Bullshit

Poll: Bullshit Is Most Important Issue For 2008 Voters

Ignorance at the highest levels

Link.

Still looking for that last-minute Christmas gift for White House press secretary Dana Perino? May we recommend a gift certificate for the forthcoming book on the Cuban Missile Crisis by our colleague Michael Dobbs, "One Minute to Midnight: Kennedy, Khrushchev, and Castro on the Brink of Nuclear War," due out next summer?

Appearing on National Public Radio's light-hearted quiz show "Wait, Wait . . . Don't Tell Me," which aired over the weekend, Perino got into the spirit of things and told a story about herself that she had previously shared only in private: During a White House briefing, a reporter referred to the Cuban Missile Crisis -- and she didn't know what it was.

"I was panicked a bit because I really don't know about . . . the Cuban Missile Crisis," said Perino, who at 35 was born about a decade after the 1962 U.S.-Soviet nuclear showdown. "It had to do with Cuba and missiles, I'm pretty sure."

So she consulted her best source. "I came home and I asked my husband," she recalled. "I said, 'Wasn't that like the Bay of Pigs thing?' And he said, 'Oh, Dana.' "

"[L]ike the Bay of Pigs thing?" Oh. My. God.

More Adrian Peterson

This blog may turn into an archive of highlights of the most exciting rookie to enter the league since Gale Sayers. Here are the highlights from Week 13 against the Lions, where Peterson wore a 3 pound knee brace for the first time and was taken out of the game early in the second half. All he was able to do was gain 116 yards and score 2 touchdowns.

Adrian Peterson

I saw one of the greatest sport performances ever yesterday by a man who is the best running back that I have ever seen.

Anyway, if you haven't seen him work, you should.

Watch this.

UPDATE: Here is some bonus footage of AP's 200+ yards against the Bears earlier this year.

Tragic day

Yesterday, the unthinkable happened. I expected that someday a major bridge would be hit by terrorists. I never expected a major bridge that I drive across regularly would simply collapse during rush hour.

Good fortune

Here is reason #101 why I am so grateful to have been born in the USA.

VRINDAVAN, India (CNN) -- Ostracized by society, India's widows flock to the holy city of Vrindavan waiting to die. They are found on side streets, hunched over with walking canes, their heads shaved and their pain etched by hundreds of deep wrinkles in their faces.

Hindu widows are shunned from society when their husbands die, not for religious reasons, but because of tradition -- and because they're seen as a financial drain on their families. . .

For the record . . .

. . . I'm not related to this guy (who is a judge himself).

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A judge ruled Monday in favor of a dry cleaner that was sued for $54 million over a missing pair of pants.

The owners of Custom Cleaners did not violate the city's Consumer Protection Act by failing to live up to Roy L. Pearson's expectations of the "Satisfaction Guaranteed" sign once displayed in the store window, District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Judith Bartnoff ruled.

Bartnoff ordered Pearson to pay the court costs of defendants Soo Chung, Jin Nam Chung and Ki Y. Chung.

Breaking blogging silence . . .

. . . to bring you this shattering story about how people who live on golf courses are shocked to find golf balls hit their houses from time to time.

Tomorrow, I will venture to bring you a story about people who buy houses by airports, only to find that airplanes make noise.

CompUSA

I have never been a big CompUSA fan. After reading this story, I probably won't ever go back.

Kerry/Edwards

As a political junkie, I find this article fascinating. There is lots of dirt, followed by this conclusion:

Kerry said that he wished he'd never picked Edwards, that he should have gone with his gut.

(For cross-post at Centerfield and comments posted there, click here.)

Giuliani

Link.

Rudy Giuliani, whose positions on abortion and homosexuality mark him as the most socially liberal Republican presidential candidate in more than a generation, is so far winning the contest for the support of social conservatives, according to a new analysis of recent polls.

Widespread perceptions that Giuliani is the most electable Republican in this year's field are driving his support among social conservatives, according to the analysis by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.

If the trend holds, this apparent willingness to support a candidate who fails what were once regarded as litmus-test issues would mark a landmark shift in the political behavior of a constituency that has been a pillar of the modern GOP. Already the shift is spurring sharp debate among prominent Christian conservative leaders, some of whom warn that Giuliani backers are abandoning core principles. . .

Given that Minnesota has been and will continue to be almost completely irrelevant in determining the nominees, I'm not putting too much effort at this point in trying to identify the perfect candidate in each party for my tastes. But this suggests to me that the pendulum is swinging back to the center in general, and that alone makes me more hopeful that, for the first time since 1996, I won't have to hold my nose when I cast my presidential ballot.

Picture of the day

David Halberstam - RIP

He was a remarkable author who tackled a wide range of subject matters, from politics to sports. As arrogant as anyone I have ever heard, but he was one person who might have been entitled to his arrogance. His bio is here. RIP.

The Law

New issues keep developing.

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Lawrence Roach agreed to pay alimony to the woman he divorced, not the man she became after a sex change, his lawyers argued Tuesday in an effort to end the payments. But the ex-wife's attorneys said the operation doesn't alter the agreement. . .

