PSoTD

McCranky not born in the USA?

RICHARDSON, Texas (AP) — Republican presidential hopeful John McCain said Thursday the question of whether he can run for president, despite being born in the Panama Canal Zone, was put to rest 44 years ago in Barry Goldwater's run for the White House.

McCain added that he doesn't know why his campaign sought legal analysis of whether his birth outside the continental United States might disqualify him from the presidency.

The Constitution says only a "natural-born citizen" may serve as president.

I hope Drudge can find a picture of him in traditional Panamanian garb.

Timmy Russert needs new friends. Can't somebody introduce him to some new and interesting people? Maybe he should join Toastmasters and mingle. I hear they serve real chocolate desserts there.

MEET THE PRESS WITH TIM RUSSERT
WEEKEND LISTINGS 3/2/08

JAMES CARVILLE
Democratic Strategist

MARY MATALIN
Republican Strategist

MIKE MURPHY
Republican Strategist

BOB SHRUM
Democratic Strategist

Why not just call it mothereffing chicken... Do people actually buy their meals at Sheetz, anyways?

It also seems like a pretty big insult to potential customers. How stupid do you have to be to have the word frickin convince you to buy a product? Or to be impressed with such rhyming capability? Did Sheetz come up with this brilliant effort, or did they hire an advertising agency with expertise of dumbing down the customer base?

You just don't see the word lunatic enough anymore. Thank God for bloggers:

Because there's the food police...

and John Hagee...

and John McCain...

and, of course, Bill Cunningham...

and other bloggers...

And what about you?

Which Historical Lunatic Are You?
From the fecund loins of Rum and Monkey.

In honor of Leap Day, I'd like to talk about one of the track events I competed in during high school - the Triple Jump. It was my second favorite individual event at a meet, after the 220 yard dash. (440 relay was the best event, however, because we had a very fast team for our league) Part was due to my hope and expectation for success and point gathering, and part of it was because the triple jump was a pretty laid-back event - few were watching, you could goof around and no officials stopped you as long as you weren't interfering with another jumper.

I did triple jump for two years in track. I was okay, 2nd best on our team, and gained points for the team more times than not (usually 3rd) at head-to-head meets. The league we were in, the East Bay Athletic League, didn't have many star track athletes compared to other San Francisco Bay Area leagues, and it always seemed that our league's best strengths were pole vault and the distance runners. That usually came to a clear point whenever we went to a bigger city invitational. One time I competed at an invitational at Diablo Valley College in the triple jump, and the difference in athleticism was obvious. Guys were jumping 6-7 feet further than me. Now, it WAS a great track, a great runway, a great pit, and I had a personal best jump for the year there - but these guys were head and shoulders better than me. A great triplejumper is a study in balance - landing and takeoff, stride and lift, bend and push. Doing all three complete jump components, and the transfer that goes on between those three, is the difference maker. I always had a tiny, tiny, collapse between the first and second stage, and it was there I didn't get the distance that better jumpers did. If you watch a great triple jumper, transition between jumps becomes almost imperceptible - it's very fluid.

One of track's older world records right now is for the triple jump - set in 1995.

So, what's the point? Hey, it's Leap Day. Go do a triple jump.

From their best album, imho - Systems of Romance.

I have to admit, I like watching that show for short periods of time, maybe 15 minutes or so. After that, I get bored unless something comes up that has a particularly interesting story. The main value of the show is to see, by facial expression and response, how the thumbnail appraisal value matches up with the owner's expectation, and our guesses at home.

Looks like the Antique Road Show will be in Chester County this weekend. If only we had something of antique value...

Maybe the news media should quit their preoccupation with serial marriers. These kinds of stories, and these kinds of profoundly shallow commitments to the ideal of marriage, are probably the biggest diminishment of the institution in the world. This isn't a complaint about divorce - it's about how little diligence some celebrities put into marriage, and it's about how they use marriage as a possible tonic for whatever horrible personality ailment they are suffering from, and treat it like a ineffective over-the-counter ointment when they determine they aren't feeling any better.

Part of me feels sorry for Pamela Anderson, and wishes she'd find help. Part of me is sick of seeing her in the news, and wishes the news media would quit validating her impression of what marriage is.

Alright, all you Italy beach lovers, what's the nicest beach on the Versilia Coast?

