Explain to me again how Michigan is #2...

Of course I am biased, being a Gator fan and believing that the SEC is the toughest conference, but...

After looking at the conferences, schedules, and results for Michigan, USC and Florida, I don't understand how anyone can reasonably argue that Michigan deserves another shot at beating Ohio State, especially when they lost the first time (yeah yeah, it was in Columbus, only 3 points, blah blah blah - they lost, and they lost their conference too).

First, the respective conferences went (Big 10): 33-11, (Pac-10): 20-9 (USC-ND not played as of this post), and (SEC): 41-7 playing outside their conferences. I don't know if anything can be drawn from this, but it was interesting nonetheless.

Second, record against opponents ranked in the AP Top 25 during and at the end of the season:

Michigan: 1-1 (3)
USC: 3-0 (USC-ND result pending) (4)
Florida: 2-1 (SEC championship result pending) (4)

Third, losses:

Michigan: Ohio State (1) 42-39
USC: Oregon State (unranked) 31-33
Florida: Auburn (11) 27-17

Finally, bowl eligible teams (teams over .500) (and record):

Michigan: 4 (3-1)
USC: 7 (7-0) (loss to UCLA could make this 7-1)
Florida: 7 (6-1) (Arkansas-Florida result pending)

It all depends on Notre Dame, UCLA, and Arkansas, but Michigan shouldn't even be in the mix, regardless of their ranking.

Memory lane - the left and right versions

Good for Her
Matt Apuzzo of the Associated Press reports:

Former Attorney General Janet Reno and seven other former Justice Department officials filed court papers Monday arguing that the Bush administration is setting a dangerous precedent by trying a suspected terrorist outside the court system.

It was the first time that Reno, attorney general in the Clinton administration, has spoken out against the administration’s policies on terrorism detainees, underscoring how contentious the court fight over the nation’s new military commissions law has become. Former attorneys general rarely file court papers challenging administration policy.

So far the righties have been fairly subdued, but one commenter to a rightie site couldn’t resist a walk down memory lane. He writes:

I am always amused by those on the Left crying about the Constitution.

1. Does anybody remember Ruby Ridge and a dead child and woman there?
2. Does anybody remember Waco - Branch Davidians and women and children killed there?
3. Does anybody remember Elian Gonzales being forcibly sent back to Communist Cuba?

It appears all children are at risk whenever Janet Reno is involved with any issue and she seems the forget about the Constitution herself from time to time!

How come these meatballs never remember that Ruby Ridge occurred during the George H.W. Bush Administration (August 1992)? Or that the investigation conducted by former Republican Senator Jack Danforth concluded the Branch Davidians shot their children and then each other?

I’m not sure that Elian Gonzalez’s issue was a constitutional one, as Gonzalez was a foreign national, but he wasn’t sent back “forcibly.” He was (willingly) returned to the custody of his father, who had plenty of opportunity to request asylum from Cuba, and did not. “Forcible” would have been taking him away from his father and making him stay.

Details, details.

And does anyone remember that the new RNC chair, Sen. Mel Martinez, made his bones with the GOP by attacking Janet Reno during in the Gonzalez Saga? You can read about it at Media Matters.

I love trains

A 10% Reduction in America's Oil Use in Ten to Twelve Years
An Overlooked, Practical, and Affordable Approach Using Mature Existing Technology

Commentary by Alan S. Drake
May 2006 • Rev. October 2006


NOTE: This is the third commentary in our series Electrification 101 – a discussion aimed at informing transportation professionals, decisionmakers, and the public at large of the value and advantages of electrifying transportation operations, and the electrification of public transport systems in particular. The following essay is a slightly edited version of a summary position paper disseminated by the author at a recent Peak Oil conference in Washington, DC. This article is a moderately revised update of the one originally published in May 2006. Alan S. Drake, a former accountant, is an engineer, and professional researcher based in New Orleans.

Why isn't Diebold liable for fucking up?

Given the current voting situation in this country, why aren't the electronic voting machine companies (Diebold, ES&S, etc) criminally and monetarily liable when their machines fuck up? Sarasota, Florida, obviously has a problem, and I think ES&S (the company that provided their machines) should have to pay for all recounts, pay for a new election if necessary, and the CEO (who used to be Chuck Hagel, interestingly enough) should be put in prison for interfering with an election. Drastic? Yes. But that might be what it takes to get their attention, and get things straightened out. But a boy can fantasize...

Senate election schedule

FYI - here's how the senate races break down by state and year. Maybe one day I'll put them in map form, so get a sense of red-blue futures...

2006	2008	2010
AZ	AK	AZ
CA	AL	AK
CT	AR	AL
DE	CO	AR
FL	DE	CA
HI	GA	CO
IN	IA	CT
MA	ID	FL
MD	IL	GA
ME	KS	HI
MI	KY	IA
MN	LA	ID
MO	MA	IL
MS	ME	IN
MT	MI	KS
ND	MN	KY
NE	MS	LA
NJ	MT	MD
NM	NC	MO
NV	NE	NC
NY	NH	ND
OH	NJ	NH
PA	NM	NV
RI	OK	NY
TN	OR	OH
TX	RI	OK
UT	SC	OR
VA	SD	PA
VT	TN	SC
WA	TX	SD
WI	VA	UT
WV	WV	VT
WY	WY	WA
		WI

Rahm Emanuel - hero?

The House that Rahm Built

Rahm Emanuel, Chicago's profane, ruthless, savvy operative, remade the Democrats in his image--and helped the party overcome 12 years of humiliation

Story by Naftali Bendavid
Tribune staff reporter
Published November 12, 2006

What a revisionist whitewash (is that possible?) of history. Rahm didn't do it by himself (he had help from Dean), and he nearly caused it to not happen. He's the one who DIDN'T want to make Iraq an issue, and it was only after Ned Lamont made it an issue (whom Rahm and the rest did not support) in his primary with Lieberman that Iraq even entered the campaigns of many that were "annointed" by Rahm and Schumer.

Also, the two of them refused to support a number of candidates that were more progressive and more independent (Tester in Montana , Webb in Virginia are two examples), and forced many grass roots candidates out in favor of their chosen ones. It's a miracle that these two didn't lead to another Democratic catastrophe.

They wanted candidates chosen by back room politics, ones who would be beholden to them. These guys are dangerous (not as much as Republicans, but dangerous nonetheless), and need to be watched closely (and ideally beaten at the polls by real Dems). They wouldn't even throw Lieberman under the bus after he lost his primary to Lamont, and now the Dem hold on the Senate is dependent on Lieberman. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot. Dumbasses.

You're too fucking stupid to vote

"It's unbelievable how many calls I got about Farrell (ed: D) — drove me nuts," said Moll, who put on his hearing aid to field these calls. "It's why I voted for Shays (ed: R)."

Told that many of the calls were likely sponsored by national Republicans, Moll shrugged. "Then I voted for the wrong reason," he said.

If you can't determine that this candidate might be better than that candidate based on the issues, or that this party might be better controlling Congress, then you are TOO FUCKING STUPID TO VOTE! Put the ballot down, and step away from the box...