First U.S. Map Purchased

With the swirl of politically turbulent events dominating the news, the Washington Post slipped in a story in today's edition about the recent purchase of the first known map of the new United States. Carlyle Fund co-founder and managing director David Rubenstein made the purchase. He has lent the map to the Library of Congress.

Obtaining the 43" x 48", hand colored item, known as the Abel Buell map, is a significant achievement for the Library of Congress. Sadly, the map was sold by the New Jersey Historical Society. They lacked funds and the institution, in essence, sold their equivalent of the family silver. The map is shown at right.

NFL Lobbying in Washington

The NFL has stepped up its lobbying efforts with Congress, according to today's Washington Post. The article comes as the league steps up its Super Bowl hype and the likely 2011-12 season lockout of players. It's useful, if somewhat dry reading, but worth the time if you can take your eyes off the events in Egypt.

Protest Against Koch Brothers' Sponsored Conference

The LA Times reported in today's editions a protest liberal groups are planning against a right-wing conference in Rancho Mirage, California.

The bi-annual event, sponsored by David and Charles Koch (David is shown in the Kansas City Star photo above), brings together conservative activists, fellow traveler jurors such Antonin Scalia, propagandists such as Glenn Beck, Republican congressional members, and deep pocketed businesspeople.

The Kochs' have a long history of involvement in extreme right-wing activities. In a way, the sons have followed the footpath of their father, Fred Koch, who was an original member of the John Birch Society. Jane Mayer's piece in an August 30, 2010 issue of The New Yorker discusses the father's background, the Koch sons' current anti-Obama jihad, the family's collection of enterprises whose profits fund a range of activities from political activism to think tanks, and other aspects of the Kochs' political and economic interests.

Marco Rubio's New Chief of Staff

Marco Rubio, the conservative Republican from Florida who won a U.S. Senate seat in the recent mid-term elections, named Cesar Conda as his chief of staff. The story comes from the Weekly Standard and was reprinted in today's Washington Post.

The appointment matters. Rubio is a young, Sun Belt face of the right wing. He is articulate and telegenic. He piggybacked on the Tea Party surge to help win a tight election. Conda, shown in the photograph, offers a strong clue about Rubio's intentions. According to the Weekly Standard story, Conda was Dick Cheney's right hand (no pun intended) for domestic affairs during the first two years of the Bush-Cheney regime. "In that capacity," the story noted, "(Conda played a critical behind-the-scenes role in conceiving the Bush tax cuts and Bush economic policy more broadly."

One suspects that Conda -- and others -- are grooming Rubio for a larger domestic role. Rubio represents a state of great importance in presidential elections. Keep in mind that Barack Obama, who is Rubio's age peer, was a first-term U.S. senator when he ran for the presidency.

US Corporations Most Exposed to Slowdown in Federal Spending

The financial blog Zero Hedge reported data prepared by Lehman Brothers' analyst Mark Rothman on firms most exposed to a slowdown in government spending. Given the current tempest over federal expenditures, the list makes interesting reading.

Facebook To Permit Advertisers To Republish User Posts

In another effort to "monetize" its website, Facebook will allow advertisers to republish user posts on a user's friends pages. No consent or ability to decline this feature will be permitted under current conditions.

Does this mean a movie preference, for example, will be followed by a movie ad? Or publicity for the Oscars?

The story appeared in Yahoo, but is an original AP article.

Do you have an opinion on this topic? You're welcome to share it here. No promises about an advertising-free comment, though.

Judge Tosses Suit Against The Firm Formerly Known as Blackwater

A suit brought about by families of four members of the firm once known as Blackwater was tossed by a federal judge today. The families are survivors of men whose high profile murder, mutilation, and public exposure in Iraq appalled Americans and led to the siege of Fallujah. Their lawsuit maintained Blackwater basically misled, misequipped, and mistrained its mercenaries. The firm's ineptness, the plaintiffs asserted, contributed to the death of the four employees.

Blackwater symbolized much of what was wrong in the occupation of Iraq. The firm, led by the shadowy, Republican-connected Erik Prince (above), has since evolved into Xe. That company was later acquired by USTC Holdings, which has ties to Prince. In the eyes of many, Blackwater got away with murder in Iraq and elsewhere. The termination of the lawsuit, in which the families ran out of money to successfully pursue its case, suggests something important was lost. Instead, a creepy underground sort of power remains in our land, impervious to justice.

