Paul Krugman Lobbyists, Guns and Money

“Florida’s now-infamous Stand Your Ground law which lets you shoot someone you consider threatening without facing arrest, let alone prosecution, sound crazy– and it is.”  According to Krugman, similar laws have been passed in the nation, not by “yahoos’, but by corporations, who have been given templates by ALEC or American Legislative Exchange Council.  

“And ALEC, even more than other movement-conservative organizations is clearly playing a long game.”

ALEC is going to be promoting conservative issues for a long time or is staying in the game .

For Cheney, Pros and Cons in New Heart, by Lawrence K. Altman and Denise Grady

Dick Cheney, former Vice-President under George W. Bush, just received a heart transplant.  ”When prominent people receive transplants, questions inevitably arise about whether they somehow jumped to the top of the waiting list, but transplant surgeons insist that cheating is not possible.  Patients are registered in a national system that tracks donors and recipients by medical criteria and informs hospitals of possible matches.

‘You can’t jump the system, said Dr. O.H. Frazier of the Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke’s Episcopal hospital in Houston’ …Dr. Robert Michler, surgeon in chief and director of the Montefiore Einstein heart center in New York, agreed, ‘To my knowledge, he said, ‘it is not possible to game the system.”

I have put the sports idioms in italics.  However, jumping ahead of a system or a person is used so much and has become so distant from its metaphorical use that it has almost ceased to be metaphorical.  The same is true of gaming the system, to game the system, and similar uses of game, which can refer not only to sports, but also card games and gambling games.

PROFILES IN SCIENCE:  Arnold S. Relman and Marcia Angell

A Drumbeat on Profit Takers:  The former editors of the New England Journal speak in one voice against the commercial exploitation of medicine. by Abigail Zuger

According to this article, from 1977 to 2000 one or both Dr. Relman and Dr. Angell “filled top editorial slots at The New England Journal of Medicine as it grew into perhaps the most influential medical publication in the world…”   Beginning in 1980 Dr. Relman began writing editorials against profit-making hospitals, laboratories, and investor owned medical businesses.  He wrote, “…medicine must serve patients first and stockholders second.”   Later, in 1991, he thought that market forces were influencing doctors’ judgements.  He has continued to write articles and books on this subject.

Dr. Angell has critically focused on the pharmaceutical industry, their influence over studies validating their products, that manuscripts submitted often omitted any mention of a drug’s side effects, or were not submitted because the studies made the drug look bad.  One didn’t know what was suppressed, what selected, “whether the goal posts were changed so that good six-month data was offered for publication instead of bad one-year data.”  

Further on in the article Dr. Thomas H. Lee, a Boston cardiologist  and an associate editor at the journal states “They (Drs.Angell and Relman) were in the right place at the right time…They rode the wave.  They did a lot of good things.  The Journal became hugely prominent in their time…”

If goal posts are changed in a field game, such as football, it changes the game.   The comment about riding a wave, in this case is a surfing metaphor about the prestige and popularity of the New England Journal of Medicine increasing (the wave) and the editors who rode it.

One-Way Wontonness, by Frank Bruni

In this article one-way wontoness is directed at “attacking a woman by questioning her sexual mores … by using the terms: “Hussy, Harlot, Hooker”   “Where are the comparable nouns for men?  What’s a male slut?”   (The definition of wontoness is cruelty and maliciousness.)  

The author quotes Rush Limbaugh, the newscaster for using demeaning language about Sandra Fluke, a woman who testified before Congress for insurance covered birth control.  He then states that some liberal calls for “an even playing” field” by “giving Limbaugh a pass” assumes an even playing field where one doesn’t exist.”

A tilted or uneven playing field is not fair.  Imagine playing soccer/football or lacrosse on an uphill field.

Obama Offers to Cut Corporate Tax Rate to 28%, by Jackie Calmes

Washington–”President Obama will ask Congress to scrub the corporate tax code of dozens of loopholes and subsidies to reduce the top rate to 28 percent, down from 35 percent, while giving preferences to manufacturers that would set their maximum effective rate at 25 percent, a senior administration official said on Tuesday.”  President Obama will also “establish a minimum tax on multinational corporations’ foreign earnings…”

Timothy Geithner, Treasury Secretary, said that the proposed overhaul “will help level the playing field for businesses and allow the government to collect needed revenue while promoting economic growth.”

