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Pat Howell (#30) hoists the NCISAA 3A state soccer championship trophy as Eduardo Alvarez raises his arms in celebration (click image to enlarge). Alvarez had a hat trick in Greensboro Day School's 3-1 victory over Charlotte Latin, this afternoon in Raleigh. The Bengals finished the season 17-0-3.

Facebook status:

Nancy Barakat Vaughan is very disappointed that the NC State Democratic Party has interjected itself into a non-partisian election! I've always believed in voting for the best person regardless of their party affiliation. It seems to me that the NCDP have bigger things to worry about than the Greensboro City Council elections (and yes this may lead to a very "interesting" dinner conversation).

Ironic, too.

Jeff Thigpen is right, party activism in our local non-partisan races is not new or limited to one side, or even necessarily bad, but this may represent a new level of external involvement in GSO races.

I think it's going too far. Party politics would ugly up local campaigns and change the dynamics on the Council.

And in this town, attaching an "R" to names probably would hurt good candidates like Robbie Perkins -- or for that matter, any Republican in an at-large race -- and an "I" might hurt Vaughan, who is registered as an independent [fixed per the comments below -- thnx].

How did I not know about this sooner? "Figwit is a fan-derived name for an unnamed elf extra in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, played by actor and musician Bret McKenzie of Flight of the Conchords."

If you're looking for reasons to root for the Phillies...

The logical solution is to revert to a "robust" public option that would align doctor and hospital payments with Medicare, thereby re-establishing the public option's price advantage. But Pelosi doesn't have the votes for that, and neither does Reid.

Insurance companies may win in the end.

Wilbur Ross, best known around here for stitching the corpses of Burlington Industries and Cone Mills into ITG, says the US is about to see "huge crash in commercial real estate."

From a report mailed this week by a large privately-held real estate investment company, explaining the terrible performance of one of its funds: "Retail sales have plummeted, values have dropped 20-30% and may retailers have gone bankrupt or out of business...We simply could not pay the monthly mortgage and all operating expenses and the future looked so dismal that we elected to give this center back to the lender...equity related to this transaction has been written off."

Insult to injury: Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC didn't just use your money to lobby Kay Hagan against health care reform, it got Hagan's zip code wrong on the mailer. By two digits.

Lisa Scheer took this pic last week in Beijing's 798 district.

Orszag fact-checks the liberal media:

Fred Hiatt in [Monday's] Washington Post [writes] in his column that the two biggest steps that can be taken to reduce the rate of health care cost growth — changes in health care’s tax treatment and an independent Medicare commission — are missing...[But] the Senate Finance Committee bill includes both of these measures.

CBO blog:

According to CBO and JCT’s assessment, enacting H.R. 3962 would result in a net reduction in federal budget deficits of $104 billion over the 2010–2019 period. In the subsequent decade, the collective effect of its provisions would probably be slight reductions in federal budget deficits.

Really not that complicated: stimulus spending helps replace consumer spending, but consumers still lack the wherewithal to drive a recovery on their own.

It's a long-term problem: "Stagnant wages and concern over mounting unemployment are causing confidence to wane, raising the risk that consumers will retrench in coming months as government assistance programs run out."

Greensboro's non-partisan elections, not so non-partisan. I hope Tony takes them up on the ride.

I disagree that the non-partisan label is a "fantasy," though -- not having the affiliations on the ballot is pretty real, and it carries over into Council business. But having the NCDP so actively involved seems to violate the spirit of the thing.

George Will leads a column with an anecdote about seven-year-olds attending and discussing "pharm parties," that is, "sampling pharmaceuticals from their parents' medicine cabinets."

The story is attributed to Gil Kerlikowske, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

I'm having a hard time believing the tale, which seems to misuse the term "pharm party," which itself is suspect in the first place.

We haven't had a seven-year-old in the house for eight years, but the memory is reasonably fresh, and I spent a fair amount of time this year with my bright seven-year-old nephew.

Based on that experience, and the lack of news coverage about little kids getting sick after eating adult doses of mom's happy pills or coming to second grade with four-hour boners -- how discerning in their drug intake are these children supposed to be? -- I'm calling BS on this one.

Not saying there are no seven-year-old pill-poppers out there, just that the pharm party angle is doubtful, and not some sort of meaningful trend among the SpongeBob set.

As the great Shelly Zalaznick used to say, If it doesn't make sense, I don't believe it.

Otherwise, a good column about the failure of the "War on Drugs" and the need for a smarter drug policy.

"Preservation Greensboro has linked with Philadelphia-based Partners for Sacred Places and the Washington DC-based National Trust for Historic Places to hold a community design workshop to explore the future of Fisher Park." November 6 at Holy Trinity; RSVP and other details here.