Jack LaLanne

Jack LaLanne's recent passing, at age 96, has generated a lot of media attention. It was even enthusiastically noted on Fox's New York City affiliate's morning show. I read a couple of MSM obits on LaLanne and they successfully managed to blend the facts of LaLanne's life with his legend.

However, for me, Jack LaLanne was a morning television personality. I first saw LaLanne's TV show when I moved to New York. I was eleven years old at the time; the show was black and white. He was the first morning TV star for me that wasn't a cartoon character or belonged to "The Little Rascals" ensemble. LaLanne wore goofy leotards, spoke with an enthusiasm that seemed like Liberace on speed, and advocated doing exercises unseen elsewhere. He also had Happy, his white dog, which I vividly remember. To this day, it's the rare television performer who has a canine inhabiting a set.

It was a different time, when daytime TV wasn't swamped with stupid "morning shows," stock market shouters, or breathless news broadcasts. It was, in retrospect, an innocent time when a man and his dog could get viewers out of their chairs and exercise.

Berlusconi, Bellochio, and Censorship

The BBC has steadily reported Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's alleged and verified sexual exploits. Today's edition noted a more disturbing aspect of Berlusconi's rule.

The article included an assertion by noted Italian film director Marco Bellochio that he has been subject to "creeping censorship." The silencing of Bellochio takes form through the unwillingness of producers and others to finance projects, due to their fear of the powerful prime minister and media magnate. In this case, according to the BBC report, Bellochio wanted to make a film in which a girl is "caught up in a headline-grabbing circus of racy parties and luxury villas."

Berlusconi's grip on the Italian media, combined with his political power, has permitted him to act above the law. Berlusconi's duality has added turbulence to Italian politics without any useful benefit to anyone except the prime minister and his court. The lesson Americans can take from this embarrassing episode is to firmly separate media and political power.

New York City learned this lesson the hard way during Mike Bloomberg's maneuvering for a third term as mayor. No one wanted to say "boo," because of Bloomberg's control of a media outlet and his money. It's much too dangerous for a representative democracy to permit those who own opinion shaping enterprises to simultaneously hold political office.

The photograph shows Marco Bellochio at the 2010 Venice Film Festival.

The Problem with Teachers

In today's Washington Post, Richard Whitmire wrote an opinion piece about Michelle Rhee-inspired "reforms" in the Washington, D.C. public school system. His most interesting and controversial assertion emerges halfway through the piece. The point is a central issue in the broadside against the quality of the existing pool of tenured instructors.

The District of Columbia, Whitmire noted, is not an outlier on teacher quality. The well-documented decline in the caliber of those aspiring to teach - calculated by SAT scores, grades, scores on certification tests, etc. - has been evident for many years. That phenomenon, a natural offshoot of more attractive career options opening up for the best and brightest women, is somewhat noticeable in well-functioning suburban schools - but glaring in low-performing urban and rural schools.

The result of this long slide in teacher quality can be captured in multiple snapshots: the declining U.S. ranking on international education comparisons (down to middle of the pack), the embarrassing number of military applicants who get rejected (more than one in five does not meet the minimum standards for Army enlistment) and the astonishing rates of those needing remedial classes in college (as high as 40 percent). (Italics added.)

For many years, teaching was perceived as a profession one undertook out of career desperation or stark necessity. "Well, you could always teach" was a line one heard during a discussion of job direction. It was a step above enlisting in the military. (Note the connection to "calling" and "serving your country" in both situations.) Outside the education world, teaching was often considered "easy," a job that anyone could do. All that was required for success was a modicum of brains, a dash of training, and lots and lots of "passion." Unstated in this formula was the belief that teachers weren't so smart, and that anyone "smart" would go become an attorney, a doctor, or a hero financier. To put it less politely, teachers were the bottom of the achievement barrel. Whitmire states this uncomfortable point in the passage I cited.

An entire generation of barely bright teaching professionals has been one alleged result. Are teachers really that dumb? How does one explain the classroom "success stories" that took place over that generation? The focus on inner city schools masks the dull fact that most people, regardless of "opportunity," are just plain ordinary. That concept touches an unspoken fear that not going to the "right school," not getting the "right internship," not making the "right connections," is an algorithm for perpetual struggle and a lack of material success. If you don't make a lot of money, brother, you'd better have a lot of "passion." The fear of being labeled a loser, in this context, is a very real one and animates the 18-35 year-old demographic group, regardless of race. It is a class concept, one reason why the Obamians and the Republican Party could so easily gang up on public school teachers.