A previous blog was about “gaming the system”, so perhaps by “leveling the playing field” of businesses there will be less gaming going on.

This article states:  ”At a time when many policymakers are looking at criminal and juvenile justice reforms that would safely shrink the size of our prison population, the existence of private prison companies creates a countervailing interest in preserving the current approach to criminal justice and increasing the use of incarceration.”

…For profit private prison companies primarily use three strategies to influence policy:  lobbying , direct campaign contributions, and building relationships, networks, and associations.”

Perhaps private prison companies are bending the rules or “gaming the system” for their own advantage.  

(http://www.justicepolicy.org/research/2614)

Reform and Corporate Taxes:  The Obama framework is a start to a long overdue debate

This well reasoned editorial essay for reform begins with “the (U.S.) corporate tax system is a mess.”  It ends with…”Serious reform requires specific proposals, tough trade-offs and hard numbers attached.  Without all of those, this effort could too easily be hijacked by powerful corporations and their high-paid advisors.”  In other words, corporations and their managers could game the process and “unless it is vigilantly managed could actually reduce revenue and add to the deficit.” 

By gaming the process, corporate tax rules could be bent, manipulated for a particular corporation’s benefit, possibly abusing the system set in place.

Santorum is Forced to Defend His Record, by Michael D. Shear

Senate Credentials Are Easy Target

Washington–Rick Santorum is being asked tough questions about his conservative credentials by Mitt Romney, his opponent in the Republican nominee for president race.  In responding about his votes for family planning financing and for the “No Child Left Behind” education law, Mr. Santorum stated that politics is a “team sport.”  

Team sports are played on playing fields, including the Senate of the U.S.

The New York Times, Monday, February 20, 2010

In the Business Day page of The Times, David Carr, writes about the media and Linn in Media Hype For  Lin Stumbles on Race.   

Jeremy Lin is a 23 year old basketball phenomenon who plays professional basketball for the New York Knicks.  There, apparently, has been some unfortunate racist coverage, but generally  the media loves this story:  ”… every once in awhile a tale comes along that turns them (sports reporters} into fanboys…  The Lin story has broken out into the general culture because it is aspirational in the extreme, fulfilling notions that have nothing to do with basketball or race. Most of us are not superstars, but we believe we could be if only given the opportunity.  We are, as a matter of practicality, a nation of supporting players, but who among us has not secretly thought we could be at the top of our business company or team if the skies parted and we had our shot?”

We love stories of success, and like to envision ourselves as a top player like Jeremy Lin. The sports idioms here are players, team, and shot, particularly “shot” which, in this case is a basketball shot at the basket, but in another context could be a shot from a gun.  

CORNER OFFICE:  TIM BUCHER, by Adam Bryant

In an interview with Mr. Bryant about corporate leadership qualities, “Tim Bucher, founder and C.E.O. of TastingRoom.com, a wine site says he takes his team to weekly dinners, as it’s hard to discuss the big picture amid distractions at the office.”  

Mr. Bucher also says one has to communicate the vision.  ”You have to show the team where you’re going…you’ve got to pull the whole organization in the right direction…In a start-up, everyone is pulling on the same oars.”

Perhaps Mr. Bucher was part of a crew in high school or college, as he wants his team to row together, pulling on the same oars, hoping they will win the race.  

DEALBOOK

For This College Sport, the Playing Field Is a Boardroom, by KEVIN ROOSE

At the first Wall Street Training Valuation Case Competition, the Tulane/Shanghai team won first place.  They pitched a 3.2 billion aquisition of RPC, an energy services company by Chesapeake Energy Corporation.  

This article has a clever title comparing a corporate boardroom to a playing field with teams.  There is a baseball term is the second sentence in this post, “pitch.”   A pitcher pitches a ball, but this team pitched an idea for a takeover.  

