Wayne Krivsky all red as Reds give him pink slip

ESPN:

The Cincinnati Reds have fired general manager Wayne Krivsky less than three years into his tenure, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.

Krivsky, a former assistant GM with the Minnesota Twins, was hired in 2006, succeeding Dan O'Brien. He was the first general manager to be hired under the Reds ownership group led by Bob Castellini and is in the last year of a three-year contract.

The Reds are currently 9-12 and 5½ games behind the NL Central-leading Chicago Cubs.

Krivsky's best move may have been acquiring second baseman Brandon Phillips from the Cleveland Indians for a player to be named later, who later turned out to be minor-leaguer Jeff Stevens. Phillips hit 30 home runs and 26 doubles for the Reds last season and has become one of the NL's best second basemen.

His most questionable move may have been his July 13, 2006 deal sending everyday starters Austin Kearns and Felipe Lopez along with pitcher Ryan Wagner to the Washington Nationals for pitchers Gary Majewski, Bill Bray and Daryl Thompson; shortstop Royce Clayton; and infielder Brendan Harris.

The trade, made with the hopes of bolstering the Reds' bullpen in the midst of a pennant race, backfired. Both Majewski and Bray are currently in the minors, Harris was dealt after the 2006 season to the Tampa Bay Rays for future considerations and Clayton left as a free agent.

"We paid a steep price," Krivsky said at the time of the trade. "I'm sure this will be a controversial trade. I know a lot of people will be leaving nasty messages on my voicemail, and I'll have some who think it's great."

Quote of the Day

"I'm thrilled to be on Deal or No Deal with you tonight. Come to think of it, I'm thrilled to be anywhere with high ratings these days."
--President George W. Bush, Deal or No Deal, April 21, 2008

This just in: Barack Obama can't win big states

The junior senator from Illinois has the money to win but when push comes to shove, he can't seal the deal. He's had plenty of opportunities but Wrightgate and Bittergate showed that Americans are seeing the real Obama. The one that the media hid when they fell in love with him and showen us that they just can't objectively report on political campaigns anymore. I can't sit by idly anymore and now the rest of America is starting to realize that we don't want to get duped. I see it. Why can't you?!?

I have recieved several emails but have refrained from posting because that's how bad it is in the blogosphere when people are afraid of posting something true...even if it means getting bashed by the rest of the blogosphere and you know what? Not anymore. I'm not going to sit by while the rest of the bloggers think that, well, I won't get into that right now.

Obama has shown time and time again that HE CANNOT WIN A BIG STATE. The caucus system doesn't work and think about this: how many electoral votes do those states have?

Kentucky will go to McCain in the end as Obama's rhetoric will lead to a loss just by knowing how Kentucky has voted in the past. Heck, I can name on more than two hands the number of Democrats I have spoken with who have said they will not vote for Obama if he is the nominee.

Iran is a threat and like it or not, it's an issue that I will vote on with serious consideration. We're facing a global war on terror and the next liberal that comes up to me claiming that I drank the kool-aid, I got news for you. This isn't a utopia that we live in. Nothing's perfect. Heck, I was for taking out Saddam before it was cool to do so (I just didn't like the lack of a exit strategy - or strategery - or the way that the president went all about it).

As the Clinton campaign has said today, "The tide is turning." It's true. Obama had it in the bag (not quite, there's still the whole Florida and Michigan fiasco that the party brought upon itself.

The voters in Pennsylvania have spoken. America is listening. And the tide is turning.

By providing fresh evidence that Hillary is the candidate best positioned to beat John McCain in the fall, the Pennsylvania primary is a turning point in the nominating contest.

Despite making an unprecedented financial investment in his Pennsylvania campaign, including millions on negative ads in the closing days of the race, Sen. Obama again failed to win a state that will be vital to a Democratic victory in November and spurred new questions about his ability to beat John McCain. No candidate has ever had more resources or enjoyed the kind of momentum that Sen. Obama had in Pennsylvania.

With concerns about the economy paramount, voters decided that Sen. Clinton was the candidate they trusted most to deal with job loss, the housing crisis and health care.

And with both candidates under the microscope at the same time for the first time, Hillary took more than a few punches and came out stronger while Sen. Obama emerged weaker as voters learned more about him. The exit polls clearly show that Sen. Clinton gained strength in the final days when the campaign was most engaged.

The reason for the Clinton comeback is clear: voters want a candidate who will stand strong for them and work to create a better future.

STRONG ON ECONOMY: Pennsylvania turned on which candidate made the better case for fixing the economy. Exit polls show voters viewed Hillary more favorably on the economy - her leadership resonated across the heartland of Pennsylvania. Those who want change in the economy voted overwhelmingly for Hillary.

A DECISIVE VICTORY: According to exit polls, Hillary won voters most concerned about the economy by 16 points (58-42) and union households by 18 points (59-41). She won those with incomes between 100K and 150K by 20 points (60-40); white women by 32 points (66-34) and Catholics by 38 points (69-31). She won those who decided on the last day (59-41), the last three days (58-42) and the last week (54-46).

SEN. OBAMA PLAYED TO WIN & LOST: Sen. Obama played to win Pennsylvania outright, outspending the Clinton camp by a 3 to 1 margin while sharply attacking Sen. Clinton on the stump and in television, radio, and direct mail pieces. He understood what was at stake for him in Pennsylvania, had six full weeks to make his case, went for a knockout at the end and came up short. Sen. Obama’s failure to do well raises questions about his ability to win the large, swing states that Democrats need to win in November.

HRC WILL WIN IN NOVEMBER: Democrats must win the large swing states to beat John McCain in the fall, but Sen. Obama has struggled in states like Ohio, Florida, and Pennsylvania. In addition, Hillary’s voters form the coalition needed for Democratic success in the fall battleground states: women, Hispanics, older voters, working class voters and Catholics. Sen. McCain is stronger than a typical Republican normally is among these groups while Sen. Obama has proven weaker among them. Hillary is also most likely to hold traditionally Democratic states and poised to expand the electoral map in the Southwest while also flipping a few traditionally GOP states like Arkansas.

Flowery speeches won't cut it. Experience and decisive action will.

VOTE CLINTON AND GIVE TO THE CAMPAIGN.