"Obama took advantage of a rare political moment to break through one of Washington's most powerful lobbies and trim more weapons systems than any president had in decades."  Good for us. Also includes some love for teh gay.

When I was asked to speak at a conference in Beijing, I volunteered to give a version of the talk Sydney refers to as "The Internet, It's Kind of a Big Deal," also known as "social networking for businesses," Enterprise 2.0, etc. No dice. (I ended up moderating a panel on IT strategy.)

Shortly after checking into our hotel, I discovered that access to this blog is blocked in China.

Along with Blogger, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, TypePad has been placed behind the "Great Firewall." The Chinese government doesn't want its people using many of the publishing and networking tools we take for granted in the West.

Getting around the Firewall is pretty easy, even for a non-adept like me. I could tunnel out via my company's private connection to the Internet, known as a VPN. I saw a Western visitor standing a few feet away from uniformed soldiers in Tiananmen Square, beneath the gaze of a giant image of Mao, using a smart phone to bring up banned pictures of tanks advancing on the plaza.

There are other methods for circumventing the infobarrier, and at least some segments of the Chinese population are well informed, if careful in conversation. I asked one person about the 1989 events at Tiananmen, and was given a discreet answer about students being influenced by wrong ideas and triggering a vaguely-described government crackdown. There was an artful pause, and then: "This is the official story." 

It would be easy enough for the government to tighten its restrictions on information flow, at least on a technical level. But I wonder how businesses would respond to that kind of thing. Just as the US owes China so much money that we have leverage in the relationship, the regime's fondness for data-dependent modern businesses may make those highly-secure network connections hard for the post-Communist authoritarians to break.

I asked another person about the political expression allowed in artworks we'd seen in the 798 District. "The government knows a picture is worth a thousand words," came the reply. "As long as you don't actually say the words, it's OK."

Obtuseness from an Ivy Leaguer about the obtuseness of Ivy Leaguers.

Blame your parents, not Yale, if you find yourself unable to converse with a plumber.

My education taught me to believe that people who didn’t go to an Ivy League or equivalent school weren't worth talking to, regardless of their class. I was given the unmistakable message that such people were beneath me.

Really? Maybe you'd be an asshole even if you'd gone to Cleveland State.

But if one can stand to keep reading, there are some nuggets about diversity and privilege buried in the article.

After [South Carolina assistant Attorney General Roland] Corning and the stripper gave conflicting stories about what they were doing in the cemetery, Wines proceeded to search the SUV and found Corning's stash of sex toys and Viagra. To clear up any misunderstanding, Corning assured Wines he always kept them with him "just in case."

Be prepared, as the Boy Scouts say.

This does not sound good for GSO: "US Airways said it is realigning its operations to focus almost exclusively on flights from its three domestic hubs: Charlotte, N.C.; Philadelphia; and Phoenix."

Beijing air quality allegedly improving; focus on "allegedly."

Not one we've solved: "It is a riddle of modern magazining that during a period when staffs are expected to file early and often to the Web to make sure that publications have a significant digital presence, all the while still making the print product, that they are now confronted by dramatic cuts in staff that raise practical issues of getting the work done."

The industry seems to be healthier in China, judging by the crowded conference and thick issues produced by our sister publication.

I'm starting to think health insurers could use a little competition.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina announced another big rate hike at almost the same moment it mailed customers "a slick flier [...] urging them to send an enclosed pre-printed, postage-paid note to Sen. Kay Hagan denouncing what the company says is unfair competition that would be imposed by a government-backed insurance plan."

People are pissed.

Indignant Blue Cross customers have rebelled against the insurer's message, complaining that their premium dollars have funded such a campaign.

They've hit the Internet in a flurry of e-mails to friends and neighbors throughout the state. They've called Hagan's office to voice support for a public option. They've marked through the Blue Cross message on their postcards to instead vouch support, then dropped them in the mail -- in at least one case taped to a brick -- to be paid on Blue Cross' dime. Or dimes.

Home, a scant 12 hours late. Dog seems glad to see us.

Former Citigroup chair John Reed says Glass-Steagall-type regulation, along with stronger capital requirements, "would go a long way toward building a more robust financial sector."

Previously: Rubin defends his legacy.

Continental is having problems at the EWR end of the Beijing route, so we're delayed here for a few hours. A whirlwind trip, but a slow boat home.

Below, a building near Ya Show Market, this morning. We packed a lot into just a few days. And we did in fact see a lot of Buicks, some while being driven around in a Red Flag.

More TK. Try to behave until I get back.

Just the headline one wants to read before getting on a plane: "Pilots Who Missed Airport Were Using Their Laptops."

Can I not leave the country for a few days without you people going all socialist on me?

A look at opt-out: "While it's not ideal, an opt-out gives you the reality of a public option." North Carolina and South Carolina are invoked as examples of neighboring states that might handle things differently.

