So possibly this could be the first (and maybe) last time I write about Tuscon.
So everyone knows what happened by now. I don't need to get into the deets.
So let's get straight into fallout.
Showing posts with label dead people. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dead people. Show all posts
1.14.2011
11.23.2010
NCAA Football, week 13, 2010
Even though there is sooooo much more to be discussed regarding the elections (there were many referenda (that's plural for referendum), especially regarding gun rights, sections of the recent healthcare bill, and one pretty large one regarding the possible legalization of a recreational drug; oh, and the democrats picked Pelosi to be the minority leader, that happenned too; and screw governor's races) I think it's time for me to again shift gears and to talk about college football, everyone's favorite subject.
This just in -- the BCS sucks.
I'm not just saying this because Penn State is doing awful this year (well, by Penn State standards), I'm saying this because it is fact.
This just in -- the BCS sucks.
I'm not just saying this because Penn State is doing awful this year (well, by Penn State standards), I'm saying this because it is fact.
7.04.2010
On America
Today is July 4th, the day the declaration of Independence was signed way way back in 1776. Because of this, it is often held to be the "birthday" of the United States of America. Of course the revolutionary war had been going on for roughly a year by this point, and the declaration itself was written on the 2nd, and the original government charter for the United States quickly became obsolete, so really I guess you could even say the nation wasn't born until the constitution was written many years later.
But really, I digress.
What is it to be American then?
Given the nature of our nation's birth, it is directly within our right to question authority. Given the nature of our nation's democratic elections, it is directly within our right to hold our elected officials accountable.
But there is a line, and I think we all know it.
It is most often crossed by those who are they themselves losing an argument, simply wishing to carry everyone down with them. Once this line is crossed, they cannot win. It is a simple matter of fact. Frankly it just sullies the entire system of argumentation and debate. It makes the actual idea of democracy seem unwanted, unfeasible, or even unnecessary.
The line is absurd comparisons. Most often it takes the form of Hitler comparisons, but really it could any force seemingly radical. And both sides (left and right wing nuts) are incredibly guilty of it.
Let me put it this way. Hitler was a human being (shocking, I know), and he ran a functioning government body (horrible, but functioning). Naturally, perhaps by mistake, his government and he were bound to do things right once in a while, naturally he might have had some human tendencies, being a human.
It is known he tried getting into art school as a painter. Does this make painters evil? Is the medium of painting forever tarnished by his youthful dream of becoming a painter?
That's really just one example, and it would really be a painstaking chore to try and redeem him anymore. Frankly, I don't think it should be done, but I was just trying to make a point.
You compare someone or something to Hitler and/or the Nazis, and you lose the argument. It shows you've lost respect for the argument itself.
Let's try it a different way, shall I?
George Washington was a butcher who was responsible for the deaths of many many lives, and was potentially a self-hating racist because a lot of them were British (Washington himself being of some sort of WASP heritage, as most of the founders were).
Of course all of these were during the course of war, both the Revolutionary and the French and Indian War. Facts can lie sometimes. They love to lie when you take them out of context.
The shocking thing is no one seems to bat an eye when this happens.
Being loud doesn't make your point right, and maybe if you listen to the other side you'll learn something. Insularity breeds ignorance.
Maybe we should compare our president to Hannah Montana.
I dunno, just spit-balling. Maybe it's less apt because Hannah Montana (despite her name) has never been involved with any sort of governing bodies.
-- Knuttel
But really, I digress.
What is it to be American then?
Given the nature of our nation's birth, it is directly within our right to question authority. Given the nature of our nation's democratic elections, it is directly within our right to hold our elected officials accountable.
But there is a line, and I think we all know it.
It is most often crossed by those who are they themselves losing an argument, simply wishing to carry everyone down with them. Once this line is crossed, they cannot win. It is a simple matter of fact. Frankly it just sullies the entire system of argumentation and debate. It makes the actual idea of democracy seem unwanted, unfeasible, or even unnecessary.
The line is absurd comparisons. Most often it takes the form of Hitler comparisons, but really it could any force seemingly radical. And both sides (left and right wing nuts) are incredibly guilty of it.
Let me put it this way. Hitler was a human being (shocking, I know), and he ran a functioning government body (horrible, but functioning). Naturally, perhaps by mistake, his government and he were bound to do things right once in a while, naturally he might have had some human tendencies, being a human.
It is known he tried getting into art school as a painter. Does this make painters evil? Is the medium of painting forever tarnished by his youthful dream of becoming a painter?
That's really just one example, and it would really be a painstaking chore to try and redeem him anymore. Frankly, I don't think it should be done, but I was just trying to make a point.
You compare someone or something to Hitler and/or the Nazis, and you lose the argument. It shows you've lost respect for the argument itself.
Let's try it a different way, shall I?
George Washington was a butcher who was responsible for the deaths of many many lives, and was potentially a self-hating racist because a lot of them were British (Washington himself being of some sort of WASP heritage, as most of the founders were).
Of course all of these were during the course of war, both the Revolutionary and the French and Indian War. Facts can lie sometimes. They love to lie when you take them out of context.
The shocking thing is no one seems to bat an eye when this happens.
Being loud doesn't make your point right, and maybe if you listen to the other side you'll learn something. Insularity breeds ignorance.
Maybe we should compare our president to Hannah Montana.
I dunno, just spit-balling. Maybe it's less apt because Hannah Montana (despite her name) has never been involved with any sort of governing bodies.
-- Knuttel
6.10.2010
THE BCS IS DEAD, THE BCS IS DEAD
THE BCS IS DEAD
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/campusrivalry/post/2010/06/report-colorado-to-announce-move-to-pac-10-on-friday/1
Colorado has officially left the Big 12 for the Pac-10. This means Nebraska's bid to leave is very much legit and most of the Big 12 south will vacate to go to the Pac-10.
If the Big 12 dissolves, and the Big Ten and Pac-10 become "super" conferences, the BCS will become very meaningless, if not now, then within a few years at least.
My fear is the BCS may undergo a new moniker, such as its previous incarnations as the Bowl Alliance and Bowl Coalition, or whatever it used to be.
With these super conferences, and the huge wave of public support in a playoff system though, I think this is at least the path to something constructive.
-- Knuttel
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/campusrivalry/post/2010/06/report-colorado-to-announce-move-to-pac-10-on-friday/1
Colorado has officially left the Big 12 for the Pac-10. This means Nebraska's bid to leave is very much legit and most of the Big 12 south will vacate to go to the Pac-10.
If the Big 12 dissolves, and the Big Ten and Pac-10 become "super" conferences, the BCS will become very meaningless, if not now, then within a few years at least.
My fear is the BCS may undergo a new moniker, such as its previous incarnations as the Bowl Alliance and Bowl Coalition, or whatever it used to be.
With these super conferences, and the huge wave of public support in a playoff system though, I think this is at least the path to something constructive.
-- Knuttel
3.25.2010
Madness? THIS IS MARCH; part 3
My results from the second round:
As one can see, I was actually 8/10 in games where my team had not been eliminated from the first round, and even then, both of the losses were only slated to win that game.
So no further elite 8's lost, etc.
But I wanted to try something else, as I had been indicating in previous posts. I wonder how this coin flipping strategy would work in a smaller field, in a more even field. So I reflipped, using a bracket of lesser quality (who makes sweet 16 brackets anyway?), and thusly didn't care about my own production values.
This time, Xavier does not play the upset champions, and only advances one more round. Cornell becomes the true cinderella this time, crashing all the way to the final four. But in the end, it ends up being number 1 Syracuse vs number 3 Baylor in the title game, both within the top 15 teams in the country. Baylor wins.
Let's see how this turns out.
As one can see, I was actually 8/10 in games where my team had not been eliminated from the first round, and even then, both of the losses were only slated to win that game.So no further elite 8's lost, etc.
But I wanted to try something else, as I had been indicating in previous posts. I wonder how this coin flipping strategy would work in a smaller field, in a more even field. So I reflipped, using a bracket of lesser quality (who makes sweet 16 brackets anyway?), and thusly didn't care about my own production values.
This time, Xavier does not play the upset champions, and only advances one more round. Cornell becomes the true cinderella this time, crashing all the way to the final four. But in the end, it ends up being number 1 Syracuse vs number 3 Baylor in the title game, both within the top 15 teams in the country. Baylor wins.
Let's see how this turns out.
3.05.2010
Movement and Music
What is music? Besides a simple collection of notes or sounds or whatever, I think the answer is always personal. It has more to do with how one was introduced to music, how one listened to music, what they were exposed to; a list of likes and dislikes is never really quite simple.
For example: I hate Creed, but damnit if their first album isn't genius. Shit, I even have the two after that, in hopes they could re-catch that somehow. Alas, the singer was a douche.
For me music has always been about movement. I think it started in my middle school years. I had been subjected to painfully long busrides starting in 4th grade, and had a cd player in 5th (that I was subsequently banned from taking to school due to repeating harmless, though explicit, lyrics from a band I haven't listened to since, 311), so 6th grade was when this really started to expand and grow. It was also when I decided to pick up the guitar (fuck you high school and collegiate posers who only know the chords to "wonderwall", oasis sucks anyway). This connection just naturally developed. I was in motion and the music went in motion. The music went in motion as I went in motion. This would happen for hours a day, five days a week, all school year long.
And so naturally I gravitated to music that had a well defined notion of motion. Metal became an obvious choice for my middle school self, though naturally listening to rock radio of the late 90's, Metallica and Sabbath were often supplanted by Ozzy, Smashing Pumpkins, a slew of post-grunge bands, and the one blur album with "that woohoo song".
High School came along and naturally that led to more musical exploration. Again I had a painfully long bus ride, though only the return trip (we had to wait outside a different school for about an hour to pick those kids up). Metal was explored further, though often only nominally. Post-grunge quickly gave way to classic rock. Pink Floyd introduced me to atmospheric music, which is when I learned of my synesthesia. Atmospheric music introduced me to Radiohead. Radiohead introduced me to britpop. I refound my old blur cd(s I actually had 13 also, in anticipation of another "woohoo song") and subsequently found the entire blur catalog, just in time for their next release, Think Tank. In time I went back and searched for music from the original britpop band, The Beatles.
