Caterer debunks myths about wedding receptions

Reading Gwen Ifill's column on being a debate moderator, it reminds you of Amy Farah Fowler from Big Bang Theory.
The party's not about you - you are an accessory.
The candidates are the show.
You, the moderator, are not the center of attention.
No matter how much you want to impact the action.

Undefeated teams watch

All three unbeaten teams posted victories Sunday.
All three are on the road for week 5.
Arizona has a Thursday night game, while Atlanta heads to Washington Sunday and Houston plays the Jets on Monday night football.
The 1972 Dolphins are still watching.

Romney and Ryan in Fishersville

The day after the first presidential debate, the Republican team of Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan will be visiting Fishersville.
Augusta Expoland is just off I-64, one exit east of I-81. Just 20 miles away from the nearest airport, so a great place for a campaign stop.
We welcome Romney fans to our area.

Ketchup ice cream

The Obama team has done a good job of telling different groups how he supports their agenda.
The question - how well do those agendas go together.
Some people like ketchup.
Some like ice cream.
Not many like ketchup ice cream.
UPDATE: Linked by Dustbury.

More Warren trouble

Legal Insurrection continues beating the drums on Elizabeth Warren and her recent legal work.
He links a review with 20 conclusions about the kerfluffle.
A fair review, and I like this one the best.
It appears likely that Warren is not alone among law professors, at Harvard and elsewhere, in being less than careful about meeting her professional licensing requirements. That is not an excuse for Prof. Warren, nor does it reflect well on her colleagues or the law schools they work for. Law professors should not be held to lower expectations of compliance with the rules of the legal profession just because they tend to be sloppy, careless, arrogant or “absent-minded,” depending on a critic’s level of charity.
Warren's foray into federal government focused on cracking down on credit card abuses, presuming the accused guilty.
But when Warren doesn't closely follow the law - as she demands others do - we should let her slide.
Don't think so.

Come on, hear the noise

What will the reaction be when Bubba Watson reaches the tee Sunday for the final matches of the Ryder Cup?

Might be more of this. Bubba and the fans seemed to enjoy it.

Thanks again, Brooks

The Orioles honored Brooks Robinson Saturday with a new statue at Camden Yards.
One of the TV shots showed the banner from 1977's "Thanks Brooks Day" carried by fans.
Too bad the new statue wasn't based on this famous painting.

Poor spinning

Don't you love Allen West's ad against his Democratic foe?


Murphy's explanation? He was a teenager.
A drunken, underage kid with a fake ID.
Sounds perfect for a Democratic candidate for Congress.

Why trust these polls?

Hugh Hewitt finds two major facts to cast doubt on current polls on Ohio.
Two data points that warm GOP hearts and undermine the junk polls: (1) Absentee requests in Ohio by Democrats are trailing their 2008 totals --often by a lot in key Democratic counties like Cuyahoga County; and (2) overall voter registeration for Democrats in the Buckeye State is down dramatically from 2008. 
Trust the facts on the ground now, not from the past.

Facebook quote of the week

Sequestration - ˌsē-kwəs-ˈtrā-shən, se·ques·tra·tion, Political - The ability to screw the Military and look good doing it.

Saturday song

With fall beginning, there will be fewer and fewer warm Saturdays to enjoy in the park.

Mom, I need...

...a place to parody the latest Obama campaign trick.

Football season, moving along

NFL fans are glad the regular referees are back - they can pretend to respect them for a few weeks.
High school football is half over around. Fishersville's Wilson Memorial plays its fifth game Friday, against county rival Riverheads with the district crown likely on the line.
Enjoy football while you can.

