It was early November 2009, and I was in Las Vegas with my wife and our friends, celebrating two golden birthdays and cheering on the Minnesota Vikings, who faced the Green Bay Packers. Interestingly enough, it was also Robert Van Winkle's 42nd birthday celebration weekend. In typical Vegas style, I found myself watching my wife play craps at Caesars Palace. I hate gambling mostly because I dislike losing money, but my wife seems to have a knack for winning at Blackjack, and

There's a moment in Footloose —yes, the 1984 dance-fueled drama packed with teenage rebellion and a full-throttle Kenny Loggins soundtrack—that accidentally nails U.S. trade policy. Kevin Bacon's character, Ren, plays chicken with the town bully, Chuck. The showdown? It's a slow-moving game on tractors. Whoever swerves first loses. Ren, ever the rational one, tries to bail—only to discover his shoelace is caught on the gas pedal. So, he keeps going—not by choice, but because