The reigning concept from the Waiting for Superman crowd that teachers held back and continues to restrain the civil rights of a generation is breathtaking in its simple-minded stupidity. Equally flawed is a largely class-driven belief in the efficacy of "smart" solutions. That notion, along with a drumbeat announcing technologically-driven "progress," requires a "stupid" straw-man to present the notion's line of reasoning. Enter the teachers, made to order dummies that one can easily resent and belittle.

More or less lumped together as a class (no pun intended), public school teachers have been given a collective dunce cap and paraded through the virtual streets of our communities. Ambitious politicians such as New Jersey governor Chris Christie have undertaken such a strategy.

Where have we seen this before? In China, during the Cultural Revolution. The Gang of Four's politically inspired dismantling of an inconvenient group of citizens led to disastrous chaos in China. One wonders what will happen here.

For a rare photographic glimpse into the Cultural Revolution, try to get your hands on a copy of Red-Color News Soldier: A Chinese Photographer's Odyssey through the Cultural Revolution. It's a photo-rich book by photographer Li Zhensheng and a rare visual resource into this turbulent period in Chinese history. The photo in this blog is from the 2003 book.

NFL's Oldest Cheerleader

Yahoo ran a story today about Laura Vikmanis, the oldest cheerleader in the National Football League. The 39-year-old peps for the Cincinnati Bengals, a team in desperate need of cheer. The young woman to Vikmanis' left wears Chad Ochocinco of the many Tweets uniform number.

An Author's Tale

An author spoke before an industry group this evening and told some funny stories about some of his life experiences. One story was particularly good. He had sold the rights to one of his novels to a movie studio. At one point, he was invited out to LA for a press junket on behalf of the film. Later that day, he went to a restaurant. As he was getting ready to leave, he saw two very famous actors also walking toward the exit. A fan approached the author, and to his surprise, asked for his autograph. The author gladly complied.

Watching this episode unfold, one famous actor said to his acting peer, "Shit, I need a new hit movie BAD."

Miami Beach's "Friendly Foreclosure"

The Miami Herald reported in today's edition that a Miami Beach luxury condo experienced a "friendly foreclosure." I don't know what that means, but it sounds a lot better than the funky documentation boiler room deals that judges have blown the whistle on. iStar Financial is the firm that provided the allegedly soft touch.

Miami Beach's "Virtual" Math Class

On my way to Miami earlier today, I read a New York Times story about a Miami Beach high school that offered "virtual" math classes. The kicker in the story is that the students were not informed prior to the beginning of the school year that their class would lack a live instructor. Instead, students are herded into a room filled with computer terminals and a lonely "facilitator." Many students and parents were absolutely allergic to this situation, which has been principally caused by Florida's class size mandate.

Of course, the tech drumbeaters don't like to talk about these stories in their relentless belief in the "smart" classroom. It seems to me not having a teacher work with students is flat out dumb, although it might be cheaper to create a generation of tech-savvy know-nothings.

Baby Doc

Baby Doc Duvalier's return to Haiti marks a creepy way to start 2011. The former dictator's reign was a cruel disaster for the tormented island nation. His father, Papa Doc, was the epitome of a 20th Century nightmare, the spiritual comrade of mass murderers such as Stalin and Mao Tse-Tung. The notion that the Duvalier family could have a second act in Haiti is a dreadful one.

Many years ago, a Haitian woman tried to explain to me what life was like under the Duvalier regime. It was living hell, with a deeply felt fear as an everyday experience. She was one of the lucky ones: she and her family emigrated to the United States. The idea of a Duvalier return would have unquestionably appalled her. It should have the same effect on everyone else, too.

Taking the Dixie Feeling Out of DC

Today's Washington Post included a story about how the District and surrounding areas are losing its "Southern" feeling. The migration of Northerners and immigrants into Northern Virginia and DC itself has strongly contributed to the diminished sense of "southernness."

Historically, DC's way of living looked to the South for ways to go. Architecture, cuisine, and manners tended to be more along the lines one associated with Dixie rather than Yankee. The change is a significant one, as the "East Coast" moves further into the former Confederacy.

The postcard shows the Custis-Lee Mansion in Arlington, Virginia. It once served as the home of Robert E. Lee.

