Regardless of your political viewpoints, you should be proud to be an American today.

We are the first country in the western world to have a person of color on the ballot for highest political office. Ever. Look it up.

Fujimori, a Japanese-Peruvian, is the only possible exception. But I think, since the slavery factor is removed, we can all agree this is a singular event.

So we can parse words, but the larger point, that the country of 300 years of slavery, and Jim Crow, and lynchings, and separate drinking fountains and lunch counters, and get your ass to the back of the bus, and all the myriad other bullshit that persons of color have had to endure, has made a quantum leap forward, at least in the electoral process.

And that is obviously a good thing; praise America.

I don't mean for this to launch any kind of political food fight. Obviously, Adam will delete it if he thinks it is inappropriate.

40 years ago MLK was slain.

Today, a man of color has a 50% chance to be leader of the free world in 8 months.

Think on that.

"Wrongfully convicted of a double murder, Grace Caldwell breaks parole to hunt down the real killer. Even when she finds herself being framed *yet again--*she won't relent, which is driving FBI Special Agent Breed Grayhawk just a little nuts."

That sounds like the the dumbest, most ridiculously asanine book ever conceived. The ol' "double frame," who hasn't had that happen to em?

Breed Grayhawk. Lolers.

PAGE-TURNING JUSTICE-TEXAS STYLE!!!

They must think we're idiots with taste buds in our sphincter.

Carry on...

"Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, speaking to a local Iowa radio station, said that terrorists would dance in the streets if Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, is elected president -- precisely because of not only Obama's position on withdrawing US troops from Iraq, but because Obama's middle name is "Hussein," his father's Muslim roots, and his appearance -- or "optics," as King put it."

His "appearance." In other words, he be a darky.

The audio:

http://www.radioiowa.com/podcast/feed/A6AFFF9D-C09F-1E1C-6BE13276F8998390/article/8EF58000-A398-BDDA -F45FB09147E7FDF8/audio/8EF580F9-9F7F-50C4-D14E96F96A22BA60/KingOnKICD.mp3

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003722255

Ugh. This fear mongering crap has gotten so damn tiresome. And it simply blows my mind that elected leaders can pass off racist rhetoric like this as legitimate discourse. Some other links:

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/03/08/gop-congressman-says-terrorists-would-celebrate-obam a-win/

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/03/republican-cong.html

A good example of the disgusting morons that help promote this myth is found in the comments of this link:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1982410/posts (note the picture)

http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d805db597&template=with-video&confirm=true

Three pokes on the ist team, 2 on the 2nd.

A few thoughts:

The only selections I have any real problem with are 1st team RB and Al Harris. LT rode in on his rep this time, gold glove style.

You have to think Romo would have made 2nd team if he hadn't stumbled so much in the last month.

If we could money whip Samuels (or Trufant) into signing w/ us next year, how big of a leap could we make? Draft another CB or FS and a receiver in the 1st rd, and we'd be sans holes.

And all those Leonard Davis signing poo-pooers look pretty stupid now (actually, they've looked dumb for months).

That is all...

Slow day at the office. Searching for some Rex Hudler anecdotes about Saint Ersty, I stumbled across further proof of the epic dimwittedness of Angels fans:

http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Arena/1906/rex.html

http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Arena/1906/

I actually think this guy is serious. I could be wrong, but if I am, I'd say this guy's tounge is planted a little too firmly in cheek. It's a fabulous little tribute, either way.

Unfortunately, much to my chagrin, the "chat" link was disabled. Damn.

Then I went to Rex Hudler's personal site:

http://rexhudler.com/

While I find the very idea of rexhudler.com pretty fucking funny, I found this particularly gutbusting: "Rex hudler is in demand as a motivational speaker."

That's not a typo of mine. Ol' wonderdog actually hasn't noticed that his own name isn't capitalized. On his personal website. Put aside the typo, though, and take a moment of silence to savor the ludicrous irony of that statement.

And speaking of irony, one of the chief attaboys Rex got for speaking comes from this man:

 David R. Engwall
Vice President, Sales
Advanced Sterilization Products, a Johnson & Johnson company

A grown damn man who actively encourages and promotes himself as "The Wonderdog."

Evidently, The Rev and some of his peeps aren't big fans either. I quote:

"ASSHOLE UNCONSCIOUS RACIST AMATEUR DICKLESS DOLTS."

http://www.halosheaven.com/story/2005/8/11/1452/77939

And here's one more, just for the haters:

http://sports.intertext.com/archives/001293.html

Have a good 4 day weekend everybody. Even you, Longhorn. Having a date for New Year's Eve is overrated, bro.

Poll to your right...

