How reading Sports Illustrated could change w/ the new technology (including the Swimsuit Edition!)

[via Reflections of a Newsosaur]

SOTU sugar

In recent years, for me, the annual State Of The Union (SOTU) is mere background music to the annual appearance of US Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, and so it was this year, again.

So long as she appears, I know in my heart of hearts that the Republic still is sucking air.

The experiment of democracy continues. OK. Hit the mute button now.

Here, in photos above and to the left, the congresswoman gets some pre-speech sugar from President Obama.

Hopefully, we and the Republic will still be around next year to report on the SOTU and Ms. Jackson Lee again.

That is all.

John Lennon on Elvis

"Nothing really affected me until Elvis."

"Before Elvis there was nothing."

"We didn't know what the hell Presley was singing about or Little Richard or Chuck Berry. It took a long time to work out what was going on. To us, it just sounded like great noise. "

"I always wanted to be this tough James Dean type, but Elvis was bigger than religion in my life. When I heard Heartbreak Hotel it was so great I couldn’t speak, I didn’t want to say anything against Elvis, not even in my mind."

"I’m an Elvis fan because it was Elvis who really got me out of Liverpool."

"There's only one person in the United States we ever wanted to meet ... not that he wanted us. And we met him last night. We can't tell you how we felt. We just idolised him so much. ... You can't imagine what a thrill that was last night. Nothing really affected me until I heard Elvis. If there hadn't been an Elvis, there wouldn't have been the Beatles."

“I didn’t have the nerve to tell Elvis this last night, but you see these sideburns? I almost got kicked out of school for trying to look like him. Tell Elvis that if it hadn’t been for him, I wouldn’t be here.’ ”
John Lennon to Jerry Schilling after meeting Elvis Presley (according to Schilling)

"It was very exciting, we were all nervous as hell, and we met him in his big house in L.A. - probably as big as the one we were staying in, but it still felt like "big house, big Elvis." He had lots of guys around him, all these guys that used to live near him (like we did from Liverpool, we always had thousands of Liverpool people around us, so I guess he was the same.) And he had pool tables! Maybe a lot of American houses are like that, but it seemed amazing to us. It was like a nightclub."

"He had his TV going all the time, which is what I do; we always have TV on. We never watch it - it's just there with no sound on, and we listen to records. In front of the TV, he had a massive amplifier with a bass plugged into it, and he was up playing bass all the time with the picture up on the TV. So we just got in there and played with him. We all plugged in whatever was around, and we played and sang. He had a jukebox, like I do, but I think he had all his hits on it. But if I'd made as many as him, maybe I'd have all mine on."

"At first we couldn't make him out. I asked him if he was preparing new ideas for his next film and he drawled, "Ah sure am. Ah play a country boy with a guitar who meets a few gals along the way, and ah sing a few songs." We all looked at one another. Finally Presley and Colonel Parker laughed and explained that the only time they departed from that formula - for Wild in the Country - they lost money."

"It was nice meeting Elvis. He was just Elvis, you know? He seemed normal to us, and we were asking about his making movies and not doing any personal appearances or TV. I think he enjoys making movies so much, We couldn't stand not doing personal appearances, we'd get bored - we get bored quickly. He says he misses it a bit.We never talked about anything else - we just played music. He wasn't bigger than us, but he was "the thing." He just wasn't articulate, that's all."

"Up until Elvis joined the army, I thought it was beautiful music and Elvis was for me and my generation what the Beatles were to the '60s. But after he went into the army, I think they cut "les bollocks" off. They not only shaved his hair off but I think they shaved between his legs, too. He played some good stuff after the army, but it was never quite the same, It was like something happened to him psychologically. Elvis really died the day he joined the army. That's when they killed him, and the rest was a living death."

-- from JohnLennonQuotes.net via BeatlesLane

Dean Singleton like Evel Knievel?

Alan J. Mutter has weighed in with another look at Dean Singleton, one-time owner of The Houston, whose newspaper company has filed for bankruptcy.