OBAMA SETS GOAL OF ECONOMY BUILT FOR THE LONG RUN

Characterizes His Vision as an America “Where Everyone Gets a Fair Shot”

Washington–”President Obama pledged on Tuesday night to use government power to balance the scale between America’s rich and the rest of the public…

Ordinary Americans, the president said, have the right to expect, if not a helping hand from their leaders, then at least a field in which everyone plays by the same set of rules.”

There are two sports idioms in the headlines: “for the long run” and “fair shot.”  A third idiom “a field in which everyone plays by the same set of rules” is both a sports and games idiom.

A long run is used for an actual run by horse or man or for the economy in this idiomatic sense.  President Obama is a basketball player;  a fair shot occurs according to basketball rules within the boundaries of the game.  However, this idiom could also be from shooting clay pigeons where there are rules, or in an older sense meaning a “good shot”  pertaining to a shooter or hunter who shoots skillfully, accurately.  ”A field in which everyone plays by the same set of rules” is such a general idiom it applies to all field sports and  war.

“Eisner, however, held one powerful trump card.  Even if Pixar didn’t renew, Disney hd the right to make sequels of Toy Story and the other movies that Pixar had made, and it owned all the characters,…”

A trump card wins a round, usually, unless a player has a higher trump card.

China Takes Aim at U.S. Naval Might, by Julian Barnes, Washington, Nathan Hodge, Newport News, Va., and Jeremy Page, Beijing

…”Now China is engaged in a major military buildup.  Part of its plan is to force U.S. carriers to stay farther away from its shores, China’s military analysts say.  So the U.S. is adjusting its own game plan.  Without either nation saying so, both are quietly engaged in a tit-for-tat military-technology race.  At stake is the balance of power of the seas that its growing rapidly in importance.”

There are football game plans, and then there are military game plans.  All game plans are defensive and offensive.

MONEY & INVESTING

Consumers Cry Foul Over Debt Collectors, By Jessica Silver Greenberg

“Complaints about debt collectors are pouring into a federal database that tracks allegations for illegal late-night phone calls, arrest threats and other abuse. …

The debt-collection industry… was the subject of a record 164,36 complaints throughDec. 8 of this year, according to the Federal Trade Commission.”

According to the article, only four enforcement actions have been “launched” or begun against debt-collection firms, but some are large fines, such as the one West Asset Management “agreed to pay (of) $2.8 million to settle accusations that included threatening arrest  to people who owed money.”

Debt collectors are regulated under state and federal laws, the latter including the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.   It is illegal to make late-night phone calls, physical threats, and calls after the collector has been asked to stop calling.

The term foul is used in many sports, including U.S. soccer (football in most of the world)  and basketball.  A personal foul is used in American football.   It is used in its derivative sense as something wrong, not correct, not good gamesmanship.

 The person asking for the contribution was a basketball star.

Jean Henry

The Wall Street Journal, Monday, December 12, 2011

MEDIA & MARKETING

For NBA, Advertisers No More a Slam Dunk, by Kevin Clark and Suzanne Vranica

It’s going to be hard for the NBA (National Basketball Association) to round up advertisers according to this article.

Democrats Find a Welcome Distraction, by Jeff Zeleny

WASHINGTON–

“President Obama bluntly acknowledged Tuesday that winning a second term was “not a slam-dunk,”…

President Obama played basketball and the basketball season is starting, so it is natural he should use a basketball metaphor or idiom to highlight the fact that his election for a second term will not be easy.  A slam-dunk is an easy shot for the basketball player.

OPINION: DECLARATIONS, By Peggy Noonan

“The talk this week was of who was most damaged politically by the failure of the super committee.  The first, admittedly earnest answer is: the country.  We have a projected deficit of $44 trillion.  A group of Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill were charged with coming up with $1.2 trillion cuts.  Just 1.2 our of 44.  Not that hard and they couldn’t do it.

The second party most damaged by the failure was President Obama, that grand strategic thinker who’s always playing long ball.  It is a time of unprecedented and continuing economic crisis,…  He didn’t put his public prestige behind a good outcome… At the end of the day, he didn’t want to spend his political capital.”

