Welcome to The Now

Sequels that didn't need to be made . Why (some) men sleep with ugly women . Eric Boehlert: the 'Cons must be crazy . How celebrities stay slim ( without sticking a finger in their mouths and going, "GAAACK!") Whither the "up-or-down" vote ? Lover her or hate her, Ann Coulter is an example of an Alpha Female. Like "Hot For Teacher" only sometimes in reverse . Loser ex-Senator: Is there a reset button to this thing ? He was a science editor; maybe it was an experiment .

The problem with being a post-partisan politician is that everyone thinks they can sway you (as if "open-minded" meant "malleable"). And it seems that even at sporting events, guys are trying to win Obama over. Take the Wizards for example : Obama is from Hawaii and became a Bulls fan while living in Chicago, but none of the Wizards said they had a problem with that. When asked whether he planned on talking a little trash to Obama for his Bulls allegiance, forward Antawn Jamison vigorously shook his head to indicate no. "Nah, I'm not going to trash talk the president," Jamison said. "He can do whatever he wants. Maybe we can gradually win him over to our side." And Antawn isn't the only one ... "Just seeing him out there interacting with everybody was great," Butler said. "We know that he is legitimately a die-hard Bulls fan but hopefully we can convert him a little bit." Course unlike the Bulls, who got a presidentia

So what if Marko Jaric went and got married to a supermodel ? Who cares? I don't. Damnit .

The question I have for anyone opposed to Nadya Suleman's multiple births is: are you "pro-life" or "pro-choice?" ( While I detest these framings, it's the current ones people are most familiar with, so until someone can come up with something more creatively accurate, they'll have to do. ) It's like the more this woman speaks , the more people hate her . Suleman's received death threats . She's being mocked by neoconservatives . Reality show programmers, who'll make a show about anything , don't want to come near her . Even her publicist bailed on her . Granted, some have used this story as an opportunity to debate in vitro fertilization , but the majority would rather bash Suleman as the Greatest Drain on American Resources. The way I see it, the only group with a legitimate gripe are those who believe that there should be a limit to how many kids a woman should have. If we look at the traditional arguments in regards to having chi

Watcharama . Very "heh."

Who are you going to believe: what Obama says he'll do about health care , education , and energy in his speech this week or me ? Also, he's a Euro-loving commie.

Team Rocket Republican Alert : Michael Steele and Michele Bachmann give us the 411 on the new direction of the GOP, and let those playa hatas know that they best come correct before trying to start beef over old shizznit . Word.

Washington Redskins jump the gun yet again ; if they're not in the Top Five in defense next season we can all conclude that impact players in the NFL work differently then, say, the NBA. Of course she didn't watch the last quasi-SOTU speech ; it's not directly affecting her husband anymore. The Starbury Virus claims its first victim . " According to a recently released study, alcohol consumption may increase the risk of cancer for women, but some local women said that the findings will not change their lives ." Yeah; you show that cancer who's boss! "Enhanced interrogation techniques" meant "torture," but the Senate just wants to make sure . It's hard to say how losing a 34-year-old, 6'9" veteran rebounder who can't shoot really hurts the Cavaliers, especially when you consider the other players on their roster.

Actually, the link between the 'Skins-supporting, Alba-stalking Crown Prince of Common Sense and She Who Makes the Animated Funnies isn't that tenuous..."neighbor."

Progress : WASHINGTON – Defense and congressional officials say news organizations will be allowed to photograph the homecomings of America's war dead under a new Pentagon policy. The officials say Defense Secretary Robert Gates has decided to allow photos of flag-draped caskets at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, if the families of fallen troops agree. The emerging policy mirrors one at Arlington National Cemetery, in which families largely decide whether they want media coverage. Combine this with Obama's pledge to put the cost of war back on the books, and we're seeing how his Administration plans on tackling the issue: by letting the American People know what's really going on.

