The Fshbwl

The Reality: In a move that's been rumored for what seems like ages, Manny Ramirez was finally traded yesterday.

The Thought: I'm not a baseball guy, but this trade saddens me as a lover of sport. I remember watching a few years back as the Boston Red Sox, led in part by Ramirez, came back from an 0-3 series deficit to defeat the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series. While some of the players remain from that team, others like star pitcher Pedro Martinez and outfielder Johnny Damon ...

The Reality: Much like they did for the iPhone a week ago, people lined up for the midnight showings of The Dark Knight.

The Thought: In the past, lining up assured you of getting tickets, but, as the article points out, that's not the case anymore, after all, by the time you get in line, you better already have your tickets. Rather, there seems to be something else behind getting in line, and my guess, is that it's a mix of community and the energy of the experience.

Quote: So who are the folks obsessed enough to camp out waiting in line for new Apple 3G iPhone?

Bleary eyed, I dragged myself out of bed at 5 a.m. to conduct a nonscientific survey of the first hundred or so people in line at the flagship Apple Store on 59th Street. I asked them for their first name, age, where they lived, their occupation and some miscellaneous details.

Discussion Starter: I was one of those who was out at the crack of dawn to get in line for an iPhone ...

Quote: China's costly and wasteful use of energy and escalating environmental degradation threaten the sustainability of its economic boom. Japan, one of the greenest, most energy-efficient countries in the industrialized world, is brimming with the know-how that could help China alleviate these problems. China could benefit from Japanese technology in everything from advanced nuclear reactors to clean steel mills to hybrid cars. And Japan has every incentive to sell that technology to generate new business for its otherwise sluggish economy.

Quote: There is a lesson to be learned from generations who have served ... It's the lesson that in America, each of us is free to seek our own dreams, but we must also serve a common purpose, a higher purpose. When you choose to serve - whether it's your nation, your community, or simply your neighbor - you are connected to that fundamental American ideal that we want Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness not just for ourselves, but for all Americans. That is why this is a great nation. Because time and again, Americans have been willing to serve on stages both great and small; to draw on the same spirit that launched America's improbable journey to meet the challenges of each defining moment in our history.

Quote: The purple-and-gold package on the Denver-bound flight from Jerusalem wasn't a typical piece of carry-on luggage.

Its arrival Tuesday at Denver International Airport was greeted with singing, dancing and "Welcome Home Torah" signs held by members of Chabad House, a Jewish synagogue and educational center.

The fanfare was the culmination of the two-year-long "Six Million Penny Project" Chabad House launched ...