Hillary Clinton's Pennsylvania Speech Transcript

The following was delivered last night by Sen. Hillary Clinton in Philadelphia, PA after the networks called Pennsylvania in her favor.

Thank you so much. Thank you all. Thank you. Thank you very, very much. Oh, thank you.

It’s a long road to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and it runs right through the heart of Pennsylvania.

For six weeks Senator Obama and I have crisscrossed this state, meeting people up close, being judged side by side, making our best case. You listened and today you chose.

With two wars abroad and an economic crisis here at home, you know the stakes are high and the challenges are great, but you also know the possibilities. Those possibilities are endless, if we roll up our sleeves and get to work with a president who is ready to lead on day one.

That means ready to take charge as Commander-in-Chief and make this economy work for middle class families. And I thank you. I thank you, Pennsylvania, for deciding I can be that president.

For me, the victory we share tonight is deeply personal. It was here in Pennsylvania where my grandfather started work as a boy in the lace mills and ended up as a supervisor five decades later. It was here where my father attended college and played football for Penn State. And I am back here tonight because of their hard work and sacrifice. And I only wish they could have lived to see this moment, because in this election I carry with me not just their dreams, but the dreams of people like them and like you all across our country - people who embrace hard work and opportunity, who never waver in the face of adversity, who stand for what you believe and never stop believing in the promise of America.

I’m in this race to fight for you, to fight for everyone who has ever been counted out, for everyone fighting to pay the grocery bills or the medical bills, the credit card and mortgage payments, and the outrageous price of gas at the pump today.

You know, the pundit's question whether Pennsylvanians would trust me with this charge and tonight you showed you do. You know you can count on me to stand up strong for you every single day in the White House.

This has been a historic race and I commend Senator Obama and his supporters tonight. We are, in many ways, all on this journey together to create an America that embraces every last one of us. The women in their nineties who tell me they were born before women could vote and they're hopeful of seeing a woman in the White House. The mothers and fathers at my events, who lift their little girls on their shoulders and whisper in their ears, "see, you can be anything you want."

Tonight, more than ever, I need your help to continue this journey. This is your campaign and this is your victory tonight. Your support has meant the difference between winning and losing. We can only keep winning if we can keep competing with an opponent who outspends us so massively. So, I hope you'll go to HillaryClinton.com and show your support tonight because the future of this campaign is in your hands.

Some people counted me out and said to drop out, but the American people don't quit and they deserve a president who doesn't quit either.

Tonight all across Pennsylvania and America, teachers are grading papers and doctors and nurses are caring for the sick, and you deserve a leader who listens to you.

Waitresses are pouring coffee and police officers are standing guard and small businesses are working to meet that payroll, and you deserve a champion who stands with you.

And of course, all across the world, our men and women in uniform, some on your second, third or fourth tour of duty, you deserve a Commander-in-Chief who will finally bring you home and who will rebuild our strained military, do whatever it takes to care for our veterans wounded in both body and spirit.

Today, here in Pennsylvania, you made your voices heard and because of you, the tide is turning.

We were up against a formidable opponent who outspent us three to one. He broke every spending record in this state trying to knock us out of the race. Well, the people of Pennsylvania had other ideas tonight.

The presidency is the toughest job in the world, but the pressures of a campaign are nothing compared to the pressures of the White House, and today, Pennsylvanians looked through all the heat and saw the light of a brighter tomorrow - a tomorrow of shared prosperity and restored world leadership for peace, security, and cooperation. After seven long years of President Bush, we've got our work cut out for us and we don't have a minute to waste. So, it’s high time we stop talking about our problems and start solving them and that is what my campaign is all about.

All through this campaign, I have offered solutions: solutions for good jobs you can raise a family on; jobs that can't be shipped overseas; and on Earth Day, clean, renewable green jobs that can put us on the right track to the future; solutions for independence from foreign oil and exploding gas prices; quality affordable healthcare not just for many Americans or most Americans but for every single American, no exceptions and no excuses; affordable college and real improvements in public schools, not the failure that is No Child Left Behind. We’re going to end the war on science and have a renewed commitment to science and research. We will tackle everything from Autism to Alzheimer’s, cancer to diabetes, and make a real difference.

I look forward to discussing all of these issues with the people of Indiana, North Carolina and the states that I’ll be visiting in the coming weeks.

Not long ago a woman handed me a photograph of her father as a young soldier. He was receiving the Medal of Honor from President Truman at the White House. During World War II, he had risked his life on a daring mission to drive back the enemy and protect his fellow soldiers. In the corner of that photo, in shaky handwriting, this American hero had simply written: "To Hillary Clinton, keep fighting for us." And that is what I’m going to do because America is worth fighting for. You are worth fighting for.

It was in this city that our founders declared America’s independence and our permanent mission to form a more perfect union. Neither Senator Obama nor I nor many of you were fully included in that vision, but we've been blessed by men and women in each generation who saw America not as it is, but as it could and should be. The abolitionists and the suffragists, the progressives and the union members, the civil rights leaders, all those who marched, protested and risked their lives because they looked into their children's eyes and saw the promise of a better future.

Because of them, I grew up taking for granted that women could vote. Because of them, my daughter grew up taking for granted that children of all colors could attend school together. And because of them and because of you, this next generation will grow up taking for granted that a woman or an African American can be the president of the United States of America.

I am so honored by the support and the hospitality of all of the people of Pennsylvania. I want to especially thank Governor Rendell and Mayor Nutter, Lieutenant Governor Catherine Baker Knoll and the State Treasurer Robin Wiessmann and State Party Chair T.J. Rooney. These are great leaders and dear friends, as are my friends from the Congress, Representatives Murtha, Sestak, Schwartz and Kanjorski. Their support means the world to me and the support of 100 mayors across this commonwealth and so many other state and local leaders who worked hard for this victory tonight.

I want to thank my friends in our labor unions for standing with us every step of the way. And my outstanding staff, volunteers and supporters here in Pennsylvania and across America.

I especially want to thank my family for their incredible love and support. Bill and Chelsea have crisscrossed Pennsylvania from one end to the other. My brothers Hugh and Tony who love Pennsylvania with all their hearts, from our childhood summers in Lake Winola, and my mother who is with us tonight.

