The Counterpoint

2005-03-02T21:22:00.000-08:00

The Minnesota State High school hockey tournament starts today. You can view the brackets here (class A) and here (class AA). We won't have any repeat champions this year, as both Breck (A) and Centennial (AA) lost in section play.

In class A, I would love to see first-year entrants Virginia/Mountain Iron-Buhl win. They have one of the top two or three players in the state on their team in Matt Niskanen, but realistically they don't have much of a chance. Additionally, I don't see how Warroad can lose. They are the only undefeated team in the state, and have demolished most of the teams they have played. Of the 8 teams in class A, we can rule out at least five: Shakopee, Albert Lea, Virginia, Little Falls, and Duluth Marshall. I like St. Thomas, but they are far too young to be a real force. Totino Grace is the only team, that might stop Warroad, but I wouldn't bet on it.

In class AA, I like last year's runners-up, Moorhead, followed by Holy Angels and Jefferson (Numbers 1, 3, and 4 in the polls). Second-ranked White Bear Lake has been very high for much of the year, but I can't remember them ever winning a quarterfinal game since I have been watching high school hockey. They took down defending champs Centennial, but I have heard from people that were there that Centennial didn't play their best game. The rest of the field will try hard, but Moorhead, AHA, and Jefferson are the ones to beat.

My picks

Class A: Has to be Warroad. Picking against them would be foolish at this stage.

Class AA: My head says Holy Angels, but I am going with the same pick I had last year, Moorhead. There are at most two or three teams that could pose threats (especially AHA), but I think this is their year.

I usually don't pick the favorites, and I feel a little weird picking both number ones. But I don't see Warroad losing, and I have been picking Moorhead pretty much consistently since the mid-90s (the days of Ryan Kraft and Matt Cullen); one of these years they won't let me down.

2005-02-11T06:16:00.000-08:00

I have been surprisingly busy the past few weeks, whether it be with papers, tests, road-trips or week-long babysitting adventures. Hopefully things will settle down, but for now I just have a few quick hits that I want to talk about:

1. Madison was incredible, as I expected. The fans there are much nicer than they are given credit for, and while they aren't the most intelligent hockey fans (as a whole), they are still incredibly generous. It wasn’t until Saturday night, I believe, that we actually paid for a drink. The games themselves were great; especially Saturday's thrilling, last-second victory. The Gophers still need to pick up the pace if they want to contend this year, but a split in Sconnie is a start. I would love to see them run it up against Anchorage this weekend, just to get in the groove. As far as the road trip, it looks like this is going to be a yearly (and ideally, multi-yearly) thing.

2. Mark Dayton is not going to run for re-election. This doesn’t especially come as a surprise. He was rich enough to fund his own campaign previously, which set a bad precedent because now he lacks the money to do so in 2006, but people still think of him as wealthy. That won't exactly make it easy for him to get donations. The Star Tribune runs down some of the possible candidates, as does this Hugh Hewitt post. Check them both out for tons of info. At this point, I'd say Mark Kennedy has to be the favorite amongst Republicans despite the fact he has yet to announce (word is that he'll do so this afternoon).

3. Finally, Pride On Ice, the popular Gopher hockey web site, has shut down. The site was mostly known for the smart, civil discussions (though there has been some bickering, mostly the tone is positive) on the message board. The discussions will continue at other sites, but most Gopher fans recognize the importance of POI and its contributions to Gopher hockey. I know I am making kind of a big deal about some small-town web site closing its doors, but it meant a lot to many fans. Count me amongst those that will miss it.

2005-02-02T19:27:00.000-08:00

I was rather impressed by the State of the Union, though not as much as I had hoped I would be. I thought the speech was well written, particularly the foreign policy sections. It layed the groundwork especially well for the president's agenda, and was optimistic in doing so. Bush's delivery, however, left something to be desired. He is not known for being a great orator, and while he seemed more relaxed tonight, his style was still a little pedestrian.

I don't know enough about social security to offer an in-depth comment on it, but I thought the president sold his perspective awfully well, especially with the mention that congressmen already have privatization, and that some are trying to keep it from the rest of the public.

Both sides of the isle seemed to be pretty united on the foreign sections, even if it was because the phrasing made it very hard to disagree with what was being said. Bush was tough on Syria, proud of what was done in Iraq and Afghanistan (without gloating), and optimistic for what remains to be done in the rest of the world. I thought that was the strongest part of the speech.

Overall, I liked the speech but not as much as I expected to. Well written and persuasive, but the delivery was a little off.

My very rough, very unofficial stats:

Applause breaks: 64

Standing ovations: 33

As Franklin Roosevelt once reminded Americans, "Each age is a dream that is dying, or one that is coming to birth." And we live in the country where the biggest dreams are born. The abolition of slavery was only a dream -- until it was fulfilled. The liberation of Europe from fascism was only a dream -- until it was achieved. The fall of imperial communism was only a dream -- until, one day, it was accomplished. Our generation has dreams of its own, and we also go forward with confidence. The road of Providence is uneven and unpredictable -- yet we know where it leads: It leads to freedom.

Flash movies

2005-02-01T23:38:00.000-08:00

Here are two videos I stumbled upon lately, both of which are baffling.

This first video is possibly of some cheerguys throwing a cheerleader through a basketball hoop. If it is real, it's darn impressive. But it looks fake to me. Still, it's an interesting video. Here is the link.

This second one is simply hypnotic. I can't even put into words what I feel about this video. I watched it perhaps seven or eight consecutive times and am still no closer to understanding it. Turn up the volume, sit back, and enjoy.

Both these videos are in flash format.

2005-01-25T23:07:00.000-08:00

I did some Super Bowl blogging over at QWERTY. There is also a book review up; go check them both out.

As a side note, I apologize for the lack of blogging. I've been awfully sick for about a week, and am just starting to get back to normal.

2005-01-11T23:58:00.000-08:00

I bought Phil Hellmuth's Million Dollar Poker System at Target today. At only ten bucks, I didn't see how I could pass it up. What better way to wind down at night than watch Hellmuth attempt to teach poker while whining about some of his bad luck?

The DVD itself is rather cheaply produced. Save for some fancy introduction sequences for the various sections, it basically consists of Hellmuth sitting at a table, gesturing, and flipping over cards. Those three features add up to an entertainment value of zero. Hellmuth has no personality at all on this DVD; if you have never seen him play then you wouldn't know him to be the brat that the poker world does. It may have been smarter to hire an actor or look-alike to read his lines for him, if only because we wouldn't feel like we're watching a late night public service announcement put on by Charlie Rose.

The skills he tries to teach are pretty straightforward: play optimum hands, pay attention to the personalities of the players at the table, etc. He actually says he "invented" animals to label players' personalities, which is especially impressive. Can you imagine his business card?

Phil Hellmuth
Professional Poker Player
Animal Husbandry Expert

It's almost hard to take him seriously after that.

The DVD will work very well for beginners. The biggest mistakes that beginners often make deals with hand selection, so the "top ten hands" and the "majority play hands" features will be the most helpful for those looking to improve their games. After that it will get a little more complicated for beginners, so it may be a good idea to watch one section, play some live poker, and then go back and watch the next section. I wouldn't recommend trying to learn everything at once.

But there is some value for the intermediate players, as well. I found the section on pot-odds to be most helpful. I am the furthest thing from a math wiz; I have trouble calculating anything harder than 2+2 without a calculator. But the DVD offered some simplification techniques that make it very easy to calculate what your pot-odds are and what your odds of winning each hand are.

The DVD also touches on folding, raising, re-raising, position play, and a few other topics While the tips offered in these sections are helpful, they aren't really discussed in depth. For more techniques on these issues you are probably better off reading a book.

Was the DVD worth the ten bucks? Probably not, but if it has any real affect on my game then maybe I will re-evaluate my view on it.

Recommended: Yes, for beginners who are looking to move to the intermediate level.

No more "freak dancing"

2005-01-10T08:58:00.000-08:00

Principal on a power trip:

Fed up with students' racy moves, a principal at a California high school has taken the unusual step of canceling the rest of this year's school dances.

Principal Jim Bennett of Lemoore Union High School said he warned students at a winter formal dance last month to either quit dirty dancing or face the possibility of not dancing at all. ...

The ban on dances includes the school's Sadie Hawkins dance in February and the junior and senior proms in the spring, but Bennett said they could be rescheduled if students modify their behavior.

Sounds like something out of Footloose, doesn't it?

I wouldn’t disagree that "freak dancing", as the old-folks call it, is suggestive. But at the same time, it’s not really doing any harm. Stopping kids from grinding is not going to lead to a decrease in sexual activity; in fact, it may lead to an increase in such activity because they can’t act out their desires in such an innocuous way.

As an aside, even if he is right to ban the "freak dancing", is he really justified in banning an event as important as prom? Even though I didn’t go to prom myself, I understand the cultural significance of it for most high-schoolers; there is a reason they spend the whole year in preparation.

Tsunami picture update

2005-01-09T00:11:00.000-08:00

In case you were wondering, the tsunami picture referenced below is fake. You can read Snopes' debunking of the photograph here.

Gerson leaving

2005-01-07T16:48:00.000-08:00

MSNBC is reporting that Bush's chief speechwriter, Michael Gerson, is leaving:

Michael Gerson, Bush's chief speechwriter, who has helped craft nearly every one of Bush's speeches during his first term, is leaving his job. Gerson is expected to move into the policy arena and be replaced as head speechwriter by Wall Street Journal editorial-page writer William McGurn. Gerson's job change cements the breakup of Bush's speechwriting team that included deputies John McConnell and Matthew Scully.

That is really too bad. Though I don't know much about Gerson, I always found the Bush speeches to be quite well written. He was a darn talented man.

I don't know how this is going to affect the White House message, but my guess would be that religion won't play such an important role of the speeches (which is a welcome change to me, as I am not exactly religious). Gerson was a Christian evangelical and a theology student; though I don't know as much about McGurn, my guess is that he didn't have quite such a religious upbringing.

Crazy photo

2005-01-06T23:03:00.000-08:00

My eye isn't good enough to tell if this image (from here) is authentic or not. But if it is, then all I can say is "daaaammmmnnn."

Looks fake to me, but judge for yourself.

The WaPo profiles the Chief of Staff

2005-01-06T18:46:00.000-08:00

Via Patrick Ruffini, I see that the Washington Post (formatted; unformatted) has a great (but loooong) profile of White House Chief of Staff Andy Card. It's a very interesting read, and you will probably be surprised by what you learn. Only a very small amount of the article actually deals with public policy. Instead the focus is on Card's background and how he became one of the most important men in the White House.

