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And There Was Light: Abraham…

And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle, Jon Meacham.

Lincoln was under a lot of pressure during the 1864 presidential election, even from his own party, to negotiate an end to the war and make concessions on slavery. He refused and was reelected.

Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology, Chris Miller.

From invention of the transistor to COVID chip shortages. U.S. vs. China. Even Amazon and Google have entered the chip design business.

If Jim wants to circumvent…

If Jim wants to circumvent the Chargers’ owners ability to fire him “for cause” and put the decision into the hands of a 3-member panel, I don’t think it will fly.

If what has been reported is…

If what has been reported is true, I'm not sure why the University would put up with Harbaugh's demands. Like "immunity from termination." Prohibiting the AD from firing him “for cause." And protections from future NCAA violations. Demands they wouldn't accept from any other head coach. And Harbaugh's demand for a lower buyout is essentially a request for the University to help him obtain NFL employment. Ono and the University would look absolutely foolish caving to such demands. All with no assurance Harbaugh would even stick around from year to year. Why would they even believe such a commitment? If Harbaugh views these demands as essential for his continued employment at the University it is time to show him the door.

Harbaugh is also seeking a…

Harbaugh is also seeking a delay in the start date of the new contract to maintain a lower buyout that NFL teams would have to pay Michigan to hire him away. The buyout in his current contract dropped from $2.25 million to $1.5 million on January 11. 

Sounds like Harbaugh wants the University to help him get an NFL job. Sounds reasonable.

"It's your money and WE want…

"It's your money and WE want it now!"

Man! If the guy is unwilling…

Man! If the guy is unwilling to commit for just one year then just go already.

Nonsense! It’s not at all…

Nonsense! It’s not at all asinine to want and expect your head coach to stick around awhile if for no other reason than program stability. And, no doubt, that provision was only included because of Harbaugh’s actions the last two off-seasons. Harbaugh brought it on himself.

I make soup often in my…

I make soup often in my Instant Pot. Especially in Winter. Throw in your choice of vegetables, soaked or canned beans, tomato paste, chicken stock. Add some diced ham, sausage or chicken. High pressure for 10 - 15 minutes and dinner is served in 30 minutes or so.

"Those who stay will be…

"Those who stay will be benched."

“Smith is being targeted,…

“Smith is being targeted, along with Stalions, as a “fall guy” in the NCAA’s probe into the school, Smith said. Both of them are being “thrown under the bus.”
 

It’s unclear to me why Smith thinks Stalions is being “thrown under the bus” if he knows Stalions was indeed cheating and was financing it himself. How can Stalions be considered a “fall guy” when he admitted to Smith he was guilty?

I remember reading Totchman…

I remember reading Totchman's "insider" posts on the "Fort" several years ago.

At this point, it seems…

At this point, it seems rather silly defending Partridge. He apparently knew about the videos, or some other incriminating information, and where it was located. And had computer access rights to delete it. And there was apparently enough evidence to convince Michigan to fire him.

If Stalions' videos were on…

If Stalions' videos were on computers available to Partridge how many other staffers had access to them and knew about them? Waiting for more shoes to drop.

They found some of Stalions'…

They found some of Stalions' videos on Partridge's computer? Who knows? But it seems very unlikely absolutely nobody else on the staff knew what Stalions was doing. Or helped him decipher the signs contained on his videos.

"Again, my whole thing is…

"Again, my whole thing is...how much does it impact winning? "

I agree with your post. Michigan brought this entirely upon themselves by cheating. Blaming those who are pissed off about it is just a cheap way to justify and/or distract from the main issue - you cheated. "How much does it impact winning" is no excuse. Michigan obviously thought it DOES impact winning or they wouldn't have cheated.

And I don't think much of the excuse that Stalions was a lone wolf. Nobody else on the staff inquired about where he was getting his information? He shared his videos with nobody? Nobody else on the staff tried to glean information from them? Nobody else on the staff knew what he was doing? And poor little Jimmy Harbaugh was absolutely oblivious to the whole thing?

Agree! "Jim, run your fucking program. Period."

 

So Stalions surreptitiously…

So Stalions surreptitiously makes videos (or has them made by others) of opposing teams for the purpose of stealing signs to give Michigan a competitive advantage. Against the rules. And we are to believe he never shared them, or the information he gleaned from them, with other coaches or assistant coaches? That nobody on the staff ever saw them, ever knew of their existence, or ever inquired how or where Stalions was getting his information? And Harbaugh was completely in the dark about it all? 