Common sense, really . In the long run, it's the calories - not the fat, nor protein, nor carbs - that matter, according to a new study comparing diets. Weight-conscious Americans snap up the latest diets, from the low-fat Dean Ornish approach, to the high-protein Atkins plan, to the compromise called South Beach. But scientific studies evaluating the diets' effectiveness have had mixed results, frustrating consumers who struggle to shed pounds. A team led by Dr. Frank M. Sacks of the Harvard School of Public Health designed a clinical trial that randomly assigned 811 men and women to spend two years on one of four reduced-calorie, heart-healthy diets with different levels of fat, protein, and carbohydrates. The dieters were asked to exercise for a total of 90 minutes each week and were invited to attend regular group sessions, in addition to receiving periodic individual counseling. "What we found is that the most important thing for people to lose weight is to choose a h

When you deal with Locke-based flashbacks, you're pretty much guaranteed an appetizing reveal : he was in a wheelchair before the (first) crash; his dad is a thief, liar and murderer; the immortal Richard Alpert stalked him like Mr. Sinister stalked the X-Man Cyclops; things like that. So it wasn't that much of shock to learn that not only did he not end up killing himself, but he was murdered and he "came back to life" when the Ajira plane crash (it did? Ok; fine). The Locke-back didn't tell us anything about the O6 that we didn't already know: Sayid's mourning his lost love; Hurley's in the crazy house; Jack's an alcoholic, drug-addled drunk; Sun's got her own agenda; and Kate is embracing mommyhood. Sure there were was a Walt cameo, but other than reminding us that he has superpowers, there wasn't much to that scene. The one thing that got me upset was that after all this build-up about Abaddon, he gets popped. It's like Eloise Hawk

Which means , of course, that Obama is not getting enough. And while we're on the subject of Karl Rove: doesn't he have an appearance in Congress he should be attending ?

China to U.S.: " What Human Rights violations ?" Rihanna tries another umbrella . Food stamp requests on the rise in Massachusetts. Tax the rich to pay for healthcare ? Obama's going to need alot of support to get this idea through Congress.

Duncan out again ? Ruh-row.

Thanks to the wonders of " Pre -Blog" (think " precrime ") we've been able to anticipate the next nonsensical online rant/blog/Twitter from neo-conservatives who are too busy crying about not being in power to actually do something to help the GOP. You see : The whole world, it seems, wants to know: What kind of dog are the Obamas getting and, for goodness sake, when? Speaking to PEOPLE at the White House recently, Michelle Obama leaned in and confided: "You're getting some scoops here." So, when? In April, Mrs. Obama says – after she and the President take daughters Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, on a vacation for spring break. [snip] And what kind of dog will soon be frolicking on the South Lawn? Mrs. Obama says the family is looking for a rescue Portuguese water dog who is "old enough" and a "match" for the family dynamic. Where does the afore-mentioned Kennedy connection come in? Glad you asked: "Temperamentally they're s

Ice, ice, baby . GENEVA – Glaciers in Antarctica are melting faster and across a much wider area than previously thought, a development that threatens to raise sea levels worldwide and force millions of people to flee low-lying areas, scientists said Wednesday. Researchers once believed that the melting was limited to the Antarctic Peninsula, a narrow tongue of land pointing toward South America. But satellite data and automated weather stations now indicate it is more widespread. The melting "also extends all the way down to what is called west Antarctica," said Colin Summerhayes, executive director of the Britain-based Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research. "That's unusual and unexpected," he told The Associated Press in an interview. But don't worry. After all, it still snows in America...which is enough proof that Global Warming is a fraud and Al Gore lives in a fantasy world.

Remember the story of the 13-yr-old dad ? Well, according to snopes.com a little girl from the 1930's has him beat by eight years . Damn. Just...damn.

Don't be fooled. Even though Palin, Steele, and Jindal are trying to put a happy-yet-stern new face on the GOP, beneath the surface it's still the same party advised by Newt Gingrich and fueled by Rush Limbaugh. All three of these politicians are quasi-charismatic, but when you ask them about the same issues that America has been arguing over the past 30 years, they give you the same responses we heard from the Bush/Cheney crowd. More Tax Cuts. Government Sucks. If You're Not a W.H.A.S.P., Don't Expect Any Favors. The key difference now is that (unlike when they were in power) the GOP have examples that more reflect the diversity of this country. It shouldn't be a shock to anyone that Republicans have decided to embrace a woman, an African-American and an Indian-American months after the first African-American president was introduced to our history books. The shock is that they didn't think it was necessary to embrace these guys until it became painfully clear

People from his own party and ideology are saying he sucked last night , and it wasn't all because he had to follow Obama. It's because he's the same neocon nonsense in a different package. C'mon: this guy, the current Republican Governor, blamed the government for the poor response to Hurricane Katrina. Hurricane Katrina happened on George W. Bush's watch. He's saying that a Republican-led government failed, and the only solution to that is a new Republican-led government...that doesn't rely on government. BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE! : TPM catches David Brook's response . He equates "conservative" with "weird." Heh.

