Topic for Discussion: Genetic Linkage and Certain Attributes Pertaining to Athletes

From the Genetic linkage wiki:

Genetic linkage occurs when particular genetic loci or alleles for genes are inherited jointly. Genetic loci on the same chromosome are physically connected and tend to stay together during meiosis, and are thus genetically linked. This is called autosomal linkage. Alleles for genes on different chromosomes are usually not linked, due to independent assortment of chromosomes during meiosis.

Using NFL wide recievers as data points, I posit that the genetic stew that leads to the ability to both sprint short distances fastly combined with being able to make sudden and quick course changes, those alleles that are responsible for these capacities are also linked to the genes that control extreme narcissism.

Previous data points, see: Terrell Owens, pretty much everything he's ever done, latest data point TJ Houshmandzadeh and his ridiculous beef with MADDEN 2010.

Seriously, dude, seriously.

First of all, according to the game, you are 6th overall amongst NFC WRs with a 91, and you are complaining?!?

I pledge right now, if he finishes the season with top five stats like he told Sporting News he would, I'll make a similar pledge as to the one he made last year. That's right I'll walk from my home to NFL Networks HQ.

OK, so from my house it's only about 5 and half miles, nothing close to the 31 miles you were willing to walk, but it's not my fault that the destination is on my side of town.

"Since September 2007, all UK schools have had a statutory responsibility to promote the wellbeing of their pupils."

Normally this is where I hold Britain up as an example of how not to do crap and how to demoralize and stupidify a nation, but all this self esteem nonsense has been pretty much standard procedure within our school systems for more than a decade as well.

This is just one psychologist calling this nonsense, nonsense, so hard to know if Dr. Carol Craig's words at a conference of headteachers will cause any ripples, but one can hope that maybe her words will resonate both in Britain and here in the United States.

It makes sense that if all you do is praise children, they will turn out to be narcissistic little monsters incapable to deal with even the slightest setback. Teachers aren't doing any favors to their students by not demanding some accountability from their charges. Good parents fight this self esteem nonsense, not by belittling their little ones, but by being honest with them, and heaping praise only when praiseworthy their progeny have accomplished something worth the praise.

Schools aren't alone in turning out narcissistic monsters, but they shouldn't be in the business to counter good parenting and reinforce bad parenting, and right now, that's the way most public schools are set up.

The Personal Usually Becomes Political

Rep. Mark Foley, Republican from Florida resigned today.

His emails are creepy, and if not criminal, clearly abuse his position as a mentor. Regardless of the gender mix of the two folks involved this would be troubling. There's a way to be friendly to someone much younger than you without being creepy. He's a creep, and most likely has done more than just exchange emails with other willing teenagers.

That he didn't choose to quietly fade away and not seek another term speaks to his narcissism and belief that he wouldn't get caught. These exchanges were more than a year old, and judging from statements earlier in the week he was ready to deny, deny, deny.

Incumbency acts like a mental illness on politicians. It corrodes their judgement and inculcates a belief in an immunity from their own bad judgement.

Nevertheless, I question the timing. Ideally they would have put this off even later so that the Republicans would have no hope of replace him on the ballot. But, maybe this revelation has to do with national as well as Florida politics. It fits within the 'culture of corruption' charge the Democrats have been trying to push but hasn't gained much traction in the polling for individual contests.

It may be dirty politics, but this particular mud being slinged was obviously handed to the Democrats by an arrogant, flawed, conflicted, predatory creep.

We don't need to be represented by saints. But, I'd settle for folks who aren't narcissistic creeps. Safe districts make it easier for creeps, both the sexually predatory kind and the feathering their own nests kind, to escape public scrutiny.