Reading to Aid Belarus Free Theater

On January 19th, a number of literary figures and well-known performers will read in support of Belarus Free Theater. Among them will be Don DeLillo, who tends to avoid publicity and media events. The LA Times noted the event in today' edition.

Pioneering Computer To Be Rebuilt in UK

The BBC reported that the UK's Computer Conservation Society has commissioned a project to rebuild what was characterized as "the first recognizably modern computer." (See photo at left for a look at this mechanical leviathan.) The device will be housed in Bletchley Park, famous as the domain where British scientists unlocked the Nazis' Enigma secret codes. Their work certainly aided Allied war efforts and in all likelihood shortened the dreadful conflict.

The news rather neatly dovetailed with the notice that Apple Computer has offered a $10,000 iTunes gift card to the individual who generates the 10 billionth download from the Apple App Store. Yes, computers have come a long way in less than a century. Have human beings "progressed" at the same rate, with the same quality, and equal purpose, as computational machines? Let's put it this way: do you trust yourself, or do you place higher faith in "spell check"?

Golf Movies

Susan King of the LA Times wrote a piece earlier this week that I wish I had conceived. The article is about "best golf movies." This unusual movie category tends to feature comedies that lean toward raucous laughter rather than refined humor. That's OK.

My favorite of the films King cites is W.C. Fields' 1930 short The Golf Specialist. Fields had a marvelous way of using his body for laughs. Golf's contortions were made to order for Fields, who performed in silent movies, talkies, and vaudeville. If you like Fields' golf movie, you'll probably enjoy anything he does around a billiard table as well.

American Banks Diplomatically Drop Services for Diplomats

The Washington Post reported in today's editions that JP Morgan Chase plans to close "its division serving the banking needs of New York and Washington-based diplomats as well as foreign governments." The information came via a curt notice the bank sent to its affected customers. The story noted that personal accounts for diplomats would be available. JP Morgan Chase's correspondence didn't explain the reason for the bank's actions.

Other American banks have also gotten the heebie-jeebies about diplomats' accounts. The news is a little startling. Imagine you're the banker on the corner, and a representative from a foreign delegation asks to open an account. What do you say? Sorry? Try a savings and loan? Maybe the whole thing is a US Treasury plot to move diplomatic fund transfers to Western Union, thus giving the poor man's bank an unexpected upscale niche market.

Who knows. One can only hope JP Morgan Chase handles the diplomats' accounts more smoothly than the bank manages its domestic foreclosure cases.

The oil and tempera painting shown above -- Double Portrait of Jean de Dinteville and Georges de Selve -- was created by Hans Holbein the Younger in 1533. It's part of the collection of the National Gallery in London.

Fiat 500: Please Park Your Horse

Bloomberg Radio's morning team is camping out at the Detroit Auto Show this week. I've been listening to their reporting and interviews while driving my 20th Century Honda to work. One story that caught my ear involved the launch of the 2012 Fiat 500, better known as the Cinquecento.

The new Fiat 500 has enough automotive bells and whistles to make me jealous, especially as my Honda features roll-down windows, a cassette deck, and push-back seats. Driving in a legacy Honda and listening to a commentator discuss the fine points of the new Fiat reminded me of my first experience in a Cinquecento.

That occurred when I lived in Rome three decades ago. A Texas friend owned a Fiat 500. He used Texas license plates on the car, which led to some wonderful dialogue between him and the Eternal City's opinionated citizens. One salty-tongued Roman suggested the "cowboy" park his horse in a rare available, legal parking space.

The Texan's blue Fiat had a funky charm. Its most endearing quality was a white door on the driver's side. The car had been in an accident, and the original door was replaced. As I recall, the car's prior owner never got around to getting the body work completed. The white door was included in the deal when the Texan sold the car.

For many reasons, I'm sentimental about that Cinquecento. I associate friends and some good times with it. It was the vehicle that opened the Italian countryside to informal, impromptu exploration. I left Italy in that car, not to return until my honeymoon fifteen years later.

I also learned how to drive in that Fiat 500. It was an adventure. One could say that not having anything resembling the Italian version of a learner's permit was an issue, and part of the thrill. My doubtful immigration status was another. Practical matters also made matters exciting: I was learning on a stick in a city where aggressive driving was the only way to go. (Coming from New York definitely helped me cope with that aspect of Roman driving technique.)