Two interesting notes from the article:

* He uses an impressive memory technique that requires him to use practically no paper for his job; everything is stored in his head.

* He was formerly a McDonald's employee and a trash collector. Who says you can't be anything you want to be?

It's five pages long, but it feels like a page and a half. Check it out.

Canada won't ban drug exports ... yet

2005-01-04T19:41:00.000-08:00

This seems like good news:

Canada isn't poised to ban prescription drug sales outside its borders immediately, a move that would cut off access to cheaper medications for more than 2 million Americans, Gov. Tim Pawlenty said Tuesday. A ban still might come later, he said.

"We are temporarily relieved that a decision is not imminent," Pawlenty said at a news conference following a meeting with a Canadian consulate official. "That buys us a little more time."

A major fear of reimportation centers around the quality of the drugs that are being reimported. This doesn't worry me much. The pharmaceutical companies aren't going to sell a shoddy product to consumers, be it in Canada or the United States. These are the same drugs Canadian citizens are getting, and they seem to have no reservations about quality. Despite the scare, there is absolutely no concrete proof that reimported drugs have directly caused injury or death. There may be some risk involved, but it's a small price to pay for millions of Americans to get sweet deals on their prescription drugs.

But I do wonder if Canadian pharmacies will have the quantity of drugs necessary to fill prescriptions in the States. If reimportation catches on, the American companies that fill Canadian supplies are going to adjust their exports to forcibly stop the trend. Average Americans may dislike them, but the companies are not stupid by any means; they are going to keep as much of their profits as they can.

A sixth sense ... in animals?

2005-01-02T23:37:00.000-08:00

Impressive stuff:

Wildlife officials in Sri Lanka's largest national park believe that animals sensed the Indian Ocean tsunami and fled to higher ground to avoid death.

While the human death toll continues to rise in one of the worst hit countries, experts are amazed that they have found no evidence of large-scale animal deaths.

Officials in Yala National Park, Sri Lanka's largest animal reserve, now believe the animals survived because they have a sixth sense which warned them of the impending tidal waves.

Obviously humans aren't going to be around forever. If it survives, this planet is going to be in pretty good hands ... especially after a few more million years of development.

Vikings blogging

2004-12-30T15:59:00.000-08:00

I blogged about the problems with the Minnesota Vikings over at QWERTY. Go check it out; it's long, but it I think it's at least interesting.

The high life

2004-12-29T23:13:00.000-08:00

Okay, so get this:

SALISBURY, Md. (AP) -- Olympic swimming champion Michael Phelps was sentenced to 18 months' probation Wednesday after pleading guilty to drunken driving.

Judge Lloyd O. Whitehead granted Phelps probation before judgment, meaning his record will be expunged if he follows the terms of probation. Phelps pleaded guilty to driving while impaired, and prosecutors dropped charges of driving under the influence, underage drinking and failure to stop at a stop sign.

Meanwhile, for one glass of champagne (and no moving violations), I was given 12 months of probation, 25 hours of community service (probably roughly the same that he got), and massive fines.

Sometimes I don't understand our crazy, mixed up world. Maybe it's just me, but I think celebrities should be held accountable for their mistakes just like us regular guys.

Law and Order's Orbach dies

2004-12-29T22:30:00.000-08:00

Jerry Orbach of Law and Order dies at 69.

I was never really a fan of Law and Order, but I watched it occassionally after the West Wing (which, regardless of what you think of its politics, is the best drama on TV) and I always enjoyed his character and the chemistry he had with Jesse Martin.

R.I.P.

What really happened to Flight 93?

2004-12-27T23:46:00.000-08:00

I see, courtesy of Wizbang, this story on World Net Daily:

During his surprise Christmas Eve trip to Iraq, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld referred to the flight being shot down – long a suspicion because of the danger the flight posed to Washington landmarks and population centers.

Was it a slip of the tongue? Was it an error? Or was it the truth, finally being dropped on the public more than three years after the tragedy of the terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000?

Here's what Rumsfeld said Friday: "I think all of us have a sense if we imagine the kind of world we would face if the people who bombed the mess hall in Mosul, or the people who did the bombing in Spain, or the people who attacked the United States in New York, shot down the plane over Pennsylvania and attacked the Pentagon, the people who cut off peoples' heads on television to intimidate, to frighten – indeed the word 'terrorized' is just that. Its purpose is to terrorize, to alter behavior, to make people be something other than that which they want to be."

As Wizbang noted, this is bound to stir up the conspiracy nuts. I can't say for certain whether or not this was just a slip of the tongue or part of some major cover up, but if true, why would it have been kept a secret in the first place? Given the solidarity of our country at the time, if Rumsfeld or Bush had come out and said they were forced to shoot the plane down I don't think anyone would've faulted the decision.

But the bigger question is this: does it matter? The fact is Flight 93 was heading towards a pretty high profile target, most likely the White House. That plane hitting the ground where it did, whether at the hands of some brave passengers or a fighter pilot on alert, was the best outcome that we could expect.

Oh, in case you were wondering, the Pentagon has already said that Rumsfeld misspoke.

Target Corp: Minnesota's biggest giver of charitable grants

2004-12-26T23:55:00.000-08:00

Hopefully this will help Target's reputation a little:

Minnesota's Target Corporation became the state's largest giver of charitable grants in 2003. Its 96 million dollars in grants helped it surpass the McKnight Foundation for the first time ever.

Target's giving increased more than ten percent in 2003 over the previous year, and it's likely to pay out just as much in 2004.

I think it's a given that all corporations do their parts for their communities in one way or another, so it was puzzling to me that Target was getting criticized so harshly by much of the blogosphere in the weeks preceding Christmas about not allowing the Salvation Army bell-ringers. To me, it's all about freedom of choice; Target didn't want the Salvation Army to position bell-ringers outside their stores, but that alone doesn't make them any less charitable than the companies that did. They still have good deals, they don't censor music (I am looking at you, Wal-Mart), and though they aren't as visible about it (which has undoubtedly damaged their image), they do indeed give back to the community. That makes for an okay company in my book.

Shaq-A-Claus

2004-12-24T23:40:00.000-08:00

I am on something of a break from blogging due to finals week last week and the current holiday season. Regular blogging should return soon, but I wanted to share this story courtesy of a messageboard I frequent:

ESPN - Shaq plays Santa for 250 kids:

Shaquille O'Neal came to town to play Santa Claus to 250 kids Friday morning, and it didn't matter that the grinning basketball star was no longer a member of the home team.

After eight years as a star with the Los Angeles Lakers, O'Neal will play Saturday against the Lakers as a member of the Miami Heat

But Friday, he was "Shaq-A-Claus" as he pulled up to the Challengers Boys & Girls Club in South Los Angeles in a truck filled with bicycles, Sony Playstations, karaoke machines, sneakers and other gifts.

For several hours, O'Neal and teammate Damon Jones handed out gifts to the crowd. O'Neal bought many of the gifts himself during a Friday morning visit to a Toys-R-Us store.

The steroid scandals in baseball, the Ron Artest incident in the NBA, the ugly Todd Bertuzzi hit that practically ruined what remaining credibility the NHL had left with average fans, and ludicrous over-celebrations in football are all doing more to harm public perception of athletes than help it. Stories like these need to be written more to remind people that athletes are generally pretty good guys.

Kudos to Shaq for his generosity, and Happy Festivus to all.

Cahill admits underestimating the Swift Vets

2004-12-16T17:21:00.000-08:00

Courtesy of Wizbang comes this story in which Mary Beth Cahill admits she underestimated the impact of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth:

The campaign manager for Sen. John Kerry's failed presidential bid said Wednesday she regrets underestimating the impact of an attack advertisement that questioned Kerry's Vietnam War record.

Mary Beth Cahill, who spoke at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government with Ken Mehlman, President Bush's campaign manager, said the Massachusetts senator's campaign initially thought there would be "no reach" to the ad from Swift Boat Veterans for Truth

This information comes as no surprise to bloggers, who for the most part recognized right away that the ads would be trouble for the Kerry Campaign. Of course, it didn't help that Kerry was one of the worst candidates recent memory. His campaign was terrible in so many other aspects that I wonder if Bush still would've won even without the help of the Swift Vets.

Update: The guys at Powerline have weighed in.

Great Birthday Presents?

2004-12-14T19:32:00.000-08:00

I don't enjoy making a big deal of it (which is why you didn't see a post here), but yesterday was my birthday. I got some incredibly cool gifts (like this, for example) and genuinely had a good time despite having to study for finals all weekend and not drinking.

But you know what one of the great presents of all time is? I didn't see it mentioned in the news (possibly because I was too busy studying for finals to pay attention to it), but one year ago yesterday Saddam Hussein was captured in his infamous 'spider hole.'

I'll be enjoying that one for many years to come.

On that note, I have another gift request for anyone that may be reading this: if you know how to make some great alcoholic drinks, I would love to know what they are/how to make them. Despite being young, I know surprisingly little about alcohol; typically I have just stuck with beer or simple vodka-juice mixes. Now that I am of legal age (excluding my probation), I would like to expand my tastes.

Horror story

2004-12-13T00:45:00.000-08:00

I have been on kind of a twisted kick lately, having posted four photos highlighting some traumatizing experiences. Despite the nature of the photos, there is an undeniable humorous aspect to each of them -- even if it is a "that guy is crazy" type humor. But this story is much more horrifying than the previous three combined, with none of the humor. (Hat Tip to Drudge)

What's wrong with this picture?

2004-12-12T15:03:00.000-08:00

The past few days I have posted pictures that seem to be incredibly painful for those involved. This picture likely contains something that will be just as painful for the subjects as the previous items, but not entirely in the same way. Take a look and see for yourself; if you don't catch what I am referring to right away, keep looking... you'll get it.

Personal Note

2004-12-11T14:14:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the limited blogging. Things have been hectic with finals week approaching, but I'll try and get back on a normal schedule soon. In the meantime, go read some of the blogs listed further down on the right side of the page.

Yikes (again)

2004-12-11T14:12:00.000-08:00

Looks painful. (Volume II.)

Concert shooting

2004-12-09T00:41:00.000-08:00

I don't know how many of you are metal fans, but for those that are:

Drudge has this story about a nightclub massacre in which two members of the band Damageplan were shot and killed:

Two members of the heavy metal band Damageplan were reportedly shot and killed, including Dimebag Darrell, formerly with the band Pantera, the station reported. The other band member's name was not released. The alleged gunman also died at the scene, according to police.

Shortly after the band began playing its first song, a man apparently ran onto the stage and began shooting, according to a witness who identified himself as Sean. At first, some members of the audience may have thought the man running onto the stage with a gun was part of the band's act, WCMH reported.

