Guess who's back, back again...

Ok, you know... it's me. At least, I think I'm back. Keep your fingers crossed. This place has been pretty dead recently, and if there is anything right in this world, that will change. Also returning today are two of my favorite topics. Close your eyes and guess. Of course, you'll be right.

NUMBER ONE

It's that loud, obnoxious jerk at the party who showed up drunk and has already spilt his drink on half the guests and conversed way to breathily with the other half. Everybody wants him to at least shut-up but really hopes he'll leave...they'll settle for pass out, though.

"Hello Mr. BCS, crapped on any football seasons lately?"
Why yes, yes I have.

We all saw OU get it's various and sundry body parts handed to it a week ago. To many in the sports punditry business this removed all doubt that they were the champions. Small problem. I just checked and there are two other teams that finished without losing a game. One being from a superior conference to that of the "champion". That team, Auburn, played four games against a team that was in the top ten, yet somehow there schedule is deemed weak. I guess that's possible...no...no I don't.
This broken logic would be comparable to declaring the Colts NFL champions based on their blow-out win on Sunday. It was very impressive. Surely, they got lots of style points for that kind of victory. What? Style doesn't count in the NFL? You have to...win it on the field? Crazy NFL.

NUMBER 2

Oh, I've missed you so. Why have you stayed away so long. Oh yeah, you're a component of an incompetent, insipid organization. (Piano pounding) Da, da, da, da. Rathergate.
Some people took the fall. In the end CBS is no worse for wear because of this, though. The findings of the independent panel (independent of what? reason?) are a joke. "Please tell us what we already know and don't answer any of the really important questions....Thanks." All you need to read in the report is this:

"The Panel does not find a basis to accuse those who investigated, produced, vetted or aired the Segment of having a political bias."

Ahem. Righto.
So a producer ram-rods a story through with obvious political ramifications, a producer described as such in the NYTimes: "a star producer overruling the better judgments of an entire series of top news executives. One senior CBS executive said many staff members seemed to be more afraid of Ms. Mapes than of Mr. Heyward, which could help undermine his position with the staff." (HT - Powerline) Also, the producer is known to have contacted and worked with Kerry campaign senior officials on the piece. Yet, no political bias. If you think CBS is hurt by this, and if you think that one line above is not that crucial ask why the president of CBS wrote this:

"We are also gratified that the Panel, after extensive analysis and consideration, has found that, while CBS News made numerous errors of judgment and execution in this story, these mistakes were not motivated by any political agenda. As the Report states, 'The Panel does not find a basis to accuse those who investigated, produced, vetted or aired the Segment of having a political bias." (HT - Hugh)

"Welcome to status quo."

In other news... We seem to have finally reached that first day of winter where my immune system succumbs to the variants of weather and co-existing with other humans. Then it must be memorialized with the annual "trip to the store to buy Cold-Eeze." Lozenges that actually seem to make me feel better. And with my inability to breath and that sensation of an S.O.S. pad standing in for my throat, feeling better seems like a pretty good option.