Blackout

As you may have read, we had quite the windstorm in LA yesterday. Our power was out from about 3:30pm until about 2:00am. When the power wasn't on by dinner, I figured it was going to be a while, so I went and got some ice while my wife lit some candles. The HB had to really rough it by the light of his Gameboy. The good news was that we were able to get him bed a bit early (he needed it) and the wife and I took advantage of the candlelight.

I've been thinking about both the Don Imus and Duke lacrosse fiascoes. First, I must tell you that I don't listen to talk radio. When I've come across it I've found it littered with single-issue, partisan idiots. I was intrigued by the outrage caused by a popular talk show host who is not a stranger to racist or sexist remarks.

I did a little research and found that the women on the Rutgers basketball team have about the same graduation rate as female students in general at Rutgers (about 75% if you allow 6 years to graduate, as the NCAA does). I wonder why no one brings that up? I'm (pleasantly) shocked that no one has published any dirt about the women on the team (nor am I suggesting that there has to be any). But, I did notice how the North Carolina district attorney mentioned how the Duke accuser had emotional problems and lots of other things have come out about her. Yes, I can see the argument of, "Well, she brought this upon herself by making a bogus rape claim" and she certainly deserves some sort of punishment for that. By putting his foot in his mouth at every opportunity, Mike Nifong ensured that she would be dragged through the court of public opinion. He could have let her go back to her (troubled) life by showing some restraint before filing charges and making the whole thing a political sideshow.

One thing still lingers in my mind: Is Durham still the powder-keg of racial tension between the citizens and the students at Duke? Or was that only when the locals thought some rich white boys raped a black stripper?