You'd think the guy who was once Dan Quayle's brain would, I don't know, hide from humanity so that he'd never be referred to as Dan Quayle's brain. But no...Billy Kris just has to show the world how intellectually desolate the neoconservative agenda is right now. Commenting on the address President Obama gave last night -one that everyone knew was going to be about the economy- Kristol chooses to snip at Obama's lack of warmongering : What can we learn from the few sentences President Obama devoted to foreign policy in his speech to Congress tonight? The main lesson is how very few the sentences were. Yes, this was a speech focused on the economy. But it was also Obama’s first address to Congress, and his first to the nation since his inauguration. Obama did acknowledge in passing that for seven years we have been “a nation at war.” But that fact was barely reflected in his text. The treatment of foreign policy was perfunctory at best. There's nothing in th

David Bing gets a little closer to the title, "Mr. Mayor." One thing you shouldn't say to a female surgeon : " You are just a girl. Are you sure you can do that? " Hello; Adversity? Obama said knock you out . Not the easiest way to get your house back . I guess Boston didn't want to repeat after all.

When the opposition gets into the White House, suddenly non-issues become serious issues . WASHINGTON (AFP) – President Barack Obama said Monday he had ordered a review into huge cost overruns on a new fleet of presidential helicopters, after his old foe John McCain complained at the skyrocketing cost. In a good natured throwback to their bitter election duel, McCain mentioned the massively over-budget project when he was called on for a contribution by Obama after a White House "Fiscal Responsibility" summit. "Your helicopter is now going to cost as much as Air Force One," McCain said, raising concerns about how many military projects tend to come in well over budget. "I don't think that there's any more graphic demonstration of how good ideas have cost taxpayers an enormous amount of money." My initial response was: Who gives a rat's ass ? Honestly; was this ever big issue when #43 was landing on aircraft carriers in a flight suit? Are we sup

Michael Steele's views on gay rights depends on his audience . Once again: I am so glad that Ben Cardin is my Senator. UPDATE: Like a fish on the pier; flippity-floppity .

Really have to wonder about the "educators" who think getting all hot&sweaty with their students is cool and/or sexy: HOLYOKE, Mass. – A teacher from western Massachusetts and her 15-year-old student — who disappeared a week ago after the boy's parents complained about the woman's relationship with their son — have been found in West Virginia. Holyoke Mayor Michael Sullivan tells WWLP-TV in Springfield that police apprehended 24-year-old Lisa Lavoie and the boy in Morgantown, W.Va. on Tuesday morning. Lavoie is being held on charges of child endangerment and is scheduled for a hearing later Tuesday. I think stories like this are one of the reasons conservatives advocate abstinence for teens and young adults (not that it works, mind you).

Things like this . The Cleveland Cavaliers had targeted Jamison as the trade deadline approached last Thursday but the prospect of Jamison moving to a hated rival that eliminated the Wizards the past three postseasons didn't go over too well with his teammates -- especially Gilbert Arenas and DeShawn Stevenson. "We had some fun with it," Jamison said. "Gilbert and D-Steve said 'If you do that, we're going to have to hurt your [butt].' Gil said he was going to take my legs out the first time he saw me." Asked his thoughts about not moving to a team with a better record, Jamison said, " I'm happy here. It's a down year, but I still believe with everybody healthy, we got enough to get it done. I'm definitely happy here with this organization and this city ." I've been waiting for years to have good players who want to wear the Bullets/Wizards jersey. To have people like Jamison, Arenas and Butler -who honestly like playing here

Because calling it "corporate welfare" might not get them any money. The power of calcium . The Round Mound goes to the pound . Obama's mini-SOTU speech coming tonight. Nicky Hilton: celebrity cop ? Potential " pot " of gold for California? "Whatch goin' do?" " Nothin '." Gold-diggin' . Feel-good story torpedoed byone of the most common college screw-ups.

