Death Star garbage

The Trash Compactor Debate turns on whether the Death Star ejects its trash into space. I, for one, believe it does. Though we never see the Death Star ejecting its trash, we do see another Empire ship, the so-called Star Destroyer, ejecting its trash into space. I therefore see no reason to suspect that Empire protocol dictating that trash be ejected into space would not apply equally to all Empire spacecraft, including the Death Star.

The Death Star clearly has a garbage-disposal problem. Given its size and massive personnel, the amount of waste it generates — discarded food, broken equipment, excrement, and the like — boggles the imagination. That said, I just cannot fathom how an organization as ruthless and efficiently-run as the Empire would have signed off on such a dangerous, unsanitary, and shoddy garbage-disposal system as the one depicted in the movie.

On the Implausibility of the Death Star's Trash Compactor

Charles, you butthole

I have had all three of those songs from that one post and also the mameshiba jingle in my head.

Tuesday links

1. Westley B. sited, purchased this book.

2. toothpastefordinner trolling page

3. Just biject it to an open hypergraph whose elements are regular bijections.

4. A World Without People

Japan is light-years ahead of the USA

Songs stuck in my head lately, in order of frequency

Goodnight Moon

Set in a dystopian future in which genetically engineered animals have devoured humanity, GOODNIGHT MOON is told from the perspective of a unseen, dying victim of the ravenous hordes. As he reflects on the scene with his last breaths, MOON provides a terrifying eulogy for the human race.

Margaret Wise Brown’s approach to the apocalypse is a minimalist one. Leaving only vague hints about the world in the wake of DR. MOREAU-style takeover by anthropomorphic animals, the slowly expiring narrator describes his deathbed — a seemingly normal bedroom and its mundane, but symbolically sinister furnishings.

As illustrated by Clement Hurd, the room is green (a metaphor for Earth), while a balloon the color of bright arterial blood hangs over the tableau, suggesting both a fading sun and the blood spilled across the world in humanity’s losing battle against the cunning beasts.

Goodnight Moon

errbody saw the Romney rap, right?

If not!

this just in

the years change but this song never gets not awesome

Great, now you both have mouth herpes.

I would totally buy razors from these guys

JACKED FOR HATS SO MANY HATS

Friday Links

1. Tha Captain's personal web page

2. Endangered Ugly Things

3. Bad Ass of the Week: The Complete List

4. The Drawings of Will Laren

1920s Party Rock

Both of our readers have seen this since EDSBS twittereeted it but whatever.

these guys are really good.

Dick "Night Train" Lane

In 1952, the 24-year-old Lane showed up at the Los Angeles Rams training camp looking for a job because he disliked his current occupation at an aircraft factory. He was originally trying out for wide receiver, but the Rams switched him to defensive back. While with the Rams, he acquired the nickname "Night Train" from a hit record by Jimmy Forest (A #1 R&B hit for 7 weeks in 1952), frequently played by teammate Tom Fears. He initially disliked the nickname, but it grew on him after it gained national attention, first appearing in print describing a tackle in a Rams exhibition game: Dick "Night Train" Lane derails Charlie "Choo Choo" Justice. He wore number 81, unusual for a defensive back, because he was initially projected as a tight end. The receivers playing in front of him on the Rams, Fears and Elroy Hirsch, were stars and future Hall of Famers, so coach Joe Stydahar tried Lane at defensive back. In his rookie season he set an NFL single season record for interceptions with 14, which stands to this day even though the length of the season at the time was only 12 games. (It was expanded to 14 games in 1961 and 16 in 1978). He was traded to the Chicago Cardinals in 1954 and to the Detroit Lions in 1960. He played six seasons in Detroit (1960–65) and recorded 21 interceptions for 272 yards and one touchdown. He was All-NFL four times (1960–63) and was named to the Pro Bowl three times (1961–63).

Dick Lane

metal monday

the guy who got his dick stuck in a subwoofer sent corsair's daughter some love letters but corsair put them in the garbage before she saw them

while towling off after a bath, corsair strums his unerect dick like a guitar. it is his secret tradition

SORRY, BLACK PEOPLE

We really dropped the ball on this year's Black History Month festivities. We even had an extree long month.

Robot music

Might as well call it "Skynet Starter Kit"

Frank Zappa and Steve Vai

Dirty Words of 1811

ADMIRAL OF THE NARROW SEAS. One who from drunkenness vomits into the lap of the person sitting opposite to him. SEA PHRASE.