My favorite point of the debate last night was a Hillary Clinton exchange with Tim "This is Reality" Russert: (starts at the 4:29 point of the video)

I bet Chuck Todd has interesting opinions on Russert's capabilities.

From the transcript:

MR. RUSSERT: I want to ask both of you this question, then. If we -- if this scenario plays out and the Americans get out in total and al Qaeda resurges and Iraq goes to hell, do you hold the right, in your mind as American president, to re-invade, to go back into Iraq to stabilize it?

SEN. CLINTON: You know, Tim, you ask a lot of hypotheticals. And I believe that what's --

MR. RUSSERT: But this is reality.

SEN. CLINTON: No -- well, it isn't reality. You're -- you're -- you're making lots of different hypothetical assessments.

Finally, somebody points out that Russert's not dealing with reality. Thank you, Hillary!

Taken out of context, maybe this is a term worthy of derision. Taking things out of context is the domain of imbeciles. This was a call for responsibility, that people have to actually work towards what they want if they expect to see it happen.

If people can't understand that, they can't possibly grasp the call for political responsibility, which is pretty sad.

I dunno, I saw this ad in a publication and I just found it tone-deaf and disturbing. Maybe it's just me.

But Clinton's lead over Obama in Pennsylvania is shrinking, fast.

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, surging among younger voters, has cut Sen. Hillary Clinton's lead among Pennsylvania likely Democratic primary voters to 6 points, 49 - 43 percent, after trailing by 16 points just two weeks ago, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.

This compares to a 52 - 36 percent lead for Sen. Clinton February 14.

Perhaps most of upper management are really only seatwarmers. They seem to be experienced in this kind of hiring.

He's evolving as a journalist and as a questioner. He's 90 percent there... to being the William Shatner of debates. Answer me!

Chris Dodd endorses Obama.

"This is a moment of unity in our country, a time when we need to come together as the Democratic Party and get behind a candidacy that expresses the hopes, aspirations and ambitions of million and millions of Americans," he said, standing beside Obama in a hotel function room. Dodd added: "I don't want a campaign that's only divisive. But there is a danger of it becoming that, not because the candidates want it to, but too often the advisers and consultants others are seeking that divisiveness....It is devastating in the longer term."

...

"I want to offer a cautionary note to the campaigns and the people around them, be careful this week, we have good people running, we have remarkable people running in these two candidates, and I know the temptation of campaigns, beyond the ability of the candidates themselves to control it, can get out of control. We have witnessed a little bit of that here, and I'm worried about it," Dodd said. "We're on the brink of a great victory [in November] and I don't want to see us lose that opportunity because of mistakes made or divisiveness."

...

Dodd said he had called Hillary Clinton last night to inform her of his decision. "These are not comfortable conversations," he said. "These are not easy things to do...I believe [Hillary and Bill Clinton] have made significant contributions to our country and I believe very deeply and sincerely this morning that Hillary Clinton will continue to make a significant contribution to our nation in the years to come. But it is now the hour to come together."

Dodd is a committed, classy and thoughtful Democrat. The word "inevitable" comes to mind...

There's a story like this every day.

Travis Davis, 13, said he and Tavin were throwing snowballs at each other on D Street near Rockland when they hit a passer-by.

A man Travis said he knows only as Omar, in his early 30s, witnessed the incident and chastised the teens for throwing snowballs at the man.

The boys sassed him and Omar told the boys, "I'm going home to get my gun and you better not be here when I come back."

Travis said through sobs that he warned Tavin, who was visiting for the day, that he knew Omar and had seen his gun. He told Tavin to get out of sight.

Tavin went into a friend's house, where other teens urged him to stay indoors.

Instead, he went outside and sat on the steps. Omar came back with a gun about 4:45 p.m. and found Tavin, witnesses said.

"I'm not going to fight you," Tavin told the man, witnesses said. "If you want to shoot me, shoot me."

The man fired one shot that hit Tavin in the head, then he jogged toward Eleanor Street, about a block away.

I've heard all the arguments. Omar would have killed him with a knife or a club (doubtful). Omar would have obtained the gun illegally (maybe).

I've never been in a situation in my life where a handgun would have been remotely helpful. The chances of the average handgun owner successfully defending himself with his weapon have to be incredibly slim. Seems a helluva lot more likely somebody is going to get shot accidently or in a fit of rage. No thanks!

They're trying to figure out how racist their attacks can get before they backfire.