College came and I found jazz, which is nothing but movement. There is always a chord progression or a note progression or a scale progression. Something is always going on. Even in Free Jazz, it's just different kind of movements, movements of colors, shapes, feelings. Thus Jazz is "faster" than any kind metal, thrash, speed or otherwise.
Speaking of metal, this is also when the actual deep diving into the metal world began. What I listened to in middle school was but a wading. Funny thing is even then I knew hair metal sucked.
But all of this music I had listened to, all of it had a sense of motion to it, a sense of time, whether strict or abstract. Good music to me always knew when to move, how fast to move, when to stay still, for how long should it stay still, etc. "Echoes" has long been my favorite Pink Floyd song, because at the bridge, it simply just stops for 10 minutes, exploring its own cavernous space, and echoes itself back into the verse and chorus.
And for the music, a song which actually moves remarkably slow, which suits it much better than one would think.
-- Knuttel
PS. the current singer/songwriter who probably has the best sense of this is Lady GaGa.
For example: I hate Creed, but damnit if their first album isn't genius. Shit, I even have the two after that, in hopes they could re-catch that somehow. Alas, the singer was a douche.
For me music has always been about movement. I think it started in my middle school years. I had been subjected to painfully long busrides starting in 4th grade, and had a cd player in 5th (that I was subsequently banned from taking to school due to repeating harmless, though explicit, lyrics from a band I haven't listened to since, 311), so 6th grade was when this really started to expand and grow. It was also when I decided to pick up the guitar (fuck you high school and collegiate posers who only know the chords to "wonderwall", oasis sucks anyway). This connection just naturally developed. I was in motion and the music went in motion. The music went in motion as I went in motion. This would happen for hours a day, five days a week, all school year long.
And so naturally I gravitated to music that had a well defined notion of motion. Metal became an obvious choice for my middle school self, though naturally listening to rock radio of the late 90's, Metallica and Sabbath were often supplanted by Ozzy, Smashing Pumpkins, a slew of post-grunge bands, and the one blur album with "that woohoo song".
High School came along and naturally that led to more musical exploration. Again I had a painfully long bus ride, though only the return trip (we had to wait outside a different school for about an hour to pick those kids up). Metal was explored further, though often only nominally. Post-grunge quickly gave way to classic rock. Pink Floyd introduced me to atmospheric music, which is when I learned of my synesthesia. Atmospheric music introduced me to Radiohead. Radiohead introduced me to britpop. I refound my old blur cd(s I actually had 13 also, in anticipation of another "woohoo song") and subsequently found the entire blur catalog, just in time for their next release, Think Tank. In time I went back and searched for music from the original britpop band, The Beatles.
College came and I found jazz, which is nothing but movement. There is always a chord progression or a note progression or a scale progression. Something is always going on. Even in Free Jazz, it's just different kind of movements, movements of colors, shapes, feelings. Thus Jazz is "faster" than any kind metal, thrash, speed or otherwise.
Speaking of metal, this is also when the actual deep diving into the metal world began. What I listened to in middle school was but a wading. Funny thing is even then I knew hair metal sucked.
But all of this music I had listened to, all of it had a sense of motion to it, a sense of time, whether strict or abstract. Good music to me always knew when to move, how fast to move, when to stay still, for how long should it stay still, etc. "Echoes" has long been my favorite Pink Floyd song, because at the bridge, it simply just stops for 10 minutes, exploring its own cavernous space, and echoes itself back into the verse and chorus.
And for the music, a song which actually moves remarkably slow, which suits it much better than one would think.
-- Knuttel
PS. the current singer/songwriter who probably has the best sense of this is Lady GaGa.
2.11.2010
Article
Psychologists are trying to take over the country.
I might put up a rant about this later, but I'm kinda tired and angry. damn blizzard.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/10/AR2010021000009.html?wpisrc=nl_headline
-- Knuttel
I might put up a rant about this later, but I'm kinda tired and angry. damn blizzard.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/10/AR2010021000009.html?wpisrc=nl_headline
-- Knuttel
1.21.2010
a snack
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=ohlmeyer_don&id=4844048
a little insight on the leach firing. ill probably put something real of mine up later.
a little insight on the leach firing. ill probably put something real of mine up later.
12.04.2009
BS "championship" preview before the preview
If anyone is wondering, that stands for "bowl subdivision championship". I think it works better with the letters rearranged like so.
Let's start this off by kicking charlie "Fatass" weiss out the door. His firing really made my extra-high levels of obnoxiousness during the nd/PSU game weekend 2007 really worth it. I recall screaming about weiss' protestant prostituting to some nd alumni who bought me beer the night before as well as many threats of rape, murder, and general mutilation to nd fans attending the game, as well as their extended family.
He was a fraud who could only win with Ty Willingham's players. The only kind of players he could recruit were offensive skill players, wanting to show off in a true pro system by a true pro style coach. A shame you kind of need offensive linemen and defensive players to really pull it off.
I shall also bid farewell to Mangino, the coach at Kansas who matched the schools previous total of bowl wins (3) and won their first orange bowl (they lost to Penn State in their first one, despite a strong effort from future Redskin John Riggins). Apparently he is really mean to his players, and that just doesn't fly once they stop winning for you.
So onto bowls and possible scenarios etc.
One bowl is already entirely figured out -- the rose bowl. Both the Pac-10 and the Big Ten have already declared their winners, neither of whom "have a shot" at the national championship and both shall receive an automatic berth for this game. The ohio state buckeyes won the Big Ten outright, going 7-1 (Iowa and Penn State are tied for second at 6-2), and went 3-1 in their non-conference schedule (a loss to a Pac-10 team). Oregon won the Pac-10 similarly, losing one in conference for an outright berth and losing one out of conference, to Boise State of the WAC. As this post shall not make any predictions, I shall leave this part as is, except one more mentioning of legarrete (sp?) blunt's awesome punching form. I also don't really know if I should pray ohio state doesn't embarass the Big Ten yet again in a bsc game or hope they win.
This leaves 3 proper BSC bowls and the "national championship" game left, 8 slots to fill. Automatic berths will also come from the ACC, Big East, SEC, and Big 12.
The Big East is being decided by a de facto championship game, between undefeated Cincinatti and 9-2 Pitt (one conference loss).
Cincinatti has the opportunity to be left out of the "national championship" game if they win. Pitt has the opportunity to spoil a possible national title for the conference if they win.
The ACC championship game will not send anyone to the "national championship" game, as both teams have at least two losses. The game itself should be good, as this is a rematch from an earlier game in the season -- Georgia Tech and Clemson. The scoring shall be fun to watch, as Georgia Tech is one of the few division 1 teams to run the under center triple option, a very explosive version that can score quickly, and Clemson's Spiller can hurt the opposing team in so many different facets of the game.
The Big 12 championship game features undefeated Texas against 9-3 Nebraska. Texas is being picked almost universally in a landslide, but Nebraska's defense may prove to be a possible spoiler (for both the conference and national title). It's easy to forget that the Big 12 south was weak this year (unfulfilled expecations from Oklahoma and Oklahoma state, struggles by Texas Tech and Texas A&M, and perennially weak Baylor).
The SEC championship game will likely send one team to the "national championship" game. I really don't understand how, but they probably will. Undefeated Florida from the SEC east and undefeated Alabama from the SEC west will face down eachother for this game. Both of these teams are being flat out inundated with praise about how awesome they are, how holy tim teblow is, etc. Let me get this straight. The SEC is not the strongest conference in college football. Having two undefeated teams does not make one the strongest conference. The SEC often plays weaker out of conference matchups than the Big Ten. The SEC east is one of the weakest divisions in college football. Let me ask this -- who in the east had a shot at knocking off florida for the east title? Georgia may be the closest, but making them the fifth strongest team in the whole SEC may be generous. Tennessee may be good in the future, but is a joke. Kentucky periodically rises to mediocrity, but otherwise is a joke. Vanderbilt. Enough said. South Carolina is also perennially mediocre. Even in the west, they're all just a little sub par. I'd like to see Auburn in a year or two though, I like their version of the downhill spread.
So let's assume all goes as planned, I know I said no predictions, but these aren't really mine, just what are pretty universal assumptions.
Florida wins the SEC and goes to the "national title" game
Texas wins the Big 12 and goes to the "national title" game
Georgia Tech wins the ACC and goes to the Sugar Bowl
Cincinatti wins the Big East and goes to the Sugar Bowl ... undefeated
Ohio State won the Big Ten and is going to the Rose Bowl
Oregon won the Pac-10 and is going to the Rose Bowl
This leaves 4 at large bids (which really may split up the Sugar bowl matchup).
The likely candidates will be among the following
Texas Christian University -- 12-0, undefeated, non-bcs
Boise State -- 12-0, undefeated, non-bcs
Iowa -- 10-2, Big Ten
Penn State -- 10-2, Big Ten
Alabama/Florida -- 12-1, SEC
If Georgia Tech loses their championship game, they will be 10-3 and likely up for an at-large bid.
If Cincinatti loses their championship game, they will be 11-1 and will likely be up for an at-large bid.
If Texas loses their championship game, they will be 12-1 and will likely be up for an at-large bid.
Virgina Tech, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Pitt, and LSU will all have 9 wins and be on the periphery of the bsc picture if it goes as above.
Notre Dame is not in the top 50 this year, and thus will not get into a bsc game.
One non-bsc team may have an automatic berth if they ...... jibbrish really. Both TCU and Boise State qualify for one of the automatic berths is what that means.
Only two teams from any single conference can receive bsc berths. This means the loser of the SEC game will likely get a berth, and either Iowa or Penn State will be left out of the bsc picture.
It is VERY possible for either TCU or Boise State to get left out of a bsc bowl game entirely, despite going undefeated with strong schedules.