When the GOP was in power, the mainstream media's justification for their "all-conservative, all-the-time" programming was that the majority earned the right to have their voice heard. With the GOP licking their wounds over two consecutive election losses, the mainstrem media's justification for their "all-conservative, all-the-time" programming is that a minority of dissenting opinion exists, and they deserve to have their voices heard. Meanwhile, on blogs, talk radio and some TV networks conservatives continue to scream that "the liberal media" is in love with Obama. I don't think the coverage he's gotten about his stimulus bill backs that belief up. And there's a big difference between one reporter being a fan of Obama and an entire newpaper or cable network showering the guy with praises. I'm not sure whether it's because conservatives have shoe-horned more of their players into the media, or because the media fears the righ

Marvin Harrison may become a free agent .

We're building robots that learn like children . Why don't we use our resources in a better fashion like, say, educating our children? These are the events we'll look back on and say, "What the hell were we thinking?" when we're fighting the Great Metal War of 2157.

This is how a business is supposed to be run. TOKYO (AP) — Honda Motor Co. named Takanobu Ito, head of core automaking operations, as its new chief executive Monday, in an effort to provide fresh leadership to battle a global crisis in the auto industry. Ito, a 55-year-old research and development expert with U.S. experience, replaces Takeo Fukui, 64, who will remain on the board as adviser, Japan's No. 2 automaker said in a statement. Both Fukui and Ito said the change at the helm is a message of its determination to turn a new leaf and press ahead with technological innovations — its longtime strength — to lift its sagging business, and have the momentum to be prepared to take advantage of a recovery, when it comes. "We are facing hardships that come once in a 100 years," Ito said. Ito said he would continue in Fukui's footsteps in developing ecological and affordable products such as the Insight gas-electric hybrid, which has been a hit since going on sale recentl

First fourth paragraphs of a story on the new Administration's culinary preferences: The guests at Sunday evening's black tie White House dinner for the nation's governors feasted on servings of Chesapeake crab agnolottis, wagyu beef, Nantucket scallops and huckleberry cobbler for dessert. But thanks to First Lady Michelle Obama, a bit more of the day-to-day eating habits of the new family living at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave has been learned. "There are some mean waffles and grits that are made in the morning that have become a regular staple for some of us," Obama said. But she didn't reveal exactly for who that breakfast pairing has become a morning favorite . Though she was quick to add that she's not the one who eats waffles every day . Obama's remarks Sunday afternoon from the White House kitchen were made in front of a group of visiting students from a nearby culinary school. She wanted to highlight the work of the men and women who prepare all the m

Mo' Less Money, Mo' Problems . Despite this disturbing story , I'm actually glad that there aren't maximum prison cells for pre-teens. The best things about Conan taking over NBC's Tonight Show. He says that he won't group up . 50 years from now, I can tell my grandkids that some guy who played a comic book character won an academy award . Cool.

Where you'd want to be financially before 30 . Mad ; mad I tells ya! "... Everyone should be abstinent or whatever, but it’s not realistic at all ". Wedding Guest Etiquette . If anyone can sum up the Obama Whiplash Syndrome , it's Tom. The Commission of Good Ethnic Actors Who Are Cast in Bad Movies (GEAWCBM) have advised me not to directly reference this, so I'll just post a link instead. Newstalgia : read it, learn it, love it.

Normally, sites like TMZ and The Smoking Gun have similar goals, like making fun of ego-driven celebrities. But every so often, they cross swords. Like the post-beating-Rihanna pics for example. Well, on this one I'm siding with The Smoking Gun .