The Republican National Committee has commissioned polling and focus groups to determine the boundaries of attacking a minority or female candidate, according to people involved. The secretive effort underscores the enormous risk senior GOP operatives see for a party often criticized for its insensitivity to minorities in campaigns dating back to the 1960s.

Put on white hoods and maybe nobody will recognize you.

No, but there's been an oddity in this year's flu patterns:

One of the mantras of global public health is that infectious diseases know no borders. But this year's flu season continues to thumb its nose at that notion, rolling out in distinctly different patterns on either side of the 49th parallel.

Maps generated by the Public Health Agency of Canada and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control show widespread flu activity in 49 U.S. states, but in only one province, British Columbia. Other parts of Canada are experiencing localized or even sporadic outbreaks; some may be past the peak of their flu seasons.

What explains the differences? Experts shake their heads and marvel at the enduring ability of the famously unpredictable influenza virus to confound explanation and prediction.

Ask Dr. Nancy Cox, head of the CDC's Influenza Division, if she's surprised to see distinctly different seasons playing out on the upper and lower part of the continent, and her response reflects her many years of study of this virus.

"Yes and no," says Cox, who is credited with having coined the oft-repeated expression, "If you've seen one flu season, you've seen one flu season."

"It surprises me because influenza viruses really do not respect boundaries. It doesn't surprise me because we've seen these very striking differences between influenza season in the U.S. and the influenza season in Canada in the past - and haven't been able to explain the differences."

For ease of discussion, people talk about influenza as if it were an entity. But in fact, there are three types that cause human disease - influenza A, B and to a lesser degree C. There are two subtypes of A viruses, H3N2 and H1N1.

And because the viruses mutate constantly, there are families of viruses within each of those types.

In Canada this year, two families of H3N2 viruses, one H1N1 virus, and two influenza B virus groups are circulating and causing disease. The flu shot gives people who get it protection against one H1N1, one H3N2 and one B virus.

But the main viruses causing disease so far this year in Canada are H1N1s that are closely matched to the one included in this year's flu shot. So people who got a flu shot - and as many as about a third of Canadians do - would be well positioned to ward off assault from those viruses.

In the United States, a recent surge in H3N2 activity has made those viruses the most predominant cause of illness there this year.

This "feels" true to me:

The air of inevitability that once surrounded Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton has shifted to challenger Barack Obama. In a new national USA TODAY/Gallup Poll, those surveyed predict by 73%-20% that Obama will be the Democratic nominee.

Democratic voters hold that view by nearly 3-1.

The Illinois senator has surged to a double-digit lead nationally over Clinton, walloping her 51%-39% among Democrat voters as their preference for the presidential nomination. The poll of 2,012 adults was taken Thursday through Sunday.

His 13-point lead — his first outside the survey's margin of error — is at odds with a separate Gallup tracking poll. Taken Friday through Sunday, it gave the Illinois senator a narrow 47%-45% lead over Clinton.

Both candidates are stumping for next week's primaries in Ohio and Texas — states that even Bill Clinton has described as must-wins for his wife's candidacy to have a chance of prevailing.

I get the sense that we're now in the final countdown - and that next Tuesday will become the end of the race. I think this survey suggests that a majority of voters actually WANT that to be the case - that they are ready for a break from the harsh heat of this primary season, and are ready for different distractions than primary politics for the near term. I think this would be the case regardless of who was leading at this point, and will work strongly against Hillary Clinton next week.

It's also a math problem.

Let's hope the Democratic nomination is settled before it gets to Pennsylvania.

Prosecutors say that two brothers-in-law tried to settle the presidential race on the kitchen floor of a Collegeville, Pa. home.

Jose Ortiz, 28, is now behind bars on felony assault charges after prosecutors say he stabbed Sean Shurelds inside a home in the 100 block of Honeylocust Court.

District attorney Risa Ferman says a heated debate over the candidates escalated into violence:

"One is a supporter of Barack Obama, the other is a supporter of Hillary Clinton, and an argument of words turned bloody when one brother-in-law tried to choke the other and the victim then responded with a knife and stabbed his brother-in-law in the stomach.”

If you want to get me to go to church, you better offer these as standard snacks during service. They are delicious!

I love making up ridiculous answers, at least ridiculous for me, when responding to automated "survey" telephone calls on subjects that I don't care about, which are most of those surveys.

if you want to take your mind off the primary campaign for a bit...