It is possible, this year, for there to be 4 undefeated teams at the end of the season, breaking the record of 3 a few years back (Auburn and Utah were left out, I believe, and USC won the "national title", against 1 loss, hadn't actually won their conference Oklahoma; I could be wrong).
So how do we fix this?
Well first of all every team needs to be in a conference. THIS INCLUDES NOTRE DAME. The service academies I wouldn't mind giving an exemption to, but they could just as easily join a lighter conference or drop to 1-fCs (the c stands for championship, they're legit there). Army, not too long ago, had a stint in Conference-USA, if anyone cares to remember.
Secondly all "major" conferences need to be expanded to 12 teams and feature conference championship games. In face, all conferences should just be expanded to a size large enough to have a championship game and then have a winner decided that way. I'm really fucking pissed that Penn State's last two conference championships were "shared" with ohio state, even though Penn State won the match-up both of those seasons. Penn State got the automatic berth, but those really shouldn't count for conference titles for Tressel.
The Big Ten, for example, could easily go to 12 teams by adding, oh, I dunno, Notre Dame. Half of their "rivals" are in the Big Ten anyway. Schedule one out of conference each year with USC and have Stanford, Navy, and BC on some sort of shuffled schedule. Wow, did I just fix that? In fact, the Big East could absorb both Army and Navy, now that I think about it. Maybe Penn State could re-align (does that mean Penn State gets to play traditional rivals like Pitt and West Virgina?) (I dunno, an Iowa State realign from the big 12 to even that, and a TCU realign to even that) to bring it to 11. Maybe re-add Temple to get a solid 12?
Thirdly, there needs to be a playoff system. I dunno how many conferences are going to exist, but maybe JUST ONE BERTH from each conference? Maybe have an at-large or two to even it out if it needs to be done.
If the major conferences are that much superior to the others then it really shouldnt be that big a deal for Texas to face the MAC winner, and Florida to face the Conference-USA winner, should it?
If the season's too long, then shorten it. 10-11 games was all most teams needed for the longest time. Now 12's become the standard within the past decade, and schools are complaining they'll play too many games. Frankly I think that was some sort of idea planted by the bsc, to ward off any playoff talk.
Re-alignment shouldn't be that much of an issue anyway, as most of the non-major conferences don't last too long. The Big 12 is an invention of the past 20 years, as is the current form of the SEC. The current ACC is even newer, going from 9-12 teams in one year.
I've probably gotten too long winded and possibly angry sounding by this point, so I shall leave you with that thought.
-- Knuttel
oh, and some Danzig
Let's start this off by kicking charlie "Fatass" weiss out the door. His firing really made my extra-high levels of obnoxiousness during the nd/PSU game weekend 2007 really worth it. I recall screaming about weiss' protestant prostituting to some nd alumni who bought me beer the night before as well as many threats of rape, murder, and general mutilation to nd fans attending the game, as well as their extended family.
He was a fraud who could only win with Ty Willingham's players. The only kind of players he could recruit were offensive skill players, wanting to show off in a true pro system by a true pro style coach. A shame you kind of need offensive linemen and defensive players to really pull it off.
I shall also bid farewell to Mangino, the coach at Kansas who matched the schools previous total of bowl wins (3) and won their first orange bowl (they lost to Penn State in their first one, despite a strong effort from future Redskin John Riggins). Apparently he is really mean to his players, and that just doesn't fly once they stop winning for you.
So onto bowls and possible scenarios etc.
One bowl is already entirely figured out -- the rose bowl. Both the Pac-10 and the Big Ten have already declared their winners, neither of whom "have a shot" at the national championship and both shall receive an automatic berth for this game. The ohio state buckeyes won the Big Ten outright, going 7-1 (Iowa and Penn State are tied for second at 6-2), and went 3-1 in their non-conference schedule (a loss to a Pac-10 team). Oregon won the Pac-10 similarly, losing one in conference for an outright berth and losing one out of conference, to Boise State of the WAC. As this post shall not make any predictions, I shall leave this part as is, except one more mentioning of legarrete (sp?) blunt's awesome punching form. I also don't really know if I should pray ohio state doesn't embarass the Big Ten yet again in a bsc game or hope they win.
This leaves 3 proper BSC bowls and the "national championship" game left, 8 slots to fill. Automatic berths will also come from the ACC, Big East, SEC, and Big 12.
The Big East is being decided by a de facto championship game, between undefeated Cincinatti and 9-2 Pitt (one conference loss).
Cincinatti has the opportunity to be left out of the "national championship" game if they win. Pitt has the opportunity to spoil a possible national title for the conference if they win.
The ACC championship game will not send anyone to the "national championship" game, as both teams have at least two losses. The game itself should be good, as this is a rematch from an earlier game in the season -- Georgia Tech and Clemson. The scoring shall be fun to watch, as Georgia Tech is one of the few division 1 teams to run the under center triple option, a very explosive version that can score quickly, and Clemson's Spiller can hurt the opposing team in so many different facets of the game.
The Big 12 championship game features undefeated Texas against 9-3 Nebraska. Texas is being picked almost universally in a landslide, but Nebraska's defense may prove to be a possible spoiler (for both the conference and national title). It's easy to forget that the Big 12 south was weak this year (unfulfilled expecations from Oklahoma and Oklahoma state, struggles by Texas Tech and Texas A&M, and perennially weak Baylor).
The SEC championship game will likely send one team to the "national championship" game. I really don't understand how, but they probably will. Undefeated Florida from the SEC east and undefeated Alabama from the SEC west will face down eachother for this game. Both of these teams are being flat out inundated with praise about how awesome they are, how holy tim teblow is, etc. Let me get this straight. The SEC is not the strongest conference in college football. Having two undefeated teams does not make one the strongest conference. The SEC often plays weaker out of conference matchups than the Big Ten. The SEC east is one of the weakest divisions in college football. Let me ask this -- who in the east had a shot at knocking off florida for the east title? Georgia may be the closest, but making them the fifth strongest team in the whole SEC may be generous. Tennessee may be good in the future, but is a joke. Kentucky periodically rises to mediocrity, but otherwise is a joke. Vanderbilt. Enough said. South Carolina is also perennially mediocre. Even in the west, they're all just a little sub par. I'd like to see Auburn in a year or two though, I like their version of the downhill spread.
So let's assume all goes as planned, I know I said no predictions, but these aren't really mine, just what are pretty universal assumptions.
Florida wins the SEC and goes to the "national title" game
Texas wins the Big 12 and goes to the "national title" game
Georgia Tech wins the ACC and goes to the Sugar Bowl
Cincinatti wins the Big East and goes to the Sugar Bowl ... undefeated
Ohio State won the Big Ten and is going to the Rose Bowl
Oregon won the Pac-10 and is going to the Rose Bowl
This leaves 4 at large bids (which really may split up the Sugar bowl matchup).
The likely candidates will be among the following
Texas Christian University -- 12-0, undefeated, non-bcs
Boise State -- 12-0, undefeated, non-bcs
Iowa -- 10-2, Big Ten
Penn State -- 10-2, Big Ten
Alabama/Florida -- 12-1, SEC
If Georgia Tech loses their championship game, they will be 10-3 and likely up for an at-large bid.
If Cincinatti loses their championship game, they will be 11-1 and will likely be up for an at-large bid.
If Texas loses their championship game, they will be 12-1 and will likely be up for an at-large bid.
Virgina Tech, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Pitt, and LSU will all have 9 wins and be on the periphery of the bsc picture if it goes as above.
Notre Dame is not in the top 50 this year, and thus will not get into a bsc game.
One non-bsc team may have an automatic berth if they ...... jibbrish really. Both TCU and Boise State qualify for one of the automatic berths is what that means.
Only two teams from any single conference can receive bsc berths. This means the loser of the SEC game will likely get a berth, and either Iowa or Penn State will be left out of the bsc picture.
It is VERY possible for either TCU or Boise State to get left out of a bsc bowl game entirely, despite going undefeated with strong schedules.
It is possible, this year, for there to be 4 undefeated teams at the end of the season, breaking the record of 3 a few years back (Auburn and Utah were left out, I believe, and USC won the "national title", against 1 loss, hadn't actually won their conference Oklahoma; I could be wrong).
So how do we fix this?
Well first of all every team needs to be in a conference. THIS INCLUDES NOTRE DAME. The service academies I wouldn't mind giving an exemption to, but they could just as easily join a lighter conference or drop to 1-fCs (the c stands for championship, they're legit there). Army, not too long ago, had a stint in Conference-USA, if anyone cares to remember.
Secondly all "major" conferences need to be expanded to 12 teams and feature conference championship games. In face, all conferences should just be expanded to a size large enough to have a championship game and then have a winner decided that way. I'm really fucking pissed that Penn State's last two conference championships were "shared" with ohio state, even though Penn State won the match-up both of those seasons. Penn State got the automatic berth, but those really shouldn't count for conference titles for Tressel.
The Big Ten, for example, could easily go to 12 teams by adding, oh, I dunno, Notre Dame. Half of their "rivals" are in the Big Ten anyway. Schedule one out of conference each year with USC and have Stanford, Navy, and BC on some sort of shuffled schedule. Wow, did I just fix that? In fact, the Big East could absorb both Army and Navy, now that I think about it. Maybe Penn State could re-align (does that mean Penn State gets to play traditional rivals like Pitt and West Virgina?) (I dunno, an Iowa State realign from the big 12 to even that, and a TCU realign to even that) to bring it to 11. Maybe re-add Temple to get a solid 12?
Thirdly, there needs to be a playoff system. I dunno how many conferences are going to exist, but maybe JUST ONE BERTH from each conference? Maybe have an at-large or two to even it out if it needs to be done.
If the major conferences are that much superior to the others then it really shouldnt be that big a deal for Texas to face the MAC winner, and Florida to face the Conference-USA winner, should it?
