Okay, so my stats have been going up quite a bit lately, which is always a good thing. One stat that bugs me though is web browser usage. Internet Explorer was getting pounded by Safari and Firefox for several months, but the percent of iBZP/Pohlitics readers who use IE is back up to 55%.

iBZP looks like a mess in Internet Explorer (thanks to the photo javascript code in the sidebar), and I've given up trying to make it look pretty for IE users. Microsoft's web browser sucks for a million different reasons that I won't bore you with. But please, PLEASE take a moment to go download Mozilla's Firefox. It's free, it works great, and you won't have any obnoxious ads/viruses/spyware killing your computer if you use it.



Thanks!

For some stupid reason this headline in the Free Press got me excited. Then I started reading the article. It's pretty much downhill from the beginning:

EAST LANSING -- Quarterback Drew Stanton energized his teammates during Tuesday's practice with a pointed speech about Michigan State's futility against Michigan over the past four seasons.

Players said Stanton asked how many of them could say they had beaten Michigan, and the ensuing silence provided the answer.

Quarterbacks coach Dan Enos is one of the few who could have answered "yes." He was MSU's quarterback on the 1990 team, the last group to beat the Wolverines in Ann Arbor, the site of Saturday's game. And technically, receiver Matt Trannon could have raised his hand -- he has beaten Michigan quite a few times in basketball.

"It's a feeling you can't describe," Trannon said. "I've told the guys how it feels and the satisfaction of it. ... That's what we're trying to do this Saturday."

MSU's last victory over Michigan came in 2001, and that disappoints players like linebacker Kaleb Thornhill, who grew up in a Spartans home.

Father Charlie "Mad Dog" Thornhill played on the 1965 and 1966 national championship teams and older brother Josh played in East Lansing in 1998-2001.

"I remember when I used to watch the games when my brother played," Thornhill said. "Just to see the (Michigan) fans and what they said after the game ... how arrogant they are ... man, it just leaves a bad taste in your mouth and makes you want to go out there and stick it to 'em."

Sigh. Where do I begin?

We haven't beat Michigan in the last four tries. There isn't a single player on the football team that's had the thrill of defeating Ann Arbor Community College, let alone on their home turf. We haven't done that since 1990 (and boy, as a Spartan fan, that was a great one).

It was unbelievably depressing to read Matt Trannon remarks about how satisfying it is to beat U of M... in basketball. It just cuts that much deeper for some reason, since all he's doing is reminding us how pathetic this football program has been over the past six seasons.

And reading about Charlie Thornhill and the glorious teams from 1965 and 1966 just sticks the shiv in a little deeper. Michigan State hasn't won a national championship in 40 years. LBJ was the president back then, fer cryin' out loud!

Here's my dad's prediction for tomorrow:

Well, my usual prediction: MSU 270, Ann Arbor Community College 0

My REAL prediction for tomorrow: AACC 56, MSU 9

I don't know how real I mean that to be, but I do expect to suffer a butt-whippin'. (the nine points is based on FINALLY having a kicker who can make a dang field goal).

Sigh. This whole thing just puts me in such a sour mood. Stef and I are actually going to the game in Ann Arbor tomorrow. It'll be the second MSU-UM football game I've ever attended, and my first time at the Big House. And as disgusting as it is to say... I don't really care if we win or lose. Don't get me wrong, I'll wear my green and white and I'll cheer on the Spartans, but even if we win it doesn't really change anything. We'll still be a mediocre team (at best) with a bleak outlook for the rest of the season if we walk out of there with a victory tomorrow.

And get this... next year's schedule is going to be tougher than this year's. Assuming John L. Smith somehow survives the 2006 season, he's going to have an even tougher time surviving the last year on his contract, which means... we're already talking about the 2008 season before we really have any hope of "turning the corner" again with another new coach. MSU football has been turning corners for 40 years.

We were close to a breakthrough after the exciting 2000 season when we beat Florida in the Citrus Bowl, but the coach who got us there, Nick Saban, ditched us before the bowl game to go to LSU... where he won a National Championship.