I suppose my unofficial road test was the time I drove along the Amalfi Coast. Let's just say I was focused on the task at hand. The American woman who taught me, and who sat beside me, enjoyed the view. It was her car, and she had guts to let me drive it on the narrow cliffside passage. She named the vehicle "Massimo," mostly in irony.

I wonder what name she would give the 2012 Cinquecento.

Gingrich Proposes Bill Allowing State Bankruptcies to Avoid Bailouts

Newt Gingrich is determined to again enter the national political dialogue. His latest foray involves the dicey issue of state and local government finances. His idea is to allow state bankruptcies, so that states can avert federal bailouts and potential tax increases. His target is the public service employees' pension funds, which most states have underfunded and whose liabilities are soaring. The story originally appeared in Pensions and Investments and was publicized in the financial blog Zero Hedge.

Gingrich made the proposal during a recent address to a conservative interest group in Texas. The intellectual brain behind the proposal, though, was probably Grover Norquist (photo on left).

From what I understand of his Norquist's background, he is a Washington-based, right-wing insider whose principal goal is the reduction and dismantling, as far as is manageable, of the federal government. One of his tactics is called "starve the beast," in which tax cuts cause budget deficits which, in turn, would provoke budget-balancing program cuts.

His ardent ideological opposition to New Deal programs and social amelioration agendas aligns itself quite comfortably with political bedfellows such as Sarah Palin, judicial

allies such as Antonin Scalia, and deep-pocketed financial fellow travelers such as Richard Mellon Scaife, pictured on right. (The "fair and balanced" crowd rarely discusses Scaife's media outlets and their rigid ideological slant, and really doesn't like to talk about Scaife's financing of right-wing activities.)

Essentially, Newt Gingrich, with his state bankruptcy proposal, is playing to this audience. That permitting state bankruptcy would cause municipal bond market chaos has apparently not occurred to the man who would be president. However, if need be, the idea will come to Newt. It will take the form of a whispered conversation, a planted media story, or a speech from an ambitious presidential candidate. Of course, it could just come to Newt in a dream, in which his ideas become someone else's nightmare.

Yellowstone Sets New Annual Visit Record

The LA Times reported today that Yellowstone National Park recorded a new annual visitation record. Nearly 3.65 million people visited Yellowstone in 2010. That's roughly what the New York Yankees drew at Yankee Stadium in their best year. It's an incredible number, one best understood if one can recall how 50,000 people in one place look, sound, smell, and act.

The record attendance is a testimonial to a profound interest in unspoiled, spectacular nature. Unlike Disneyland and other monuments to manufactured fantasy, Yellowstone offers plenty of fantastic, mysterious views and experiences. Who needs Disney when one can have Old Faithful?

Elvis Presley As Rapper?

Would Elvis Presley, born on this day in 1935, have been a world-class rapper? It's not hard to imagine him, in a different time, giving the genre a go. He wanted to incite a crowd, which rappers have the knack of doing. However, perhaps we're fortunate to have been spared Elvis as rapper. A roomful of rapping Elvis impersonators would be unbearable.

We'll settle for the King and his court singing Mystery Train.

Economic Warfare School

In a widely reported story today, three key employees of the French car manufacturer Renault were suspended for their alleged involvement in industrial espionage. In the trio's cases, they were suspected to providing sensitive internal information about new electric car technology to representatives of foreign entities.

France is hardly a stranger to industrial espionage. The nation's political-industrial complex has been among the world leaders in conducting industrial spying, sharing leadership in this dubious category with Israel and Russia. The Renault case has turned the tables on the French. It has also brought attention to the People's Republic of China's clandestine efforts to obtain confidential industrial information. (It should be noted that a different perspective on the case was raised in an automotive news blog, which suggested in-house rivalries generated the "espionage," rather than James Bond-style international spy rings.)

One curious aspect of l'affaire Renault was a cogent comment from a representative of an institution called the Economic Warfare School of Paris. The institution, a splendid example of the close links between the French state and key French industries, trains its cadres in the art of economic ju-jitsu. Military experts are among the school's trainers. The school's thumbnail description leaves little mystery as to its purpose, and presumably one's probable career path. It's not as if one gets a job in this field through The New York Times classifieds.

What can the school's application form be like? One wonders how an applicant's professional recommendations are handled. And imagine one's surprise when walking into an office, and on the colleague's wall is a diploma from this unique French institution. Would the diploma be an ice-breaker or a conversation killer? And one should tread carefully on the topic of Renault's new line of electric cars.