If the season's too long, then shorten it. 10-11 games was all most teams needed for the longest time. Now 12's become the standard within the past decade, and schools are complaining they'll play too many games. Frankly I think that was some sort of idea planted by the bsc, to ward off any playoff talk.
Re-alignment shouldn't be that much of an issue anyway, as most of the non-major conferences don't last too long. The Big 12 is an invention of the past 20 years, as is the current form of the SEC. The current ACC is even newer, going from 9-12 teams in one year.
I've probably gotten too long winded and possibly angry sounding by this point, so I shall leave you with that thought.
-- Knuttel
oh, and some Danzig
8.31.2009
The Fellating of "T"ed Kennedy's corpse. This is not about COMCAST
comcast comcast comcast comcast -- this post is NOT about COMCAST
thought I'd get that out of the way for now.
Anyways, what is up with the media's fellating of Edward "Ted" Kennedy's (or, as I like to call him, the cannibal of Chappiqua) corpse?
Even if it is by extension directed towards the whole Kennedy family, I still don't see it.
See, the Kennedys have never been more than an idea. Jack and Bobby were both shot before they could do anything significant. Ted never got his big things passed.
Jack was the first catholic president, and as a catholic, I admire that, but there haven't been any since, and only one has ran on one of the "winnable" tickets (2004, John Kerry).
Jack had the missile crisis, sure, but he also had the bay of pigs.
There was also the Civil Rights Act, which wasn't introduced until the end of his term, and not ultimately passed until Johnson became president, ultimately saddling him with the aftermath.
Bobby was Attorny General for 4 years, then NY Senator for about 3 (why New York instead of Massachussets, I have no idea) before he ran in the Democratic Primary, dieing before the ticket was officially formed. Again, the idea is there, and it is huge, but there wasn't anything ultimately to show for it.
Ted, unlike his two older brothers, had a long career in public service. Unfortunately the only thing he really has to show for it is Massachussets pork and the voting age act, passed very early in his Senate career. There's also a failed bid for the Democratic ticket in 1980, campaigning largely on the platform of public healthcare.
There's an unworking idea there. At least 29 solid years of campaigning for one single issue, and never gaining an inch.
Oh, and did I forget to mention Ted killed someone once?
So let me rephrase this again -- What is the big deal with the Kennedys?
-- Knuttel
thought I'd get that out of the way for now.
Anyways, what is up with the media's fellating of Edward "Ted" Kennedy's (or, as I like to call him, the cannibal of Chappiqua) corpse?
Even if it is by extension directed towards the whole Kennedy family, I still don't see it.
See, the Kennedys have never been more than an idea. Jack and Bobby were both shot before they could do anything significant. Ted never got his big things passed.
Jack was the first catholic president, and as a catholic, I admire that, but there haven't been any since, and only one has ran on one of the "winnable" tickets (2004, John Kerry).
Jack had the missile crisis, sure, but he also had the bay of pigs.
There was also the Civil Rights Act, which wasn't introduced until the end of his term, and not ultimately passed until Johnson became president, ultimately saddling him with the aftermath.
Bobby was Attorny General for 4 years, then NY Senator for about 3 (why New York instead of Massachussets, I have no idea) before he ran in the Democratic Primary, dieing before the ticket was officially formed. Again, the idea is there, and it is huge, but there wasn't anything ultimately to show for it.
Ted, unlike his two older brothers, had a long career in public service. Unfortunately the only thing he really has to show for it is Massachussets pork and the voting age act, passed very early in his Senate career. There's also a failed bid for the Democratic ticket in 1980, campaigning largely on the platform of public healthcare.
There's an unworking idea there. At least 29 solid years of campaigning for one single issue, and never gaining an inch.
Oh, and did I forget to mention Ted killed someone once?
So let me rephrase this again -- What is the big deal with the Kennedys?
-- Knuttel
2.22.2009
Current Happenings of the World
What hell is happening in the 3 straight lines along the Potomac?
Hil-dawg's brand new style of Secretary of Statesmenship is interesting to say the least. On the surface it seems largely to be about image and nice formalities. While it does reach the actual people of other nations, I must wonder about the effect it has on leaders of other nations. It seems alot like the same duties she had in the years 1993-2001. Hopefully she's actually doing some policy work, or maybe that's just going to have to fall into another department's hands, much like Condi Rice held the bulk of the foreign policy duties throughout the Bush 43 years, despite not actually being Secretary of State until his re-election, when Ret. Gen. Colin Powell decided to step down from the post.
On the bright side, she could be the most fashionable Secretary of State since Henry Kissinger.
Let's hope S.o.S will not be a distress call for this administration, for it seems they already have other issues.
Obama is letting Congress run wild. More specifically, he's letting Demo(n)crats in Congress run wild.
If he is really all about bi-partisanship, he will include Republicans (and hopefully one day independents) in his law-making endeavors as more than a simple formality.
Right now we need Obama to strongarm Congress into working together and working for something that everyone can agree on, much in the way LBJ used to. People often credit JFK with the civil rights bill. Wrong. JFK was all talk about it for 3 years, then he got shot in the head. LBJ got it passed, and got Southern Congressmen to vote in favor of it.
Take Control, Barry-O, the office is your's, not Nancy Pelosi's.
Oh, and taking control is a bit more than posting on the interwebs where the money is going. A) few people will check it. B) the people that are going to be most outraged by it are likely already represented by Congressmen that voted against it.
Take a stand.
Coverage on the Oscars later tonight.
-- Knuttel
Hil-dawg's brand new style of Secretary of Statesmenship is interesting to say the least. On the surface it seems largely to be about image and nice formalities. While it does reach the actual people of other nations, I must wonder about the effect it has on leaders of other nations. It seems alot like the same duties she had in the years 1993-2001. Hopefully she's actually doing some policy work, or maybe that's just going to have to fall into another department's hands, much like Condi Rice held the bulk of the foreign policy duties throughout the Bush 43 years, despite not actually being Secretary of State until his re-election, when Ret. Gen. Colin Powell decided to step down from the post.
On the bright side, she could be the most fashionable Secretary of State since Henry Kissinger.
Let's hope S.o.S will not be a distress call for this administration, for it seems they already have other issues.
Obama is letting Congress run wild. More specifically, he's letting Demo(n)crats in Congress run wild.
If he is really all about bi-partisanship, he will include Republicans (and hopefully one day independents) in his law-making endeavors as more than a simple formality.
Right now we need Obama to strongarm Congress into working together and working for something that everyone can agree on, much in the way LBJ used to. People often credit JFK with the civil rights bill. Wrong. JFK was all talk about it for 3 years, then he got shot in the head. LBJ got it passed, and got Southern Congressmen to vote in favor of it.
Take Control, Barry-O, the office is your's, not Nancy Pelosi's.
Oh, and taking control is a bit more than posting on the interwebs where the money is going. A) few people will check it. B) the people that are going to be most outraged by it are likely already represented by Congressmen that voted against it.
Take a stand.
Coverage on the Oscars later tonight.
-- Knuttel
1.16.2009
To Mecca
Fear and Loathing in DC?
nah, I shall not steal Hunter S Thompson's title. Nor do I actually know if there will be any fear or loathing there.
But tomorrow begins my roadtrip to the Barry-O-guration (If you can't figure it out, it's the Presidential inauguration. I'm trying to get the name "Barry O" to stick).
I dunno how frequently I shall update antics, if I update them at all. But I do feel like this period of time should be recorded, at least in the slightest.
Hopefully most of it is gonna be about the actual inauguration, but then again, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas was supposed to mostly be about a motorcycle race.
And to think this is likely to be the highest turnout since LBJ's record setting inauguration in '65. Good ol LBJ. I could go for an LBJ about now (lettuce, bacon, and Johnson).
Hopefully this is either great or terrible. Mediocre would be soul-crushing.
-- Knuttel
And what's up with those terrorist geese? I bet they were Canadian geese. Not even American. Friends to the north my ass.
Too soon?
Actually, wow, I feel bad about typing that, but I don't feel like going back and deleting it. meh
nah, I shall not steal Hunter S Thompson's title. Nor do I actually know if there will be any fear or loathing there.
But tomorrow begins my roadtrip to the Barry-O-guration (If you can't figure it out, it's the Presidential inauguration. I'm trying to get the name "Barry O" to stick).
I dunno how frequently I shall update antics, if I update them at all. But I do feel like this period of time should be recorded, at least in the slightest.
Hopefully most of it is gonna be about the actual inauguration, but then again, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas was supposed to mostly be about a motorcycle race.
And to think this is likely to be the highest turnout since LBJ's record setting inauguration in '65. Good ol LBJ. I could go for an LBJ about now (lettuce, bacon, and Johnson).
Hopefully this is either great or terrible. Mediocre would be soul-crushing.
-- Knuttel
And what's up with those terrorist geese? I bet they were Canadian geese. Not even American. Friends to the north my ass.
Too soon?
Actually, wow, I feel bad about typing that, but I don't feel like going back and deleting it. meh
1.09.2009
First post of the new year
Hooray for 2009?
meh, on va voir
-Flyers
I had the privilege of attending last night's Flyers game. While I have been following them all year, I have not been watching games on a regular basis. Nowabouts in the season is usually when I start watching, due to the Eagles sucking it up in the playoffs. Due to my boycott, which is now a few months in effect, I haven't even been watching them recently. (Oh, but they made the playoffs! -- oh, but they TIED THE BENGALS, oh and they play in the NFL. BTW, don't want the Giants to win, but I really don't want to see the Eagles lose another NFC championship game). But the Flyers -- the real deal, McCoy. The officiating sucked major balls -- they really don't know what legal contact looks like -- killed about 8 power plays and didnt have one themselves until the 3rd. Luckily this allowed the Flyers to show off one of the best penalty kill units of the league. There was a 4 on 4 in the first, after the refs decided to break up a fight before it started. Haha, mortal fools. As soon as both players were done their "unsportsmanlike conduct" penalties, they dropped gloves at mid-ice and put up their dukes.
