Clara Van Wel Wins NZ's got Talent

Congrats to Clara Van Wel for winning New Zealand's
got talent. She deserves it, she is a wonderful songwriter,
a wonderful singer and a wonderful, shy, sweet person
who is genuine and she is only 15 years old.

She beat fellow contestants, Evan and Jesse.

These reality shows can sometimes produce Bizarre
results, with sometimes the best act losing.

Not this time though, Clara was the most consistent,
she bought her A game every night and the crowd
and the judges and the voters of New Zealand
appreciated it.

Here's hoping she has a long and successful career,
as I'm sure she will.

Well done again to young Clara.

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Summer Breeze makes me feel fine ...

... blowing through the jasmine in my mind. 

Last night the wind blew and blew and we were blessed with the early but safe arrival of a beautiful purebred Connemara filly by Crossiebeg Brennan and out of Biwmares Madonna. She's has the most amazing buckskin colouring but, due to her mother being homozygous for grey, sadly that won't last. But hey, who's complaining - colour is absolutely the last consideration for us when breeding and she's strong, correct and healthy and that's all we ever hope for! Beauty and colour are just the icing on the cake.

Maddy was due around 21 December so the filly is technically a little earlier than expected but they come when they are ready and ready she was! She was out before we had even got to the paddock from the house (I think it takes me about five minutes from the alarm sounding to being outside) and she was on her feet within 10 minutes! She is feisty as all get out too and put up quite a fight when I grabbed her for the vet to have a quick check over. We had to get Louisa from Wairarapa Equine out as Maddy retained the foetal membranes. This has not happened to a mare I have foaled here before but when they were still well in place 3.5 hours after foaling, I chose to err on the side of caution and call Louisa with a heads up. She was here by 9am and oxytocin and antibiotics were administered and the placenta carefully removed. We will flush her out tomorrow just to be super safe and make sure nothing is left behind that shouldn't be.

I have pretty much decided to call the filly 'TF Summer Breeze' or Summer for short in recognition of the wind and the fact that she was so nearly born on the first day of summer (she was 4 hours inside the second day but, who's counting, right?). What do you think?

Here are some photos (of course) - At 10 hours ... 

Tora is settling in nicely and although still in the yards (just want to make sure we can catch him for the farrier next week so not QUITE ready to put him out in the big paddock) and I stopped in on him with the camera on the way to see Maddy and Summer. Tis very hard to photograph a poky pants in yards with a telephoto lens on!

Where's the food?!

 Tora - Kaimanawa Colt

 Being a shy boy

 I can C U

 Poky pants and telephoto lens makes for extreme close-up!

 Cute

 Ooo, what's that through there? (the dog)

 HEART

Farrier for Tora next week - I am sure he will be a good boy.

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DECEMBER = 31 DAYS OF SNEAKERS

In the spirit of the holidays, I am celebrating this December with 31 days of sneakers. Each day this month will feature a new sneaker selected not just by me, but some of my most sporty and fashionable friends. So to all my sneakerheads out there, I'd love to hear some of your picks too. 

CLICK SNEAKER NAME BELOW TO SHOP!

DEC.31: Well it's the last day of December, the last day of my 31 days of sneakers and the last day of the year! Very hard to pick the final sneaker, especially while there are still so many more to choose. I am giving today to the ADIDAS SPEZIAL, because I love this orange and yellow combo, and because I couldn't decide between the ADIDAS GAZELLE, CAMPUS or SAMBA... all timeless Adidas classics!

DEC.30: Going with a kid's pick today from a very hip 8 year old, NYC Elite gymnast, Ellie Diamond (who happens to be my niece). Ellie always has the coolest kicks and loves these OSIRIS KIDS NYC83.

DEC. 29: PONY TOPSTAR. Remember these? Pony was born in Brooklyn in 1972 and quickly became of the most recognized and iconic Sports brands in the world. 

DEC.28: SAUCONY ORIGINALS BULLET. Originally a track shoe with spikes, Saucony took this 1985 classic and adapted it for the street.