AMBASSADOR OF MOROCCO. A Shoemaker. (See Mrs. Clarke's Examination.)

APE LEADER. An old maid; their punishment after death, for neglecting increase and multiply, will be, it is said, leading apes in hell.

APPLE DUMPLIN SHOP. A woman's bosom.

APPLE-PYE BED. A bed made apple-pye fashion, like what is called a turnover apple-pye, where the sheets are so doubled as to prevent any one from getting at his length between them: a common trick played by frolicsome country lasses on their sweethearts, male relations, or visitors.

ATHANASIAN WENCH, or QUICUNQUE VULT. A forward girl, ready to oblige every man that shall ask her.

Dirty words of 1811

Four game Friday

I like this edition of links for games on Friday because these are all so different.

1. Tetrisweeper

2. Rebuild 2

3. Super Mario Bros. Crossover 2

4. Minotaur China Shop

new Goldeneye 64

Borders and order

But there exists another type of border, one that doesn’t reflect back our image. In vampiric asymmetry, it offers only the void. There are no barriers, no officials, no capitals on the other side. The world as we know it — reciprocal even across national borders — ends here. One thinks of the American West in the mid-19th century, or parts of Brazil into the 20th. The borderline does not merely separate two territories, but two paradigms: law and order from anarchy, progress from primitivism. Or perhaps, seen from the other side: freedom from oppression, purity from decadence.

In earlier times, such lawless anomalies were surprisingly common, even in the middle of “civilization.” London was riddled by as many as a dozen legal safe havens, where debtors and criminals could seek refuge from arrest [1]. Emerging first in the Middle Ages, they persisted until Parliament abolished the last of them in 1723.

The Undiscovered Country

ok last mick mcarthy nonsense post

3E Endorsed

(click to enlarge)

Animal Internets Friday

1. Well Dressed Animals

2.

SERIOUSLY? YOU GUYS UNFRIENDED ME ON FACEBOOK?

THAT’S BULLSHIT! WE’RE ROOMMATES!

ANIMALS TALKING IN ALL CAPS

3. The Kitten Covers

4.

TORIGUN

5. Animals in Hats

6. Horse_ebookmarklet

7. Animals Doing People Things

number 2, huh?

I guess this is why I haven't abandoned thefacebook completely yet.

Tha Captain sighted at local establishment

Tech journalism

This started when Nick Bilton of the New York Times posted an item criticizing Path, which had been caught up in a firestorm when it emerged that Path had been uploading entire address books from people’s iPhones. Bilton made the legitimate point that it’s now become a routine for Valley companies to do something sleazy, get caught, then quickly apologize and get hailed as heroes by the Valley for the quality of their apology. (It’s all about being able to fake the sincerity, as George Burns once said.) Bilton’s point was that Path didn’t just grab those address books by accident. They did it on purpose. It probably took weeks of programming. To just say, “Whoops! Sorry!” seems a bit disingenuous.

Anyway — Path comes under fire, and guess who rides to the rescue? Michael Arrington, who runs CrunchFund, an investor in Path, launches a blistering critique of Bilton himself, comparing him to a pit bull who attacks a dog that is already lying on its back, defenseless, saying that Bilton’s column was “a safe way to do business, but not very noble.”

Almost before you could stop throwing up in your mouth at the idea of Michael Arrington accusing a Times journalist of being less than noble, Arrington’s partner at CrunchFund, MG Siegler, weighed in with his own attack in which he basically said Bilton is a nice guy who was either too lazy or too busy to do a good job. From this Siegler leaps off into a long diatribe about how most tech reporting is utter bullshit written by idiots who are all in a hurry to chase page views.

So: Path comes under fire, and straight away, the paid hit men – Arrington and his sidekick, Matty the Angry Chihuahua — spring into action to smear Bilton and try to discredit him.

Hit men, click whores, and paid apologists: Welcome to the Silicon Cesspool

What kind of question is that? Of course I do.

bwahaha

sad wolves

losing 5-1 to your biggest rival will do that.

Dana Gould as Maurice Evans as Dr. Zaius as Hal Holbrooke as Mark Twain

I'm really looking forward to the next 3E reunion

Bring this to whatever it is mathematicians do

Mathematically Correct Breakfast: How to Slice a Bagel into Two Linked Halves

movies update

I am remiss to not mention that included among the movies available on YouTube! are many MST3K episodes.