The Carter/Scottie line was one of the most dominant lines I've seen in a game, though the Richards line also did pretty well. Jeff Carter showed why he's going to the all-star game (though only as a reserve, cos of the massive Montreal based letter writing campaign -- really, the Canadiens have starters in this game, BS -- and because the League itself has its head so far up its ass, they couldn't even list Jeff Carter on the website for voting. That's right, you had to write him in, even though he was leading the league in goals for most of the season, and shares the tie for it now. Also, how is Mike Richards not going, he is the emotional leader of the team, much like Primeau used to be.) Anyway, Jeff Carter, Scottie Upshall, and Scottie Hartnell were involved in every single goal in some capacity -- even though statistically one of them was unassisted. They took over the game and forced the Flyers to win. Biron did pretty well on his end to make sure this happenned as well. He made some amazing saves that I thought only Nittymaki could make (though somehow this leads to Nittymaki giving up more goals).
- BSC
Or is it the BCS, or who really knows anyway. Well, put two and two together, if I was at the Flyers game, then I couldn't possibly have been watching the BCS title game (I refuse to call that abomination a national championship) unless I was in one of those snooty personal luxury club box suite. Can you even see the game up there? Do you bang on the box window instead of the front glass? Alas, I digress.
The game pitted the young and plucky Sam Bradford against He Who Is Tim Tebow. The game didn't end up the scoring affair anyone thought it would be, but it certainly didn't resemble the defensive slugfest that was Bob Stoops first (and for now, only) national championship -- Florida State's only points came on a safety. In the 4th it was tied, but eventually the mighty Tim Tebow called upon the stregnth he used to previously circumcise all the Filipino children of the world and willed his Florida team to win, on a Percy Harvin direct snap when Tebow was on the sideline.
But really, it doesn't matter. The National Title was already decided when undefeated Utah beat one loss uber SEC powerhouse (one loss there is like negative five in any other division, right?) Alabama.
The injustice? While Utah came in second in the final poll, a close second as well, the AP Coaches poll put them at 4th, behind 3 schools with one loss, and equally as strong schedules (ok, I guess I get Florida, cos they won the agreed upon game, but USC and Texas weren't even picked to play in the title game, and also had a loss). Wittingham, the coach of Utah, used his vote to vote for his own team, and rightfully so, but the irony is he may actually lose his vote in the future. You see, the coaches are, by coaches union rules or whatever, supposed to vote for the winner of the BCS game as the end of the year number 1. Hopefully the coaches will see their stupidity if they actually pursue this course of action. While Wittingham does not have the clout that JoePa has, the coaches never sought course of action against JoePa for splitting his 2004 (?) vote among the winner of the title game (USC, I think), Auburn, and Utah -- all of whom finished the year with an undefeated season and a BCS bowl victory (the title game was then simply one of the four bowls, as opposed to a separate one). Wait, so Utah's done this before? Yeah, funny thing is, the head coach then was current Florida coach Urban "I LOVE to run the score up" Meyer; guess a florida coach just has to do it.
- Politics
Uh-oh, Barry O has some trouble in paradise already!
-Bill Richardson, a man several times passed over for positions in the last year (President, Vice President, Secretary of State, Secretary of Treasury) has decided to drop his name from nomination for Secretary of Commerce, and return to being Governor of New Mexico due to allegations of pay-to-play politics in his home state (so this sort of thing happens outside of Chicago?). The charges against him are kinda weak, which means he probably just didn't want to be Secretary of Commerce. That, or the liberal media is making a molehill out of a mountain, and this is actually a big fuggin deal. No way to tell until the investigation is over, but the position of Governor of any state, besides Alaska, is a higher position than Secretary of Commerce. Everyone knows that.
-Pannetta to be head of CIA
Fwahhhhhh????
I really don't get this at all. The man has no experience in any intelligence bureau at all, not even as like a clerk or secretary (like a real secretary, not that secretary of whatever shit).
-Who is Hilldawg's Senate successor?
We all know she didn't really want to be Senator of NY anyway, and her Chapaqua residence was about as flimsy as they come, but who's gonna be her successor?
Could it be Caroline Kennedy, whos credentials include -- being a Kennedy?
Or Andrew Cuomo, whos credentials include -- being a Cuomo, and married to a Kennedy?
wait, seriously, its pretty much down to these two? I thought we were done with the Kennedies.
Where's Lee Harvey Oswalt when you need him? too soon?
Damnit, can't take it back now.
-- Knuttel
meh, on va voir
-Flyers
I had the privilege of attending last night's Flyers game. While I have been following them all year, I have not been watching games on a regular basis. Nowabouts in the season is usually when I start watching, due to the Eagles sucking it up in the playoffs. Due to my boycott, which is now a few months in effect, I haven't even been watching them recently. (Oh, but they made the playoffs! -- oh, but they TIED THE BENGALS, oh and they play in the NFL. BTW, don't want the Giants to win, but I really don't want to see the Eagles lose another NFC championship game). But the Flyers -- the real deal, McCoy. The officiating sucked major balls -- they really don't know what legal contact looks like -- killed about 8 power plays and didnt have one themselves until the 3rd. Luckily this allowed the Flyers to show off one of the best penalty kill units of the league. There was a 4 on 4 in the first, after the refs decided to break up a fight before it started. Haha, mortal fools. As soon as both players were done their "unsportsmanlike conduct" penalties, they dropped gloves at mid-ice and put up their dukes.
The Carter/Scottie line was one of the most dominant lines I've seen in a game, though the Richards line also did pretty well. Jeff Carter showed why he's going to the all-star game (though only as a reserve, cos of the massive Montreal based letter writing campaign -- really, the Canadiens have starters in this game, BS -- and because the League itself has its head so far up its ass, they couldn't even list Jeff Carter on the website for voting. That's right, you had to write him in, even though he was leading the league in goals for most of the season, and shares the tie for it now. Also, how is Mike Richards not going, he is the emotional leader of the team, much like Primeau used to be.) Anyway, Jeff Carter, Scottie Upshall, and Scottie Hartnell were involved in every single goal in some capacity -- even though statistically one of them was unassisted. They took over the game and forced the Flyers to win. Biron did pretty well on his end to make sure this happenned as well. He made some amazing saves that I thought only Nittymaki could make (though somehow this leads to Nittymaki giving up more goals).
- BSC
Or is it the BCS, or who really knows anyway. Well, put two and two together, if I was at the Flyers game, then I couldn't possibly have been watching the BCS title game (I refuse to call that abomination a national championship) unless I was in one of those snooty personal luxury club box suite. Can you even see the game up there? Do you bang on the box window instead of the front glass? Alas, I digress.
The game pitted the young and plucky Sam Bradford against He Who Is Tim Tebow. The game didn't end up the scoring affair anyone thought it would be, but it certainly didn't resemble the defensive slugfest that was Bob Stoops first (and for now, only) national championship -- Florida State's only points came on a safety. In the 4th it was tied, but eventually the mighty Tim Tebow called upon the stregnth he used to previously circumcise all the Filipino children of the world and willed his Florida team to win, on a Percy Harvin direct snap when Tebow was on the sideline.
But really, it doesn't matter. The National Title was already decided when undefeated Utah beat one loss uber SEC powerhouse (one loss there is like negative five in any other division, right?) Alabama.
The injustice? While Utah came in second in the final poll, a close second as well, the AP Coaches poll put them at 4th, behind 3 schools with one loss, and equally as strong schedules (ok, I guess I get Florida, cos they won the agreed upon game, but USC and Texas weren't even picked to play in the title game, and also had a loss). Wittingham, the coach of Utah, used his vote to vote for his own team, and rightfully so, but the irony is he may actually lose his vote in the future. You see, the coaches are, by coaches union rules or whatever, supposed to vote for the winner of the BCS game as the end of the year number 1. Hopefully the coaches will see their stupidity if they actually pursue this course of action. While Wittingham does not have the clout that JoePa has, the coaches never sought course of action against JoePa for splitting his 2004 (?) vote among the winner of the title game (USC, I think), Auburn, and Utah -- all of whom finished the year with an undefeated season and a BCS bowl victory (the title game was then simply one of the four bowls, as opposed to a separate one). Wait, so Utah's done this before? Yeah, funny thing is, the head coach then was current Florida coach Urban "I LOVE to run the score up" Meyer; guess a florida coach just has to do it.
- Politics
Uh-oh, Barry O has some trouble in paradise already!
-Bill Richardson, a man several times passed over for positions in the last year (President, Vice President, Secretary of State, Secretary of Treasury) has decided to drop his name from nomination for Secretary of Commerce, and return to being Governor of New Mexico due to allegations of pay-to-play politics in his home state (so this sort of thing happens outside of Chicago?). The charges against him are kinda weak, which means he probably just didn't want to be Secretary of Commerce. That, or the liberal media is making a molehill out of a mountain, and this is actually a big fuggin deal. No way to tell until the investigation is over, but the position of Governor of any state, besides Alaska, is a higher position than Secretary of Commerce. Everyone knows that.
-Pannetta to be head of CIA
Fwahhhhhh????
I really don't get this at all. The man has no experience in any intelligence bureau at all, not even as like a clerk or secretary (like a real secretary, not that secretary of whatever shit).
-Who is Hilldawg's Senate successor?
We all know she didn't really want to be Senator of NY anyway, and her Chapaqua residence was about as flimsy as they come, but who's gonna be her successor?
Could it be Caroline Kennedy, whos credentials include -- being a Kennedy?
Or Andrew Cuomo, whos credentials include -- being a Cuomo, and married to a Kennedy?
wait, seriously, its pretty much down to these two? I thought we were done with the Kennedies.
Where's Lee Harvey Oswalt when you need him? too soon?
Damnit, can't take it back now.
-- Knuttel
12.05.2008
What of the Automobile Industry?
As some of you may or may not know, the leaders from the Big 3 American Automakers (dubbed "Detroit 3" by southern senators, but more on that later) and the UAW met in Washington to discuss the possibility of an Automotive industry bailout.
