In 1802, Alexander Hamilton, one of the original architects of the electoral college, was so displeased with how it was being executed that he helped draft a constitutional amendment to fix it. Since then there have been more than 700 efforts to reform or abolish it, according to the Congressional Research Service.
It seemed kinda weird when I first heard about it. When I learned that the elf is running a Big Brother operation for Santa, I decided the whole concept strays a little too close to a dystopian surveillance state.
Also, if the elf is only watching once the Christmas decorations are up, does that mean the kids can still get presents if they're good during Christmas season but utter nightmares during the rest of the year?
It's clever that a pact of states agreed to vote for the popular vote winner if states with a total of 270+ electoral votes join the agreement. They're still short of the threshold, but it could be a reasonable workaround not involving a constitutional amendment.
A reform idea that would not do away with it, but make it more equitable. The number of representatives to Congress is not in the Constitution, it is simply a federal law that put the limit at 435. Change that to a number that represents actual population density via the census (the average of the three lowest population states becomes worth 1 rep, or something like that). Sure there would now be 950 reps or some such, but you don't have districts in CA that cover many thousands of square miles. Would both balance out the rural vs urban unbalance that exists, and give the variations of rural some representation. Currently, the 1st district runs from Grass Valley, to Yreka and includes a bunch of northern sacramento valley towns (Chico, etal), a bunch of mountain successionists (The state of Jefferson people). One person can't reasonably even hear about all the interests in such a district, let alone try to represent them.
The bigger issue is disproportionate representation through electoral college and the Senate. Twice since 2000 the winner of the popular vote lost the presidential campaign. That means 40% of the last 20 years we had a president whom the majority of people did not choose. This same person chooses Supreme Court nominees that are then confirmed by the Senate. However, Wyoming with a population of 580k people, and California with a population of 39.5 million are both allocated two Senators. The electoral college and senate representation results in the minority having disproportionate representation in the White House, the Senate, and the Supreme Court.
We've lost dumb, but never been as bad as Florida had it. They forced LSU to punt but put them into winning fieldgoal range by throwing a shoe and knock themselves out of CFP.
We were watching that game and it was classic. Almost as good as the "False Start on everyone but the center", which there was in one of the games we watched this weekend.
OSU, threatening to beat Furd on the last drive, suffers a fumble on a QB 1st down scramble that is recovered by Furd. Losing a game they should have won.
the interesting thing here is the Oregon-Colorado game has been moved to the Coliseum just in case UW has to cancel which would allow Oregon to slide into the CCG.
Things didn't seem too bad until the evening. As I was eating dinner I had the radio news on and fights were breaking out all over. Earlier in the day I saw a group of about fifteen folks walking over to the protest dressed in their camo and with their Trump flags. I was shocked because they were all wearing masks. Not so much down at the protest though.
some of the options we had on a group chat with my boys: Cleveland LeBrons, Cleveland McCleveland Face, Cleveland Redskins, cleveland Baker Mayfields, Cleveland Flaming Rivers, Cleveland Dumpster Fires, and Cleveland Rocks
Abram is probably the kind of safety the Raiders want, very aggressive, but sometimes he kills them. Inopportune personal fouls and makes the wrong calls at times. Yesterday he was beat deep at least once for a long TD.
Abram talks a lot of shit for not doing a whole lot in this league so far. I told my dad and I stand by it until he proves different and that he's a down syndrome version of Jamal Adams.
Driving to Alameda to get a Christmas tree, KALX was playing a whole set dedicated to Micky D's McRib - I hereby dub the Christmas the "McRib Christmas" and I'm going to make a McRib ornament for the tree!
I only wish they had succeeded in abolishing it at the time, as far too many Americans have this anachronistic belief that was true back then must be true today. The Electoral College is a travesty and is unique in the world in being ridiculous.
"How Gilmore Girls characters would respond to the pandemic" (a thread)
Lorelai - makes her own masks from old concert T-shirts, has re-watched every movie made before 1950, uses Covid as an excuse to get out of Friday Night Dinners, but then has to Zoom into them
Go Bears! Yesterday morning I walked up to watch them implode a local Holiday Inn. I ran into a older guy I used to see out walking all the time who has a daughter who went to Cal. I hadn't seen him for awhile so was good to learn he's doing well. For those who are into implosions: https://wjla.com/news/local/holiday-inn-to-be-imploded-in-arlington
I'm sure the pile of rubble will take a good while. They had streetsweepers posted nearby and when I walked by last evening the streets were clear and the walkways in the park across the street were mostly clear with only a couple places with evidence of dust. There was not any way you could tell it had happened earlier that day.
