Announcing The Top 65 Teams

Is the NCAA tournament selection committee on crack?

• Does Memphis really deserve to be a No. 1 seed? Sure they Conference USA, but even I could have done it. The only meaningful wins they have are against Gonzaga and UCLA. They lost to Duke and Texas.
• Talk about a lack of parity in the No. 3 seeds. In what world would Iowa and Gonzaga be named in the same breathe? As far as I am concerned, Gonzaga (and I strongly dislike like them) got the shaft, and Iowa got lucky. Here's to hoping Xavier can upset Gonzaga. I have liked Xavier for years; they have a cool name.
• How did the Missouri Valley (Wichita St, Bradley, Southern Ill, Northern Iowa) conference get the same number of teams in as the ACC (Duke, Chapel Hill, Boston College, NC State)? Together the Missouri Valley entrants played a total of four ranked teams and beat two of them (Iowa and Bucknell). It was too hard to count the ranked wins out for the ACC.
• Does Syracuse really deserve their No. 5 seed? They had an excellent run in the tournament, but how much of that was luck over substance? I have a strong dislike for the Orangemen (as I am sure I have mentioned repeatedly). Their fans are particularly annoying. The only reason they won a national championship in 2003 was that they were able to play most of their games in Albany and Boston.

Points of note...

• An all Big Ten match up in the first round? Indiana takes on San Diego St. Perhaps Steve Fischer has found the new Fab Five. But I think not.
• Semi-finals in the 2nd round? Michigan State could face a rematch with No. 3 seed Chapel Hill in Dayton, if the seeding goes as planned.
• Michigan State has beat the following teams this season: No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Iowa, No. 4 Illinois, No. 4 Boston College, No. 7 Wichita State, No. 8 Arizona, No. 9 Wisconsin
• Isn't it just mean to have a play in game? It seems downright rude, especially since no one watches that game.

How Rude...

This comment by Bruce Weber at ESPN.com really burned me up.

"We beat them four times in a row, we beat them on Senior Day, how would you feel? We embarrassed them last week on their court. They had all the motivation. Of all the teams I didn't want to come back and play a week later... and they're a good team."

What an arrogant little prat.

According to my sister, ever since Michigan State beat Wisconsin four times in the same season, State has been unable to dominate the series the way they used too. Here's to hoping something similar will apply here, and Illinois will no longer be that infernal pain in the arse.

On The Meaning of Happiness...

Happiness means never having to say you're sorry. (Okay, so it's really supposed to be *love* and not happiness, but whatever.)

What happiness really means tonight, March 10th, is that Michigan State beat Illinois. Dee Brown had, count them, 1-2-3-4-5 points tonight. Dee, I laugh at you. And I am certainly entitled to. After all those 3-pointers you made a few months ago, to be reduced to two baskets has got to suck!

Happiness also means watching Villanova, UConn, Georgetown, and the other Big East behemoths fall. Now, if God is watching, maybe the ACC will be taken down a notch or two, and Michigan State can be guaranteed something a little bit better than ESPN's predicted 7. (Although I believe ESPN is grossly biased against State.)

Tomorrow happiness will mean, watching Alford lose. It's a bit unlikely, but a girl has got to dream. True happiness also means that the networks will decide to actually decide to air the Big Ten tournament here. It is arguably the best conference in the country, especially in light of the Big East meltdowns. But in this case I hold out no hope, as we will likely be treated to Boneheim trying to get his boys a win over Pitt. I haven't liked them since the days of Carmelo (the candy boy kid).

You Call That Journalism

No wonder people are getting their news from blogs these days. Since when did a story titled "$241,000 stripclub tab finally settled" deserve to be on the frontpage of CNN.com? Meanwhile there is no mention of Enron (one of the largest corporate bankruptcies ever) on the front page, despite the fact that their former Chief Financial Officer testified against both the former CEO and the former Chairman of the Board today. That is just sad!