The first meeting did not go so well, as the leaders were chided for their symbolic gesture of flying in on their private jets. For this, the second meeting, they all drove in, again a symbolic gesture, from what I hear in Hybrid and Electric cars -- the latter part seems just a little unnecessary, as in a hybrid vehicle, the electric part of the motor is not engaged at all, or perhaps maybe only slightly, in the course of highway driving. I would imagine most of the journey from Detroit to Washington to be made of highway driving.
But nonetheless, the Senate Banking committee was noticeably more impressed and willing to bail out the automotive industry than previous. All groups made larger concessions, though really they should've been made before the first meeting.
What does this all mean though, how likely is it they are going to get bailed out, should they get bailed out?
The likelihood this is going to pass is still pretty thin. Oddly enough, the issue isn't really broken up by party lines, as it is broken up by geographic ones (though MSNBC would like you to believe they are the same). Northern manufacturing states are very much for the bailout -- Michigan obviously leading the charge, likely followed by Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania's Bob Casey, who made a comment to the effect of trying not to have another major industry collapse within the country (talking about the old steel industry, based out of western PA). The opposition to this bill is in the south. The reason for this is southern states, such as Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi all have thriving auto-manufacturing plants -- owned by foreign companies such as Toyota and Nissan.
So, in other words, the South doesn't want to bail out the American auto industry, because they are getting supported by foreign ones. A side note, this technically destroys the whole "buy American" movement for cars, because it was started more so for the labor, not the corporations. Anyways, not only would it be against their interests to vote in favor of bailing these companies out (at least presently) but these Senators and Congressmen are in the pockets of these companies (private interests eventually even out though, don't hate the player, hate the game). This is why they have dubbed the "Big 3" the "Detroit 3". They feel this problem is isolated to Michigan, and should thusly be dealt with locally. Not to mention the Senator from Tenessee was giving them shit about Federal subsidies to deal with developing new technologies and improving existing ones, such as hybrids. Fuggin Assclown. The Foreign companies that are manufacturing here are getting the same subsidies from their respective nations.
What's going to get this either passed or sunk is whether it can get support from the other regions of the country -- remember the Senate is evenly distributed amongst states. If it gets to the House of Representatives, it will have an easier chance of passing, as the house is represented by population, and the regions directly affected are more densely populated.
But should they get Federal support?
On the one hand, they represent a huge chunk of the remaining manufacturing and heavy industries. If these 3 companies go down, they could take an entire region of the nation, and put it in a depression that could last longer locally than whatever impending (or present) national disaster there is.
On the other hand, they have a flawed business model, which got them in this mess in the first place. In addition, the foreign companies are already manufacturing the cars to be sold in America, in America.
Not to mention they tried (pretty successfully) to ruin Johnny Cougar
Most of the cars (not trucks or SUVs) break down at 70,000 miles, forget about the fact that Toyota and Honda make more hybrids, their cars last to 150,000+, oftentimes quite a bit more.
The problem with the last argument is you can't tell if they changed that bit until at least a few years after the models roll out.
Do the companies need to be bailed out?
yes.
Why?
If the Big 3 fail, there will be no American company to take its place. Not to mention it would take too much time and capital to develop a car company to take its place, even to have an impact at a niche level. What does this mean -- America will eventually have to laxen its tariff requirements. This would lead to a very possibly vacation of the auto-manufacturing industry from the south also. Southern labor may be cheaper than Detroit labor, but foreign labor is even cheaper. In addition, all the supplying industries that still exist will all face a major restructuring that they themselves may not survive.
Simply put, the Big 3 are too big to let them fall. Their fall will destroy much in its wake. But they need oversight. This is, after all, a federal investment with taxpayer money. It's not the corporations that deserve this bailout, but rather the nation and its workers. So their bosses are idiots, why should they get fired, and more importantly why should that hurt the rest of the American economy?
The first meeting did not go so well, as the leaders were chided for their symbolic gesture of flying in on their private jets. For this, the second meeting, they all drove in, again a symbolic gesture, from what I hear in Hybrid and Electric cars -- the latter part seems just a little unnecessary, as in a hybrid vehicle, the electric part of the motor is not engaged at all, or perhaps maybe only slightly, in the course of highway driving. I would imagine most of the journey from Detroit to Washington to be made of highway driving.
But nonetheless, the Senate Banking committee was noticeably more impressed and willing to bail out the automotive industry than previous. All groups made larger concessions, though really they should've been made before the first meeting.
What does this all mean though, how likely is it they are going to get bailed out, should they get bailed out?
The likelihood this is going to pass is still pretty thin. Oddly enough, the issue isn't really broken up by party lines, as it is broken up by geographic ones (though MSNBC would like you to believe they are the same). Northern manufacturing states are very much for the bailout -- Michigan obviously leading the charge, likely followed by Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania's Bob Casey, who made a comment to the effect of trying not to have another major industry collapse within the country (talking about the old steel industry, based out of western PA). The opposition to this bill is in the south. The reason for this is southern states, such as Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi all have thriving auto-manufacturing plants -- owned by foreign companies such as Toyota and Nissan.
So, in other words, the South doesn't want to bail out the American auto industry, because they are getting supported by foreign ones. A side note, this technically destroys the whole "buy American" movement for cars, because it was started more so for the labor, not the corporations. Anyways, not only would it be against their interests to vote in favor of bailing these companies out (at least presently) but these Senators and Congressmen are in the pockets of these companies (private interests eventually even out though, don't hate the player, hate the game). This is why they have dubbed the "Big 3" the "Detroit 3". They feel this problem is isolated to Michigan, and should thusly be dealt with locally. Not to mention the Senator from Tenessee was giving them shit about Federal subsidies to deal with developing new technologies and improving existing ones, such as hybrids. Fuggin Assclown. The Foreign companies that are manufacturing here are getting the same subsidies from their respective nations.
What's going to get this either passed or sunk is whether it can get support from the other regions of the country -- remember the Senate is evenly distributed amongst states. If it gets to the House of Representatives, it will have an easier chance of passing, as the house is represented by population, and the regions directly affected are more densely populated.
But should they get Federal support?
On the one hand, they represent a huge chunk of the remaining manufacturing and heavy industries. If these 3 companies go down, they could take an entire region of the nation, and put it in a depression that could last longer locally than whatever impending (or present) national disaster there is.
On the other hand, they have a flawed business model, which got them in this mess in the first place. In addition, the foreign companies are already manufacturing the cars to be sold in America, in America.
Not to mention they tried (pretty successfully) to ruin Johnny Cougar
Most of the cars (not trucks or SUVs) break down at 70,000 miles, forget about the fact that Toyota and Honda make more hybrids, their cars last to 150,000+, oftentimes quite a bit more.
The problem with the last argument is you can't tell if they changed that bit until at least a few years after the models roll out.
Do the companies need to be bailed out?
yes.
Why?
If the Big 3 fail, there will be no American company to take its place. Not to mention it would take too much time and capital to develop a car company to take its place, even to have an impact at a niche level. What does this mean -- America will eventually have to laxen its tariff requirements. This would lead to a very possibly vacation of the auto-manufacturing industry from the south also. Southern labor may be cheaper than Detroit labor, but foreign labor is even cheaper. In addition, all the supplying industries that still exist will all face a major restructuring that they themselves may not survive.
Simply put, the Big 3 are too big to let them fall. Their fall will destroy much in its wake. But they need oversight. This is, after all, a federal investment with taxpayer money. It's not the corporations that deserve this bailout, but rather the nation and its workers. So their bosses are idiots, why should they get fired, and more importantly why should that hurt the rest of the American economy?
11.02.2008
Brad Lidge facts part 2
There really aren't enough of them.
26. Brad Lidge dared Chase Utley to drop the F bomb in the World Series speeches after the parade on Friday, but then Utley wussed out. Lidge double dog dared him, and he still wasn’t gonna do it. So then Lidge triple dog dared him and threatened to throw his slider at his face. The rest is history.
27. One time Brad Lidge’s slider went up against Chuck Norris’ roundhouse kick. I don’t recall seeing any Chuck Norris movies recently.
28. Harry Kalas’ voice is so powerful it can open a pickle jar. Ok, that’s not about Lidge, but it needs to be said.
29. Brad Lidge once pretended to be a moose, and hunted Sarah Palin. The one out now is simply an imposter.
30. Brad Lidge gave his voice over talents to Harry Kalas after he heard what former Phillies relief pitcher Wheels was doing with his.
31. Brad Lidge ate John Kruk’s surgically removed nut on a dare, then spit it out and threw a slider at Billy Wagner’s face.
32. Brad Lidge recently took all of Pete Rose’s gambling prophets after Pete Rose said he could hit his slider.
33. Brad Lidge accidentally broke the window of the Delorean from Back to the Future when his slider slipped into the space time continuum as he was striking out Chipper Jones.
34. When Brad Lidge played for the Houston Astros, he always said whether the roof was open or closed while he was pitching, regardless of whether how it was the rest of the game.
35. Brad Lidge is currently on the NSA Terror watch list, after the incident in Crawford, Texas. He was pitching some balls to GW Bush, but Bush couldn’t hit his slider, Lidge wasn’t about to back down, so he beaned him in the head and threw a pretzel down his throat. The NSA has no chance of catching him.
36. When fans of opposing teams see Brad Lidge warm up in the bullpen, they either leave because they know they have officially lost the game, or they stay to marvel at the sweet-ass slider.
37. Brad Lidge’s slider put Pat Burrel in permanent slow motion.
38. Brad Lidge and Mitch Williams regularly play a pitching version of Horse, ala Michael Jordan and Larry Bird. The difference is they usually wager two big macs instead of one.
39. Brad Lidge used his slider to help John Rambo when he was in Afghanistan in Rambo 3.
40. Bruce Lee used to train for agility by trying to dodge Brad Lidge sliders. This didn’t last too long, as Brad Lidge never misses.
