House Party

• Random Politics:
• Alone at home, I spent the entire evening watching C-SPAN to see the tail end of the debate and subsequent vote and passage by the House on health care reform. It is a huge victory for progressives and for the President. I'll refrain from making sweeping statements about the country's future and its karma. You know where I stand. It passes with an attached amendment that bans the use of any federal funds for abortions. I think I'm okay with that. It's one thing for people to have their tax money to go to help the sick and another to have it go to perform a procedure of which nearly half the country disapproves. I'm especially okay with it if that amendment means that the bill can be passed more easily into law, as it convinced Joseph Cao of Louisiana to cross the aisle and support the bill.
• It's sort of fun to see all the parliamentary shenanigans that go on in a debate on the floor. Especially fun when the only people the GOP runs out there are a bunch of angry white men (most old) and Michelle Bachman. She wore a lei during the debate tonight. A lei!
• Random Pop Culture:
• The cold open on SNL tonight was pretty good, but I mistakenly stuck around for the monologue and the first skit. As far as host/performers go, Taylor Swift is no Justin Timberlake. Her Kate Gosselin impersonation consisted of her wearing a wig and just speaking in her regular voice as she stared a hole through the cue cards.
• Flash Forward continues to have some story problems, but it's solidifying a bit. I think the writers are trying to be coy, but maybe they should make a bigger deal out of the fact that people's flash forwards lack continuity.
• I am happy that I watch NBC's Thursday night comedies a day or two late on Hulu due to my DVR being overly occupied on that night. If I were to watch them as they air, I might enjoy 30 Rock a bit less than I thought I would. It's not that it's not funny -- this week's episode had some great stuff including Jack's begging on the subway -- but it might not live up to Community, as good as that show is right now. This week's episode of Community again had a number of great lines, including the musical battle between Vaughn and Pierce.
• NFL Week 9 (Last week, 6-7; overall, 65-50-1):
• Miami (+10.5) at New England: I've had a rough couple of weeks and I may be way off because the Pats are coming off the bye, but Miami has acquitted itself well lately.
• Jacksonville (-6.5) vs. Kansas City: I would maybe rather watch three more hours of health care debate than watch this game.
• Baltimore (-3) vs. Cincinnati: Very surprising that the Ravens, who lost to the Bengals in Baltimore, would give points in Cincinnati. I'm hoping against hope, but the Ravens team I saw on the field last week is capable of being the best team in the league.
• Green Bay (-10) at Tampa Bay: Green is a better bay than Tampa right now. Shoot, Michael is a better Bay than Tampa right now.
• Arizona (+3) at Chicago: Over/under on "they are who we thought they were" references regarding this game: 392.
• Atlanta (-9) vs. Washington: With the Falcons coming off of the loss Monday night and the Skins coming off of a bye, I might pick Washington if this game was at FedEx. But it's not, so the Falcons run all over them.
• Houston (+8.5) at Indianapolis: Yes, I'm going against my "don't pick against Peyton Manning" rule. But he didn't win by much last week and the Colts lost half of their secondary for the year this week.
• Carolina (+13) at New Orleans: The Panthers beat the Saints in New Orleans last year and thirteen is a lot of points, especially after the unexpectedly taxing victory on Monday night.
• Seattle (-10) vs. Detroit: I fully expect this to be the biggest blowout of the day.
• Tennessee (+4) at San Francisco: I am fully on the Vince Young bandwagon! Thankfully, I'll now have health care when it explodes and I am badly burned.
• New York Giants (-4.5) vs. San Diego: This isn't so much a vote of confidence for what looks to be a hugely overrated Giants team, so much as a statement about how San Diego chooses to not show up for big games.
• Philadelphia (-3) vs. Dallas: This should actually be a heck of a fun game to watch.
• Pittsburgh (-3) at Denver: This should be the most fun though. I have no clue who will win this. Not even a feeling. Pittsburgh doesn't lose on Monday night, but Denver has played big all year, especially at home.