Hooping It Up

The TX Senate primary is headed to a runoff, and there is no good that will come from that.  This could be me, but if Cornyn is the strongest candidate (and I think Paxton has some, um, issues), this should be a no-brainer, especially if this is a blue year and the Dems seem to think they have a chance (and Talarico is leading in their primary).  I can see why some GOPers might not like Cornyn, but he is hardly a lefty, and all of the time and resources spent on his campaign could be used elsewhere... I know we are the GOP and thus smarter, but there are times...

Beware of Libertarians Who Claim To Be Republicans
This is in a related vein, but this is also completely correct, and it also explains why we have the issues we have today...

Went through some links and emails today, but here and at work, and I feel slightly better about things, of course.  I am quite tired -- another sleepless evening -- so tonight I am soon off to bed, for better or worse.  Things are piling up, and I have to admit I am looking forward to the weekend, if only so I can sleep in a bit and catch up on some things (aside from Duke-UNC).  Getting my picture window installed properly would help, as the living room would not look like a disaster area, but I do not see that happening soon.  Oi.

Miami of Ohio is 30-0 -- another close win -- and I do find the whole debate about their NCAA Tournament chances to be fascinating.  I get the whole Strength of Schedule issue, but if no power conference wants to schedule them, it seems unfair to punish them for that.  If only there was some group that regulated college sports and had the power to make rules about this sort of thing...  I would also note that while it isn't that no one wants to see 12 SEC teams in the tourney, people also like seeing Cinderellas, underdogs, and upsets, and putting Miami in the NCAA Championship -- conference championship or not -- would, I think, be better for the game than keeping them out.

I would also like to note that Akron and Kent State have had incredibly good seasons, but they are completely subsumed by Miami.  I think most people would have expected them to make noise in the MAC Tournament, but they will have to go through the Redhawks to do so.  Then, there is CSU, which had a play-in to get into the Horizon League, where they will face the top seed...I realize they have a new coach and thus there is rebuilding, but... after the successes of the past few years, this is...rough.

A war foretold: how the CIA and MI6 got hold of Putin’s Ukraine plans and why nobody believed them | Ukraine | The Guardian
Fascinating read!