Archive for Economics
Money and March Madness
Posted by: | CommentsA segment in this week’s Frontline. Parts 1, 2, and 3 are below. HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumble is also looking into the issue this week (tonight at 10 pm). I will post that video tomorrow if available. Check them out, for even though the issue is far from simple, I believe without a shadow of a doubt that the NCAA is well behind the times.
Watch the full episode. See more FRONTLINE.
Watch the full episode. See more FRONTLINE.
Watch the full episode. See more FRONTLINE.
Banning Fast-Food Toys
Posted by: | CommentsHere’s the summary paragraph from the New York Times article.
In what it described as a blow against the fattening temptations of fast food, the board of supervisors in Santa Clara County, south of San Francisco, voted Tuesday to ban the promotional toys that often accompany child-size portions of cheeseburgers and chicken nuggets if those meals don’t meet certain nutritional standards.
From my vantage point, this is absolutely ridiculous. Here are a few thoughts on the vote and one thought on the comment from the McDonald’s spokesperson.
1) These supervisors need more work.
The fact that fast-food toys even got a vote serves to show me that either everything is perfect in Santa Clara County or these people have way too much time on their hands.
2) Is this really something that should be addressed by a board of supervisors? And is it something they should be able to ban?
If a company wants to sell fatty foods and put toys in a box for children along with those fatty-foods, don’t they have a right to do so? It’s not like they are forcing children to eat the food or forcing parents to buy it for them. Which leads to point number 3.
3) Do the toys tempt children to such an extent that their parents cannot say, “No”?
This is the big question for me, because I am sure there are some parents behind this vote. And I just don’t understand it. If you don’t want your children getting fat off fatty foods, then don’t give them fatty foods. You have a choice not to eat fast food. Eating at McDonald’s or Wendy’s or wherever is not mandatory. I know many parents don’t realize this nowadays, but it is possible and wise and very good to often tell your children, “No.” The reality is that if your kid is obese, it is usually your fault as the parent. Not all the time I realize (the kid might have some sort of disease, etc.), but most of the time, yes. After all, you buy the food and monitor what and when your child eats. Or you don’t (which may be the problem).
How many people are under the impression that eating fast food is good for you anyhow? Sure, low-income families may eat that food more, but the reality is, eating out at fast food restaurants is, in the end, more expensive than going to the local grocery store and managing a simple list. So the argument that you are protecting low-income families from obesity is ridiculous. They still have a choice, to eat or not to eat. The parents can still say ‘No’ to both themselves and their children. Mr. Yeager, who interestingly enough doesn’t not have children, doesn’t seem to understand this.
4) A note to McDonald’s: Don’t try to defend the toys by telling us that your “Happy Meals provide many of the important nutrients that children need.”
That is just ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. So your food has zinc, iron, calcium and some protein. It also has 30 percent of your daily intake of fat (for an adult by the way). Just face up to the fact that your food isn’t the most nutritious. Don’t act as if I am a moron and try to convince me that it’s ok to give my children this food because it has zinc. Come on.
When I head to McDonald’s or any other fast-food joint, I am well aware that the food isn’t the best for me or my children. That is why I head there rarely. It’s a special treat. So I would rather have McDonald’s or whoever say, “We know our food isn’t equal to fruits and veggies. I am the spokesperson for McDonald’s and I don’t eat there every day (and I eat for free). And neither should you or your children.”
That would be much more refreshing and actually might get me to make a trip for some happy meals sometime in the next six months.
As you can tell, I was a bit fired up by this vote. No. I am not headed to Santa Clara anytime soon for Happy Meals, but a vote such as this just seems to give greater excuses for poor parenting and more power to government officials to monitor what is good for us. If we don’t want McDonald’s giving toys along with bad food, we don’t need a council vote. We just need to stop buying the Happy Meals. Or at least I think so.
The White Guy Bias – Concluding Remarks
Posted by: | CommentsI return to blogging today by concluding my month long series on the so-called White Guy Bias in the NBA. How I have managed to make a six-part series take a month, I will not comment upon. To remind you, I have already said that,
1) Everyone agrees that there is a white-guy bias in basketball. It is a running joke and oftentimes, true.
2) Our biases are much more powerful than we realize. Part 1 and Part 2.
3) The evaluation of International talent is not as cut-and-dry as it might sound. International players may even have an inevitable advantage in their ability to reach largely untouched markets for the NBA. A sound business strategy no doubt.
4) Athleticism is sometimes an over-valued trait in the NBA. The best teams are the most diverse (though usually they have players who are both great athletes and highly skilled).
So what have I learned from all of this? Well, I don’t think I have learned anything new, but I have been reminded of something I have known for quite some time.