But, I’m a Michigan fan and/or alum (which I am, by the way) and will make every excuse in the book to justify it all. Is it the end of the world? No. But don’t try to feed me B.S. that poor little Stalions was the lone perpetrator or participant in this fiasco.

“Thus, comprehensive…

“Thus, comprehensive victories against both would go a long way to suggesting whatever benefit this created was marginal and ultimately was not responsible for the program's success over the last few years.”

Sounds like you’re saying that the severity of the offense will be measured by how badly Michigan can defeat its remaining opponents. I doubt it. Breaking the rules is breaking the rules.  “Comprehensive victories” against future opponents is not going to change that.

It's hard to ignore that…

It's hard to ignore that Stalions' job description exactly dovetails with what he is accused of doing. Hard to believe (actually impossible) Harbaugh didn't know what was going on. Did Harbaugh ever ask:

Why isn't Stalions in his office today?

Where does all this great information on our opponents come from?

Where the hell is Stalions?

As a Michigan fan and alum, if Harbaugh is lying about knowing this was happening, or even if he didn't know what Stalions was doing, he deserves to be fired - either for lying, cheating and/or gross incompetence.

Manuel is getting played by…

Manuel is getting played by Harbaugh. First, he apparently tries to appease Harbaugh by letting him hire coaches with no assurance he will even stick around. Now, he apparently consents to letting his head coach openly search for another job. Hey Manuel, how about “finding a Michigan man to coach Michigan.” Time for Manuel to stop acting like a doormat.

I wonder if it will discover…

I wonder if it will discover any signs of intelligent life in our solar system.

A better question is why…

A better question is why would the new hires consent to coming here and move their families here without assurances from Harbaugh that he was staying? Getting that assurance would seem to me to be one of the very first things a prospective hire would ask. Unless, of course, they all like to play Russian roulette with their careers.

Funny, but you can…

Funny, but you can subscribed to the NYT right now for $1 a week for a year. A pretty good discount. It's the second time I've signed up at that price.

I hope McCarthy takes a…

I hope McCarthy takes a stranglehold on the QB position and keeps it. Cade’s primary selling point seems to be that he is a good leader and doesn’t often turn the ball over. In my view, that is not exactly a ringing endorsement. Those are the things you say to explain why an average QB has the job. I want a QB who has won the job primarily because his excellence on the field demands it over any other QB on the roster.

Pretty silly. You would…

Pretty silly. You would think Harbaugh had 100's of other more important things to do & think about.

If I may recommend another…

If I may recommend another excellent Apollo-era book that I enjoyed just as much:

"Apollo 13" by James Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger which, I believe, is a reprint of "Lost Moon" by the same authors. More a "biography" of what happened on the Apollo 13 flight than on Lovell specifically.

I pee in morse code.

I pee in morse code.

Regression to the mean - the…

Regression to the mean - the statistical phenomenon stating that the greater the deviation of a random variate from its mean, the greater the probability that the next measured variate will deviate less far. In other words, an extreme event is likely to be followed by a less extreme event.

Nigel Hamilton has a trilogy…

Nigel Hamilton has a trilogy about FDR and WWII. I have read the first two and can recommend them highly. He is highly complementary of FDR, less so Churchill:

1. "The Mantle of Command: FDR at War, 1941–1942"

2. "Commander in Chief: FDR's Battle with Churchill, 1943"

3. "War and Peace: FDR's Final Odyssey: D-Day to Yalta, 1943–1945"

Harbaugh's reasoning makes…

Harbaugh's reasoning makes sense if Michigan was playing itself. Of course, other teams will be involved along with numerous support staff. One infection can quarantine many players making fielding a competitive team problematic. And covid-19 can not only cause death in young people but may also cause serious long-term health consequences as well. Cancelling the season was the right decision, IMHO.

I find some behind-the-ear…

I find some behind-the-ear masks too tight. Some too lose. Some straps too thick (I wear glasses).

I purchased this style from https://losangelesapparel.net/products/3-pack-cotton-mask?variant=31978393862206. When I'm alone I just flip down the top strap and the mask hangs around my neck. These also wash well.

Social Distancing

Social Distancing

For those interested in WWII…

For those interested in WWII history I recommend Ian Toll’s history of the war in the Pacific. My dad served in the Marines in the South Pacific so I was very interested in this topic. I have read the first two volumes and they are excellent.