We still have a lot of work ahead of us, but if you're ready, I’m ready. I might stumble and I might get knocked down, but as long as you'll stand with me I will always get right back up. Because for me, in the end, the question isn't whether we can keep America’s promise, it's whether we will keep America’s promise.

So let me ask you tonight - will we once again be the can-do nation, the nation that defies the odds and does the impossible?

Will we break the barriers and open the doors and lift up all of our people?

Will we reach out to the world and lead by the power of our ideals again?

Will we take back the White House and take back our country?

I believe with all of my heart that together we will turn promises into action, words will become solutions, hope will become reality, so my answer to any who doubt is "yes, we will."

Thank you and G-d bless you.

Matzah is scarce this year!

I don't know what to make of this. I had no trouble finding boxes...but you are almost always out of luck if you, I don't know, wait til the last minute.

JTA:

The United States is facing a matzah shortage.

Shoppers from coast to coast are having difficulty finding matzah on store shelves, The New York Times reported.

The shortage is the result of production difficulties at the Manischewitz plant in New Jersey, as well as the decision by some store chains, such as Trader Joe's and Costco, not to carry matzah this year, the Times reported.

It should also be noted that we are currently in a shmita year so farmers in Israel are resting their fields, meaning there is not exporting of products to the United States.

Wiki is your friend.

During Shmita, the land is left to lay fallow and all agricultural activity—including plowing, planting, pruning and harvesting—is forbidden by Torah law. Other cultivation techniques—such as watering, fertilizing, weeding, spraying, trimming and mowing—may be performed as a preventative measure only, not to improve the growth of trees or plants. Additionally, any fruits which grow of their own accord are deemed hefker (ownerless) and may be picked by anyone. A variety of laws also apply to the sale, consumption and disposal of Shmita produce.

Relevant Biblical verses include: Exodus 23:10-11, Leviticus 25:20-22, Deuteronomy 31:10-13, Jeremiah 34:13-14, Nehemiah 10:32, and 2 Chronicles 36:20-21.

According to the laws of shmita, land owned by Jews in the Land of Israel is left unfarmed. The law does not apply to land in the Diaspora. In Biblical times any naturally growing produce was left to be taken by poor people, passing strangers, and beasts of the field. While naturally growing produce such as grapes growing on existing vines can be harvested, it cannot be sold or used for commercial purposes; it must be given away or consumed.

The laws of Shmita do not apply to plants inside a house or greenhouse, which may be tended as usual.

On a shmita year, personal debts are considered forgiven at sunset on the 29th of Elul. Since this aspect of shmita is not dependent on the land, it applies to Jews both in Israel and elsewhere.

In other Pesach news, Bill Kristol analyzes the Pesach statements released by the campaigns and points out a Democratic blunder.

So if Clinton’s Passover message is liberal, and Obama’s is multicultural, one might call McCain’s Zionist. There’s a clear choice of worldviews here — and not just for Jews, but for all Americans.

I might add that both Democratic campaigns missed an opportunity last week. They seem not to have noticed that the date of the first Seder, April 19, was also the 233rd anniversary of the battles of Lexington and Concord. So, a few days before Pennsylvanians vote, the candidates could have commemorated not just the Exodus from Egypt but also “the shot heard round the world,” thus identifying themselves all at once with political liberation, religious freedom and — yes! — the right to bear arms.

Hillary Clinton's Statement on Passover:

As Jewish families across the world prepare to gather together around the Seder table, I am delighted to offer greetings and good wishes for a joyous Passover.

I have always been inspired by the enduring words of the Haggadah: "In every generation, each of us must see ourselves as if we personally came out of Egypt." It's through remembering the past that we become strong and effective advocates for all who suffer the indignity and pain of servitude and injustice. I am deeply moved by this timeless cry to stand up to oppression, tyranny, and discrimination -- wherever they are found.

As you prepare your homes and your hearts for this Passover season, please know that Bill, Chelsea, and I join you in celebrating freedom and family.

Hag Sameach -- May this be a season of joy for all!

Sen. John McCain's Statement on Passover:

"At sundown tomorrow, families across this country and around the world will join together in celebrating the Exodus of their ancestors from bondage in Egypt. As families gather together for Seders, members of the Jewish faith reflect upon the painful sacrifices made by their ancestors, the joys of freedom, and the triumph of inherent goodness over evil. From our family, Cindy and I would like to extend our best wishes for a happy Passover. Chag Kasher V'Sameach.

"As Passover commences, we should also take a moment to reflect on several individuals who will celebrate this occasion, once again, in captivity. In summer 2006, Hamas and Hezbollah kidnapped three young Israelis -- Gilad Shalit, Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser -- and have held them ever since. When I met with the families of two of these men in December 2006, I heard firsthand about their difficulties. To go on without knowledge of these men's whereabouts or physical condition is a terrible thing, and yet these families endure. I committed then to bring attention to this situation, to insist that the Geneva Conventions are observed, and to call for the swift release of these men. I remain committed to this effort and I hope the entire international community will do the same."

President George W. Bush's Passover Message:

Passover, 5768

Then Moses said to the people, "Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery, because the Lord brought you out of it with a mighty hand."
Exodus 13:3

I send greetings to those observing Passover.

More than 3,000 years ago, G-d liberated the Children of Israel from the bondage of Egypt and led them on a journey towards the Promised Land. During the holy days of Passover, Jews around the world celebrate this deliverance from oppression and give thanks to a loving G-d for His many blessings. Passover is an opportunity for Jewish families and friends to gather to read the Haggadah, share the Seder meal, and remember G-d's mercy through song and prayer. This eight-day observance brings a message of hope and freedom to the Jewish people.

Laura and I send our best wishes for a joyous Passover.

Sen. Barack Obama's Passover Greeting:

This week, Jewish families across America and around the world are preparing for Passover. And on Saturday night, Jews will gather around the Seder table and retell the ancient story of a journey from slavery in Egypt to freedom in the Land of Israel.

The Seder, with all its rich traditions, has much to teach us all. Its emphasis on teaching children, and letting them demonstrate their knowledge through the traditional asking of questions, embodies the great Jewish traditions of family and education. Most of all, the Haggadah tells us an ancient story to both recall history, and to teach us lessons about the moral imperatives that we must aim to live by today; it demonstrates the power of maintaining faith and determination, and reminds us that we must constantly work on behalf of freedom in the face of injustice.

