That the bailout was inevitable is beyond dispute. That it'll stabilize the mortgage markets and ease 30-year rates is open to question. Any claim that this move came in time to halt our nation's downward economic spiral is dubious at best.
Here's what's certain: We, the taxpaying public and our taxpaying children, will bear the consequences.
* * *
The Ohio State University hasn't lost a football game to another Ohio school since Oberlin bested the Buckeyes 7-6 in 1921.
Against Ohio University yesterday, lord knows they tried.
Those guys in green and white -- y'know, the ones that weren't even recruited by the scarlet and gray -- brought their attitude to The 'Shoe and sent the Buckeyes a message.Message received -- and eventually returned to sender, 26-14, relieving me of having to explain how arguably the most talented team in the country blew a gimme.
Elsewhere, it wasn't a good Saturday for another football fan in our household -- my wife's beloved West Virginia Mountaineers lost to East Carolina, 24-3.
I've since been assured that this gridiron collapse was my fault. When we left for Hineygate yesterday morning, apparently I didn't allow Mrs. KintlaLake enough time to find the WVU good-luck necklace she always wears under her OSU garb.
Okay...
* * *
With all due respect, NASCAR Nation can keep its hydrophobic, go-fast-turn-left brand of motorsports. I'll take rain-or-shine, road-course racing -- every time.
I especially love waking up early on Sunday mornings to watch Formula One, and today's Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps reminded me why.
Ferrari’s Kimi "Iceman" Räikkönen, defending F1 champion, dominated the race from its second lap. Young Lewis Hamilton of McLaren, the series points leader going into Belgium, recovered from an early spin to dog Räikkönen from P2 throughout.Then, with eight laps to go, rain began falling on parts of the four-mile course. Räikkönen got conservative and his two-second advantage over the more aggressive Hamilton evaporated. The pair swapped the lead several times during the last two laps, but Räikkönen was unable to match the Englishman's purpose and spun twice on the slippery surface, the second time into a barrier, ending his day. Hamilton tiptoed around the skating rink to take the checkered flag.
Absolutely spectacular motor racing.
A few hours after the race, F1 stewards assessed Hamilton a 25-second penalty for cutting a chicane during his closing-laps tussle with Räikkönen, bumping the McLaren pilot from first to third. Disappointing as that must be for the Brit, his team and his fans, it doesn't erase my memory of one of the most exciting finishes I've seen in years.
There's nothing wrong, of course, with preferring NASCAR's Sprint Cup series -- as a matter of fact, the green flag just dropped on this week's race at Richmond International Raceway.
It was scheduled to run yesterday, but hey, it was raining in Virginia...
