Sarah Palin -- Don't Vote For Old Candidates???

Palin states that, "I have been hearing about his Senate speeches since I was in, like, second grade."

I guess the point is that Biden is old and has been in the Senate forever and that makes him a far less desirable candidate than someone who is a relative newcomer and in their 40s............

Um, is this REALLY a position that the McCain campaign wants to stake out? Really?

And one last thing -- old 'Rah cannot remember anything she was told by six members of the McCain campaign staff yesterday. Any chance at all that she recalls an issue of Senate politics that occurred in 1971-72? (Splitting hairs, Biden first joined the Senate in Jan. 1973, so she probably was in 3rd grade, which for her was no doubt "like" second grade -- or was she held back in school?).

Twins and Sox -- Let's Get It On!

Neither team deserves to win the division, but to steal from and slightly revise Denny Green -- "When there is a game between two teams, and they both want to win, one of them has to win."


Searching youtube for the song "let's get it on," I eventually ended up here:

Vikings Fall to 1-3, Twins Await Their Fate At The Hands of the Sox

I am sure Al S. has a great deal more input on the state of the wretched Vikings, but I will just say this: I don't see them having any chance to win at New Orleans, so that puts the Vikes at 1-4 to start. The good thing? The Division sucks so bad that 8-8 might win it. Aaron Rodgers suffered the first of his sure-to-be-many injuries this weekend, leaving the Pack with either a nicked up QB or two rookies. The Bears won, but only because Andy Reid channeled his inner Brad Childress and was too stubborn to go play action on 3rd or 4th down. The Lions? Well, um, as I said, 8-8 might do it.


The Twins finally won a game, so they have to hope either that they win in Chicago on Tuesday (20% chance) or that Freddy Garcia comes up big for Detroit today (20% chance). So if you were a betting man, I would say go with the Sox to win the division.

Joe Mauer wins the batting title unless the Twins play Chicago on Tuesday and he goes 0 for 7.
Justin Morneau has fallen behind Josh Hamilton for the RBI title.


And even our might Gophers football team lost.

Super Bowl Prediction After Week 4

Buffalo 32, Giants 24

AFC Title Game -- Buffalo 15, Tennessee 14

NFC Title Gain -- Giants 20, Washington 18

I've Got a Fever, and The Only Prescription is "More Palin"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/29/free-palin-mccain-camp-re_n_130146.html

I am put in mind of the 2007 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team. They started out as the worst defense in all of Division I football. So about halfway through the season, the defensive coordinator decided to "simplify" his schemes so guys could "play at full speed without too much thinking."

At the end of the year they were........the worst defense in all of Division I football.

I THINK what they are trying to say here is that Palin can't remember "policy talking points" well enough, so they are going to see if they can get her to turn every answer into "that tax and spend liberal black guy really sucks." I GUESS this might work, but it can only work if 1) the people asking her questions ask a question that is conducive to such an answer; and 2) if she doesn't basically start saying things she truly believes on issues like creationism, stem cell research, immigration, etc. (where either she has no current position or her position is different than McCain's).

HM

Debate -- Hard to Say

Look, I read the news and love politics and care about foreign relations probably more than 97% of people in the country.

But it is hard for me not to have my eyes glaze over as Obama discusses various Pakistani regimes and McCain treats us to a travel log of every single place in the world he has ever visited. (Plus recalls his key meetings with George Schultz. George Schultz turns 88 on December 13. This is similar to an actor trying to get a key part by stating that he had a wonderful meeting once with Abe Vigoda. Not much bang for your buck with those references.)

So I would imagine that if everyone in America watched (which they didn't) 6,000,000 people really enjoyed the minutia, 33,000,000 people really struggled but tried to follow, and 261,000,000 people really had no idea what was going on. But I think I can tell you (as a guy who saw Gore and Kerry "lose" debates to GWB) what the 261MM likely saw:

1) Obama was much taller (could it be that he is South Korean and McCain is North Korean?)

2) Obama is more stylish and better looking.

3) Obama tried to be nice to McCain; McCain made absolutely no effort to be nice to Obama.

4) McCain would not look at Obama

5) When McCain had his soldier bracelet story, Obama was ready with his.

That is it. That is what people will recall (I recall the 3 inches taller line because I thought it was just bizarre. I guess the point was that nutrition in NKor is way worse than in SKor, but I would bet you that Minnesotans are 3 inches taller than New Yorkers. I am not sure we can credit the kinder and gentler Pawlenty regime for that fact.)


So you see that the immediate polls show that men thought the debate was basically a tie and women went HEAVY for Obama. Why? Appearances. "McCain was angry, McCain was mean, McCain seemed disorganized, McCain seemed upset, Obama seemed really nice."

What MAY have happened tonight is that Barack Obama showed up and wore no hat to the side or baggy pants or bling, spoke decent English and appeared not to be at all angry, uppity or threatening.

I did not see Obama do one thing all evening that my mother would find threatening or impolite.

That may drag him in a few votes from people who didn't want to elect Snoop Dogg or Diddy to the presidency.

1 down, 3 to go.

Twins Lose While In First Place......Again

Since around June, the Twins have played 5 or 6 games while holding the AL Central lead or tied for the AL Central lead.

They have lost every single game.

So...........how do the Twins win this division given their incredible inability to hold a lead? I guess they have to hope that Chicago gets swept by Cleveland and loses also to Detroit.

Twins Magic Number? 3
Sox Magic Number? 4

HM

The Sarah Palin Press Conference Answer Creator

Rather than sending out Sarah Palin to any further interviews with cruel harsh reporters like Katie Couric, The McCain Campaign today announced that they will be making a life-sized cut-out of the fake bikini and shotgun pic and putting it in front of reporters who can ask any question they would like. A McCain staffer will generate a response using a Chinese restaurant approach of one from each column. The campaign considered a "logical flow chart" system, but then no one would ever believe it was Governor Palin speaking.

Example Question -- What is your position on McCain-Kennedy immigration reform?

Answers (all acceptable):
1b, 2b, 3a, 4d, 5a
1a, 2c, 3e, 4c, 5i
1c, 1c, 1c, 1a, 2f, 3i, 4g, 5f (or 5h or even possibly 5g).


Column 1 (starters)
a -- "Well, [interviewer name]"
b -- "Well, lemme tell ya" (use if can't remember name)
c -- "In what regard [possibly insert interviewer name]?" (if this response is given, wait for question again and restart in Column 1 until you reply with either 1a or 1b)


Column 2 (non-substantive statement)
a -- "I have been a mom for a long time, and...."
b -- "As Governor of Alaska, I..."
c -- "You know that they call me and John McCain "True Mavericks"
d -- "Liberals will tell you that...."
e -- "As a true conservative...."
f -- "Of COURSE we want to....."


Column 3 (attempt at stating policy or factual background)
a -- "I never blinked."
b -- "I live very close to Russia and Canada, and know a lot about foreign policy."
c -- "I chose life."
d -- "You cannot believe what those liberals will tell ya, ya know."
e -- "Perhaps that would happen, yes."
f -- "From what I understand, [name of McCain personnel] has done nothing wrong."
g -- "I consider it sexist to ask me that question and I will not dignify it with an answer."
h -- "I am not gonna play stump the candidate."
i -- "I will have to get back to you on that/I don't really know/blank look."
j -- "A lot of U.S. Americans can't afford maps, and countries such as South Africa and the Iraq."


Column 4 (false climax)
a -- "So as a woman..."
b -- "So as a mom..."
c -- "So, bein' that we are true Mavericks"
d -- "So, bein' that we aren't liberals"
e -- "So, bein' that we are true conservatives"
f -- "So, bein' that we take on our party time and time again"
g -- I guess what I am sayin' and you just refuse to hear is that..."

Column 5 (running out of energy -- trailing off)
a -- "I think that that is the right way to do things."
b -- "There are good guys and bad guys. I don't think A-rabs are good guys, but I love Jews."
c -- "You just don't do things that way."
d -- "That is the way we do things [around here/in our campaign/in Alaska].
e -- "So, yes. I am qualified."
f -- "I am sorry -- the question again?"
g -- "And let me tell you, I had to make those free throws or we lose."
h -- "Mavericks! That is what we are!"
i -- "Watch out Washington!"


HM

You Are Free to Watch Baseball This Evening -- McCain Declares Debate Victory

McCain already declares a debate victory, so no need to watch.

Boldly going out on a limb, high-ranking McCain advisor Rick Davis also notes, "McCain won -- hands down."

Again -- never saw Bush get caught looking this stupid during a campaign. Who is running the McCain campaign? Mitt Romney?

Conservative Columnist Calls Upon Sarah Palin to Withdraw

OUCH!

Look. What are we seeing here? Sarah hasn't been able to learn. She has been kept away completely from the press except those known attack hate-the-GOP attack dogs........Gibson, Couric and Hannity. And yet she still cannot provide a coherent answer. You are saying "car- uh, cari....uh, you know" and the interviewer helps you out by saying "mocked" and you reply, "yes, mocked." All Couric had to do was simply say NOTHING and things get far worse for Palin. Would she have EVER finished the sentence?

And it appears that the McCain campaign, after putting her in room for 2 weeks and grilling her with no success, may have actually stopped trying to help her. "well, my UNDERSTANDING is that Rick Smith, per my UNDERSTANDING...." They give her 20 words to say and she repeats them. She isn't allowed to KNOW too much because she may actually come out and say it (War with Russia? "Perhaps.")

But if you read the Michelle Malkin blog and the reader comments, it is clear that McCain cannot ditch her -- TPW loves her too much. And she will never withdraw -- she doesn't blink, remember? You can't blink. Someone asks you if you can swim the Pacific Ocean with a bag of sand on your back -- you say YES! She is power hungry -- for goodness sake, she had an anti-witch minister make sure God kept the witches away so she could win the Governor's race!