Something New

Are you bored of the iPod yet? I certainly am. When I first purchased my iPod way back when, it was new, it was cool, it was trendy, and it was exclusive. Now everyone and their mother (and possibly even their father) have one. Taking the T, all you see are the white ear buds. I am definitely on the market for a new portable music player. But I refuse to pay the requisite $300 for another iPod that everyone already has. I want something new and special and am more than willing to pay for it. So why don't the consumer electronic companies make something. Perhaps it could be circular instead of rectangular, pastel instead of white, have a bigger screen with buttons on the side instead of the scroll bar. But no! Everyone just copies the iPod. (See Samsung's new iPod clone.)

March Madness Is Here Again

There are things to be happy about...
Duke losing to Chapel Hill is definitely one. Although I must confess to being rather torn about it. Duke irritates me. JJ Redick irritates me. Coach K irritates me. But Roy Williams irritates me even more. Can you even manage the level of irritation I am talking about? I mean, who does he think he is to diss Big Ten hoops? On the whole, I guess I am pleased to see Duke get another loss, although in all likelihood, they still have a lock on the No. 1 Seed. And as far as UNC goes, the win is symbolic more than anything... What the heck is a TarHeel anyway? Please clarify.

Then there are things to be unhappy about...
Princeton posting one of its worst seasons ever - (1) the lowest point total ever in history and (2) being 3 games behind Penn. Hopefully, they will regroup in the off-season and make this Tiger proud!
State is tied with Michigan in the Big Ten. How did this happen? Sure we played a harder schedule. Sure Trannon was out. Sure everyone likes to pick on Paul Davis and Ager doesn't always bring his game. But come on! Michigan has been nothing since the demise of the Fab Five, and I'd like it to stay that way. This state is not big enough for two schools to both be good at basketball (or football for that matter, where we have kindly ceded to the Wolverines).

In Search of Strong Men?

No, this post is not about the pursuit of hot men or body builders. Rather it is my follow on to a class discussion today.

My classmates proposed that democracy is not always the right system for countries emerging from the throes of the "-isms" (communism, totalitarianism, imperialism). Rather for these countries to manage their development and change, it is beneficial to have a "strong man" in place who does not have to worry about polls and re-election. They can force their country to make the necessary, and often unpopular, sacrifices for success. This argument while it has merits is, in my opinion, utter bullshit. Why?

• The world is littered with dictators who assumed power in a vacuum and have proceeded to oppress and pillage their people. The most egregious examples being Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe and Congo's Laurent Kabila. These men have not helped modernize or develop their countries, rather they have looted their countries' bank accounts. One could potentially make the argument that the people of Congo and Zimbabwe would be better off under the Belgians and English, despite their numerous and significant shortcomings, than either of these "strong men".
• Absolute power corrupts absolutely... Ironically, both Mugabe and Kabila fought to end colonialism and over time, adopting the worst (without any of the best) of their colonizers' characteristics, have developed their own methods of supression
• Once one has consolidated power, there is in no case that I can think of any turning back. Name of dictator who has willingly given way to democracy. The "strong man" concept lends itself to a autocrat who can only be overthrown by coup or military junta, both of which are usually bloody. If you can think of a case where there was a bloodless transition from a "strong man" to democracy. I would love to hear it!

On a side note, I believe democracies are stable institutions. To my recollection, no two democracies have ever waged war against each other. Although progress in a democracy may be slower initially as multiple stakeholders must be satisfied, it is the only model for long-run success. It is the only model that can alleviate corruption and create the transparency required for citizens to invest in their and their country's future.

And It Just Gets Better

Stupid me. Duke lost to Florida State not Florida. Wow. Now that has got to hurt!

Happy Days Are Here Again? Maybe...

I was pretty upset this weekend. Michigan State came from behind at Bloomington to pull ahead of Indiana. But the refs had to go and foul Paul Davis out. And the house of cards that is Michigan State basketball fell apart. In fact, State's basketball team is beginning to remind me an awful lot of State's football team. They start strong, and choke down the stretch. For the past few years all that has kept the Green and White faithful going is the basketball program. That cannot fall apart on us now!

