The Paper-Whose-Name-We-Dare-Not-Say hates Michigan - A non-sports example
So people who support the Newspaper-Whose-Name-We-Dare-Not-Say can't deny the actual active hatred that it has towards the University of Michigan. I submit for your consideration the following two articles, one from said paper, one from their crosstown rivals the Detroit News. The article is about a breakthrough by a UofM engineering professor in the design of a robot that can walk on two legs like a human being.
The Detroit News headline: UM Robot Mabel Clears Stacked Wood. May Jog Soon.
Same exact topic, said lousy fishwrap on the other side of Detroit titles their article: UM Robot Breaks Leg!
COME ON! The point of the experiment was apparently to keep throwing obstacles (in the form of stacked wooden boards in front of this robot until it couldn't do it any more thereby breaking its leg. Its not like the damn robot was called RichRobot or something. What is going on over there?
Isn't "Breaks a leg" an idiom for "good luck" also?
I think this is a stretch for evidence in the "FreeP hates U of M"
But we don't advocate the reading of the one you referenced. The writing and "spin" of the one versus the article written in the News is clearly more negative and you can't deny the negative connotation just from the headline when read alone.
Michigan engineering is working on a bipedal robot and were testing its ability to handle rough terrain. Really awesome stuff.
it looks like we'll laugh last in this feud with the free press once our robot army is complete.
I for one welcome our robot overlords. I have just one question when can we make one that can play DB?
That's why I bought Robot Insurance.
Or Brooklyn Decker or Marisa Miller that I can keep in various levels of undress, I won't be leaving my house again.
But, I was just taking the Lewis Black bit to the next level:
"There are two general rules of health. Number one: the good die young, and pricks live forever. And number two: if you masturbate 20 times a day, you'll never make it out your front door. You might make it to the door, but once you grab the handle, you'll fall down."
That was really cool. I wonder how long until they can give it feet. I'm far from an engineer, but feet would obviously give it a lot more stability (and are also probably really, really difficult to design and implement).
The way it walks kind of reminds me of when I'm walking up or down stairs and take a step expecting another stair when there isn't one.
can the robot tackle better than obi ezeh? but seriously, it's awesome to see what our engineer students are doing.
The last part reminds of me of horrible Sid Vicious injury he suffered in WCW (I won't link because it is tough to watch, but just type in "Sid Vicious Leg" into Youtube and you'll see it).
But that is awesome. AS UM CoE alum, I am incredibly impressed and proud.
CONSPIRACY
The writing and "spin" of the one versus the article written in the News is clearly more negative
Umm, both articles were written by the Associated Press, and they are virtually identical (the one in the Freep is just an edited-down version of the longer one in the News).
Agree with you on the headline. And the disgusting comments in the Freep gives an idea of the type of readers they're appealing to. ("The robot practiced too much, that's why its leg was weak! Hurh hurh!"). But this might be pushing things a bit.
All sarcasm aside, I'm pretty sure that the writers for the Freep with U of M ties consider themselves proud graduates of Michigan. They don"t "hate" U of M.
However, in order to sell print, they have chosen to throw the Michigan football program under the bus, which has alienated them from fellow alumni, as well as the fans.
The irony is that everytime we discuss these articles, we are doing exactly what they want us to do. We are recognizing them for their product and, with journalism, negative recognition is usually as good as positive.
In no way am I defending these reporters. I couldn't fathom advancing my career at U of M's expense, and I'm appalled that they could. Then again, my career path as a Civil Engineer will never put me in their position.
ENGAGE!
I use tin foil wrapped in aluminum foil just to be safe.
on game days?
Before the game: smugly standing on the sidelines, hoping to capture an epic fail by RichRod and the team.
After the game (a U-M win, of course): Fetal position, sucking thumb, calling for "Mommy".
I saw the video featured on a website for robotgeeks a coupla weeks back, and it too highlighted the broken leg issue, mainly because it aroused sympathy for that poor blind robot.
However, having followed the way papers around the country report on higher ed, I think both Detroit papers love to take potshots at U-M. They rarely miss a chance to help perpetuate the myth that the U is arrogant, overstuffed, and out-of-touch. It's a real shame because parts of our state have really parochial views about higher ed. A better paper would look for opportunities to inform the public and correct those misunderstandings. I guess it's easier to feed people's disgruntled stereotypes.
But most of these freep posts on here are just getting whiny. Everytime they even say Michigan there is a post on mgoblog that takes every little thing in the worst possible way as if to say "quit picking on me." Honestly, everyone who keeps claiming every article ever written by the Freep is an anti-Michigan campain needs to relax.
Take a look at a four-legged robot — Big Dog:
That is so cool! Thanks for sharing that link.
One must wonder though whether the guy in the video is kicking the robotic dog partly because the buzzing sound is driving him nuts.
hilarious parody of the Big Dog video...
Stop reading the damn freep.
This was actually on engadget like a month ago... looks like both papers are a little slow on the uptake. Awesome stuff though!
The story isn't new, but it was just printed in the most recent Michigan Today Newsletter. Just showed up in my inbox last week, so I'm sure that's where this is coming from.
I think it's funny that Michigan included this in the newsletter as something the University is proud of, but the Freep still printed a story with a headline like that. That headline makes it sound like the experiment was a failure when it's actually pretty phenomenal work and is something that's on-going...
from this title, i guess the freep is the voldemort of newspapers.
You must mean that the Paper-whose-name-we-dare-not-say is the He-who-shall-not-be-named of newspapers.
We all need to stop bringing their articles up and completely ignore them.
Or, we need to stop childishly saying 'ignore them', and then only bring up relevant, germane articles for a substantive discussion of content, not just for whining.
I think the difference is that Michigan grads and most smart journalists know what an experiment and trial is, and why you get data to make improvments.
The Free Press, however, seems to have gone to MSU. They think an 'experiment' is the time they drank a bunch of Everclear, smoked a joint the size of a cigar, and ended up in bed with their roommate.