose laws apply?  I don't know. Who approved the application for the court order. Main Justice, presumably. Ultimately the president. What were Holder and Obama thinking? America is out of control.

US Bugging Europe?

How strange this all is. There are 300 articles indexed on Google News. That is not alot! On an average big story, after a day you'll see 1500-2000. On a REALLY Big story you'll see over 10,000. This is a REALLY Big story. The New York Times takes most of a day before it has one stinking article on a REALLY Big story? Wtf?  Not one of the 300 articles that are out there appears to add to the initial claims, no confirmations certainly--but no denials, official or unofficial, either. Strange, strange, strange.

US Bugging Europe?

I just checked the news again. If there had been no mention of this in The New York Times or no corroboration I was going to take the posts of today down except for this one and the last. The Times has reported on it. In addition a former NSA and CIA official said on one of the Sunday news shows that European citizens should look at what their own governments are doing before getting upset at the US. That's not a denial and is vaguely and indirectly confirmatory. 

US Bugging Europe?

Now, I'm beginning to doubt this. There has been no reaction, much less a confirmation from official Washington and as far as I can tell no other media outlet has independently confirmed.All those who have reported it are just reporting Spiegel's claims, there is nothing new. The New York Times has still not reported even Spiegel's claims. That has to be because they have doubts. 

...Boston Globe.

Hey, but The New York Times no longer has the pic of Hillary on the front page! They've updated. Now there's a composite of four pictures over their new Big Story: "An Unstoppable Climb in CEO Pay."

"Germany Investigating Whether US Broke Any Laws by Spying."-Boston Globe.

Wouldn't you have thought Obama would have been proactive this once, in self-defense at least, by telling German and EU officials about this? "He-he-he, guys NSA got a little out over its skis and I just wanted you to hear it from me first, webuggedyourphonesyourembassiestheUN. Our bad. Sorry. Bring you back anything from Africa?"

What's the matter with him?

CBS, ABC, Chicago Tribune, Wall Street Journal, Fortune, USA Today, Detroit Free Press, Fox.

New York Times:

"Obama Aims to Spread Electricity to More Africans."-Los Angeles Times.

Dump-dump-da-dump-dump-da-dump-da-dump-da-dump-dump.

"Key US-EU Trade Pact Under Threat After More NSA Spying Allegations."-The Guardian.

Ah, there you go. They could do that.

Look at the front page of The New York Times right now. The most prominent feature is a photo of Hillary Clinton over the headline "G.O.P. Paints Clinton as Old News for 2016." There is no mention of the NSA bugging in Europe at all. This has been reported all over the world now, including domestically in the Wall Street Journal. European officialdom has already reacted, with "shock and dismay," with "outrage." I do not think lack of credibility or need to verify independently are the reasons here. Major media outlets have their reasons for what they report, how they report it, how prominently they report it and what they don't report. The Times has its reasons for not reporting this so far. What are they?

No, he'a still in Africa. To "Announce a New Power Iniative for Africa" today.
Could somebody cue "Hail to the Chief?"

This is betrayal.

If I, an American, had had access to the secret documents given Der Spiegel I would have revealed them too. In a heartbeat. Which means I would be a traitor too. Oh well.

What's the term for someone, here an entity of the US government, that does what NSA did to Germany? You're not a traitor, you can only be a traitor to your own country, right?  A "betrayer?" A "third-class partner" but First Class Betrayer? Is there Capital Betrayal? Maybe it's not against the law, at least domestic American law so there's no term for it. Is it against any international laws? Treaties, agreements, albeit with just a "third class partner?" I don't know. The specificity of laws is actually meant as protection of liberty: you can't be generally accused, and the punishment is similarly specific. So...So, if what NSA did to Germany is not violative of specific law, it could actually be worse for the US, there would be no circumscription on the German reaction.

Speaking of reaction, is the Idiot-in-Chief back from Africa yet? What did you mean, Mr. President, when you said these NSA programs had been "scrubbed" upon that benighted occasion when you inherited them from Bush43? Obama is not in control of official America, an America that is officially out of control.

America Out of Control.