Weekend watchdog

The best golfers in the world gather in Illinois this week for the latest edition of the Ryder Cup.
Tiger Woods and the American team try to keep the Cup on American soil for only the second time since 2000.
Action begins on ESPN Friday at 8 p.m., then NBC takes on Saturday at 9 a.m. The final day's individual matches start Sunday at noon.
It's the final weekend of the baseball regular season. The Orioles host Boston in a weekend series on MASN, while the Nationals try to clinch the top National League seed in St. Louis over the weekend on MASN2.
The White Sox try to claim AL Central with games against red-hot Tampa Bay Saturday on Fox and Sunday afternoon on TBS. Fox also show the Angels at Rangers and Twins taking on the Central-leading Tigers.
The regular referees return as the Giants face Philadelphia Sunday night on NBC, while the Bears head to Dallas Monday on ESPN.
CBS in Washington shows the 1-2 Patriots against Buffalo at 1 p.m. Sunday. Fox has 49ers-Jets as the early game. RGIII and the Redskins head to Tampa in the late game Sunday afternoon on Fox, while most of the country watches the Packers and Saints battle to stay out of the cellar.
The college football weekend begins on ESPN on the west coast, with Hawaii meeting BYU Friday at 8 p.m.
ABC features the Big Ten Saturday, with Ohio State against Michigan State at 3:30 p.m. and Wisconsin-Nebraska in primetime. CBS shows Tennessee at Georgia Saturday at 3:30 p.m. while Fox brings Texas facing Oklahoma State at 7:30 p.m.
Duke heads to Wake Forest on the ACC network Saturday at 12:30 p.m. Comcast offers a pair of ACC teams in non-conference clashes - Middle Tennessee-Georgia Tech at noon followed by Idaho against North Carolina - then brings a CAA contest between Georgia State and William & Mary at 7 p.m.
ESPN starts its day at noon with Penn State-Illinois. Florida State meets South Florida at 6 p.m. before top-ranked Alabama plays Mississippi. ESPN2 has four games on the day, beginning with Minnesota-Iowa at noon. There's an ACC contest between Clemson and Boston College at 3:30 p.m., followed by South Carolina tackling Kentucky. It's off to the Pac-12 at 10:30 p.m. for Oregon-Washington State.
MASN offers Connecticut hosting Buffalo Saturday at noon.
West Virginia's Big 12 conference opener against Baylor gets coverage on Fx Saturday at noon. At 4 p.m., Arizona State meets California.
It's Ivy League time on NBC Sports network Saturday, with Penn heading to Dartmouth at noon. The Atlanta Football Classic brings together Southern and Florida A&M at 3:30 p.m.
With Jimmie Johnson atop the chase, NASCAR rolls into the Monster Mile at Dover this weekend. The Sprint Cup race goes Sunday at 2 p.m. on ESPN, while the Nationwide racers go on ESPN Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
The WNBA playoffs start continue Friday on ESPN2, with Atlanta facing Indiana at 7 p.m. followed by Seattle-Minnesota. Game two of Atlanta-Indiana will be Sunday at 4 p.m.
D.C. United heads to Portland Saturday at 10:30 p.m. on Comcast. Chicago visits Kansas City Friday at 8:30 p.m. on NBC Sports network, then Seattle takes on Vancouver Saturday at 9 p.m.

Skewed columnist

I'm trying to understand Eugene Robinson's column on skewed polling.
I think there's two points.

1. The polls aren't skewed, according to these polls.
2. Party ID is weak and can change - but 2012 will be like 2008.

More proof the current polls are skewed.

You say you want a Revolution

The new show Revolution shows life 15 years after all electricity disappears. Would the population look this good going that long without makeup?
UPDATE: Part of Rule5 Sunday.

Is it a blast?

Powerline offers a nice photoshop of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Inside poll-itics

Nate Silver has a new analysis up.
Don Surber has the verdict - Nate Silver is full of crap.
Silver tries to explain Rasmussen being more pro-Romney than the rest of pollsters.
Surber has the answer.

From Wikipedia: "In December 2009, Alan Abramowitz wrote that if Rasmussen's data was accurate, Republicans would gain 62 seats in the House during the 2010 midterm elections. In a column written the week before...

the 2010 midterm elections, Rasmussen stated his belief that Republicans would gain at least 55 seats in the House and end up with 48 or 49 Senate seats. Republicans ended up gaining 63 seats in the House, and coming away with 47 Senate seats.
And Nate dares to say Rasmussen was the most biased and inaccurate pollster in 2010??? I realize he's an opinion writer and can say whatever he wants. That does not mean he is any less full of crap.

Silver's data shows Obama's popularity down in 36 of the 50 states. Hard to see how he's doing better than his 2008 performance with numbers like that.
UPDATE: Linked in the comments at Althouse.
 

License? I don't need no stinking license

Legal Insurrection has the latest on Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren not following the rules as a lawyer.
She wants to rule your life - but can't abide the established rules for herself.

Baseball time flies

The Orioles are near their first playoff appearance since 1997.
Back then, we accessed the internet with dial-up modems through Netscape.
Yes, that long ago.

Warren and the law

Staffer: Looks like more trouble about your law license.
Warren: How?
Staffer: Check out these stories.

RIP, Andy Williams

Singer Andy Williams has passed.
His appearance on Glenn Beck a few years ago inspired a song parody about the Obama White House - Goons Live Here.

It's the spending

NRO revives a graphic from the early George W. Bush years - showing where the surplus went.
Hint. It wasn't all tax cuts.
That's not 10 percent of the problem.

Getting dirty with Romney

Nice to see Mike Rowe campaigning with Mitt Romney in Ohio.
Maybe he can take some pundits and Republican worry-warts to do the real dirty jobs he talks about.
Anything to keep them busy and away from the reporters.

NiceDeb back where she belongs

NiceDeb was been taken down today.
That's drawn some quick attention.
Just checked and she's back.
That's good.
She ought to have an interesting post when things settle down.

Inside the Brown campaign

Sen. Brown: I bet it might cause trouble if you do the Indian chop.
Staffer: How?

Advice for college students

How should you pay for college?
Romney - ask your parents for help.
Obama - ask your unborn children for help.

Today's Tied with me

Looks like the NHL season is in trouble.
What will hockey fans do?
Some Canadiens fans are looking forward to minor league hockey.