Interesting bit on the concept of Foreclosure In Place. We're either in this together, or not.

I've kind of wondered about this too: how reliable are past hurricane records? How useful are they, really?

I guess you can deny gratitude, particularly if you feel it is mistaken, but maybe it's better to just try to refocus it.

ERISA, the Supreme Court, and Your 401(k) - interesting.

Sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll centre of the brain.

I've eaten them, and I gotta say, I just don't care for boiled peanuts.

I meant to post this over the weekend, but no matter... I'm looking for opinions on preferred kennels. I'm not looking for a dog country club, but something that we can feel assured will provide the healthiest environment for a short visit. Have a recommendation? Put it in comments.

After a bit of melt, there are telltale signs of who used a snowblower...

Ed Rendell says he's not vice presidential material, either.

I have to say that last night, for the first time that I can ever remember, Saturday Night Live seemed a bit like a TV show for New Yorkers. Even though Tina Fey's bit about Hillary Clinton was kind of funny, the point is, she was also shilling for a candidate on the program. It's not that I wouldn't expect SNL to be rooting for Clinton - after all, they are in New York City and she's their U.S. Senator. But I would think they could be more subtle about it.

On the other hand, I quit watching SNL regularly a long time ago because they had lost their subtlety, and because in the past 10 years, at their very, very best, they could only achieve kind of funny. It is amazing that for over a decade, SNL has been unable to accomplish comedy at a weekly level reaching what The Daily Show or Conan O'Brien has done on a daily level. They get more time, and somehow, that time is wasted every week on horrible sketches and forgettable performers. It is time for NBC to give somebody else a chance at that time slot, and quit wasting it on a 21st Century Ed Sullivan Show.

State spending is going to go down this year. Nebraska is just an example... I wouldn't want to be a contractor depending on new business from state government this year.

Signs of an economic slowdown have a key state board predicting that Nebraska’s tax revenues will be $126 million less than originally expected over the course of this year and the next.

The new revenue forecast, which came as no surprise given recent economic trends in the state and nationally, prompted Gov. Dave Heineman to take immediate steps to reduce spending and call on lawmakers to do their parts during the current legislative session.

“Today’s forecast indicates we will be short $68 million by the end of the legislative session,” Heineman said. “Nebraska must balance its budget and we need to balance the budget by reducing spending. Raising taxes is not an option.”

Where exactly the $68 million in savings will come from is not yet known. But Heineman said he doesn’t believe the state will have to dip into its robust savings account, estimated to be roughly $500 million, to cover the shortfall.

He said he expects to meet next week with lawmakers involved in tweaking the budget.

But already, the dreary revenue news has Heineman changing his legislative wish list. Crossed off is his previous plan to give homeowners $75 million worth of rebates toward property taxes.

Agency heads and other leaders in state government have been directed to look for savings ranging from cheaper ways to deliver services to only making purchases that can result in savings or are absolutely necessary.

Blodwyn Pig - The Modern Alchemist

A quirky detour of late-'60s British progressive/blues rock, Blodwyn Pig was founded by former Jethro Tull guitarist Mick Abrahams, who left Tull after the This Was album. Abrahams was joined by bassist Andy Pyle, drummer Ron Berg, and Jack Lancaster, who gave the outfit their most distinctive colorings via his saxophone and flute. On their two albums, they explored a jazz/blues/progressive style somewhat in the mold of (unsurprisingly) Jethro Tull, but with a lighter feel. They also bore some similarities to John Mayall's jazzy late-'60s versions of the Bluesbreakers, or perhaps Colosseum, but with more eclectic material. Both of their LPs made the British Top Ten, though the players' instrumental skills were handicapped by thin vocals and erratic (though oft-imaginative) material. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide

Could somebody quaff one of these bad boys and report back to me?

A savory beer, Budweiser & Clamato Chelada and Bud Light & Clamato Chelada were developed with the adult consumer in mind. Budweiser, a classic American-style lager, and Bud Light, a classic American-style light lager, are the world's best-selling beers, and Hispanics have been enjoying the great taste of Clamato since its introduction in 1969.