American Jews have always played a vital role in our national conversation. As we approach this Passover holiday, let us continue to engage in dialogue, and to ask ourselves and each other how the Passover story challenges us to question the world as it is, and to seek a future that is more just and more peaceful for all.

Michelle, Malia, and Sasha join me in sending warm wishes for a joyous and meaningful Passover.

Judd Apatow: Dayenu

Had Judd written and produced The Ben Stiller Show but not wrote and produced Heavyweights, Dayenu.

Had Judd written and produced Heavyweights but not produced The Critic, Dayenu.

Had Judd produced The Critic but not wrote and produced Celtic Pride, Dayenu.

Had Judd written and produced Celtic Pride but not wrote and produced The Larry Sanders Show, Dayenu.

Had Judd written and produced The Larry Sanders Show but not wrote, directed or produced Freaks and Geeks, Dayenu.

Had Judd written, directed or produced Freaks and Geeks but not produced Zero Effect, Dayenu.

Had Judd produced Zero Effect but not written and produced Undeclared, Dayenu.

Had Judd written and produced Undeclared but produced Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Dayenu.

Had Judd produced Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy but not produced Kicking and Screaming, Dayenu.

Had Judd produced Kicking and Screaming but not written, directed, or produced The 40 Year-Old Virgin, Dayenu.

Had Judd written, directed, or produced The 40 Year-Old Virgin but not produced Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Dayenu.

Had Judd produced Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby but not written, directed, and produced Knocked Up, Dayenu.

Had Judd written, directed, and produced Knocked Up but not produced Superbad, Dayenu.

Had Judd produced Superbad but not written and produced Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, Dayenu.

Had Judd written and produced Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story but not produced Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Dayenu.

Dayenu is a song in the Pesach Haggadah and it means: it would have been enough for us or it would have been sufficient.

How Ford ended up at Oklahoma State

Apparently, C.M. Newton had a role in Travis Ford ending up at OSU.

Officially, basketball elder statesman C.M. Newton keeps a hand in the game as a consultant for the Southeastern Conference. Unofficially, he's also the wise oracle approached by schools looking to hire a coach.

That's what Oklahoma State did after firing Sean Sutton as coach. The Cowboys' athletic director, Mike Holder, knew he wanted to hire Bill Self of Kansas. Yet he still called Newton for advice.

"How'd you hire Rick Pitino?" Holder asked in reference to Newton's 1989 coup in hiring Pitino away from the New York Knicks.

Newton thought Oklahoma State had a chance to hire Self. OSU was Self's alma mater. The school could rightly say it not only wanted him to return home, but needed him to return home.

When Self decided to stay at Kansas, Holder called Newton for advice on what coach to approach. Newton pondered what coach could enjoy small-town life in Stillwater, Okla. What coach had proven ability to rebuild programs. And when Holder said he wanted to hire a young coach who could relate to players, Newton recommended Travis Ford.

"I'd known Travis for years," Newton said. "I knew him as a player. I tried to recruit him for Vanderbilt. Then I watched him play for Rick (at Kentucky)."

The clincher came in March as Newton, head of the revamped National Invitation Tournament, watched Ford lead Massachusetts to the championship game.

"I thought, 'Boy, this guy has really grown up and grown into the job,' " Newton said.

Last week, Oklahoma State hired Ford.

The hire made Newton think of when he suggested that Florida A.D. Jeremy Foley consider hiring Billy Donovan, who has led to unprecedented success for the Gators.

"I told Jeremy Foley, you're getting the next Pitino," Newton said. "I told Mike, you're getting the next Billy Donovan."

Newton sees this role as simply rendering an opinion, in his case an expert opinion. He's not looking to start a second consultant business.

I agree with Billy on this one.

Coach Billy Gillispie recently proposed a radical idea to his coaching staff: Why not put together a nonconference schedule consisting entirely of teams from major conferences?

His staff quickly shot him down.

"Because they probably have more common sense in that area," Gillispie said.

Scheduling can be a chore at the major-college level, and scheduling big-conference teams often requires return games. In order to play a significant number of games in Rupp Arena -- which is crucial to the Wildcats' revenue stream -- UK needs to play some games at home against smaller-conference foes who will play for a paycheck and no return home game the next season.

So the Cats won't be lining up all their opponents from the Big East, Big Ten and other power conferences.

From a purely competitive standpoint, though, the idea appeals to Gillispie.


"I like those kinds of games," he said. "I think players like those kinds of games. I know the fans enjoy them, as long as you win them all."

UK hopes to complete its nonconference schedule by May 1 and is close to wrapping it up, Gillispie said.

Here comes that Omer feeling again

As we do every spring time starting on the second night of Pesach, we count the fifty days of the Omer...and yes, that comes with some restrictions. Here is your background on the counting of the Omer.

Starting on the second day of Passover, the Torah (Leviticus 23:15) says it is a mitzvah every day to "count the Omer" -- the 50 days leading up to Shavuot. This is an important period of growth and introspection, in preparation for the holiday of Shavuot which arrives 50 days later.

Shavuot is the day that the Jewish people stood at Mount Sinai to receive the Torah, and as such required a seven-week preparation period. The commentators say that we were freed from Egypt only in order to receive the Torah and to fulfill it. Thus we were commanded to count from the second day of Pesach until the day that the Torah was given -- to show how greatly we desire the Torah.

The first 33 days:

The Talmud tells us that Rabbi Akiva had 24,000 students who tragically died during the Omer period, because they did not treat each other with sufficient respect. Therefore, for the 33 days from Passover until Lag B'Omer, we observe these signs of mourning:

1) no weddings
2) not listening to instrumental music, either live or recorded (vocal music is permitted)
3) no haircuts or shaving, unless for business purposes

Judd and Seth in the news

Finally, someone else thinks as I do: Walk Hard was terrific!

The harder they walk, the flatter they fall. Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story stumbled into box-office disaster during the holidays, generating a pathetic $18.3 million in North America. Sony/Columbia is now mounting a marketing campaign to rescue the film on DVD. Funny thing is, Jake Kasdan's crazy flick is actually worth the effect. It is often hilarious. Cruel, rude, profane and occasionally idiotic? Yes. But clever and funny. Plus, the music kicks major butt.