I'm one of those Wizards fans who was a little sad to see Larry Hughes leave the team, but was really curious as to why Management didn't put up more than a fight (they had to know that he was going to head to a rival team). Well, when word leaked that Chicago was willing to ship him out, I thought this may be an opportunity to get a solid player and maybe dump some guys who probably wouldn't be here next season anyway. But after seeing this, maybe the Wizards (and their 12 wins) are better off not trying to get him back: Think about it; how badly did the Bulls and Knicks want to delouse themselves of their respective canker sores? So badly that Larry Hughes 'contract ($12.8 million, $13.6M next season) almost certainly would have been bought out by managing partner Jerry Reinsdorf had GM John Paxson been unable to deport him. So Hughes was swapped for Jerome James , inarguably the worst mid-level free-agent signing in NBA history, Tim Thomas, whom Chicago exiled him t

...when Playboy has a bad quarter .

It's painfully obvious how hardcore conservatives and entrenched Republicans define liberalism: as a political ideology that denounces religion, invades privacy and wants to raise taxes at every opportunity. But that's wrong . Then you have people of the Thomas Sowell/Thom Hartmann ilk who believe (after checking in on some famous dead political philosophers) that liberals believe that people are essentially good and conservatives believe that people are essentially bad. Well, there's certainly people like out there that think one way or the other, but to label one "liberal" and the other "conservative" is stretching it. Along comes Alan Wolfe. A sample of Slate.com's review of his new book, The Future of Liberalism : "The important question is not whether human nature is good or bad; it is whether human beings can do anything about it." Since liberalism is convinced that our natures are up to be us—something made, not found—the answer here

Go Terps . Instead of writing countless LTE and making threats (until the next newpaper screws up) you fight fire with fire.

Garnett injures knee , Cleveland fans raise expectations. Life imitates art... with steroids ! #42 to #44: " Be more hopeful ." Riiiiiiight . Because everything's so peachy . I've said this all along: cast a 16-yr-old actor/actress to play a 16-yr-old character. But no; as long as they are thin, have a baby-face and aren't bald Hollywood continues to cast grown adults a preteens. And that, as the critic says about this movie , is just dumb. We can watch golf again .

Stories like this give me hope.

If I had time to go to Broadway, and had any desire to relive the last eight years, I'd totally see this . But I don't, so I'll have to wait for the HBO special.

Well, people doubted but it happened: The adult survivors made it back to the Island . How every got on that plane is a question I'm sure will be answered later on this season. So lets get into the juicier parts: Like this reviewer said, "unlike most Jack-centric episodes, things weren't completely dull." So true. We met Jack's cool Grandpa (was I the only one hoping he'd say, " Wrong Kid Died " just for laughs?). We learn that Kate just can't keep her hands off the guy (well, at least while Sawyer's not around anyway). We learn that Locke gave him a suicide note (concise as it was). We find out that Christian Shepard was wearing sneakers because Jack's too much of a jerk to get decent shoes for his dead father. None-Jack things of note: Eloise Hawking , acting as Ms. Exposition, didn't really describe herself in any way. She never acknowledged the titles people gave her (Daniel's mom, for instance). Kate's a mess without Aaro

I know Obama's busy, but doing a little something on stem cells couldn't hurt. Call it " crazy balance :" Kanye West is going into fashion . File this under "Duh Headlines:" Peanut Recall Hurts Food Banks . Miami Heat star Dwayne Wade sues his wife, and you won't believe why . AIDS beats out tuberculosis and rabies as the #1 Deadliest Disease in China . The White House's housing plan is revealed.

I didn't want to do this. I really didn't. But the outright hypocrisy of the GOP with this stimulus bill has forced my hand. Allow this video to explain what I'm talking about: GOP leaders complaining about not having time to read a bill before voting on it. Well, this calls for Which I now use to reveal a time where the GOP didn't give a damn whether or not Congress read legislation: Remember the Patriot Act ? The bill nobody ever read? The bill that was laden with so many questionable things, that the repercussions are still being felt ? Anyway, now we know the GOP Ballad: Legislation presumably reacting to being attacked by terrorists must be rushed through without reading it. Legislation presumably reacting to the crumbling economy must be read carefully, line by line and page by page. Or in short: " Whether we're in power or not, we know what's right ."

...but it's really just another sad tune .