Mutter compares Singleton to the late daredevil Evel Knievel thusly:

The 58-year-old Singleton has pretty much emulated Evel’s derring-do since he used someone else’s money to buy his first paper in Texas at the age of 21. (He has been using other people’s money ever after, too, which is why he isn’t losing a nickel of his own cash in the upcoming bankruptcy.)


Sometimes, Singleton’s bravado achieved great success, as he did in purchasing the Denver Post from Times Mirror at a distressed price in 1987. The paper today dominates the market after the shutdown of the Rocky Mountain News, its partner in a joint-operating agreement. He also deserves credit for rescuing the struggling Oakland (CA) Tribune from what almost certainly would have been an ignominious fate.


But other Singleton acquisitions, like the Houston Post and Fort Worth Press, ended in write-offs, as will be the case in the bankruptcy filed today.


In the planned reorganization of Affiliated Media under Chapter 11, lenders will lose three-quarters of a billion dollars and the Hearst Corp. will lose $317 million in equity it had invested with Singleton. While the prepackaged bankruptcy plan calls for lenders to own 80% of the going-forward concern, Singleton and other key managers will own a 20% stake in the business.


Why would the creditors keep the guy who lost all that money?


Because he is the best chance they have of extricating any value from the business.


Here’s why:


The lenders understand that the newspaper industry is in a period of irreversible contraction, as consumers and advertisers alike increasingly migrate to the digital media.


But the lenders also know newspapers are major and valuable brands, attracting the largest proportions of advertising dollars spent in each of the communities they serve. That is to say: Even though they used to be bigger, newspapers remain big businesses.


The trick in wresting future value from the MediaNews properties (and all other newspapers, for that matter) is to find a new, sustainable business model to ensure their long-term viability and profitability.


Singleton not only knows and loves newspapers, but he also is uniquely un-squeamish among publishers in doing whatever it takes to make a publication profitable.


In his pursuit of finding sustainability for newspapers, nothing is sacred to Singleton. If he can merge production or circulation operations, he will. If he can consolidate newsrooms or ad sales, he will. If it is cheaper to outsource customer service or ad make-up, he will.


He has done it before and, if the opportunity presents itself, he will do it again.


No other senior newspaper executive is as daring and seemingly impervious to pain as Dean Singleton.


That’s why he’ll climb out of this wreck, saddle up and start all over again.

I see one major problem with the Knievel analogy.

The daredevil risked it all doing his stunts.

Singleton risked nothing since, as Mutter noted, he always used other people's money.

Whatev.

In Austin, pollination so thick it looks like smoke!

From KXAN.com:

Warm and windy weather across Central Texas is causing the first widespread, heavy pollination of Mountain Cedar trees in our area this season. The flying pollen is so thick in wooded areas of western Travis County it looks like smoke.

Counts from two area allergy clinics today were both in the very high category, with 3, 720 grains per cubic meter of air measured at Austin Allergy Associates in north Austin, and 4,271 grains at Allergy and Asthma Associates, off Far West Boulevard. The Allergy/Asthma/Immunology Clinic of Georgetown is reporting a remarkable number Monday: 18,830 grains, which is off the charts.

Those with allergies in Central Texas are likely suffering Monday and may not see relief for several days to come as more warm, breezy weather is in the forecast much of this week.

Coco vs. Leno: grudge match

Conan Rally - Late Night Street Fight - watch more funny videos

The biggest loser in Dean Singleton's bankruptcy is the Hearst Corp.

William Dean Singleton, the majordomo of The Houston Post when he sold its assets in 1995, has decided to duck into bankruptcy court as his MediaNews company has succumbed to the pervasive ills currently afflicting the daily newspaper business.

While this in itself is not a surprising turn of events, what comes as a bit of a surprise is that the Hearst Corp. will lose $317 million because of the Singleton bankruptcy.

Hearst, of course, is the owner of Houston's only daily newspaper, the Chronicle.