An estimated 60 percent of all Clamato is purchased with the intention of using it as a mixer, so the combination of the three brands means the adult consumer can more easily enjoy a recipe they already love. To best enjoy Budweiser & Clamato Chelada and Bud Light & Clamato Chelada, gently rotate the chilled can once before pouring. Then, serve cold, or pour over ice, into a traditional goblet-style glass and garnish with a slice of lime or celery stalk. Salting the rim of the glass or adding a dash of hot sauce to the beer allows adults to further customize Chelada. The beers also pair well with traditional Latino dishes such as ceviche, chicken enchiladas and tamales.

"The combination of Clamato with Budweiser and Bud Light provides a refreshing beverage — one that Clamato fans have been mixing themselves for ages," said Andrew Springate, vice president, marketing, CSAB. "This is a convenient way for consumers to enjoy the flavorful and authentic recipe they've come to crave."

Repulsive ... yet vaguely appealing!

Spotted at Matt Yglesias' Obama Clubhouse.

(But nothing at all to do with Obama)

The Maggienator.

Had to take a friend to the emergency room this week.

She gave me a call at 5 AM after waking up with one of her lower legs numb. The doctor at the ER decided to do an MRI of her back. We were surprised to learn that he needed to check her "rectal tone" before doing the MRI. (No, I didn't hang around for the tuning.) So is this standard procedure or was it just a kinky doc?

Eight hours, two MRI's and an X-ray later, they decided it was an irritated nerve from wearing too tight shoes. Score another blow to health care costs for women's footwear.

She's finally made a great decision for America. Thank you.

Or make-up days.

But this is the first I've ever heard of them called "Calamity Days".

Must be the news media's new favorite word of choice.

It took me until age 49, but I'm going to get to see my first Men's March Madness games in person in March. Greatly looking forward to it.

How did this song not make it as a hit?

Peggy Noonan will surprise you, and suggest that somebody else is a snob. Really! Has she ever listened to herself speak? It's usually one of the first things that comes to mind when I hear her.

I'm so sick of the concept of labeling generations. Boomers, "Greatest", X, etc... I just don't understand the benefit to this one-size-fits-all approach. The accomplishments and failures of any time do not belong to one generation, nor do all members of a given generation ascribe to whatever it was that caused that accomplishment or failure, as perceived. It's just garbage marketing as far as I'm concerned, and I'm really, really sick of people buying into it. I may have listened to some of the same music as some dude in Montana, because of our ages. We may have watched some of the same TV shows. That doesn't mean I have more in common with him than with members of my parents generation, or the generation 20 years my junior. Let's quit being lazy with the generation labels.

If this is true without some sort of qualifications, it is an embarrassment to the Cumberland Valley School District:

Adjusting for inflation, the average teacher at CV in 2006 made more than $5,000 less than the average CV teacher in 1995 for doing the same job with the same experience, according to CVEA.

And yay, another snow day school cancellation.

Both candidates had their moments, I suspect this will be seen as a draw. There's only one clear conclusion to make: Campbell Brown should not be a moderator of a debate ever again. Let the candidates talk, please.

27 Jennifers by Mike Doughty

More Americans are giving up golf.

McCain's.

Pennsylvania still has lots of rural areas and communities that do not have options for high speed Internet service. This is an example of what a small local government entity can do to help bring service to the area. Little things in leadership help.

Hamilton Township supervisors unanimously agreed Monday, Feb. 11 to sign the township up for Hi-Speed Internet service through Verizon, should that service be made locally available. Township supervisor Rebecca Davidson is spearheading an effort to have the company bring the service to her neighbors in Hamilton Township. She recently put up a notice at the post office informing Verizon customers, or those wanting high-speed internet service, that Verizon will consider bringing in service to the area provided that fifty of its customers, living within a two-mile radius of the telephone building on State Rt. 6, inform them of their interest. They also must commit to a minimum of one year of the service, if it is provided, Davidson said. Currently, there is no high-speed internet phone service offered in Ludlow, and the majority of computer users must rely on the frustratingly sluggish dial-up service provided.

How depressing. At the age of 49, I've now reached a one-half of one percent chance of dying at this age. This is my highest odds since I was a newborn. On a brighter note, the average life expectancy for a man my age is to have another 28.94 years remaining, which does seem like quite a lot of time to have fun.

Hot or not??

They're disappearing around the nation. Including the one on the Carlisle Pike.