DEC.27: NIKE LEBRON X+. Today's sneaker of the day comes from Ariel Foxman, the Editor-In-Chief of InStyle magazine! This shoe celebrates of the tenth anniversary of LeBron James and Nike Basketball, and features newly engineered cushioning and state-of-the-art support. When paired with the Nike+ Sport Kit (sold separately), the LeBron X+ tracks your highest jump, average jump height and total jumps per game, along with your steps per second, quickest moments and more. Very cool pick Mr.Foxman!

DEC.26: PUMA G.VILAS. This Puma classic named after 70's tennis legend, Guillermo Vilas, is another timeless sneaker favorite.    
DEC.25: Gotta go with this green suede and mesh ADIDAS ORIGINALS DECADE OG for the Christmas sneaker. 

DEC.24: Today's pick comes my old friend Adam Glassman, Creative Director of O, The Oprah Magazine. Like me, he is obsessed with the Nike Flyknit Trainer, which happened to be my Dec.1 Sneaker of the Day. Adam has a sneaker feature as well in the January issue of O, and I am going with one his choices from the magazine, the Asics Gel-Lyte33, as today's sneaker of the day. This lightweight, super-flexible running shoe delivers a cushioned ride and promotes a mid-foot to forefoot strike. Plus the neon yellow and pink will definitely add an extra burst of speed to your runs!

DEC.23: CONVERSE JACK PURCELL: This classic was first introduced in 1935 by its nakesake, world champion badminton player Jack Purcell. He designed the shoe to provide more protection and support on badminton courts. In the 1970s, Converse purchased the trademark rights to Jack Purcell sneakers. The traditional white canvas has long been popular for its vintage fashion appeal, but now like almost all Converse sneakers, the Jack Purcell fully customizable. 

DEC.22: PRADA: Hard to a pink lace-up from Prada! This one is pure style. 

DEC.21: NIKE FREE RUN 2 iD: I am excited to announce that today's sneaker pick comes from Olympic gold medal winning swimmer, Missy Franklin! Missy blew us away in London winning 4 gold and a bronze medal, and sweeping the womens backstroke events at age 17. When not swimming, Missy runs around in a pair of Nike Free Run 2 iD. She loves being able to personalize her shoes (check hers out on the calendar) and you can too by clicking here.

DEC.20: ETOILE ISABLE MARANT: Today's pick comes from one of the big fashion powerhouses, Kate Betts. Her sneaker is a fashion favorite by designer Isabel Marant. Kate is the author of the book, Everyday Icon: Michelle Obama and the Power of Style.  Previously she was the editor of TIME Style & Design and prior to that, the Editor-In-Chief of Harper's Bazaar. Thanks for the pick, Kate... now I think you should wear them!

DEC.19: MIZUNO WAVE CREATION 13: If you are a runner looking for a cushioned ride, this might be the shoe for you, and for those of us who love orange, this one is hard to resist.  Mizuno Wave® technology enhances rebound and in fact it's downright bouncy! Another fine pick brought to you by SoulCycle's finest and resident sneaker guru, Stacey Griffith.

DEC.18: ONITSUKA TIGER BY ASICS. Another classic from the pages of sneaker history. The Onitsuka Tiger came to fame in the 1960's at the Olympic Games as the official shoe of the Japanese team. The Asics stripe design, which represents the rising sun, was first introduced in the 1968 Olympic Games and is the still their logo today. There are so many great styles and colors to choose from, but I couldn't resist featuring this Onitsuka Tiger by Asics Fabre™ BL-S OG, the original red soled shoe!

DEC.17: THE NIKE DUNK HIGH AC NRG: The Nike Dunk has been a favorite of athletes and fashionistas since it first launched in 1985. While you can customize your Dunks and have them any way you like them, I happen to love this model as is! The Nike Dunk High AC NRG Men's Shoe is built for performance and style, with lightweight cushioning and a durable canvas upper for vintage style and excellent impact protection.

DEC.16: PRO-KEDS. Born in 1972 (and I vividly remember my first pair!), this icon of American sneaker history has returned. PRO-Keds are available in both leather and canvas, high and low tops, and feature the distinctive red and blue power stripe on the midsole that is the original and unmistakable signature for PRO-Keds.

DEC. 15: SAUCONY GRID TYPE A5: Today's sneaker comes from my niece Charlotte Diamond, a high-school track athlete. She turned me on to these ultralight and super fast racing flats from Saucony. The Grid comes in an array of great colors for both men and women, and while this is a performance shoe, the padded tongue and lining adds extra comfort for those who just want to run around in some cute kicks. 