The confounding question that arises out of this is: what was Hearst thinking when it got into bed with Singleton?

As Alan J. Mutter, the esteemed observor of the cratering newspaper biz observed in his blog, "...Hearst became not just the biggest loser among the equity investors in MediaNews. It will be the only one.

"Neither MediaNews chief Dean Singleton nor his long-time business partner Richard B. Scudder will lose a nickel in the bankruptcy, because neither ever put any of his own money into the company, said a MediaNews spokesman. But they aren't unscathed. Each of the MediaNews founders will suffer the complete loss of paper gains that at one point theoretically were worth as much as $500 million per man."

What does this mean for the Houston Chronicle?

We can't say for certain, but we can guess -- more belt-tightening.

quote/unquote ...

“Dying is a matter of slapstick and pratfalls. No one should grow old who isn’t ready to appear ridiculous.”
--- John Mortimor, 1923-2009, English author and screenwriter

"No, because your hand-eye coordination was not good enough. You're kind of a big goof. You had one thing. If you uppercut a ball, you might hit it. If his hand-eye coordination was so good, why did he feel the need to apologize to the (Roger) Maris family? It's shame that he thinks we're all stupid, that he only did (steroids) because of injuries. That's such a cop-out, such a lie. These guys did (steroids) to take the money to pump up their egos and then take their consequences down the road.”
--- Former Cardinal/Giant Jack Clark on Mark McGwire’s statements that he would have hit 70 home runs without steroids

“This is the most interdependent age in human history. It goes way beyond trade. The rich world was as trade-dependent before World War I as it was in the 1990s, but we didn’t have the internet, we didn’t have so much travel, and we didn’t have so much immigration and so much diversity, so much shared scientific research. We’re linked in so many different ways that we can’t get a divorce.”
---- Bill Clinton, Newsweek, Dec. 28, 2009

“We may eventually come to realize that chastity is no more a virtue than malnutrition.”
--- Alex Comfort (1920-2000) British psychiatrist & author of “The Joy of Sex”

(Editor's note: Quote/unquote is compiled without compensation by Wilson in St. Louis, MO)

The Telegraph says Ron Paul is 41st most influential conservative in the USA

The UK paper says... of Our Congressman:

41. RON PAUL (96 on the 2007 list)
Congressman for Texas
A sensation of the 2008 Republican primary, the unlikely libertarian rock star is finding his anti-tax, anti-Wall Street, anti-interventionist arguments gaining traction in Congress as the recession continues. His bill to audit the Federal Reserve, which had been subjected to ritual defeat for years, passed the committee stage in the House with 331 co-sponsors. His rage against spending on the war in Afghanistan has made him a strange bedfellow with Democratic Left-wingers.
Online activist networking and small sum fund-raising was crucial to his respectable showing in the primaries though his votes never came near matching the enthusiasm of his supporters, who were dominated by earnest slacker types.
Now 74, the former gynaecologist has represented Texas for most of the past 30 years, and spent much of it arguing against the power of Washington. He refused to support John McCain’s candidacy, instead launching a new organisation, the Campaign for Liberty, down the road from the Republican national convention in St Paul, Minnesota.

Other Texas notables were:

-- Tom DeLay #99

DeLay experienced a dramatic fall from grace in 2006 amid an investigation by a Texas district attorney for allegedly breaching campaign finance laws and dogged by his links to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Known as “the Hammer" for his rigid enforcement of party rule in the House of Representatives after the Republican Revolution of 1994. Played a key role in the impeachment of President Bill Clinton in 1998.
He was also a prime mover force behind the so-called 'K Street project' to manoeuvre Republicans into top positions with influential lobbying firms. Now more famous for being a contestant on “Dancing with the Stars”, in a recent political DeLay demanded that Obama show his birth certificate to prove he was an American. Now regarded by most Republicans as a cautionary tale in growing too comfortable with power.