And why should she withdraw? McCain's odds of winning (last I looked) are 46%. He also has a 33% chance to die before the end of his first term. Even if nothing changes in her favor, she right now, today, has a 15% chance of becoming President!!! Better than one out of 7 chance. Imagine a lottery where there are only 7 tickets and you have a 46% chance of getting second prize and a 15% chance of first prize. And someone paid your entry fee for you and you are holding the ticket in your hand right now. Would you hand the ticket to someone else just because you think Russia and Canada are in Alaska?

HM

Hey Folks! Wasilla, Alaska? Nowhere near Moscow, Russia.

Wasilla, per mapquest, is 43 miles from Anchorage. Distance from Anchorage, Alaska to Moscow, Russia: 4,373 miles.

A search for "shortest flight duration" on Orbitz yielded a 19+ hour flight that took you to Seattle and then Amsterdam and then to Moscow. Every single flight option from Anchorage to Moscow takes you EAST, away from the Aleutian Islands and toward cities such as, say, Chicago, Illinois (under 13 hours of flight time, per Orbitz).

So........while Sarah has been up dare a-keepin' an eye on dat Putin guy.....it would actually have been MUCH easier and quicker for Barack Obama to keep an eye on tings in Moscow.

But that, of course, does not get Sarah to back off her ridiculous claim that proximity = foreign policy experience:





"They are in the state that I am the executive of." Russia and Canada -- actually IN Alaska!! No wonder Todd wants them to secede!

John McCain Needs to Pick a Wing of His Party and Stick With It

So they hold a big meeting in Washington and McCain sits and says nothing while the House GOP starts screaming that their new plan (cutting capital gains taxes for the wealthy plus deregulation -- I am not kidding, that is the plan) is the only one they will accept.

McCain sits and does nothing?? Why??

Well, as any reader of this Blog knows (thanks to all 5 of you by the way) there are two wings of the Republican Party: The Rich Wing ("TRW"), and The Poor Wing ("TPW"). The party is run by TRW (Reagan, Bush, Bush, Cheney) who believe that the most important thing in the world is cutting taxes for rich people (them, their friends and family).

Richard Nixon, as criminal, crooked and crazy as he was, was never really a member of TRW. He was always bitter about that and he had crazy ideas like universal health care that he was working on pre-Watergate (I am not kidding, look it up). Same can be said of ex-Michigan footballer Gerald Ford.

So TRW is a fairly new thing. It arose out of the "Voodoo Economics" (Bush 41 term) of "trickle down" theory (make the rich unbelievably wealthy and their droppings will eventually fall down to where the people are standing below them in the street -- stuff like that).

But as we know, TRW lacks one big necessity -- voters. There are only so many people who make $500,000 a year and you can only convince just a few people that they MIGHT someday make $500,000 a year. Thus, Reagan created TPW.

TPW are generally poor folks (as the name might suggest) who believe that the world is going to hell in a handbasket. These people believe that if we could only get rid of gays and blacks and Hispanics and other folk unlike them, we would all be great. They are told that the Democratic party means the end of religion in America and they need those mega-churches for their daycare. TRW doesn't give a shit about these people, but it needs them to vote GOP, so a lot of campaign rhetoric is directed at the issues these folks care about (religion, guns, gays, kicking someone's ass, abortion, hating minorities and A-rabs). After the votes are counted, these folks' concerns disappear until 2-4 years later and are suddenly "hot button" issues again. (Note that the GOP controlled the White House and Congress from 2001 to 2006 and yet, to my knowledge, no significant piece of legislation favoring TPW's issues ever got passed.)

OK, so now an example: TRW wants "immigration reform" because keeping Mexicans out of the country costs money and because illegal immigrants are a great supply of cheap labor to business owners.

TPW, however, HATES immigration reform. These are people who hate change, hate immigrants and hate to see their job opportunities reduced. Some also seem to recall a basic idea that if we have laws we ought to enforce them.


So what is my point? Here is what is going on with THE Bailout. TRW is very much pro-bailout. This is consistent with their typical "me, my family and friends" ideals. The banking system goes down, everyone they know stands to lose money and lose their extremely high paying jobs. Like ex-NBAer Kenny Anderson, they might be forced to sell off a few of their cars.

TPW has no money. They owe money. They don't work at banks. They don't have big (or any) 401Ks or retirement accounts. And they have this vague idea from their memory banks that the whole point of a capitalist system is that when you take risk, you might win, you might lose.


The House GOP is basically folks whose constituents are from TPW. The Senate GOP represents a whole lot more folks who are from TRW (this rule may not apply to Senators from Alabama or Mississippi). So the House GOP wants nothing to do with this bill.

To make matters worse, the House GOP generally represent rural districts from the South and Mountain West. They have the safest seats in Congress, so long as they don't piss off the poor folk who vote for them.

Now McCain has always been TRW (votes with Bush 90% of the time, really not much on social issue that TPW cares about). But he knows that to win the election he has to suck up to TPW. He did that already with the Palin pick, but now he has to decide one final issue: will he lose significant votes from TPW if he votes for a bailout?

I think McCain is stuck. I think he really does not know what the hell to do. That is why he says/does nothing. He is deathly afraid that if he comes out and says, "I oppose the bailout" that he will look like Nero fiddling while Rome burns. But he is also afraid that 500,000 voters in North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia will say, "My lord. That is it. I can't vote for the bailout guy. He is no better than Obama."

So, John, please just pick a side and spare us the theatrics.

Trojans Appear Flaccid When Faced With Beavers -- Oregon State Moves to 2-2

http://www.osubeavers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=24794&SPID=1952&DB_OEM_ID=4700&ATCLID=1590339

This is an Oregon State team, by the by, who lost to Stanford and then lost to Penn State by a million.

As I said after Michigan's loss to Appalachian State last year, this in my mind disqualifies USC from the national championship picture. Period. Don't care if every other team in the nation has 3 losses. You lost to a 1-2 team that has a running back who could be posted up by Verne Troyer. You cannot be national champions. Enjoy the rest of your meaningless season.

A.J. Pierzinski -- Loser -- White Sox Also Get Swept

The good thing for the Sox is this -- the Twins, I believe, have played 5 games since June where they were in or tied for first place. They have lost them all. So Kansas City probably stands a good chance to beat the Twins at least Friday.

County by County Map -- 2000 and 2004 Elections

http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/2004_election_county-by-county/

I think you would have to say that the three states who appear to be turning more Dem are: NC, VA, CO.

Now, it looks to me like Kerry managed to turn Michigan a little redder.

If you look at the map you can see why it is so hard to turn Ohio blue -- basically every single county votes GOP.

Clinton managed to win the state by winning the north and east edges AND winning the south-central (Cincy) area: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1270264/posts
Neither Gore nor Kerry managed to have much appeal in those areas.


HM

Stu Rothenberg on Blatant Racism: It Is Not So Bad

On rollcall.com:

Voters shouldn’t judge a candidate by his skin color.

Maybe, but is it any more unfair than, for example, saying that because McCain and President Bush are both Republicans that a McCain administration would produce a third Bush term? No, it isn’t.


Wow. I didn't know that my mom wrote under the pseudonym "Stu Rothenberg." Saying that a guy is no good because his skin color is black-ish is, in Stu's world, no worse than saying that a guy who votes 90% with Bush and who campaigned twice to get Bush elected would be, well, the same as Bush???

Since it is OK for me to stereotype (per Stu), I am going to ask Stu (whose name sound Jewish) if he would agree that this is a "not unfair" political position:

Certainly we don't have to discuss these matters with the Jews, the most modern inventors of this cultural perfume. Their whole existence is an embodied protest against the aesthetics of the Lord's image.
-Adolf Hitler (Mein Kampf)

Fair or no? I mean, the guy is just basing his poitical position on certain aspects of the appearance of people. You say that is OK, right?


So -- lesson -- if Obama says, "McCain is like Bush" based upon facts, then it is equally OK for McCain to say, "Look at Obama's black skin! You know what THAT means!"

Again. Wow. I could not imagine anyone today actually writing a "pro-racism" column.

Revisiting the Hanson Lover -- I Just Can't Take It Anymore

I am sorry that I have to say this, because I know that he is the worst two-term President of all-time, but I would rather have four more years of George W. Bush as President than how many ever years of Sarah Palin that we are going to get.

Watch this:




And then ask yourself, why couldn't they find some witchcraft practitioner up in Alaska to keep SP from being governor? (Oh never mind -- we know why -- they prayed all that anti-Palin witchcraft away).

McCain "Let's Cancel the Debate"

McCain decides all of a sudden that (while he can still talk to the Clinton Global Initiative on Thursday), every other minute needs to be dedicated to working on the bail out, so.............um, I call time out -- no debate.

Obama says, "Um, no. Debate still on."

Here is the silly thing, what were these guys previously PLANNING to do before the debate? Obama was going to play basketball and work out and McCain was going to a town hall meeting and TAKE A NAP!!!

OK, John, so here is an idea -- let's cancel the pretend pre-ticketed event and skip the nap that you generally take in your jammies after drinking warm milk and watching your afternoon soap operas/"stories" on network TV. I know this is hard on you, but maybe you just use nappy time to do your day job of Senator, then you can show up and debate at night. We have things today called cell phones and e-mail where you can monitor stuff from another location!

Wow.

Well at least we will learn on TV tonight that GWB is probably still alive (unless he has been replaced by Kevin Kline ala "Dave.")

HM

Matt Millen Gone -- firemillen.com issues press release

I have to admit, this would be funny if it were not so accurate. God I hope this doesn't mean he gets back in the booth! How about a dream 3-man booth of Matt, Bill Maas and Dan Dierdorf?

MMM-MMM-MMMBop! -- Sarah Palin: Lover of Hanson?

Isaac, Taylor, Zac and..........................Brad????

When Todd found out, being the manly, rugged, gun-toting Alaskan ass-kicker that he is, he............dissolved his business partnership with the guy.