NSA accesses the content of one-half billion phone calls, text messages and emails per month in Germany, which it categorizes as a "third-class partner" with China, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia.

So reports Der Spiegel this morning. America is out of control.

Kellie Harper had her own line of fashion pumps which she wore when coaching NC State games.

This is from the Debbie Yow line of fashion footwear for comradettes:

Hiss. HISS! Pft pft.

The Editorial Collective at this here blog has urged the undersigned "not to give up" on the story behind Kellie (and Jon) Harper's sackings at NC State. The individual who fired Kellie and Jon was "Debbie" "Yow." Who might that be?  Debbie Yow left Saint Louis University on bad terms and took the same position at the University of Maryland, whose formal name is "The Rutgers of Maryland." Debbie managed the impossible at Maryland, she alienated the head men's basketball coach--who had only won the national championship there--with her...difficult personality. Onward and upward for Debbie who landed in the same position at NC State, the Rutgers of North Carolina. She's now fired Kellie (and Jon) Harper.

This will not stand. At least it will not stand without me making a dartboard with Debbie Yow's face on it.

There you go. Debbie Mao. Works for me.

What do you get if you google "hot female basketball coaches?"

Kim Mulkey, who I am sure is a lovely human being, is the first result.  No Kellie Harper anywhere. Google, are you frigging stupid?

Now I am sure some of you are wondering how I came to know anything about the head coach (and assistant coach) of the women's college basketball team at Missouri State University. Some of you may be asking yourselves "How does that amazing guy Benjamin Harris stay so amazingly informed?"-OR-Perhaps the precise form of the question you're asking yourselves is "How did that disgusting sexist pig Benjamin Harris find pictures of Kellie Harper?" Perhaps you're asking that question.

I, Benjamin Harris, confess that I am of the "character" to google something like "hot female basketball coaches." But I didn't on account of who would have thought there were any?  I came across Kellie Harper because I follow sports and until a couple months ago Ms. Harper (and Jon) used to coach at North Carolina State University, "NC State" being a much more high profile sports college than Missouri State, and belonging to the college "conference" that I particularly follow. Kellie and Jon were fired from NC State, I saw that...somewhere, I don't remember, saw a picture of Kellie, and fell out of my chair. 
Yes
I
did.

And then remembered it today when I was googling "hot female basketball coaches."

Continuing our popular series "American College Basketball Coaches and Their Spouses" (See previous posts on Andy and Amanda Enfield. (He-he-he, you thought I was just making up the "continuing" part didn't you? He-he-he. I wasn't. He-he-he.)), we wish today to profile the head coach of the Missouri State University Lady Bears, Kellie Harper, Hello Kellie!

And her husband and assistant coach Jon! Hello Jon.

Here's one more of Kellie since she's the head coach!

Oh boy. Oh God. Go Lady Bears. Oh Jesus.

"william+r+dum."

?

That is the weirdest search keyword ever.

Protests in Egypt.

Two dead, including one American so far.

"We've got a whole lot of business that we do with China and Russia. I'm  not going to have one case of a suspect who we're trying to extradite suddenly being elevated to the point where I've got to start doing wheeling and dealing and trading on a whole host of other issues, simply to get a guy extradited."

President Obama does not shape world events well. He reacts. The prettified label that often attached to his presidency is "pragmatism." This is not pragmatism. A pragmatist would not have let his administration suffer the embarrassment it has over the Snowden business. The president's statements at the beginning of the Snowden business and now conflict with the actions and raging of his subordinates in between. Larry Summers said "I don't think anybody has a sense of Obama's deep feelings about things." I don't think Obama has deep feelings about the Snowden business. He has just reacted.

Protests in Egypt.

I bet, whether pro- or anti-Morsi, all Egyptian protesters are on common ground in being anti-American. Am I right?

Protests in Egypt.

That's the U.S. Ambassador to Egypt, Anne Patterson, and Egyptian President Mohammad Morsi.

Morsi opponents.

Morsi supporters.

Supporters.

Opponents.

See?

Protests in Egypt.

"Worries Over Growing Political Violence in Egypt."-New York Times.

"Pro- and Anti-Government Protests Underway in Egypt."-BBC.