41. Once, Brad Lidge’s slider broke so hard, it went underground and killed a few Molemen. The FBI tried to keep the situation under wraps, but the moleman head Brad Lidge keeps as a trophy is too sweet to not show around.
42. The bomb that blew up the death star was based off of Brad Lidge’s slider.
43. John Wilkes Booth wanted to use Brad Lidge’s slider to kill Abraham Lincoln, but Brad Lidge liked the dude, so Booth was forced to use a derringer. On the way down, Lidge threw a slider at his leg and broke it.
44. Brad Lidge taught Zakk Wylde how to play guitar.
45. Brad Lidge can turn back time like Superman by throwing his slider against the earth’s rotation.
46. Brad Lidge’s slider once beat the Flash in a race because the Flash stopped to gaze at the awesome breaking action.
47. If Brad Lidge is bored while in New York, he’ll demand entrance to The Boy From Oz (he doesn’t have to pay) and just throw sliders at Hugh Jackman’s face.
48. Mayor Michael Nutter ran his campaign on the platform of how awesome Brad Lidge’s slider is. He won in a landslide.
49. Charlie Manuel almost didn’t want Brad Lidge on his team because he thought it was too unfair an advantage that the rest of his team would only have to pitch 8 innings a game.
50. Once Brad Lidge asked Vin Diesel if he was actually Fast and/or Furious. Vin Diesel ran away crying.
26. Brad Lidge dared Chase Utley to drop the F bomb in the World Series speeches after the parade on Friday, but then Utley wussed out. Lidge double dog dared him, and he still wasn’t gonna do it. So then Lidge triple dog dared him and threatened to throw his slider at his face. The rest is history.
27. One time Brad Lidge’s slider went up against Chuck Norris’ roundhouse kick. I don’t recall seeing any Chuck Norris movies recently.
28. Harry Kalas’ voice is so powerful it can open a pickle jar. Ok, that’s not about Lidge, but it needs to be said.
29. Brad Lidge once pretended to be a moose, and hunted Sarah Palin. The one out now is simply an imposter.
30. Brad Lidge gave his voice over talents to Harry Kalas after he heard what former Phillies relief pitcher Wheels was doing with his.
31. Brad Lidge ate John Kruk’s surgically removed nut on a dare, then spit it out and threw a slider at Billy Wagner’s face.
32. Brad Lidge recently took all of Pete Rose’s gambling prophets after Pete Rose said he could hit his slider.
33. Brad Lidge accidentally broke the window of the Delorean from Back to the Future when his slider slipped into the space time continuum as he was striking out Chipper Jones.
34. When Brad Lidge played for the Houston Astros, he always said whether the roof was open or closed while he was pitching, regardless of whether how it was the rest of the game.
35. Brad Lidge is currently on the NSA Terror watch list, after the incident in Crawford, Texas. He was pitching some balls to GW Bush, but Bush couldn’t hit his slider, Lidge wasn’t about to back down, so he beaned him in the head and threw a pretzel down his throat. The NSA has no chance of catching him.
36. When fans of opposing teams see Brad Lidge warm up in the bullpen, they either leave because they know they have officially lost the game, or they stay to marvel at the sweet-ass slider.
37. Brad Lidge’s slider put Pat Burrel in permanent slow motion.
38. Brad Lidge and Mitch Williams regularly play a pitching version of Horse, ala Michael Jordan and Larry Bird. The difference is they usually wager two big macs instead of one.
39. Brad Lidge used his slider to help John Rambo when he was in Afghanistan in Rambo 3.
40. Bruce Lee used to train for agility by trying to dodge Brad Lidge sliders. This didn’t last too long, as Brad Lidge never misses.
41. Once, Brad Lidge’s slider broke so hard, it went underground and killed a few Molemen. The FBI tried to keep the situation under wraps, but the moleman head Brad Lidge keeps as a trophy is too sweet to not show around.
42. The bomb that blew up the death star was based off of Brad Lidge’s slider.
43. John Wilkes Booth wanted to use Brad Lidge’s slider to kill Abraham Lincoln, but Brad Lidge liked the dude, so Booth was forced to use a derringer. On the way down, Lidge threw a slider at his leg and broke it.
44. Brad Lidge taught Zakk Wylde how to play guitar.
45. Brad Lidge can turn back time like Superman by throwing his slider against the earth’s rotation.
46. Brad Lidge’s slider once beat the Flash in a race because the Flash stopped to gaze at the awesome breaking action.
47. If Brad Lidge is bored while in New York, he’ll demand entrance to The Boy From Oz (he doesn’t have to pay) and just throw sliders at Hugh Jackman’s face.
48. Mayor Michael Nutter ran his campaign on the platform of how awesome Brad Lidge’s slider is. He won in a landslide.
49. Charlie Manuel almost didn’t want Brad Lidge on his team because he thought it was too unfair an advantage that the rest of his team would only have to pitch 8 innings a game.
50. Once Brad Lidge asked Vin Diesel if he was actually Fast and/or Furious. Vin Diesel ran away crying.
10.31.2008
"...and on the third pitch, he threw a slider"
It was inevitable that somebody would make them, so I am personally taking it upon myself to write them.
1. The secret to Brad Lidge's slider rests not with his grip or throwing mechanics, but rather he simply tells the balls that they are in fact, going to slide. They always listen.
2. When Brad Lidge joined the Phillies he wanted to be the best Pitcher on the team, no question, so he kicked Cole Hamels' nuts back into his body (resulting in his voice). It is, however, theorized that when Hamels' nuts re-descend, his fastball will reach 140 and his curveball will break 3 feet.
3. Brad Lidge doesn't vacuum, dirt just doesn't dare linger on his floor. (courtesy of scott)
4. Brad Lidge decided to be a closer because his batting would unusually disrupt hitting statistics as we know them.
5. Additionally, this would create pressure to make him an everyday player, and its just not fair to the other pitchers to have this man go 9 innings every game.
6. The only reason Gillick approved of sending Bourne to Houston for Lidge was because of Lidge's blinding speed. Coincidentally, Lidge is the emergency pinch runner/ fielder for both Shane Victorino and Jimmy Rollins.
7. Brad Lidge once struck out Jose Reyes without even throwing a pitch.
8. Brad Lidge gave up the Homer to Albert Pujols in the 2005 NLCS because he was bored and wanted to see if a baseball could go into outer space. Pujols gravely dissappointed Lidge.
9. Underneath Brad Lidges beard, there is not a chin, but rather a slider.
10. Pope Benny 16 is officially changing the church hymn to "Lidge takes mound, Lidge is pitching, Lidge will save again"
11. Bernie Parent recently revealed that when only the Lord saved more than he, he was actually talking about Brad Lidge.
12. Global Warming is actually caused by Lidge's slider, as the ball itself does not break, but rather he brings the earth incrementally closer to the sun (or moon for a night game). Al Gore recently proposed that the greatest cure to Global Warming would be to insure Lidge only pitches when the earth is not facing the sun.
13. Pat Burrel is incapable of hitting a breaking ball because once Lidge threw him a slider in batting practice, and he shit his pants.
14. Brad Lidges clocks set themselves. (scott)
15. Brad Lidge can fix the economy with a slider (scott)
16. The Army once inquired about the use of Lidge's slider as a deadly weapon.
17. Brad Lidge's slider doesn't negotiate with terrorists.
18. Brad Lidge has not supported any Presidential candidate because he knew he would immediately be asked to be the running mate.
19. Brad Lidge realized at an early age that his slider could be used to achieve world peace. However, he realized at an even earlier age that he hates hippies.
20. Brett Myers' wife decided not to press domestic assault charges on him because Brett was simply trying to show his wife how to throw Lidge's slider, but failed miserably.
21. One time, Brad lidge beat Babe Ruth in a Hot Dog eating contest.
22. Joe Carter's body was found dead on wednesday night. The cause of death was reportedly Brad Lidge's slider.
23. Brad Lidge orders whoppers at McDonalds, and gets them. (scott)
24. When Pedro Feliz was hurt, Charlie Manuel tried putting Brad Lidge at third. Ryan Howard needed a new glove each inning.
25. Brad Lidge's slider can smell fear.
1. The secret to Brad Lidge's slider rests not with his grip or throwing mechanics, but rather he simply tells the balls that they are in fact, going to slide. They always listen.
2. When Brad Lidge joined the Phillies he wanted to be the best Pitcher on the team, no question, so he kicked Cole Hamels' nuts back into his body (resulting in his voice). It is, however, theorized that when Hamels' nuts re-descend, his fastball will reach 140 and his curveball will break 3 feet.
3. Brad Lidge doesn't vacuum, dirt just doesn't dare linger on his floor. (courtesy of scott)
4. Brad Lidge decided to be a closer because his batting would unusually disrupt hitting statistics as we know them.
5. Additionally, this would create pressure to make him an everyday player, and its just not fair to the other pitchers to have this man go 9 innings every game.
6. The only reason Gillick approved of sending Bourne to Houston for Lidge was because of Lidge's blinding speed. Coincidentally, Lidge is the emergency pinch runner/ fielder for both Shane Victorino and Jimmy Rollins.
7. Brad Lidge once struck out Jose Reyes without even throwing a pitch.
8. Brad Lidge gave up the Homer to Albert Pujols in the 2005 NLCS because he was bored and wanted to see if a baseball could go into outer space. Pujols gravely dissappointed Lidge.
9. Underneath Brad Lidges beard, there is not a chin, but rather a slider.
10. Pope Benny 16 is officially changing the church hymn to "Lidge takes mound, Lidge is pitching, Lidge will save again"
11. Bernie Parent recently revealed that when only the Lord saved more than he, he was actually talking about Brad Lidge.
12. Global Warming is actually caused by Lidge's slider, as the ball itself does not break, but rather he brings the earth incrementally closer to the sun (or moon for a night game). Al Gore recently proposed that the greatest cure to Global Warming would be to insure Lidge only pitches when the earth is not facing the sun.
13. Pat Burrel is incapable of hitting a breaking ball because once Lidge threw him a slider in batting practice, and he shit his pants.