Whoa! Hey, let's not overreact here! I mean, being made a cuckold by a friend who is banging your hot wife the second you leave town is one thing, but cratering a snowmobile dealership? Wow. And that damned Paula Cole had the nerve to ask "Where have all the cowboys gone?"

www.thefreedictionary.com offers up this usage of "cuckold":

Nay,' says he, 'I do not think to clear my hands of her; for, to be plain with you, madam,' added he, 'I am no contended cuckold neither: on the other hand, I assure you it provokes me the highest degree, but I can't help myself; she that will be a whore, will be a whore.
The Fortunes & Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders by Defoe, Daniel View in context

Helpful. A couple clips related to Brad's better-known "siblings."






and

Clay Aiken -- Gay; Next Up -- John McCain, "Yes, I Am Old"

"Minorities and Other Risky People"

Fox News is pushing very hard the "blame the damn minorities!" card in why we are where we are. Um, well, ya see, minority home ownership has been a GWB calling card for years and years and years:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4568925/

Recall that GWB and Karl Rove wanted badly to stem the tide of blacks and Hispanics voting for Democrats. This is one reason Bush was/is so "open borders" and "amnesty." Since so many voters in his party actually DESPISE minorities, he needed to find some way to toss them a bone without actually spending any government money on social programs. The answer -- ask his banker friends to help:

Bush, in contrast, sees private sector solutions, saying he has encouraged the real estate and mortgage finance industry to “join our efforts in closing the home ownership gap.”

So please, let's stop the whole "it is black folk like Barack Obama's fault we are here." It isn't true, and even if it were, the whole program was a key cog in the GWB/Karl Rove program for making the GOP a permanent majority party.

HM

My Windfall Profits -- AKA "See You Suckers Later!!"

I am soon to be independently wealthy once I reply to this e-mail received today!!:

I am Mr.Weston Roger Simon I am an Independent auditor.During my last auditing I realized an unclaimed Bank Draft of 8,528,000GBP (Eight Million Five Hundred and Twenty Eight Thousand GBP).Upon recieving your response,I will send you more details.My private email is westonrsimon100@hotmail.com

Now, I don't know what a "GPB" is, but I am sure that it is a lot of money!!


AND -- BELIEVE IT OR NOT -- once I get the money in hand from e-mail #1, I can also take advantage of THIS offer:

Man formula effective for for 90% of the patients!!!
2500 + Men and worldwide, 24 hours support and free consultations with licensed physicians!!!

Impressive prices


I can take my "Man Formula" AND talk for free to licensed physicians? Why do I even have health insurance?

John McCain As True "Maverick"

If you truly want to see the 100% flip side of everything I write in this Blog, please feel free to read the comments to the recent Michelle Malkin item on John McCain and illegal immigration.

Now, McCain, it seems, really wants to improve his standing with Hispanics so he has bitten the bullet and pulled out his love of McCain-Kennedy (aka "Amnesty for Illegal Immigrants").

Well, great, huh! Right? I mean, I have only suffered through 300 McCain campaign commercials on "They are true mavericks and buck the trends of their party, blah, blah, blah...." If you are a McCain supporter and really love this great Maverick, you just gotta love him more when he tells Scranton how much he loves illegal immigrants, right?

Read the comments.

Now, imagine that when you read my Blog every day you saw me write things like this:

"I despise everything Barack Obama stands for, but I think Joe is really gonna work with him to fix that, so I am voting Obama."

or

"I would rather see Obama lose and suffer 4 years of hell so we could get Joe in the White House in 2012!"

or

"I really wish they would dump Obama so I could vote only for Biden."

or

"We need Obama to win so Biden can run against him in 2012 with John Edwards. That's right Barack, only one term for you!"

or

"If John McCain loses, the old white folk will riot. Get out the guns, ammo and bottled water!"

or

"I wish Michelle Obama would just tell Barack to switch his views!"

THIS is the level of political discourse we see from Sarah Palin supporters. These are the votes McCain has picked up by his VP pick. Congrats, John. You must be so proud.

The only good comment we see in the bunch is the obvious Dem operative who says, "How do we know what Sarah's position on amnesty is? Wonder why Hannity didn't ask her?" No one could honestly be that dumb/naive for real. Here is your answer buddy: 1) Her position is whatever the McCain campaign informs her that her position is...around 24 hours before her Biden debate; and 2) Hannity didn't ask her the question because there is no winning answer for her. If she says, "amnesty is bad/the end of American civilization" then McCain has been undercut by his own VP on his big issue with Hispanics. If she says, "McCain is right" then that is the end for "Sarah power." It dies that day and is gone forever. Her true believers will not tolerate one single step off the "we own you as a right-wing whacko forever until The Rapture" path. In a way, she is more locked in than Mitt Romney. While everyone knew Romney was a whore who would say anything to get elected, the folks who comment in the link I have given you truly and honestly believe that Sarah Palin is 100% pure true believer. The second she says one word contrary to that position and hurts the party, she becomes a nothing and disappears back to her home office in Wasilla. (See: Harris, Katherine, if you can find her between races at the $1 window at the local greyhound track).

HM

Daily Kos Blogger On Why We Need a Bail Out

GC Boy -- agrees with a Daily Kos blogger? My world makes no sense.

Another dose of irony: what we are being told by the GWB White House is that we need to spend $1 trillion of taxpayer money "for the public good because it is the right thing to do." The endless GOP party line from 1972 through today? "All the Dems want to do is tax and spend....we will REDUCE your taxes and CUT government spending." Right. But still TONIGHT I saw the John McCain attack ad about "liberal Barack Obama" and how he wants BIG government involved in everything and how that is HORRIBLE for everyone. Guys -- do you not have an alternative ad you can run or are you really that frigging tone deaf?

The key part of the item:

Unfortunately, the confluence of banks in similar positions trying to do this drives down the value of the low quality assets and even some of the higher quality assets, hence even after selling off assets, banks found themselves in an even worse financial position. Not selling assets is of course not an option because not only do banks need the cash such sales raise, if they choose not to sell off their assets, they will still find themselves holding assets deterioriating rapidly in value. Thus numerous banks would be destroyed and therefore the entire credit system should this process continue. Obviously, the loss of some banks wholesale and the inability of other banks to lend makes it impossible for Americans to buy homes, finance the education of their children, and establishing small business ventures. Not to mention larger firms will also lose access to credit.

Therefore, a bailout is needed and as Krugman points out, the assets will have to be purchased at a premium to even provide an opportunity for banks to return to health.

Can't.....Get.....Ring....Off

Bank Bailout Versus Universal Healthcare -- Communism v. Socialism

Hillary Clinton suggested a universal healthcare plan this year that Fox News reported would cost taxpayers $110 billion a year. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,296997,00.html

This was immediately branded "socialism". Now we have a requested from the Secretary of the Treasury to get non-reviewable authority to, basically GIVE banks and insurance companies $700B to $1 trillion.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm..........giving taxpayer money to poor people who actually need it: socialism. Giving taxpayer money to rich people who absolutely DON'T need it...............oh wait! That is Communism!

Lawyer Disciplined for Improper Bartering

Courtesy of both K and GC Boy. I had initially read that she only "bartered" in his office, but now I see he also got "barter" on a retail basis at the client's place of employment (which I am not sure is illegal or an ethical violation -- I mean, if someone gave you free baseball tickets for legal services, couldn't you use them?). Side note -- was his ultimate mistake that he was so tight-fisted with the "credits" he issued? I mean, you charge someone $7,000 and credit them only $534? Penny wise, pound foolish:


Stripper's private dancing lands DeKalb lawyer in hot water


State commission suspends him 15 months for accepting nude dances as partial payment for her legal fees, report says

By Art Barnum Chicago Tribune reporter
September 19, 2008


A DeKalb lawyer was suspended for 15 months Thursday for arranging to have a female client perform nude dances for him in exchange for credit on her legal fees, a state commission said. Scott Robert Erwin, a lawyer since 1980, will begin his suspension Oct. 7, according to the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission, a branch of the state Supreme Court that conducts investigations into attorney misconduct.

Erwin, with offices at 211 N. 1st St., has not been charged criminally. Erwin represented the female client and several of her family members on several different types of cases.
The relationship began in 2001 at Heartbreakers, a Compton, Ill., strip club where, after Erwin talked to an exotic dancer, both realized they had talked to each other over the telephone about some pending legal matters, according to the commission's report of the allegations.

Erwin agreed to represent her on several legal matters, and they mutually agreed that she perform nude dances for him in his office as a way to cut down on the legal fees, according to the report. She claimed that on several occasions from February to June in 2002 she would go to his office, remove her clothing and dance for half-hour sessions. She also claimed that Erwin continued to go to Heartbreakers, where he would pay the $15 entrance fee but wouldn't pay her for performing nude dances. She claims during the dances at his office, he inappropriately touched her, the report states. He denied any such touching in police interviews.

Erwin credited her for $534, but she complained because her bill had reached $7,000, the report states. The woman went to DeKalb police in 2002 about the sexual assault allegations, and an investigation led to a hearing before the DeKalb County grand jury in 2003, seeking a charge of criminal sexual assault. The grand jury did not vote for an indictment, the commission report states. When reached by phone Thursday, Erwin declined to comment. He has no prior disciplinary action from the state.

He was a former chairman of the DeKalb County

"pro bono committee"

of the DeKalb County Bar Association, according to the commission documents. The woman, who is no longer an exotic dancer, is married with three children and is a real estate agent, according to the report.

George Michael -- Again In The Toilet...

http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Music/09/21/george.michael.drugs.arrest/index.html

Doesn't the guy own a house or an apartment or somewhere he can do illegal stuff in private? I just can't understand this desire to commit crimes in bathrooms. Even Matt Jones uses his car.

Financial Bailout Sends All the Wrong Messages

As a lawyer, I always tell my clients "look, at the end of the day, you CAN do anything you want, but you need to be willing to take the risk and bear the consequences of what you do."

