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Happy Monday everyone, here’s my Top 5 for March 26, 2012 from Len Berman at www.ThatsSports.com.
1. Quick Hits
The Final Four next weekend will feature Kentucky vs. Louisville and Ohio State vs. Kansas.
The Jets today will hold the biggest news conference ever held for a backup quarterback, Tim

The normally placid waters of European politics have been roiled by the ongoing monetary crisis. The tides threatening the structurally-flawed mechanisms designed to protect the EU’s tidy precincts from a wave of defaults have crested ever higher while flustered government leaders, Brussels commissioners, European Central Bank authorities, and even the IMF have exhausted themselves sticking fingers in the dykes. Greece has been the most vulnerable point in the Euro-zone construction. For months now it has looked as if impending bankruptcy could topple exposed banks and undercut the financial foundations of one country after another — putting in peril the entire Euro-zone

Paul Ryan, (R) Wisconsin, just re-released his Roadmap for America’s Future. To him it may still seem to be a roadmap, but it’s actually more like some defective GPS system that’s insisting you to drive off the wet end of a pier backwards.
Democracy is all about ideas. But in order for an idea to enter the marketplace of ideas, it should have some merit. Ryan’s latest plan is simply a recycled copy of his last budget plan which was so vehemently rejected by the public the last time that it’s just stupefying that he would re-introduce it.
I wrote a detailed analysis of it last year and so little has changed in his recycled copy that I feel no need to update my critique of last

The new Fox TV series Touch, starring Kiefer Sutherland, has as one of its central characters a mathematically gifted, autistic, 11-year-old child Jake, played by David Mazouz. How accurate is the portrayal of mathematics in the show? Based on the first episode, the answer is, “Not very.” (The caveat is, it doesn’t really matter.)
The first number we encounter, by way of Jake’s disembodied voice (he does not speak, so we only hear him as a thought-track) is the golden ratio, approximately 1.618. Thematically, that’s good, since that number does occur a lot in nature, often by way of its closely associated Fibonacci sequence. Which makes it all the more perplexing that, midway through the first episode, we have Danny Glover’s character repeating a series of oft-recycled falsehoods about the Fibonacci

During the March 2012 Women in the World summit at New York’s Lincoln Center, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivered these candid remarks on patriarchy and women’s rights:
Clinton’s words speak volumes if you’re attuned to women’s issues, popular culture, or even just a casual observer of politics. In an era where many people are claiming to be post-everything, so many old school tricks of the discrimination trade seem to be ever-present. What women do and how we are doing it appears to be a major cause for concern for a lot of men. From marriage to healthcare, many men are at the forefront of “tackling” women’s issues and are very invested in policing our behavior.
Women’s reproductive rights have taken center

(Tripoli) – Libya’s first steps to destroy its vast stockpile of landmines are a positive development, and the demolitions should continue, Human Rights Watch said today.
On March 21, 2012, Human Rights Watch witnessed the destruction of nearly 100 Chinese-made Type-72SP antivehicle landmines near al-Abiar in eastern Libya. Since mid-February, nearly 20,000 mines weighing two tons have been destroyed, representing a small fraction of all mines inherited from the Gaddafi government.
During last year’s conflict, Libya’s then-opposition National Transitional Council (NTC) formally pledged not to use antipersonnel and antivehicle landmines, and to destroy all mines in its forces’ possession.
“The Libyans have begun respecting their 2011 pledge to destroy the hundreds of thousands of landmines in their possession,” said Steve Goose, arms director at Human Rights Watch. “Now the work needs to continue to ensure that these indiscriminate weapons cannot be used in Libya or anywhere else.”
Human Rights Watch urged the Libyan government to accelerate the landmine destruction process and to join the international Mine Ban Treaty. In the NTC’s pledge, signed on April 27, 2011, it said that “any future Libyan government should relinquish landmines and join the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty.”
Under the government of Muammar Gaddafi, Libya defended the use of antipersonnel landmines and refused to join the Mine Ban Treaty.
Human Rights Watch documented the extensive use of antipersonnel and antivehicle landmines by Gaddafi forces during the 2011 conflict, and antivehicle mines use by anti-Gaddafi forces in one location prior to the NTC