With John C. Reilly as the swaggering singing star, Walk Hard is a mockumentary that satirizes the rough life and tortured times of Johnny Cash. There are side trips into music genres as varied as acid rock and variety slop from '60s TV. Reilly, who beautifully sang Cellophane Man in Chicago, dramatically expands his repertoire here and adds flair.

Walk Hard debuted on DVD last week in two versions, both widescreen only. One is the single-disc, widescreen edition with modest extras. The other is a terrific, two-disc, unrated edition that comes fully loaded with extras, including eight new full-song performances. Most importantly, there is an extended cut, in addition to the original 96-minute theatrical release.

Check out this interview with Jason Segel.

Getting everything Clinton out of my system...

I mean the news, you idiot! You really thought I was doing what you thought I was doing? Then you aren't the blog reader that I thought you were!

The Senator appeared on The Colbert Report last week. You can watch the video at Comedy Central. While you are at it, you can read about her visit with Stephen here.

Clinton walked on to the opening of the show, taped before a live audience at the University of Pennsylvania, pretending to repair a technical problem and fix host Stephen Colbert's makeup before rushing off the set.

"You are so prepared for any situation," said a mock-stunned Colbert.

The New York senator replied: "Call me anytime."

"Really?" Colbert asked.

"Sure," Clinton replied. Then she added: "Call me at 3 a.m.," before rushing off to attend a block party in northeast Philadelphia.

Hmmm...this one is interesting. Is Obama the new John Kerry?

The specter of John Kerry in 2004 is beginning to haunt the Democrats in 2008. It is the specter of wimpy campaigns past. It showed up, like Banquo's ghost, at the debate Wednesday night in Philadelphia, particularly when Hillary Clinton joined with ABC's George Stephanopoulos and Charlie Gibson to nip away at the edges of Barack Obama's patriotism. Between the questions about Obama's meager association with William Ayers, a former Weatherman, and the suspicions raised by his lack of a flag lapel pin, the likely nominee is slowly being turned into John Kerry. He is becoming, in other words, a candidate who may be mostly right about national security but who will lack the Red State street cred to carry his point—and the election.

Once again timorous Democratic advisers behind the scenes are hoping they can run mainly on the ailing economy. While their candidates are urging an end to George W. Bush's war in Iraq, they are terrified of questioning the larger premises of his "war on terror" or John McCain's redefinition of it as the "transcendent challenge of the 21st century." Today's Dems are, in other words, proving unequal to the task of reclaiming the party's mostly honorable heritage on national security. This view is sadly out of touch, today more than ever. To little notice, Obama's tough, clearly stated position on Bush's war—that it was disastrously misdirected toward Iraq when Afghanistan was always the real front—is becoming conventional wisdom, even among the Bush administration's top security officials, like Defense Secretary Bob Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs. During two days of nearly impenetrable testimony on Iraq by Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker last week, one answer rang out as clearly as an alarm bell. Under questioning from Joe Biden, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Crocker admitted that Al Qaeda poses a greater threat in Afghanistan and Pakistan than it does in Iraq. No one knows more about this than the ambassador, an Arabic-speaking diplomat who previously served as envoy to Pakistan and whose career practically tells the story of America and the age of terror going back to the 1983 bombings of the U.S. Embassy and Marine barracks in Beirut.

Yet the region that poses America's number one threat is getting little in attention and resources compared to Iraq. What Obama is arguing on the stump is pretty close to what Gates and the Joint Chiefs have been quietly hearing from their military advisers: that the best the United States can do with its scant NATO force of 37,000 in Afghanistan is to hold off the resurgent Taliban and their Al Qaeda guests in a stalemate. Under current conditions Osama bin Laden and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, the chief culprits of 9/11, will continue to have plenty of room to roam, unharried by any large-scale U.S. or Pakistani effort to go after them. This is even truer today; next door to Afghanistan, Pakistan is transitioning into a post-Musharraf era and seeking to negotiate more with the extremists. Obama called last year for two additional brigades to be sent to Afghanistan, and last week he was joined by Biden, who told an audience at Georgetown University that "the longer we stay in Iraq, the more we put off the day when we fully join the fight against the real Al Qaeda threat and finally defeat those who attacked America seven years ago." Biden added that Gen. Dan McNeil, commander of the international force in Afghanistan, told him during a visit in February "that with two extra combat brigades—about 10,000 soldiers—he could turn around the security situation in the south, where the Taliban is on move. But he can't get them because of Iraq." Even Hillary Clinton has been tacking, very quietly, in Obama's direction.

Obama's bitter remark just might come back to bite him in the tuchas!

If someone quacks like an elitist, he just might be one.

Here's a shock if you ever saw one. The Pittsburgh-Tribune Review endorsed Clinton!

In policy terms, relatively little may separate these two. Obama ranks as one of the most liberal U.S. senators, but Clinton is no conservative. Determining how they differ is difficult, though, because Obama is long on soaring rhetoric yet painfully short on record.

He has spent just three years in the U.S. Senate. Before that, he spent just eight years as one of 177 state legislators in Illinois. Before that, he was a university lecturer, a community organizer, a civil-rights lawyer.

Quite simply, this is no portfolio for a president, the world's most powerful leader. The presidency is no place for on-the-job training in the best of times -- and certainly not when the nation is at war, the economy is struggling, and federal governance in general is adrift.

More disturbing is what seems to be Obama's private view of America.[...]

In sharp contrast, Clinton is far more experienced in government -- as an engaged first lady to a governor and a president, as a second-term senator in her own right.

She has a real voting record on key issues. Agree with her or not, you at least know where she stands instead of being forced to wonder.

Many of her views on domestic issues are too liberal for us, but on others she seems to have moderated. She told the Trib she opposes raising the cap on Social Security taxes, and she is less eager to raise income taxes than Obama.

More important, she is extremely knowledgeable on crucial foreign issues. Meeting with Trib editors last month, she ticked off an impressive list of international challenges and the solutions. (In Wednesday's Philadelphia debate, Obama praised George H.W. Bush's foreign policy -- apparently not realizing that one of its architects was then-Defense Secretary Dick Cheney, a man he regularly excoriates.)