As a kid - I was raised by the cheapest man alive. On 500 plus mile road trips if we stopped at McDonald's we would have to split a Happy Meal and split a milk. My father bought his entire 100 acre farm for 10,000 and always felt he paid too much. His lesson? Don't borrow money, and if you do then pay it back quickly. Live according to, or under, your means.

Now, suppose you are a rural Republican (and I grew up with many). What was the constant refrain of the rural GOP? "The damned government is giving all of our money away to all of those poor minorities (the word started with an N, they didn't say "minorities") in the cities. They live like animals and we have to pay the bill".

So, how is it that there is ANY public support for the current bailout package? We are saying that we will pay banks for their worst assets at a price well above what they are worth.

These are people who have made so much money since 2001 that they live a life few rural folk can imagine, yet we take money we don't have and pay it to people who are filthy rich so that they don't lose their standard of living?

The funniest thing I have heard all day is that certain banks won't take government money if the government conditions the money on reduced bank officer compensation! Fine. Fuck them. If that is the case, they don't need the bail out. If they do need the bail out and would rather fail than reduce pay, I think maybe they should look up the term "fiduciary" and see what maybe they should do as officers of a corporation.

And finally -- where are we getting 700 billion dollars? I propose this: we go to people making 250,000 a year and more and say, "we are taking a poll -- will you pay 10-20 percent more a year in taxes to pay for this?" If the answer is no, we don't do it. If the answer is yes, we do it.

At some point governing is supposed to be about tough choices. We can't spend one trillion on a war and one trillion on a bailout and not raise taxes. We either keep the taxes the same or we stop spending the money.

HM

Super Bowl Prediction After Week 3

Buffalo 22 Giants 20.


AFC Title Game -- Bills 12 Titan 10.

NFC title gane -- Giants 9 Dallas 7.

Self-Promotion

(Posted mostly cuz I know PAR will just gag when he has to read this):

Just so all you guys can have some annoying self-love to deal with over the weekend, I offer up my greatest ever games:

Football -- when I was a senior, we played a rare Friday night game at York Central School. I rushed for 112 yards and passed for 67 in a 25-18 win. Up 19-18, trying to run out the clock, I took a QB sneak 65 yards for a TD. This is the only game I have ever played that I went up to our fans and held my arms out in the Maximus "Are you not entertained" pose.

Baseball -- I pitched a JV game in which I allowed 2 singles and struck out 15. That same year I was promoted to varsity and hit .489, but the 15 K 2-hitter stands out.

Basketball -- again, 10th grade, JV game, scored 22 points and put up 11 rebounds in a 1 point loss. Had 11 points as a varsity career high. Law League -- once had 27 points on 9 threes.

Tennis -- once finished second in a double tennis tournament at my Buffalo law firm, also destroyed my ex-roomie in college 6-1 in our one and only tennis match.

Hockey -- can't skate, never played

Floor Hockey -- 5 goals in a gym class game, all on tip-ins and rebounds

Wrestling -- finished second in my gym class in 8th grade

Soccer -- scored 7 goals in a gym class

Kickball -- multiple home runs, too many to count

Softball -- I have had some just sick runs in slow pitch softball, I guess the best would be a weekend tourney where I went something like 15 for 16 with a bunch of walks and with the 1 out being a line out to short. A number of times, I have tripled to all three fields in the course of one game. I was involved in a loss (something like 25-24) where I drove in something like 8 runs.

Electoral College Tie

http://www.schak.com/270/2008/05/electoral-college-ties.html



The guy went through the problem of writing it, so I will post it.



HM

Barbour v. Berger -- Constitutional Trouble A-Brewin' In Mississippi???

http://images.dailykos.com/images/user/3/Barbour_v_Berger_order.pdf

Here is the deal -- MS Governor Haley Barbour managed to get the special election Senate race to fill Trent Lott's spot pushed back into the general election. He then circulated a proposed ballot that puts the special election contest at the bottom of the ballot, in violation of a 2000 Mississippi law that said "national races" must be at the top of the ballot.

Barbour argued that he could do so because Mississippi law requires that Special races be differentiated from General races on the ballot (when the voting occurs on the same day -- something Barbour made sure happened) and old Haley did so by.............putting the Special race at the bottom of the ballot....

The trial court found this absurd and ordered Barbour to fix the ballot and stop distributing the illegal ballot. Barbour appealed to the Mississippi Supreme Court.

The Court found 8-1 (1 dissenter said that the Governor had the right to interpret the law and he has done so and the Supreme Court has no right to second guess -- um, just put yourself out of a job there, buddy):

1) The ballot is clearly illegal
2) The Senate race must go at the top and can be marked simply "Special Election" at the top of the ballot.
but

3) The Mississippi courts have no authority to order Haley Barbour to do anything. (this issue was 6-3 for Barbour).

Um, OK.

This is really ultimately the worst-case scenario for a constitutional system built on checks and balances. Everyone knows that the Executive Branch enforces the laws. So the Executive Branch can, if it so chooses, refuse to enforce the laws against its own members. There are only two state law checks on this authority: 1) court orders; 2) impeachment. If courts are unwilling to issue an order telling a Governor to stop doing something illegal, then we can erase #1. Since what the Governor is doing is designed to help the party in power in the legislature, we really have no fear of #2.

So what do we have left? Well, if you could find a friendly Federal Court you might be able to find some federal statute saying that Senators must be elected pursuant to state law, or you might even have some sort of 17th Amendment issue if you could say that the Senators must be elected by the people (and that implies by the method selected by the people).

Then you have a Supremacy Clause victory and the federal government could force the Governor to put out a legal ballot.

Or you have a revolution. Which, I am thinking, would be WAY harder than just finding the frigging race on the ballot and voting to screw the guy who is so desperately trying to break the law.

HM

McCain to Bomb Spain -- Ensure USA Basketball Gold in 2012

For all of the hand wringing by Chris Mannix and Chris Sheridan over our gold medal in 2008, there is considerably more for our prospects in 2012. After all, Spain's silver medal squad was a young, flashy squad that seems poised to get better in 2012.

Enter American Patriot John McCain -- yesterday he was asked if he would meet with the Spanish Prime Minister. McCain appeared to not know who the Spanish Prime Minister was, and stated that basically "we will help our friends and not help our enemies."

Today the McCain camp said it was no accident. This implies that McCain doesn't consider NATO member Spain a friend right now.

So, you USA Basketball fans, help is on the way. Elect McCain, then around 2011 he will just bomb the living daylights out of Barcelona (or wherever rogue Spanish al Quaeda units may be stationed). This will start a war with Spain, a military occupation of Spain, and a stooge government that we can use to select a mediocre basketball squad for Spain.

Thank you Mr. Maverick!

Where Is George W. Bush?

We are going through tough times. Historically tough times (Alan Greenspan is 1,000 years old and he says it is the worst financial situation he has ever seen).

In this item I won't seek to blame anyone for what has occurred, but I do ask this -- where in the hell is our President?

Isn't this the time that the nation would like to hear from the President and be told "things are going to get better" or "we are working on something" or even "I trusted these crooks too much, and I am sorry." Anything like that? Heck, at this point I would settle or "Malaise Speech Part II" -- at least then I would know that the person who is supposed to be running the country has reviewed the situation and deemed it to be not that big a deal and mostly MY fault.

So where is he?

I recognize that the party does not want him visible, but does this mean that he has simply quit? Do we have a James Buchanan, Part II here? Could a state actually seceded while GWB sat back and said nothing? If so, Todd Palin should be at the ready.

Here is an amazing thing -- the only thing the guy has EVER cared about as President is the "War on Terror." Gotta invade Iraq....War on Terror.....Gotta tap everyone's phones.....War on Terror.....But today we had folks from Yemen try to blow up our embassy in Yemen. Where is GWB? Shouldn't he at least be in front of the cameras saying, "See, told you so. War on Terror -- ongoing. Phones needed to be tapped some more. Islamo-Facists are everywhere....threaten our way of life....all those towel-heads want to kill us sooner than look at us...."

What we have, instead, is just complete and utter silence from the man himself.

Where was he? Per the White House Web site -- having his 8th annual pre-Ramadan dinner and honoring Muslim Americans: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/09/20080917-11.html.

Someone call Alanis Morrisette...........on her tapped phone.

A Good Campaign Commercial

Look, the guy was once Governor of Mississippi, so you know almost for certain that he has shaken hands with corruption a few times. And I don't know if any of this ad is true or whether his dad actually was a billionaire who died when he was smothered in a swimming pool (sorry "cement pond") full of money.

But my goodness, if you don't feel like shedding a tear after watching this ad, you are made of stone:

Greta Van Susteren Fawns Over Todd Palin

http://tpmtv.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/09/tpmtv_the_first_dude_abides.php

I am sorry, I would have imbedded the interview, but I just could stand it no more. It makes her Brett Favre interview ("I assume you are a big boy and you can take it.") questions look hard hitting by comparison.

If anyone can manage to somehow get through the whole 3:26 of this crap, could you advise me as to whether Greta used the sink or a wet towel to wipe off her face at the end of the....um, performance.

Greta's inspiration for her interview skills:

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/the-chris-farley-show/1008368148

Aye-Yi Yi Carly! Fiorina to Be Placed In "Surrogate Relocation Program"

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/09/17/palin-fiorina-ceo/

Nathan Jessup once said, "You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall."

The truth is that all reasonably intelligent people in the United States know that Sarah Palin is unqualified for the job she has been asked to do. Just like Mike Brown's quarterhorse society work did not make him a good head of FEMA.

But what the radio questioner said to Fiorina revealed a painfully obvious truth that all good wealthy GOP followers know -- Palin could never get a job actually running a decent company. She is a runner-up beauty queen who went to 5 schools in 6 years before finally eke-ing out a journalism degree. Before her brief stint as a Governor, her resume wouldn't even get her HIRED by a large corporation given her academic background and lack of any success at any job.

So the thinking wing of the party (the rich wing) knows she is unqualified and would never hire her to run even a mid-sized company.

Carly Fiorina made the awful mistake of telling the truth. You won't be seeing her on TV anymore.