Normally this is when I would rhetorically ask when basketball season starts, but even the MSU basketball program will be young and inexperienced this year. Of course, Spartan fans know to never underestimate Tom Izzo, but that's the problem... John L. Smith ain't Tom Izzo.

Oh, the plight of the Spartan fan.

Now watch us go out there and win the damn thing tomorrow.

It's only October 6, people. When I walked out to my car this morning, I just stopped in my tracks as soon as I saw ice on my car. Seriously... WTF, MICHIGAN? Ice?

Gawd, we're in for a loooooooong fall/winter. When's my next vacation?

From my favorite fan site, atU2.com:

A new song and a cover of Scottish punk band the Skids' "The Saints Are Coming" with Green Day will be found on a U2 compilation due Nov. 21 via Interscope. The as-yet-untitled set, which will also be available in a deluxe edition, will feature "16 of U2's best-songs," according to the band's Web site.

Both the new song and the Skids cover were recorded last month at London's Abbey Road Studio with producer Rick Rubin. U2 and Green Day debuted the cover live last week at the re-opening of the New Orleans Superdome; it is available for download exclusively until Oct. 30 via Rhapsody, after which point it will hit additional download retailers. A CD single will follow on Nov. 6.

U2's most recent compilation, The Best Of 1990-2000, was released in December 2002 and included material up through the 2000 album All That You Can't Leave Behind.

Achtung Baby is still my favorite U2 album, but the first Best Of CD covering the band's first decade is definitely the better compilation disc.

While the 90s were U2's, um... "experimental" years, they still put out a lot of great material that never made it onto that 1990-2000 volume. Hopefully they pick the best stuff from 2000 to today on this new edition. Still, I am a little curious... if there are sixteen tracks (aside from the two new songs), isn't that basically everything leftover from the last two albums?

Am I really crazy enough to buy a CD filled with songs I already own?

Probably.

A little birdy just sent me the new Rassmussen numbers, via Pollster.com...

MI-Gov Rasmussen
49% Granholm-D*
42% DeVos-R

MI-Sen Rasmussen
56% Stabenow-D*
39% Bouchard-R

You have to scroll down in the "Most Recent Polls" box to see it. I guess these numbers aren't "official" yet, but Rassmussen should be publicly releasing them later today or tomorrow.

These numbers look good, especially coming from a Republican polling firm like Rassmussen. I'd still like to see the gov get over the 50% "safe" mark before election day, but I definitely like the way the polls have been trending lately. And what can I say about Debbie? She's smokin' Bouchard. This is great news.

Let's keep up the pressure. Make a donation to your favorite dems on the Pohlitics Act Blue page (FYI: yes, I'm the only boob who's made a donation so far, and no, that's not all the money I've given this year). If you can't make a donation, head down to one of the coordinated campaign offices for a few hours before election day to lend a hand.

Don't f#ck with Star Trek:

Scientists in Copenhagen took one more step toward the Star Trek transporter, figuring out how to teleport groups of billions of atoms from one place to another using light, quantum mechanics, magnetism and a concept they call "entanglement." Professor Eugene Polzik and his team managed to move an object about 18 inches, using an excruciatingly complicated process that amounts to some serious magic.

Energize, baby!

Next thing I want: photon torpedos. Let's get on that.

Okay, since I just got done yacking about all the cool new bells and whistles on my dad's new Camry, I think this is an appropriate top five category: the top five gadgets I can't live without:

1. iPod (I use it nonstop at work and in the car every day)
2. Cell Phone (how did I live without it; land lines are dead)
3. Tivo (no more complaining about bad TV; I can watch my favs again)
4. iSight (I can use it to actually see my mom in Ohio when we chat)
5. Keyless entry remote (mine can't start the car, but I can't live w/o it)

So, what gadgets can't you live without?