Gilligan's Island with nukes

Among the new series that catch your eye is "Last Resort."
I thought from the initial commercial that it would be set on a sub. Then I read this on the series website.
Now, with nowhere left to turn, Chaplin and Kendal take the sub on the run and bring the men and women of the Colorado to an exotic island. Here they will find refuge, romance and a chance at a new life, even as they try to clear their names and get home.
Skipper!
There's a submarine in the lagoon!
Guess I'll be watching Big Bang Theory Thursday.

You'll eat it and you'll like it

Poor school kids.
The government threw more regulations on school lunches, and now kids are throwing more food away.
P.J. Moran, a food service director for a small district in rural Kansas, said wastage has gone up “at least 20 percent” over last year, as students, particularly at the grade school level, cannot refuse anything on their trays — but, of course, cannot be forced to eat it.

What's driving the election?

Politico gives these Republican pollsters a chance to state their case.
As things go up and down, they see a constant.
The dynamics that have been the real drivers of the campaign, the economy and deeply negative feelings about the direction of the country, have not changed.

Reskewed polls

One pollster had a site taking apart other polls with their spin.
They take a poll with an Obama lead by five points and have Romney up 10 with the data seen through the prism of Rasmussen polling identification data.

'Is this really the best we can do?'

George Will nails the current state of presidential politics - what can you give me? (I don't care if there's a $16 trillion in debt).

Undefeated teams watch

We're down to three undefeated NFL teams after three weeks - Houston, Arizona and Atlanta.
The Cardinals and Falcons won over previously unbeaten teams Sunday. If they continue winning, their Nov. 18 with match 9-0 teams at the Georgia Dome.
The 1972 Dolphins are watching.

Blame computers

The government has been pushing electronic medical records to help patients.
It turns out electronic medical records may help doctors bill more for services.
Hospitals received $1 billion more in Medicare reimbursements in 2010 than they did five years earlier, at least in part by changing the billing codes they assign to patients in emergency rooms, according to a New York Times analysis of Medicare data from the American Hospital Directory. Regulators say physicians have changed the way they bill for office visits similarly, increasing their payments by billions of dollars as well.

The most aggressive billing — by just 1,700 of the more than 440,000 doctors in the country — cost Medicare as much as $100 million in 2010 alone, federal regulators said in a recent report, noting that the largest share of those doctors specialized in family practice, internal medicine and emergency care.

A boost for tomorrow

Via Dustbury, a fine project to pick up your Monday - a day of bacon.

Just sit right back

Some people like Mitt Romney reminds them of Thurston Howell III.
When some think of President Obama, they think of another character from the show.

I wasn't talking to you

If the Romney campaign is running short of money, perhaps they can use some past internet ads to make their case. Like this one from Powerline.

I'm Barack..

..and I'm changing the channel.
Enough of your commercials.
TV stations are better off than four years ago. That's about it.

Facebook quote of the week

You know what the biggest challenge is in successfully demolishing liberal arguments? Nothing.

Saturday song

Will Facebook survive the election? The Muppets ask "Why can't we be friends?"

Next job - Obama budget chief

Former star quarterback Vince Young blew through $26 million in six years.
The Obama administration could use his services - they know how to spend lots of money and get not much back also.
UPDATE: Linked by Paco.

Focus on the Family quote

DaTech Guy has a buffet of quotes about Chick-fil-A.
Sister Toldjah has information from Focus on the Family, a focus of the protest.
Some people were quick to criticize the 66-year-old chicken chain for “caving” to political pressure. Focus on the Family President Jim Daly said that’s not what happened.
“Dan and Bubba Cathy are my Christian brothers and good friends. They and their company have long shared Focus on the Family’s commitment to helping build strong and thriving families — and they have in no way deviated from that deeply held and biblically inspired passion while working with the city of Chicago to open Chick-fil-A restaurants there,” Daly said.
Lots of chew on.
But not on Sunday.