As a guy that goes to a lot of concerts, this is a little frightening. R.I.P Dimebag.

Update: More here, here, and here.

Yikes

2004-12-09T00:29:00.000-08:00

Looks painful.

Peace in the Middle East?

2004-12-07T11:59:00.000-08:00

Drudge links this report from Haaretz (Egyptian media) that is saying there is a tentative agreement between Israelis and Palestinians on a peace plan. Granted that it is from Egyptian media so I am reluctant to completely trust the story, but I like the sound of it:

Palestinians and Israelis have agreed in principle to proposals which could serve as the basis of a comprehensive settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Egypt's official news agency MENA said on Tuesday.

Quoting unidentified high-level sources, it said the steps, including an Israeli-Palestinian ceasefire, had the support of both the United States and the European Union.

We have to take this with a grain of salt, though. The entire peace process is certainly far from over, even if there is agreement on the foundations of a deal. But we have to think that at some point in time we will have a plan that will be succesful; I refuse to believe that failure in this aspect will last forever. Could this be the start of success? With Arafat's passing, the chances are better now than ever. But as I said, we can't fail forever; at some point, peace will prevail.

UPDATE: Captain Ed has more from AFP.

UPDATE 2: Roger Simon has some stuff from Debka.

College bias

2004-12-03T15:36:00.000-08:00

As a college student I spend a lot of time in the library. I am in there at least every other day, and occasionally more than that.

Anyway, as I leave I always check the "free" bins for any interesting books and magazines they may have. Usually these searches come up empty, and rarely are there any items newer than 2002 in the bins. But lately I have noticed that there have been current, brand new issues of National Review on top of the pile. I checked the magazine racks and found that NR is the only *real* conservative magazine the college subscribes too.

I don't especially love the magazine; I read it infrequently at best, although that may change if the school keeps throwing the new issues in their freebie pile. Still, I find it interesting that the school is giving away brand new issues of the only conservative magazine they have, while keeping the shelves stocked up on liberal magazines. We wouldn't want to poison the students' minds, would we?

Of course, there is at least an 80% chance I am reading too much into this. But it is interesting never-the-less.

Hamas policy shift?

2004-12-03T07:57:00.000-08:00

Captain Ed carries this AP story that suggests a policy shift in the radical terrorist organization Hamas:

In an apparent change in long-standing policy, a top Hamas leader said Friday the militant group would accept the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip as well as a long-term truce with Israel.

"Hamas has announced that it accepts a Palestinian independent state within the 1967 borders with a long-term truce," Sheik Hassan Yousef, the top Hamas leader in the West Bank, told The Associated Press, referring to lands Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast war.

I would agree with the general consensus that this is a big question-mark. I am likely not the only one reluctant to put a lot of faith in the claims of terrorists, but if they aren't conning us -- that is, if their intentions truly are what Yousef has stated -- then we may be closer to peace than we previously imagined (not that that says a whole lot).

Two things from the article that I found interesting:

"Yousef did not spell out the conditions for the renewable cease-fire nor did he say how long it would last."

Maybe it's just my cynicism, but I wonder if there is going to be some type of catch that he doesn't want to reveal yet. I don't believe a shift this monumental could happen just like that.

Yousef said Hamas, which said Wednesday it would boycott the January vote, was planning to participate in Palestinian politics. It had previously shunned any role in the Palestinian Authority because the governing body was created under interim peace accords with Israel that Hamas rejected.

"Hamas wants to join the Palestinian political leadership and there are meetings over this issue," he said. "Hamas being a part of the political equation means Hamas will deal with the other party (Israel)."

Could this just be a political ploy? I am not sure what the mass opinion of the region is regarding Hamas and other terrorist groups, but perhaps Hamas is just drifting towards the center to gain a real political foothold before reverting back to their longstanding policy of "die Israel, die!" (or some rough equivalent thereof)?

Anyway, go read Ed's entire post for much more analysis, including thoughts a second shift by Hosni Mubarak in Egypt.

The race for Rather's seat

2004-12-01T23:54:00.000-08:00

That's Scott Pelley, one of the men (along with John Roberts, who is considered to be the front-runner) in competition to take over as anchor of CBS Evening News when Dan Rather leaves in March.

Does anyone else think he looks like a cartoon? Or a caricature? Creepy...

What color is your state?

2004-12-01T17:02:00.000-08:00

Patrick Ruffini wants to know what color state you are in. Go post in his comments and let him know.

Farewell, Mr. Brokaw

2004-12-01T16:20:00.000-08:00

Tonight was Tom Brokaw's last night as anchor of NBC Nightly News. Granted that I am not fond of the liberal leanings of the three major television networks, but this is still a man that I grew up watching; hell, every one of the "big three" (Jennings, Rather, and Brokaw) have been in their respective chairs since the same year I was born (1983) or earlier. After March, Jennings will be the only one of those three left.

So, despite the fact that we certainly disagree on quite a few things, I am going to miss seeing Brokaw's ugly mug on television each night.

(Plus, his weird voice makes me crack up every time I hear it. That might be the thing I'll miss most about his departure.)

... I probably won't miss Rather quite as much...

Update: PunditGuy was impressed by Brokaw's good-bye:

My alliance with Jarvis notwithstanding, tonight's farewell by Tom Brokaw was excellent. No schmaltzy crap, just a genuine thoughtful goodbye. I hope Black Rock Dan watched and took notes.

Couldn't agree more. PunditGuy also has a video up for those of you that missed it; I suggest checking it out. (Hat tip: Wizbang)

Randomness: Ken Jennings, Spongebob, and Norm v. Kofi

2004-11-30T19:47:00.000-08:00

A few quick-hit notes and some suggested reading:

1. Ken Jennings' run as Jeopardy champ is over. He'll walk away as the highest grossing champion in television game show history. Not bad for a few months work.

2. Most people around Minnesota know this story already, but SpongeBob SquarePants was abducted from a Little Falls Burger King. But did you know that Minnesota isn't the only state involved in a SpongeBob crime wave? Watch out ... your state could be next.

3. Norm Coleman: "Kofi Annan Must Go." It's about time somebody more prolific than a few "pajama-journalists" takes a stand on this. The Wall Street Journal usually makes you pay for their online content, but this link is a freebie. I recommend reading it. (Hat tip to Power Line and Instapundit)

Update: The Belmont Club has more on Norm v. Kofi.

A bright idea in the NFL

2004-11-28T00:30:00.000-08:00

This Yahoo!Sports article doesn't contain too much in the way of interesting information; mostly it serves as a vague primer for the Dolphins and 49ers game this weekend, and the lack of obvious talent in next year's draft.

Of course, if you read through the whole thing then you'll see this note at the bottom:

Sunday in Minnesota, the NFL begins a four-game trial study on the possibility of seating fans on the field during games. While it's just a test, the aim is to delve into the viability of introducing high-priced "field side" seats, somewhat like the high-profile spots along the court in basketball games.

Seriously, folks. We are less than two weeks removed from the ugliest fan-player battle in the history of sports (not the first of its kind, mind you). Does the NFL think it's product will be immune to the type of idiocy currently surrounding basketball? I submit that football fans will likely be worse off, if their drunkenness is any indication (not that it's a bad thing).

Aside from that (and I say this as a great fan of the sport), football is focused on violence. Controlled, specifically-targeted violence, but violence none-the-less. With all the alcohol, testosterone, and phyisicallity involved, to put fans directly on the field is just asking for trouble.

And yes, I do understand that this is all about the dollar signs.

Since I've been gone

2004-11-25T21:20:00.000-08:00

I know it's been a long time since I have posted; I have been awfully busy between last-minute projects and tests for school and Thanksgiving and what not.

Here are a couple of items you hopefully know about, but may not.

Dan Rather has decided to leave CBS. Most bloggers are reluctant to call it a victory, but I am not. I see no negatives from this man being out of the anchor chair. Sure, I will be happy when he is out of news completely, but we should take it one step at a time. Soon enough, folks. Soon enough.

There is a fierce election dispute going on in the Ukraine. To be completely honest, I don't know a whole lot about it other than the White House and the Kremlin have taken sides (the Russians have sided with the Prime Minister that supposedly "won," although the election is rife with fraud), but both are urging a peaceful resolution. The folks at Power Line have a nice post up where they link to this Washington Times story as well as a couple Ukrainian blogs. Go read it all.

Update: Instapundit has some good stuff too.

UPDATE 2: I just read this story from the London Times:

UKRAINE’S Supreme court blocked the inauguration of the country’s Moscow-backed Prime Minister as President yesterday, boosting the hopes of opposition supporters as their protests galvanised into direct action.

The court’s decision gave the pro-Western opposition leader, Viktor Yushchenko, his first victory in his struggle to overturn the official results of last Sunday’s election which handed the presidency to Viktor Yanukovych.

Good news there. Read the whole thing.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

The world view

2004-11-20T20:29:00.000-08:00

I am sure students out there have heard their professors say that it is important to read the world media for a complete view of current events because the American press only presents a narrow outlook on things.

Maybe they were on to something after all.

Iraqipundit notes this with his great post attacking the American media for saying that the insurgents in Iraq are showing "resolve":

Got that? These murderers have been demonstrating "resolve." Indeed, throughout the battle of Fallujah and in the battles that have followed, American journalists have discovered many impressive attributes in these criminals. According to a week of major-press stories, the "insurgents" are a cunning and courageous band who have been putting up a tenacious struggle.

Go read the whole thing. Maybe it'll change your thinking a bit.

Big News

2004-11-19T23:52:00.000-08:00

US drops bid to ban human cloning world wide.

Priorities

2004-11-19T11:33:00.000-08:00

Last night I was faced with a tough decision: go play poker with the guys or stay home and study for an exam I had this morning.

Naturally, I chose to postpone the studying for a night of gambling fun. I did study for awhile when I got back home around 11:00, but not as much as I should have.

When I went to class this morning I found out that my exam was pushed back to Monday, giving me an extra couple of days to study.

The lesson as always: do whatever you want, because the universe will work things out for you.

North Korean coup?

2004-11-17T16:27:00.000-08:00

THIS could potentially be a huge story, if what is being suggested is true.

The story may seem like a minor one on the surface, but we should note that taking down the portraits of Kim Jong-Il is not the same as taking down pictures of a president in America. Mr. Kim is much larger than that to the North Korean people; he is a God in human form. The Times notes that they could simply be finding new frames or cleaning the pictures, but I would suspect if that were true they would leave some hanging to assure the people that things are okay, lest they read too much into it. I would even buy the "new frames" excuse were it not for two other factors:

* The media has changed the title they use when referencing him.