"Fears of Bloodshed in Egypt as Protests Begin."-Los Angeles Times.

"Fears of Unrest in Egypt as Mass Protests Pit Neighbor Against Neighbor."-NBCNEWS.

Um, there are protests in Egypt.

"12 Missing Features We'd Still Love to See in Windows 8.1."-PCWorld

12? A dozen? Missing features? Gonna rush right out and snap one of them up.

Three pageviews from Tanzania in the last two hours. The dark continent is seldom heard from in these parts. Obama's in those parts, right? It must be him.

The dominant story in The New York Times right now. That's pretty funny.

General Leaker.

There's not a goddamned word of this in The New York Times. Therefore, Cartwright was the leaker.

General Leaker?

The Washington Post says tonight that retired General James E. Cartwright is likely to be indicted for leaking to The New York Times the existence of the American-Israeli Stuxnet computer attack on Iran's nuclear program in 2010. Reading, barely, between the lines, Cartwright's motive was that President Obama passed him over for Chairman of the Joint Chief's of Staff. A career grudge was Mark Felt's motive for leaking Watergate to the Post. Cartwright retired in 2011. I liked Stuxnet. I don't like PRISM. Did leaking Stuxnet damage national security? I don't know. Did leaking PRISM damage national security? No.  

"I'm not going to be scrambling jets to get a 29-year-old hacker."

Thus said President Obama on Edward Snowden. That's what Mao Zedong said when told that Defense Minister Lin Biao was fleeing to the Soviet Union in a plane. Mao refused suggestions to shoot down Lin's plane (it crashed in Mongolia.).  Whatever "damage" Edward Snowden did to national security, that horse is out of the barn and the door closed. The political damage to the administration, the embarrassment at the hands of the Russians and Chinese, will be minimized if the president's nonchalance becomes his administration's policy. It has not been so far. Instead, Kerry, Holder, Feinstein, Carney, have gone nuts: "traitor," "treason," "espionage." Ladies and gentlemen, whatever you think of Edward Snowden's actions, prosecutors are NOT  going to be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt the legal charge they filed against him, espionage.

Administration spokespersons also have gone nuts on the Chinese and Russians over this. Turn it around: If Edward Snowden were a Chinese or Russian national and he had done the identical things and had then fled to America, would the US have extradited him to China? To Russia, with whom the US has no extradition treaty?  Are you kidding me, there would be ticker tape parades for him here. By charging Snowden with espionage Holder was asking the Chinese to do the following: extradite an American for spying on behalf of China. The Chinese are going to do that? No. The Americans would do that? No. 

The political damage that the Obama administration has suffered thus far could have been avoided entirely if the president had stuck with his instincts, "Let him go," the political lesson of Mao Zedong In the Lin Biao Affair.

I was totally snowed in yesterday (Get it: "Snowed in," "Snowden?") and totally missed the news of the beginning of the George Zimmerman (shooting of Trayvon Martin (who "looks like my son if I had a son:" President Obama.)) trial in which the defense attorney began his "Opening statement" to the jury thusly:

"Knock knock." (Sayeth counsel for the accused.)
"Who's there?" (Sayeth same)
"George Zimmerman." (Same)
"George Zimmerman who?" (Ditto)
"Congratulations, you're on the jury."  (")

I understand that there has been a great deal of criticism of the defense attorney for beginning his opening statement to the jury thusly; a great deal of "piling on" in fact and I, Benjamin Harris, would like to say, I join the pile.

However deep the Obamas depth there has been a continuous series of crises in Obama's second term. It's been Crisis Central going back to Benghazi. Their depth has not prevented several birds from hitting various airpumps. Don't know why.

Unpopular Posts.

"Why are Paintings Rectangles," February 27, 2005, got a click tonight. Once every several months that one gets a hit. Over eight years ago. Man, been doing this a long time.

Walks in Parks.

Americans, president Americans, secretary of state Americans, BIG Americans, emphasize "building a personal relationship" with other BIGS. This is one of the differences the Chinese have noted between the ways the two countries do diplomacy. 

A Walk in the Park.