Weekend watchdog

Did you know Peyton Manning's back?
If not, he's got another prime spot on the NFL schedule this week.
After a Sunday night debut and Monday night contest with the Falcons, Manning and the Broncos battle the undefeated Texans as the main late afternoon game on CBS. The Mid-Atlantic area gets the Steelers at Raiders.
The Redskins make one of their appearances on CBS, hosting the Bengals at 1 p.m. On Fox, the Eagles take on Arizona in a meeting of surprising unbeatens at 4 p.m.
The Ravens battle New England on NBC Sunday night, while the Packers visit Seattle Monday night on ESPN.
The college football weekend continues on ESPN Friday at 9 p.m. when Baylor faces Louisiana-Monroe.
Notre Dame goes primetime Saturday on NBC, hosting Michigan. ABC has the ACC clash between Clemson and Florida State at 8 p.m., while Fox heads to the Big 12 for Kansas State at Oklahoma.
ABC brings Temple at Penn State Saturday at 3:30 p.m., with Oregon State-UCLA on ESPN2 in the Mid-Atlantic. Other areas will see Oregon State-UCLA on ABC.
CBS offers the SEC East contest between Missouri and South Carolina Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
Wake Forest hosts Army on the ACC game of the week Saturday at 12:30 p.m.
The day on ESPN starts at noon with Virginia's trip to TCU. Second-ranked LSU travels to Auburn at 7 p.m., followed by third-ranked Oregon battling Arizona.
Wisconsin meets UTEP at noon on ESPN2. Vanderbilt faces Georgia at 7:45 p.m.
Fx has Maryland taking on West Virginia at noon and Colorado State plays Washington State at 4 p.m.
Comcast offers a pair of CAA games Saturday - New Hampshire at Old Dominion at noon and Delaware-William & Mary at 7 p.m. - along with Miami at Georgia Tech at 3 p.m. On Comcast-plus, Marshall plays Rice at 3:30 p.m. and Tennessee takes on Akron at 7:30 p.m.
MASN has South Florida meeting Ball State Saturday at 4:30 p.m., then Lehigh-Liberty will be joined in progress at the conclusion of the game.
NBC Sports network visits the Ivy League Saturday afternoon, with Yale-Cornell at 1 p.m. followed by Harvard against Brown. At 10:30 p.m., Nevada heads to Hawaii.
There's high school football on ESPN2 Friday at 8:30 p.m. with Trinity of Kentucky against Cathedral of Indiana.
The Orioles continue their postseason quest this weekend in Boston on MASN. The Nationals, fresh off clinching a playoff spot, host the Brewers for a weekend series on MASN2.
The Dodgers head to Cincinnati for the weekend, on Fox Saturday afternoon and ESPN Sunday night. Fox also shows Braves-Phillies and Tigers against Twins on Saturday. The A's take on the Yankees Sunday at 1 p.m. on TBS.
The PGA tour closes the main part of its season with the FedEx Cup, bringing together the top 30 golfers. NBC has coverage Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
The second race in the Chase for the Cup takes place in New Hampshire on ESPN Sunday at 1 p.m. The Nationwide racers go to Kentucky Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN.
D.C. United faces Chivas USA Sunday at 7 p.m. on Comcast. NBC Sports network offers Portland-Salt Lake City at 8 p.m.

Warren: Doing asbestos she can

Staffer: The debate was a bit of a struggle.
Warren: How?
Staffer: People know more about your Indian claims and working against asbestos victims in a court case.

$16 trillion

Texas governor Rick Perry shows what's holding back the economy - $16 trillion in debt.

Hey 47%

This year's deficit is over $1 trillion.
What are you doing to help?

At the movies

Amy Adams has a new movie out this weekend. Perhaps you've heard of her co-star.

UPDATE: The first link for Rule 5 Monday.

Hands have it

Today's internet theme is hands for Obama, featuring creepy Jim Messina.
Guess they don't remember the Sarah Palin hands meme of 2010.

Myth of the state

The Other McCain offers a window in the liberal mindset - a myth of ownership since the state came before you.
It boggles the mind.
Time to set them straight.
Since God came before the state, there's the myth of the state's power.
Power and life come from God, not the state.
The state needs to back off.

Read my lips - too much debt

One of the main points of Mitt Romney's speech - you can't focus on tax cuts in an era of trillion dollar deficits.
In the past Democrats promised more stuff and Republicans offered tax cuts to give people more of what they earn.
With five trillion in debt added in the past four years, we can't promise more stuff.
Democrats still are.
Republicans can't offer broad-based tax cuts, but better use of the government we have.
When the opposition is offering free candy, it's hard to focus on the huge bill that's about to be served.

Today's Tied with me

The beginning of the new TV season means the end of summer replacements like Big Brother.
If you want to remember the latest season, click the link.

Obama plus-8 in plus-8 Dem lean poll

The latest Washington Post gives President Obama an eight-point lead.
The obvious question?
How bad the lean?
Democrats up by eight.
The Post has lost its bearings with this partisan drift.
Not the electorate of the last few elections.
Only the electorate of their dreams.

Last Lecture plus 5

Before going to bed Monday, I picked up Randy Pausch's book "The Last Lecture."
Hard to believe it's been five years since he delivered his message - after learning he had terminal cancer.
It's always a good time to revisit your dreams, in times of adversity.

Undefeated teams watch

Only six teams made it through two weeks of the NFL season undefeated.
Week 3 features two matchups between undefeated teams - Falcons at Chargers and Eagles-Cardinals.
The Texans and 49ers will also try to stay undefeated.
The 1972 Dolphins are watching.

Bitterly clinging to their government checks

So they caught Mitt Romney on tape talking about the electorate.
Some people want to cling to government support.
Too bad the government has spent it all already.

Here's your reasons

Why won't President Obama meet Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu?
Potluck has the reasons.

Da poll guy

Tired of all those polls showing Obama ahead?
Likely, they sample more Democrats than Republicans.
DaTech Guy promotes the Rasmussen Party ID poll - showing Republicans with a 3-point lead in the August electorate.
If there's more Republicans in the voter poll now, then there will be more Republican voters in November.
And more Democrats wondering what happened.

"How am I losing to this guy?"

Remember the famous SNL skit from 1988?
Politico found some people with the same thought.
As mishaps have piled up, Stevens has taken the brunt of the blame for an unwieldy campaign structure that, as the joke goes among frustrated Republicans, badly needs a consultant from Bain & Co. to straighten it out.