* When was the last time he made a public appearance, or even spoke? A quick search of Google news doesn't reveal much, which is surprising considering the Bush re-election certainly infuriated him.

The Times story quotes an aid worker who suggests that this behavior is pretty common:

A Western aid worker in Pyongyang said by telephone Tuesday that traffic there was normal and that the airport was operating as usual.

"I have been in anywhere from 7 to 10 schools, hospitals and orphanages in the last 10 days, and there were portraits of the father and son in every one," he said of his visits to places outside the capital.

Though all of this information and these sources are sketchy at best, there are two reasons why I don't really believe the business-as-usual explanation:

* If it were common, how come this was never a story or an issue before? One would assume that the first time portraits were noticed to be missing it would have alerted the various news agencies.

* North Korea has been notoriously tight-lipped and strict about what goes on in their country. They seem to control the media and release of information very well, which is why I would not be surprised if they arranged for this aid worker to leak this to keep everyone in the dark until they are ready to go public.

Whether or not the United States assisted in this (if there really is any "this" to speak of) is beyond me; official policy towards North Korea is the pursuit of diplomacy, but it wouldn't be the first time that the United States government helped with a secret coup. What comes of this entire thing remains to be seen, but if Kim is gone then two out of the three members of President Bush's Axis of Evil have been taken care of.

Note: MediaPundit owns this story; go check them out for detailed analysis.

Update: Roger Simon has more.
Update 2: Power Line is now getting in on this story.

Photoblogging

2004-11-16T01:01:00.000-08:00

Krystle has some photos posted here.

I took most of the pictures in the "family" album and a few of the chapel walk images (despite not helming the camera, I did contribute ideas for many of those pictures). I am only in a few of them, but a few is too many for me.

Getting serious on UNSCAM

2004-11-15T15:16:00.000-08:00

Reuters has a story up on the Oil-for-Food hearings before the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, which Power Line reports on here:

"How was the world so blind to this massive amount of influence-peddling?" asked Republican Sen. Norm Coleman, head of the investigations subcommittee. Coleman made public more documents he said were evidence of bigger kickbacks and payments that what was previously known, including 2003 data previously not reviewed.

I have admittedly been skeptical of Senator Coleman in the past, specifically because it seemed like he was just a Republican robot that did what he was told. However, he is spear-heading the attack on the UN and what is probably the most massive corruption scam in history. If and when the true nature of the UN is revealed to the entire world, Coleman may go down as the man responsible for enlightening us.

Plus he brought hockey back to the sport's Mecca, Minnesota. Big bonus points for that in my book.

Safire retires

2004-11-15T11:31:00.000-08:00

Drudge is reporting that Bill Safire is going to retire his syndicated column in early 2005 to focus on work with the Dana Institute.

This is a big loss for the Times, as Safire was one of their few great writers (as well as the only conservative voice on the editorial pages).

Ted Rall and the Handicapped

2004-11-12T00:14:00.000-08:00

I don't really want to post too much tonight, but this Ted Rall cartoon is absolutely sickening. (Hat Tip: Wizbang)

Seriously, Ted?

More on Arafat

2004-11-11T23:08:00.000-08:00

For those of you that don't know what to think about the death of Yasser Arafat (I am looking at you, Ginger. And though she hasn't said anything to me, I am sure you are in that boat too, Krystle. :]), here are some helpful stories:

From the Boston Globe:

God bless his soul? What a grotesque idea! Bless the soul of the man who brought modern terrorism to the world? Who sent his agents to slaughter athletes at the Olympics, blow airliners out of the sky, bomb schools and pizzerias, machine-gun passengers in airline terminals? Who lied, cheated, and stole without compunction? Who inculcated the vilest culture of Jew-hatred since the Third Reich? Human beings might stoop to bless a creature so evil -- as indeed Arafat was blessed, with money, deference, even a Nobel Prize -- but God, I am quite sure, will damn him for eternity.

And from the Wall Street Journal:

As the world waits to see whether the current, fragile cease-fire will put an end to nine months of low-level warfare between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, the past may prove instructive. For, in essence, we've been here before. And regardless of what one thinks of Mr. Arafat from a moral standpoint--is he simply a terrorist, or does he come, as he famously told the United Nations in 1974, "bearing an olive branch and a freedom fighter's gun"?--his history, wherever he has gained a territorial foothold, has not been that of a reliable or even rational partner, even with potential Arab allies. His history is one of pushing too far.

Read both. Hat tip to Dean Esmay for the links.

Also, for a background on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, go check out QWERTY.

Cy resides in Minnesota

2004-11-11T21:54:00.000-08:00

THIS is the least surprising thing to happen in quite awhile. Any legitimate baseball fan knew this was coming, given his astounding year:

Santana, who went 20-6 and led the AL with a 2.61 ERA and 265 strikeouts, became the first unanimous Cy Young winner since Arizona's Randy Johnson two years ago and the first in the AL since Boston's Pedro Martinez in 2000. He is the 18th unanimous winner overall, the seventh in the AL.

Santana was 13-0 with a 1.21 ERA in 15 starts after the All-Star break, mastering his changeup.

That's tough to argue with. Even runner-up Curt Schilling endorsed him. I wish I could find the story, but after a lot of Googling I still had no luck. Maybe somebody else out there will have more luck.

Anyway, congrats to Johan. I knew this guy was special from the first time I saw him pitch, which was a spot-start about four years ago, and I made sure I told everyone I knew. I just wish I would've bought a Santana jersey before he became such a massive star. Ah, well; life goes on.

Arafat is dead

2004-11-10T20:55:00.000-08:00

It's finally over. After a couple of weeks of controversy regarding his health, the Palestinian Authority has formally announced the death of Yasser Arafat.

It's surprising how many people overlook this man with respect to terrorism. I'd say "rest in peace," but it's more like "good riddance."

Update: Glenn Reynolds echos my view.

Update 2: Deacon over at Power Line asks a legitimate question. The sad thing? Talk radio and blogs are likely the only places it will be asked.

Update 3: Dean Esmay is a little more vindictive than I am:

By the way, why are they worried about where to bury him? Why don't they just strap a bunch of bombs to him and throw him out the window? That way he can go to Heaven as a martyr.

Arafat in Heaven? Haha! Good one!

Update 4: Chadster has a recap of what the blogosphere is saying about Arafat's death. He even linked to me!

How to take something too seriously

2004-11-06T23:55:00.000-08:00

I know that many Democrats are upset by the outcome of Tuesday's election, but this is probably going too far:

A 25-year-old university worker from Georgia shot and killed himself at ground zero Saturday morning, authorities said. ...

Veal apparently was distraught over President Bush's re-election, Newsday reported Saturday on its Web site edition, citing an unnamed police source. The newspaper also said the man was a registered Democrat who opposed the war in Iraq.

Wow. What do you even say to a guy like that?

UPDATE: Here is the original Newsday article on which the story was based.

A night at the movies

2004-11-06T19:17:00.000-08:00

I used to see a lot of movies. At one point I was at the theater once a week, which seems like a lot when I think about how often I go these days. Never the less, I am still quite a fan of movies. I had hoped to do more reviews by this point, but I suppose it's too late for that now.

Last night Krystle and I saw Saw, a grisly horror movie from first-time director James Wan. The premise, as described here byYahoo! Movies, is an intriguing one:

A young man named Adam (LEIGH WHANNELL) wakes to find himself chained to a rusty pipe inside a decrepit subterranean chamber. Chained to the opposite side of the room is another bewildered captive, Dr. Lawrence Gordon (CARY ELWES). Between them is a dead man lying in a pool of blood, holding a .38 in his hand. Neither man knows why he has been abducted; but instructions left on a micro-cassette order Dr. Gordon to kill Adam within eight hours. If he fails to do so, then both men will die, and Dr. Gordon's wife, Alison (MONICA POTTER), and his daughter will be killed. Recalling a recent murder investigation by a police detective named Tapp (DANNY GLOVER), Dr. Gordon realizes he and Adam are the next victims of a psychopathic genius known only as "Jigsaw."

It is important to note, however, that the Jigsaw never actually kills anybody. He instead he creates unique ways to trap the victims into killing themselves, with his focus being on people who he deems immoral. The scenarios are then used as a method of making the victims atone for their sins. As I said, the plot is an interesting one, and in the right hands this movie could've been quite a thriller. But Wan's inexperience leads over-creativity and over-direction, and ultimately, a disappointing film.

My first complaint would be the actual villain, the Jigsaw. There is very little character here, and his existence is questionable; that is, there is no real connection with the story. Sure he is gruesome, but there is never any revelation as to WHY he is gruesome, and there is no background to the character at all (UPDATE: I was just told that they did explain the Jigsaw's motives. I missed this part when I saw the movie, but the reasoning does make sense. It does add a little bit to the character, but not enough to make me change my opinion). He is simply a plot device that allows for the blood and terror that is interjected throughout the movie.

The acting was poor all around. I can forgive Whannell for over-acting; he is simply in over his head here. (Though he was not wasted in the movie, which I will come back to later.) Cary Elwes was especially disappointing. He was thoroughly unconvincing in his role as a man struggling with the idea that his family will be killed if he does not murder Adam, and Danny Glover was wasted as the cop on the trail of the killer.

The two problems that really keep this movie from fulfilling its goal are the direction and the plot/character development. It is painfully obvious even to the unstudied eye (ex: me) that this was Wan's first major picture. He relies too much on fancy camera tricks (especially high-speed stuff) and amplified effects and sounds; it's like somebody told him how to do every trick that would look cool when he is intoxicated and he turned around and threw them all in a movie the next day. It creates this amateur feeling that the viewers just can't escape.

Of course, the over-direction could possibly be overlooked if the development of the plot and characters worked. Think back to your favorite scary movies for a second. I would submit that every one of them does a good (if not great) job of developing the characters, including that of the villains. In the great movies of the genre we understand motives, responsibilities, culpabilities, regrets, etc. We feel for the victims (and sometimes we feel for the killers). That is not the case in Saw. In fact, with each scene I grew more detached from the characters than drawn in to their situation.

As far as the actual fright-factor, I would not rate this very high. There were a couple of "jump" scenes, but they are hampered by their predictability. I still maintain that the viewer will be more scared of what he doesn't see than of what he does see, and Wan shows us just about everything.

Saw is not all bad, however. The highlight of the movie (and it's only redeeming quality) was the humor. These portions of the movie are absolutely carried by Whannell. In the humor scenes the innocence and relative immaturity of the character help him rather than hinder him. He executes here much better than in any dramatic acting he does in the movie.