-- Jeb Bush #76

With the slow but steady rehabilitation of the Bush name, the Bush brother who many say was the one who should have been President remains a potential national candidate. A very popular former governor of a major swing state and with proper conservative credentials, if his name hadn’t been Bush, he might have been the ideal candidate for the party in 2008.
Since leaving office in 2007, Bush toyed with running for the Senate seat to be vacated by Mel Martinez and has been active in the think tank Project for the New American Century. Along with Mitt Romney and Eric Cantor he launched the National Council for a New America, designed for Republican leaders with to listen to voters across the country and will remain a powerful voice behind the scenes. Whether he moves to the front of the stage again remains to be seen.

-- Dick Armey #71

An author of the 1994 Contract with America and former House Majority Leader, Armey now leads FreedomWorks, a conservative advocacy organisation.
A Texan libertarian and former economics professor well versed in Washington’s rougher political arts, he was forced to give up an lucrative consultancy with DLA Piper when FreedomWork’s links to populist opposition to health care reform created difficulties with the law firm’s clients. The 69-year-old chain-smoker is a major influence on the tea party movement, which could become the conservative powerhouse in 2010.

-- Rick Perry #51

The longest serving governor in the state’s history, he declared “I am not George Bush” upon succeeding his Lone Star predecessor in December 2000. In April 2009 he declared that he might become a Texan national. “We’ve got a great union. There’s absolutely no reason to dissolve it,” he said at a tea party protest. “But if Washington continues to thumb their nose at the American people, you know, who knows what might come out of that.”
Democrats accused of him being anti-American but many in the conservative base lapped it up. Such secessionist rhetoric may have had more to do with his forthcoming battle with the moderate Kay Bailey Hutchinson in the Republican primary than any serious belief. In November he will attempt to secure an unprecedented third term and he may well be harbouring thoughts of running for the presidential nomination.
A staunch fiscal conservative, the rugged Texan attracted controversy last year by rejecting Obama’s $555 million in federal stimulus money to aide the expansion of unemployment benefits for Texans, only to later request $170 million loan from the government to continue paying out unemployment benefits.

-- Karl Rove #32

Attributed with almost magically dark powers by his detractors, Rove has certainly been one of the most influential and contentious political strategists of his generation. He guided George W Bush into the governor’s mansion in Texas and then to the White House on a narrow base of support. He was awarded effective control of the Republican National Committee and relations with state officials, not to mention a major say in domestic policy, and took much of the credit the party’s Congressional gains in 2002 and 2004.
As the Iraq war grew unpopular, controversy surrounded the administration and Rove’s name was often involved, whether it was the Valerie Plame affair, the missing White House emails or the selective firing of US attorneys. Through the years opponents have claimed Rove was behind dirty tricks – including heightening terror alerts in 2004 when John Kerry improved in the polls – but nothing much has ever stuck.
Since quitting in 2007 he has been a commentator on Fox News and in the Wall Street Journal, offering analysis of the campaign and criticism of the administration that adds a been-there-done-that expertise to his trenchant political stance. His memoirs, due for publication in March, will be worth watching out for. Recently divorced.

-- George W. Bush #12

In 2007, George W. Bush just missed our Top 20 top conservatives list – a provocative and controversial decision but one that reflected his disastrous poll ratings, the dismay of conservatives at out-of-control spending, the colossal mistakes over Iraq and his failure to consolidate the conservative majority he had won. Aides protested that history would vindicate him and already there are signs that this is happening. The Iraq “surge” of 2007 unquestionably won the war and has helped establish a viable democratic state in the heart of the Middle East. There were terrible errors committed along the way but Bush showed the vision and toughness to change course and commit American blood and treasure when all appeared lost.
Bush’s influence endures also because Obama and his advisers seem scarcely able to do anything without referring to his predecessor. This betrays a shallowness that is beginning to wear thin with American voters. With the recent terrorist attacks, Bush’s relentless focus on Islamist terrorism now looks wise rather than obsessive and he bequeathed Obama one of the most impressive members of the current Cabinet – Bob Gates. Bush’s absence from the limelight and his refusal to criticise Obama even through surrogates is to be commended. So too was his personal insistence that led to the transition between the two administrations being one of the smoothest in American history.