Ellis Island names

We have all heard someone say that their family name was "changed by the inspectors at Ellis Island." Nowadays our names are recorded when we are born and are virtually never changed. You can still use any name you want as long as you do not intend to defraud but, in fact, with drivers' licenses, social security numbers, credit cards, etc., it is just too complicated to try to alter your name except through a court proceeding.

People seem to feel that it was the same way at the turn of the century. They think that immigrants had one correct way to spell their name in the old country, when they encountered the clerk at Ellis Island it was changed to something else and then it was spelled that way ever after in America. The explanation usually is that the immigrant spoke little or no English, so either the immigrant inadvertently gave an incorrect reply to the question of "What is your name?" or the clerk misunderstood the name or decided it was too complicated.

In reality, it is highly unlikely that this happened. The Immigration and Naturalization Service has a good article on immigrant name changes that explains why this wonderful story is a myth: the clerks at Ellis Island didn't write down names. They worked from lists that were created by the shipping companies. What usually happened was the emigrant bought a ticket from an office near his home. So, the seller probably spoke the same language and transcribed the name correctly. In cases where the name was recorded incorrectly, it likely occurred in the old country, not at Ellis Island.

They Changed Our Name at Ellis Island

Sean wants to watch this whole thing tomorrow.

Don't think he's serious.



TOP YOUTUBE COMMENT: The best part is at 32:01.

Sherlock Holmes' politics

And Holmes himself? What were his politics? Well, an imperialist, with his VR monogram blasted into the sitting-room wall, and his uncritical sympathy with Mycroft’s projects. A rationalist, of course; his approach to domestic law enforcement and Mycroft’s to international politics rhymed. He saw scientifically-grounded “criminal tendencies” in handwriting, in the shape of a head; he was much more comfortable asking questions of cigar ash than of humans; with a parallel social-scientific approach, Mycroft advanced Her Majesty’s empire through what he referred to, archly, as “accounting.” I find no specific reference, but I assume that Holmes supported the Boer War.

Playing the Game– With Gratitude to Msgr. Ronald Knox

And finally the secret "Ha, Ha"

Horse_valentines

movies

Something I've just noticed in the last few weeks: there are lots of full-length feature films on YouTube now, doubtlessly illegally. Some of them are awesome:



Some of them are stupid:



O Brother, Where Art Thou? has been there for a while, but I'm not sure how long they last in general.

hey buddy

Woof Blitzer

Wouldn't a professional reporter/interview guy, just by standing around, pick up enough to at least look competent at Jeopardy!?

Metal Monday

In other news, the scariest bridge in the world kinda collapsed.

back in town

did you even notice I was gone, internet?

Furious fat fabulous fantastic

I bet I've posted this before, but I'm not willing to look it up.

the resemblance is uncanny

Like a freak show image of our noble captain


Beavis and Butthead

Patriotic marketing gimmicks

Various people had their hands on it, adding as little as a word or two, but the credit for the bulk of the pledge goes to Francis Julius Bellamy (May 18, 1855 – August 28, 1931), a Baptist minister from New York. Bellamy had some interesting political ideas — he was a Christian Socialist who believed in the equal distribution of economic resources in accordance with the teachings of Jesus, but not the distribution of voting rights to women or immigrants.

By 1891, Bellamy was tired of his ministry and accepted a job from one of his congregants, Daniel S. Ford, owner and editor of Youth’s Companion, a nationally circulated magazine for adolescents. Bellamy was hired to help out the magazine’s premium department, where he worked on a campaign to sell American flags to public schools as a way to solicit subscriptions. By the end of the year, the magazine had sold flags to some 26,000 schools. But there were still more than a few holdouts.

Who Wrote the Pledge of Allegiance?

presented without commentary or anything else, really.

http://www.imdb.com/video/wab/vi1419813145/

a little more than halfway though, so what have we learned?

"The coldest gaze is that which you cast upon yourself" - Dr. Trent Stone

Well, I've learned that my searing passion for Michael Bolton led me to immensely overvalue Bolton Wanderers. And common sense led me to immensely undervalue Norwich and Swansea. Other than that, it's not that far off. This is how I gain your trust.

vegetable orchestra

it only goes up to august, but...

@dadboner

robot fish

best YouTube comment:

"I COMMAND YOU IN THE NAME OF THE DARK LORD TO SPILL THE BLOOD OF THE INNOCENT....