Josh Howard -- Won't Listen to the National Anthem -- "I am Black, Goddamnit!"

http://nba.fanhouse.com/2008/09/16/josh-howard-isnt-about-celebrating-the-star-spangled-banner/

The biggset problem with the footage I have seen is this: why even HAVE a national anthem? This is a frigging celebrity flag football game. I had a volleyball game in my yard last night -- no national anthem was played before the game.

And exactly what level of respect do you think players will give the anthem when the game is sponsored by............Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson!?!?! You are fortunate that you didn't have footage of guys doing drugs on the field between plays. Couldn't they have added Roy Tarpley and Snoop Dogg as sponsors?

Josh Howard -- doing for his race what John Rocker did for his. Um, Josh, ya play in DALLAS, TEXAS. Maybe at least ought to fake some patriotism.

HM

Failed Attack on U.S. Embassy In Yemen

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/09/17/yemen.blast/index.html


For more on Yemen (including that the average Yemeni woman bears 7 children) visti your local Wikipedia


I have concerns that "Friends" star Matthew Perry may have been involved in the bombing:

George Costanza Is Real!!

http://www.twincities.com/allheadlines/ci_10472581?nclick_check=1

1) Who owns a "$1,500 cell phone"? Is this 1989? Walk into any cell phone store and TRY to find a $1,500 cell phone. You can get a laptop computer for $1,500. Did he walk into a store and shout out, "I want the worst possible deal you can give me on a cell phone!"

2) $1,000 belt -- He frequents the bars of luxury hotels to find attractive ladies...........apparently around 3AM............with that in mind, maybe you ought to buy a $20 belt and save the other $980 for the cost of your potential "date."

3) He goes to the room and has the strange hooker/woman mix him a drink. Needs to watch "Hard Candy" and thank God he only got robbed.


HM

Current and Former Vikings Find Their Way to Bottom of QB Evaluations

http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/sportatorium/2008/09/nfl_quarterback_rankings_week.php


If you can say one thing about Coach Brad Childress -- he has the ability to find starting NFL QBs. Well, OK, the worst and lowest-level QBs according to the Dallas Observer, but nevertheless, having unearthed T-Jack, O'Sullivan and Thigpen in recent years, one thing is for sure:

You want to know a guy who can perform as a starting NFL QB at a very sub-par level? Ask B. ChilliWhack....


Q -- How did Joe Flacco escape his watchful eye?

Bush Withdraws Nuclear Arms Agreement

http://www.platts.com/Nuclear/News/7279137.xml?p=Nuclear/News&sub=Nuclear

I am put in mind of the Futurama episode where the Robot Devil chases after the Futurama gang shouting, "Stop them! HEY, they CHEAT-ed!!"

When you are GWB, you really don't have much moral authority to complain about unilateral military actions taken by some other country....

Best Minnesota Team Right Now? Minnesota Gophers Football!!

With the Twins pissing away yet another opportunity in Baltimore yesterday (dropping to 1 1/2 games behind a Chicago squad so injury-riddled that may soon have to start using their bat boys to hit), the Vikes falling to 0-2 (worst coach/o co-ordinator/QB combo in the league), and not a whole lot else to feel good about (Randy Wittman returns for the Wolves), the best we have to offer right now?????????

Tim Brewster's Gophers --------- 3 wins, 0 losses.

Now, I will predict right here and right now that the Gophers will not win another game all year. Why?

a) they have one wide receiver. If you triple-teamed Eric Decker and allowed everyone else to simply run free through a loose zone, the remaining Gopher wideouts would provide 4 catches for 28 yards and 4 drops. With Notre Dame receiver (St. Paul native) Michael Floyd, the Gophs maybe win 7 games this year.

b) they don't have Big Ten level running backs. I have watched these guys play against low level competition -- they simply do not have explosive speed, elusiveness, or any degree of power. Glen Mason had a guy playing defensive line (Alex Daniels) who would start at RB for the current Gophers.

c) they suffer an injury to their offensive line nearly every week. By the time 115 pound WR Ralph Spry drops his 15th wide receiver screen of the year (and taps his chest to indicate "my fault"), the Gophers will be able to promote/demote him to starting guard.

That said, why do I otherwise say nice things about the Gophers?

Tim Brewster has the skill set required by a college football coach:

a) he can recruit -- you can see that the guys that he has brought in on defense (the hardest spots to recruit) are WAY faster and more athletic than what he was given. There are times when (Gopher fans do not pass out here) I see Gopher secondary players knock down passes and make difficult tackling plays!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

b) he knows that he isn't a great football mind -- so he hires good assistants and allows them to coach the teams.

c) he has a basic philosophy (spread offense, pressure defense) built upon the premise that he can recruit at a national level. While he may be right or not here, he understands that this is the only way he can succeed -- he isn't going to X and O you to death, so he needs to recruit the horses and set them loose.

So, unlike Randy Wittman (no offensive or defensive philosophy) or Brad Childress (a terrible offensive philosophy that makes winning virtually impossible) or Twins GM Bill Smith ("there is just nothing out there to help us, I know because the 4 hours I was awake yesterday no one called me to offer me an A+ level reliever for cash"), Brewster at least provides some hope.

So, analogies:

Brewster is like Bill Clinton -- you know he is full of shit, but at least you can see that the wheels are spinning and he knows what he is supposed to be doing.

Brad Childress is Sarah Palin -- you wonder how in the hell this person got so far based upon one brief interview.

Randy Wittman is George W. Bush -- everything he has ever touched has turned to crap yet he gets to keep his job.

Twins GM Bill Smith is Fred Thompson -- wake me up and tell me if I have won.

HM

Best Moments of the Weekend

Super Bowl Prediction After Week 2

Bills 22, Packers 21



NFC Title Game -- Packers 37, Cardinals 27
AFC Title Game -- Bills 36, Broncos 31

Ranking September 15 birthdays

10. Wendy Jo Sperber -- Rest in Peace. A cornerstone of "Bosom Buddies."

9. Amy Davidson -- played the younger, red-haired daughter on "8 Simple Rules" despite being 6 years older in real life. As John Lovitz would say, "She was merely ACT-ing."


8. Sherman Douglas -- I always wondered how he liked being called "The Little General," I mean, he was almost 6' tall and, well, General Sherman didn't care much for the slaves he was freeing.


7. Mike Dunleavy, Jr. -- I know, I know, but I was there when he hit the 3 threes at the Metrodome to catapult Duke to the 2001 title. I can still recall standing and taunting Michigan State fans when Lute Olson chose not to foul at the end (they had cheered against Duke all game) -- "It's OVER. IT....IS....OVER."


6. Tommy Lee Jones -- solid actor, and Al Gore's former roomie.

5. Earnest Byner -- Byner off tackle for 9, Byner in the flat - gain of 12, the Broncos cannot stop Earnest Byner!! Byner .......oh no......fumble forced by Castille.....Jeremiah, not a bullfrog, not a good friend of mine.


4. Dan Marino -- the "A-Rod" of football -- great until it truly mattered.

3. Gaylord Perry -- cheater, known cheater, admitted cheater, and yet they not only allowed him to keep playing -- they put him in the Hall of Fame!!!!!!!! 2 years from now some steroid user is going to say, "Hey wait! This guy cheated every time he pitched and people treated it like a big joke." But just for pure teflon-ability, ranks top 3.

2. Prince Harry of England -- When someone else on the list gets to #3 in line for the throne of England, I will move them ahead of him.

1. Marco Polo -- Hey, I have to tell you, a guy born in the 13th Century and wikipedia lists his exact birthday as September 15!?!? I have to rank him #1. If you are not a king or an emperor and you wrote your famous travel book before the invention of the printing press...........yet someone claims to know the exact date you were born...you are number 1 in my book. If in 2785 A.D. they still know Gaylord Perry's exact birthdate, then he will have really done something with his life!


HM

Justin Timberlake Won't Marry Jessica Biel B/C "Mommy's Psychic Said So."

http://www.celebitchy.com/14118/justin_timberlake_puts_wedding_on_hold_due_to_moms_astrologer/

Men with a trace of testosterone left in their bodies were heard to mummur, "Um, cough-fag, cough-gay, cough-issues, cough-homo."

Jess -- K is still single, and I don't think his mom has a psychic..................

HM

What Happens When McCain Dies?

Let me take off my "Democrat" hat here and put on my American hat (That is such a terrible line -- how could they make Cindy McCain say that line? Did they warn her that she wouldn't be allowed to use painkillers pilfered from a charity if she wouldn't?).

Anyway -- watch any John McCain speech or interview. I am sorry, but a reasonable person watching would have to conclude that he has maybe 1 or 2 years left to live. He looks awful; he is pale as a sheet; he can't match up his facial expressions with his words.

Time is short.

So we need to know what happens when he dies.

The 20th Amendment, Section 3, states that if McCain is actually elected President and dies before taking office, Palin would become President:

If, at the time fixed for the beginning of the term of the President, the President elect shall have died, the Vice President elect shall become President.


Now, if McCain can squeak through to the inauguration, then the 20th Amendment no longer factors in and we move to the 25th Amendment, which also says she becomes President when he dies:

Section 1. In case of the removal of the President from office or of his death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President.


And she can appoint Pat Roberston to be Vice President, if Congress OKs it.


Section 2. Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, the President shall nominate a Vice President who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress.


McCain can just agree that he is too old and addled to run the country, which makes Sarah only "Acting President."

Section 3. Whenever the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, and until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary, such powers and duties shall be discharged by the Vice President as Acting President.


Or, as Reagan's advisors considered in 1987, the VP can basically pull off a coup for a few days by invoking Section 4 and declaring McCain incapacitated.


Section 4. Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.

Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his office unless the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty-eight hours for that purpose if not in session. If the Congress, within twenty-one days after receipt of the latter written declaration, or, if Congress is not in session, within twenty-one days after Congress is required to assemble, determines by two-thirds vote of both Houses that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall continue to discharge the same as Acting President; otherwise, the President shall resume the powers and duties of his office.


