This, That, and The Other On a Sunday Morning....

Sunday morning.  Time to clean out the Mental In-Box....

• If the State of Florida can't figure out how to run an election and count votes, I am glad that the election was decided on, you know, Election Day, rather than four or five days later when Florida finally figured it out.   Glad that nation will not be held hostage to Florida while they figure out how to count.
• I divided my Election Night viewing among three networks - NBC, CBS, and CNN.  I loved all of the high tech touch screens as manned by Chuck Todd and John King.  Very impressive, but I found myself missing Tim Russert and his hand-held white board and marking pens.
• I also noted that CNN seemed to lag behind the other networks when calling a state for one candidate or another.
• Late in the evening, after the President made his speech, NBC interviewed some guy, and I regret that I cannot remember his name, but he was identified as a "Republican Strategist".  It was a fascinating interview as this gent explained exactly why Mitt Romney lost the election.  Seems to me that the GOP should pay heed to this guy if they ever want to win an election that is open to ALL people in ALL fifty states.
• You can't really judge a football coach in his first season, especially a college coach who has to be given at least two or three recruiting classes, so I don't want to be too harsh on Pitt's Paul Chryst.  However, much of Pitt's loss to a lousy Connecticut team on Friday night has to fall on the coaches, I think.  It sure did not seem that the players were ready or even taking that game seriously as UConn got out to that 24-0 first half lead.
• Marilyn Sproule, aka, Mrs. Grandstander, had a great line as the scored rolled to 24-0: "Wonder what that kicker has to say about Tino Sunseri about now?"
• No Steelers game today.  How are you planning on spending your Sunday afternoon?
• I hope that Mike Tomlin and the Steelers were watching Pitt sleep walk through the UConn game as they prepare to play the crummy KC Chiefs on Monday Night.  
• On the other hand, this game with the Chiefs will be an automatic "W" on the Steelers schedule, right?  Just like those two for sure wins with the Raiders and the Titans were.
• Has any movie received the pre-release hype that "Lincoln" has over these last several months?  Steven Speilberg, Daniel Day-Lewis, Doris Kearns Goodwin, and ABRAHAM LINCOLN, for crying out loud!!!  If this movie is anything less than great, it is going to be a big disappointment.  I plan on being at the Robinson Cinemark on Friday afternoon to find out which way it's gonna be.
• Attended a terrific "Wine Dinner" at St' John Neumann Church last night.  This annual event is a big fundraiser for the Parish's Appalachia Work Camp Project.  Great night, AND it should be noted that The Grandstander won one of the primo gift baskets in the Gift Baskets Raffle.
• In a sleazy profession, Lane Kiffen is certainly in the Top Ten, if not top Five, of sleazy football coaches.  Maybe you've heard about the deflated footballs incident from last weekend. If not, then check this story from Yahoo Sports' Pat Forde: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/ncaaf--ball-deflation-scandal-merely-the-latest-controversy-to-ensnare-lane-kiffin-s-trojans-08211909.html
• On a day when the nation was busy with the minor task of electing a President, Pirates owner Bob Nutting, aka Captain Nuts, decided to hold a press conference to announce that he was making no changes to The Best Management Team In Baseball, If Not All Sports.  However, as John Mehno writes today, it wasn't all "no news" from Capt. Nuts: http://www.timesonline.com/columnists/sports/john_mehno/scouts-honor-nutting-s-philosophical-change/article_0393b151-460a-5d80-8fc3-a0b59fb588e4.html 
• Alabama falls to Texas A&M yesterday.  Wonder if there are still people who think the Tide could beat the Kansas City Chiefs.
• With the idea of a 'Bama-Notre Dame BCS title game now scotched, who do you think ESPN wants for it's BCS match-up?  ND-Oregon or ND-Kansas State?
• Has any team fallen so far so quickly as has the WVU Mountaineers in the past month or so?
• If the fact that the Director of the CIA couldn't keep his extra-marital affair a secret doesn't put the fear of God into anyone considering such a dalliance, then they deserve whatever bad comes to them.

I will close with reiterating a couple of thoughts from earlier in the week:

1. Thanks today - and every day - to all Veterans!!
2. This coming Thursday is Children's Grief Awareness Day.  Please wear blue on that day to support Grieving Children and to let them know that you care.