Something that Brave New Films has about Goldman Sachs and their rule of Burger King:

Maryland Gov. tries to repeal the state's death penalty . How should I go with this : "Bad Year for Goodyear" or "Goodyear looses some air?" Germany is moving toward nationalizing their banks . Before people freak out: ex-Fed Guru Alan Greenspan suggested we do the same thing . Crumbling Automakers now want $39 to waste on bonuses stay afloat. Oliver's right : that's enough to create a newer, better auto company. Former President Clinton gives the stimulus bill his approval. Much appreciated kudos from the guy who presided over our last economic boom.

Read this fucking headline: Paternity test for boy, 13, who says he's a dad Now, read it again. Without even reading the story, we have: A 13-yr-old who had a paternity test. A 13-yr-old who is apparently sexually active. A 13-yr-old who apparently got someone pregnant. A 13-yr-old who admits he's the father. Now, read some of this . LONDON - A DNA test will be performed to determine if a 13-year-old boy fathered a baby with his 15-year-old girlfriend, his spokesman said Monday. The test comes after a Sunday tabloid newspaper reported that two other teenage boys have come forward claiming to be the father of the newborn baby girl. Spokesman Max Clifford said the parents of Alfie Patten, 13, said the tests would be done "as soon as possible" to determine paternity. ( Now, I've heard of stories about how genetically-altered food is making our children develop faster, but this is fucking ridiculous. And before anyone freaks out: my objection to this has nothing to do

Joaquin Phoenix, as you may know, has decided that instead of trying to win awards for doing movies he will try to win awards by rapping. Read that sentence again. One more time. (Not Phoenix, but you get the idea) OK; obviously this means one of three things: Phoenix is secretly involved in a movie that will make Borat look like a flip book ; he's has Jay-Z-like potential and wants the world to know it; or he's as crazy as Batman's entire rogue gallery. Three guesses as to which option Chris Bucholz (from Cracked.com) chose.

Pakistan and Taliban make truce; stop fighting ! ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — The government announced Monday that it would accept a system of Islamic law in the Swat valley and agreed to a truce, effectively conceding the area as a Taliban sanctuary and suspending a faltering effort by the army to crush the insurgents. The concessions to the militants, who now control about 70 percent of the region just 100 miles from the capital, were criticized by Pakistani analysts as a capitulation by a government desperate to stop Taliban abuses and a military embarrassed at losing ground after more than a year of intermittent fighting. About 3,000 Taliban militants have kept 12,000 government troops at bay and terrorized the local population with floggings and the burning of schools. The accord came less than a week before the first official visit to Washington of the Pakistani army chief, Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, to meet Obama administration officials and discuss how Pakistan could improve its tacti

When you try to domesticate wild animals, there's always a chance that they will someday revert back to their baser instincts and go, well, bananas : A pet chimpanzee - who had appeared in TV commercials and shows - got loose at a home at 241 Rock Rimmon Road in Stamford, Connecticut Monday afternoon, according to Stamford police. And it was not his first time. His owner, Sandra Herold, 70, had called a friend over to help since "Travis" was misbehaving. He had taken the keys to the car. The chimp was also trying to open car doors, which he apparently did to indicate he wanted to go for a ride. Herold was able to coax Travis back to the house and she gave him some Xanax-laced tea, said police. So what do you do against a 200-lb chimp who's roughly twice as strong as a normal human? How about knife-play? Travis' owner tried to stop the attack by stabbing the chimp with a butcher knife. When that didn't work, she called 911, according to police. Surely, the cops

Notice how Ford is the only one of the Big Three not really scrambling here . Don't look at me; blame GQ . Trip to Africa revitalizes AIDS researchers. Of course, not having a union helps that profit margin too . If you're in California, odds are you're being fired today . Time for more Arnold Bucks ! Any story with the headline, " Dead teenage girl found in U.S. Army barracks " can't be good.

A Presidential Panel will replace the Car Czar idea . Thank you, Jesus. Sky Rockets in flight ... Duke loses . Yay! R.I.P.; Corky Trinidad .

For the GOP, bipartinsanship is a one-way street . But don't tell that to Karl Rove . Chris Brown has opened up a whole can of hurt. More here . Online dating has it's perks . If only Hallmark was honest .

This is too much . Anyone with have a brain can see that this was a humor book. Of course the beauty of American jurisprudence is that you can sue anyone for practically anything, including claiming that you are a hot-looking woman who loves the douchebags.