I guess this means President George H.W. Bush is officially over the hill now. Furthermore, US Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison has got to be stewing that she didn't make the list while her gubernatorial rival did, but we sincerely hope she does not assault her press secretary over the slight.

Meanwhile, what about the most influential Texan liberals, as seen by the UK paper?

Well, there's only one -- Houston's new mayor, Annise Parker, of whom The Telegraph says:

The first openly gay mayor of one of America’s top 10 biggest cities, polls found that the Democrat’s orientation mattered to only 18 per cent of voters, but it helped that she had been open about her sexuality throughout her public career, which began with election to the city council in 1997.
Formerly the city’s controller, she campaigned on her expertise and financial acumen, rarely mentioning the potential uniqueness of her bid. After her victory she joked that she was "very proud to have been elected the first ... graduate of Rice University to be mayor of Houston".
Aged 53, she has adopted three children with her longtime companion. She arguably has done more for the gay rights cause than a president who has infuriated the community by putting their preoccupations firmly on the back burner.

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee did not make the list. Whether this is a source of chagrin for her, we do not know, but we would find it a tad irritating, if we were her, to discover that #80 on the Top 100 Liberal list is a dog, which could just as easily been stricken from the list to make room for her.

Read on:

Bo Obama #80

First Dog of the United States (FDOTUS)
A gift to the President from the late Senator Edward Kennedy last April, the new First Dog immediately became a media sensation – and a potent symbol of the uncritical, adoring coverage that the new President has received from the mainstream media. During the campaign, Obama talked often of having promised a puppy for his daughters Malia and Sasha, stipulating that it had to be a hypoallergenic breed because of Malia’s allergies.
After flirting with the idea of getting a “mutt like me”, Obama instead chose a Portuguese Water Dog with an American Kennel Club lineage. The Washington Post was given an “exclusive” for the story and its reporter dutifully described the dog thus: “Bo's a handsome little guy. Well suited for formal occasions at the White House, he's got tuxedo-black fur, with a white chest, white paws and a rakish white goatee.” The White House doles out regular photos of Bo, who has his own blog and several imitators on Twitter. No doubt a book deal cannot be far off.

Pearland preacher makes gay jokes on TV

The Rev. Rick Scarborough, who's held sway over conservative religious matters in Pearland for as long as we can remember, made an appearance on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show." The topic was gay marriage. Sigh.

Click here to watch.

quote/unquote ...

"How much does Haiti have to suffer before Haitians in the United States are granted Temporary Protected Status. The reason TPS exists... as an option for the President is precisely for moments such as this in Haiti.''
--- US Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart in the Miami Herald, before the feds said they would not deport any Haitians back to Haiti, for now, due to the earthquake

“The government should give people the right to see what they want online. The government can’t always tell lies to the people.”
-- Chinese woman who called herself "Bing" (microsoft joke?) about Google's threat to exit China after the government had hacked into gmail accounts of human rights activists

"Economists are people who work with numbers but who don't have the personality to be accountants."
--- anonymous

"What a strange illusion it is to suppose that beauty is goodness."
-- Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910)

"In the end, everything is a gag."
--- Charles Chaplin (1889-1977)

(Editor's note: Wilson in St. Louis compiles "quote/unquote")

A look at the Cowboys-Vikings match

From Rich Gosselin, the most-excellent football writer for the Dallas daily:

It will be the goal of the Cowboys’ defense Sunday to take Favre out of his comfort zone. But Minnesota has a talented blocking front with a pair of Pro Bowlers, guard Steve Hutchinson and tackle Bryant McKinnie. The Vikings also will keep a running back or tight end in to protect Favre from the assault of the Dallas front seven.