I would also commend the visuals, which are especially great at relating the mood and feeling of the small cell that the two men are trapped in, as well as the decadence and filth of the city in which it is set.

My final verdict: 1 star, for the comedy. If you are thinking of seeing this, heed my advice: save your money or see something else.

The Weekly Standard

2004-11-05T09:40:00.000-08:00

The Weekly Standard has some great articles out this week. You should go read them all, but here are my three favorites.

The first is from Hugh Hewitt, who writes on the end of an era in politics, and what direction the left is heading in:

THE BEST PART of the Democratic smash-up is the credentialing of a couple of new Democratic leaders who are completely untethered to the old guard. Ken Salazar beat Pete Coors in Colorado because it was hard not to like this genial rancher. Salazar's Mexican-American ethnicity was just part of the appeal he made, and not an angry part at all. Coors, ever the gentleman, couldn't disguise the fact that he, and most Coloradoans, thought Salazar a pretty decent guy. Salazar will be a new force in the Democratic party, a genuinely Western voice in a club too long dominated by Yalies and their Hollywood buddies.

The same can be said for Barak Obama. Goodbye tired old leadership elites that stridently grind and condemn. Obama comes to the table armed with smarts, charisma, and youth. John Kerry lost on Tuesday, but so did Sharpton, Jesse, Julian, and the rest of the old school. Obama will never say so, but the '60s era civil rights tactics are long past their prime. Salazar and Obama send a message to the GOP that cannot be missed either: Persuade the ethnic middle class that the policies of economic growth do genuinely work for them and not just their bankers, or understand that the next few years as a majoritarian party will be your last.

I especially like the notes on Obama and Salazar, because these men are indeed the future. Youth and charisma is what attracts voters, not tired, dull, elitists. If you want to energize a base, you look for a leader. How many leaders fit the description of old Democrats like Kerry vs. the description of new guys like Obama? That's all you need to think about when you consider the future of the Democratic party.

NEXT, Fred Barnes has a column outlining what will make for a successful second term for President Bush:

WHY DO PRESIDENTS stumble in their second terms? Four reasons. They try to govern without a real agenda, having exhausted their policy initiatives in the first term. Their wisest and most competent aides and advisers leave and are replaced by less talented people. They suffer from bad relations with Congress as a result of past scuffles and disagreements. Or they are brought down by a scandal.

President Bush need not suffer from any of these in his second term. He has an agenda, a combination of leftover issues--such as making his tax cuts permanent--and the reformed entitlements of his new "ownership society." If he acts quickly, Bush can cajole his best advisers into staying another year or two. He can smooth relations with Congress by strategizing with Republican leaders, while also warming to a few Democrats. And he can pray for no scandal.

Will things go according to the plan as laid out by Barnes? Probably not (and in Bush's shoes, I would hope for the scandals to be minor because they are going to happen), but it'd be smart of Bush to take note.

Finally, Stephen F. Hayes writes on some of the other losers in the election, specifically members of the mainstream media:

"WE'D RATHER be last than wrong." So said Dan Rather anchoring election night coverage for CBS. He was apparently serious. That he could say this with a straight face only weeks after presenting the world with forged documents to bring down the president should cement his reputation as the least trusted man in America.

Dan Rather is just a small part of a much bigger story. His careless reporting and, later, dogmatic defense of his errors were but one episode in the media's long offensive against George W. Bush.

The assault began in July 2003, when Joseph Wilson accused the president of lying. Wilson's charges have since been thoroughly discredited and the author of The Politics of Truth revealed as unreliable. But the damage was done. Wilson's claim that the Bush administration had knowingly cooked intelligence provided the prism through which many reporters viewed the election.

He has a pretty good recap of a few of the major media scandals from the past year or so. While I would agree that the MSM took a credibility blow during this election, I am also not convinced that it was entirely damaging. People that read the blogs and listen to talk radio will argue, but that is still only a small portion of the population. I suspect that most people will still read the papers and watch the major news shows without giving much thought to what they hear.

Winners and Losers

2004-11-04T23:22:00.000-08:00

The AP has a rundown of some of the winners and losers in the election. Some of them are obvious, some of them are questionable, some of them are funny. All of them are interesting.

Recent passings

2004-11-03T20:12:00.000-08:00

1. Former Minnesota Wild forward Sergei Zholtok died today of an apparent heart ailment. The thoughts of this hockey fan are with the family.

2. First Avenue, the legendary Minneapolis rock venue, filed for bankruptcy on Tuesday (keep checking Qwerty for info -- it should be up soon). There have been management disputes and money problems associated with the company for the past year or so, but not many people expected this to be the result.

R.I.P.

Morality in America

2004-11-03T20:07:00.000-08:00

The issue being overlooked in the wake of the election is the overwhelming support of a gay-marriage ban in all eleven states that saw such a referendum. This surprises and distresses me greatly; we are supposed to be a tolerant country, yet we feel the need to restrict a good segment of the population from participating in the same ceremonies of love that the majority enjoys.

I saw a poll during the endless election coverage last night that showed 21% of voters listed "moral values" (i.e. gay-marriage) as the most important issue facing America. The percentage was even higher than the economy (20%) and terrorism/Iraq (18%). I am not sure which bothers me more: the fact a sizeable number of the population fails to grasp the importance of rooting out terrorism or that people equate moral values with discrimination.

I know the party-line for Republicans. "We must protect the sanctity of marriage." I don't buy that claim, though; how can something be sacred when it has a success rate of 50%? In my book marriage won't be sacred until people start to act like it is. By that I mean don't get married on a whim and then get a divorce when it doesn't work out. And especially don't do it several times.

To deny gays these rights when straight people themselves take them for granted is ridiculous enough. Seriously: who cares if gays can marry? As much as Republicans want to believe it, allowing gays to marry will not have any effect on them. Their marriages won't be less sacred because of it; no, that is going to stem from their multiple divorces, right Rush?

I understand that they want to keep it from snow-balling. They make the argument that if gays can marry, at some point in the future then polygamists will say that their marriages are legal, and then maybe later some man from Arkansas is going to want to marry his pick-up. If they want to put restrictions on marriage, why not stop it at two people? Or X number of people who can vocally declare their love for each other? (An umbrella that I doubt a cat or a Chevy will fall under.) But there is no reasonable argument against gays being able to marry; I guarantee that it will not unravel the fabric of the universe.

V-i-c-t-o-r-y

2004-11-03T01:13:00.000-08:00

The mainstream media won't call it, but for all intents and purposes it's official:

Four more years.

Don't worry about what's going on in Ohio. There are some ballots that still need to be counted, but the margin of votes between the two candidates is such that Kerry would need practically every one of them to take the state. The probability of that happening is slim at best; this is mostly just a man trying to hang on to one last glimmer of hope.

In other news, Drudge is reporting that Bush broke the all-time popular vote total, even surpassing Reagan. I know it's not the popular vote that decides the outcome, but it is dang tough to win without it. (Such a scenario has only happened three times, after all.)

Rest easy.

The REAL poll of importance

2004-11-01T20:07:00.000-08:00

There are hundreds of polls floating around the country this election season, so chances are you will be able to find one that makes you feel comfortable with your candidate's presidential prospects.

But the most important poll to come out this week is this one, which has the University of Minnesota Golden Gopher hockey team ranked fourth in the country. This is good news, but it is also a little surprising because the Gophers are generally slow-starters. They typically play around .500 (sometimes worse, sometimes better) until January, and then really kick their game into high gear. It's tradition.

After losing some key players this off-season I didn't expect the team to be this high in the standings until later than usual, but thanks to some very solid goaltending and offensive explosions from Hobey Baker prospect Ryan Potulny and a multitude of other young players, the Gophers are on fire. I can't wait to see what happens when this team really starts to jell; it's going to be a scary sight for opponents but a thing of beauty for us fans.

Election wind-up: final thoughts

2004-11-01T15:40:00.000-08:00

Well we are only a few hours from the official start of election day, and history is not on Bush's side. The indicators we have so far suggest that maybe history is in for a bit of a shock this year: most current polls are promising for Bush. Not necessarily the actual vote-tally polls, but the favorable-unfavorable ratings. These, I think, are what we really need to look at. If elections are really just a referendum on the incumbent (or the incumbent party), then certainly these are more telling of a country's thinking. Am I right? Power Line has a look at some stats on the latest New York Times poll (keep in mind the bias of that paper):

John Kerry has a 41% favorable, 47% unfavorable rating. This is his worst rating ever.

President Bush has a 48% favorable, 41% unfavorable rating. That is his best rating since last December.

Whether or not this pans out is beyond me. Going only by the number of Bush signs v. the number of Kerry signs I see and the people I talk to at work, I think the outcome is promising ... but I only interact with a very small portion of the country.

Another Power Line source has Bush winning 51% to 47%. Make sure you check it out because the analysis is pretty interesting (and convincing). Maybe it will help you rest easier tonight.

Regardless of who wins, I can only hope that the outcome is clear. I definitely don't want another long-winded Supreme Court battle that turns everyone violent and bitter. I hope that the rest of America agrees with me.

Lost cause

2004-10-30T01:03:00.000-07:00

The election is three days away and I am no closer to finishing Plan of Attack than I was when the bet was made. The lack of time left combined with the amount of work that has to be done this weekend (as well as my poor time management from the start) leaves me in a deep hole that I doubt I will be able to escape. My prospects for winning this bet are not looking promising.

This weekend I will be watching the Anoka parade, as we are known as the Halloween capital of the world; going to a haunted house; and watching the Mini-bowl, the Super Bowl of pee-wee football. Mix in some hardcore studying and writing a paper, and you've got a jam-packed weekend.

Terror tape authenticated

2004-10-28T11:12:00.000-07:00

Drudge says ABC has a new tape that warns of impending attacks that will "dwarf" 9/11 has been authenticated by the CIA and the FBI. ABC won't air it yet because they are considering the political ramifications of running the tape in the week prior to the election:

This is not something you just throw out there while people are voting, the ABC source explained.

I am left to wonder how an authentic terror warning qualifies as something that the public doesn't need to know about in the midst of an important election, yet they (the mass media) have no trouble running with half-baked stories on missing weapons (h/t Power Line).

Make sure you go check out that Power Line story. They're doing a great job of deconstructing yet another media attempt to influence the election.

Election predictors

2004-10-28T11:08:00.000-07:00

You want a time-tested method of predicting presidential elections? Look no further than the Washington Redskins:

The Washington Redskins have proved to be a time-tested election predictor. In the previous 15 elections, if the Washington Redskins have lost their last home game prior to the election, the incumbent party has lost the White House. When they have won, the incumbent has stayed in power.