What's come home to roost

Legal Insurrection puts the Middle East situation in clear focus.
We are, once again, hostage to the hurt feelings of those with perpetually hurt feelings.

Need to check the spam folder more often

I just made a payment on my credit card, and then checked the spam folder.
Supposedly, that same company had just locked my account until I contacted them.
Five hours before the payment I just made.
Silly spammers.

Memories of Elian

The photo of the L.A. filmmaker being led away for questioning last night.

Reminded me of one from 2000.

Our government officials, doing the bidding of foreign governments.

$5 trillion in debt...and growing

The United States has added $5 trillion in debt since President Obama took office.

How much of it is his fault?

He can keep blaming the economy he inherited, but how much of the $5 trillion does he accept responsiblity for?



Will they save our bacon?

If the Obama administration is not willing to defend free speech, will they stand strong if Muslims complain about our love for bacon?
Muslims, we're sorry if you're offended by bad movies, bacon and pork rinds.
It's a big world.
Get used to it.

Facebook quote of the week

Laaaast night to be lulled asleep by the crashing waves. Not ready to go home!

Saturday song

This week's events inspired me to find this song. Who will be offended?

Ryan in Harrisonburg

While many of us finished the work week Friday, vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan visited nearby Harrisonburg.
The local TV stations were there.
Even a few Democrats showed up. But you didn't need a second hand to count them.

Storming the walls of the Obama campaign

Last week, Democrats felt they had the edge over Mitt Romney in dealing with foreign policy.
Last week.
This week?
Whatever his outer confidence, though, Obama is in a potentially dangerous situation. Americans don't like to see foreign mobs scale the wall of an embassy, tear down the American flag and replace it with an Islamic banner. And they're horrified by the murder of American diplomats. The Obama administration's initial response to trouble in Egypt -- a statement fretting about an Internet video that might hurt Muslim feelings -- really did sound weak and irrelevant.
If troubles continue -- if the Arab Spring continues to unravel -- Obama's policy of restraint could increasingly look like impotence. His much-touted outreach to the Muslim world could look naive and misguided. And Romney's critique of Obama's leadership -- that it has often involved apologizing for past American actions -- could seem more on target.

Weekend watchdog

There's 10 races left in the NASCAR season, and only 12 drivers with a chance to claim the season's crown.
The Chase for the Sprint Cup begins Sunday at 1 p.m. on ESPN, with the top 12 and rest of the field at Chicagoland. Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne nabbed the final spots in the quest for the cup, joining Hendrick Motorsports teammates Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson in the field. Defending champion Tony Stewart enters the fray tied with Johnson in second place, just behind Denny Hamlin.
The Nationwide drivers go Saturday at 3 p.m. on ESPN2. Indycar racers head to California, starting Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on NBC Sports network.
Fresh off a sweep of Tampa Bay, the Orioles head to Oakland for three games against the wild card leader - MASN2 on Friday and MASN Saturday and Sunday.
Washington's quest for the playoffs continues in Atlanta this weekend - Friday on MASN, Saturday on Fox and Sunday night on ESPN. The Rays' contests with the Yankees are on Fox Saturday and TBS Sunday afternoon, with Tigers-Indians joining the Fox Saturday rotation.
NBC offers the Lions at 49ers Sunday night, while it's more prime time for Peyton Manning with the Broncos heading to Atlanta on ESPN Monday night.
CBS has the Sunday afternoon doubleheader, with the Ravens meeting the Eagles before the Jets go to Pittsburgh. Fox will show the Redskins' trip to St. Louis at 4:05 p.m.
The college football weekend continues Friday at 9 p.m. when Washington State takes on UNLV. Maryland meets Connecticut on the ACC network - including NBC29 in Charlottesville and Fox5 in Washington - Saturday at 12:30 p.m.
ABC has another afternoon doubleheader Saturday, starting with California at Ohio State at noon. Penn State hosts Navy at 3:30 p.m. while North Carolina plays Louisville, with ESPN2 showing the game not on ABC. In primetime, Notre Dame travels to Michigan State.
CBS brings its coverage of SEC football Saturday at 3:30 p.m. with Alabama battling Arkansas. Fox offers the PAC-12 at 7:30 p.m., with Southern California meeting Stanford.
ESPN starts Saturday in the ACC with Wake Forest against Florida State. Florida faces Tennessee at 6 p.m., followed by Texas-Mississippi.
ESPN2 has four games Saturday, beginning at noon with Arkansas State taking on Nebraska. After the other game from ABC coverage at 3:30 p.m., Arizona State heads to Missouri. It's BYU taking on Utah in the nightcap at 10 p.m.
Clemson hosts Furman on Comcast Saturday at 3 p.m., followed by Florida Atlantic at Georgia. MASN has Liberty's trip to Montana Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
Fx brings TCU-Kansas at noon, then Portland State takes on Washington at 4 p.m. Comcast-plus visits the CAA for Rhode Island against Villanova at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
NBC Sports network also starts in the CAA with William & Mary against Towson at noon Saturday. Boise State hosts Miami of Ohio at 4 p.m.
On the high school gridiron, ESPN2 offers Don Bosco Prep against St. Thomas Aquinas in New Jersey at 8 p.m. Friday.
As the best of the PGA tour prepare for the Tour Championship, the women head across the ocean for the British Women's Open. Coverage starts each day at 9 a.m. on ESPN2.
NBC Sports network has MLS action between Houston and Kansas City Friday at 8:30 p.m. NBC joins the action Saturday at 3:30 p.m. with Portland hosts Seattle, and Sunday at 3:30 p.m. it's a women's international contest between Australia and the United States.

