The demise of the NYC off-track betting operations was not surprising. It is just another example of how brick-and-mortar businesses are being confronted and sometimes rendered obsolete by online competitors. The latest illustration is bookstores. Barnes & Noble is the largest bookstore in the world. During the 9-week 2010 year-end holiday season, the chain had [...]

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The American Civil War began 150 years ago on April 12, 1861, and the observances of the sesquicentennial have begun. The Commonwealth of Virginia was in the vortex of this confrontation that literally tore the United States apart for four years. Virginia Civil War soldiers were renowned for their horsemanship, following the likes of the [...]

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Major League Baseball (MLB) and U. S. horse racing both have a drug and image problem. This week, the all-time home-run king Barry Bonds was convicted of obstruction of justice in a federal probe of steroid use and last week the exceptional pure-hitter Manny Ramirez abruptly retired rather than accept a 100-game suspension for purportedly testing positive for a [...]

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