...diddy dum diddy dooo"

Under water

Fishing under ice

whistle

Whistling is a funny skill: folks who can whistle, wonder how anyone could have a problem with it. Folks who can't, wonder how anyone could ever produce such a sound. For those of you who can't, consider learning--a quick, loud, penetrating whistle has many useful applications and can be mastered with relative ease. (Note: there's nothing here on whistling Dixie or any other tuneful amusement.)

How to whistle loudly

sums it all up

this is a dream i had the other night

today

I speak for all of 3E today

Tuesdays with John

John stumbles forward through the restaurant. He is walking towards a stage upon which sits a small video screen, a microphone, and a large grey box with a keyboard and speaker in the front. He ascends the stage and opens a large blue binder. He flips rapidly through the songbook. He is barefoot and wearing a University of Alaska sweatshirt over what appears to be a youth karate uniform. His eyes are red and bleary -- he has not slept in two days, in preparation for what is to come.

His eyes finally light upon the page he is searching for, and John smiles a small smile. He punches into the keyboard three numerals, and the screen above it responds. Text appears over the background image of a small stream running through an autumnal forest: "486 - ARTIST: SHANIA TWAIN - SONG SELECTION: MAN! I FEEL LIKE A WOMAN!"

The machine begins to produce synthesized, beeping sounds. John holds the microphone up to his mouth, lips parted slightly before he begins. His mouth is dry, but he knows he must only sing for a short while. Outside a dog howls, and a baby begins to cry.

who refuses to subdue to these pelvic ostentations

A partial list of the words you can't get on personalized jerseys from the NFL

To celebrate the playoffs or something

666
3RD EYE
3RD LEG
3RDEYE
3RDLEG
AXING THE WEASEL
BARF FACE
BEASTALITY
BEASTIALITY
BREASTMAN
COCK NOB
DEAP THROAT
GAY MUTHA FUCKIN QUEER
GONZAGAS
HERSHY HIGH WAY
INSEST
JAPCRAP
MASTABATER
NEON DEON
POCKET POOL
RAE CARRUTH
SHAWTYPIMP
SPERM HEARDER
UPSKIRT

NFL's 1,159 Naughty Words

it ain't ar-kansas...

Friday links: four for wes edition

1. Worldmap

2. Horse eComics

3. Louis vs Rick

4. Alien Autopsy

Doctors and death

It’s not a frequent topic of discussion, but doctors die, too. And they don’t die like the rest of us. What’s unusual about them is not how much treatment they get compared to most Americans, but how little. For all the time they spend fending off the deaths of others, they tend to be fairly serene when faced with death themselves. They know exactly what is going to happen, they know the choices, and they generally have access to any sort of medical care they could want. But they go gently.

Of course, doctors don’t want to die; they want to live. But they know enough about modern medicine to know its limits. And they know enough about death to know what all people fear most: dying in pain, and dying alone. They’ve talked about this with their families. They want to be sure, when the time comes, that no heroic measures will happen—that they will never experience, during their last moments on earth, someone breaking their ribs in an attempt to resuscitate them with CPR (that’s what happens if CPR is done right).

Almost all medical professionals have seen what we call “futile care” being performed on people. That’s when doctors bring the cutting edge of technology to bear on a grievously ill person near the end of life. The patient will get cut open, perforated with tubes, hooked up to machines, and assaulted with drugs. All of this occurs in the Intensive Care Unit at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars a day. What it buys is misery we would not inflict on a terrorist. I cannot count the number of times fellow physicians have told me, in words that vary only slightly, “Promise me if you find me like this that you’ll kill me.” They mean it. Some medical personnel wear medallions stamped “NO CODE” to tell physicians not to perform CPR on them. I have even seen it as a tattoo.

How Doctors Die

3E's New Year's Resolutions

Live our lives as if this song were always playing in the background

Time to get back to regular posting schedules

Or maybe not, we'll see.

SERIOUSLY, VEGASBOT...

WHY DID YOU SUCK THAT ONE YEAR?

VEGASBOT: 18 - 5
CHARLESBOT: 14 - 9
CAPTAINBOT: 13 - 10

bwahaahahappy new year

here is what has and what will happen

AS A MATTER OF FACT

Christmas

3Even Steven

1.1

3E Winter Meeting Report

Success!

sorry everybody, i was busy

So I'm not going to write blurbs or whatever. I'm done. Here are the CRISIS games. For the interested observer, Chaz has the favorite in 8 of the 13.