Are there Obama/Allen voters?

The latest NBC/Wall Street Journal prompts the question of the campaign - are there voters who are going to vote for both President Obama and Republican George Allen?
The latest poll gives Obama a five-point lead, but has the Senate race tied.
Lay aside the poll has a Democratic advantage of plus-five, Allen appears to be getting some voters who plan to pick Obama.
Who are these people?
Blue Virginia's view would think the polls are understating the support for Kaine - people who vote Obama will pick the Democratic candidate and pull Kaine into the Senate.
What if the opposite is true - the polls are overstating the support for Obama. If you're a Virginian, you know both Allen and Kaine.
If you're a Virginian, you see Republicans leading the state government.
Those Senate numbers would be pretty solid. A poll with a Democratic lean means Allen can prepare for his return to the Senate.
Obama maintains a polling lead - for now.
If you've decided to vote Allen, will you choose Obama? Or Romney?
You might say you're going to vote Obama, but in the voting booth, with the real choice of the next four years at your fingertips, will anyone split their ticket?

Why doesn't Beyonce email me more often?

Beyonce is the latest celebrity trying to raise money for President Obama.
The email starts - I usually don't email you
Why not?
If you emailed me more before, I might listen to this email.

Anyone can inflame Muslim world

Thanks to the internet, anyone can catch the attention of a Muslim cleric with too much time on their hands - and create international incidents.
Even shake up the presidential race.
Do we all have to watch our words, lest Muslims be offended?
There's lots of people in the world - billions with the potential to irritate some Muslim cleric somewhere.
Can't stop them all.
Can we stop Muslims from overreacting?

Remember the Boob Czar

It's been three years since the big rally against Obama, Obamacare and Democrats.
Three years since the Boob Czar made her appearance on this blog.
UPDATE: linked by the Other McCain.

Hail, hail the new ACC

I remember the days of a seven-team ACC in the 1970s.
Next year it will be 14, and Notre Dame in all sports except football in a few years.
Who's school number 16?

Report: Obama ignored many economic warnings

Sept. 11 seemed a good time to dredge up "What Bush knew" before the attacks.
The theory? The attacks could have been stopped if Bush hadn't wanted an excuse to invade Iraq.
This week also brought out the latest Bob Woodward book on the White House.
We have economic warnings going to the White House - we need to slow spending.
But we also have Obama's agenda - "I'll talk about this after the election."
Thus, another year and a another trillion dollars of debt have been added.

The era of free stuff is over

The most annoying thing about the Democratic Convention - twisting Paul Ryan's "debt and decline" speech into an attack by Republicans on the American people.
It's not the people who are in decline, but the Democratic leaders.
Five trillion in debt added in four years.
Who ever gets the blame for the spending, the takeaway is "the era of free stuff is over."
Democrats tried to maintain the status quo of spending at their convention.
The numbers don't work.
The American people can battle through this - with the right leaders.

Obama's top foreign policy successes

Democrats now think they have an advantage with foreign policy experience this election.
What have their done?

1. We killed Bin Laden
2. We killed Bin Laden
3. Did you know we killed Bin Laden.
4. Bin Laden is gone
5. We did it.

Anything else on the list?
Pretty weak list to run for four more years. You can't kill Bin Laden again in the next four years.

Remember polls of the past

Everyone is looking at polls and trying to figure if Obama or Romney has the edge.
Fortunately, there's plenty of reason to believe nobody knows.

Who are you?

The Kaine campaign swung through Augusta County Friday.
And missed Chris Graham's outfit.
Guess he's not worthy of joining Mark Warner in the Senate.

How does it feel?

The chant "are you better off now that four years ago?" has Blue Virginia down.
It's not just the economic stats, but how you feel about things.
Is our economy now better than 1992?
Probably not. But people felt it was bad and that was bad for George H.W. Bush.
The Obama team can keep saying that kept things from being even worse. But you mainly feel what you see, not some hypothetical someone says to boost their standing.

Hope to hopelessness

Powerline tries to figure out how the lousy economy doesn't sink President Obama.
Because Obama’s policies have suppressed economic growth, the ranks of the unemployed and underemployed have grown steadily. As unemployment benefits have finally run out, the long-term unemployed have, by the millions, declared themselves to be permanently and totally disabled. Millions of Americans have come to be dependent on government largesse as a result of the economic folly of the Obama administration. So how are those people going to vote?

