The Game

There are many big games going on these days: Michigan v. Ohio State, Harvard v. Yale, USC v. UCLA, St. Lawrence v. Clarkson, Florida v. Florida State, Arizona v. Arizona State. Where you are in the U.S.A. determines the significance of The Game.

As I have begun my holiday season travels there are many other more important games going on I have been noticing, such as. The game of the growing divide between rich and poor in this country, the game of Generals retiring from the military with six figure pensions with corporate consulting gigs and wounded veterans who struggle to find work and adequate health care. The game of poor leadership from the White House, to the Congress, to the State Houses, to local City Halls and city council members whose biggest accomplishment is counting down Christmas twelve months a year. The game of six figure college administrators who lead students to six figure debt and lifelong financial burden, the game of labor unions selling out their members to maintain their seven figure incomes while services and efficiency have become a thing of the past. The game of health care where corporations reap huge profits and most Americans (especially the elderly) have inadequate health care. The game of getting in line at 1:00 AM to purchase a 42’ plasma television, while your children, alone at home, cannot read or write properly, the game of watching tornadoes in November, melting ice packs, droughts, and hearing a political commentator, with orange tinted hair, say it has nothing to do with global warming.

So who won the SC-UCLA game????

THE SECOND EGYPTIAN REVOLUTION: "Frustrated by their unfinished uprising, Egyptians take to the street again to protest their military rulers," by Abigail Hauslohner/Cairo : "What started as a protest led by Islamist groups to condemn a proposed set of supraconstitutional principles that would give the military broad power and immunity in a new Egypt has wound up attracting liberal and young voices as well .... And when the crackdown came, it activated a wide range of Egyptians, many of whom say the revolution is still fruitless and unfinished. ... Protesters in Cairo are rekindling the words that have come to symbolize the uprising of January and February-and every other Arab revolution since: 'The people want the fall of the regime.' And in some cases, they've added a few more words: 'and the field marshal.' That would be the most prominent face of the new regime-Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, 76, who has headed the ruling military council since the ouster of Mubarak, whom he served as Defense Minister."

BREAKING OVERNIGHT: CHINA FACTORIES SLUMP - Reuters/Beijing: "Chinese factories battled with their weakest activity in 32 months in November, a preliminary purchasing managers' survey showed, reviving worries that China may be skidding toward an economic hard landing and compounding global recession fears. The HSBC flash manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) ... slumped in November to 48, a low not seen since March 2009. The data showed the world's growth engine is not immune to economic troubles abroad, and could further unnerve financial markets already roiled by Europe's deteriorating debt crisis."

TOURNAMENT OF ROSES - The 28-year-old actor and motivational speaker radiates joy. ... Earlier this month, JR Martinez was chosen as grand marshal of the 123rd annual Tournament of Roses parade. He was on the cover of People magazine and named one of its 'sexiest men'... And on Tuesday, he became the new 'Dancing With the Stars' champion. Martinez and professional partner Karina Smirnoff claimed the mirrorball trophy over fellow finalists Rob Kardashian and Ricki Lake."

BIRTHDAYS THIS WEEK – Birthday wishes and thoughts this week to: Woody Allen (76), Tyra Banks (37), Jeff Bridges (62), Dick Clark (82), Bo Jackson (49), Jay Jones …the lab coat haunts me, G. Gordon Lilly (81), Edwin Meese III (80), Vin Scully (84), Britney Spears (30), Lawrence Summers (57), Lee Trevino (72).

WORDS OF THE MONTH –

stertor \STUR-ter\, noun:

A heavy snoring sound.

“He was snoring, a wheeze and stertor that animated the papers scattered round him...”
-- T.C. Boyle, Riven Rock

mismo, adverb
right...

Apart from meaning the same, mismo is used to emphasize and pinpoint certain adverbs. It’s useful to learn these combinations of mismo with another word as single units.

“Nos podemos encontrar aquí mismo.”
We can meet right here

NHL 20 GAMES – The first 20 games of the 2011-2012 season have been completed here are the best teams and players at this point in the season:

Pittsburgh (32 points), Chicago (31), Toronto (30), Boston (29), Detroit (29).

Phil Kessel, Toronto Maple Leafs, (16 goals, 30 points).

Brian Elliott, St. Louis Blues, (1.34 goals against, .951 save percentage).

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PICK OF THE WEEK – Saturday 12/3, #10 Oklahoma Sooners (9-2) visit #3 Oklahoma State Cowboys, 8:00 PM ET, ABC. I still believe The Cowboys have been overrated all year, The Sooners to win this one and force an LSU-Alabama BCS Title game.                                                                                                          
Season to date (8-5)

SMALL COLLEGE PICK OF THE WEEK – Saturday 12/3, the D-III Quarterfinals has #6 Wabash College Little Giants (12-0) visiting #2 Mount Union Purple Raiders (10-1), 12:00 PM ET, HGTV. The Little Giants glory season will come to an end at  powerful  Mount Union.                                                                                                   Season to date (11-2).

NFL PICK OF THE WEEK – Sunday 12/4, Green Bay Packers (11-0) visit The Meadowlands and the New York Football Giants (6-4), 4:15 PM ET, Fox. We have been predicting The Packers demise weekly now, and will continue to do so – The Giants to win and begin their march to a division title.                                           
Season to date (6-6).

THE SWAMI’S TOP PICKS – Michigan State 28 Wisconsin 24, Boston College 5 Boston University 2, New Orleans 32 Detroit 24.                                                                                                                                      Season to Date (24-12).

DRIVING THE WEEK - European headlines will again set the global tone even as Congress returns to take up the critical issue of extending payroll tax cuts and emergency unemployment benefits beyond Dec. 31. There is limited disagreement over extending the tax cuts but huge disagreement over how to pay for it. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Dems would support a millionaire's surtax but that's not going anywhere. So they will have to find another way ... President Obama is back on the jobs trail on Wednesday, this time in the swing state of Pennsylvania where he will almost certainly play up what he believes will be lost if the tax cuts and UI benefits are not extended: 1 million jobs and 0.5 percent of GDP. Republicans meanwhile will likely counter that the President seems to spend a lot of time campaigning on the public dime.

There is a ton of important U.S. data all week (including new homes sales at 10:00 a.m. this morning) but the HUGE number, November jobs, comes Friday. Some signals have suggested the number could approach 200K, but consensus is for 125K with the jobless rate staying at 9.0 percent.

Next week, Vegas for the holidays.

Until next Monday, Adios.


Claremont, CA
November 28, 2011

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