I mean green as in Al Gore green. The actual color is pretty much identical to this photo. There are lots of cool gadgets in the 2007 Camrys, including an electronic key fob that automatically unlocks the car as you approach the vehicle, no key to start the engine, bluetooth hands-free cell phone capabilities, crazy climate controls... the list goes on. Of course, the coolest feature is that this bad boy gets 38/40 MPG. Sure, gas is getting cheaper lately, but just wait until after election day... we'll all get hosed again.

Of course, taking my dad to pick this up on Tuesday, the irony was not lost on me that my dad was getting a cool new car on the same day that (a) my horn quit working (it actually might be functioning again... still ain't a good sign though) and (b) my driver's side window started acting funny. Yep, the Lumina is getting a bit long in the tooth. I've been talking about getting a new set of wheels off and on for the better part of a year, but until something major happens, I just can't bring myself to cough up the dough for a monthly car payment.

For the time being, I guess I'm left drooling over my dad's Camry.

I keep seeing sun in the forecast, but it keeps raining.

Seriously, I'm already sick of fall. Remind me why I live here again.

An even BIGGER Dick than DeVos will be in Michigan tomorrow. His name is Cheney, bitch! Say hello to his little friend!



Be afraid, Michigan. Be very afraid.

Puh-lease:

Despite two straight disappointing losses and rising fan criticism, university officials remain confident in football head coach John L. Smith and say his job is not in jeopardy.

MSU followed a fourth-quarter collapse against Notre Dame two weeks ago with a 23-20 Homecoming loss to Illinois on Saturday, after which Smith admitted he didn't fully prepare his team to play. The team sits at 3-2 with its next two games against Top 10 teams.

"A lot of coaches have lost two games," MSU Trustee Joel Ferguson said. "We lost one game by three points and another by three points. He's an excellent coach."

Athletics Director Ron Mason did not return a phone call Monday and was out of the office Tuesday. Mason told his staff that mid-season evaluations would not be made, said John Lewandowski, MSU's associate athletics director for communication.

Ron, there's more than Smith's legacy on the line here. Your ass is in this too. I know Mason will never publically slag off the guy he handpicked for the job, but sooner or later ya gotta cut your losses.

Regardless of how the season plays out, university officials maintain Smith's job is secure at least through the season.

"We got a lot of games ahead of us, and it seems to me that we all need to focus on the season in front of us," Trustee David Porteous said.

"That's where my focus is, and I hope where everybody's focus is."

A call to Simon's office was directed to university spokesman Terry Denbow, who supported Porteous' statement.

"You don't evaluate personnel in the middle of their activities," he said. "You evaluate programs after seasons. You don't evaluate coaches after games."

Normally I'd agree, but anyone who thinks the situation will improve in any major way by the end of the season is utterly delusional.

When asked about Bobby Williams, Smith's predecessor who was fired with three games remaining in the 2002 season, Denbow said: "We've talked about the reasons why (Williams was fired). I will never comment on comparisons between personnel, ever."

Lewandowski said comparing the situations was "comparing apples to oranges."

Williams had a career record of 16-17; Smith's record at MSU is 21-20.

Gee, great improvement on the record. Say what you will about Bobby Williams -- and believe me, I'm the last person to defend him as a coach -- but the guy was one hell of a recruiter. Has John L. Smith recruited a single great player? No. Things are getting worse, not better in East Lansing.

At Monday's press conference, Smith elaborated on his post-game comments and laughed when the comparison to Williams was brought up.

"We have the answers," he said. "I wasn't able to get them to focus on the correct answers at the time."

Because you're a shitty coach, that's why you couldn't get them to "focus."

We're screwed. MSU football is in the middle of its Lions-esque slide into total oblivion.

See you in Ann Arbor on Saturday. I'll bring the Asprin.

The trip to Las Vegas was wonderful, as expected. Many thanks to Stef and her parents for including me on this birthday getaway weekend. Anyway, here's the rundown...