Walks in parks are big with the Obamas lately. Maybe there was a memo.

Kerry and Lavrov in Moscow in May.

Obama and Xi in June. In "Sunnylands." 

Maybe there needs to be another memo.

John Kerry, sunny dispositioned chap that he is, is not deeply troubled anymore! When Kerry was deeply troubled, which was yesterday, he said there would be "consequences" for Russia over Snowden. Today he said he didn't want a "confrontation," from which "consequences" flow as surely as p->q. Today he simply asked the Rooskis "to do the right thing." Consequences do not flow as surely as p->q from failure "to do the right thing."  What happens if you don't "do the right thing?"  I don't know, your conscience hurts or something, but not "consequences." Consequences only flow from "confrontations" in which one is "deeply troubled."  Perhaps this will be comfort to President Obama. 

Now Kerry was "deeply troubled" not "deeply disappointed" over Snowden. I think troubled is worse.     At least there' "deeply" in common. They're both deep. There's deep depth there. I can go with that.

The United States Supreme Court effectively voided the 1965 Voting Rights Act today. I wish they hadn't done that but my wishes seldom come true. President Obama wishes they hadn't done that too and his wishes lately haven't come true either. He has called this something like "a dark day."* I don't think it's a dark day. As I understand it the Court's action was based on the data used by Congress to oversee voting being out of date. That is, the genus "voting rights acts" was not struck down today, just this one and based just on outdated data. If Congress passes a voting rights act with updated data the Court will not strike it down. I gather though that the "dark day" talk is based on Congress' failure to do just that since 1965. I, sunny dispositioned chap that I am, am confident that if the mostly southern states that were the object of the 1965 act go back to those dark old days through poll taxes, literacy taxes and the like, and this is reflected in 21st century voting data, Congress will pass VRA.2.

*He's "deeply disappointed." I apologize for any inconvenience. I'm "disappointed" (3:01 pm)**
**No, "I wish they hadn't done that." (10:54 pm)

p ->q

"If you have something you don't want anybody to know maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place."

Applying the rules of computer programming to Schmidt's conditional statement of logic we perform a double negation and get:

"If you have something you want everybody to know maybe you should do it."

So Edward Snowden should have turned over the PRISM documents to The Guardian.

Cool.

"If you have something that you don't want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place."-Eric Schmidt, CEO Google.

Would Mr. Schmidt apply his encapsulated philosophy of privacy to Google too? If so, does that mean Google shouldn't have turned over data to NSA?  Would it apply to spying generally, to PRISM, to the US government? Schmidt's view is a sort-of "assumption of the risk" philosophy. Isn't that what spying is generally? Essentially, if you get caught, don't bitch?

And just now, three pageviews from Russia. An ill wind is blowing from Asia.

The first eight pageviews of tonight's four posts on Where's Waldo are six from Germany, two from the US. Allies like Germany are as "deeply troubled" by Google, NSA, PRISM and Verizon as was John Kerry about Russia. This has been a complete
               F
               A
               I
               L.
US credibility and competence have taken a direct hit. No country in the world is defending Obama's handling of this. This will pass but suspicions confirmed are mighty difficult to dislodge. This may be the defining foreign policy legacy of Obama's second term. It may be until a new president in 2016 for meaningful "reset" but the view here is that there will be and need not be a "reset." America and Russia and China are competitors, not friends, not allies. 

They're laughing at Obama. The Chinese and the Rooskis are laughing at us!

"Will passenger Edward Snowden please identify himself."  He-he-he.

"The captain has turned on the fasten seatbelt sign. All passengers should return to their seats."
He-he-he-he.

Snowden.

17A was unoccupied.

It becomes our disagreeable duty to report that journalists trailing Edward Snowden bought tickets on the Moscow to Havana Express and couldn't get off the plane upon discovery that Edward was not "amongst" them. Pencils: would you say hola for me to Pablo "El Poeta?"  He-he-he. Hoo-boy, I bet they're mad.

Havana-bound reporters are the least of the upsets today.

There they are, so casual, so relaxed, so friendly. What was it, just a couple of weeks ago right? In La-la land it was all good. A "reset" in Sino-American relations.