Nothing like doing a 180%-spin because your party isn't in the White House anymore : The United States needs a bigger army. If eternal vigilance is the price of liberty, it is a price that should be paid by all - and that requires national service. The draft is essential for achieving victory in the long war on Islamist fascism and assuring our capacity to meet the many other threats that are likely to emerge in this already dangerous twenty-first century. A military draft is well within the American tradition, and the scars of the Vietnam -era draft should not keep us from doing what our national interest requires. During the Vietnam War the draft became not a symbol of unity but of division. The reason was simple: the draft became unpopular because the war became unpopular. The draft should not be viewed as an instrument to force citizens to fight an unpopular war. As was the case during both world wars, the draft is effective at marshalling needed manpower to fight wars that s

Last night's LOST was pretty darn good. you can see recaps here and here . First, we got to see Rousseau's Island Backstory, even though it wasn't as cool with her being dead and all. Her story to Sayid was more or less confirmed, although it's still not clear whether her troop actually got sick or she just went CooCoo for Coco Puffs waiting for them to save one of their teammates. At least we learned that Jin was the person who saved her from sharing their fate. Speaking of which : Jin's alive. After Quantum Leaping around Rousseau's past, he hooked up with the Sawyer/Locke Group and all was well. And be "well," I mean, "The Island is still skipping through time and giving everyone headaches and nosebleeds." We see that Jin still doesn't really like it here (maybe it has something to do with him being blown off of a boat twice) and makes sure that whatever crazy plan Locke has, it doesn't involve his wife, Sun. Speaking of Sun : she

Like SiCKO, only about Wall Street .

You'd think the company that owns MTV, comedy Central and the "Rock Band" Franchise would be doing better . Does Blagojevich really think this will get him his job back or something? It's called a "bribe" where I come from, but if it helps make people healthier, fine. Darwin and Lincoln are 200 yrs old. Hmmm...Congress has been " reaching deals " on the stimulus for about three days now. Oh, yeah : the Taliban is still around.

HA!

...or, " Donald Luskin is the Bill Kristol of Wall Street !"

Study shows that obese moms tend to have children with birth defects . The Brett Farve loan has officially expired . President Obama; please take notes . After 'Knocked Up' and '27 Dresses' it was only a matter of time .

Randi Rhodes is a liberal. Rachel Maddow is a liberal. Thom Hartman is a liberal. Stephanie Miller is a liberal. Ed Schultz? He can be described as liberal, but it's not like he's on great terms with the other big names (granted, he's not the only person to feud with Ari America ). In truth, he's probably the most moderate of the bunch. Anyway, it's kind of weird to see Newsbusters try to frame the guy as if he's Al Franken . I guess it's their version of "Tit-for-Tat" because Rush Limbaugh is calling the shots for the GOP now; also the conservative media doesn't like the fact that some people are noticing that a radio host is getting more attention and support than the party's own elected officials (that would be Mitch McConnell, John Boehner and Michael Steele). Still, it's nice to see Schultz respond to this nonsense . Because, you know, he pays attention.

Former Bush press secretary Ari Fleischer admits that the Bush White House separated (mostly liberal) internet-based reporters from the rest of the media and refused to call on them.

Gladstone from Cracked.com breaks down the Jessica Simpson flack .

When he's not reminiscing about songs he did with Tupac, Micheal Steele like to pretend that he, not Rush Limbaugh, is calling the shots with the GOP. Hence the following word vomit : Just ran into new RNC Chairman Michael Steele who watched President Obama's town hall in Indiana and wasn't impressed. The Obama-backed stimulus, he said, "is just a wish list from a lot of people who have been on the sidelines for years.. to get a little bling, bling." Translation: " Hey White People! This stimulus ain't helping ya'll; it's helping that black kid who's been eyeing your daughter! Don't fall for Obama's jive! " All and all, interesting comments from a guy who told the GOP to quit whining back in November. Again: I'm so glad Ben Cardin is my Senator.

Because of researchers at the University of Maryland, we are closer to teleportation . GO TERPS!

The show already started in Canada . Once Cartoon Network sucks the life out of makes the necessary changes, it'll be viewable for those oh-so sensitive American TV-lovers.