Thursday: Great flight. We made it to LV by about 1 in the afternoon, but got hung up at the baggage claim while we waited for our suitcases to get unloaded. The airport was jam packed, and they were emptying three plane's worth of cargo on one conveyor, so it took about 45 minutes for us to gather all our bags before we could get out of there.

We made it to the Bellagio by mid-afternoon and got checked into our suite without any problems. There were two bedrooms attached to one big main living room area, so we just had to make sure to call the front desk to request a rollaway bed for me to use. The spread was pretty cool in the suite. We had a great view of the pool below us, and could see all the work they're doing on the ginormous City Center project on the vacant lot next door to the Bellagio.

We had an early dinner reservation at Michale Mina inside the hotel at around 5:30 or so. The restaurant was a little dead when we got there, but I think that was just because it was still so early. We had one of those long, drawn-out meals with course after course that you never want to end. The food and service were top notch, and this first meal together was probably everyone's favorite of the trip.

After dinner, Stef and I took off for the Forum shops at Caesar's to look for some dress shoes that she could wear with her new bright green dress that she bought to wear on her actual birthday. The dress is gorgeous, but it's a tough color to match with, and since it's already fall all of the stores were selling these dark shoes that just didn't work. Still, we had fun just walking around the mall and working off our huge dinner. I also had my first celebrity sighting of the trip while we were there. I saw Shirley MacLaine walking around with her entourage as we were on our way out of the Forum. It took me a minute to put a name to the face, but I'm certain it was her.

On our way back to the hotel Stef and I stood outside and watched the Bellagio fountain for a while. We never really got another chance to see it again during the rest of the trip, so I was glad we made it work on the first day. At 9PM we celebrated the official beginning of Stef's birthday (since it was midnight back home) by the fountain, and then went upstairs and collapsed.

Friday: Stef came and woke me up pretty early so we could go have a nice birthday breakfast before heading out to the pool. We ate at this little cafe near the conservatory downstairs, and toasted Stef's first legal drink with mimosas. After breakfast, we headed outside to catch some of the warm Vegas sun by the pool. The temperature in the water was just perfect -- not too warm, but not as cold as the pool at the Mirage, so it was great to jump in and cool off for a few minutes if the sun got too hot. We stayed down there until shortly after noon before coming upstairs to get cleaned up for the day.

Stef, Teri, and I grabbed a cab and made our way over to the Venetian to do some more shoe shopping that afternoon. We were a bit pressed for time since Stef had a salon appointment at 4PM before our 6PM dinner at Tao (inside the Venetian), and I think the crunch just stressed all of us out. The shoe hunt didn't go any better than it had the day before at the Forum, so I think Stef was getting a little frustrated. We popped across the street to do some poking around the stores at the Mirage and actually found some really cute shoes while we were there, but they were out of her size in every pair she liked. We were about to call it quits when we decided at the last minute to head up to the Fashion Show Mall and look at Nordstrom's. Thankfully, we finally managed to track down some shoes that would work with the dress, so we got those bad boys and got the hell out of there. Stef made it back to the hotel with enough time to spare before her appointment, so she went down to the salon at 4PM, while I spent the next hour getting cleaned up and ready for our night on the town.

Our dinner at Tao was really cool. This place is like the hippest new(ish) restaurant in town, and the decor is ultra-swank. We got seated a little after 6, and had another fantastic multi-course meal. Stef opened her gifts from her parents while we were there (she had opened mine earlier in the day), and we had another ridiculously yummy dessert to cap off the dinner. Afterwards, we did a little gambling at the Venetian (just enough for me to blow twenty bucks), and then made our way back to the Bellagio to kill some time before heading out again.

