Topical Chat, June 13, 2007

I, along with a couple of college buddies, am going to Cleveland this weekend … yep, you read that right … and, no we didn’t lose a bet.

1. On Dan Rather saying that Katie Couric has Katie Couric dumbed down and "tarted up" the news:
“Didn’t Cronkite say this a few decades ago about Rather?”
http://newsbusters.org/stories/dan_rather_bashes_katie_couric.html

2. On the Pearl Brewery to becoming the largest solar power project in Texas:
“Gives a whole new meaning to the term ‘Light Beer.’”
http://www.news8austin.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=185866

3. On a new study, conducted by scientists from the Department of Geriatrics at the University of Bari, in Bari, Italy, finding that a drink or two per day may help slow the development of dementia:
“This is the kind of study I wanna be a part of … burp!”
http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Features/0,1197,3822,00.html

4. On anger being good for you, as long as you keep it below a boil, according to new psychology research based on face reading:
“Maybe George Bush senior had something when he uttered the now infamous ‘read my lips’ phrase …”
http://www.livescience.com/health/051103_anger.html

5. On Al Roker apologizing yesterday for joking about epileptic seizures on Thursday's "Today" show:
“I’m going to go out on a limb here and predict we won’t hear a word about this from Al Sharpton.”
http://www.nypost.com/seven/06092007/tv/joker_roker__sorry_tv_michael_starr.htm

6. On the words "natural family," "marriage" and "union of a man and a woman" being punishable as "hate speech" in government workplaces, according to a lawsuit that is being appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court:
“At some point, this ‘political correctness’ might need to be stopped … I’m just saying … and my wif … I mean ‘life partner’ agrees with me.”
http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20070610-111445-6957r.htm

7. On so much illegal marijuana being grown and seized in Mendocino County, that supervisors there are now calling for its legalization:
“On an unrelated note, donut and Fritos sales in Mendocino County are at an all-time high … no pun intended.”
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=local&id=5385477

8. On two "ace" sniffer dogs who have performed sterling service combating drug trafficking in Thailand's Chiang Rai airport beomg given their marching orders for urinating on luggage and "sexually harassing" female passengers:
“This story is just too ‘dog-gone’ funny to me …”
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/06/11/sniffer_dogs_sacked/