In there attempt to get everyone to play nice, the centrists have effectively doomed the stimulus bill . The goal of this thing was to jump start the economy; you can't do that on a small scale. The package was supposed to be big enough to give every industry a chance to succeed; now there's less than 50/50 chance that it will work. And by "work," I mean, "show some positive change before the 2010 and/or 2012 Elections." By trying to garner some GOP votes in the future, President Obama (and the Democrats) may have sacrificed their Congressional majority...and possibly, possibly a smooth re-election. I hate to say it, but you have to go hardcore in your first 100 days . You have to. It's the only way to show the politicians that you mean business, and after those 100 days, you rarely have the public paying attention (unless something big comes up). Obama has two years to play nice, but this really isn't the time. The GOP is not budging , and they

In Virginia: money wars . If it's in Gaza, it involves violence . Can you say " homeless students ?" Lakers still hot, give Cavs their first home loss . The biggest story of the Grammys was not the awards. Meet the George W. Bush/Sarah Palin of the Israeli parliamentary elections. " Sure we owned the plant where the outbreak happened, but that doesn't make it our fault ." The new lineup for 'Dancing With the Stars.' The Spurs bop the Celtics.

America was robbed again : The Bush administration received assets that were worth $78 billion less than the amount it invested as part of the massive infusion of capital into the country's banks, congressional investigators have found. The investigators concluded that the Treasury under the federal bailout had invested $254 billion into companies but the preferred stock it got in return had a market value at the time of only $176 billion, or 69 percent of what the government paid, according to a congressional oversight panel report scheduled to be released today. Elizabeth Warren, the chairwoman of the panel, said former Treasury secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr. had promised that the government would buy the assets at their market value and that it was alarming that he didn't do so. "At various points, Treasury has articulated policy objectives which could result in a program involved paying substantially more for investments than they appear to have been worth at the time

We've been so used to having a President who catered and spoke to a certain segment of Americans that when you see something like this, you just feel like you're part of the whole political process, even if if you didn't do much. Things like this is why Obama should not be counted out. If he keeps this up, the GOP's in real trouble.

I have to find Lil' Kim's dealer, and tell him to stop . Damn Skippy . Eugene Robinson on the GOP's apparent desire to make themselves a regional political party. Famous Historical Beefs . " Apparently , the Republicans can never be accommodated, only defeated." See, this is why I buy bulk . Rush Limbaugh, Leader of the GOP . HA!

Ok, it's getting to be with Beyonce as it was/is with her hubby Jay-Z. But with her, it's legends, not simply nobodies that stay having a problem with her. Who did she piss of this time? Well it seems that this time, ancient Etta James is pissed at B for doing her song "at last" for Mr. President (I actually love saying that now!!). I admit she does have a point for being mad if B didn't ask for her blessing or credit her as being the original singer of the song, if that's indeed why the withered old clam is so upset (and not that she's having such a difficult time making stool without the prune juice), but come on! You are too grown to be acting like that! You done already died like 3 times already! Etta goes on to say that, "the one with big ears" is not her president, but ours as well. I wonder who she voted for... From where I stand, she was very diva-ish and classless for a so-called "legend" and should be ashamed of herself. I

Well it seems that the peoples' president has decided that the bullshit has to stop as it concerns Republicans trying to hold up the stimulus program, under claims that more tax cuts (for their lords and masters, the wealthy) need to be made first. Our pres got downright gangsta on them fools! Check it out here : Are you as surprised as I am that Republicans are in the way of progress.... again because it wasn't their idea???

Just in case our new President get another urge to reach across the aisle. It's more than just making his case , it's about knowing who to make his case to. It looks like he's finally catching on .

Normally Scarborough is all, "Let me look like an Average Joe." But then again, it's not everyday you get to talk to a Nobel Prize winner (who ends up eating some of your lunch).

About twenty years ago, a movie like this wouldn't have been considered to be better than a Steve Martin flick . But that was twenty years ago. President Obama recharges with a friendly audience . Job loss may actually be a boon for women . Lakers over Celtics in overtime . The one Bush-initiative that Obama endorses . Phelps gets smoked out of USA Swimming (for now).