I walked by last evening and it's just one big pile now. The block that the hotel was on shares a luxury condo building you can see behind where the hotel was. All that separated the hotel and the condo was the garage for the hotel, that they took down earlier. Marvin Bush bought one of the condos years ago for almost $4 million. Can't imagine those condo owners were happy to have that implosion and dust cloud right next door. And not happy about a couple years of construction of the new buildings.
Poll: "Elf on a Shelf"?
It seemed kinda weird when I first heard about it. When I learned that the elf is running a Big Brother operation for Santa, I decided the whole concept strays a little too close to a dystopian surveillance state.
Also, if the elf is only watching once the Christmas decorations are up, does that mean the kids can still get presents if they're good during Christmas season but utter nightmares during the rest of the year?
what about Mensch on a Bench?
No.
panopticon
TIL...
Legos
Looking for a stocking stuffer for your Lego/Star Wars fan that can be delivered within the week?
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Lego-Star-Wars-Combo-Pack-3-in-1-Super-Pack-Set/356831563
only 1 left so hurry...
Electoral college
It's clever that a pact of states agreed to vote for the popular vote winner if states with a total of 270+ electoral votes join the agreement. They're still short of the threshold, but it could be a reasonable workaround not involving a constitutional amendment.
so all the blue states agree on voting for the popular vote and the red states want the electoral college...
A reform idea that would not do away with it, but make it more equitable. The number of representatives to Congress is not in the Constitution, it is simply a federal law that put the limit at 435. Change that to a number that represents actual population density via the census (the average of the three lowest population states becomes worth 1 rep, or something like that). Sure there would now be 950 reps or some such, but you don't have districts in CA that cover many thousands of square miles. Would both balance out the rural vs urban unbalance that exists, and give the variations of rural some representation. Currently, the 1st district runs from Grass Valley, to Yreka and includes a bunch of northern sacramento valley towns (Chico, etal), a bunch of mountain successionists (The state of Jefferson people). One person can't reasonably even hear about all the interests in such a district, let alone try to represent them.
The bigger issue is disproportionate representation through electoral college and the Senate. Twice since 2000 the winner of the popular vote lost the presidential campaign. That means 40% of the last 20 years we had a president whom the majority of people did not choose. This same person chooses Supreme Court nominees that are then confirmed by the Senate. However, Wyoming with a population of 580k people, and California with a population of 39.5 million are both allocated two Senators. The electoral college and senate representation results in the minority having disproportionate representation in the White House, the Senate, and the Supreme Court.
So really we just need to get a bunch of people from CA and NY to move out to the rural states.
You first.
It was almost repealed, I think in the 1970's
Today in Covid
Elsewhere in college
Cherry on the 70-7 beatdown sundae: Kevin Sumlin fired. Will earn more than $18m to not coach at two different universities.
https://twitter.com/AZDesertSwarm/status/1337883661337686016
Pales in comparison to how much is being paid out at Auburn.
the SEC: It just means more (payout money)
The SEC; it just costs more!
Sarah Fuller becomes second woman to score a point in FBS history.
https://twitter.com/VandyFootball/status/1337914399525203969
We've lost dumb, but never been as bad as Florida had it. They forced LSU to punt but put them into winning fieldgoal range by throwing a shoe and knock themselves out of CFP.
https://twitter.com/ClayTravis/status/1337967308157939712
The penalty call was gold too.
https://twitter.com/thadley_33/status/1337978984684990465
Best comment from Reddit: "Yeetus cleetus, playoff delete-us"
our loss to stanfurd was just as dumb in many different ways
True
I forget the context, but I remember one referee explaining his call by announcing that "You just can't do that".
We were watching that game and it was classic. Almost as good as the "False Start on everyone but the center", which there was in one of the games we watched this weekend.
UW is out. Oregon to play USC friday.
At this point, does anything about this season mean anything?
At no point in time has anything about this season meant anything.
There are games on the schedule and an opportunity to play in them. Every game matters every year.