So, summary -- McCain dies, we get Palin. If Palin wants to push the idea that McCain is too incompetent to be President, she just needs to, um, encourage a majority of the Cabinet to say that they agree. She then gets to continue as Acting President until Congress can convene and find to the contrary.

Advice to John McCain -- have your Cabinet include only Joe Lieberman and your closest relatives (preferably females or gay men).

Sarah Palin New Campaign Ad

See more Gina Gershon videos at Funny or Die

HM

Drill, Drill, Drill (Me) -- Baby!

http://money.aol.com/news/articles/_a/bbdp/sex-scandal-rocks-interior-department/169274

This puts me in mind of the client at an old law firm who complained that his $40,000 bill for legal fees was too high. As he walked around the firm he spotted the best looking woman in the word processing department and advised the partner in charge of his case: "She does me, I pay the whole $40,000. If not, I think $30,000 is all I pay."

I guess there is a reason they call it the Department of the "Interior."

HM

Electoral Map -- 9/10/08

Here is what Zogby currently has the red-blue breakdown as. Obama is at 260 Electoral votes and needs 269 to tie (and force a House of Representatives vote -- vote is by state delegation, so Alaska gets one vote, California one vote, etc. I believ Dems would win such a vote).

What you see is predictable. The South is the South and the white supremacists in the West are unlikely to vote for a black guy. So I think you also have to write off North and South Carolina as well as Montana and the Dakotas immediately. Missouri and Indiana have teased in recent years, but they are rock-ribbed GOP, so kiss them goodbye. What do you have left?

Virginia, Ohio, New Hampshire, Colorado, Nevada. I really think Hillary's old voters will hurt Obama in Ohio, so he is now probably looking at VA, NH, CO and NV to get his win. We shall see.

House for Sale -- Help AI Sell His Pennsylvania House!

http://www.luxist.com/2008/09/08/allen-iverson-in-villanova-estate-of-the-day/?icid=200100397x1209318760x1200549072

What sort of fans are you guys who won't chip in a few bucks so Allen Iverson can get his $5MM mansion sold for only $4MM??

I would imagine that AI would let you have the place for $3MM if you just ponied up the cash quickly.

So guys, get your wallets out and start pooling your cash. The 14 seat movie theatre alone should be enough to loosen your purse strings!

www.hoopshype.com notes that AI has only 1 year left on his contract and is due to make only a paltry amount of under $22MM this year, so I give him some credit for some financial planning in advance of what soon will surely be a life of poverty.

Happy Birthday To My Brother

Much like Pam Anderson, my younger brother was born in 1967. Life has not been quite as kind to him.

Growing up, my brother was the Golden Boy. While I could throw harder than he could, I could throw 4 strikes out of 8 pitches. My brother could throw 7 out of 8 and 8 out of 8 if it was really necessary. While I really couldn't make a long shot in basketball until I was about age 20, my brother was all-conference in basketball (and baseball and soccer) before he left high school. I got my first real girlfriend at age 17. My brother had had about 10 girlfriends by that time, probably 3 at a time, all at different schools. I would take my brother to watch basketball with me when I was 17 and he was 14. Girls from the schools we would visit would swarm to him.

My brother is quite the guy.

Unfortunately, he is also cursed with bad genetics. At age 18 he became mentally ill. To this day the doctors are unwilling to provide a full diagnosis, preferring "depression with schizoid tendencies," but the fact of the matter is that he hears voices. He has schizophrenia, though no one will say that since that is basically impossible to cure and difficult to treat. When I visited Duke in the spring of 1986, we stopped to see my brother at his college in West Virginia. He was basically a zombie -- could not concentrate, could not reply, could not interact. We watched Duke lose to Louisville and then we took him home.

22 years later and he has never recovered, never come close. At 17 he was 146 pounds. He now hovers between 220 and 275 depending on the month. He cannot hold a job. He lives in subsidized housing and volunteers 3-4 days a week for a couple hours at a time. His medication reduces his symptoms, but I will never see the kid I used to play ball with 2-4 hours a day back in New York.

Some facts about my brother -- 3 sports all-conference in high school. After we brought him home from school in WVa. he went to junior college and played junior college soccer at 225 pounds (about 55 pounds above his playing weight). He started every game for a team that won 75% of their games. The best ping pong player I have ever faced. We played 500+ games in our garage during the winter and I would estimate that I won 100. It is impossible for him and PM to be in my house at the same time without me calling my brother "PM" and/or me calling PM by my brother's name. This resemblance, as you might expect, concerns me a great deal.

So Happy Birthday my brother. I know that your life is not what you would have imagined, but I hope you find a way to enjoy the life you do have.

HM

Born July 1, 1967

Making her 41 years, 2 months and 9 days old. Jeepers, criminy.

Have a nice day.


HM

For You T-Jack Fans

QBs who improved with Age:


I would also add Steve Young (two years worth of 60 QB Rating with Tampa at ages 24 and 25).

Tarvaris Jackson Scouting Report -- April 2006

From a 2006 draft review at skolvikes.blogspot.com:


Saturday, April 29, 2006

Second Round: Tarvaris Jackson, Quarterback
TARVARIS JACKSON, QUARTERBACK, ALABAMA STATE

The TOA must have got sick of the draft too. They traded both of their third round picks to Pittsburgh for their second round pick (the last pick in the second round). With pick #64 the Minnesota Vikings selected Tarvaris Jackson, quarterback from Alabama State. Here is the scouting report on Tarvaris Jackson.


Jackson is a very intriguing prospect who has enough size, a strong arm and the ability to be an accurate passer, but needs to throw with better technique more consistently in order to develop. He is definitely somewhat raw and will not be able to be as consistently productive in the pros as he was in college until he becomes much more consistent using good footwork. He sees the entire field well, goes through his progressions and can still pick up for making small errors. He deals with deep safeties very well -- he looks them off and does a good job of going back to them at the last minute to make strong and accuracy throws.


Teams will be cautious to draft him because, until his footwork and throwing motion improve, he is going to have trouble becoming a consistent passer in the NFL. He would be a great pick towards the end of the draft and will need to spend a few seasons developing before he is ready to legitimately compete for a starting job.

This seems like another reach. I don’t know why we traded both third round picks to get a Division II quarterback that wasn’t highly rated by many.

Fox News -- Fair And Balanaced

When your lies are so blatant and obvious that FOX NEWS cannot allow them to stand, maybe it is time to move on to a new lie and hope people are confused about your old lie.

For God's sake. She supported the Bridge to Nowhere. There is video footage of her supporting it. There are written reports of her supporting it. So just stop.

Movie Recommendation -- "Hard Candy"

It is rare that I give a movie in which there are no explosions a 10. But "Hard Candy" is a 10.

If you don't have any kids around, go rent this film and watch the tremendous acting of Ellen Page and Patrick Wilson.

You will never look at a bag of ice the same way.

HM

Give Her Credit -- She Is Slicker Than Bill Clinton

GOP VP Nominee's Acceptance Speech:

While I was at it, I got rid of a few things in the governor's office that I didn't believe our citizens should have to pay for.
That luxury jet was over the top. I put it on eBay.
I also drive myself to work.
And I thought we could muddle through without the governor's personal chef -- although I've got to admit that sometimes my kids sure miss her. I came to office promising to control spending -- by request if possible and by veto if necessary.


Reality:

As we know, the jet never sold on eBay. It sold through a private auctioneer. That is why she (but not McCain or Bachmann) always says "put it on" instead of "sold it on" eBay.

And the chef that Alaskans "shouldn't have to pay for" -- she was not an expense that the Governor "got rid of." The chef was reassigned in the governor's office and, as of last report, still works for the State of Alaska as a chef. http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/288561.html (halfway down -- see "Chow Hounds").

That is why the VP candidate doesn't say she fired the chef or let her go. That is also why there is some space between saying the VP candidate saved the state money and saying she could muddle through without a chef. The two are IMPLIED to be related, but they aren't, see?

Personal Example by HM:

"I have kicked a lot of people's asses in my life. I fought the Big JW in 6th grade during a hockey fight. And then let me tell you about the time that I met up with Scottie Pippen -- boy he didn't look good!"

The implication here is that I kicked Scottie Pippen's ass. I didn't. I walked by him once and he is not a pretty man. Is it my fault that you want to believe I kicked his ass??? I never said that.
Plus, the JW fight wasn't much of a fight and I doubt you could say that I kicked his ass. But I didn't say I DID -- you suckers just inferred it from the proximity of my words.

I am beginning to wonder whether the VP candidate was runner up in a Miss Alaska beauty pageant or whether I misunderstood and she finished second as the person most likely to "miss" Alaska.

Spergon Wynn -- Where Art Thou?

If you go to pro-football-reference.com, you can find generally anything that has happend in the NFL in the past 40 years (at least).

For you Viking fans, you can go and look up Spergon Wynn, whose two games starting for the Vikes were enough to put anyone over the edge. Spergon is the worst NFL quarterback I have ever seen to have actually started a game (I know that JT O'Sullivan now starts.....Spergon was worse).

But yesterday we saw an epic Carson Palmer/Joe Flacco battle that was, well, Wynn-ian. The two QB's combined to go 25 for 54 (sub-50% for the two starting QBs, this is a stat out of the 1970s) for under 240 yards.

This despite the fact that Flacco was playing against a Cincy D that was simply horrible last year and despite the fact that the QB play was so bad on each side of the ball that there was plenty of possessions for each team.

Here is your game play-by-play: http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/playbyplay?game_id=29530&displayPage=tab_play_by_play&season=2008&week=REG1

And for those of you who want to nominate Cade McNown or Heath Shuler or Ryan Leaf or Akili Smith or Andre Ware.........all of them had far superior QB ratings to Spergon.

FOR EXTRA CREDIT -- TO WHOM DID SPERGON WYNN THROW HIS ONLY CAREER TD PASS (a 47 yard catch and run against the Packers).