Shocking fact: not everyone in China has heard of the State of North Carolina.

Our guide at the Great Wall, though, reacted positively when we told him where we are from, because he knew Michael Jordan played for UNC. And he is not alone in his fandom, as we noticed when passing a souvenir stand at the Mutianyu section.

Nixon was right, btw. It is, indeed, a great wall. The refreshment options have changed since his time (far left); the beast itself was appealing enough, in a camelid sort of way, but I thought the sign spoke to a deeper truth about life (near left; click images to enlarge).

One of two giant video screens facing the Forbidden City, outside Tiananmen Square, Sunday. These screens showed scenes of government officials and military might. Two more huge displays in the square itself showed cultural scenes, with a lot of Olympic pics. We wondered what a US version might show, other than Pepsi ads.

In case you can't make out the text at the bottom of this sign outside the Forbidden City's Jing Yun Men gate, even after clicking the image to enlarge it, the last line reads: "Made Possible By The American Express Company," complete with corporate logo.

"The economy does not in any way excuse the crooks. They bear full responsibility for their actions, but the break-ins are a reminder that the Great Recession is manifesting itself in all kinds of uncomfortable ways." My newspaper column is about crime, recession, and local government. You can read the whole thing after the jump.

Works by Cao Hui at Pifo New Art Gallery, 798 district, Beijing, Saturday.

Beijing, yesterday.

"There is a tremendous amount of wealth - here yesterday, gone today," says Charlotte CoC paresident Bob Morgan.

I've tried to make the point about the impact of reduced dividends on GSO -- people sitting on piles of LNC or AIG or Wachovia didn't just see their net worths decline on paper, they took huge hits to income, and that spiraled through their personal finances.

One impact: In previous recessions, they told philanthropies, "come back next year." This time, they're saying, "sorry."

Yes, Goldman looks sleazy here, but how could NJ have negotiated the deal without covering itself?

Fun in the sun: NORTH MYRTLE BEACH -- When Premier Resorts, a Utah company that managed some properties at Barefoot Resort, closed last week, the company left property owners without a way to get into their units and one couple without a venue for their wedding that is just weeks away.

Raleigh follies: "We're guessing Berger never imagined the governor's staff would bother to read them. He was wrong."

If a city manager refuses to read blogs because he doesn't "have time for the noise," but he does read an upcoming newspaper column in the local monopoly daily that begins with a citation from a local blog, have blogs made a sound?

Goldman Sachs grandee says of banker pay that we must "tolerate the inequality as a way to achieve greater prosperity for all."

We wouldn't be having this conversation if there was greater prosperity for anyone but the bankers, and if they weren't now divvying up the profits from trades made with our money. 

The speaker is a Brit known as Lord Griffiths. His spokeswoman, Marie Antoinette, could not be reached for comment.

Max Boot says we can succeed militarily in Afghanistan. Maybe he's right.

But then what? And is whatever comes next worth it?

Due to factors beyond my control, I won't be able to respond to comments at this blog for a few days.

If you're reading this, I guess I am able to post.

"[T]he Netanyahu government's stance in this case represents a quite novel and very shortsighted decision to, in essence, write off a big chunk of American Jewry and class them amongst Israel's foes." Don't they know the joke, Two Jews, three opinions?

CBO says "more robust" public option would save big bucks.

Cover more people.

For less money. 

Not sure where Blue Dogs can hide on this one, although I'm sure they'd like to conceal themselves behind a big wall of insurance industry cash.

"The measure passed 68 to 30 with all the Democrats and all the Republican women voting for the Franken amendment."

I guess those silly women couldn't grasp the complexities understood by Senator Burr.

More:

It's actually a bit more complicated, but the administration is working to make the amendment more workable.

"Recent data strongly indicate that network neutrality rules do not deter ISP investment." A report challenges a telecom industry truism.

Donors Choose lets you decide which classroom projects to help fund.

Steve Jones is trying to get books about the Constitution to kids in Durham.

Find GSO projects here.

"Glass-Steagall was watered down over the years and finally revoked in 1999. In the Volcker resurrection, commercial banks would take deposits, manage the nation’s payments system, make standard loans and even trade securities for their customers — just not for themselves."

It ain't happening. 

"Whenever he has advice, the administration is very interested."

Well, not lately.

Recruiting: A newly created set of canon laws, known as an "Apostolic Constitution," will clear the way for entire congregations of Anglican faithful to join the Catholic Church.

Things are weird in NIP.

New City Manager Rashad Young says he won't read blogs in GSO.

Early days. He hasn't even decided on his favorite barbecue yet.

Blogs are so deeply integrated into the info-flow that he'll be partaking indirectly if he follows local news at all.

But I bet he ends up reading a few, at least from time to time.

Another NIP robbery today, but this one was in the afternoon.

Guess they didn't hear about the meeting.