Come to think of it, since we beat U of O and if they beat SC, then we really are the champs.
the divisional faces of "looks better on paper" - appropriate really
OSU, threatening to beat Furd on the last drive, suffers a fumble on a QB 1st down scramble that is recovered by Furd. Losing a game they should have won.
so basically Cal/WSU 1996 at the Palouse? To break the streak. Fumble at the 3.
That was so painful...team never recovered.
Nope. I mean it was right there. I couldn't believe it when I was watching the game.
Began the free fall that led to awful years of Holmoe....
Wilner points out that the Huskies could cancel as late as Thursday for the Friday "conference" "championship" game https://twitter.com/wilnerhotline/status/1338492440659992576?s=20
the interesting thing here is the Oregon-Colorado game has been moved to the Coliseum just in case UW has to cancel which would allow Oregon to slide into the CCG.
I'm not sorry that SC beat UCLA but that was not the most fun I ever had watching a game.
UCLA takes lead with 52 seconds to go. USC goes 99 yards in 36 seconds.
there was an element of "where was that all evening"
My son who was rooting against SC texted "You put on that powder blue and you become tissue paper soft" - at the end.
UCLA really outplayed SC for most of the game - hit hard, hustled, etc. They just succumbed to better play in the final seconds.
I'm glad that this buys us at least another year or two of Helton.
OUR CRUMBLING DEMOCRACY
AG William Barr resigns
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/attorney-general-william-barr-depart-administration-trump-announces-n1251189
Who wants to watch the world's best Medal of Freedom award ceremony. Congratulations, Dan Gable!
https://twitter.com/thehill/status/1336143713383280643
Proud Boys go wild in multiple areas. Especially bad in DC.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/proud-boys-protest-stabbing-arrest/2020/12/13/98c0f740-3d3f-11eb-8db8-395dedaaa036_story.html
Things didn't seem too bad until the evening. As I was eating dinner I had the radio news on and fights were breaking out all over. Earlier in the day I saw a group of about fifteen folks walking over to the protest dressed in their camo and with their Trump flags. I was shocked because they were all wearing masks. Not so much down at the protest though.
this is a big fucking breach
https://twitter.com/dnvolz/status/1338565201138999296?s=20
Yeah, this is a big deal.
HAHAHHAHAHA
https://oversight.house.gov/sites/democrats.oversight.house.gov/files/5.pdf
what are we looking at here?
See below
what is this list of celebrities?
A list of celebrities contacted by the Trump administration to help with the Covid response.
That was going to be propaganda - but got canceled when that loon "retired" in Sept, I think.
which loon?
Newt Gingrich remains a dreadful person
https://twitter.com/ElectProject/status/1338196892958724100?s=20
PRO
Patrick Mahomes goes for the safety but Jerome Baker stops him with a shoestring tackle.
https://twitter.com/MySportsUpdate/status/1338188045707862016
Cleveland Indians changing name. Ok DBD, what is their new name?
https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/13/us/cleveland-indians-mlb-name-change-spt-trnd/index.html
Ohio Indians
Cleveland Baseball team
the Flaming Cayuhogas
This is brilliant. both a vigorous name, related to the area, and recalling history.
Their theme song could be REM's Cuyahoga. Off their best album, Life's Rich Pageant. Probably top 3 in my list of albums.
Steamers...too soon?
The Cleveland Shitholes
The Cleveland Howard Ducks.
"Ok DBD, what is their new name?"
The noted Ohio-Cleveland area experts.
I mean if it were left up to Ohioans it would probably be Cleveland McCleveland Face.
I'm just waiting for TBB to put her input in. Wouldn't be surprised if she picked this.
Ha I like the references to the lake and the river the most! So excited for the name change as well as all the wordplay and jokes!!!!!
Cleveland Rocks!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1G2l_A9nB0
Cleveland!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysmLA5TqbIY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZzgAjjuqZM
Cleveland Rolling Rocks
Mott!
Cleveland Cardinal
some of the options we had on a group chat with my boys: Cleveland LeBrons, Cleveland McCleveland Face, Cleveland Redskins, cleveland Baker Mayfields, Cleveland Flaming Rivers, Cleveland Dumpster Fires, and Cleveland Rocks
for those of you with a longer standing interest in English soccer: Gerard Houllier has died
https://twitter.com/guardian/status/1338512253608472583?s=20
Best of News from Sunday: Raiders fans like myself don't have to question our own sanity of a Paul Guenther led defense now that he's fired.