As we noted at the time of that meeting, Clinton's decision to sit down with the Trib was courageous, given our longstanding criticism of her. That is no small matter: Political courage is essential in a president. Clinton has demonstrated it; Obama has not.

She has a real record. He doesn't.

She has experience of value to a president. He doesn't.

Clearly, she's the wiser choice to represent Democrats this fall.

Tim Ryan has endorsed Sen. Clinton.

Sen. Clinton pens some last words on the campaign trail before today's primary.

Because everybody knows his name, Ted Danson went on the stump for Sen. Clinton.

Ted Danson walked into the Cucina Maria on Sunday, a place where everybody knew his name.

But the Emmy and Golden Globe winning Hollywood star made it clear while thanking the campaign workers of presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton that his commitment to her election is more than just a publicity draw.

“What I have to offer is our friendship and knowing her as a human being,” Danson said of Clinton, a personal friend of his wife, the former Mary Steenburgen, for 30 years, and himself for 15 years.

That, as well as a staunch belief in her plans for stimulating America’s economy by safeguarding the environment.[...]

“Thanks for working hard for Hillary,” Danson said, shaking hands and having his photo taken with each of the 35 or so workers and supporters there. “And Larry Bird never gave up either,” he joked to several.

“This is the most important election in our lifetime,” he said as he answered questions from the media, noting a delicate balance on hold right now between the economy, foreign affairs and environmental issues, all of which he said are interrelated.

Danson said for years environmentalists have been pitted against industrialists, referring to the scenarios which portrayed the country as having to choose between cutting jobs to meet environmental standards, or letting industrial practices run rampant on the eco-system

“That’s a bogus argument,” Danson said, describing the “millions of jobs” that middle class skilled trades workers such as electricians could be working building solar panels, recycling facilities and other alternative energy facilities.

“We have to keep the manufacturing base here,” he said, later noting that “you can’t export recycling jobs,” and that Americans need to “start talking about the environment in terms of jobs.”

But along with environmental concerns, Danson also expressed concern for the sky-rocketing cost of higher education, stating “the loans are ridiculous” in reference to student loans.

All of which is further compounded by unfair trade agreements with countries to whom the United States is so deeply in debt that negotiations are difficult.

“It’s like Bill Clinton said,” he stated, referring to former President Clinton’s recent speech in which he described fighting off trade agreements with nations such as China while owing them trillions of dollars.

“Everything is so complicated,” he said. “We really need a bright, bright person.”

And for a family friend of the Clintons who knows Hillary personally, he said she’s the one.

“I really like a person who can take a punch and keep getting up,” he said. “No one takes a punch like Hillary Clinton,” he said, noting she’s one of the hardest workers he’s ever met and a “chronic problem solver”

“If I tell Hillary about a problem I’m having I’d better be ready for her to fix it.”

Clinton is also an “authentic person,” he said, who talks to his children the same way she speaks to world leaders.

And with Tuesday’s primary election in Pennsylvania running tight, the opportunity for Hoosier voters to choose the Democratic party’s candidate is imminent.

“You guys here in Indiana are going to do it,” he said. “If Pennsylvania passes you the ball, then you can slam dunk it here in Indiana”

But regardless of whom one supports, Danson encourages everyone to volunteer in the process.

“Volunteers are the heart and soul of the candidates,” he said. “The eyes of the world are on Indiana.”

Buy this album!

I'm back from the Yom Tov hiatus. Now, what are you still doing? You must buy this album:


One of Jukebox the Ghost's members has ties to the Commonwealth of Kentucky but don't let that deter you any.

This is a great band. I saw them at the Rud a few months back during their your.

Live footage

Live footage of this morning's West Salem, Illinois earthquake can be found CNN thanks to WFIE in Evansville. The footage is from 14 Sunrise this morning.

Pesach Hiatus

Due to Shabbas and Pesach, I will not be on the computer from sundown Friday until after sundown Monday night.

I won't be forgetting Sarah Marshall but I won't be seeing the movie until Tuesday at the earliest.

Until then...

Earthquake shocks midwest

I slept straight through it. But as you can tell, this one was felt as far south as Atlanta, Georgia!

Residents across the Midwest were awakened Friday by a 5.2 magnitude earthquake that rattled skyscrapers in Chicago's Loop and homes in Cincinnati but appeared to cause no major injuries or damage.

The quake just before 5:37 a.m. was centered six miles from West Salem, Ill., and 45 miles from Evansville, Ind. It was felt in such distant cities as Milwaukee, Des Moines, Iowa, and Atlanta, nearly 400 miles to the southeast.

Bonnie Lucas, a morning co-host at WHO-AM in Des Moines, said she was sitting in her office when she felt her chair move. She grabbed her desk, and then heard the ceiling panels start to creak. The shaking lasted about 5 seconds, she said.

The quake is believed to have involved the Wabash fault, a northern extension of the New Madrid fault about six miles north of Mount Carmel, Ill., said United States Geological Survey geophysicist Randy Baldwin.

The last earthquake in the region to approach the severity of Friday's temblor was a 5.0 magnitude quake that shook a nearby area in 2002, Baldwin said.

"This is a fairly large quake for this region," he said. "They might occur every few years."

Initially reported as a 5.4-magnitude earthquake, the USGS revised its estimate to 5.2. Two aftershocks during the next three hours measured 2.6 and a 2.5.

"This was widely felt, all the way to Atlanta, a little bit in Michigan," said USGS geophysicist Carrieann Bedwell.[...]

In Louisville, Ky., the quake caused some bricks to fall off a building near downtown. Television video showed them strewn in the street.

In Chicago, officials were checking structures downtown to ensure there was no damage. The quake also shook skyscrapers in downtown Indianapolis, about 160 miles northeast of the epicenter.

Several aftershocks have occurred and I felt one between 11:10 and 11:15 AM, which was reported to be a 4.5 on the Richter scale.

Major irony? Business First had an article on earthquake insurance in today's paper.

On shaky ground: Proximity to New Madrid fault means Louisville homes, businesses should be insured for earthquakes

Business First of Louisville - by Marilyn Clark Business First Correspondent

Though Louisville has never been the epicenter of an earthquake, that doesn't mean those living in the area should ignore the possibility of a big one coming and causing major damage to homes and businesses.