DEC. 14: BE&D Big City Sneaker. These may be my favorite of the month. These stiletto print sneakers come in a range of fantastic colors and I think have to be the coolest fashion high-top around. BE&D also makes a Beretta and skeleton print variation. I'm buying the orange ones now!

DEC.13: NEW BALANCE 420: Another retro classic, the New Balance 420 pays homage to the USA track and field teams of the 1970's... always a cool look!

DEC. 12: ADIDAS STAN SMITH. Yesterday I asked two of my very stylish friends for their sneaker of the day: Milly founder and designer Michelle Smith, and Robert Novogratz, the husband half of the interior design team, The Novogratz. They both got back to me within one minute of each other with the same pick... Adidas Stan Smiths! This Adidas classic, named after the American tennis star of the day Stan Smith, was first introduced in 1971. Perforations were substituted for the traditional stripes, giving it a clean and simple look that appeals to men and women alike. To this day it remains the best selling tennis shoe of all time. 

DEC.11: NEWTON RUNNING is a favorite of Dr. Scott Duke of Duke Chiropractic, who treats such running superstars as Meb Keflezighi, Kara Goucher and Paula Radcliffe, and is also the NYRR Chiropractor for Professional Athletes and Physician Team Captain at the ING NYC Marathon. I have selected the Women's Distance model, based on the mileage and frequency I run (pretty color too!). SoulCycle's Stacey Griffith, sneaker obsessed, likes the Terra Momentum. A leader in natural running, Newton believes that maintaining natural running form without being barefoot requires a shoe that allows the foot to connect with the ground as though it is shoeless. Every shoe is built on a platform that mimics the foot’s natural geometry. This is an ideal shoe for runners transitioning from heel striking to a midfoot landing.

DEC.10: PUMA SUEDE CLASSIC and classic it is! While very similar to the PUMA "CLYDE", which was my high school basketball shoe of choice, named after the NY Knicks great, Walt "Clyde" Frasier", the Puma Suede comes in a fantastic array of colors that look good on the court or off!

DEC.9: Todays pick comes from the one and only Laird Hamilton, considered to be the world's greatest big wave surfer. Now you may be asking why would a surfer choose a cleat (I know... not even a sneaker), but Laird is not an ordinary man. Laird rarely wears shoes to begin with, but his wife Gabrielle Reece told me he loves a good old-fashioned baseball or soccer cleat by NIKE that he uses on the hillside while cutting down trees. It's the only shoe that keeps him on the hill when sideways. Extreme men... extreme training. Click here for more about Laird.

DEC.8: LANVIN. Loving these low tops with the patent toe, but all the Lanvin sneakers are sheer perfection!

DEC.7: NEW BALANCE 630V2 . The close-to-the-ground New Balance 630 utilizes enhanced flexibility and breathability to bring minimalist-inspired running to a wider audience. Love the festive holiday silver too!

DEC.6: COMMON PROJECTS Leather Low Top. Todays Sneaker of the Day comes via my good friend Bruce Pask, Mens Fashion Director of T/The New York Times. Bruce is a fan of athletic shoes and Common Projects is a line he often uses in his styling at T. The line was started by a couple of designer/art directors in order to fill the gap between fashion and sport. The original model is quite simple, based on a classic basketball shoe with contrast sidewalls, but done in beautiful solid color leathers and suedes. Each shoe is stamped with their gold SKU number on the heel cup, a subtle signature for those in the know. They've branched out into proper shoes, but always with a nod to their sporty roots. Thanks Bruce!

DEC.5: THE VANS CLASSIC SLIP ON. Where do I begin to pay homage to this iconic shoe! This is the original canvas skateboarder / surfer shoe with the signature waffle sole, created over thirty years ago by Vans founder, James Van Doren. Sean Penn immortalized the checkerboard model as Jeff Spicoli in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High", but it comes in solid colors, two tones, and many other variations. This is a true classic as good today as it was when it was first issued. 