But on a brighter note today, Duke went down. This game has been a long time coming. And although Billy Donovan's resemblance to a used car salesman does disturb me, I got to hand it to him for making the House of K come crashing down.

Well, there is still hope with Trannon back for the Big Ten tournament, we could see some *March Magic*. Here's to hoping.

Random Musings About Nothing In Particular

So this weekend I have been wondering a few things...

1. Is "Grey's Anatomy" titled after the anatomy book or after it's particularly annoying lead intern, Meredith Grey? She annoys me more than Ally McBeal, a feat I thought nearly impossible.
2. Why does Bode Miller keep screwing up? He seemed cool in his "60 Minutes" interview, but at the Games he just keeps choking. Why? Is it the worst week of his life? Has he been partying Turino style? Did all the publicity give him nerves?
3. Since when has speed skating been so full of drama? Watching the US men's team is like watching a reenactment of "Mean Girls" minus the pretty people.
4. In this post-9/11 world and given our war on terror, why on earth are we letting the U.A.E manage our ports? How can it be in our national security to let an Arab nation that produced terrorists control entrance into our country. Republicans and Democrats both think Bush, Chertoff, and Cheney are on crack. Credit my intelligence that I realized this much earlier.
5. How to male athletes in the Winter Olympics feel about their all spandex get-ups?
6. Is there something in the water in Iowa? or is Alford feeding his team 'roids? When did Iowa get good? I wonder if Alford will guest on Knight's reality show. That would be awesome. Maybe they could have a chair throwing competition.
7. Are Unions good or bad? Tough one. Wal-mart says no. Democrats say yes.
8. How funny is it that Nick Lachey is suing Jessica Simpson for spousal support? Talk about a wuss... although he probably deserves it for putting up with her for so long. Nancy Sinatra should sue her for slander - way to bastardize "These Boots Were Made For Walking".
9. Did Alexander Hamilton have the right idea?
10. Why are Muslims still rioting about the cartoons? Perhaps they should riot over the fact that many of their countries are corrupt (Pakistan, Bangladesh), engaged in mass genocide (Sudan), lack a truly free press (Iran, Egypt), etc.

Cheney's Got A Gun

There are far more important stories out there than that of Veep shooting a Republican donor. For example, did Tom and Katie really break up? How did all the medalled pairs teams suffered from major injuries this year? and what does that say about the competition? Is Billy Zane really that hard up that he has to act as an American thug in xenophobic Turkish movies? What are those conversation hearts really made out of? Seriously, there are real pressing issues facing this country.

But still I can't resist. During the 2004 election, the Democrats hammered Cheney on the five deferments he received during the Vietnam War. At the time, it seemed odd that a man who had never seen combat had no qualms about sending our troops into battle. But now, I wonder if it was for the best. Given his shooting abilities and abundant lack of aim. It is unclear that he could have hit any Commies. And God only knows how many of our own troops would have been hit by Cheney (friendly) fire.

Insanity Runs in the White House

I always thought George W. was a bit crazy, perhaps even nuts (on the order of Tom Cruise)? And now it appears that there is evidence suggesting that it may be true.

According to a study by Duke Medical School, almost half the presidents from 1789-1974 suffered from some form of mental illness at some point of their life. (side note: They only looked at dead presidents... I wonder why.) Depression was the most common affliction. Although I recall from history class that Lincoln, and more particularly his wife Mary Todd, suffered from depression (understandable given the situation of the country and the death of their son), I did not realize how widespread the problem was. It is suspected that Teddy Roosevelt and Lyndon B. Johnson suffered from a bipolar disorder. The case of Teddy Roosevelt is especially surprising given that history has always portrayed him as vigorous and energetic. It is hard to reconcile that with today's Prozac addicted bipolar patient. Other presidents thought to have suffered from mental illness include Calvin Coolidge (depression), Ulysses Grant, and Tricky Dick.

I would be curious to see a similar study run for First Ladies. Many of them suffered as well. Which leads to the question of whether the symptoms researchers found are related to genetics or environment and stress induced.

So does this prove that George W is insane? Perhaps that is wishful thinking. But the results to seem to suggest that there is a propensity for American Presidents to become mentally ill. And in the interim, we can certainly agree that while not mentally ill, George W is mentally challenged.

The Music Genome

My friend introduced me to Pandora (http://www.pandora.com) today. Provide it with the name of your favorite song/artist, and it will return a radio station that will play all your favorite songs.

The creators of this website have broken music down to its fundamental components or "genes" based on melody, harmony, rhythm, lyrics, arrangement, etc. and grouped similar sounding songs together.

I tested the system with "Gwen Stefani" and received mixed results. I do like Depeche Mode and Garbage. However, I was a bit surprised when Lindsay Lohan's "To Know Your Name" came up. I'll have to test the system out a bit more.

Who Gave Dick A Gun?

Talk about absurd. Dick Cheney shot is friend in the face while hunting. Remember Dick (if I was his friend I would really be calling him Dick). Guns don't kill people, people kill people. And being friends with Dick Cheney is apparently hazardous to your health.

Slip of the Tongue

Normally network news tries to be unbiased (obviously, Fox News is not "normal") to the point where they almost withhold the facts, but today Bob Schieffer slipped. He was questioning a correspondent about the role of the administration's secret wiretap - spy program in averting a potential terrorist attack in LA. When the correspondent replied that he believed the intelligence was gathered through "vigorous questioning", Schieffer queried, "Torture?". The silence was audible. He did try to dig himself out, by saying something to the extent of "not in this country". But the exchange was clearly odd, and the correspondent seemed rather surprised. Still while the right may decry Schieffer's comment as part of the liberal bias of main stream media, I say, slip of the tongue or not, at least someone spoke the truth.

Privacy on the Net

Apparently, Yahoo! has been providing information to Chinese law enforcement that has enabled the government to jail political dissidents. Google and Microsoft have been engaging in similar behavior as well. Google made adjustments to their search algorithm to comply with China's restrictions on free speech. Microsoft shut down a popular blog at the request of the Chinese government. Not only are these companies enabling the Chinese government's policies of censorship, but they are also earning a hefty profit. At the very least, they should be punished in the court of public opinion.

In the US, the government is threatening to sue Google to get records of search queries. Ostensibly, this is to find and prosecute pornographists, which seems like a noble enough cause. But when does it become more than that? What if the data is stored and mined? What if the data is used to track down those less than thrilled with the government for monitoring people? I have conducted key word searches with strange combinations like "bomb" and "Al Qaeda", does that mean I would be watched?

Much Ado About... Cartoons?

Is it just me or are Muslims at times over sensitive? It seems that the Palestinian Street and the masses of the Arab world more broadly are always ready to explode. Strangely, rather than the War in Iraq, it was cartoons (depicting Mohammed) that led Muslims across the world (through predominantly in the East) to take to the street. Is all this furor over "lack of sensitivity" in a drawing really justified? How is it that a cartoon showing Mohammed with a missile in his turban is more offensive than Saddam Hussein building mosques with minarets that look like Scud missiles?

True. Islam prohibits all images of Mohammed. But in America you are not allowed to burn flag, yet it happens time and again in the Middle East. Americans do not take to the streets in response to flag burnings. We do not start riots, foment violence, or attack foreign embassies. So when Arab leaders claim we, Americans, need to more sensitive to local cultures, I say, should you not too.

In the West, we constantly push the envelope and subject different groups of people to mockery. Rolling Stone latest cover features Kanye West with a crown of thorns on his head and the title 'The Passion of Kanye West'. Yet Christian Conservatives are not up in arms. In fact, American Muslims while perhaps upset by the cartoons have not been enraged enough to protest. Why is that?

If the Arab Street wants respect then they should protest respectfully. Their current behavior does nothing to help their cause in the eyes of those in the West who would speak for them. Attempts by the Iranians to further trivialize the Holocaust with their own malicious version of a cartoon contest is nothing short of heinous and points to their hypocrisy.