Once we get past the general election, Democrats really ought to have a rank and file discussion about the primary process, because it's fucked up six ways to Tuesday. There should be no concept of "Super Tuesday", which simply awards the candidate with the most money and name recognition. Caucuses should give way to elections, superdelegates should be tossed in the dungheap of history, and there should be an agreed upon order for primary elections that changes on some sort of earned basis. There shouldn't be more than two states up in one week. It should go from smaller states to bigger states - the bigger states have more power because of their delegate totals, the smaller states get a little more power because they're earlier, but the real key to this is to distribute the elections out. There's no reason we can't have a 25 week primary election season.

Seriously - 2009 should be reserved now for this discussion by the national and state party leadership WITH the people who actually elect candidates.

Honestly, I think the idea of either Democratic candidate's supporters trying to claim that a nomination of the "other" candidate will lead to another 4 years of Bush-lite with McCain is just as bad as when Bush was claiming Americans need to vote for him, or the terrorists win. They are just stupid scare tactics with no substantive evidence behind them.

This is, in no way, an effort of reclamation for McCain. There is no question that his bondage to GWB should be campaigned vigorously against in the General.

Not sure it's a good one, but it seems like it would be entertaining for a company properly placed in the chain...

If I were running a rock and gravel company, I'd offer the following service - being able to order the delivery of one pound of gravel via the mail to an address, and providing the return address as the same as the sending address.

Then I'd put an ordering end on the web so that browsers could order such an item delivered.

Then I'd market it as something like "I Got A Rock" (stolen from the old Charlie Brown comics) so that people who receive telemarketing calls - particularly the kinds that start out at "surveys" but are really marketing calls - can realize that it's a good way to respond to those calls. This would include political campaigns.

Do Not Call lists are being worked around. This would give consumers another way to drive the point home.

So... what's the scoop on Oppenheimer PA Municipal C (OPACX)? Is little news good news?

Are they the worst "commenters" a blog can get?

Bush in Africa

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania, Feb. 17 (UPI) — U.S. President George Bush presented Tanzania's president with a pair of Shaquille O'Neal's basketball sneakers Sunday in Dar Es Salaam.

In a reciprocal gesture, President Jakaya Kikwete presented a stuffed leopard and lion, a Zebra skin and a wood carving to the American president, CNN reported.

Basketball sneakers? You have to hope they had inside information that President Kikwete was a big Shaq fan or this seems like an awfully tacky present. I'm going to have to keep an eye out for what gifts Bush doles out on the rest of his trip to see if there is a pattern.

On the other hand, imagine the fun George and Laura are going to have playing "Tarzan and Jane" with that zebra skin!

Which political party will fracture into new, separate parties first: The Republican Party or The Democratic Party?

Although, it's a pretty strong habit.

This week, Tony Petrone's hand-rolled, freshly baked bagels came with an apology:

"Due to the rising cost of EVERYTHING, we regret that our bagel prices have to be raised," said the blue paper sign, posted on the cash register at Not Just Bagels in the Dongan Hills section of Staten Island, Tuesday.

The word "everything" was underlined twice, but there is really one major culprit: Skyrocketing flour prices.

Last week, Petrone raised the price for a plain bagel from 65 cents to 75 cents, and the unthinkable -- a $1 bagel -- may be around the corner.

Bagelmakers like Petrone have tried to weather the rising costs for as long as they could, but a global shortage of wheat, coupled with rising demand, have caused bags of flour to nearly double in price. "I hope not, but they keep telling us it's only going to go up," Petrone said gravely. "It's over $20 now for a 50-lb. bag (of flour). You can't make the bagel without flour."

As much as some Staten Islanders may feel that their borough is insulated from the larger city, it is not immune to global market forces and the bad weather that has decimated wheat crops and caused the price of flour to skyrocket.

The impact will continue to push prices higher, and bagels are just the tip of the iceberg.

Wheat futures jumped to a record of more than $11 a bushel Monday, on expectations of tight supply of the staple -- exacerbated by growing world demand and bad weather that has pummeled crops in Canada, Argentina and India -- that could be reflected in higher prices in bread, cereal, eggs and pasta.

"It's an unprecedented move in wheat markets," Jason Ward, analyst with Northstar Commodity in Minneapolis, told the AP. "It's going to affect everything -- pasta, bread, cereal. It's a big deal."

If you remember what this is, you're at least about my age. If you're in your early twenties, it's unlikely you've ever used one.