Bowl
Date
Chaz'z Pick vs. Tha Captainz Pick

St. Petersburg Bowl
12/20/11
Marshall vs. FIU

Hawai'i Bowl
12/24/11
Nevada vs. Southern Miss

Military Bowl
12/28/11
Toledo vs. Air Force

Holiday Bowl
12/28/11
California vs. Texas

Pinstripe Bowl
12/30/11
Rutgers vs. Iowa State

Kraft Fights Hunger Bowl
12/31/11
UCLA vs. Illinois

Peach Bowl
12/31/11
Auburn vs. Virginia

Outback Bowl
1/2/12
Michigan St. vs. Georgia

Capital One Bowl
1/2/12
South Carolina vs. Nebraska

Rose Bowl
1/2/12
Oregon vs. Wisconsin

Sugar Bowl
1/3/12
Michigan vs. Virginia Tech

BBVA Compass Bowl
1/7/12
Pittsburgh vs. SMU

BCS National Championship
1/9/12
LSU vs. Alabama

Charles picks some bowls

New Mexico Bowl
12/17/11
Temple (-6.5) vs. Wyoming
I got to see a good pick of Temple on the teevee because of the NBA lock-out. Good start!
My pick: TEMPLE

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
12/17/11
Utah St. (-2.5) vs. THE Ohio University
Utah State has the momentum. They're also better than their record suggests.
My pick: UTAH STATE

New Orleans Bowl
12/17/11
San Diego St. (-4.5) vs. UL-Lafayette
ULL is much closer to home, but isn't there a lot of talk that their coach might be going somewhere else? That's reason enough to pick the favorite.
My pick: WHERE IN THE WORLD IS SAN DIEGO STATE

St. Petersburg Bowl
12/20/11
Marshall vs. FIU (-4)
Marshall's coach is actually named Doc Holliday. Plus, I heard a rumor that Mario Cristal Ball is going to get hired at Pitt. Our first upset selection!
My pick: MARSHALL

Poinsettia Bowl
12/21/11
Louisiana Tech vs. TCU (-10.5)
I almost picked an upset here, for the letdown factor etc, but TCU is just way better than La Tech.
My pick: TCU

Las Vegas Bowl
12/22/11
Arizona St. vs. Boise St. (-14)
Arizona State hired a huge dick of a coach, and their players know it, and this has been a terrible season. BSU isn't going to be excited about this, I don't think, but their opponents probably just want this thing to get over. Neither of these teams should be here, for opposite reasons.
My pick: BOISE STATE

Hawai'i Bowl
12/24/11
Nevada vs. Southern Miss (-6)
SEE I MET THIS WOMAN FROM HAWAII/STUCK IT IN HER ASS AND SHE SAID AAIII
My pick: NEVADA

Independence Bowl
12/26/11
Missouri (-5) vs. North Carolina
North Carolina is not very good, and neither is Missouri, but they are on a winning streak. In a couple of years this will be an intraconference game.
My pick: MISSOURA

Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl
12/27/11
Purdue (-2.5) vs. Western Michigan
This should be a fun game. Going with the name brand football program. Wait, no, that doesn't work. Going with the better team. No, not that either. WeMU lost to Michigan by 24; Purdue only lost by 22. I pick the Boilermakers by 2.
My pick: PURDUE

Belk Bowl
12/27/11
NC State (-3) vs. Louisville
Here's two pretty uneven teams. I am guessing more than usual.
My pick: LOUISVILLE

Military Bowl
12/28/11
Air Force vs. Toledo (-3)
I would have picked Toledo, because they're actually pretty good and their offense is strong, but then their coached left. But then the offensive coordinator was named coach, so he'll want to do a good job and the offense will want to look good for him. So, yeah.
My pick: TOLEDO

Holiday Bowl
12/28/11
California vs. Texas (-3)
The Holiday Bowl is frequently a destination for teams I feel like should have gone to a bigger bowl game. But then, not always. I don't think I watched much Cal this year, but they appear to have finished strong. I watched Texas a fair bit and was not impressed.
My pick: CALIFORNIA

