There's a nice little storm brewing on 2+2. The authors of Professional No-Limit Hold'em and Mason Malmuth have gotten into a dispute. In this thread (the link will to take you to page 2; Matt Flynn's response is on page 4; there are juicy details throughout) we find Mason stating, "We have not yet seen the manuscript, but I have been told it is about two-thirds finished. However, I have been encouraging the authors of PNL2 to take the book someplace else. We are willing to release them of all contractual obligations." Matt Flynn says the problem is caused by Mason, and his attitude toward Ed Miller.

There are comments about "thebruiser500" (apparently a winning player at NL200) and his submission to 2+2 of a book. Mason commented, "a while back you sent me your manuscript for review, it was written so bad i recommend actively staying away from this material unless D&B Publishing did some very serious editing on it." It's badly, not bad, Mason....

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Interesting hand from the Venetian tournament where I took third. You have T180k, and after posting the big blind of T20k (10k/20k/3k ante) now have T160k or so. It's three handed. The other stacks are the button (~T500k) and the small blind (~T650k). The button raises to T55k. The small blind moves all-in. You look down at Ah2h (the best hand you've had at the final table). You have a tell on the sb that so far has been 100% accurate, and you put him on a big hand. You ?

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For those commenting about McCain's gaffes, remember that I can post a litany of Obama's gaffes, too. Such as his comments on Memorial Day that many of those being honored were present in the audience (Memorial Day honors those who gave their lives serving America); his Great Uncle/Uncle who was among those who liberated Auschwitz; etc. Those misstatements can happen. But his comments about the Cold War aren't just gaffes--they show that he needs to take some history lessons.

Scott Johnson (one of the authors of the PowerLine Blog) has penned an article in the Standard titled "The Kennedy-Khrushchev Conference for Dummies." Obama stated that the 1961 summit was one of the things that led to America's triumph in the Cold War. Johnson's conclusion:

In short, the Vienna conference resolved no issue between the United States and the Soviet Union. On the contrary, if anything, it precipitated crises that were resolved through the display and use of military force.

What harm can possibly come of a meeting between enemies? There are many, like Obama, who say that no harm can come from talking. To paraphrase JFK's June 1963 Berlin speech, let them come to study the Vienna conference.

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Walter Williams has a great article about environmentalists' predictions. Their batting average is far below the Mendoza line.

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Speaking of the Mendoza line, the best record in baseball is shared by the Cubs and the Tampa Bay Rays.