HM

Drill, Drill, Drill? Well sure....if

I would agree that the U.S. government should open up all areas of the United States for oil drilling. Every frigging inch. With certain rules:

Option A -- The drilling is done by the U.S. Government and all of the oil stays in the U.S.
50% of oil produced today is produced by government-owned entities who use the oil to keep their country wealthy and energy costs to their citizens low.

Option B -- The oil companies get to drill, but:

1) The oil companies pay a fair price for their oil leases, that price being based in part upon the profits of the oil companies and the price of gasoline to U.S. consumers.

2) All oil drilled for in the new areas must not be sent to foreign countries. So, everything we let you drill for here, you refine and keep here. No sending it to China or India or anywhere else. This is the American oil that all you regular Americans have demanded. It stays here to help us reduce our "dependence on foreign oil."

3) The amount of oil and gasoline exported to foreign countries must be reduced 10% from its current level: http://globalwarming.house.gov/tools/2q08materials/files/0144.pdf

The GOP, as always, is clever. They tell people "get more U.S. oil, lower U.S. prices." Um, market doesn't work that way. We have $4 gas and the oil companies are selling more American oil overseas than ever before. So yes, if the oil companies are willing to say "when we drill for new oil it stays in the U.S. and increases the U.S. supply" I am all for new drilling.

But if we are to open up the country for the benefit of oil companies so they can sell the oil to China at a higher markup and make even greater profits -- not sure why we want to do that.

2009 Super Bowl Prediction Based Upon Week 1

Bills 35, Bears 31.


NFC Title Game -- Bears 40, Eagles 37
AFC Title game -- Bills 42, Steelers 40



HM

Four Legs Good, Two Legs....Better!

In case you have never read "Animal Farm," the evolution of Manor Farm's pig leaders went something like this:


http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=184086&title=sarah-palin-gender-card


Oh, and the Jet Mr. McCain and Michelle Bachmann informed us that our dear Ms. Palin "sold" on eBay -- never sold on eBay.

Won't The Enquirer Show SOME Shame And Lay Off..........David Duchovny

http://www.nationalenquirer.com/duchovyny_the_truth_is_here/celebrity/65385

Look. Every family has its ups and downs (in this case, also ins and outs). Duchovny and Leoni are just a typical family. Doesn't anyone care about the kids!?!?!? I mean, Duchovny never sought out the spotlight (look how deliberately sucky he has made his career the past.....10 or so years -- think that is unintentional???).

Leave his kids alone you male-bashing media outlets!!

P.S. -- On a side note, this story is like uncovering that people who seek counseling for drugs may have illegally purchased drugs at some point in their lives. Of 100 people seeking treatment for sex addiction, you have............what? Maybe 4 single people? And.......3 married women? Maybe.

So you have 93% married guys who are wealthy and/or above average looking and bang everything in sight. Then when they are caught they say "yeah, and um, well, there are about 75 others I slept with too, but to be fair 71 were female and only two were non-human."

Being a married, middle-class, average looking male sex addict is like being a drug addict on Gilligan's Island. The substance you are addicted to just isn't real available to you.

HM

LeBron James Beaten At Horse

http://www.latimes.com/video/?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=2876186





I am not sure that Pete Maravich (the greatest HORSE player I have ever seen) could have beaten LeBron's opponent if he played this well.





Amazing.

What John McCain Should Have Said

"My fellow Americans, welcome. The first thing I would like to get out of the way is to say that I accept your nomination. (Hold for wild applause).

Look, everyone knows that I am a former POW. We have heard about that for days now. So I will not spend 25% of my time on that issue. In fact, my speech will be very brief.

What I am here to tell you is this -- I won, George Bush's side lost. I am the Republican nominee for President of the United States. Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson are not.

I am 72 years old. I have spent the last 6 years of my life trying to position myself to be President. I have kissed George Bush's backside time and time again. Look behind me, there is a picture of me hugging George Bush. It hurts my eyes every time I see it.

But today........I have won. This is my time. No more pretending that I am George Bush. Remember that John McCain 2000 candidacy? It is back.

What I am going to do when I am elected is to scrap all of the general GOP talking points and actually try to figure out what is best for the country. I don't have much time left, and I want to spend that time actually trying to do the right thing.

So, some of you may ask, "Why should I vote for you?" My answer is threefold: 1) you already did; it is too late to take it back; 2) your other choice is to turn the country over to Barack Obama; and 3) as the primaries demonstrated, you have nowhere else to turn.

So that is what I am going to do. I am your nominee and what you are hearing is what you get.

Good night. God bless you and God bless the United States of America."

For Those Of You Who Missed McCain's Speech

I offer some clips:















And this one is an old Ron Paul ad...........

Chalmers and Arthur -- Wonder Why Their Draft Stock Dropped?

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3569725


Here is a basic idea: when your employer sends you to a mandatory training program on the dangers of drugs, alcohol and women, probably best to not go all "Pineapple Express" or "Knocked Up" on the whole thing.


HM

Palin-Bachman Disagree. Catfight???

Palin Speech: Our opponents say, again and again, that drilling will not solve all of America's energy problems - as if we all didn't know that already.


Bachman -- As gasoline prices continue to soar, 6th District U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann says she has a plan to get back to $2 a gallon. Bachmann, who's running for re-election to a second term, outlined a strategy Monday to lower gas prices by expanding domestic oil exploration and production.


See, Sarah!?! Michelle DIDN'T "know that already."

Palin as President -- Doesn't This Scare the Hell Out of the Rich Wing of the GOP?

Here are a few things I heard/inferred from Palin's speech tonight:

1) She has a special needs child and will spend a lot more money in Washington to help special needs kids.

2) She hates big oil and will do everything she can to break up the monopoly of big oil and give us a ton of alternative energy sources.

3) Her kids all go to public school and she will fight to make the public schools better.

4) There are a lot of evil people who have wrongly fought to keep John McCain out of power, including everyone who ran against him in 2000 and 2008 in the primaries.

There are two possible scenarios when someone gives a speech like this: 1) she means it; or 2) it is all bullshit offered up by party leaders who know that once they let her be VP she will forget all of this goody-goody shit and just be a good girl and go stand in the corner.

Now, the way to bet is #2, but suppose that there is any truth at all to #1.

Here is what she just said or led me to believe:

-- more tax money going to the disabled and special needs kids
-- more tax money going to help public schools (NOT "vouchers, vouchers, we need vouchers")
-- no more GOP being wedded to Big Oil
-- no more GOP being against alternative energy
-- you folks who have tried to Eff Over John McCain in the past? Payback will be a bitch!

Those folks who effed JM over

In 2000: George Bush, Karl Rove, Dick Cheney
Tried in 2008 -- Fred Thompson, Rudy Guiliani, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum
Both Times --- Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, Dr. Dobson, etc.

So, if she means what she says, it would be AWESOME if she became President. Right? I mean, indictments for Bush and cohorts; GOP comes over and joins the Dems on public education and help for special needs kids; big oil takes it in the shorts for once.

Imagine a Palin Administration that basically focused on opportunities for someone other than the wealthiest 2% of the population and sought revenge against all of the folks who screwed over John McCain!!!

I saw where there is a 13% chance that McCain dies of natural causes in Term 1. So assume that there is a 20% chance that Palin means what she says. There is a 2.6% chance that this crazy bitch may just completely rip the shit out of the rich wing of the party as we know it.

Shouldn't that be enough to scare SOMEONE???????

Dr. Laura's "Perry Mason" Moment

For you young folk out there, Perry Mason, was a great legal show about a defense attorney (played by Raymond Burr) who at the end of each episode would make the opponent break down on the stand and tell the truth, exonerating Mason's client.

The problem with recreating Perry Mason today is that people do not break down on the stand. Even faced with horrible inconsistencies and evidence of their falsehoods, people just keep lying and hope people will believe them.

So, folks like Limbaugh and O'Reilly who have made their living from decrying teen pregnancy now say "Lay off the Palin family. They are just typical Americans doing the best they can."

But today, apparently after much soul searching, Dr. Laura Schlessinger broke down on the stand -- she broke with her own political party and stated that the Palins are, basically, terrible, terrible parents:

http://www.drlaurablog.com/2008/09/02/sarah-palin-and-motherhood/

Much like Eric Gregg in the famous Braves/Marlins playoff game, Dr. Laura isn't very good at what she does...........but at least she calls it the same for both teams.


HM

One Nation....Under God.....(I am not saying that next word)

Hard as it is to believe, in 2003, a ballot initiative was introduced in Alaska basically seeking a vote on secession from the U.S.

Fortunately, a different governor was in office at the time and that governor's spouse was not pro-secession, so the executive branch refused to put the ballot initiative on the ballot.

A legal action followed which eventually reach the Alaska Supreme Court and was decided in November of 2006 -- Kolhaas v. State.

The issue for the court was whether secession was so clearly unconstitutional that the executive branch could refuse to put the matter on the ballot.

Citing a US Supreme Court case called Texas v. White and several other cases decided between 1865 and 1880, the Alaska court ruled that secession was clearly unconstitutional and that Alaska was in the Union "for good or ill."

The more interesting references in the opinion are to the term limits cases (which basically said that states have no power to set any limits on federal office holders beyond what the constitution says) AND................................................

a reference to the recent Pledge of Allegiance case. While certain politicians I know defend the use of "under God," the Alaska court reminds us that one key word in the Pledge is "indivisible."

So, hmmmm, when the next Pledge case reaches the USSCt, will it include a friend of the court brief from folks who object to saying "indivisible" as well as those who don't want to say "under God"? I would say yes, since 22% of people polled believe that secession is proper and legal.

A Nod to the Other Side

I applaud the GOP for putting Susan Molinari on TV the other night. Now, I know she is WAY too moderate to meet the current standard, but I have to say, after watching Michelle Bachmann (TWICE!!) as the standard bearer for the campaign, the improvement was tremendous.