In honor of the primary going on in Wisconsin, a question - have you been to the Wisconsin Dells? And why is it the Waterpark Capital of the World - how did that happen?

David Bowie, of course.

Sex Pistols, Decemberists, Kasabian, Rilo Kiley ... not bad taste for an offspring of McCrank.

"Back in my past life," admits 23-year-old Meghan McCain in a recent posting on McCainBlogette.com, "I wanted to be a music journalist."

McCain is the daughter of Arizona Senator and Republican presidential hopeful John McCain, but don't think she's abandoned those music journalism aspirations completely. As one of the three women behind McCainBlogette.com, the potential future First Daughter and her pals have taken it upon themselves to share a series of playlists "of the songs we just can't get enough of."

As young McCain writes, "I love the vibe and emotion I get from music...I take that energy and run with it."

It is the day. Congratulations to an online bank , and a life insurance company and a shake shingles companyand one of those high fallutin' limousines, or a direct mailing services company. I wonder, can you buy a replica of the White House through this realtor?

And if you can, will the mortgage go through this company?

There sure is a lot of presidential stuff out there. I wonder if they get a bump of interest this time of year...

... send a manned mission to Mars.

Clinton was more enthusiastic than Obama about human space travel and domestic oil production when the Democratic presidential candidates conducted separate telephone conferences with the Houston Chronicle editorial board.

...

"I intend to pursue an ambitious agenda in both space exploration and earth sciences," Clinton said. "I want to support the next generation of spacecraft for a robust human spaceflight program."

Obama agreed that NASA, which employs thousands of Houston-area voters who work at or with the Johnson Space Center, should be a tool for inspiring the nation.

But, he said, the next president needs to have "a practical sense of what investments deliver the most scientific and technological spinoffs — and not just assume that human space exploration, actually sending bodies into space, is always the best investment."

Human exploration has always been a risky and expensive undertaking. But from the opening of the New World to the opening of the American West, I can think of very few instances where human exploration hasn't proven to be well worth the cost. It's interesting that a visionary like Obama doesn't extend that vision into space.

Just an update on ochosting.com, who I wrote about in November 2007 as a company to avoid for web hosting. Apparently, and amazingly, they're getting reviews that make it sound like things have gotten worse. Nice job, velocity.net.

What the deal about being outside?

If you love outdoor activities, apparently you're in a minority. That's according to Oliver Pergams, a conservation biologist and visiting professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Last week, he published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences a fascinating study co-authored with conservation biologist Patricia Zaradic. The study says that since the late 1980s, fewer and fewer Americans have taken advantage of the outdoors.

Participation in nature activities is down a whopping 18 percent to 25 percent since peak levels. Doesn't that bum you out? It bums me out.

This is Pergams' third paper on this subject. The first, published in 2004, looked at the rate at which Americans were visiting U.S. national parks. Back then, Pergams and fellow researchers found that the per capita visits to national parks have declined since 1987. But between 1939 (the earliest year data were available) and 1987 there was a steady increase in visits.

The study analyzed possible factors for the decline and found four primary ones: an increase in gas prices, along with an increase in the hours people were spending on the Internet, playing video games and watching movies.

I suspect that the aging American population is a bigger part of this than understood. I used to go to a lot of state and national parks for outdoor activity when I was younger, but it has reduced considerably. Of course, another part of that is raising small children - they have activities that compete with going to parks, and they also don't have the attention span and stamina for it, either. But our family is quickly getting past that point, and should be entering the prime of our National Park Visitation Years.

I started thinking about where we've been the past five years - not the more indoor national park museum-style properties, but the outdoor ones, and I only came up with two - Great Smoky Mountains, and Grand Canyon. The kids loved both. They were memorable. We should be doing more.

When we first moved to Pennsylvania in 1991, my wife and I made a list of places we wanted to go on the East Coast. We only have one left, and of course, it is a national park - Acadia in Maine. We will have to get there sometime in the next few years.

One of the things that wasn't mentioned in this article would be the promotion budget for the National Park System now, versus what it was when it was at peak. I'd be curious to know the comparison. Disney doesn't rely on the "if you build it, they will come" promotion model, and neither should the United States National Park System.

but bottled water is immoral. Waste not, want not.

Seriously, can't we offer somebody in the future that can be a bit more Presidential than good ole' James Buchanan?

Hey, I didn't realize that a President of the United States had graduated from Dickinson, however.

The Japanese like a good speech too!