"It's illegal for a man to marry a man and it should likewise be illegal for a man to pay alimony to a man," Roach's attorney John McGuire said.

Welcome, Tubby

It feels like one of those corny movies where the most beautiful, popular girl rejects the most beautiful, popular guy, and then asks out the average, unpopular guy. Until now, I thought that stuff like that only happened in movies.

Update: ESPN.

On the shock scale, this was a 16-seed over a 1-seed. In a sport where coaches are always craving bigger paychecks and better jobs and more prestige, this was a clear (and voluntary) swan dive down the ranks by Smith. You just don't see coaches leave one of the flagship programs for a school that hasn't won an NCAA Tournament game in a decade -- and cheated the last time it did win. . .

And Big Ten midget Minnesota, which most folks thought would be rummaging through the bargain bin, lands a coach who is accomplished beyond the Gophers' wildest dreams.

Picture of the day

A sand sculpture.

Red State Update

This is good.

The grind

Some days the work is really interesting. Other days, not so much.

Today I'm working on n response to a 344 paragraph, 140 page rambling complaint from a lunatic pro se plaintiff who happens to also be a lawyer. His claim: He was engaged in a fraudulent scheme, he borrowed money from my client to advance his fraudulent scheme, and my client should have known what he was up to and stopped him. Hence, not only should he not have to pay my client back, but we should pay his fines from the State of Minnesota.

Is this a great country, or what?

Quote of the day

From Political Wire:

Quote of the Day

"El presidente de que?"

-- New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson's mother, quoted by the Chicago Tribune, when told by her son he was running for president. (Translation: President of what?)

I need a shower

The Taliban tried to assasinate the second highest ranking person in our government. Once you have digested that fact, aren't these blog comments from the Huffington Post, perhaps the leading liberal blog, nice?

Better luck next time!

By: TDB on February 27, 2007 at 08:18am
Flag: [abusive]

What a different world we would be living in today if they had succeeded.

By: pakiman47 on February 27, 2007 at 08:18am
Flag: [abusive]

Dr Evil escapes again...damn.

By: truthtopower01 on February 27, 2007 at 08:18am
Flag: [abusive]

Sounds like a bullshit attempt. The VP is inside some sort of compound and they blow up a bomb at the front door? Christ, at least lob a few grenades INTO the compound.

By: loudobbs on February 27, 2007 at 08:19am
Flag: [abusive]

They missed?? Dammit. I hope they try again before he leaves.

By: tripdc on February 27, 2007 at 08:20am
Flag: [abusive]

Who'd have thought that Afghanistan would make such a valiant attempt to save the United States of America? By: DumbFireman on February 27, 2007 at 08:21am
Flag: [abusive]

I don't hold a blog proprietor personally responsible for all comments posted but, if your blog is going to be open for comments, there should be some minimal rules for civility. These comments fail by any standard.

P.S.: Commenters on conservative blogs are also guilty of over-the-top rhetoric. But other than Ann Coulter, I don't recall it reaching the level of hoping for the murder of fellow Americans with whom you disagree.

A new era

I'm not sure that I will have the energy to keep up for 18 more months. First, the Clinton-Obama dustup. Now, this.

Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack withdrew from the 2008 presidential campaign today, saying it was clear he would not be able to raise enough money to compete.

The first intra-party contest is still almost a year away, and the field is already narrowing. Now I realize that Vilsack was always a dark-horse (at best), but so were Carter and Dukakis at this point in their campaigns. Also, with a Democratic field with only one other governor competing (Richardson), I would have thought that the incentive to stick it out as long as possible would be strong. But maybe that was his point in quitting; it just wasn't possible because of the the money issue.

P.S. Initially, I thought that Sen. Dodd would be the first to go until I learned of his unexpected (to me) fundraising prowess.

(For cross-post at Centerfield and comments posted there, click here.)

New Blogger

UPDATE: First major glitch: My profile is linked to or merged with my in-laws' family blog so, until I can figure out how to fix that, either I will be them or they will be me.

I reluctantly have migrated from Old Blogger to New Blogger. I expect some glitches so please be patient if you have any problems viewing this site.

Pet peeve

I have long been baffled by the media's obsession with the age of every actor in any story. Anyway, this story is from MSNBC.

[Tiki] Barber, 31, retired after this season, playing his final game at the Pro Bowl on Sunday. . .

The 31-year-old Barber announced in October that 2006 would be his final season after 10 years with the Giants.

I'm surprised that MSNBC didn't also tell us (twice) that Tiki's twin brother, Ronde, is also 31 (31).

Anna Nicole Smith

If you have watched any cable news in the last 24 hours, you should find dead-on these lines from Jack Cafferty, which were uttered after several hours of non-stop coverage:

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Is Anna Nicole Smith still dead, Wolf?

BLITZER: Yes, we're going to -- updating our viewers coming up shortly on...

CAFFERTY: I can't wait for that.

BLITZER: ... the mysterious circumstances surrounding that, Jack. Thank you.

Dumbest Drudge story ever

Streisand looks forward to '08 elections...

Who the hell cares? How this woman continues to command attention as a political commentator is beyond me.