Hmm, cancel the reset. "Exasperated." "Infuriating." "Embarrassment." "Frustration." Those are from one article characterizing how the Obamas feel. The upset seems more directed toward China. "We see this as a setback in terms of efforts to build mutual trust," said Obama spokesman Jay Carney. Setback, not reset. At least there's "set" in common!

Who amongst us cannot validate the Obamas feelings? Well...

This site is on record as feeling Edward Snowden a hero. I didn't want him arrested and prosecuted. With that as "bottom line" I'm not exasperated, infuriated, etc. 

The bottom line isn't the only line.  Here's another line: I wish the US and China, my two countries of interest, to have good relations. That's a line, right? Sure! I like pablum. Here, here, let me give you some too. China doesn't trust the US (And why should it after PRISM?) and thinks Obama is weak. His administration didn't stop Snowden from going to Hong Kong, charged him incorrectly (espionage) and didn't revoke his passport timely, thus giving to Hong Kong (China) a perfect set of circumstances to allow Russia to take him.

Obama should never have tried to arrest Snowden. Obama should have said what Mao Zedong said when Lin Biao defected: "Let him go."

Kerry "deeply troubled."

Edward Snowden was not (in seat 17A) on the (Aeroflot #150) plane to Cuba. Not that pencils are taking notes. Not that dozens are now stuck in Moscow with unwanted tix to Cuba. Did the Rooskis pull a fast one? John Kerry doesn't know and finds Russia's handling of Snowden "deeply troubling." Noted.

Edward Snowden is now in Moscow. Hong Kong refused to arrest him on an American warrant despite a personal phone call from Attorney General Eric Holder. Fuck General Holder. The Rooskis then put Snowden on an Aeroflot. The US is furious. Mr. Snowden may be in Cuba tomorrow, en route to Ecuador. He'll like Cuba, I did. Edward, look up Pablo "El Poeta" in Baracoa. Never been to Ecuador. Been to Oklahoma City.

Nelson Mandela is now in critical condition in Pretoria.

Protests in Brazil.

The editorial collective of Public Occurrences, meeting in all-night session, has decided to go "all in" with protesting Brazilians. Where we stand:

-FOR low bus fares.
-FOR increased funding for hospitals.
-FOR increased funding for schools.
-FOR government corruption, sorry, AGAINST government corruption.
-NOT SURE about more spending on Olympic preparedness.
-NEAR the protesting Brazilian women above.

Protests.

I'll bet you 100 sombreros that the 11:18 pm post on "Protests in Brazil" gets more pageviews than the 11:01 am post on "The Soul of Political Islam" with the pics of Sayyid Qutb. Put it right there, let's shake on it. Right now Hitler leads Hot Pants 4-2 with a 12 hour head start.

Protests in Brazil.

We will pay more attention to protesting Brazilians. We were getting Arab-ed out anyway. Stale.

How about Sweden, are there any protests in Sweden? We could pay attention to those too. Brazil is fine though, we are fine with paying attention to protesting Brazilians.

Protests in Brazil.

It's a matter of taste.

Protests in Brazil.

"The protests that swept Brazil over the past week have seemingly come out of nowhere, with more than a million people taking to the streets on Thursday to air a wide range of grievances, from poor public transport and hospitals to corruption and shoddy, underfunded schools." -Reuters.

I bet protesting Brazilians are more attractive than protesting Egyptians.

It is critical that New York City Football Club's branding include the "City." That will distinguish the club from all other sports teams in the area: the New York Red Bulls, New York Knicks, New York Yankees, New York Jets, New York Giants, on and on. The Red Bulls, Jets and Giants do not even play in New York state. New York City FC will play in one of the five boroughs. Make the "City" this new club's identity. It is inconceivable to me that Manchester City, whose nickname, after all, is "City" will not do this. For these reasons these proposed logos completely miss the mark and surely nothing like them will be adopted.

Here is one with the full "New York City:"

That has a chance. The color is Manchester City sky blue, a washed-out version. Here's the color in City's new kits:

That is much brighter, more vibrant. City's sky blue distinguishes it from other soccer clubs worldwide. It is compelling, beautiful. And has nothing to do with the city of Manchester, England, as gray as England is generally.

