odds and ends

(Joshua Masayoshi Huff)

You know the economy's hit a recession when school's can no longer afford to take students on field trips. Museums are feeling the hit of not seeing students as well. Honestly, without field trips, I don't know how I would have made it through seven years of elementary school.

Are we digging for oil in Alaska? I'm strictly against the idea, but if we are, it's a failure. Not only is it killing the environment, but we're not even seeing lower prices. What's the point?


---

Jemele Hill at ESPN says that we should all be rooting for a Detroit-Spurs final because it would mean that the supposed conspiracy--that the NBA wants a Celtics-Lakers match-up for old times sake (and for the ensuing ratings bonanza)--won't happen.

WHAT? That's the reason that we should want to see these teams in the finals? Not because she thinks they're the best teams? Not because they play basketball fundamentally sound? If she made those arguments, I would strongly and respectfully disagree because that is not the Finals that I'd like to see, but I'd understand where she was coming from--those points are valid.

But just to avoid the conspiracy? You'd be hard pressed to argue that the Lakers and Celtics haven't been the best two teams in the NBA over the course of the year--I mean, that is why they're the number one seeds. And, the teams that make it out of the respective conference finals are the best teams and deserve to be in the Finals.

BUT JUST TO AVOID THE CONSPIRACY THEORISTS? Are we diminishing sports to nothing more than idle talk?

And she gets PAID to bang that stuff out? Give me a break. If anyone buys that argument, I've got some free, unclaimed islands in Hawaii to sell you tax free.