Biggest game of the year. Already told El Jefe not to expect me in too early tomorrow.

If interested, I stumbled across another "what an all-american good kid Tony Romo is" article, a good one.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d804971a0&template=with-video&confirm=true

Among other things, it says, contrary to the media's incessant claims, that John "My electric toothbrush has to be kickstarted" Elway, not Brett Favre, was his favorite QB growing up.

I have no idea how this game is gonna pan out. There's a kind of lame poll to your right.

Boldass predictions welcome on this thread...

As discussed nearly ad nauseum here at LSB, our center field future and the upcoming FA market, coupled with the current rebuilding effort, pose a real dilemma. In fact, it's no stretch to call it a mystery. A mystery wrapped around a riddle, inside an enigma, no doubt, with conundrums standing watch, vigilantly. And there's most likely a quandary tapping the phone lines.

Instead of this asserting "no way on Hunter/Rowand/etc, he'll cost us 6/92.33,"  why doesn't everybody just name a figure/# of years they would be comfortable with?

Because it seems to me that a few of these figures fellas are floating might be nothing more than Buster Olney ass-extraction.

I just have a really hard time seeing how Torii rates 95 million and Cameron might only cost 18, I guess, is my belated point.

The proposal: everyone hi/low some figures for the 08 crop: Hunter, Jones, Rowand, Cameron, etc., and support the feasibility.

Also, two questions:

Why is Ben's nickname "scoonie?"

Has Longhorn ever been laid (with a woman, I mean)?

Discuss.

Not surprisingly, Scooter's entire prison sentence has been commuted by our Commander-in-Chief.

He will still have the felony conviction on his record, which means he will most likely be disbarred, and his fine remains 250K, so this isn't technically a pardon. But Bush declared that the Republican special prosecutor and Republican judge he appointed were way off base with the 30 month prison sentence.

Any pundit that alleges the fine means anything is a liar. Libbey will be compensated 10 or 20 times over for taking one for the team, and I don't really have a problem with that. He was just Cheney's hatchet man, after all. Don't get me wrong, this whole deal is reprehensible, but Scooter was just being a loyal soldier.

Flame away, Bush apologists and haters of OT diaries...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19570081/

Bush's full explanation (he and his entire staff ducked any Q&A):

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19570172/

p.s. If you are interested in a pretty comprehensive breakdown of the Libby case, David Schuster is hosting Hardball right now (7-8 EST).

Last show ever. Pretty exciting.

I wanted to do a lengthy diary on questions I had about the various seasons, as well as a favorite moments aspect. For example, in season 4/epis. 1, was that cop that Christofa killed really his father's murderer, or was Tony playing him to, as he put it (paraphrasing), bond Chrissy to him irreparably.

Unfortunately, I just got back from a road trip. Stupid I-95.

So, instead, open thread w/ trivia:

1. Name every character w/ a speaking part that has been thought to be a rat.
2. Speaking of rats, what did Pussy get caught doing?
3. What was the name of the drug dealer that was thrown into Patterson Falls? Who did he work for, who threw him, and why?
4. What was the name of the bar Chris gave to Adriana? Bonus portion: A football bet lost to the family was the reason he won the club. What happened in that football game?
5. What prominent official did Junior write alot of letters to this season?
6. Livia's oft repeated phrase to young Tony was what?
7. For what reason did Junior break up w/ his girlfriend in season 2? Where did they vacation?
8. What is Tony's kid sister's name?
9. How were Tony and Christofa related?
10. How were the 2 Tonys related?
11. What is Janice's son's name?
12. What is Tony's nickname for Phil?
13. What was the class of 2004? Be specific, w/ a conclusive list of names.
14. What were the circumstances of Bobby Baccalieri's father's death? What excellent actor played him?
15. What is the name of the rival NY family?
16. What was the name of the retirement home where Livia stayed?
17. What stock was being pushed in Season 2 in a scam, and what is the term for that scam?
18. What NFL players have acted in the series?
19. Which family capo is under house arrest? What is his brother's name?
20. What did Corrado have done to Chrisofa in Season 1 because of the truck hijack his best friend committed? What was his friend's name?
21. How was Chucky Signore killed?
22. How was Jack Masarone killed, and why?
23. Why did Tony and Zellman have a falling out?

Guilty on 4 of 5 counts. More elaboration to come:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17479718/

And the vast, left-wing liberal conspiracy marches on... *Update:* This is an interesting angle to the story that hasn't got much attention in the mainstream news coverage:.............................. http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1596642,00.html........................... Apparently, Libby was obsessed with Chris Mathews and "Hardball.".......................... The edit diary function isn't working out too well for me.................