Susan Molinari, by the way, is married to Bill Paxon, my family's former Congressman (recently leader of the failed Guiliani 2008 campaign). A great guy. In 1985 he was a state legislator. We met briefly when I was an intern for someone else. He had met my father and knew me barely enough to say hi. Or so I thought.

We were out at a Buffalo State bar (teachers' school, more women) in late 1985 or early 1986. I said to my friend Mike, "That looks like Bill Paxon over there surrounded by all those girls." Mike, of course, yells across the bar, "Hey BILL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I look down, mortified.

Bill Paxon says, much to my amazement, "Hoops MAVEN!?!? Oh my goodness get over here!" Swear to God. He had 4 girls fawning all over him, but he stood and had a beer with me and my idiot friend for 10 minutes, shooing away the girls. "How is your dad? How is school going? Any chance you come back to Albany?" Awesome guy.

So I will give credit where credit is due -- Susan Molinari over MB -- good job.

Jerry Reed -- Dead at 71

I used to listen to this song on a "best of country" 8-track in the early 1970s.


RIP.

Still Not Enough to Be Disqualified

Adding to issues like being completely inexperienced, taxing Alaskans' groceries to build a new community center, sending pleasant welcome speeches to a separatist Alaskan political party, and firing people who won't fire her brother-in-law, oh! and banning books in her local library (sorry, I know I forgot something more here but I do have a real job):

I am going to start a rumor that the current (as of.....right......NOW) GOP VP Candidate also once shot a man in Reno. Just to watch him die. When I do, I think that reactions will be mixed:

Some lefty pinko bloggers will complain and think that this sort of a shooting was a bad thing to do and showed poor judgment.

GOP campaign officials will immediately note, "We knew that. She told us that....right away. We vetted her and figured it was not a big deal. It was, like, 5 or 6 years ago. We consider it a family matter. Did you know she once made some key free throws at the end of a basketball game....26 years ago?"

Michelle Bachmann will reply, "To question her right to shoot someone in the State of Nevada is just sexist and outrageous. It is also probably evident of an East Coast bias. I think (referring to paper notes)........Um, did you know she sold a plane on eBay once!?!? That is what I call a leader."

Asked about the controversy, socially conservative Republican groups will add, "She is a true believer in the 2nd Amendment. Anyone can SAY they are pro-gun, but if you could ask that poor schlub who bought the farm in Reno, I bet that he or she KNOWS that our VP is pro-gun. She blasted that mo-fo to Heaven, which as we know is a better place, so she did him a favor."

Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty, reached while drinking coffee and smoking big cigars, will ask that the dining car be closed so they can continue to cry in peace.

The GOP nominee will say, "Look, I am a former POW..................................................................That is it. You had a question? For this former POW? Yeah, I didn't think so."

John C. Calhoun and Andrew Jackson

I always wondered what it would be like to live in times such as the 1820s and 1830s when the famous battle of wills occurred between the politics of President Andrew Jackson and the politics of his VP, John C. Calhoun.

How exciting it must have been for the people in attendance on April 13, 1830 to see this exchange:

Particularly notable was an incident at the April 13, 1830 Jefferson Day dinner, involving after-dinner toasts. Robert Hayne began by toasting to "The Union of the States, and the Sovereignty of the States." Jackson then rose, and in a booming voice added "Our federal Union: It must be preserved!" — a clear challenge to Calhoun. Calhoun clarified his position by responding "The Union: Next to our Liberty, the most dear!"[26]


Sadly, American politics have gone soft. Gone are the days when a Vice Presidential candidate would, for example, believe that a state...........say.............Alaska, should have a vote of its citizens to declare that they are no longer part of the Union. I mean, this isn't 1830, correct? Correct?

Wrong again, Mr. Maven, wrong again: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x6870379


If we are forced into a 2nd Civil War (sorry, in Juneau this will be called the "War of Southern Aggression"), is will be an awfully long trip to Alaska. Maybe we just let them go.

Excuse me while I find my flag pin.

HM

How Did I Miss This?

Ric Flair to be divorced a 3rd time. Shown -- 3rd wife Tiffany.

Hope Ric got a pre-nup.

The House Bunny

Not bad, just not very good.

I would say 6, maybe 6 1/2 stars out of 10.

Anna Faris is funny and there is one set of lines at the bar that made me laugh out loud. But if you have seen the trailer you have seen most of the movie.

Emma Stone, by the way, won the role of "Laurie Partridge" on the VH1 reality series to pick a new Partridge Family. I can see why. She is very funny.

And Anna Faris -- whatever workout regimen she is on.........it is a good one.


HM

Zoey 101

My kids watch a lot of Zoey 101, so I ran across this little item: http://radioequalizer.blogspot.com/2007/12/spears-pregnancy-news-annoys-talk.html


CART LEADS HORSE Spears Irritates Listeners, Rush Drawn Into Discussion

*** EXCLUSIVE BELOW: Dr Laura Schlessinger Blasts Spears Parents ***

Usually, seasoned talk hosts call the shots when it comes to topic selection. That goes double for Rush Limbaugh, by far the nation's most important syndicated talker.Yesterday, however, Limbaugh was dragged kicking and screaming into a subject he wanted nothing to do with: news that Jamie-Lynn Spears is now pregnant. Call it a case of the cart leading the horse.Only 16, the younger sister of Britney The Basketcase is still a child, but the news media's acting as though she's an adult. From Fox News:
In an exclusive with the weekly, Jamie Lynn reportedly reveals that the father is her long-time lover, 19-year-old Casey Aldridge. The pair were recently sighted house-hunting in Valencia, Calif.What is a 16- year- old doing with a "longtime lover" who is 19 and how can she be "house- hunting"?For Limbaugh, this presented a dilemma. One of his staffers screened a call on the subject, annoying El Rushbo, but for some reason the person was put on the air anyway. What followed was a terrific mini- monologue on a subject that (like it or not) was on the minds of many listeners:


CALLER: Hi, Rush. Thanks for taking my phone call. Say, sorry to change up subjects on you, but I thought something on a little bit lighter note. What do you think about this whole... the Spears family spreading like wildfire now, the second Spears sister having a child with a man that's old enough to go to jail for it?


RUSH: I don't think there is anything extraordinary about the Spears family spreading like wildlife. The Spears family is not the only family spreading like wildlife. There are countless American families that have 16 years old that go out and get pregnant; you just don't know about them because their sisters aren't on television. Take a look at the Jerry Springer Show. That's a good point. If you want to be concerned about -- what's this Spears name? Jamie-Lynn, is that her name?CALLER: Yeah, Jamie-Lynn.

RUSH: Jamie-Lynn. Whatever. If you want to be concerned about her, go watch the Jerry Springer Show.

CALLER: Sure.

RUSH: Now, that's cause for concern, because they're practically -- these families are -- propagating in front of our eyes on that show.


CALLER: Sure.

RUSH: What's happening to these people is no different than what happens to a lot of families in this country, except their lives are on TV.

CALLER: Would you tend to think that a family in this position, though, wouldn't you think that there would be a more watchful eye as a parent to be watching over these kids so this doesn't happen to them?



RUSH: I would certainly hope so, but it's long past time for this to happen. The parents here are the culprits!




CALLER: (chuckles)

RUSH: I mean, the parents, they're infected with this disease, this addiction to fame themselves. Look at Britney's mom, for crying out loud. "Put me on TV, too! Put me on TV!" You know, celebrity parents, they can go both ways, and some of them lose whatever grounding they had as adults when their kids get famous. They want to be part of it. They like the money themselves. It's very rare to have celebrity parents that remain grounded, but who's going to get this family in line?

CALLER: Yeah, that's true.

RUSH: The parents are out there making as big a mess of their own lives as the kids are. Plus, the real sick thing about it is, at the end of the day -- I don't care what the Britney Spears camp says or the Jamie whatever-her-name Spears camp -- they love the attention. It's their job to get it! That's what's perverse about this. You know, I have a minimal amount of fame compared to people on television and movies, and I don't like the stuff I've got, but it is what it is. But these people that have to go out and get taken pictures of by the paparazzi, have to go out to these nightclub openings at two o'clock in the morning, make sure they're photographed there.


Allowing callers to change a show's topical course can be risky, but in this case it worked unexpectedly well. That's because he clearly reflected the sentiment of many other listeners who were disgusted by the story. By taking the call, Rush covered an "issue" that was on the minds of millions out there.Occasionally, even tabloid stories deserve talk radio airtime, especially when larger social issues are in play. This is one of those instances.


UPDATE: Your Radio Equalizer asked syndicated advice talker Dr Laura Schlessinger for her thoughts on the situation. Blasting the environment in which the Spears children were raised,

Dr Laura replied,


"I feel sorry for children who are robbed of their childhoods of innocence by parents who are negligent or voyeuristic. I feel sorry for the unborn baby, whose precious life is bound to be a toy in the hands of these young people."I feel sorry for the children of America who are bombarded by these images of inappropriate sexuality and out of control freedom - because they will come to believe they're entitled also. I feel sorry for America because we've lost our sense about judgment and the dangers of desires met but not earned," she added.

so i ask you......where are the party bosses?

The thing I have always admired about the Republican Party is their ability to win. Attend a Kerry rally in 2004 and there will be no signs, no one telling you where to go or when the speech will occur. Attend a Bush rally -- well, hell I ain't getting in to a Bush rally, but folks who do get in basically have assigned seats and a script.

It is nice to know that when the GOP is your party.

But McCain 2008 -- who the heck is running this operation? I mean, geez. Someone needed to step up and say "just pick----- and move along". And the surrogates they are sending to TV. Michelle Bachman??? Good lord. You can't get someone like a GOP senator to be your representative?? Larry King asked, "is the vp pick the most qualified Republican?". Bachman, "she is John McCain's pick". I aksed if she wss the most qualified. "She is qualified".

I guess when Romney lost the party bosses just decided to sit this one out. Frankly, I will miss the neat clean way they run things. But as Lisa Simpson said, "it would be nice to win just once.".