Last bounce

Good for President Obama for getting a poll bounce from the Democratic convention.
When else will he get a bounce the rest of the way?
Job numbers are poor.
He's got to explain his record three times in debates.
Joe Biden will appear on stage with Paul Ryan.
He can't kill Bin Laden again.
Any last minute crisis will be his problem - not an excuse.

Lucky us

Jennifer Rubin's post about ad buys includes this nugget - Charlottesville is one of 20 markets where Obama ads air but not Romney ads.
Lucky us.
Keep the remote control close. At least one channel won't have an Obama ad on the air.

Incompetently run for too long

For all the angst about Bain Capital, what kind of companies did they focus on?
Companies with potential, but had been incompetently run.
If the bosses knew how to run the business well, there was no need for Bain.
If it had been incompetently run for too long, it might be too late to save it and its employees.
The United States has been incompetently run for the past four years.
Not too long for Romney and Ryan to fix.
But eight years of an incompetent leader?
It will make it that much harder.

Fine Saturday in Augusta

Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling made his way to Augusta County to fire up the faithful.

Yid did

The folks at Slate are whining about YidwithLid - the man who found God missing from the 2012 Democratic platform.
How dare people look for news at a convention.

Know your Democrats

Doug Ross provides the top 10 slogans of the Democrats.

Saturday song

As long as Bill Clinton's around, we'll be hearing this song.
Just remember - "Yesterday's gone, yesterday's gone."

Facebook quote of the week

So, where can we get shirts with this Bal 2 MORE Muscle ?

Tired of political commercials?

Do you change the channel with an Obama or Romney commercial come on?
Do you have all the commercials memorized - since you've seen them so often?
I still like this Mark Oxner ad, and hope to see it on TV in Virginia.

The choice in November

Mark Steyn tells the real choice this November.
A middle-school girl is free to get an abortion without parental consent, but if she puts a lemonade stand on her lawn she'll be fined.

Clint speaks

So Clint Eastwood, tell us what you really think of President Obama?
“President Obama is the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people,” Eastwood told The Pine Cone this week. “Romney and Ryan would do a much better job running the country, and that’s what everybody needs to know. I may have irritated a lot of the lefties, but I was aiming for people in the middle.”

Weekend watchdog

Two teams got a really early start, and the rest of the NFL is ready to go this weekend.
The 2012 NFL season starts - replacement referees or not - Sunday when RGIII and the Redskins visit the Saints at 1 p.m. on FOX. The 49ers head to Green Bay in the Fox nightcap, while CBS in Washington offers Patriots at Titans at 1 p.m.
NBC brings Peyton Manning's home debut against the Steelers Sunday at 8 p.m. ESPN opens the campaign with a Monday night doubleheader - Bengals-Ravens at 7 p.m. followed by the Chargers meeting the Raiders.
Up north, NBC sports network shows the CFL contest between Calgary and Edmonton Friday at 9 p.m.
The second week of college football kicks off Friday when Utah faces Utah State Friday on ESPN2.
Virginia tries to go 2-0 when Penn State visits on ABC Saturday at noon. The second contest of the doubleheader offers either Southern Cal at Syracuse or Air Force-Michigan. The game that doesn't air on ABC in your area will be on ESPN2.
Notre Dame returns from Ireland to face Purdue on NBC Saturday at 3:30 p.m. FOX heads west in primetime, as Nebraska goes to UCLA.
ESPN's four games on Saturday start at noon with Auburn versus Mississippi State. Florida heads to Texas A&M at 3:30 p.m., followed by Washington's trip to LSU at 7 p.m. The night concludes at 10:30 p.m. with Illinois heading to Arizona State.
ESPN2 offers Central Florida's contest with Ohio State at noon, then new SEC member Missouri hosts Georgia at 7:45 p.m.
The ACC game of the week matches Ball State and Clemson at 12:30 p.m. on NBC29. Comcast presents the ACC battle between Wake Forest and North Carolina Saturday at 3:30 p.m., and Kentucky faces Kent State at 7:30 p.m.
MASN2 brings Big East football Saturday at noon with Connecticut hosting North Carolina State, followed by Howard-Rutgers at 3:30 p.m. At 7 p.m. Norfolk meets Liberty.
Fx has Miami taking on Kansas State at noon, followed by Wisconsin at Oregon State at 4 p.m.
The battle of Delaware gets shown on NBC Sports network Saturday, with Delaware State meeting the Blue Hens at 3:30 p.m. Army travels to San Diego State at 7:30 p.m.
It's another big weekend series for the Orioles and Yankees on MASN - this time at Camden Yards. The Nationals take on the Marlins for the weekend on MASN2 (Saturday afternoon on MASN).
The Dodgers face the Giants on ESPN Sunday at 8 p.m. and Fox Saturday at 4 p.m. Other Fox games are Royals-White Sox and Braves against the Mets. Orioles-Yankees gets featured Sunday afternoon on TBS for the second straight week.
NASCAR prepares for the Chase for the Cup with the final qualifying race at Richmond Saturday on ABC. The flag drops at 7 p.m., with one wild card spot on the line and 11 others gearing up for the final run. The Nationwide racers go Friday at 7 p.m. on ESPN.
The U.S. Open crowns its champions this weekend, weather permitting. CBS has the women's semifinal and men's double championship starting Friday at 12:30 p.m. The men's semifinals are Saturday at noon, with the women's title match at 8 p.m. The best men go for the crown Sunday at 4:30 p.m.
The PGA tour brings its top 70 golfers to the BMW championship this weekend, and only 30 advance to next week's Tour Championship.
The Mystics host the Sparks Friday at 7 p.m. on Comcast.