Champs Sports Bowl
12/29/11
Notre Dame vs. Florida St. (-3)
Catholics vs. Indigenous Peoples, round 2! I think Brian Kelly is a better coach, and I watched the Florida-Florida State game.
My pick: NOTRE DAME

Alamo Bowl
12/29/11
Washington vs. Baylor (-9)
Take a drink every time someone mentions the Heisman and a shot for each mention of Superman, socks, or Superman socks. Also: Washington is not a good football team.
My pick: BAY, LORD OF THE BEARS

Armed Forces Bowl
12/30/11
Tulsa vs. BYU (-3)
If I were a betting man, I would take the over on this game, which I've seen in the mid-50s. I am picking BYU just because they ended the regular season in a stronger fashion.
My pick: BYU

Pinstripe Bowl
12/30/11
Iowa St. vs. Rutgers (-1.5)
Rutgers, I guess, is kind of at home.
My pick: RUTGERS

Music City Bowl
12/30/11
Mississippi St. (-7) vs. Wake Forest
Wake Forest got blown out by Vanderbilt. Mississippi State is at least as good as Vanderbilt. People seem to think that Mississippi State is having a down year, but they've lost to a bunch of ten-win teams and the defending national champ at that team's season peak.
My pick: MISSISSIPPI STATE

Insight Bowl
12/30/11
Oklahoma (-14) vs. Iowa
Oklahoma is way better. If they're unhappy about the lower bowl and don't play well, they win comfortably. If they're angry and play like it, blowout.
My pick: OKLAHOMA

Texas Bowl
12/31/11
Texas A&M (-10) vs. Northwestern
This is a tough pick. Texas A&M is a better team, but their coach got fired and this is not the kind of bowl game they expected at the start of this season. I am going with the team that's more emotionally invested.
My pick: NORTHWESTERN

Sun Bowl
12/31/11
Georgia Tech (-3.5) vs. Utah
Georgia Tech is better, but Utah is well-coached and will have plenty of time to get ready for the option.
My pick: UTAH

Liberty Bowl
12/31/11
Cincinnati vs. Vanderbilt (-2.5)
I think Vanderbilt was close to being a pretty good team this year. It was too far apart in the season to mean anything, but Vanderbilt did lose closer to their common opponent Tennessee.
My pick: VANDY

Kraft Fights Hunger Bowl
12/31/11
UCLA vs. Illinois (-2.5)
When people talk about there being too many bowl games, they think they're talking about games like Tulsa-BYU, but they are really talking about games like this. Two bad, headless losers flailing like bad, headless children. They're playing in a stupid bowl game with a dumb name. It is closer to UCLA's campus, and that is how I am picking.
My pick: UCLA

Peach Bowl
12/31/11
Virginia vs. Auburn (-1.5)
When you get right down to it, these aren't very good teams. Both teams got blown out by their rivals, but Auburn's rivals are much better than Virginia's. Losing Mike Dyer hurts, but Auburn has still got quality running backs, and the coaches seem to have forgotten about him anyway.
My pick: AUBURN, BECAUSE HEY, WHY NOT?

Ticket City Bowl
1/2/12
Penn St. vs. Houston (-5.5)
I imagine that Penn State will not give this game their undivided attention. There's a good chance that Houston will be a bit unhappy about missing a BCS bowl, but that will wear off by January. I would be more surprised by a Penn State win than by a Houston blow-out.
My pick: HOUSTON

Outback Bowl
1/2/12
Michigan St. vs. Georgia (-4)
I still am not convinced that Georgia is a very good team. Better than average? Sure. But they haven't beaten what I would call a strong team all season. Their best win is ... maybe Georgia Tech? That just doesn't do a lot for me. Michigan State, on the other hand, has looked good against good teams.
My pick: MICHIGAN STATE

Capital One Bowl
1/2/12
South Carolina (-2.5) vs. Newbraska
This is a pretty interesting game. South Carolina looked very good against Clemson. I think the Capital One Bowl is big enough that they won't feel bad about missing the SEC title game or a better bowl (which is what happened when they played in Birmingham).
My pick: SAKERLINA

Gator Bowl
1/2/12
Florida (-2) vs. Ohio St.
Part of me imagines that Charlie Weis is out of the way, and Florida suddenly has one of the two or three best offenses in America. But probably not, because Florida sucks. A mediocre match-up of mediocre teams.
My pick: AN OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY

