Quips: Quick commentary on politics, technology and life, I think.

Sunday, October 31

Fact checking I wish I had more time to do

Like many of you, I get e-mails from the more conservative wings of my family. Sometimes, it's just obvious that we have different world views. But sometimes it's stuff that just doesn't quite have a basis in reality. Rarely does it seem that directly replying will do any good, and really, why push something that might stress out the next family gathering.
  But I like having the truth out there, or at least as many sides of the story as we can find. So, when I get e-mail, I'll post about it, so if you should happen to find the same missive upon opening your inbox, you'll have a more fact-based way of reacting.

The most recent one is a letter from an Iowa Army National Guardsman talking about all the positives of the reconstruction of Iraq. Snopes, of course, has a fine page on the so-called Reynolds Rap. They also point to an Orwellian Times page that is equally if not more useful.

If you need one more page about war, there's a Washington Post story worth reading about what happened when the war in Afghanistan ran into the operations in Iraq.

Posted by jb, 11:49 PM :: :: #

Friday, October 29

I still say it's not an indicator

If past performance really is a predictor of future success, then throw out the polls and get ready for some football. Hard to believe, but it's true

The outcome of Washington Redskins home football games has correctly predicted the winner of every U.S. presidential election since 1936.

And yes, there've been stories and references in blogs everywhere, but Snopes, as reliable a guardian of truth as you'll find on the internet, has a full listing of the results of each game and election. Turns out, you can't make this stuff up. Of course, the Snopesians (probably not a word) also offer a conclusion:

What do we make of all this? Nothing. We see it as coincidence, as evidence that anyone who tries long and hard enough can find apparent patterns in any collection of data.

Posted by jb, 9:22 AM :: :: #

Thursday, October 28

Why Fallon was on the field

I have it on good authority that Jimmy Fallon was indeed at Busch Stadium last night. And while he probably looked happy, kissing whoever that was, because the Red Sox won, he was also getting paid:

Major League Baseball decided months ago to grant the Farrelly Brothers access to the field seconds after the final out of this World Series so the directors could film the ending to a movie called "Fever Pitch." It stars Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore. So, while the Red Sox were hugging and enjoying an authentic moment, here were Fallon and Barrymore sharing a long, sloppy, wet, phony Hollywood kiss near the pitcher's mound.

UPDATE 1:52 p.m. - The gossips at the Boston Herald provide more details. Seems originally the movie script didn't call for the Sox to win it all.

Posted by jb, 11:20 AM :: :: #

Trying to share and highlight, really I am

Because of the joy on the part of some of my co-workers, we'll herald the opening of an Ikea in metro Detroit.

• Freep: Ikea plans to bring store, 300 jobs to Canton and a column Ikea is store paradise with meatballs: "It's difficult to understand the fuss about Ikea coming to town unless you've been to the store. Ikea is a shopper's paradise."
• DetNews coverage is a littler sparser: Ikea to put 'cool' in Canton

And now, on to the rest of the news:

• Voters fear repeat of 2000 election: Poll shows 6 of 10 believe there won't be a winner Nov. 3 in presidential race
  » I pick the version in the SF Chronicle, mainly because of the way their homepage rewrote the headline: Poll: 2000 reasons to fear Tuesday
• At the Washington Post, they're doing Electoral College Calculus: Computer Analysis Shows 33 Ways To End in a Tie
• Increasingly, there's good stuff from the BBC: Salzburg skull could be Mozart's: Mozart's relatives face DNA tests and Man of colour: Jesus has been named a top black icon - but what colour was he?

Posted by jb, 10:36 AM :: :: #

Friday, October 15

Headlines of interest

Before I check out for the weekend, I feel the need to leave a trail to some headlines I found interesting today:

• 4-Star Plans After Abu Ghraib: Top administration figures are angling to promote Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, who ran detention facilities in Iraq, officials say.
• Presidential debate 1: Attacks Misleading And Out of Context: Debate Highlights Philosophical Split
• Presidential debate 2: A closer look at what the two candidates said
• Presidential debate 3: Liberals, Lawyers, And a Choice: George Will
• Under the "no-kidding" file: Halliburton's Interests Assisted by White House: The administration has lent support to a lucrative drilling technique. Some in the EPA consider it an environmental concern.
• Fewer blacks enroll at U-M: University links drop of 15 percent to new admissions approach
  UPDATE — Here's the Free Press version: Freshman numbers on decline
• Joel Connelly of the Seattle P-I's "In the Northwest" column: More drilling? Let's consider energy alternatives
• An interesting look at religious life: Muslim children eager to join fast of Ramadan
• For Expos, Next Year Starts Now: Advance Work Can't Wait Until Resolution Of D.C. Stadium Deal
• Sleepwalkers who have 'sex sleep'
• A Home That Jazz Can Call Its Own: The New York Times looks at the new home of Jazz at Lincoln Center

Posted by jb, 8:50 PM :: :: #

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