Football time

The first Monday night of the NFL season looms.
The Ravens will be there.
So will their cheerleaders.

But first, Kerry and Biden

Lots of Democratic excitement about Bill Clinton's speech.
Lots of excitement about President Obama's speech.
If they make it through John Kerry and Joe Biden.

Can Slick Willie save Obama?

The crew of Morning Joe seem excited about former President Clinton's speech Wednesday.
Maybe those who liked Clinton will give Obama another chance.
We know Bill Clinton.
We've seen Bill Clinton.
Barack Obama, you're no Bill Clinton.

Cowboys vs 1/32 Indian

What are you going to watch tonight?
NFL opener - Cowboys at Giants?
Or Elizabeth Warren introducing Bill Clinton to the Democratic convention.
The Cowboys may not be my favorite team, but it's still better than Warren.

Mitt Romney says no

Barack Obama wants another term.
Mitt Romney says no.

New slogan

From Charlotte, time for an update.
It's now
Know God, know peace.
No God, 2012 Democratic Party platform.

Big week for Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter will give a speech at the Democratic National Convention Tuesday, but there's another big moment in the week -he will surpass Herbert Hoover as the man to live the longest after leaving the White House.
Hoover died October 20, 1964 - 31 years, seven months and 16 days after leaving office.
Carter passes that milestone this week - finally, something he's best at among all presidents.
Carter and Hoover. Good to put those names together during Obama's nominating convention.

Warren at the convention

Staffer: Even in Charlotte, we're having trouble.
Warren: How?
Staffer: American Indian delegates want to talk with you.

Today's Tied with me

Technorati has this blog tied with Sliceofscifi today.
They are looking forward to NBC's new show "Revolution." We'll see if this show has legs.

Garbage police

Good luck to the reporters at the Democratic National Convention.
The garbage police are keeping their eyes on you.
Democrats are good at this.
They are used to dealing with crap.

How many empty chairs?

How many empty chairs did you see on the internet Monday?
Legal Insurrection ran three posts, and would have done more if the traffic hadn't crashed the server. Michelle Malkin joined the fun, as did Fox News.
Iowahawk picked his favorite.

Dem in black

Via Ace, the way to get Americans thinking it's been a good four years under Obama.

In honor of Seamus

For National Empty Chair Day, we decided to honor Mitt Romney's dog Seamus.

See what else you can find on the internet.
UPDATE: Part of the collection at Legal Insurrection.

More chair fun

Monday may be Empty Chair Day, but it may not be the first celebration.
Karl Marx participated in an earlier version.
Imagine that.

Let's build a pipeline

Blue Virginia posts the great news about oil and gas production in the lower 48 states.
Fantastic.
Give President Obama credit for that.
Will all of this production, we need new pipelines to get the product to refineries and to customers.
Oh wait.
Obama didn't want the Keystone Pipeline built yet.
We need more time for more government studies.
He deserves the blame for that decision.

Democrats missing in action

Politico's preview of the Democratic convention contains this interesting nugget -
No fewer than 31 Democratic elected officials in tight contests have opted to skip the convention, most of them from states Obama has little chance of winning, such as Missouri, Indiana and West Virginia.
They say they will work together. But when Romney wins in November, the fighting between the factions ought to be great.

Ready for Empty Chair Day

Via Ace, a good representation of the chair for Monday's Empty Chair Day celebration.
Tee up your own chair picture.

Four-letter words

It appears the election will turn on two words
Math
Race
Republicans focus on budget path.
Democrats claiming opposition is just due to race.
Simply words.
A simple choice.

Watch mor' football

A month after Chick-fil-A day, the company sponsors a big football game between Clemson and Auburn.
The other big games are early blowouts.
I'll watch the one with the Chick-fil-A logo all over the place.

Confident ignorance

Thomas Sowell lets loose on President Obama's main fault - thinking he's so right he doesn't need to interact with others.
After reading Barack Obama's book "Dreams from My Father," it became painfully clear that he has not been searching for the truth, because he assumed from an early age that he had already found the truth — and now it was just a question of filling in the details and deciding how to change things.
After four years, we've found his approach just doesn't work.

It's September

September means time for the new TV season.
New episodes of Big Bang Theory.
Kaley Cuoco and the crew.

Inspire and draw fire

The past few years, Sarah Palin job has been simple - inspire the base and draw fire from liberals.
Clint Eastwood did the same thing Thursday.
Keep talking about Clint.
Go ahead, make our days.

Facebook quote of the week

My bad luck continues with the car....the key is stuck in the ignition!

Saturday song

When you think of the Carolinas and music, General Johnson and the Chairmen of the Board top the list - for people who would rather be in Carolina.