Rose Bowl
1/2/12
Wisconsin vs. Oregon (-6)
This should be fun. Two offenses that are very good in different ways. Wisconsin is strong, but I don't see them keeping up with Oregon, a team with some of the best skill players in the country and who very easily could have been playing for the national title.
My pick: OREGON

Fiesta Bowl
1/2/12
Oklahoma St. (-3.5) vs. Stanford
This should be fun. Two offenses that are very good in different ways. Stanford is strong, but I don't see them keeping up with Oklahoma State, a team with some of the best skill players in the country and who very easily could have been playing for the national title.
My pick: OKLAHOMA STATE

Sugar Bowl
1/3/12
Virginia Tech vs. Michigan (-2.5)
Like Georgia, Virginia Tech has a fancy record but little reason to think that they're very good. Michigan, in contrast, has played (and beaten!) good teams.
My pick: MICHIGAN

Orange Bowl
1/4/12
Clemson (-3.5) vs. West Virginia
The ACC is a lot better than the Big East. I think Dana Holgorsen is a fine coach, better than his opponent, but Clemson is just the stronger team overall.
My pick: CLEMSON

Cotton Bowl
1/6/12
Kansas St. vs. Arkansas (-8)
Bill Snyder is the best coach in America. I still think Arkansas wins, because they're a much better team, but close.
My pick: ARKANSAS

BBVA Compass Bowl
1/7/12
SMU vs. Pittsburgh (-5)
I have heard that Pittsburgh's team is really upset about their coach leaving. Will that come out as an angry team playing hard, or a flat team going through the motions? I think angry. Also, neither of these teams are very good, SMU particularly.
My pick: PITT

GoDaddy.com Bowl
1/8/12
Arkansas St.(-1.5) vs. Northern Illinois
I'm surprised ASU is favored, as Northern Illinois finished with basically the same record in a tougher conference against a tougher schedule. Arkansas State is also going through a coaching change. Arkansas State seems pretty excited about their new coach, but interim coaches often have trouble. Also I am still partial to NIU for upsetting Alabama several years ago.
My pick: NORTHERN ILLINOIS

BCS National Championship
1/9/12
LSU (-1) vs. Alabama
LSU is the better team and won the first match-up at Alabama. Also, even if Alabama wins this game, I would vote LSU number one, because LSU played a tougher schedule and won the game in Tuscaloosa.
My pick: LSU

Taekwondo finger

After looking over my pix...

I'm conceding the 2011 3E Bowl Pick Them.

Congratulations to all who participated.

holy crap, everybody

I left the Tickey City Bowl off that list!

Scale, politics, and historians

Where, when, why, and how did this renunciation happen? When did the American left, such as it is, abandon scale as a worthy topic? As a historical matter, where can we locate the demise of "small is beautiful" liberal politics? Why is the argument for a devolution of power right wing? Why is the dial on American "progressive" politics stuck on the "massive" setting? None of this just happened. It's a development with roots, and with dire effects.

Small Is Horrible

New Mexico jokes

get pumped get pumped

Matchemups. Lines are today's lines from sportsbook.com. Picks on Friday.

New Mexico Bowl
12/17/11
Temple (-6.5) vs. Wyoming

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
12/17/11
Utah St. (-2.5) vs. THE Ohio University

New Orleans Bowl
12/17/11
San Diego St. (-4.5) vs. UL-Lafayette

St. Petersburg Bowl
12/20/11
Marshall vs. FIU (-4)

Poinsettia Bowl
12/21/11
Louisiana Tech vs. TCU (-10.5)

Las Vegas Bowl
12/22/11
Arizona St. vs. Boise St. (-14)

Hawai'i Bowl
12/24/11
Nevada vs. Southern Miss (-6)

Independence Bowl
12/26/11
Missouri (-5) vs. North Carolina

Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl
12/27/11
Purdue (-2.5) vs. Western Michigan

Belk Bowl
12/27/11
NC State (-3) vs. Louisville

Military Bowl
12/28/11
Air Force vs. Toledo (-3)

Holiday Bowl
12/28/11
California vs. Texas (-3)

Champs Sports Bowl
12/29/11
Notre Dame vs. Florida St. (-3)

Alamo Bowl
12/29/11
Washington vs. Baylor (-9)

Armed Forces Bowl
12/30/11
Tulsa vs. BYU (-3)

Pinstripe Bowl
12/30/11
Iowa St. vs. Rutgers (-1.5)