This election year, that deciding game takes place on Sunday, October 31 ... vs. Green Bay. (h/t: Sports Guy)

Polls can be a helpful guide, but the Redskins have accurately predicted every election since 1932. Is there any method of prediction that has been more accurate?

The end of an era

2004-10-27T20:52:00.000-07:00

It's about time. Seriously.

I will admit, though, that a sick and twisted part of me was hoping for a comeback in the bottom of the ninth followed by three consecutive St. Louis wins, but I also realize that the complaining and moaning that Red Sox fans participate in would grow exponentially.

Still, there is a part of me that is disappointed the Red Sox won. Watching Boston lose is part of baseball tradition; each year we get to hear all about the curses and the missed opportunities and all of the fans who won't get to see their team win the Series in their lifetimes. It's part of the nostalgia that makes it fun to love the game.

Don't get me wrong, I am thrilled for people like Bill Simmons who have devoted their lives to this team while getting nothing (in terms of hardware) in return. I still remember the way I felt when the Golden Gopher hockey team won their first national title after a 23 year drought. That's 1/3 as long as the Red Sox drought was, and it was still incredible. It's a feeling that I hope every sports fan gets to experience at some point. There isn't much like it.

Of course, that doesn't apply to fans of teams like the Yankees, Lakers, etc. If you win too often you start to lose appreciation for the feeling. It's called habituation; the more it happens, the more desensitized you'll become.

Anyway, congratulations to the Red Sox organization and, more importantly, to their fans. It's a long time coming. Now shut your mouths; no more complaining about curses, bad luck, stupid managing, etc. I don't want to hear it anymore. Understand?

You're up, Chicago.

Kerry favored by media

2004-10-26T23:09:00.000-07:00

A new study has found that the mass media has been portraying Sen. Kerry in a more positive light than President Bush:

In the final accounting, 59% of stories that were mainly about Bush told a mainly negative story, while 25% of Kerry stories played out that way. One in three stories about Kerry were positive, one in seven for Bush.

What a surprise.

A thought on voting

2004-10-26T16:01:00.000-07:00

We are less than one week from Election Day. Aside from my deadline to read Plan of Attack, it is also the date we will elect the next president.

Don't let the naysayers fool you: this is possibly the most important election of our lives, and your vote does count. George Bush won Florida by a little more than 500 votes in 2000; that is possibly fewer than the number of people in your neighborhood. The gap seems even smaller when you consider that Bush received 50,456,002 total votes. Get out there, because if you don't vote then you don't have any right to bitch and moan about the direction our country begins to head in January 2005.

And let's be clear: we're looking at a fork in the road. This country will head in two very different directions depending on who wins on November 2. Bush is committed to destroying terrorism all over the world, whether we go it alone or not. And due to the vastly underreported Oil-for-Food scandal, that is the way it's going to be. OF COURSE the UN is going to stand against us with regards to Iraq - they were practically on Saddam's payroll (read those articles for a background). But even if that hadn't been the case, do we honestly believe that foreign leaders would to jump to their feet when Kerry gets elected to support the "wrong war in the wrong place at the wrong time?"

And that is what counts -- homeland security. Kerry has historically bailed when it comes to our protection (Gulf, Vietnam, etc). I wish I could believe that he would change his ways if elected, but the risks are too great for that. Like it or not, domestic issues like gay marriage, taxes, and stem cell research have to take a back seat right now. What good is it to talk about space policy if half of the nation is obliterated? We have to worry about protecting ourselves first and foremost.

Now that I am off my soapbox, I have one final thing to say. Though I care for whom you vote, I am certainly much more concerned that you actually do vote. Citizenship hinges on whether or not you participate in the process. Like I said before, if you abstain then you have no right to complain about how things go later on.

It really isn't a difficult task, especially if you simply pick a single issue and decide based on that. But please, inform yourself. I don't really want to encourage you to read the platforms of the various candidates, because it probably won't help you very much. But it's better than nothing. Just do a little research and make an informed decision. Don't base your vote on what your friends or family are doing; only what your mind tells you.

Here are some sources that may help you out:
George Bush
John Kerry
Michael Badnarik (Libertarian)
Ralph Nader

Ashlee's flub

2004-10-25T23:49:00.001-07:00

Back from an extended vacation to the St. Johns/St. Bens campus'. The getaway was planned to photograph some churches that are just north of the area, but we ended up getting some nice shots of the campus as well. I'll have some of the pictures up later.

For now, go read about Ashlee Simpson's SNL screw-up if you are one of the five people that haven't heard about it yet. My Rock and Roll History professor likes to tell everyone that the majority of popular acts these days actually do lip synch on stage, but few want to believe him. Maybe this will change some minds.

See the video.

The real fear-mongerers

2004-10-20T23:38:00.000-07:00

I didn't read much news tonight, because I was too wrapped up in watching the Red Sox obliterate the real Evil Empire. In addition, I have been backed up with homework for the past couple of days, meaning blogs and news have had to get put on the back-burner.

After the game ended I sat down to get caught up on things, and no more than ten minutes in I found this post by Beldar (maybe the most underrated blogger out there). It's odd how fast you can go from exhilaration to fury.

The Democrats have been assaulting George Bush and company through the entire campaign season, tagging him as a fear-mongering candidate. Of course, they are attacking the wrong man. Who is it that is always talking about how we're going to lose social security, that the children of the future are going to be paralyzed by the strain of our current budget deficit, prescription drugs are going to go skyrocket even higher than they are, and we are all going to lose our jobs to people in the U.A.E? Do those sound like Republican talking points to you?

The latest Democratic craze has been talking about some impending conscription return if we see another four years of President Bush. This in spite of the fact that (a) Bush has already categorically stated that there will not be a draft and (b) both major bills (One in the House, One in the Senate) pushing to reinstate the draft were authored by Democrats. (Go here and search for "reinstate draft" to read more on the bills.) Oh yeah -- the House version was defeated 402-2 (there has been no action on the Senate version).

Still, they continue with this draft nonsense. I just don't get it.

Anyway, go to Beldar's post and read some of the ridiculous, and by the way, inappropriate (satirical or not) things the Democrats are saying now.

Some people's kids.

Update: Not surprisingly, the folks at Powerline have weighed in on this.

Baseball questions

2004-10-18T19:49:00.000-07:00

1. What kind of major leaguer doesn't know how to bunt? Apparently Johnny Damon. The game is still going right now (14th inning), but it could've been over in the 11th if Damon had mastered this simple task. Christian Guzman used to have this problem too. Amazing.

2. Who gave David Ortiz the steal sign? Was it somebody in the stands that Ortiz was looking at? I didn't even know Ortiz could run that far without breaking a sweat. Did you see the pathetic slide attempt? Granted that he was trying to get under the tag, but that was hideous.

A reading bet

2004-10-17T23:30:00.001-07:00

The players: Krystle and I.

The terms: If I, a notoriously slow reader, can finish Plan of Attack (not including the prologue or epilogue) before Election Day (15 days as of this post), then Krystle, my girlfriend who reads only romance novels, will read a book out of my collection, of my choosing. If she can finish that book in an agreeable timeframe, then I will, in turn, read one of her romance novels.

Uh oh. Can I maybe just plunge a fork into my eyes instead?

Wish me luck.

Update: After some discussion, there has been an amendment to the bet. Since she is certain I will cheat and purposely not finish the book on time in order to avoid certain torture, we made the following agreement:

If I don't finish the book by Election Day, I automatically have to read the romance novel she selects. (Gulp.) If I can finish that book in an agreeable timeframe, then she will have to read one of my books.

What has Mark Dayton done this time?

2004-10-17T00:24:00.000-07:00

Captain Ed has a thought on Minnesota's own Mark Dayton, and what he is doing to the reputation of Minnesota.

People that live in this state have known for awhile the embarrassment of Dayton representing us. My boss, whose husband worked for a woman who is connected in the Democratic Party and knows Dayton well, told me after hearing about Dayton's latest escapade that the women has, on several occasions, called Dayton "weird," or "not all there." Not a statement you want to hear made about a man representing you in the Senate.

We used to be a laughingstock for electing Jesse Ventura as governor, but we have much more to be embarrassed about with Dayton as our representation.

Update: This letter sent from Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions to Bill Frist regarding Mark Dayton's now-vacant office space made me laugh. (Hat tip: Editors in Pajamas)

Weekend Symposium

2004-10-16T16:27:00.000-07:00

Hugh Hewitt is wondering how much damage the lesbian remark will do/has done to John Kerry's presidential aspirations. I've read a decent number of blogs, and Hewitt is maybe the most upset over the comment of any blogger I have read.

To be completely honest, I doubt this will have much effect on Kerry's run for the presidency. I believe this because of two reasons:

1. Kerry was already in a hole. The first debate helped him regain some status in the polls, sure, but that's only because of the president's poor performance. Once Bush came to play, Kerry proved to be no match. Let's face it: Kerry is a terrible candidate. He is doing just well enough to stay in the race, and he has the added bonus of running against a candidate loathed by the mass media and a good chunk of the population. A good percentage of the population will still vote for him because he isn't Bush, but I think his mistakes have soured a lot of voters.

2. I think the "global test" is going to do more damage to his campaign than anything. I am not sure that the average voter will interpret the Mary Cheney remark as a cheap political attack. I think they will, however, pick up on the fact that Kerry and Bush have the same position on gay marriage. This "global test" is a different beast altogether. I think that the average voter will be sickened by the very idea that Kerry would rather have the UN or other countries half a world away (who, by the way, generally aren't targeted as severely as America is) decide our fates for us. Given their abysmal track record, the fact that it's the UN he wishes the approval of is upsetting enough; if only more people understood how spineless and hypocritical that group is, maybe they would think twice about suggesting they decide our fate in the war on terror.

I am more upset about what Ms. Cahill and Ms. Edwards said, but only because I would (foolishly) expect more out of them. Maybe they were just trying to save their candidate's tail, but that is no excuse for their actions. Sadly, I am unsurprised that Kerry would pull such a trick. (I guess people have forgotten his actions the week of the republican convention.) He seems to lack any sense of decorum or tact. It may be a harsh thing to say, but I have my doubts that there is any level of attack that is below him.

Regardless of what people think about Kerry's comment, I doubt there is a lot of disagreement that Kerry is in some trouble.

Concert review; The "lesbian" fiasco

2004-10-15T00:08:00.000-07:00

Went to the LostProphets show tonight down at the Quest Club. They were much, much better than the last time I saw them, which was when they opened Ozzfest at 11:00 AM a couple years ago. Back then there where maybe four people at the event actually knew who they were. In fact, I remember people asking me the name of the band even after they introduced themselves.