Stef really wanted to go to a club to celebrate her 21st birthday, so Tim made a reservation for us at the Mirage's nightclub, Jet, at 10:30. The line was ridiculously long when Stef and I got there, so it was pretty cool that we got to skip the wait and get seated right away. There weren't a lot of people actually inside the club at first, but it filled up pretty quick. Stef and I ordered a couple bottles of champagne (they came with the table), and sat around for a little while before the dance floor started to fill up. The DJ was really great (he played all sorts of music, reaching back to stuff from the 70s and 80s, as opposed to the same recycled hip hop crap), so we had a great time cuttin' a rug out on the dance floor. Of course, being the old man that I am, I totally hit a wall at 12:30, and if it wasn't shoulder-to-shoulder in there, I could've laid down on the floor and taken a nap. By a little after 1 I was pretty much ready to go to bed, so we took off for the hotel. I don't think I broke stride on my way into bed when we walked into the room; I was out in under 30 seconds.

Saturday: Stef and I got up pretty early again to head down to the pool with Teri. We got our spot on the chaise lounge chairs, and then popped over to the outdoor cafe to have a light breakfast. Tim came down and joined us a few minutes later, so it was nice that we all got a chance to eat together. Stef, Tim, and I spent most of the morning bobbing around in the pool, chatting up a storm. It's always nice to have time to just sit around and chitchat with Stef and her dad like that.

I ran upstairs at noon to change and get dressed for the day, and then Stef, Teri, and I went out for another shopping venture. This one was decidedly more low-key than the day before, mostly because we weren't under any pressure to find a specific item. We spent most of the afternoon over at the Forum again, and had a nice, quick lunch at this little Mexican restaurant inside the mall. The only thing I bought in all these shopping trips was a pair of jeans at the Gap (for $20!) and a few pairs of work socks... nothing too exciting. Still, I had fun spending time with Stef and her mom and walking around town.

We had tickets to see the new Cirque du Soleil show, "Love", at the Mirage later that night, so we all went to the new restaurant Stack at the casino. The food and decor were amazing, as expected, but it was quite a bit different from the other two restaurants we'd already gone to. I also had my second celebrity sighting at dinner... Jenna Elfman was there celebrating her birthday, so Stef made a point of saying hi on our way out of the restaurant. Jenna seemed really nice, and I think it's cool that Stefy can say she had actual contact with a celeb on her big birthday trip.

The Beatles "Love" show was out of this world. I've seen two Cirque productions before ("O" and "Ka"), but this was definitely my favorite. I was a little worried that it would seem hokey or self-indulgent, but that wasn't the case at all. There were a million creative things in "Love" that I can't even begin to describe, but it was without a doubt one of the most consistently entertaining shows I've ever seen anywhere. I'm glad that they put so much thought and imagination into a Beatles-themed show... the greatest band in human history deserves nothing less.

We all made our way back to Bellagio after "Love," and Stef and I putsed around the casino for a couple hours. We only gambled a little here and there, and neither of us did particularly well. I only played with $20 the whole time we were down there, and while the money actually went pretty far (I never had to break into my wallet a second time), I pretty much ended up losing all of it. From time to time we would stop by the blackjack table where Tim was playing to check in on how he was doing. One time when we came by we saw this guy come along who started playing $10,000 a hand... on three hands at once. We only saw him play one round, but in that one round the dealer busted, so he won all three hands. Pretty nuts, but I guess that's Vegas for you.

Teri had a third (and by far the biggest) celebrity sighting on Saturday night inside the casino, but Stef and I weren't around to see for ourselves. She saw Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, and Ryan Seacrest standing by the cashier kiosk chatting while she was waiting to cash out at the end of the night. Teri said she was right behind them in line, and thought they all seemed to be having a good time, so it's a little funny to learn that some of the animosity you see on American Idol is just for show.

Anyway, that was pretty much it for Saturday.

Sunday: We had an early flight at 11 out of McCarran airport, so there wasn't enough time to go back down by the pool. Stef just ran downstairs and grabbed a quick breakfast and brought it upstairs for us. We ate real quick, packed up our suitcases, and checked out at 9. The flight home was uneventful, we made it back to Detroit by 6.

So yeah, that's it for the big 21st birthday bonanza in Las Vegas. Thanks for reading this insanely long post.

