So far, I'm still keeping my vow to never watch college basketball again, but sometimes it's hard not to notice the news about IU, the team I once followed so faithfully. The news is pretty sad these days. Three years into the Tom Crean era, the Hoosiers have won a total of eight Big Ten games. Some sportswriters have had enough:
Wisconsin isn't the only state being descended upon by imported protesters:
Union leaders predicted up to 25,000 would protest at the Indiana Statehouse today.
OK, we all know what the NPR guy said and why it embarrassed two people into quitting (or being forced out). But what about the video sting technique, that of people pretending to be what they're not? In one view:
Illinois has banned the death penalty, and it wasn't about morality:
Inmates like the serial killer John Wayne Gacy, whose guilt was never in question, were put to death and caused little controversy. But when a miscarriage of justice was discovered and a death row inmate was set free, the police and prosecutors contended that it was an isolated incident, an anomaly. They got little argument.
The " Rally for Hoosiers" is hoping for 25,000 people to descend on the capitol. Like their protests inside the Statehouse for the past few weeks, many say they will continue to demand union rights and protection for the middle class.
[. . .]
Belaboring the obvious:
Though there is little to be offended by in most of NPR's programming, public radio and television cater almost exclusively to the sensibilities of the urban liberal. Not that there's anything wrong with being an urban liberal, of course. But this demographic also happens to be blessed with the financial means to ensure that NPR remains a vibrant source of news.
With allies like this . . .
A senior Saudi prince questioned the need for a ban on women driving on Wednesday and said lifting it would be a quick first step to reduce the Islamic kingdom's dependence on millions of foreign workers.
The Gulf Arab state is a monarchy ruled by the al-Saud family in alliance with clerics from the strict Wahhabi school of Islam. Women must be covered from head to toe in public and are not allowed to drive.
Rationalization of the day:
There's no question at times of my life, partially driven by how passionately I felt about this country, that I worked far too hard and things happened in my life that were not appropriate," said Gingrich during an interview with CBN's David Brody.
The $61 billion in House-approved budget cuts represent less than 2 percent of the budget, less than 4 percent of the deficit and less than 5 percent of discretionary spending.
Yeah, well, an NPR executive said bad things about conservatives and Republicans and the Tea Party, and went off on white, middle-class, gun-totin' xenophobes. Stop the presses.
But this was the most interesting part:
Planned Parenthood supporters and abortion opponents had dueling rallies in Indy this week. A couple of points:
1. Legislatures are on shaky moral ground when they order people to lie:
Turner's measure also would require abortion providers to tell patients that abortion carries risks, including the possibility of breast cancer -- a claim disputed by the American Cancer Society . . .
I have a country boy's love of downtowns, so I like to see vibrant ones. But the people who want to keep funneling time, effort and, especially, money downtown need a reality check:
When I saw this headline -- 'Chicken' Game Police Blame In Death Common Among Teens -- I thought it referred to the version I remember from my days as a yoot. Two idiotic kid drivers head their speeding cars toward one another to see who swerves away first. But apparently there is a more modern, even scarier version:
There are numerous videos on YouTube of young teens engaged in the game of chicken, daring each other to jump into the street.
What happened to "everybody should share in the pain"?
Republicans would prefer to tackle the politically sensitive issue next year when the 2007 farm bill expires, requiring negotiations and passage of a replacement. Many Republicans in the lower chamber, though committed budget cutters, hale from farm states where subsidy cuts would not be appreciated.
Federal deficit for the month of February:
The federal government posted its largest monthly deficit in history in February, a $223 billion shortfall that put a sharp point on the current fight on Capitol Hill about how deeply to cut this year's spending.
Will wonders never cease! The New York Times and I agree that a federal government shutdown wouldn't be so bad. Of course our reasons differ a tad -- the Times thinks it should be done to send a message to "reckless" Republicans who are trying to make "devastating" cuts in the federal budget that would "do enormous damage" to many needed programs:
Eyes on the road, people!
Most drivers who admitted to using the internet while driving said they were most likely to do so while at a stop light or stuck in heavy traffic, but ISP troopers say fender benders are just too common when using a cell phone.
The study reported that just under a quarter of drivers with smart phones admitted to using the internet while driving.
This headline is oxymoron of the day: "Romney's tea party-friendly defense on health care":
Mitt Romney made some of his most significant statements yet this weekend about the health care bill he signed as governor of Massachusetts, offering a preview of his defense for what many are expecting to be a potent line of attack for Romney's opponents.
And in doing so, Romney appears be trying a tea party-ish angle