14. Brad Lidges clocks set themselves. (scott)
15. Brad Lidge can fix the economy with a slider (scott)
16. The Army once inquired about the use of Lidge's slider as a deadly weapon.
17. Brad Lidge's slider doesn't negotiate with terrorists.
18. Brad Lidge has not supported any Presidential candidate because he knew he would immediately be asked to be the running mate.
19. Brad Lidge realized at an early age that his slider could be used to achieve world peace. However, he realized at an even earlier age that he hates hippies.
20. Brett Myers' wife decided not to press domestic assault charges on him because Brett was simply trying to show his wife how to throw Lidge's slider, but failed miserably.
21. One time, Brad lidge beat Babe Ruth in a Hot Dog eating contest.
22. Joe Carter's body was found dead on wednesday night. The cause of death was reportedly Brad Lidge's slider.
23. Brad Lidge orders whoppers at McDonalds, and gets them. (scott)
24. When Pedro Feliz was hurt, Charlie Manuel tried putting Brad Lidge at third. Ryan Howard needed a new glove each inning.
25. Brad Lidge's slider can smell fear.
10.29.2008
Portrait of a fallen man
While I hate playing the game, "What if?", here is a good piece on how McCain's campaign fell to pieces. It's really a shame too. I never thought a moderate/independent could/would shift so radically to one side in order to attempt to win a Presidency. McCain may ultimately go down in history as the Henry Clay of the late 20th, early 21st century.
On a side note, it's really interesting to see how the social conservatives hi-jacked the party so strongly in the past 10 years. Essentially they are responsible for McCain losing the 2000 primaries. Additionally, their stubbornness to adhere to such a stringent code of social conservatism has essentially driven out the rest of the members of the party. Their anti-intellectualist tendencies led to the state of current University teaching staffs being overwhelmingly Democrats, and the strict adherence to making social issues strongest eventually drove out the banking industry, now either made of libertarians or fiscally conservative democrats.
Nothing more on the World Series until its over. I may issue a death warrant on Bud Selig.
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/10/29/mccain_2000/index.html?source=rss&aim=/news/feature
--Knuttel
On a side note, it's really interesting to see how the social conservatives hi-jacked the party so strongly in the past 10 years. Essentially they are responsible for McCain losing the 2000 primaries. Additionally, their stubbornness to adhere to such a stringent code of social conservatism has essentially driven out the rest of the members of the party. Their anti-intellectualist tendencies led to the state of current University teaching staffs being overwhelmingly Democrats, and the strict adherence to making social issues strongest eventually drove out the banking industry, now either made of libertarians or fiscally conservative democrats.
Nothing more on the World Series until its over. I may issue a death warrant on Bud Selig.
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/10/29/mccain_2000/index.html?source=rss&aim=/news/feature
--Knuttel
9.18.2008
The apparent downfall of John McCain
I understand that politicians of the two large parties must usually "pander" (for lack of a better word) to the interests of their party base in order to win a primary. This is especially true for national primaries, where in order to win the vote of the Nation (where one thinks a moderate would win), the candidate must appear further to his or her party "side" (I should mention the notion of left and right is complete and utter bullshit to me).
That is why John McCain pandering to the right in order to win the Republican nomination didn't bother me too much. It's just part of the national course of politics, and supposedly he would moderate his views once getting past that point.
Needless to say, this has yet to happen. But that is not why I am concerned.
I'm not really sure he is a man who runs his own campaign anymore. He seems to be a shell for the party mold, much like George Bush before him. George Bush is a different topic though. When he selected Palin as veep, I became concerned. It seemed uncharacteristic. Sure, she seems like a maverick, but it's easy to make enemies in a state in which it is virtually impossible to run a deficit. Regardless, in a strict sense, it eliminated his whole experience argument.
Alas, I digress.
Flipping opinions over the course of years happens in politicians. It's just a simple matter of fact that events and circumstances change, thus the politics surrounding them change as well. In recent weeks, McCain has flipped in the matter of hours, on reasons that are not relating at all to how one thinks a government should operate.
The fundamentals of the economy are sound
what i meant was the fundamentals are the workers, which are strong
-said the fundamentals were strong over and over and over, without any mention that these could be workers. Plus, to say the workers of America are strong is like saying the people of America are patriots. It's a statement that doesn't really say anything.
AIG should not be bailed out
Bailing out AIG was the only right choice
-Make up your fuggin mind.
The fact is the last few days leave me wondering who exactly this John McCain character is. I'm left more to the impression that the republican party is hiding behind an old maverick. I hate to see him used like this. I used to respect the man. Perhaps the republican party really does want to change, but winning more elections usually doesn't support the idea that change needs to happen.
--Knuttel
That is why John McCain pandering to the right in order to win the Republican nomination didn't bother me too much. It's just part of the national course of politics, and supposedly he would moderate his views once getting past that point.
Needless to say, this has yet to happen. But that is not why I am concerned.
I'm not really sure he is a man who runs his own campaign anymore. He seems to be a shell for the party mold, much like George Bush before him. George Bush is a different topic though. When he selected Palin as veep, I became concerned. It seemed uncharacteristic. Sure, she seems like a maverick, but it's easy to make enemies in a state in which it is virtually impossible to run a deficit. Regardless, in a strict sense, it eliminated his whole experience argument.
Alas, I digress.
Flipping opinions over the course of years happens in politicians. It's just a simple matter of fact that events and circumstances change, thus the politics surrounding them change as well. In recent weeks, McCain has flipped in the matter of hours, on reasons that are not relating at all to how one thinks a government should operate.
The fundamentals of the economy are sound
what i meant was the fundamentals are the workers, which are strong
-said the fundamentals were strong over and over and over, without any mention that these could be workers. Plus, to say the workers of America are strong is like saying the people of America are patriots. It's a statement that doesn't really say anything.
AIG should not be bailed out
Bailing out AIG was the only right choice
-Make up your fuggin mind.
The fact is the last few days leave me wondering who exactly this John McCain character is. I'm left more to the impression that the republican party is hiding behind an old maverick. I hate to see him used like this. I used to respect the man. Perhaps the republican party really does want to change, but winning more elections usually doesn't support the idea that change needs to happen.
--Knuttel
9.02.2008
So you want to be a maverick, John McCain?
So you want to be a maverick?
I remember there was one day when you were. There was a day when you reached across the aisles, when you stood against your party. There was a day when you were an independent, who happened to run as a Republican.
Those days are over.
John McCain, the year is not 2000, and you are no longer a maverick. In order to win this primary, instead of losing such as in 2008, you proved to your own party that you were a Republican through and through.
While some look to the Democrats to forget the past 8 years (I don't, the democratic congress of the past 2 years is a joke) practically no one is looking to the Republicans.
That's really why I don't understand it, and why I do understand why he wants that image back.
The thing about image though, is you have no control of how people perceive you. You can change your appearance, change this and that, try and lead them to a certain perception; but ultimately it is up to the eye to behold.
Try, McCain, try. In all honesty, I don't think it will work.
I'm not sure John McCain could ever again be a maverick.
I remember there was one day when you were. There was a day when you reached across the aisles, when you stood against your party. There was a day when you were an independent, who happened to run as a Republican.
Those days are over.
John McCain, the year is not 2000, and you are no longer a maverick. In order to win this primary, instead of losing such as in 2008, you proved to your own party that you were a Republican through and through.
While some look to the Democrats to forget the past 8 years (I don't, the democratic congress of the past 2 years is a joke) practically no one is looking to the Republicans.
That's really why I don't understand it, and why I do understand why he wants that image back.
The thing about image though, is you have no control of how people perceive you. You can change your appearance, change this and that, try and lead them to a certain perception; but ultimately it is up to the eye to behold.
Try, McCain, try. In all honesty, I don't think it will work.
I'm not sure John McCain could ever again be a maverick.
6.26.2008
unprepared
So I had this idea in my head for quite some time now about doing this blog, and yet when I actually begin to write in it, I just do not plan it out.
I had an idea to write an entry about a post-mortem bump in sales. Specifically, I had in mind Tim Russert. As most of you know, he was a journalist who covered mostly political matters for national television stations. The specific one seems to escape me for the moment, though I think it's NBC. Regardless, he had two books published, both of which received a substantial increase in sales when news of his death had reached. One of the two, Big Russ and Me, was about his relationship with his father, and perhaps other fatherly relationships he has heard about -- I'm not entirely sure, not having read the book. Russert's death occured in close proximity to Father's day. So not only does Russert's work get a bump because he died, increasing exposure to his name over a short period of time, but his work gets a bump because it deals with a "holiday" (just not very big on the greeting card companies) that seems to happen right after his death.
I want to point out, I am not trying to make any conspiracies regarding Russert's death. I only feel I need to make this clarification because anyone who knows me knows my knack for finding/creating conspiracy theories (it is a fine line). This only happens to be a happy/sad coincidence (happy for sales, though much, much more sad for the loss).
-Knuttel
I had an idea to write an entry about a post-mortem bump in sales. Specifically, I had in mind Tim Russert. As most of you know, he was a journalist who covered mostly political matters for national television stations. The specific one seems to escape me for the moment, though I think it's NBC. Regardless, he had two books published, both of which received a substantial increase in sales when news of his death had reached. One of the two, Big Russ and Me, was about his relationship with his father, and perhaps other fatherly relationships he has heard about -- I'm not entirely sure, not having read the book. Russert's death occured in close proximity to Father's day. So not only does Russert's work get a bump because he died, increasing exposure to his name over a short period of time, but his work gets a bump because it deals with a "holiday" (just not very big on the greeting card companies) that seems to happen right after his death.
I want to point out, I am not trying to make any conspiracies regarding Russert's death. I only feel I need to make this clarification because anyone who knows me knows my knack for finding/creating conspiracy theories (it is a fine line). This only happens to be a happy/sad coincidence (happy for sales, though much, much more sad for the loss).
-Knuttel
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