1. Before Rick Santorum was introduced at a revivalist-type church service in Baton Rouge last week, Baptist pastor Dennis Terry revived the timeworn trope, “America: Love It or Leave It.” He said that those who don’t believe that America “was founded as a Christian nation” ought to “get out!” In case it wasn’t clear precisely who should be sent packing, he added, “We don’t worship Buddha, we don’t worship Mohammad, we don’t worship Allah!”
2. Santorum joined in a standing ovation for the pastor. The next day, the former Pennsylvania senator kinda sorta distanced himself from Terry’s most bigoted

As a legal academic, active scholar, and father that writes on issues relating to social justice, focusing particularly on the Latino and Latina community, I am always cautious about condemning another person of color out of concern over promoting factionalism. I was nevertheless compelled to write this open letter after your recent comments on the Fox & Friends program.
While you have since tried to distance yourself from those words — because, as you stated, your son said he was ashamed of you — your deed was already done. Indeed, you stated you would “bet money” that Trayvon Martin wouldn’t have been fatally shot if he had not been wearing a

I’m incredibly saddened by the passing of John A. Payton, head of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF). Our nation has lost a brilliant warrior for justice, and I’ve lost a dear friend and colleague in the movement.
I first had the pleasure to meet John during the Clinton

In my last post I spoke about how weight loss is really about “thinning out” the layer of fat that’s lying on top of your muscle. I also mentioned how that layer can be as thick or as thin as we allow it to be — several inches to a foot or more off the muscle.
So when we finally decide it’s time to “thin out” that layer of fat (lose weight), what actually happens and where does the fat go?
Our fat tissue is made up of billions of microscopically tiny round cells all stuck together. These cells are soft and yellow, and are filled with an oily

March is usually a time when we feel that we are in the clear from the winter sniffles. However, a wave of recent antibiotic-resistant infections has many of us wondering if relief will ever come.
According to the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, sinusitis, i.e. sinus inflammation, post-nasal drip, nasal congestion, mucous cough, headache and facial pain, is one of the most, if not the most, common medical complaints in the U.S.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the

The Supreme Court will hear arguments next week on the constitutionality of a health insurance mandate — the most important constitutional issue it has considered since Citizens United vs. FEC and Bush v. Gore.
Two decisions filed this week by the High Court — Missouri

With the early arrival of spring, car owners have another reason to be up in arms over the cost of filling their gas tanks. Projections of $5.00 per gallon by summer are being bandied about across the country, and people are so angered by reckless Wall Street manipulators and oil company greed that they can hardly see straight. While it feels like we are once again being held hostage by Big Oil, there are some simple things that can be done to lessen the load of fuel prices on our wallets.
NYC’s Mayor Bloomberg tried a few years ago to encourage carpooling, but his proposal fell

The Tim Tebow/Jets trade may have hit more than the usual number of contractual speed bumps, but that didn’t stop the NFL from putting No. 15′s Jets jerseys on sale — and advertising it on the nfl.com home page. As of Thursday, you could purchase your very own “Reebok New York Jets Tim Tebow Replica Team Color Jersey.” For $84.99. Plus

The Splendid Table’s How To Eat Supper by Lynne Rossetto Kasper
Hi Lynne,
I ate out last night and ordered French Onion Soup, something I haven’t had in ages. It was delicious but a bit sweet and I am wondering what makes it that way. I have looked at half dozen recipes, all calling for Gruyere cheese, but am having trouble figuring out the sweetness factor. Do you know the reason?
Many thanks, Carolyn in Minneapolis
***
Dear Carolyn,
I’ll bet it was the

I recently hosted a small luncheon in honor of my 91-year old grandmother. To make it special, I enlisted the help of a dear friend, Beth Horta, the florist, author and photographer behind the beautiful blog Sweet Sabelle. Beth came over with a trunk-full of spring flowers — purple and pink sweet peas, bright green viburnum, soft green Lenten roses, purple forget-me-nots, delicate pink spray roses, fragrant bright yellow and cream daffodils, lavender hyacinth, ranunculus and more — and spent the morning helping me create a garden-like spring tablescape.
It’s amazing what flowers can do…my kitchen looked and smelled like a beautiful flower shop!
Beth has a unique style. She rummaged through my cupboards to find an assortment of containers — everything from teapots to water glasses to crystal — and somehow made it all work

