Alabama 80, Syracuse 71

ESPN.com – NCB – College Basketball Game Update

The Impossible Dream continues. First the #1 team, then the defending champions. It really is like a dream.

Actually, I was more nervous about this game than about Stanford. Stanford was actually a good matchup for Alabama, a big team but not particularly athletic or gifted in the perimeter. Syracuse, on the other hand, had size and athleticism. But the Tide rolled on.

I don’t really understand what Jim Boeheim was doing. Boeheim is a great coach, but Syracuse’s starting lineup was just too big for Alabama to handle (they were owning the boards) but then he pulled their center and went quick. That’s a mistake, because Alabama can go quick with anyone in the country. He made a classic mistake of going against his own strength to counter a perceived weakness.

I love Antoine Pettway. If you don’t like Antoine Pettway, you just don’t like basketball. Chuck Davis is pretty fun, too.

Next up, UConn. I actually picked Alabama to get to the Elite Eight coming in, but even I didn’t see how we could handle UConn, which seemingly has more talent than half the teams in the NBA. But I Believe.

Doesn’t TNR have researchers?

The New Republic Online: Easterbrook

Football Boy claims that because the NCAA doesn’t post graduation information for Alabama men’s basketball that

hardly anybody who gets a men’s basketball scholarship to ‘Bama ever graduates, and by appearances the school’s trustees and administrators could not care less.

Alabama coach Mark Gottfried, meanwhile, says that

In the past four seasons, all four of his senior classes have left by either May or August of their senior year having earned their diploma, giving Gottfried a 100% success rate in graduating his seniors since 2000.

I realize Gottfried is only a basketball coach, and not a blogger for the New Republic, but he’s got some familiarity with the issue. It’s called research, Gregg.

Lickin lichen

Scientists Say Lichen May Have Killed Elk

More than 300 elk in Wyoming have apparently died from eating a type of lichen that contains usnic acid, which is also used in diet pills. “Usnic”? Sounds gross.

I love headline English

CNN.com – New tape said to be bin Laden’s deputy – Mar 25, 2004

Read literally, this means that Osama’s current second in command is a VHS tape. This seems unlikely. In the future. consider the word “of”, guys. It’s only two letters!

My God, I’m nitpicky today.

Only in Miami

Juror is dismissed from Miami gun-planting trial

Okay, so three Miami police officers are on trial for covering up the planting of a gun following a 1995 double fatal shooting. The jury is deliberating, and one of the jurors’ homes was actually broken into while she was sleeping earlier this week, only to tamper with her air conditioning. The juror told the (Federal) judge that she thought it was possible someone sympathetic to the defendants was trying to scare her, and the judge dismissed her. Normally, I’d think she was exaggerating, but you hear things about South Florida police.

Migrants from where?

CNN.com – Coast Guard rescues migrants from inner tubes – Mar 25, 2004

Apparently they’re actually from the inner tubes, as far as this story is concerned. I assume they’re from Haiti or Cuba. We’ll find out soon enough. If we’re nice to them, they’re Cubans. If we’re mean, they’re Haitians.

Wait, I’ll check the Herald… Okay, we’re going to be nice.

Site Notes

1. Still adding to the blogroll, which eventually will be just as long and useless as it ever was. Priority goes to commenters; again, if I left you out I apologize, and please speak up so I can fit you in.

2. Warliberal.com should now take you here after a brief delay. If you use the url instead of a bookmark or link, that’s probably going to be easier.

3. “Only” the last 1000 posts from the Blogger versions of the site are still available. (They’re still on the Blogger server.) Does anyone know a way I can export more than 1000 entries?

You can do that?

Parent questions Bible distribution at public school

The Gideons, it turns out, are allowed to pass out copies of the New Testament at public schools in Mobile and Baldwin counties. Nobody told the kids’ parents that they’d be doing this, but they were sure to announce it after the bell.

Hey, guess what! The parent who complained wasn’t an atheist! She wasn’t even Jewish! She’s Catholic, as are a lot of Mobilians. The Gideons use the King James Version of the Bible, and Catholics use the Douay version. Not that she’s not going to be attacked as anti-religion.

Here’s a thought experiment for you… The schools say that the Gideons were treated just like any other organization that wanted to hand out literature on campus. Do you think that a Jewish organization would be? What about an Islamic organization, handing out copies of the Koran? What if an atheist organization wanted to hand out anti-religious material and copies of The Origin of Species?

Stupid congressional districts

Turner taking steps to run against Davis

See, I’d much rather vote for Artur Davis in the 7th district Democratic primary. But I don’t get to, because I’m just on the wrong side of an imaginary line. I’m in a Democratic district for state legislature, but Republican for US Congress. I don’t get it.

Anyway, this challenger supported Earl Hilliard’s reelection effort, so I wouldn’t be voting for him under any circumstances.

However, they do own an airline

Teachers’ pension plan ranks a little above U.S. median

The Retirement Systems of Alabama is doing okay in the market. Nothing special. Which means that a lot of money in the General Fund budget heads their way. The state (by law) has to spend more when RSA’s funding percentage is 100 percent or lower. It’s at 78, a little better than average for a state plan. Just another thing we have to spend money on without any idea where it’s coming from.