NPR and Vivian Schiller

Ellen Weiss, the NPR exec who fired Juan Williams a few months ago, "resigned" from the network. While Weiss walked the plank for the Williams flap, NPR president and CEO Vivian Schiller received a public slap on the wrist from the NPR board. The tangible cost to Schiller was her 2010 bonus. However, unlike Weiss, Schiller retained her jobs.

Schiller's background is a curious one. Her academic credentials include a heavy dose of Russian studies (Cornell and Middlebury), positions with CNN and Turner Broadcasting (including time as a Russian translator in Turner's Moscow bureau), a venti-sized latte with Discovery Times Channel, and a stint as a New York Times executive. A longer version of her resume is available.

The NPR story on Schiller's hiring over two years ago is an interesting study in spin. NPR could have used similar skills to handle the Williams mess, the untidy end of Weiss' employment with NPR, and the protection of Schiller. All things considered, NPR has to be careful, as it forced out its former CEO two years ago and brought Schiller aboard to save the foundering franchise. Now, with a combative Republican and conservative movement in Congress, NPR will have its work cut out for it.

Of course, NPR could simply drop its federal funding and make money the old fashioned way. Alas, one suspects the NPR mandarins see themselves above the less agreeable aspects of journalism's money making hustle.

The Pittsburgh House That Vanished

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review published an article in today's edition about a house that vanished.

Andre Hall, a 40-year-old Pittsburgh resident, recently purchased a home for $31,000. He did a bit of work on the structure, then Hall went away for a week during the year-end holidays. Upon his return, Hall was astonished to discover his new house had disappeared. In its place was a vacant lot. At this point, the story skips to Pittsburgh's Bureau of Building Inspections, responsible for approving demolitions and other property "improvements." So what happened? Well, the bureau's acting chief dryly noted "a couple of things went awry" in l'affaire Hall. One could safely say that a home that vanishes without the knowledge or agreement of its owner is certainly something that "went awry."

The bureau eventually washed its hands of the incident. That has left Hall to legally confront the bureau-hired contractor that allegedly demolished his home as well as the house next to Hall's. The story has the potential to ramble for years toward its destined end.

Meanwhile, one can feast on the speculation this story generates. How did Hall react when he saw that his house had vanished? Did he call the police? Did he believe he was hallucinating? Did he knock on neighbors' doors? Did he laugh? Did he think he was on the wrong street? Did he imagine it was a practical joke? Just what did he think when confronted by this sudden, sharp twist in his life's journey?

The photograph from the Pittsburgh Review-Review shows Mr. Hall standing on his land. "All that's left is this hay," he said.

Aussies Say "G'Day" to LA

According to a story in today's Los Angeles Times, Australians brought the most overseas tourists to LA in 2010. The "G'Day" crowd flocked in record numbers to soak up the settings and personalities familiar from  America's principal exports: television programs and feature length movies. Of course, Los Angeles is a natural gateway for Australians visiting the United States. Southern California's climate bears a striking similarity to the populated areas Down Under. And LA's physically extroverted atmosphere neatly fits the Australian national character.

While Aussies enjoyed life in Los Angeles, they were not the largest group of tourists. That title belongs to Mexico, with Canada a distant second. There are some who would say Anglos are LA's largest tourist group, and that the city, by its history, location, and population, is Mexico's second largest city.

Orange Bowl KOs Stanford University Band

Incredibly, Orange Bowl administrators have nixed a halftime appearance by the Stanford University band at tonight's football game between the smarty-pants California school and the Virginia Tech Hokies. And, in a fit of equal treatment, the Orange Bowl also removed the Hokie band removed from the halftime show.

One splendid response to the uptight Orange Bowl suits could be a harbinger of the future. Stanford electrical engineers, among the world leaders in the field and deeply associated with Silicon Valley firms, could arrange for a "virtual halftime" show by the band. Virginia Tech, as well, features a strong electrical engineering student, alumni, and corporate base. It's tempting to think Va Tech could join Stanford in giving an electronic middle finger to Orange Bowl management, while launching a new and potentially groundbreaking event.

