Alternative news reporting

Sometimes, satire speaks the greatest truth.  This is the best thing I’ve seen in the Onion in a while:

STATE COLLEGE, PA—After former Penn State defensive coach Jerry Sandusky was charged Saturday with multiple counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, corruption of minors, indecent assault, and unlawful contact with minors, the national sports media sought out his victims this week to ask if they were worried about Joe Paterno’s legacy and how their molestations might affect the recently fired head coach’s place in the history books.

Describing the downfall of Paterno as “clearly the most devastating thing to come out of the sex scandal,” outlets from ESPN to USA Today asked Sandusky’s victims if, while being forced to engage in oral and anal sex with a man 40 to 50 years their senior, their primary fear was for Paterno’s reputation—and, specifically, for how revelations of their suffering might diminish his two national championships, three Big Ten titles, and 24 bowl victories.

“This is obviously a sensitive subject for you, and I understand how difficult and uncomfortable it must be to talk about the abrupt end of JoePa’s career, but as a journalist, it’s my responsibility to weed past the 40 counts of sexual misconduct over a 15-year period and the gross negligence on the part of school authorities and ask about what is really important here: Joe Paterno’s football accomplishments,” Steve Wieberg ofUSA Today said to one anonymous victim, who was 10 years old when Sandusky assaulted him and who now suffers from irreparable emotional and psychological damage. “He is the winningest Division I football coach of all time and a man whose very name is synonymous with excellence. As a Penn State fan yourself, this must be very tough for you.”

Chart of the day

Not that he was starting from a high point, but losing half your value in a day is not good.  Here’s Rick Perry’s last month on intrade:

Notice that volume of selling (the green bars) as well.  I thought Rick Perry might not yet be totally dead, just mostly dead.  Now I’m in the totally dead category.   Miracle Max cannot help

Penn State

I really want to write a nice long post on this, but I never get as much time to blog as I want on Tu-Th.  Damn teaching.  Anyway, really enjoyed this take from Science Fiction author/blogger, John Scalzi:

You know, there’s a part of me who looks at the actions of each of non-raping grown men in the “Pennsylvania State University small-child-allegedly-being-raped-by-a-grown-man-who-is-part-of-the-football-hierarchy” scandal and can understand why those men could rationalize a) not immediately acting in the interests of a small child being raped, b) not immediately going to the police, c) doing only the minimum legal requirements in the situation, d) acting to keep from exposing their organization to a scandal. But here’s the thing: that part of me? The part that understands these actions? That part of me is a f***ing [I edited for profanity] coward. And so by their actions — and by their inactions — were these men.

Also, what really bothers me– rioting because people who enabled a likely child molester got fired for it. But I don’t think Paterno or the others who looked the other way are bad people– just cowards.

Photo of the day

Recently discoverd the National Geographic Photo of the Day.  It’s gone into my bookmarks.  Love this recent entry:

Food Lion parking lots and right-wing yahoos

So, I made a quick run to Food Lion to pick up some stuff for dinner last night.  I was wearing my replica Aston Villa jersey that looks exactly like this:

One of the things I like about it is rather than a casino– like their current sponsor– or some on-line betting website, etc., the sponsor is Acorns– a children’s hospice in the UK.  Didn’t think about the fact that for Fox News viewers, they might think I was supporting the now-defunct radical communist community organization that was looking to completely subvert American democracy.   Anyway, I’m pretty sure that was the intent behind the scornful “Acorn?!!” I received from an older white make while walking in to the store to do my shopping.

[For anyone that cares, I'm actually more of an Aresenal fan, but I do like Aston Villa, too.]

Mitt Romney: Luckiest candidate ever?

The guy who– at least on paper– would appear to have the strongest credentials to present a real challenge turns out to be a complete and utter buffoon.  This is literally unreal.  I honestly expect I will enjoy showing this to Political Science students who have yet to be born: