Edwin MacPhisto

Michigan's staring right at the Capital One Bowl (Big Ten #2 vs. SEC #2) against whoever loses the SEC championship game, most likely. Unless Wisconsin loses, in which case they'll probably flip.

I can't believe anyone else saw that. Damn secedin'-ass Idaho.

You know, I've got to agree with Munich here. I was so stoked to get Z in the Carnival during that big bad bump of '02. Sure, Frost always kinda owned him, but goddamn if I didn't see him bubbling with creativity. We wanted this guy like nobody else. After getting so involved in Wargames, I was sure he'd be rocking everyone's faces off by the end of the year. Ultimately, he left not too long after I did, and then came back to writing for a brief stint. No titles, not enough glory. How great it was, though, to see him turn into one of the fed's greatest-ever public servants. Looking back, it's not too surprising - of course the guy who lurked for an epoch and watched us even when he wasn't writing would be good at the booking thing. I can't think of anyone in the fed who's had a career like, except maybe for what Galatea did back at IGN - write only for a little while, and basically administer the rest of his time here. He also gets an honorary "I Survived a Silent Storyline" t-shirt. Them things take balls and gall. Cheers to the guy who gutted out late-nite cards like none other.

I'm not sure where anyone gets off claiming that Auburn struggled this week. A game lasts 4 quarters. After the half they'd worn Ole Miss down, and they proceed to kick the shit out of them in a stretch of about 10 minutes. I like the Sports folder because I can actually agree with MikeSC. Rock on, Auburn. This was a crazy week for the ACC. The two huge upsets are obviously what everyone's talking about. I was amazed at how well UNC played the Hurricanes. It wasn't a fluke win - it was just a win. Incredible job by the Tarheels, who are somehow 3-2 in the ACC with a very good chance at getting a bowl bid. A little lower on the radar is Clemson stuffing NC State. That brings Clemson up to 4-4...and NC State down to 4-4...and UNC is up to 4-4...and Wake is 4-4...don't forget that Maryland's now 4-4...and Georgia Tech is 4-3. Miami, Virginia, FSU, and Virginia Tech have pretty much shored up bowl bids, but it's going to be fucking ferocious as the rest of the teams battle it out for that prestigious spot in the MPC Computers bowl on Boise's blue field. Interestingly enough, 9 out of the 11 ACC teams received votes in the Coaches' poll, which is wacky.

You guys need to come visit the University of Virginia. You'll love it. The student population is split very evenly.

That's some silly non-correlative logic. Kerry's step-son says some dumb things. When Kerry married Theresa Heinz in 1995, this guy was already 22 years old. If you want to do the tinfoil hat thing and suspect that Kerry told his stepston to go out there and talk nasty shit about the President, go ahead. I'm sure Christmas dinner in the Heinz-Kerry household is filled with Jew jokes and discussion of what drug problem accusations to sling at the president. We're electing George Bush or John Kerry, not the Bush twins or Chris Heinz. I don't give a shit about what either family says. Dumb campaign move, sure. Legitimate reason to not vote for a candidate whose values align with your own? Only if you really have no political sense at all - if you're the type of person who's swayed by a Swift Boat Vets ad or a Springsteen/R.E.M. concert for Kerry. Also, your ridiculous statement implying that Kerry has a hard-on for hating Israel is nonsense. His voting record is quite pro-Israel, and he mirrors many of Bush's positions in support of Israel. If I were a Jew and serious about my Judaism, I'd be more concerned with the mandates of social morality and progression towards an evangelically Christian state that are occuring/likely to occur in a continued Bush administration.

Maybe a bit old, but not hopeless. Depeche Mode's not done recording, and Exciter was pretty good. The Pet Shop Boys are still putting out good stuff too, though not quite at the peak of the late 80s.

Rather than bother with the implications of a celebrity endorsement, let's talk about our favorite Smiths' songs. I'm a on a big "William, It Was Really Nothing" kick. One of my favorite of Johnny Marr's many jangly guitar lines. And "Panic" has got to be an all-time favorite.

THURSDAY Georgia Tech FRIDAY Boise State SATURDAY Oklahoma N.C. State Purdue Missouri Western Michigan Connecticut Kansas Mississippi State New Mexico Army Cincinnati Middle Tennessee State Wyoming Tulsa Georgia Ohio Texas Tech Oregon State Tiebreak #1: How many total points will be scored in the Hawaii/Boise State game? 86 Tiebreak #2: How many rushing yards will Georgia Tech's P.J. Daniels have against Virginia Tech? 115 I'll add another to the voice of not terribly liking the nobody pick-ems. With most of those it doesn't really seem like it's actually people's football knowledge; it's just guesswork, because Utah State and Middle Tennessee State really aren't differentiated to anyone. 2 or 3 is fine for a change, but I really dislike having 8-10 of the picks in that form.

Of all the songs in the world to have someone send you, you picked this one. I'll send you Ice Cube's "Givin up the Nappy Dug-Out," and nothing else.

I guess that would be okay, if it wasn't you who brought up the persecution of Oklahoma in this thread. No one got on your boys in this thread until you started complaining about people getting on your boys. Now leave it be. We understand your position, because it is the same every time you say it.