A long ball is either a triple or home run in baseball, not a single;   it’s hitting for the fences in the park.

TECHNOLOGY: SQUARING OFF 

Should states require online retailers to collect sales tax?

“Yes, says Michael Mazerov, because it levels the playing field.”

“No, says Steve DelBianco, because it’s too much of a burden on small firms.”

For information about the sports idioms, to level or leveling the playing field, please see http://www.sportsidioms.com.

MONEY & INVESTING

THE PROPERTY REPORT

Carlyle Cuts Fees to Sell New Funds, by Graig Karmin and Gregor Zuckerman

“Carlyle Group, the large private-equity firm that is preparing for a public share listing, has had to cut fees and offer other unusual incentives to lure investors to a new $2.3 billion real estate fund.

Carlyle has offered large investors annual management fees of as little as 0,75% of assets, half the 1.5% industry standard.  Carlyle also has raised the bar that must be cleared before the firm can share in the fund’s profits, known in the industry as a hurdle rate or preferred return.”

The sports idioms in this article are from track and field.  When the bars are raised for high jumps or hurdles it makes it more difficult for runners and jumpers.  In the case of Carlyle, the group has higher hurdles and bars to “jump” over to get new investors.

FOOTBALL INC.?  G.D.

“The popular proposals to spin off college football as a quasi minor league might help clean up the sport.  But they can’t make an end run around Title IX.”

The players, who might not be full-time students, would receive salaries.  The problem foreseen is Title IX,  a U.S. law mandating equal treatment for women.  There are also other objections about  business expenses including a big one, players’ salaries.

An end run in American football, used as an idiom here, is defined in the site http://www.sportsidioms.com.  Look under “football” in the definition list.

U.S. Alleges Web Gambling Site Full Tilt Poker Stacked Deck

“…On Tuesday (September 20, 2011), the U.S. Justice in a civil suit accused Messrs., Lederer, Ferguson and Furst, and another director of the company behind the Full Tilt Poker website, of defrauding thousands of online poker players out of more than $300 million that is still owed to them.”  …

“In the U.S. about $160 million seemed to disappear from player accounts.”

The site’s license was revoked in September after a controversial hearing.

I don’t have stacked deck in my list of games idioms at http://www.sportsidioms.com.  This is an oversight.  I should have.  A player who has a card deck stacked against him has a difficult time winning as the house or whoever is dealing the cards has organized the cards so that the player cannot win.

DECLARATIONS, By Peggy Noonan

‘They Won’t Care Till They’re Affected’

“In Iowa and Florida, ‘Wal-Mart moms’ (women who shop at Wal-Mart) take a dim view of Washington.”

“People lampoon (make fun of) the Occupy Wall Street movement as a bunch of marginal freaks, but these women from the heart of the country shared a basic resentment:  The banks got bailed out, everyone else was left holding the bag.

How do they feel about Mr. Obama?  Silence.  Then , ‘indifferent’, disapponted”..there was no anger.”  …Both groups were feistier about Congress.  ‘They’re playing a game.’  ’What have they done?’   Words were used such as ‘dysfunctional’, …’childish’…’can’t work together.’

“Do they care about you?  ’No, not so much.’  ’They won’t care till they’re affected.”

“They all said they care about 2012.  They all said they’d vote.”

Targets Shift in Phone Wars, by Anton Troianovski

Apple Pitches an iPhone to Budget-Minded;  Android Makers Woo Business Clients

“In the smartphone was, the battlefield keeps expanding.”

New York Times, Tuesday, October 18, 2011

FREQUENT FLIER, Alison Provost, chief of  Touch Storm, a digital video distributiion company, in Vail, Colo.

“I was flying in the late afternoon from Vail, Colo., Kansas City for a potential client meeting the next morning.  It was one of those business pitches that one can make or break the year.”

It’s baseball season and pitches are in vogue.  Chris Carpenter is pitching for the St. Louis Cardinals tonight, October 19, 2011.  He is pitching or throwing baseballs.  Apple is pitching cheap Iphones and Alison Provost was pitching business ideas.  For more understanding of American baseball, please see www.sportsidioms.com.