Random Thoughts 1/21/10

• We do not need more government to make things better. This path is unsustainable and you have to think that the politicians know that…
• This is the funniest version I've seen. It's been a popular meme this last year to insert new subtitles into the scene from the movie Downfall where Adolf Hitler goes on a tirade. Because the scene is spoken in German, YouTube is full of scenes with Hitler having a furious outburst about dozens of different topics, from politics to pop culture. This one, about the election of Scott Brown in Massachusetts, seemed like a good fit. [Warning, there's a small amount of profanity in the subtitles.].
• How long should a wallet last? I prefer leather single-fold wallets, and I've really liked the last two that I've had, but the they only seem to last maybe two years before they start falling apart. Doesn't that seem short? Is two years in your back pocket (while relatively empty) all the longer a wallet should last? I'm trying not to resort to duct tape, here…
• Here I am watching every episode of American Idol again. What's wrong with me? I don't really like that show do I?
• Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk. KU.
  
• Speaking of basketball, Roy Williams' North Carolina has lost three in a row now. On the one hand, there's a lot of schadenfreude on the part of Kansas fans toward Roy and the Tarheels. On the other hand, you really want your rivals to do well… until you play them. But you can't beat your rival in the big tournament if they never make it there. For KU fans, programs like North Carolina, Kentucky, and Duke are considered arch-rivals, so long as all the teams involved are good enough to be in the running in March/April. Right now, only Kentucky looks like it may be Final Four worthy.
• This line of thinking, i.e. that your rival is only really your rival if they are on the same level as you, is why K-State hasn't been a worthy rival for over 20 years. K-State has only won 4 of the last 50 games, since 1990 (Mizzou beat Kansas 14 times during that same period). Fortunately, K-State has one of their best teams in years, so they should do much better; the rivalry will be better for it. Missouri's rivalry has the added benefit of a neck-and-neck football rivalry and actual murder and bloodletting in its history with Kansas.