DEC.4: Todays Sneaker of the Day comes from fashion stylist and editor extraordinaire Stacy London! She has been rocking these black and gold ADIDAS TOP TEN SLEEK BOWS (the bow is removable). Stacy is the co-host of TLC's hit show "What Not To Wear", and the Co-Founder and Stylist-In-Chief of "Style For Hire", a national network of personal stylists for women of all budgets and sizes. She is also the author of the New York Times Best Seller, the The Truth About Style, out now from Viking. Hot pick... Thanks Stacy!

DEC.3: No you're not seeing things... these multi-colored ASICS GEL-KINSEI® 4 vary from the right to left foot. Asics running shoes are reputed for their exceptional fit and cushioning, and this top of the line performance shoe features a breathable mesh upper with strategically placed stretch material, two layers of memory foam that mold to your heel, trademark Gel heel cushioning, and metallic film that retains heat in cold conditions and releases heat in warm conditions.

DEC.2: Todays's pick comes from my favorite Soul Cycle Instructor and good buddy, Stacey Griffith, (profiled by Gabby Reece earlier on Style of Sport). Stacey is well-known for her vast sneaker collection and the colorful footwear she sports everyday in class. She bought these ADIDAS ORIGINALS ROD LAVER "THE SOLOIST" sneakers at the Adidas store in Paris, but they are available for purchase online at adidas.com. The edgy Japanese brand The Soloist teamed up with Adidas Originals to create this special edition Rod Laver, an Adidas favorite first introduced in 1970. Built in rough-textured suede in subtle grey tones, these men's vintage-style tennis sneakers feature the signature The Soloist style identification serial number printed on the tongue. These are some seriously hip kicks!

DEC.1: I'm going to start off the month with the NIKE FLYKNIT RACER. Nike Flyknit technology was inspired by runners craving a shoe with the snug and virtually unnoticed fit of a sock. The one-piece knit upper seamlessly integrates areas of high support, breathability and stretch. For an adaptive fit, lightweight dynamic Flywire wraps the foot and is adjustable through the laces. The whole thing weighs in at less than 6oz. This shoe is also available in a training model, the NIKE FLYKNIT TRAINER. So I really just gave you a two for one on the first day of the month. See you tomorrow!

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[SOC] Speedballs, the Wonderful World of Walmart, Twinkies, Monopolism

This is the time of the year when I suffer constantly from colds/flu/airborne HIV or whatever these bugs are that make me cough, hack, wheeze, and make me feel tired and dizzy and wanting sleep and/or death. My only antidote is a speedball which is a gulp of DayQuil, two ibuprofen, and as much coffee as my system can absorb. I think this is what killed Belushi. But I digress. . .

The thing that has absorbed my thought the most lately has been Walmart, and I don't mean because of Christmas shopping. I was incensed to learn that Walmart actually tells employees how to get on public assistance and encourages them to get food stamps. It blew my mind. As a libertarian, I always told people that the best welfare program was a job. Apparently, that is no longer the case.

How does Walmart get away with it? How are they able to pay workers such a pittance of a wage that these people cannot even afford to live without government handouts? How is Walmart which makes billions only able to keep two checkout lanes open even though they have 20 of them? And don't get me started on those self checkout things.

Walmart is a monopoly. It is a tenet of Austrian economics that no natural monopoly can exist in a free market. Naturally, if there is a single speck of government involvement than a free market does not exist. You can see the absurdity in this argument. The reality is that monopolies do emerge in free markets almost always. At some point, they achieve a position of bargaining power that no one can surmount. Telling a Walmart worker to go find a better job is stupid when you consider that Walmart has decimated its competitors. The ones that remain in business are as bad as Walmart.

Not all companies are like Walmart. Costco is not like Walmart. Neither is Publix. Both are really good outfits. I was in a Publix recently, and the products were not pricey at all. Service was excellent.

The flipside of Walmart is the Hostess company that makes Twinkies. They declared bankruptcy to get out of union obligations. Of course, when union rules tell you bread is delivered in one truck while Twinkies get delivered in another truck, that is dumb. Unions can be as bad as clueless management to the health of a company. What is the answer?

I think the answer for these problems is shared reward/sacrifice. Management and owners don't want to share the rewards. This would be Walmart. Unions don't want to share the sacrifice. This would be Hostess. The best way would be a cooperative where rewards and sacrifice are shared. Or, you can have a company that pays a base wage and a percentage bonus on earnings. This would be an outfit like Nucor that makes steel.