The White House and Your House: Policy Inertia and Organizational Resistance in the On-going Crisis of American Housing
Ask any of the Republican presidential hopefuls in this long and drawn out primary season what in general is wrong with the economic policies of the Obama Administration, and they will each tell you that the economy is under-performing now because the current Administration intervenes in its workings too frequently and too heavily. They will each tell you that the private sector has not yet rebounded with sufficient vigor from the recession of 2008-9 because the footprint of the federal government is everywhere – everywhere too present and everywhere too controlling.
That standard Republican litany has one particularly unfortunate consequence – at least for potential Republican voters. It prevents any of the Party’s would-be presidential nominees from pointing to areas of American economic and social life in which current under-performance is caused by the lack of adequate federal

What in the world is going on here?
The GOP presidential primary campaign has been more like an undeclared war, with constant verbal battles being fought between the candidates, accompanied by shots heard around the world by their “unconnected” Political Action Committees.
These competing PACs have some things in common; they want to emphasize that they are trying to elect a true, all-American candidate, and avoid having the country become a socialist state. They also have inadvertently taken the banner of the 1960s “Negro” Freedom Now Party, to help Americans find their freedom from the oppressive tactics promulgated by President Obama.
Branding geniuses have configured PAC names to represent something other than Newt’s “food stamp president’s” vision of America. Speaking of Newt, and no one speaks for Newt, his PAC names proudly show that he is there to change the disastrous path this administration has taken and are named “Strong America Now,” and “Winning our Future.”
Santorum’s PACs are more direct and patriotic in their names, and they don’t offer Americans any doubt where they stand. His unconnected “Red, White and Blue” PAC uses the same colors as those in the Taiwanese

I am a 53-year-old happily married father of three beautiful girls. My usual gig is teaching constitutional law, and normally I write in this space about such mundane matters as abortion, affirmative action, and free speech. Today, I have a different subject: What happened to Billy Joel?
Most baby boomers who grew up in the 1960s and 1970s have an artist who affected their lives in important and emotional ways. In my circle of friends, Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Mick Jagger, and Elton John were often the

In February, I wrote about the encouraging growth of sustainability studies in the United States. In fact, I am now directing three masters programs in that field: A one year MPA in Environmental Science and Policy, a Master of Science in Sustainability Management, and a soon to be announced Executive MPA Concentration in Environmental Policy and Sustainability Management. Each is oriented toward a different type of student. All three of these programs offer professional degrees designed to prepare people to manage staff working on

In that January of 1998, at the end of John Paul II’s Mass in the Plaza of the Revolution, a fresh wind swept over the vast esplanade. My son was sitting on the shoulders of his father and the breeze swirled his hair. The Pope had already ended his homily, but still, he picked up the microphone again and dedicated several words in Latin to that naughty streak that ruffled all of us. “Spiritus spirat ubi vult et vult Cubam*,” he

In the SXSW hangover, it feels like nearly every band makes their way to either Los Angeles or New York City immediately after the festival, and both cities have an abundance of bands — more than usual. Just as hard as it is to stick out at a massive showcase like SXSW, it is just as difficult to make a mark in the big cities the days after.
For most bands, that difficulty can be a factor in reassessing themselves as a live band, or in realizing they could just be too tired to keep on going. As someone who has seen this happen to bands nearly every year after Austin’s favorite festival, it is a bit difficult to give a proper review or allow some

“Raising kids is really hard work, and if we can make it a little easier for parents to feed their babies better, then I think we’re doing the right thing.”
Meet Claire Hoyt, the founder, CEO and mom behind Big Dipper Baby Food, an artisan baby food company based in San Francisco. Claire’s got big dreams, big dreams that could benefit babies and parents all over the country. She believes all babies have the right to healthier, more seasonal, more local, better tasting baby food.
She also believes that good palate development can start at an early age, and last a lifetime (just ask her about her own son!).
All in all, Big Dipper Baby Food is Claire’s mission to make a difference, one little mouthful at a

Watching some of the news coming from Capitol Hill this week, two old music videos started buzzing around in our heads. One was the classic “I’m Just a Bill,” from Schoolhouse Rock, in which a beleaguered piece of legislation sits outside on the marble steps hoping to someday become a law. The other was that Paula Abdul “Opposites Attract” number from 1989 with the sleazy cartoon cat and the chorus that starts, “I take two steps forward, I take two steps back.”
Six long, weary years after New York Rep. Louise Slaughter first proposed a law to ban insider trading by members of Congress and their staffs, the Senate overwhelmingly approved the House version of the STOCK (Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge) Act and sent it down Pennsylvania Avenue for President Obama’s signature (the legislation covers the executive branch as