Debate, schmebate

What debate? The only thing to debate is how much money Forgetting Sarah Marshall will be bringing in since much of the Jewish viewers will be busy cooking for Pesach.

Did you notice this trend? I sure didn't until now.

Americans vote at the ballot box, they also express their political preferences at the box office. And recent cinematic trends suggest that conservatism is not as moribund as some hope and others fear.

An intriguing case in point is the inability of Hollywood to translate the unpopularity of the war into domestic box office success. Major studios have produced movies highly critical of Bush's war on terror with some of Hollywood's most bankable stars.

However, every one of these movies bombed at the box office. Consider "Rendition" with Reese Witherspoon and Jake Gyllenhaal, "In the Valley of Elah" with Tommy Lee Jones and Charlize Thereon or "Lions for Lambs" with Tom Cruise, Robert Redford and Meryl Streep. These box office flops led Jon Stewart to quip at the Oscars that "Withdrawing the Iraq movies would only embolden the audience. We cannot let the audience win."

By contrast, recent movies with distinctly conservative messages have been huge hits. Judd Apatow's recent films are a case in point. "Knocked Up," and "Superbad," earned a combined domestic gross in excess of $270,000,000.

With their drug use, drinking and gross humor, these movies might seem like unlikely platforms for traditional values. However, no less an authoritative source than Seth Rogen, star of "Knocked Up" and co-writer of "Superbad," said, "We make extremely right-wing movies with extremely filthy dialogue."

The thematic content of these movies supports Rogen's point. Each movie is a traditional morality tale, a poignantly humorous work where characters come of age by overcoming modern temptations and embracing conservative principles.

"Superbad" is the story of two geeky boys about to graduate high school who spend a night quixotically searching for liquor and meaningless sex, only to find that they do not need the former or desire the latter.

"Knocked Up" also unabashedly celebrates traditional mores. Rogen plays a stoner and a slacker who impregnates a young career woman during a night of drunken sex. However, the young woman decides to have her child even though an unplanned pregnancy might jeopardize her budding career as a television reporter.

Equally as telling, Rogen's character redeems his feckless life by committing himself to his partner and their child. The result is a movie that is as expressly pro-monogamy as it is implicitly anti-abortion.

And I thought Hollywood was full of liberals.

Speaking of Judd Apatow and Sarah Marshall, The Hollywood Reporter has a great article up.

Bloggers visit Israel

I can't help but get a chuckle out of this. It's a great article...but could you at least get the name right?

Chris Powers, who writes for Open Left, said he and some other prominent bloggers stopped writing about the war when the talkbacks became especially ugly, pitting pro and anti-Israel readers against one another.

For Jerome Armstrong, a Democratic Party strategist and political consultant who blogs at mydd.com and was a pioneer in the blogging world, even coining the now popular expression "netroots" -- referring to grassroots work done online -- the critiques of Israel found in the progressive blogosphere often have a constructive bent.

"I think a lot of it comes from a healthy skepticism or a healthy desire to see the conflict solved," he said.

Waldman resented what he said were attempts by Jewish Republicans to suggest that the Jews within the Democratic Party were somehow less supportive of Israel.

"That does not fly with anyone," he said. "It's insulting and stupid" to say that Jewish Democrats "would be less interested in the security of anyone, including Israel."

As for seeing Israel in person, Armstrong said he welcomed the chance. He had written about Israel only sporadically and usually during Knesset elections.

"I'm getting familiar with the situation and seeing different perspectives and talking to people firsthand," he said. "Certainly I am not going to go back with all answers," but upon returning to the United States, it will be easier "to relate to and stay in touch with" the topic more.

Protest of Carter is bipartisan

JTA:

More than 50 members of Congress called on Jimmy Carter not to meet with Hamas' exiled leader.

The letter, signed by Democrats and Republicans, listed the names of 26 Americans killed by Hamas and urged the former U.S. president not to proceed with a planned meeting with Khaled Mashaal in Damascus.

"President Carter," the letter said, "do not meet with the man who ordered their deaths."

Among the signatories were 10 Jewish representatives, including Democrats Eliot Engel, Jerrold Nadler and Anthony Weiner of New York; Robert Wexler and Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida; Shelley Berkley of Nevada; Brad Sherman of California; and Barney Frank of Massachusetts. Eric Cantor, a Virginia Republican, also signed.

A separate letter to Carter urging him to cancel the meeting was sent Wednesday by Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-N.Y.), chairman of the subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia.

Speaking of the trip, take a look at just how far the shunning of Carter goes:

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and other Israeli government officials declined to meet Carter during his four-day stay here. He was refused permission to visit the Gaza Strip, and Shin Bet bodyguards were not even around to help his Secret Service detail.

At the heart of these slights is Carter's plan to travel to Syria to meet Hamas’ leader in exile, Khaled Meshaal -- a man blacklisted by Israel, the United States and the European Union for his orchestration of Hamas terrorism.

Carter’s itinerary has caused a stir in the United States, too, where President Bush and the three major-party presidential candidates criticized his plans to visit Meshaal.

Travis Ford headed for Oklahoma State?

That seems to be the latest word on this never-ending coaching carousel as ESPN reports:

Multiple sources have confirmed that barring unforeseen circumstances, Massachusetts coach Travis Ford is expected to be named the new head coach at Oklahoma State, ESPN's Doug Gottlieb reported.

Ford, who reached a new deal on a contract at UMass less than a week ago, planned to meet with the UMass team in Amherst on Wednesday, Gottlieb reported.

A week ago, at the Minutemen's end-of-season banquet, UMass athletic director John McCutcheon announced Ford, who had just turned down an offer from Providence, would be staying and had reached a new deal, but would not discuss its terms.

Ford led UMass to the NIT championship game this past season, where the team lost to Ohio State. He is 62-35 in three seasons at UMass.

Ford was also named as a candidate for the LSU opening, but he withdrew his name from consideration. The Tigers hired Trent Johnson on Friday.

Sean Sutton resigned from Oklahoma State after going 39-29 in two seasons. The Cowboys failed to reach the NCAA tournament in 2007 and 2008.

In a matter of all irony, then-coach Eddie Sutton did not recruit Travis Ford to play for Kentucky so Ford landed at Missouri. Ford would transfer to Kentucky after Sutton's dismissal and the hiring of Rick Pitino.