General Musings: Okay, the first debate is now officially over, so I thought I would share my thoughts about how things went. First off, I always think it's hard to declare a "winner" for something as subjective as a debate, but in terms of which candidate got the most airtime and took the most potshots, that would have to be Gov. Granholm, hands down. I would love to see a breakdown of how much time each candidate actually spent talking, because it felt like she set the pace and tone of the debate from start to finish, and had at least 50% more face time than Dick did. Again, how that is perceived by viewers is very subjective, but it just felt like she was in the driver's seat more often to me.

In terms of the "no rules" format, I thought the exchange was much more controlled and well-moderated than I was expecting. There were only a few times when one candidate tried talking over the other; for the most part both of them let the other say their peace, and then made a counter-argument when it was their turn to speak. I thought Tim Skubick did a good job of letting both Granholm and DeVos give full, complete answers without interrupting them (too much), but at the same time did a decent job of moving the conversation along so the debate didn't get bogged down by any one issue. I'll admit that I was thrown for a loop at least a few times by his odd segues into other topics (going from the state's economy to opinions about the Detroit school board at the drop of a hat, for example). Still, Tim and his cohost did a pretty fair job of posing tough questions for both candidates to answer. It felt like Granholm and DeVos had equal opportunities to defend their records and attack their opponent.

Now I'll try to run through the debate question-by-question. Hopefully I can read my writing on the notes I jotted down last night...

Question: Should lying in campaign ads be illegal?
This was a nice way of asking both candidates how they felt about the distortions and misrepresentations in their TV ads. The responses were pretty predictable: DeVos complained about the China thing (although he did admit that Amway made an investment there), and Granholm complained about the Honda thing (she did meet with Honda execs in Japan). What I liked about this first question though was that the governor didn't waste any time waving the AMWAY flag. She made a point to mention the company by name several times right off the bat. I tried keeping track of how many times she said the word AMWAY throughout the debate, and lost count at 12. I don't think I heard the word come out of DeVos' mouth more than once (if at all).

Question: How much control does a governor have over the economy?
This set DeVos up to talk about the 85k jobs that have left Michigan during Granholm's tenure. She shot back with stats about her economic plan, and was quick to point out the 240k jobs that left the state during Engler's last three years in office. Granholm brought out a theme that she would use repeatedly throughout the debate, that she is fighting for everyday citizens while DeVos only cares about his (financial) interests. The point was basically that Amway's investment in China might've been good for them, but it was a bad deal for Michigan workers. This second question was where the governor really started hogging the camera; DeVos spoke briefly at first to respond to Tim's initial question, but she had the floor without interruption for several minutes afterwards.

Question: Was the Detroit School Board takeover good or bad?
This was such an awkward transition into a completely different topic, that I kind of lost track of things for a couple minutes. To be honest, I really didn't know much about the topic, so it's a little hard for me to gauge their responses. DeVos did pivot a bit and started bringing up the SBT (basically taking credit for its repeal), and said that he's been out there in the real world working against these trade policies that have hurt Michigan. Granholm took the opportunity to point out the hypocrisy here, since DeVos lobbied congress and supported candidates who gave us these harmful trade policies. She also went out of her way to mention Amway's sneaky back-room tax break in 1997 (which is an important point, but few people probably knew what she was talking about). DeVos immediately said this was untrue (it's not), and that he went to Washington to "fight for Michigan jobs." Dick got a little defensive here; he was definitely trying to play down Amway's lobbying influence in Washington.

Question: Basically, why are more Michigan (and Detroit) families in poverty?
This one was directed at Granholm. She mentioned the struggling auto industry, and said how she's fighting for ordinary working folks by raising the minimum wage and passing the earned income tax credit for people making less than $37k/year. We're diversifying our economy, etc. etc.