Is it a good idea though for New York City FC to adopt the same color? I think not. This is America, we broke away from England, we are independent, and this is New York City for God's sake, the most distinctive, stand-alone city in America. You don't want to make New York City soccer people think Manchester City every time they think of the club. New York City is not going to take to Manchester City's farm club.  New York City FC needs a distinctive color, its own distinctive color, not Manchester City's.

The following is from "Digital UNC," 1949:

Does Digital UNC have the names of the other Egyptians who studied at the college?

The Soul of Political Islam.

The chap with the Hitler mustache is Sayyid Qutb, Egyptian. Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood. Author of "In the Shade of the Koran," inspiration to Al Qaeda. Like Muslim Bro Mohammad Morsi, Qutb was educated in America. In second photo he is shown with Colorado State, now University of Northern Colorado, president Dr. William Ross. Qutb's stay in America from 1948-1950 did not liberalize his thinking. Wikipedia summarizes Qutb's views in "The America I Have Seen," written after he returned to Egypt:

"He was critical of many things he had observed in the United States: its materialism, individual freedoms, economic system, racism, brutal boxing matches, 'poor' haircuts, superficiality in conversations and friendships, restrictions on divorce, enthusiasm for sports, lack of lack of artistic feeling, 'animal-like' mixing of the sexes (which 'went on even in churches'),  and strong support for the new Israeli state."

Otherwise he liked America.

On American women Qutb wrote:

"[T]he American girl is well acquainted with her body's seductive capacity. She knows it lies in the face, and in expressive eyes, and thirsty lips. She knows seductiveness lies in the round breasts, the full buttocks, and in the shapely thighs, sleek legs—and she shows all this and does not hide it."

On the arts (and race) in America: 

"The American is primitive in his artistic taste, both in what he enjoys as art and in his own artistic works. 'Jazz' music is his music of choice. This is that music that the Negroes invented to satisfy their primitive inclinations, as well as their desire to be noisy on the one hand and to excite bestial tendencies on the other. The American’s intoxication in 'jazz' music does not reach its full completion until the music is accompanied by singing that is just as coarse and obnoxious as the music itself. Meanwhile, the noise of the instruments and the voices mounts, and it rings in the ears to an unbearable degree… The agitation of the multitude increases, and the voices of approval mount, and their palms ring out in vehement, continuous applause that all but deafens the ears."

We have written on Qutb previously here. This wanderer read the shady "Shade" in 2003. Writing the instant post has been refresher on the subjects Egypt, Political Islam, student exchange and Hitler mustaches.

Protests.

There are also protests in Egypt, of course. That is not news, it's olds. The p's in b are over the president's plan to use oil revenue to improve education. ? The p's in e are preemptive. Muslim Brotherhood supporters of former USC Trojan Mohammad Morsi are in the streets ahead of   massive opposition protests planned for June 30 I think it is, the one year anniversary of the blessed event of Morsi's election. The opposition is also protesting the US--for the offense of dealing with the duly elected government. The opposition is barricading offices, preventing governmental officials from entering and is boycotting further elections. To state the obvious democracy requires participation. It also requires a willingness to compromise and to accept defeat. Political Islam is totalitarian. The recent Pew survey showed the Egyptian people to be the most uncompromising in the Islamic world on key measures.

Protests in Brazil.

There are protests in Brazil. How many Muslims are there in Brazil?

"Suenan las ollas en Miami: Los fanáticos de Miami Heat celebraron en las calles."-Huffpost.

"Look at this fabulous Hialeah lady partying with her YUCA!!!"

Ladies and gentlemen, THIS is Miami.

Another bad day for Dan Gilbert.

Miami Heat World Champions.

Seeking the Soul of Miami.

Smaller story but I'm sure you'll be interested. A bunch of "Heats" fans left the game early Tuesday night. Hundreds, actually. That really annoys other people--all over the country. "Nothing Says Miami Heat Like Empty Seats at End of Game" was one headline. That is always the way it has been, many arrive at "Heat" games "fashionably" late and leave early. And it's not just the "Heat." Miami sports fans in general have a terrible reputation, justifiably. They're not considered real fans.