In economics, people respond to incentives, and nothing incentivizes more than having a piece of the action. This is the aim of distributism. Ownership needs to be in the greatest number of hands. Basically, Chesterton was right. The problem with capitalism is there are too few capitalists. They shouldn't even be called capitalists but monopolists. This is what Walmart practices.

I am thinking very much about economics these days, and I see a lot of deficiencies in both Austrian and Chicago School economic theories. As such, I am taking a broader view on things keeping what I agree with while disposing of that which can't be true. Natural monopolies exist. The Austrians are wrong.

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Latest Sports News

BASEBALL

NEW YORK (AP) -- Baseball's all-time home run king and its most decorated pitcher likely will be shut out of the Hall of Fame in January. A survey by The AP shows that Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, as well as slugger Sammy Sosa, don't have enough votes to get into Cooperstown.

With steroid scandals still very much on the minds of longtime members of the Baseball Writers' Association as they cast their ballots, the trio failed to muster even 50 percent support among the 112 voters contacted by the AP - nearly one-fifth of those eligible to choose.

Candidates need 75 percent for election

Bonds is baseball's only seven-time MVP and Clemens its only seven-time Cy Young winner.

NFL

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) - It appears Tim Tebow will be watching from the sideline again.

And this time, the Jets' backup quarterback might be in sweats instead of his uniform.

Tebow was listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals because of two broken ribs that limited him all week. Coach Rex Ryan wouldn't officially rule out Tebow, but it sounded unlikely he would play.

Tebow was injured at Seattle on Nov. 11, played three offensive snaps the following week at St. Louis and was active but didn't play Thanksgiving night against New England. Tebow spent most of the 49-19 loss standing on the sideline while Mark Sanchez played the entire game.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) - A former U.S. senator brought in to monitor Penn State said the university has gotten ''off to a very good start'' in responding to NCAA sanctions for the Jerry Sandusky child molestation scandal.

George Mitchell's first quarterly report as Penn State's athletics integrity monitor noted there was a looming deadline to complete a set of reforms, including implementation of a college sports code of conduct, but he said he believes university officials are acting in good faith.

The 68-year-old Sandusky, a former Penn State assistant coach, is serving a 30- to 60-year prison sentence for abusing several boys, some on campus. He maintains his innocence.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - A Minnesota judge has dismissed child pornography charges against a college football head coach accused of making pornographic videos of his children.

A district court judge dismissed the case for lack of probable cause.

Todd Hoffner, the head coach at Minnesota State, Mankato, was charged in August with two felonies. Prosecutors said he made filmed his children performing suggestive acts while naked.

Hoffner and his wife insisted all along that the videos were not inappropriate, and were merely images of children acting silly and dancing after taking a bath.

No evidence of child porn was found and social workers found no evidence of abuse.

BASKETBALL

ATLANTA (AP) - A lawyer for former WNBA star Chamique Holdsclaw says he's investigating the circumstances that led to assault and weapons charges against the Olympic gold medalist.

The 35-year-old is accused of smashing the windows and firing a shot into a car belonging to Jennifer Lacy, who plays for the Tulsa Shock. No one was injured. Lacy told police Holdsclaw was an ex-girlfriend and they were Atlanta Dream teammates in 2009.

After an appearance in Fulton County Magistrate Court, lawyer Patrick Sullivan said the case hasn't been indicted yet. Holdsclaw is out on bond and has been ordered to wear a monitoring device and have no contact with the 29-year-old Lacy.

COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - VCU women's volleyball coach James Finley is fighting to get his job back after he says he was fired because he is gay.

Finley, 52, has filed a complaint with VCU's Office for Institutional Equity. University spokesperson Pamela D. Lepley said an investigation is being conducted and must be completed within 45 days.

The findings will be provided to Finley and VCU President Michael Rao. The coach said he would consider taking legal action if he is not reinstated.

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Latest Cards To My PC!

Piece of Super Bowl 36 Ticket stub on the back. Some of the most coolest cards.

 Love both of these cards so don't try to make me a trade offer lol. Acquired these for obvious reasons. NY Giants, sweet patch and a Super Bowl Ticket stub above with Isaac Bruce. Unique memorabilia. Both of these cards will be added to my growing PC. Thanks for looking and comments on both of these are always welcomed!!

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