Another thread turned almost entirely into talk of OU. Can't you talk about a single other team without bringing in the Sooners?

Could it possibly be because the case was reopened for investigation in April of this year, and that investigation's currently underway? Or that scholarly and historical interest in the particulars of the Till case is at an all-time high, most notably personified by the excellent documentary PBS produced on it last year? Or that it's a historical piece that has nothing to do with the presidential election, and you'd think they could run it in October without someone having a shitfit? Not *everything* is about hating on the president, you know. And they couldn't run a race-baiting piece (and, yes, I fully expect a race-baiting piece) one week later? The news is going to change dramatically in ONE week? -=Mike It's not 60 Minutes' job nor is it anyone else's to do a week entirely of fluff news about nothing just so Bush and Kerry don't get offended. This has nothing to do with either candidate or political party. I don't know what sort of reporting you'd find acceptable for this week if this doesn't cut it.

Whatever. OU played pretty well against Texas and has been sluggish out of the gate in several of their games. They're still winning, which is wonderful and great, but when it's down to who's #2 and who's #3, these are some of the things you look at. Though honestly, I see no team playing better than Auburn right now. They've had zero letdowns, and as Ether just noted, they have unquestionably the most impressive schedule if they get through undefeated. Ultimately I don't care, because all I want at the end of the season are great bowl games. I think Auburn's the better team, but if I get stuck watching them play Miami, I think I'll cope.

I'd hoped he'd keep on making bands' careers for another 10 or 20 years. So long, John.

Could it possibly be because the case was reopened for investigation in April of this year, and that investigation's currently underway? Or that scholarly and historical interest in the particulars of the Till case is at an all-time high, most notably personified by the excellent documentary PBS produced on it last year? Or that it's a historical piece that has nothing to do with the presidential election, and you'd think they could run it in October without someone having a shitfit? Not *everything* is about hating on the president, you know.

That's certainly valid - the only really heavy group Pitchfork looks at regularly is Dillinger, and they don't do a good job of discussing most heavy, hard rock. It's kind of a ships in the night thing. If you're mostly after metal, definitely look elsewhere for good recommendations. Still, I think the spectrum of non-heavy music they cover (and cover favorably) is a lot wider than Waits and Radiohead, and I'm mentioning them as a broader source since this topic has been about music in general and not specifically metal/heavier tunes.

Actually, I think the Rose still could take Cal. FSU is #5, and while the Top 6 rule holds true for non-BCS conferences, I think it's only Top 4 = automatic bid for the BCS conferences. Unless they changed that from last year too. Now, if FSU wins out and squeaks up to the Top 4 and Miami still wins the ACC...then it's a-spankin'.

If Utah gets a BCS game, of course they'll get stuck with West Virginia. The only way they don't is if the Sugar Bowl grabs Utah first, and with the SEC champion probably still on the board, that won't happen. And if the Backyard Brawl doesn't go WVU's way, it could be Pittsburgh in the Fiesta. Yikes. I'll quietly let everyone sleep on both of the Virginia schools. One of them's taking Miami down.

The initial BCS standings are out. They're very boring, with the exception of one mild surprise: 1. USC 2. Miami 3. Oklahoma 4. Auburn 5. FSU 6. Wisconsin 7. Utah 8. California 9. Tennessee 10. Georgia 11. Texas 12. Purdue So, basically, the BCS standings are the polls, with the tiniest of adjustments (OU and Miami are separated by just .014). I liked the confusing asshole one much more. See a .pdf of the top 25 here.

Gorgeous video. Song's pretty typical stuff, as was discussed in the other thread, but that's a fine piece of animation.

Pitchfork is horrible. Sorry but if it doesn't sound like Radiohead, or Tom Waits, don't expect an album past 7. That's the jist of it. A really stereotypical reading of the site, but you know, if that were actually the case, I would still be pretty happy with it. They're a site that focuses on music that's usually below the mainstream radar or experimental stuff. That's what I go there for and they do their thing pretty nicely. Some musicians off the top of my head who've recently gotten scores over 9 and sound nothing like either Radiohead or Tom Waits: Wilco, Trail of Dead, Dizzee Rascal, The Streets, Madvillain, The Wrens, Loretta Lynn, Brian Wilson, Franz Ferdinand, Les Savy Fav, Basement Jaxx. I'm sure there are plenty more, too.

As much as I'd like Virginia to do the best they can, I kind of want them to be in the Peach Bowl if they don't win the ACC. The prospect of a UVA/Georgia or even UVA/Florida match-up is a lot more exciting to me than a Gator Bowl against Boston College. Though if Notre Dame wins a few more and grabs that Gator Bowl bid for themselves, I wouldn't at all mind heading to Jacksonville to watch the Cavaliers take on *the* iconic college football team.

Because you're shocked someone else likes them, or because Ben Gibbard gives you a hernia?

I don't think you're going to need to worry about it. Many of these teams will lose. The return to the 11-game season gives them a better chance. And West Virginia is going to be the Fiesta team, most likely. They'll be lower on the totem pole than Utah if the Utes win out. If USC and OU go the distance it'll be ACC/SEC in the Sugar.