A "virtual halftime" show is not such a wacky idea. Stadiums such as the new Dallas Cowboys' pleasure palace have massive 3-D capable screens over the football field. Clearly, the Cowboy ownership had something more than football in mind with the installation of the screens. A halftime show could now be shown strictly on a screen, without humans on the field of play at all. Patrons would not necessarily need to look at the 3-D screen; they could use their phones or other handheld devices. Stanford or its savvy alums could even patent the process and make even more money for the already financially strong university. Or the U could combine with a corporate heavyweight, such as Disney-Pixar, to create this sort of venture. The Orange Bowl? They'll just have to go to the end of the line.

Beans and the Winter Kitchen

The year-end holidays are done, and so is most of the holiday food. It's time to dust off recipes suitable for winters marked by short days, cold temperatures, and stubbornly unmelted snow. The season's mood is just right for hearty dishes and long cooking times that keep home and heart warm. Winter calls for flavorful stews, rich homemade soups, succulent braised meats, or complex dishes such as Paula Wolfert's version of Toulouse-style cassoulet.

I particularly like making beans at this time of year. Cooking them fills my home with earthy aromas that chase away winter's chill. I adore a bean's simplicity, clean flavor notes, and menu versatility. They pair wonderfully with assertively flavored sausage as well as slab-style fish such as salmon. Beans store easily in their dried state, making them a welcome part of any winter pantry. They also remain an economical choice for home cooks, which in our financially inflationary environment (despite the fiction communicated by manipulated government statistics) is a useful benefit.

Americans who learn about food from restaurant menus might miss beans altogether. It is striking how few dining establishments offer beans in any way, shape, or form. Of course, beans aren't splashy and typically don't add points to presentation. For restaurants hoping to excuse a mid-thirties price point for a six-dollar item, beans don't help the sell. The tweezer food crowd can't handle beans (in more ways than one).

It's left to home cooks to prepare and serve them. In that way, you'll be following in the footsteps of home cooks from Latin cultures, who readily accept beans, cook them well, and enjoy them without inhibition or pretense. And there's something all-American about beans, such as baked beans, that is satisfying beyond their taste. When you return to the winter kitchen now and in the coming weeks, celebrate the season with a return to the simple, savory flavor of beans.

Wisconsin and the Rose Bowl

I'm getting ready to watch the 97th Rose Bowl football game, which features the University of Wisconsin playing Texas Christian University. I'm a Wisconsin alum, so I have a vested interest in the game and its outcome.

The Rose Bowl still has magic for me. As an athletic and, by extension, fan goal, the game has an almost magnetic pull. Its tradition, including the Tournament of Roses Parade (the elephant float captures the parade's mood), retains an allure no other college bowl can match. The setting, as both Wisconsin and TCU coaches noted this week in an LA Times story, can be mesmerizing. Players never forget performing in front of 100,000 fans and a national TV audience. The Rose Bowl is big time; only Notre Dame, when they're good, can deliver the same impact. (It's one reason why college football is better off when ND has a strong squad.)

In contrast, the so-called "national championship" and other BCS games seem invented events designed to generate income, pacify influential sports commentators, and satisfy incorrigible university boosters.

This is the fourth Rose Bowl for Wisconsin since I completed my undergraduate studies there. I still own a Badger red sweatshirt with a discrete, one-rose "Wisconsin -- 1994 Rose Bowl Champions" logo on it. I'll have bratwurst ready for this afternoon's action. (Sorry, no beer today.) I still feel the pull of Pasadena setting, the romantic sundown, the excitement and glamor of the great game. As a fan, I worry, because TCU is fast, favored, and unknown to me.

The Rose Bowl has a more subliminal meaning as well. It symbolizes a sense of completion and success, of a journey from charming farmland to enchanted gardens, from being bundled up to enjoying swimsuit sensuality. The feeling is a powerful one. It is enhanced by televised Rose Bowl games, which present snow covered mountains, gleaming skies, and people looking happy and comfortable. Californians I know somewhat resent the Rose Bowl for that image, which they consider misleading and the generator of delusional transplants to the region.

I've had personal experience with both sides of that proposition. I appreciate the practical value of the "sensible" perspective. However, only a sourpuss would categorically reject the Rose Bowl's opportunity for brief enchantment. It's as if one should stop dreaming, having glorious ambitions, or thinking big. It's like trying to deny the American urge to go "out West" (versus "back East"), or to stop the tides once one reaches the Pacific. The Rose Bowl's great message is that one is better off running for the roses, rather than running away from them.

Go Badgers!