OBAMA, Japan — Barack Obama has never been to this port town on Japan's snowy west coast, and residents only know him from news reports on his faraway campaign for the U.S. presidency.

No matter, Obama the town is nuts about Obama the man.

Obama's name graces posters hung in the main hotel. Headbands and T-shirts with drawings of the candidate's face will be available soon. Local confectioners are designing Japanese-style sweet bean cakes with Obama's portrait on them.

Policy doesn't seem to matter much either to this Obama, which is well-known in Japan for its lacquerware. Instead, the overriding issue is simple: Obama's name.

"Obama gives good speeches and has a good voice, so I want him to do well. And, of course, we share the same name," said Seiji Fujiwara, a hotel executive and leader of a local support group established earlier this month for the Illinois senator.

Must be a wine-track town.

My name is Andrew Romano Eleanor Clift, and I'm going to ride the Loch Ness Monster to the North Pole so Santa can perform the wedding rights for me and Cinderella Prince Charming.

Note: My apologies to Andrew Romano. Eleanor Clift was the culprit of this article, and I didn't even notice it. I should have my blogging card taken away for 30 days. That was awful blogging.

Photo by Maguis & David.

Finally, Sophia's on Market has a web site! My wife and I went there for dinner on Friday night, our Valentine's Day date. We did this last year as well - even though Sophia's is primarily a breakfast and lunch place, and only offers a special dinner or two each month, they are delicious and appropriate for the occasion. I had the Beef Wellington. The surprise hit was in the appetizers - the Raspberry Almond Brie Purses were fantastic.

But you don't have to wait for a dinner. They have excellent lunches. I love the Grilled Chicken Club on Focaccia. If you're in Camp Hill or Mechanicsburg, give Sophia's a shot - you'll be glad you did.

Let's not make a hash of things.

Turns to Blue

Husker Du's last tour, Finland, June 1987

Notice the subtle dance moves of bassist Greg Norton.

You've been a pretty good offensive player for the Sacramento Kings, although I've seen 6th graders defend better... best of luck to you if this Atlanta deal goes through. But are the Kings really getting enough in this deal? Other than Shelden Williams, none of these guys will be on the Kings next year.

I have to say, I think the attacks on supporters of Obama as just loving great speeches is about as foolish of an effort as I can think of... People, pay attention:

I Have A Dream is a speech.
The Gettysburg Address is a speech.
The Only Thing We Have to Fear is Fear Itself is a speech.

WE HONOR THOSE SPEECHES IN THIS COUNTRY. They demand reverence. They helped change a country. I find it absolutely ridiculous to somehow try to spin that being a great speaker is somehow a negative. I do find that having to fall back on that as some sort of attack point is a very large negative.

One of the things that might make sense to study by a journalism or communications department at some highly appreciated university would be the blog links to various publications, and whether they increase or decrease over time. This would have to be somehow compared by taking a large population of blogs over time, maintaining a total population number to publication links for various time periods, and then measuring a percentage per publication of those links. In the political world, for example, the entire blogging spectrum would need to be covered, and the entire online political publication community should be measured.

My suspicion is that Slate would have a very ominous downward trend, because of newsworthiness and interest level in the quality of the articles.

This is a pretty cool game - and what's extra cool about it is how popular it has become with kids in our area. Our daughter loves it, plays at the school every week. Great math learning game...the game has been around only since 1988, but seems to become bigger and bigger each year.

Yeah, I kinda like this video. I don't know why I like Pink's in-your-face attitude, but I do. Her little hand gesture at 3:00 is subtle enough to be funny.

Oh, man, this brings back memories. I haven't lived in South Natomas for 15 years, but before we moved spent 5 years living out there. We go back every 3-4 years to Sacramento to visit friends, and it always amazes me, the new development. It's a testament to poorly designed sprawl. Maybe now at least you can't smell the choking odor of the rice fields burning at the end of harvest.

The farther away you have to park, the less likely you are to have enough quarters for the meter.

Oh well. At least its not raining.

A Pennsylvania Congressman makes a noble solitary stand on principle.

Bucks County Congressman Patrick Murphy, D-8, has taken the rivalry between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants to Capitol Hill.

On Wednesday, the House passed a resolution congratulating the New York Giants on winning this year's Super Bowl “and completing one of the most remarkable postseason runs in professional sports history.”

The resolution passed