<it is="" the="" job="" of="" the="" federal="" government="" to="" regulate="" the="" financial="" markets,="" because="" history="" has="" shown="" again="" and="" again="" that="" financial="" markets="" are="" incapable="" of="" regulating="" themselves="" effectively.="" in="" the="" absence="" of="" coercive="" regulations,="" financial="" markets="" will="" pursue="" short-term="" advantages,="" ignoring="" possible="" longer-term="" problems.="" dark=""></it> I've thought for a while now that "selling short" should be frowned upon....Doesn't seem right. But hey, I'm a carpenter, not a financial authority. 6 x 1200's @ 6:30/mile pace, plus 1/4 mile recovery lap per interval, plus WU/WD 9.4 OA miles

Walt, heck of a workout and nice pace. Remember that if you sell a stock short, someone has to be an optimist and take that bet, so it's a fair transaction. But if you are talking about someone selling a stock short because of insider knowledge, well that's another matter and there are laws against it and I'm with you. Maine and CNY: Yes, you are right. Those runners aren't winning the big races any more, but it's a thrill to talk with them. And good for them to show up at expo after expo and share what they have learned and their own stories and experiences. They don't have to do this, and there's no big money for them either, but they just love the sport, have hundreds of friends in every major city and will stop and chat with anyone who wants to learn. People have poked fun at Billy for some of his Yogi Berra like comments, but if you take the time to listen to him you can learn a lot, and he has helped me many times. The fact that he and Frank will run in the middle of the pack so mugs like me can say they beat him is a tribute to his heart and kindness to all runners. They are wonderful athletes and role models. CNY, good for you to volunteer at NY. I hope you will write a report about that. I am ape about the role of the volunteer at races and we need more RR's when people volunteer. It is so energizing. Speaking of energy, I don't think "taper energy" is an oxymoron at all, as anyone tapering now will attest. Taperers drive the rest of us nuts with their nervous questions and bizarre ideas about what they feel like doing (instead of tapering!). Spareribs

4 easy miles at Olverholser. Beautiful weather!

Well, the season changes fast. At the time I first predicted the Rays to win, you had three starting pitchers who are very good. Byrd and Wakefield however had losing records, and Beckett was just coming back from a sore arm. And I said at the time "Beckett has a sore arm." Since then, Byrd has evened up his record and looked like Cy Young. And Beckett has been superb, making me look dumb. You are right about the other two. But in a five-man rotation Wakefield remains a liability. Look at his low ERA. But one night he is unhittable and the next day he coughs up the game in 4 innings. I have not looked at tonight's score but will go there next. And how about my Mets! They were significantly up over the Phillies and now doing another September fade. And Brewers fans have to be livid. Baseball is so cool. The Saint has Craiglisted half our stuff and is selling things right and left. Am afraid to leave my desk chair. Spareribs

Dark Horse, I didn't find your post inflammatory at all. It sounds like you are clearly a Democrat, so big deal?

Thank you for your kind words, Enke, but I'm not a Democrat and never have been. I have never belonged to any political party. When you join a group, you risk becoming a victim of groupthink. I try to think about the issues using common sense, and listening to all points of view. When you do that, I think you have a better chance of arriving at the truth, or at least a good workable approach. For instance, the energy crisis. Sometimes you hear the choice posed, "Should we drill for oil in protected areas, or should we focus on conservation and alternative forms of energy?" The oil crisis--or in the larger picture, the energy crisis--is not only one of the most important economic issues facing us, it is also one of the most important national security issues. This is absolutely not an area where we can afford to drop the ball. Therefore, it's not an either-or choice. We have to do both: drill wherever oil is to be found, including national refuges (sorry), and at the same time, use tax and other incentives to spur massive research and development of feasible alternative energy sources, preferably clean ones. If you have read this far, you probably don't think I am an environmentalist, but in fact I am. I read the Club of Rome's Limits to Growth report back in the early '70s, and I am convinced that we are destroying the planet. Mankind is fouling its own nest--destroying the oceans, destroying the land, poisoning the water, poisoning the air, killing off other species of plants and animals--mainly because there are far too many people in the world. Part of the problem is simple over-population; part of the problem is unbridled "economic development" which preaches the false and destructive religion of materialism, and measures progress by the accumulation of material things rather than by intellectual and ethical development, and responsible stewardship of the natural world and the earth's limited resources. It will all end badly, I'm afraid, because people lack self-discipline and long-range vision and the ability to sacrifice in the short term for future goals. As a friend of mine said to me last Saturday over breakfast at our favorite diner in downtown Newburyport, "It's obvious what's going to happen. When you put a bunch of cockroaches in a box with limited resources, they will breed and their population will grow till all the resources are consumed. Then they will start fighting, and eat each other." For all our vaunted intellectual prowess, it's not clear that people are any better at long-term planning than cockroaches. Dark Horse

4 easy miles at Olverholser. Beautiful weather!

I think we probably passed each other out at the lake. I did the full loop for 8.2 miles starting about 4:30 this afternoon. One of these days we'll recognize each other. Dark Horse, I'm not a member ot an organized political party either, but as Will Rogers said, that makes me a democrat Paul

Erika---I can feel your taper energy (oxymoron? ) booming through cyber space. I am sending good weather vibes. Even with all my focus on pacing I still can't resist going out hard. Try to ignore those relay folks and go for the race you know you can run.

Thanks, Karin. I'll try to keep your words in mind as I'm elbowing others to get a good spot in the line on the trail. I did get out for 4.5 chilly miles down the bike path (both miles sub-8 ) and back up (uphill miles 8:20 and 8:40), last half mile was a very easy 8:50 up the last hill. Foot felt ok, legs felt strong, hands froze! Gotta find my gloves... Now I have to think about what to wear Saturday, cuz I bet the weather will be much like it was tonight. So much for my string of sunny fall races. Sorry to hear how things got a little touchy around here, and very sad to see Bill go, even for awhile. I would think we could all behave like adults and be tolerant of other people's opinions while being able to express our own... whether in the daily or a separate thread, I don't care. If you don't want to read something, then skim over it. Not sure what the big deal is.

at least it's not as bad as all the information about so many shoes now available, complicated electronic gadgetry always breaking down, and complex training programs.