But it makes me wonder, is Chuck Norris looking forward to the 08 elections? Someone should get on that story.

Staking my claim

I want the TV movie rights to this story. It is, I think, the most bizarre behavior by a public figure since O.J. An extended (but within "fair use") quote is warranted. Don't miss the part about the diapers.

ORLANDO, Florida (CNN) -- NASA astronaut Lisa Nowak was ordered released Tuesday on an additional $10,000 bond on an attempted murder charge in Orlando, where she allegedly tried to subdue a purported romantic rival with pepper spray and kidnap her from an airport parking lot.

Nowak also was ordered to wear a global positioning satellite, or GPS, device.

Nowak, 43, appeared in court Tuesday afternoon to face the attempted first-degree murder charge.

Nowak is accused of accosting Air Force Capt. Colleen Shipman, 30, in the Orlando airport parking lot early Monday, telling police she only wanted to talk with Shipman. . .

Nowak, a Navy captain, and Shipman, an Air Force captain, were both "in a relationship" with Navy Cmdr. Bill Oefelein, another astronaut, according to a police report of the incident. (Watch how police say a NASA love triangle went awry ) . . .

According to the police report, Nowak drove from Houston, Texas, to the Orlando airport to meet Shipman, who was flying the same route, according to the report.

Police said Nowak pepper-sprayed Shipman through her car window at the airport. Evidence found in Nowak's bag prompted police to file the attempted kidnapping charges, according to the report. . .

Shipman told police she arrived at the airport about 1 a.m. Monday but had to wait two hours for her luggage to arrive. Once she retrieved her bags, she said, she took a bus to the lot where her car was parked. She noticed a woman wearing a trench coat who appeared to be following her.

Fearing for her safety, Shipman quickly entered her car, the police report said, adding that she reported hearing "running footsteps" behind her. Shipman closed and locked her car door as Nowak slapped the window of the car and tried to open the car door, the police report said.

Nowak told Shipman her ride had not arrived and asked for help, but Shipman refused, saying she would send help instead, the reporte said. When Nowak complained she couldn't hear Shipman and started to cry, Shipman opened her car window about 2 inches -- and Nowak sprayed pepper spray into the car, police said.

Shipman, her eyes burning, drove away and found police, who returned to the bus stop and found Nowak, who was wearing a different coat. As he approached to bus stop, an officer observed Nowak put some items into a trash can. Those items were found to be a wig and a plastic bag containing a carbon dioxide-powered BB pistol, the report said.

Inside a bag Nowak was carrying, the officer found a tan trench coat, a new steel mallet, a new folding knife with a 4-inch blade, 3 to 4 feet of rubber tubing, several large plastic garbage bags and about $600 in cash, the report said.

Nowak admitted the details of Shipman's allegations, according to the police report, and permitted a search of her car.

Inside the car, police found an a half dozen latex gloves, MapQuest directions from Houston to Orlando International Airport, e-mails from Shipman to Oefelein, diapers that Nowak said she wore to reduce stops along the highway, a letter indicating how much she loved Oefelein and directions to Shipman's home address in Florida.

Stop the puns

I'm not exactly sure when it happened, but the sports pages now seem to consider puns as required in the headline on any big event. For some reason, it can't be "Colts Defeat Bears." No, it has to be something like "Sodden Impact" (StarTribune) or "Horsepower!" (USA Today).

Stop. Please.

Picture of the day

Link.

Picture of the day

Picture of the day

Franken

Jeebus.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Comedian Al Franken has decided to run for U.S. Senate in Minnesota in challenging incumbent Republican Norm Coleman, a senior Democratic official told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

Another opportunity for us Minnesotans to embarrass ourselves.

Hillary on SNL

This is good.

MLK Day

Here is a link to the text of "the speech" and a YouTube video of "the speech." A true American hero, he was.

A glimmer of hope

The University of Minnesota needs a new football coach. Given that a new, on-campus football stadium has been approved (artist's rendition here), the job is suddenly much more attractive. But who could they get?

Well, Tony Dungy (a former U of M quarterback) came here last year and lobbied for the stadium. I admit that such a high-profile hire is unlikely, and "Dungy on Tuesday denied a report out of Minneapolis saying he was near the top of the Golden Gophers' wish list and that there was mutual interest." But you never know. I offer the following evidence.

• Nick Saban on December 21, 2006: "I'm not going to be the Alabama coach."
• Today's headline: "Saban joins ranks of great sports liars."

I have some faint hope that Dungy is a liar too.

Pat Robertson is a putz

Link.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - In what has become an annual tradition of prognostications, religious broadcaster Pat Robertson predicted Tuesday that a terrorist attack on the United States would result in "mass killing" late in 2007.

"I'm not necessarily saying it's going to be nuclear," he said during his news-and-talk television show "The 700 Club" on the Christian Broadcasting Network. "The Lord didn't say nuclear. But I do believe it will be something like that."

Robertson said God told him during a recent prayer retreat that major cities and possibly millions of people will be affected by the attack, which should take place sometime after September.

Consider this: Robertson gets better ratings than CNN. That is scarier to me than his delusional rantings.