Anti-War Idol or Anti-American Icon

Like most people, I was more than sympathetic to Cindy Sheehan. I was cheering her on. Her protest at President Bush's ranch last year raised awareness about the cost of the Iraq War. Through her personal tragedy, she highlighted the failings of the administration in a way that Democrats could not, after all how can anyone attack a mother who lost her son. However, some where along the line, Cindy Sheehhan went from a mother mourning her son to a woman with a dangerous agenda.

Although not a fan of President Bush, his administration, his war, his policies, or anything even remotely related to him, I am a great believer in the strength and fundamental goodness of America and its citizens. There is no other country in the world that affords the opportunity and freedom that American does. So while people have the right to whole heartedly bash the administration and their decisions, I question whether people living in this country have the right to bash America. Unfortunately, as of late, Cindy Sheehan has started doing just that.

• Just this week, Sheehan stood side-by-side with President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, who is no friend of America, as he said, "Enough of imperial aggression. We must tell the world, down with the US empire."

In addition, Sheehan has made a number of statements meant to equate Bush's mistakes (which were many and in some cases deliberate) to the crimes of Osama bin Laden. As much as I dislike Bush, I find Sheehan's statements to be ignorant and offensive. Agreeing that Bush is "the greatest terrorist in the world" in a worldwide forum in a country hostile to the US is in poor taste. As is her suggestion that Bush is ten times worse than Osama. Sheehan has become not a symbol of the anti-war movement, but rather a symbol of the anti-America movement. She represents something far more insidious in the left. Hatred of Bush and the war cannot become hatred of America and what we stand for (freedom, peace, and justice).

Democrats must avoid association with Sheehan. Her attempt to run in the Democratic primary against Senator Feinstein will damage the party even further beyond belief and create more fodder for the Rove machine. In addition, Nancy Pelosi should rebuke her colleague from California for even inviting Sheehan to the State of the Union. Sheehan's arrest for wearing an anti-war t-shirt to the speech, as trivial as it may seem, shows just how far from the center Democrats are. I am very sad for my party.

Rumfeldisms

I was not paying attention in class today, which is actually nothing new, and was instead reading my friend's Bushisms calendar. And it got me to thinking that Rumsfeld in the past has sounded an awful lot like Bush. Perhaps they are friends because no one else can understand them...

Without further ado, here are some of my favorite Rumsfeldisms.

• "Reports that say that something hasn't happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns -- the ones we know we don't know."
• "There's another way to phrase that and that is that the absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence. It is basically saying the same thing in a different way. Simply because you do not have evidence that something does exist does not mean that you have evidence that it doesn't exist."
• "I don't know what the facts are but somebody's certainly going to sit down with him and find out what he knows that they may not know, and make sure he knows what they know that he may not know."

If that's not enough Rumsfeld for you. Check out the Rumsfeld doll. It even talks and says things like "What they do with themselves is up to them and what people around them do with them is up to the people around them." Sweet. Enlightenment.

Or if you are of a more intellectual bent, check out The Existential Poetry of Donald H. Rumsfeld. It contains quotes similar to the ones above as well as real "poetry".

Has Tom Cruise Gone Completely Nutters?

The list of reasons to think he may be completely bonkers has been growing, especially as of late.

• Being part of a couple nicknamed 'TomKat'
  Jumping up and down on Oprah's couch because he is so in love with the amazing afore mentioned Kat
• Calling Brooke Shield's use of prescription drugs for postpartum depression "misguided"
• Lecturing "Matt, Matt, Matt, Matt,..." Lauer on how he knew the history of psychiatry
• Buying a sonogram machine (dude if you got $20K just laying around, donate it to charity!)

And apparently now, he has deleted a "racy" sex scene from Katie Holmes new movie. It was more dirty than he felt comfortable with, and he wasn't even there when they were screening it. What's going on? Is he her dad now? God knows he's almost old enough to be...