[13% of Americans don't know about Global Warming]

Our expectations of the general awareness of Americans is what's amazingly low.

 

Unless the subject matter is who's favored to win the next American Idol title, that is.

 

Funny Story...

 

A few years ago, a woman said to me, while I was working, "you look like a big Reuben guy".

 

I looked at her and said, "actually, I don't really like sauerkraut that much."

 

She looked at me like I had grown a third eye, and then explained the Ruben Studdard phenomenon to me.

 

Clearly, I'm ignorant when it comes to American Idol, and I'm cool with that.

[For Dems only.]

Al Franken will leave his Air America Radio show on Feb. 14th to launch the exploratory process for a run for the U.S. Senate seat from Minnesota in 2008.

Speaking (or writing) as a Minnesotan, I'd really like the party to find anyone other than Franken to run against Coleman in 2008. Norm is incredibly beatable, and a strong candidate would have no problem against him. I doubt Franken is that candidate.

 

Besides, wasn't the 80's the Al Franken Decade?

[13% of Americans don't know about Global Warming]

I'm frankly shocked that 87% know what Global Warming is. If you would have given me the keywords 13% and Global Warming, I would have assumed that the survey would have said that only 13% of Americans have heard of it.

 

And it would have been a lot less surprising to me than the actual results of the survey, frankly.

[Very cool article about how we view and respond to national problems]

My greatest interest is history, historical fiction but aside from that I just keep my eyes open and anything I see that catches my fancy gets added to the list and read when its turn comes.

I read a lot of history too, emphasis on Civil War, Ancient Rome and WWII. But I read anything. Not enough fiction, unfortunately.

[First season predictions]

Minny as a franchise could be in some serious trouble in the next few years.

 

I really don't think this season looks very promising for them, however I expect them to make noise. However Nathan is going to his FA this upcoming off season or the next, Santana at the end of 2008, and this off-season it's looking more and more likely they are going to go to arb with the MVP and batting champ.

 

They better find some money in those pockets, that team could get really expensive, really quick.

 

A story this morning in the Mpls paper mentioned that the Twins' payroll in 1999 was $19 million. Santana will likely get paid more than that yearly after 2008.

[Official NFL Thread]

I bet everyone a million bucks the Bears win the Super Bowl!

 

You think I'm gonna pay if it doesn't happen?

 

Only Heads and Greasy.

[Another politician accused of molesting a kid]

NO OIL FOR OIL!

BUSH IS WORSE THAN HITLER AND KILLED 50 TIMES MORE PEOPLE!

COMMUNISM, NOT GUNS!!

NO OIL FOR OIL!

RUMSFELD FLEW A JET INTO THE WORLD TRADE CENTER!

 

I want to see this in someone's sig line. I just might have to do it myself.

[What was/is more special to you?]

I just made it 150-6!

 

It's funny, if the Bears win, I'll be happy, just as I was in '85. But I was ecstatic when the Sox won. I'll probably never feel that way about any other win.

[20" of snow in Austin]

Must have been an Aggie

Why did the carful of Aggies freeze to death at the drive-in?

 

They went to see "Closed For The Season".

[Name My Dog]

If the pooch is a female -- STELLA!

[For Dems only.]

So, in SOTU drinking games, how many drinks does one take when the President brings up Dikembe Mutumbo?

 

An uberliberal who hangs out at the bar said, "it would be hilarious if Dikembe stood up and did the finger wag".

 

I couldn't see it happening, but it would have been funny.

[Happy Birthday MrEye]

Feliz cumpleanos, Senor Ojo!

[We're all going to die!]

I'd be interested in hearing who sponsors this.

 

The decision to move the clock is made by the bulletin's board, composed of scientists and policy experts, in coordination with the group's sponsors, who include Hawking and science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke.

 

IIRC, the only sponsors are other scientists and the like. It's a non-profit, and, again, IIRC (which is by no means a sure thing) the magazine doesn't accept advertising. A chum of mine who I haven't seen in a while was a subscriber and I used read the mag. Didn't understand it, but I read it.

[Beckham to the MLS]

The way for US soccer to establish a hotbed of talent is to get inner city youth involved in soccer. Its always been the game of the common man, because all you need is a ball and that is it. Hence why its huge in every country. You get a kid who might not be talented enough to play first string baseball, basketball or football...but he still might be more athletic or talented than the bevy of midgets we have been featuring on the US team. The minute we get a better pool of athletes, and identify them, and get them in the right programs the better US soccer will be in the long run. And if Becks gets people involved who wouldnt be, then its worth it.

Agree 100%. The problem is that in the inner city, basketball is the game of choice for much the same reason that soccer in the rest of the world -- you only need a ball (well, a hoop, too, but that's not usually an issue) If you could have an inner city inititave in soccer though -- man, the US would be dealing with a fantastic talent base.

[Yvonne De Carlo passed away]

Doesn't this belong in the "strange crushes" thread?

[Genuis Alderman indicted]

The more things change...

[Catch-All Anything Thread]

Generically, it's Mint Chocolate Chip. Gourmet-wise, it's Ben & Jerry's Heath Bar Crunch.

[Who are your strange crushes?]

Ingrid is definitely it for me too. The most beautiful woman ever to be captured on film. The camera definately loved Ingrid.

 

And maybe it's a personal preferance for Bogart over Cary Grant, but it's the Casablanca Ingrid and not the Notorius Ingrid that ranks above all others. Then again, it may be that Casablanca is probably the second most perfect American film after Citizen Kane, but Bergman was a big part of that perfection.

 

Po-ta-to, po-tah-to. Ingrid still smolders.

[Who are your strange crushes?]

OK, if we are talking off the wall here, the woman in the overstock.com commercials. When she's laying on the bed talking about the 'big o', I'm thinking 'yeah, I got your big O right here, baby!'

 

She looks exactly like a friend of mine. They could be twins, really.

[Who are your strange crushes?]

I should add that Ike's wife (she doesn't have a name) is hotter and more ditzier, but she doesn't know her way around the kitchen like Mimi.

 

Funniest (and borderline best) advice about women I've ever read, courtesy of Dashiell Hammett's mom: "If a woman's no good in the kitchen, she won't be good in any other room in the house."

[Who are your strange crushes?]

Since I am a fan of old movies, some might say it is strange that I love Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly. They are kind of dead, but I think they were the two most beautiful actresses to grace the screen during their life.

 

Also, I have a thing for Katie Couric. Until a close up shows how old she is.

If I could add one name to that dynamic duo, it'd be Ingrid Bergman. Put Hitchcock's Notorius in your Netflix cue and prepare to be dazzled.

[Sir Sid to the Twins]

Sid will finish 2nd in the Cy Young voting to Brandon McCarthy.

 

LMFAO

[A good laugh]

A new report: Keith Ellison will use a Koran owned by Thomas Jefferson for his unofficial, ceremonial oath of office.

[Trailer park residents offered buyouts]

Clearly, this is not your stereotypical "trailer park". It's inevitable that they sell, but I hope that they hold out for a little more money from the developers.

[Official College Basketball Thread]

I wasn't arguing accomplishments, clearly they earned it. However, IIRC they entered the tournament as a #7 seed, and they didn't really have any inside presence to speak of. Plus Terry wasn't really that big a factor, he was coming off the bench at the time.

Actually, they were a #4 seed.