Question: Is the middle class in Michigan in danger?
This one was directed at Dick. Right off the bat it seemed a little ironic to be asking the wealthiest man ever to run for political office in Michigan a question about how the middle class is struggling. DeVos did get a little zinger in when he rhetorically asked how the governor's plan could be working when Michigan workers weren't. Granholm shot back that we need to change our mindset, and said that he represents the old (failed) solutions of more free trade and tax cuts. She has asked the legislature to pass the $4k college tuition bill, and said that we need to create our own Michigan Promise (presumably, like the Kalamazoo Promise).

Question: Is the Governor indirectly responsible for the death of Ricky Holland?
This one really threw me for a loop. I haven't been following the Ricky Holland case at all, so I really didn't know what point Tim was trying to make by asking this question. To be honest, I don't think Dick did either. He said we need to make sure these things don't happen, and that the governor should accept responsibility for things like this (wtf?), but he kind of bumbled for a few seconds here before Granholm cut in. She said that mistakes were made and the department of corrections is being reorganized, but blamed the early outs offered under Engler for killing child protective services. This gave her a chance to mention the $4 billion budget deficit she inherited; basically, cuts had to be made somewhere, and yes, some of them were in public safety.

Question: Are there things you're avoiding to get elected?
Granholm had her daggers ready on this one. She ripped into DeVos right away for not releasing his tax returns, and was quick to bring up the Alterra story (which was originally reported on Michigan Liberal -- props to "gandergardener" for breaking the story). Dick said he just recently found out about the abusive nursing homes recently, which may or may not be true. Either way, I was a little taken aback that his only defense was that this turned out to be a bad investment, financially. Of course, I'm sure a lot of this stuff went over people's heads (Skubick had no clue), but I think Granholm was basically making the point that DeVos is so freakin' rich that he (a) doesn't get what life is like for middle class residents (b) is afraid to reveal his tax returns and (c) doesn't even know (or care) what companies his money is being invested in.

Questions: What are your feelings about gay marriage, abortion, stem cells, etc.?
Here's where we started to hear a bit more about DeVos' very conservative social beliefs. He's against gay marriage, he's pro-life (with the only exception being to save the life of the mother), and he's pro-adult stem cells (but against embryonic stem cell research). Granholm took the chance to say DeVos is way outside the mainstream on some of these issues. She said she doesn't want government in your doctor's office or in your bedroom, and can't believe that he doesn't favor abortion exceptions for cases of rape or incest. At this point it was getting pretty late in the debate, so this exchange was cut a bit short, but it was nice to finally get DeVos on the record about some of these issues. I personally would've liked to have heard more about his views on teaching Intelligent Design in science classes, but I guess that'll have to wait for another debate.

Final wrap-up
Again, I don't think you can declare a winner here, but my gut reaction (and yes, I'm extremely biased) is that Granholm controlled the flow of the debate for the most part. The governor and DeVos both got defensive at times, and both of them took potshots at one another -- I just think Dick was a bit more defensive on the whole, and Granholm attacked him more often than he did her. He came across as a bit robotic, but was quite composed and gave fairly succinct answers (although, those creepy, unblinking, beady eyes still give me the willies). Granholm was more aggressive than I've seen her, but was just as articulate and sincere as ever.

It ultimately doesn't really matter whether you agreed with what either candidate was saying or not; what matters is how it plays in the media (I'll have more on the coverage of the debates later).

Well, that's one debate down... two to go. Stay tuned, Michigan.

In case you missed it, here's Spartan football coach John L. Smith slapping himself and then storming away from the podium after Saturday's disgraceful loss to Illinois.

The guy is nuts... fire him, Ron!

I didn't fall asleep until after midnight last night. While I slept like a rock and woke up feeling pretty good at first this morning, I can already tell that the jet-lag is going to be a killer today. Right now I'm basically running on fumes, so it's just a matter of time until I hit a wall and run out of gas... or suck down a 2 liter of Coke.

Our pictures from the trip are only about halfway loaded on my computer at home, so I probably won't be able to post those until tomorrow. Anyway, that's it for now. Stay tuned for a longer rundown of the trip.