This time, however, things were much different. The floor and the balcony of the club were both packed, but somehow I managed to squeeze my way into the center of the floor. Definitely a smart move, as this was one of the more high-impact, energetic shows I have been to in a long, long time. Brutal and satisfying in every way. I love concerts.

Oh yeah: My Chemical Romance sucks.

After the show, there was a spontaneous trip south to Mystic Lake. Very tough night for this gambler; played nickel and quarter slots (I am very much looking forward to being 21, if only so I can go play poker. Slots get dull after awhile, and blackjack isn't really my game) with absolutely no success. Usually I can manage to break even or come out ahead, but this was a disaster from the start. I ended up losing $40 quite fast. Krystle was the same way. Allan spent $30 to win $33.

I still love gambling. I should gamble on football games more, given my solid picks record this year (50-24), which is currently good enough for first place in our pick'em group.

Final, unrelated note. For those who think Kerry won the debate, I have one question: How come the only thing we are talking about is the lesbian comment? Typically the loser of each debate gets assaulted on one or two of their large mistakes, but Bush is getting nearly a free pass from the same media of which he has been victim of mythically savage attacks. Hmm...

Glenn Reynolds has a massive recap of the quote and potential ramifications.

Thoughts on the final debate

2004-10-13T21:33:00.000-07:00

I attended the 19th annual Silha Lecture tonight, featuring Geneva Overholser speaking on "Finding a Credo for Today's Journalist." My girlfriend incessantly ripped me for using my free time to attend a lecture (apparently it is too geeky), but I went anyway. :). The speaker was an interesting woman with quite a professional background, but her method was slightly dull. Granted that my vision is not the greatest, but from where I sat she seemed to read most of her speech directly off paper.

The ideas that she conveyed were essentially what you would expect from a professional journalist: strive for objectivity and always be honest. She, of course, related this to new media developments such as talk radio and the blogosphere. One concept she mentioned was the idea of greater checks and less humor; for example she said that when she was the editor of the Des Moines Register, they would have running jokes citing sources that didn't exist, and talk about how many times they could get the name mentioned in their articles. With no manner of checks, they were able to get away with this. With the advent of the blogosphere this is no longer a possibility. Even the most minute fact is now subject to review. In fairness, she did repeatedly say she welcomed the advancement of the blogosphere as a new era in journalism.

***

We stayed down at the Coffman theater (meaning I watched it in an auditorium packed with democrats and liberals) to view the debate, which they had projected on to a large video screen on stage. I foolishly didn't bring a notepad, so I had to scribble some thoughts down on the front and back of the program. The debate was, in my view, exactly the opposite of what media polls are showing (although media polls are essentially meaningless). I thought Bush won a decisive victory tonight.

True that Kerry had better command of the numbers, but I don't believe that the American people just want to hear endless strings of numbers rattled off at them. There has to be some type of passion and connection with the population that I think Bush is a master of. Pay careful attention to some of the answers tonight, if you taped (or just watch a re-run) of the debate. Notice how Bush was much more passionate and emotional with his answers, and seemed to generally care about the average citizen? Kerry seemed almost too rehearsed. He was definitely more prepared than Bush, but he may have prepared so much that his answers became tedious. There didn't seem to be any feeling with the responses Kerry gave.

Other thoughts that I jotted down:

I thought it was smart of Kerry to keep mentioning republicans, until Bush FINALLY reminded everybody that people like McCain are supporting his candidacy, and not Kerry's.

Did you notice that Bush was always smiling? Kerry rarely smiled. Maybe that tells you something about their personality, maybe not. I also like that Bush brought back more of his natural humor and sarcasm, which is a definite positive. It makes him seem more like a regular guy, more average -- I think people love that the president can make fun of himself. Everybody has to be able to poke fun at their past mis-steps (i.e. "Bushisms"/language mistakes) and have a good time, and Bush displayed that he can do that. Kerry seemed too stiff and too serious. In the interest of fairness, Kerry did have the best self-deprecating joke of the night when he said, "The three of us have all certainly married up, and some would say me more so than others." The entire auditorium cracked up at that point.

When the question of homosexuality was brought up, Kerry reminded people that Dick Cheney's daughter is a lesbian. If Kerry had a different position than Bush, then this may have been a smart play. But his position is essentially the same (against gay-marriage), and since Cheney's daughter is obviously in favor of Bush, then his answer doesn't do much to draw the homosexual vote. Some pundits think it is a low blow, but I am not sure if there *are* any low-blows in this race. It seems like everything is fair game.

I don't understand how Kerry can say Allan Greenspan has done a tremendous job on the economy and monetary policy, and that he supports Bush's tax cuts, and then tell the voters that he disagrees with him. If the Monetary Genius Greenspan supports the tax cuts, then maybe they aren't so bad? Why would Kerry disagree with them? Not that this question is important, but it still makes me think.

The final question of the night was about the strong women in the lives of the two candidates. Bush didn't mention his mother. I'd say that is a minor mistake that will probably go unnoticed (you always thank your mother, right?), but Kerry scarcely mentioned his wife, instead focusing on his mother. It seems that the wife would be especially important to him, but I guess not. The most interesting part was when he said that his mother had to repeatedly say, "integrity, integrity, integrity" to him on her deathbed. I'm sure that I am not the only one thinking this, but shouldn't that go without saying if you are going to run for president? Shouldn't that be the way he was raised?

I may be in the minority with this one, but I think Bob Shieffer did a very good job as moderator. The questions were by far the most fair and objective of the debate sequence, and also contained a much higher number of biased questions toward Kerry than the previous three debates. Not that this is a great thing, because I would like to see NO biased questions. But if you watched the first two debates then you know that Kerry was mostly given softballs. Bush got some tough questions this time too, but Kerry got his share as well. It was nice to see them even-up in this sense.

Final thought: I've watched the debate twice now, and with each question and answer I can't help but lean closer and closer to one conclusion:

George Bush just won the election.

Too early to call it that way? Maybe, but that is the overwhelming feeling I am getting right now.

Update: I am obviously not the only one who saw it as a big victory for the President. Hugh Hewitt and The Hindrocket @ Powerline weigh in.

The race in Minnesota; Teen Executions

2004-10-13T08:52:00.000-07:00

Briefly:

The Star-Tribune says that the race in Minnesota is about even. We've become an increasingly centrist state, and the Bush campaign has been targeting us as a possible toss-up. But, in all honesty, I would be surprised if Bush won the state. Minnesota hasn't voted republican since Nixon carried the state in 1972. Maybe we've become more of a battleground state in recent elections, but what leads one to believe that anything has *really* changed? Especially in these days where Bush is so loathed by the media and roughly half of the general public? When Minnesota begins voting republican again it will likely be for another landslide winner (like Nixon). Right now I would say (if pressed) that Kerry will take Minnesota by a couple of percentage points (but probably not by the five percent margin the Star-Tribune poll shows).

Supreme Court to debate executions of teens. I am not going to weigh in on this yet; maybe sometime tonight. For now, just read the article and think about this: if the government can decide that at 18 you can die for your country (assuming (a) there is a draft or (b) you volunteer for service), then shouldn't that same government be allowed to execute you for taking the life of someone else (assuming (a) the crime is particularly heinous and (b) not in self-defense)? Am I wrong about that? If you think so, use the comments section to tell me why.

***

Tonight: Possibly going to a lecture on journalistic ethics. The debate and the MLB Playoffs are both on as well. I might be back to comment on those. If not, have a good night.

Gopher Hockey Blogging

2004-10-09T21:50:00.000-07:00

Just got back from the Gopher hockey game. Very good contest from a Gopher perspective. Denver started out slowly, and Minnesota pounced on them by getting a quick goal that really set the pace for the evening. The shot totals after the first period were strongly titled in the Gophers' favor, but Denver got stronger as the game went on and played them a lot tighter starting in the second period.

Observations:
* The Gophers have officially found a replacement for Thomas Vanek. Ryan Potulny played an outstanding game, picking up right where he left off last year. Aside from having a hat trick (scoring goals on the powerplay, shorthanded, and even-strength), he was all over the ice and was probably the most visible player for either team. It's VERY early to tell, but judging by the way this kid played after his injury last year, and then tonight's game, I could easily see a Hobey in his future.

* The defense is going to be dramatically improved with this years class. I am especially impressed with two of the freshman guys: Goligoski and Hagemo. Both of them played very well, and I only noticed minor mistakes out of either guy. Briggs played well in goal. The only reason the second goal was scored was due to a bad bounce, and there were only about three or four times he almost got caught out of position. Past that, he played very solid.

* Speaking of the freshman:

Nate Hagemo: Played a very solid game. Lot of ice time. Some nice blocks and some clean hits.

Alex Goligoski: Like Hagemo, played really solid. Nearly got caught out of position a couple times, but is a good passer (one assist) and a strong skater.

Mike Howe: Decent game. Not terribly involved in the offense. Looked a step slower than a lot of the players, but he made up for it by working hard at all times.

Brent Borgen: Really good skater and decent passer. Not incredibly visible, but he did get a goal.

Ben Gorden: Reminds me of the way Ballard used to skate. Pretty good speed. Tenacious, made some very nice passes and nearly scored a goal.

Kris Chucko: Disappointing. He seemed disjointed a lot of the time, as if he wasn't prepared for the style and speed of the college game. He did make a couple pretty good hits and passes, but it didn't look like he was skating that well. He was playing on a line with Dan Irmen and Ryan Potulny early in the game, which could be absolutely dominant when they get adjusted. That is assuming they stay together.

* Other notes: The band and PA announcer Jamie seemed to be in mid-season form already. Chants and songs were played at the right times to get things going (my only beef is that they may have busted out the "black hole" cheer a little too early), and Jamie was spot on with his calls and comebacks, despite not ad-libbing as much as usual. I, however, am not in mid-season form. My voice started to go after about the second period, and right now (two hours later) it still hurts to speak. I clearly have not been working out in the offseason.

***

I watched a lot of the Twins game at my aunts house today, and then some more at the Xcel before/during the Gopher game. I can't talk about how it ended, because I didn't see it. I heard it was a Lohse wild pitch that allowed the Yankees to score the winning run, which I suppose is a fitting way for him to end his disappointing year. The Twins do have reason to be upset, though. They played great ball all year, and while I don't think they deserved to win, they had a legitimate shot to get to the World Series. The team had better make a move, though, because their window of opportunity is going to close really fast.