It is this: who ends up playing or not playing in the NBA, white or black, American or International, is a very complicated matter and one that no one, except the Lord, can fully comprehend. There are just no easy answers when it comes to this question of who makes it and who doesn’t. There are social factors, business factors, talent and team factors, all sorts of factors at work.
I have known and heard of countless players who have NBA talent, but who have ended up on the streets. I have also played against many a player who has never made the NBA, who might even have gotten cut from summer league, but who is fully capable of performing there. I have even been that one guy (and would certainly like to be him again!) who has played in the NBA and has no doubt had other players at home saying about him, ‘I could outplay him right now!’ And you know, they may have been right. But all the various things lined up for me to play in the NBA. And so it is, or is not, for many others.
The reality is that in the basketball world that are players that are truly head and shoulders above the rest. You know who they are. Most times, they just cannot help but rise above the rest. They are so good that their talent paves the way for their own ideal playing situations. Then there are the second-tier individuals who are very, very good, obviously good, but just not as great as the best. They usually make it and if things line up perfectly for them, they can become top-tier stars.
In another group, the final and fullest group, there are players from all over the world who are fully capable of playing in the NBA, sometimes at a very high level, but who just need the perfect opportunity to make it happen. The right team, the right timing, the role, etc. And the reality is, they have very little to do with whether or not they ever get that opportunity. Numerous things have to line up in order for their dream to be realized. And to be maintained.
I count myself among that group. And I count it a tremendous blessing from God to have had the opportunity to play in the NBA. As I have mentioned, I would certainly enjoy playing there again, but I realize that the fact that I have played there doesn’t mean that I am better than everyone else who has not. That’s just not true. As is the case in any business, who makes it and who doesn’t is not defined solely on the basis of talent. Numerous other factors are at work. We have taken a look at a few of those factors, but though this series has lasted a month, you can be sure that we have only scratched the surface.
In the end, I still believe the NBA is the best basketball in the world. But I also believe it can still be better. I doubt any NBA executives will be knocking down my door for advice because of these posts, but at the very least, I hope they serve any who read them by giving insight into how they view and understand the NBA game and most importantly, life itself.
Swearing to our Hurt
Posted by: | CommentsI so promise to get back to the white guys and the NBA, but I came across another article in the New York Times concerning the trend of homeowners walking away from their homes and mortgages. If you remember, I linked to an article a bit back about the same thing.
One of the things I mentioned regarding the other article was the minimal attention paid to the fact that people are failing to keep their word. The same holds true for this article, but the author is a bit clearer about the problem of banks looking to maximize their profit without seeking the good of those who borrow from them.
It seems that because many banks are not willing (or at least do not appear willing) to renegotiate the terms of their agreement with the borrower, many people choose to walk away. Though I agree that banks should do a better job seeking a win/win situation, the folks walking away from their homes and mortgages are still in the wrong for doing so (especially the folks who can afford the payments). They still have a contractual obligation to pay up. And the reality is that they are walking away simply because it seems financially advantageous for them to do so. They are only thinking about themselves.
A verse from Scripture comes to mind. I can’t remember where it is (maybe Proverbs), but it says something about a righteous man ‘swearing to his own hurt.’ That is, keeping his word even if it leads to greater difficulty for himself.
We are desperate for more people who believe in such a thing. In the banks and in the homes. Among lenders and borrowers. It’s not overstating the case to say that for the good of the whole world, we should let our ‘yes’ be yes and our ‘no’, no. Even or especially when it hurts.
Pay or Walk Away?
Posted by: | Comments
Yesterday, I came across this article in the Wall Street Journal. It reports a growing trend in some areas of the country where home owners simply walk away from their loans even though they can afford the payments. Walk away, meaning, they just stop paying their loan and take whatever hit comes to their credit score, etc. Apparently, in some States, your mortgage company cannot pursue your other assets if you choose this option. Usually, people do so because their homes have drastically dropped in value.
The problem, however, is that there are only a few lines even hinting to the fact that if you simply ‘walk away’ from your loan, you are failing to uphold your end of a signed contract. I have been in countries (and in a business more or less) where contracts are often considered little more than a framework for the deal. Somewhat optional. And the effects of such a mindset are disastrous. I am very concerned about what will happen to our country if more and more people begin to adopt the same attitude to their agreements.
Can you imagine living in a world where a handshake or a simple ‘yes’ was enough to seal an agreement? Where both parties had absolute confidence that the man or woman shaking their hand or saying that ‘yes’ would uphold their end of the agreement? What a great place to live!
Well, this is how Jesus calls His followers to live. ”Let your ‘Yes’ be yes, and your ‘No’ no,” He said. And the beauty of it is that someday (at least according to the Bible), it will be exactly like that. On the New Earth, everyone will keep their word perfectly and completely. No one will be walking away. I can’t wait for that day. But until then, we are wise to uphold our end of an agreement, no matter how difficult it may be.