Music City Bowl
12/30/11
Mississippi St. (-7) vs. Wake Forest

Insight Bowl
12/30/11
Oklahoma (-14) vs. Iowa

Texas Bowl
12/31/11
Texas A&M (-10) vs. Northwestern

Sun Bowl
12/31/11
Georgia Tech (-3.5) vs. Utah

Liberty Bowl
12/31/11
Cincinnati vs. Vanderbilt (-2.5)

Kraft Fights Hunger Bowl
12/31/11
UCLA vs. Illinois (-2.5)

Peach Bowl
12/31/11
Virginia vs. Auburn (-1.5)

Outback Bowl
1/2/12
Michigan St. vs. Georgia (-4)

Capital One Bowl
1/2/12
South Carolina (-2.5) vs. Nebraska

Gator Bowl
1/2/12
Florida (-2) vs. Ohio St.

Rose Bowl
1/2/12
Wisconsin vs. Oregon (-6)

Fiesta Bowl
1/2/12
Oklahoma St. (-3.5) vs. Stanford

Sugar Bowl
1/3/12
Virginia Tech vs. Michigan (-2.5)

Orange Bowl
1/4/12
Clemson (-3.5) vs. West Virginia

Cotton Bowl
1/6/12
Kansas St. vs. Arkansas (-8)

BBVA Compass Bowl
1/7/12
SMU vs. Pittsburgh (-5)

GoDaddy.com Bowl
1/8/12
Arkansas St.(-1.5) vs. Northern Illinois

BCS National Championship
1/9/12
LSU (-1) vs. Alabama

metal monday

Vivaldi Four Seasons Summer Theme Cover

Tebow time

Police militarization

Within moments, and without Guerena firing a shot--or even switching his rifle off of "safety"--he lay dying, his body riddled with 60 bullets. A subsequent investigation revealed that the initial shot that prompted the S.W.A.T. team barrage came from a S.W.A.T. team gun, not Guerena's. Guerena, reports later revealed, had no criminal record, and no narcotics were found at his home.

Sadly, the Guerenas are not alone; in recent years we have witnessed a proliferation in incidents of excessive, military-style force by police S.W.A.T. teams, which often make national headlines due to their sheer brutality. Why has it become routine for police departments to deploy black-garbed, body-armored S.W.A.T. teams for routine domestic police work? The answer to this question requires a closer examination of post-9/11 U.S. foreign policy and the War on Terror.

How the War on Terror Has Militarized the Police

3E approves

3e is totally gay for cam newton

stiff little fingers

I like this guy.

still not seeing it.

fun to make maps, though.

I like this guy

Pareidolia Monday

1. "Pareidolia is a psychological phenomenon involving a vague and random stimulus (often an image or sound) being perceived as significant. Common examples include seeing images of animals or faces in clouds, the man in the moon or the Moon rabbit, and hearing hidden messages on records played in reverse. The word comes from the Greek para- – "beside", "with", or "alongside"—meaning, in this context, something faulty or wrong (as in paraphasia, disordered speech) and eidōlon – "image"; the diminutive of eidos – "image", "form", "shape". Pareidolia is a type of apophenia."

2. An Introduction to Sine-Wave Speech

almost here, you guys

in a sea of chaos, it's nice to know the sun belt is out there...

keepin it well ordered.

THIS JUST IN

SCHOOLS I'VE APPLIED TO SHOW LITTLE OR NO CORRELATION TO LIGHTNING STRIKE DENSITY.

oh yeah i'm going for it

Georgia (+13.5) vs. Louisiana St.

Bombers

During WWII, statistician Abraham Wald was asked to help the British decide where to add armor to their bombers. After analyzing the records, he recommended adding more armor to the places where there was no damage!

This seems backward at first, but Wald realized his data came from bombers that survived. That is, the British were only able to analyze the bombers that returned to England; those that were shot down over enemy territory were not part of their sample. These bombers’ wounds showed where they could afford to be hit. Said another way, the undamaged areas on the survivors showed where the lost planes must have been hit because the planes hit in those areas did not return from their missions.

Selection bias and bombers

Last pick nerds

Last week, I went 6-2 straight up and 4-4 against the line. That puts me at 69-12 straight up and 42-39 against the line. Once again for this week, bold to win, caps to cover the line. It all comes down to this final pick.

Georgia (+13.5) vs. LSU

this just in

Wes' family photo Christmas card finally arrived!