***
My uncle's final memorial service was this afternoon. It was much more formal, but it was really nice. Some good, hilarious stories and retrospection. A fitting close to that chapter of our lives. I'd also like to send a special note out to Krystle, who had to suffer through the tedium of visiting with everyone at my aunt's and the hassles of my family (who are a group of oddballs to say the least). It was very nice to have you there, and I know my family apprecited it too. I love you.

No political news from me today, so go read some of the blogs off to the side for your fill of that.

Baseball, Politics, and Hockey

2004-10-08T23:29:00.000-07:00

IMPORTANT NOTE:
If you are around the Twin Cities tomorrow night and want a ticket to the Gopher Mens hockey game vs. Denver, email me ASAP. It's probably best that I know you, if only for payment reasons. Krystle, myself, and two other people are going down to the game, and a fifth ticket suddenly became available. The game is at 7:00, and the tickets are club-level.

***

Here are some thoughts on the debate, courtesy of Instapundit and Allah.

I thought Bush looked much better than the previous debate, which doesn't say much. He seemed more composed and impassioned during his speeches, which is a big improvment from his disconnected, fatigued look from the last debate. When I started watching (which was maybe a half an hour in) I thought he was being to forceful or condescending to the audience, and Kerry seemed more together and likeable. The more I watched, though, the more I began to see the roles reverse. Bush was the one that seemed more regular and likeable, while Kerry seemed more uncaring and dispassionate.

On the whole I'd say it was roughly even, with a slight edge to Bush on delivery.

One final note on the debate:I didn't enjoy the town hall format. It looked cheap to me; like a set you would see at a fair or something.

Update: What did the folks at Powerline think? Go read and find out. They're good reads; after all, there is a reason those guys are the best.

Update 2: My girlfriend watched the debate with me, and she posted her unique take on it over at her blog. Granted that I am biased, but I think it's quite hilarious.

***

The Twins game was also on tonight. I turned it in about the fourth inning, when the score was 3-1. When I turned it back after the debate, it was in the 8th inning with the Yankees up 8-1. Over at QWERTY, I blogged about how game two was mismanaged. That's turning out to be even more important now, since the Twins will have to win in Yankee stadium to advance. Santana will win at home Saturday afternoon. That's practically a given. But that means the former Ace, Brad Radke, will have to win in NY. Can it be done? Yes. Is it a tough situation? You bet. *Will* they get it done? I don't want to jinx anything.

Meanwhile, former Twin-disappointment-turned-Boston-superstar, David Ortiz, hit another walk-off homer for the Red Sox. The difference between this one and all the others is the ALCS, which they advanced to because of his most recent blast. Why couldn't the Twins have THAT Ortiz on the team, rather than the one that was injured 95% of the time?

The End of the Road

2004-10-07T15:31:00.000-07:00

Went to my uncle's funeral this morning. Some of the ashes were buried at both Fort Snelling and then spread over the peace garden of the family's church. Fort Snelling was incredible. I never imagined a place so huge could be so uniform. It was very impressive. There was something comforting in the sameness of it all, too. It's tough to explain. The honor guard they gave him was unimpressive, sadly. They were out of sync in the firing, and they messed up a couple of notes when they played "Taps." The mistakes weren't minor, either. They were OBVIOUS.

The peace garden was okay. We mostly stood around visiting and telling stories, as the actual process of spreading the ashes lasted maybe five minutes. Overall, I'd say it was a good event, as far as funerals go.

Emotionally, it wasn't too bad. Not for me, at least. It wasn't nearly as difficult as actually watching him die before my eyes last weekend, or seeing/touching his dead body when the fight was over. That was easily the most surreal experience of my life.

***

Tonight is orientation for the community service I am forced to do as a result of my ridiculous ticket. I'll be at the Goodwill on University by Springbrook mall, starting at 6:30. Not sure what they'll have me doing yet. We'll see how it goes.

Later: Twins blogging.

VP Debate Thoughts II

2004-10-05T20:05:00.000-07:00

I didn't watch the debate, as I said earlier, because I had prior commitments. But I did tape it, so I will watch it and add some thoughts a little later. For now you can go read some people who were live-blogging the event.

Depending on the color of your glasses, you can check out a conservative view or a liberal view. (Hat tip: Pennywit)

Update: My favorite blog, Powerline, has detailed analysis on the debate that deserves reading.

On law

2004-10-05T19:29:00.000-07:00

I now officially have a probation officer.

Do you realize we live in a society where people serve champagne to underage individuals at a wedding and then give them minor-consumption citations when they walk out of the building?

I was a groomsman at my buddy's wedding in August. I turn 21 in December, so I was technically committing a crime when I had a glass of champagne with dinner. You'd think that most cops would be cool about something like that. But when a couple of us went out to a friend's car, we were ambushed by security. One of the guys I was with had a beer in his hand. I did not. The security guard was pretty belligerent when I told him I wasn't drinking, and he eventually called out a couple of cops who gave us both minors (in addition to another guy who was inside at the time, but had the alcohol in his trunk). The girl who drove us home that night was roughly five times as drunk as anyone of us.

Maybe we weren't the most honest, upstanding youths that day. But wouldn't you think that cops would be cooler about weddings, especially when, out of the three of us, none had more than two beers (and two of us didn't have any)? Maybe I am just dreaming...

Either way, that one glass of champagne has now cost me $365 in fees, plus 25 hours of community service, three hours in a mandatory "chemical intelligence" class, and one year of probation. Again, I turn 21 in just over two months. That's our law system for you. Sheesh.

VP Debate thoughts

2004-10-05T16:14:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned last night, this past weekend was a long one. My uncle died on Saturday, after his two month (it seemed like two weeks) battle with cancer. I've got a couple thoughts I want to write about that a little later, but not right now.

The vice presidential debate is ready to kickoff from Cleveland tonight. I won't be watching it, since I will be gone. But I have serious reservations that we will see any major developments for either campaign.

There are two possible scenarios I see happening. The first is that John Edwards will push some voters away from Kerry. The second is that Cheney will draw some voters to Bush. People think Edwards is a smart, likeable guy, but not many people know much about him and he hasn't been around for long. Cheney has years of experience (he was once considered president-material, remember) that a lot of people don't really know about, and apparently his style can be convincing (Via Instapundit).

The reason I suggest that we won't see anything beyond those two scenarios is this: Edwards has nowhere to go but down, and Cheney has nowhere to go but up.

Of course, in all honesty I doubt there will be too much of a bump either way. The American people don't elect a vice president, they elect the set. It's either Kerry-Edwards or Bush-Cheney, and generally speaking, nobody cheers for a team because of the second-string guys.

I am, however, going to tape the debate, because I live and breathe this stuff.

Weekend Recap - 10/4/04

2004-10-04T23:13:00.000-07:00

It was a long, long weekend, and I am probably facing an even longer week. I will try and blog tomorrow.

Rathergate II: "Haileygate"

2004-09-30T23:45:00.000-07:00

A major university is now trying to crash the CBS forgery party.

Is it just me, or is this getting out of control? Some people (ex: CBS News, the NY Times, and now Utah State University) don't seem to understand the power and the work-ethic of the blogging community. They must honestly believe that they don't have to change their behavior to take the internet into consideration. That's the only explanation, right? They can't honestly be that foolish to think that their crimes will go unnoticed, especially in the wake of Rathergate. Can they?

Make sure you read the backstory, too.

No doubt the good folks Wizbang will have more. Stay tuned.

Long, Long Day

2004-09-30T23:24:00.000-07:00

It's been a long, long day. I missed the debate because I was at Krystle's brother, Brandon's, football game. The final? They won 6-0. It was a pretty dull game, to be honest - only a few big plays, mostly dominated by sound defense. Neither team could really seem to get things going. Nevertheless, an ugly win is still a win. Krystle's other brother, Austin, has decided to play hockey this winter. Man, am I going to have a field day with this...

Like I said, I missed most of the debate. Thankfully I taped it, so I will watch it and try to post something tomorrow. The only part I caught was the closing statements. I thought Kerry was surprisingly solid, but Bush looked as though he was going through the motions. He seemed awfully drained, as though he just wanted the debate to be over. More thorough impressions tomorrow...

Post Script: I know you wanted me to blog about you, Krystle ... but I am not sure what you wanted me to write. Maybe give me some hints, like a study-guide of sorts? :)

What's that called?; On death

2004-09-29T15:59:00.000-07:00

First, some insight into the general brilliance of politicians.
Kerry calls Lambeau Field "Lambert Field"
Hey, Norm Coleman: what lake is Duluth on, again?

Second, I want to post something that I wrote a couple of days ago on the subject of my uncle. Some of you already know that he was diagnosed with brain cancer not long ago, and I wrote this as a way of trying to figure out what I am feeling. Enjoy.

On the passing of family

Have you ever had to watch somebody die?

Over the course of the next few weeks (if we are lucky), this is something I am going to live through for the first time. I was born between generations, I guess, in that three of my four grandparents were dead before I was even born but my uncles and aunts were too young for it to be a legitimate concern. That essentially eliminates all possible deaths that a child would have to go through. I have had two great uncles die. I knew both of them by name only.

A couple of weeks ago my uncle was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Doctors thought it was discovered quickly enough, so when I went to visit him for the first (and so far, only) time, they believed that it would be isolated and removed. They were partly right. It was indeed isolated and removed, but the form of cancer was an odd one, and they said that it would soon regenerate. They promised to try all possible methods to destroy it, but their outlook was not promising.

Treatment and therapy began. There were modest improvements, and there was briefly a glimmer of hope. But we would have no such luck, and my aunt and cousins recently made the call. Treatment? Discontinued. Therapy? Finished. Hope? Lost.

He has been transferred to hospice, where they predict a stay of around 2-4 weeks.

To be honest, I never imagined this beating him. He was always a tough SOB, and I can't even recall seeing him sick or downtrodden prior to his stroke a couple of years ago. Even afterwards, he was always in good spirits, including when I last went to visit him.

Yet, now I have the task of preparing to say my first real goodbye. We're going to see him again Tuesday Night (Sept 28). I am not even sure what to think or what to expect, which has me more nervous than anything. I am only now beginning to grasp the fact that tomorrow may be the final time I see him alive. What will I say when I see him? Will I be able to say anything at all? I can't help but anticipate a feeling of discomfort in the room, though I am told to expect a night of joke-telling (which may perhaps add to the discomfort?). I am not sure about what to expect, at this point. The only thing I know is that I now feel more for those who have gone through this process before.

Start Something

2004-09-28T23:32:00.000-07:00

This is just the beginning...

The wheels are beginning to to turn...

We'll be moving in no time.

Stay tuned...