Why is that? When people say Miami fans are not real fans they're saying Miami fans don't care as much as sports fans in other cities. I think that that's true and I think that Miamians don't care as much generally as well. The people of Miami have built a magnificent city out of the swamps, one of the most exciting in America, and they have done it because they don't care as much. The economy is built on tourism, by people from elsewhere who come to use Miami for a vacation--and then to leave. The permanent population overwhelmingly is from elsewhere also. Miami was not their first home and if  "home is where the heart is" many permanent Miami residents' hearts are elsewhere. However it is not just dual loyalty or the lack of first love. It seems to me Miami is a more atomistic city than others, more individualistic. Many people come "for the job," that is they come to Miami to make money. You've always been able to make money in Miami. And you can do it tax-free: no state or city income tax. Their money is all theirs, nothing goes to the community. Some people, like Al Capone, come to Miami one step ahead of the law and when they catch up to you they can't take your house either, Florida law ensures that. Miamians are a distillation, a concentration, of individualistic America and of the founding ideal, the pursuit of happiness. So yes, some "Heat" fans leave games early because they don't care as much about "their" team as do fans of other teams; they leave early because they want to, it makes them happy. And they don't care much what other people think either.

It's Thursday.

Another change of plans dads....game 7 tonight....may have to push the fishing trip till tomorrow.

Tonight? 

My God you're right.

I don't think I'm "ready" for another game so soon.

Your Honor, I move for a continuance.

The Miami Miracle.

Would have been the name of the team had owner Mickey Arison not said no to team president Pat Riley. Last night it was.

Down five points with 28 seconds left Miami won the sixth game of the National Basketball Association championship series. The last game will be played Thursday.

Although this game continued the flip-flop nature of the series it was a break from the schizophrenia. The swing margin between games five and six was only 13 points. No, this was a "normal" championship series game, and a classic, not a schizophrenic.

Soccer followers with design ability have created proposed logos for New York City Football Club. I.m.o., there should be no logo. "New York City" needs no branding. "New York City" is the brand. The shirts, in one distinctive color, should simply say "New York City" in a compelling font, maybe with "football club" or "F.C." underneath or alongside. No, I think "New York City" should stand alone. That's all you need. No other sports team in NYC has "New York City" in it's name, they all use "New York" or the "NY" initials. Whatever you do, keep it simple.

Not simple: The skyline as the main motif with an "East is Red" sunburst (?), state motto, a ship, horrid initials  in a police badge. Manchester City blue with gold and I don't like that shade of gold either.

A common theme in the proposals is some reference to the five boroughs of New York City, here an upside down pentagon. The crown is, I believe, symbolic of Queens, the likely home of the stadium. Skyline again with City blue and the same brown-gold as above. I don't know what the hell the flowers are.

That's a take-off on the New York City crest. With a vulture. Awful.

Skyline again, stylized pentagon, white stripes from Manchester City's logo, sunburst (why?), initials. More vibrant gold, though.

What's with the lions? That's England's symbol. And the crosses?

No.

               The symbolism here is a subway token. Doubling as a pentagon. It looks like a birth-control pill.

Is that the Polish double-headed eagle? The phoenix?

                                 Yeah, something like that. Not a distinctive font, though.

Pentagon, old-style font to recall the Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Giants, New York Yankees. Just "FC?"  No. Simple though.

                                                     
           Statue of Liberty motif, Brooklyn Bridge motif. Red, white, and blue. Stars. Birds. Why birds?

Liberty's torch. Orange for the area's Dutch heritage. The colors don't go.

"Unsuccessful Entries (for European flag):"-Wikipedia.

EEECK!

                                                    Looks like Somalia's flag.

                                                Olympic bubble-blowing competition.

                                                   
                                            That is the Christian cross, no? The colors clash.

                                       Wonder why they decided on gold stars. Better contrast?

                                            You think I'm goofin' on ya, dontcha? Well, I'm not. 
                                            That is the design proposed by famed architect Rem Koolhaas.

That was a goof. He-he-he.