Pacific Crucible: War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942 (Vol. 1):

The Conquering Tide: War in the Pacific Islands, 1942-1944 (Vol. 2)

Twilight of the Gods: War in the Western Pacific, 1944-1945 (Vol. 3) (not yet published)

“Often overlooked, these are the years and fights that decided the Pacific War. Ian W. Toll's battle scenes—in the air, at sea, and in the jungles—are simply riveting. He also takes the reader into the wartime councils in Washington and Tokyo where politics and strategy often collided, and into the struggle to mobilize wartime production, which was the secret of Allied victory. Brilliantly researched, the narrative is propelled and colored by firsthand accounts—letters, diaries, debriefings, and memoirs—that are the raw material of the telling details, shrewd judgment, and penetrating insight of this magisterial history.”

(No subject)

Every States Least Favorite…

Every States Least Favorite State

https://www.nj.com/entertainment/2020/01/nj-hates-everyone-and-everyone-hates-nj-in-viral-map-just-another-day.html

Interesting question. Do you…

Interesting question. Do you play the guys who work the hardest or the guys you think give you the best chance to win no matter the work ethic? The importance of the QB position makes this question even more acute. Personally, I think it is more important for a coach to be seen as being fair. If it is the coach's general policy to sit players who refuse to put in the work, that policy should apply across the board no matter the position in question.

Teske can't guard Williams…

Teske can't guard Williams. Why not double team him?

You seem to assume that…

You seem to assume that Michigan can’t win big without cheating

and/or

the best recruits are academically disinterested or outright idiots

and/or

the best recruits want/expect payola.

I'm not buying any of it. There's no room for improvement in any area without lowering academic standards or cheating monetarily? Nonsense!

Note to self:

Shooting…

Note to self:

Shooting practice.

 

 

** From the desk of Juwan Howard **

I wonder if Beilein's…

I wonder if Beilein's dedication to his "system" becomes somewhat of a straight-jacket for some players. Hearing the comments of some current Michigan players under Howard seems to indicate they welcome the opportunity to improvise and be more creative than under Beilein. Interesting that Beilein seems to be bringing his "college style" to the pros while Howard is doing just the opposite - bringing a more open and creative style to Michigan.

I get the impression that…

I get the impression that because Brian "microstats" every game in detail he thinks his opinions are not to be messed with. It apparently gives him a sense of superiority and permission to easily dismiss the opinion of others.

As JFK said: "Ich bin ein…

As JFK said: "Ich bin ein Wolverine."

Come on Gattis. We did more…

Come on Gattis. We did more passing when it was raining like hell than we are doing now that the rain has stopped.

Love the way they are…

Love the way they are attacking the outside for a change.

Sure would be nice if, just…

Sure would be nice if, just for the helluvit, we ran the ball somewhere other than straight up the middle.

Brandstatter often gets…

Brandstatter often gets tongue-tied. The action is just much quicker than his ability to describe it. Not to mention the mistakes: “It’s a first down, no it’s just short.” “It’s a catch, no he dropped it.” Listening to him is frustrating.

Speed in space:

On third…

Speed in space:

On third and 15 - Option #1: Run the ball up the middle. Option #2: Throw a 6 yard pass.

Unless my ears were…

Unless my ears were deceiving me I believe I heard Harbaugh say on the postgame interview that Patterson played well. Followed by "he didn't make any mistakes." I guess the new bar for Patterson to please Harbaugh is "just don't make any mistakes." Seems to me an admission that Harbaugh now views Patterson as a liability.

Dammit Rita, where's my…

Dammit Rita, where's my nacho dip?

https://tucson.com/entertainment/dining/richrod-s-wife-shares-her-cherished-super-bowl-dip/article_1ddc5ccc-c93b-11e5-b60c-772666d22b1d.html

Johnson: “I don’t care. I…

Johnson: “I don’t care. I really don’t,” he says. “If they do [pay back the bonus], great, I put some more money in my pocket. But either way, I’m not trippin’.”

For someone who "doesn't care" about the "pay back" he sure talks and complains about it a lot. And it is the lead paragraph of the story. He's got million. Time to quit "trippin."

The Lions: There's nothing…

The Lions: There's nothing like winning, not because you are any good, but because your opponent sucks even worse than you do.