In 19 NFL seasons, Favre has seen it all. It’s tough to surprise him. But defenses have managed to do so this season with some timely safety blitzes. Favre has been sacked as often by safeties (seven) as outside linebackers. At home in the dome, safeties have twice as many sacks of Favre (two) as linebackers (one).

Wade Phillips will have some defensive decisions to make on gameday. His two safeties, Ken Hamlin and Gerard Sensabaugh, have a combined five sacks in 13 seasons, including none this year. The blitz is not their forte.

The Vikings have three wideouts who can stretch the field. Phillips can play it safe and keep the safeties home to fend off the big play. But then the game will be played on Favre’s terms. Favre wouldn’t expect the Cowboys to send their safeties. That’s all the more reason to send them.

The more comfortable Favre becomes Sunday, the less comfortable the Cowboys will become. And vice versa.

Alicia Keys booty call

"It's like I'm ovulating but the dude version..."

Too bad the Horns lost, but hey, they're already almost #1 in the latest new College Football Top 10!

from the NY Times' college sports blog, The Quad:

1. Alabama – As the defending national champion, the Tide should be a near-unanimous pick for this spot. It returns Mark Ingram, Greg McElroy and a host of talented players on defense.

2. Boise State — The Broncos return 21 of 22 players, plus the talented punter/kicker/fake punt executer Kyle Brotzman. Boise is 26-1 the past two seasons and has marquee games against Virginia Tech and Oregon State as proving grounds.

3. Texas — Despite losing the national title, the Longhorns have gone 25-2 the past two years. The highly touted Garrett Gilbert will take over at quarterback after showing some of what he could do against Alabama and Earl Thomas could be the nation’s best safety.

4. Oregon — Jeremiah Masoli returns, but Chip Kelly can seemingly win with a piñata at quarterback. The Ducks appear to have, at least temporarily, supplanted U.S.C. as the best team in the Pac-10.

5. Texas Christian — The Horned Frogs lose only six starters from a team whose defense was No. 1 in total defense and No. 4 in scoring offense. Andy Dalton will be among the country’s top quarterbacks.

6. Florida — While the coaching situation remains in flux, the talent is still flush in Gainesville. The John Brantley era begins, which means more passing. The receiver position will go from a liability to a strength.

7. Ohio State — Terrelle Pryor will be atop most Heisman lists after he capped an uneven season with a dazzling Rose Bowl performance. Ohio State hosts Miami in the second week in one of the season’s showcase games.

8. Iowa — The Hawkeyes return 70 percent of their starters, which mean they’ll start the season high. They return starting quarterback Ricky Stanzi, a budding star in receiver Marvin McNutt and their entire defensive front.

9. Virginia Tech — Tyrod Taylor returns for his senior year with momentum from a bowl win and tons of experience. Tailback Ryan Williams is among the country’s top young runners. Bud Foster’s defenses are always stout.

10. U.S.C. — While the Trojans had a down year, the talent level in this program is still high. It will be interesting to see if Pete Carroll shakes up his coaching staff. Matt Barkley will be a poster boy for college football in 2010. But who will be throw to?

Mike Leach could coach the Raiders

Texas Tech Head Football Coach Mike Leach has been fired, as you likely know, but Michael Silver, a Yahoo! sports columnist, has a super idea -- Al Davis could hire him to coach the Oakland Raiders, the wackiest franchise in the National Football League.

As Silver explains:

Think about it: The Raiders have an abysmal offense and are trying to salvage the career of a former No. 1 overall draft pick, quarterback JaMarcus Russell. Leach is an innovative offensive mind who has made prolific passers out of far less talented QBs. Davis is a big-time meddler, but he has also worked best with headstrong head coaches who aren’t afraid to be their own men. Leach, as recent events confirm, would fit that mold. Further, as Leach proved this week, he, too, is not afraid to lawyer up, and both will soon be intimately familiar with the nuances of the term ”with cause.” Finally, Leach has a well-documented thing for pirates. Can you imagine how much he’d fun he’d have in an eye patch?