Abram is probably the kind of safety the Raiders want, very aggressive, but sometimes he kills them. Inopportune personal fouls and makes the wrong calls at times. Yesterday he was beat deep at least once for a long TD.
Abram talks a lot of shit for not doing a whole lot in this league so far. I told my dad and I stand by it until he proves different and that he's a down syndrome version of Jamal Adams.
THEY NEED TO PICK UP TREY BECK to shore up holes in the secondary.
As I much as I love the instinct and heart he would bring the Raiders have enough small defensive backs.
Cal Men's Basketball beats USF on a last second shot. USF earlier beat #4 Virginia. Transitive property and all that.
Here's the buzzer beater:
https://twitter.com/CalMBBall/status/1338251887238205441
Here's a great still pic of the shot:
https://twitter.com/CalMBBall/status/1338248229029199872
Driving to Alameda to get a Christmas tree, KALX was playing a whole set dedicated to Micky D's McRib - I hereby dub the Christmas the "McRib Christmas" and I'm going to make a McRib ornament for the tree!
I only wish they had succeeded in abolishing it at the time, as far too many Americans have this anachronistic belief that was true back then must be true today. The Electoral College is a travesty and is unique in the world in being ridiculous.
Dino news you can use https://twitter.com/courtneymilan/status/1338546053130321922?s=20
https://twitter.com/mikedicenzo/status/1335998914441457677?s=20
"How Gilmore Girls characters would respond to the pandemic" (a thread)
Lorelai - makes her own masks from old concert T-shirts, has re-watched every movie made before 1950, uses Covid as an excuse to get out of Friday Night Dinners, but then has to Zoom into them
That's pretty spot on.
What's up, kiddos???
I think you're the only doctor here
Ruey and Berkelium are docs, too, I think. Maybe others?
oh I was referring to that dreadful WSJ "op ed" over the weekend.
So was I, but I guess you meant women specifically
I assumed the op-ed was really aimed at the ladies
Cal
I got 8 out of 10.
https://twitter.com/UCBerkeleyLib/status/1338570036152176640
7 for me.
8/10 for me also.
6. I also hang head in shame.
6. hangs head in shame
7 of 10, a few are quite tricky
7 out of 10 for me.
7 out of ten.
Link for those of us whose employers block Twitter
https://stories.lib.berkeley.edu/
Also 8 out of 10.
WBB: Cal does not win against Stanfurd
https://twitter.com/CalWBBall/status/1338346133861502976
One more injury on that team and we're going to have to put a cardboard cutout in the starting lineup.
that's one way they can make money. You can pay $500 to be a cardboard bench player for WBB.
Go Bears! Yesterday morning I walked up to watch them implode a local Holiday Inn. I ran into a older guy I used to see out walking all the time who has a daughter who went to Cal. I hadn't seen him for awhile so was good to learn he's doing well. For those who are into implosions: https://wjla.com/news/local/holiday-inn-to-be-imploded-in-arlington
I had the local news on yesterday morning and they did a live cut to the implosion moments before it started. Pretty impressive stuff.
The implosions are always so quick, but cleaning up all that debris must take forever.
I'm sure the pile of rubble will take a good while. They had streetsweepers posted nearby and when I walked by last evening the streets were clear and the walkways in the park across the street were mostly clear with only a couple places with evidence of dust. There was not any way you could tell it had happened earlier that day.
it's pretty amazing that they can control the way structures get demolished, well most of the time.
This building survived a controlled demolition. It didn’t really “survive,” but it did not fall down.
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/2020/02/18/leaning-tower-of-dallas-survives-implosion-to-become-internet-sensation/
I walked by last evening and it's just one big pile now. The block that the hotel was on shares a luxury condo building you can see behind where the hotel was. All that separated the hotel and the condo was the garage for the hotel, that they took down earlier. Marvin Bush bought one of the condos years ago for almost $4 million. Can't imagine those condo owners were happy to have that implosion and dust cloud right next door. And not happy about a couple years of construction of the new buildings.
Which holiday inn was it? I’ve stayed at a few in DC. Mostly SW.
It was across the river in Rosslyn, which is a neighborhood of Arlington. Just across Key Bridge from Georgetown
I remember that one. Went to a meeting there years ago.
1) At first, I thought your "them" in the second sentence was the Proud Boys, and I thought it sounded dangerous. Glad to hear it was planned.
2) I don't understand an implosion without a MARTA in the way!