The Jimmy Carter hates America and loves terrorist a-holes tour

It's the second or third day in the Middle East tour of the man formerly elected president only to turn his back on true American values so that he can start a counterproductive attempt at a dialogue with terrorists who want to see Israel wiped off the map.

Jimmy Carter needs his superdelegate status revoked. He's not showing presidential leadership. He's showing he's an ego-maniac.

I call BS on the ex-insert your own title here since he doesn't deserve to be called ex-president. See this.

Carter's delegation said no meeting has been confirmed, but talks with Hamas officials are "currently under discussion."

There is a meeting alright. You know there is. Why there is a meeting in the first place is beyond frickin' belief.

The 83-year-old former president said he has been denied permission to go into Gaza, although he added, "I would like to."

Carter is on the third day of a nine-day "study mission" to the Middle East, as part of his "ongoing effort to support peace, democracy, and human rights in the region," according to the Carter Center Web site.

During a visit to the West Bank on Tuesday, Carter placed a wreath at the Ramallah grave of former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. He also said he hoped to meet with exiled Hamas leader Khalid Meshaal when he visits Damascus, Syria, in the coming days.

"I'm going to try everything I can to get him (Meshaal) to agree to peaceful resolution of differences both with the Israelis through Gaza and also with Fatah," Carter said..

Please, let me know what he is smoking because there is never, EVER going to be peace until as Golda Meir once proclaimed: "Peace will come when the Arabs will love their children more than they hate us."

If Jimmy Carter thinks he is on a good will tour, he can forget whatever credibility he has left...even if he already had zero credibility left.

Jimmy Carter, you are not welcome in the Democratic Party for your terrorist-loving values. I call on Howard Dean to revoke Carter's status as a Super Delegate. Traitors don't need to be on the convention floor in Denver and that's what Carter is, a terrorist-loving @$$hole traitor to this country.

Fatah, the party of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, is a rival to Hamas.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game in Yiddish

Some more Pesach humor

This one comes from the late legendary comedian George Burns.

During one of my many trips to London, I became friends with a very wealthy, yet very modest, Jewish chap named Hyman Goldfarb. On one visit, Hy told me that because of his large donations to charities through the years, the queen wanted to knight him, but he was going to turn it down.

"That's a great honor," I said. "Why would you turn it down?"

"Because during the ceremony you have to say something in Latin," he said. "And I don't wish to bother studying Latin just for that."

"So say something in Hebrew. The queen wouldn't know the difference."

"Brilliant," Hy complimented me, "but what should I say?"

"Remember that question the son asks the father on the first night of Passover? ... Can you say that in Hebrew?"

"Of course," he said. "Ma nishtana ha leila hazeh. Thank you, old sport, I shall become a knight."

At the ceremony Hy waited his turn while several of the other honorees went before the queen. Finally they called his name. He knelt before Her Majesty, she placed her sword on one shoulder and then on the other, and motioned for Hy to speak.

Out came "Ma nishtana ha leila hazeh."

The queen turned to her husband and said, "Why is this knight different from all other knights?"

It's Wednesday, did you forget Sarah Marshall?

We sure didn't and it's hard to forget Sarah Marshall. She reminds me of that girl, Veronica Mars, or even Elle on Heroes. I cannot explain the reasons why but I am having a hard time forgetting Sarah Marshall.

Variety has some, um, interesting comments from producer (and this era's Mel Brooks) Judd Apatow.

"It's an 'R,' and it's committed to its 'R,' " said Universal topper Marc Shmuger.

As for his inclination toward bawdy humor, Apatow said: "Life is an 'R.' Someday, I hope the Oscars are on cable so they can do a montage of penis scenes."

Segel called his film "a romantic comedy that defies expectations" and said his own sensibility fit perfectly with Apatow's.

"I was born without shame," said Segel. "And that's what Judd demands."

Does Nick Stoller feel any pressure with the Apatow Hit Factory?

MM: So now you’re considered a part of that Apatow group. Before you were behind-the-scenes, so not really known, but now every year it’s a new movie from that group. So it’s inevitable that Forgetting Sarah Marshall will be compared to movies like Superbad, Knocked Up and The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Do you feel pressure because of that?

Nicholas Stoller (NS): No I don’t, actually. What each of these movies share I think, and obviously I’m biased, but they share a high joke-to-movie ratio. The nature is in there also; they each have a sweetness and heart to them that I think people respond to, but I think they’re actually pretty different, despite that. So I feel like people will judge [the movie] on its own merits… and I’m pretty happy with it.

Smart alecs in movies...

So, um, yea, I don't know about calling Ellen Page a smart alec. She doesn't come off as one in my book but apparrently, she is one according to this article. But she is in very good company:

Cal, The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)

Seth Rogen has a long history of playing the wisecracking sidekick, dating back to his first big role on the short-lived NBC drama Freaks and Geeks. But it wasn't until The 40-Year-Old Virgin came out that audiences really began to appreciate his wry humour. As the raunchy, inappropriate Cal, Rogen ad-libbed most of his best lines, including the now-legendary "You know how I know you're gay?" scene with Paul Rudd.

Snark Factor: Three out of five. Rogen is so funny that it's difficult to hear some of his lines over the laughter, but since he's not the main character, his scenes end too soon.

Happy belated 26th birthday Seth Rogen!

Seth Rogen of Freaks and Geeks, Knocked Up and SuperBad fame turned 26 yesterday. How this was missed in the calendar is beyond me. We hope it went well for the rising comedic star!

Michael Beasley declares for NBA Draft

At a press conference a few moments ago, Kansas State freshman Michael Beasley announced that he would be declaring for the NBA Draft.

"That's what he wants to do. Mike feels he can play with anybody," Curtis Malone, Beasley's former AAU coach, told the Kansas City Star.

Malone told the newspaper that he talked with Beasley as late as Sunday.

"My last words to him were, 'Do what you feel is best.' He's considered the option of going back," Malone told the Star. "He doesn't want to be selfish, either. But he also wants to take care of his family."

While Beasley is expected to be one of the top picks in the June 26 draft if he declares, the consensus All-American called in advisers and family members over the weekend to help him make a choice before his self-imposed 6 p.m. ET deadline.

Nobody doubts his NBA potential. Quick, strong and agile, the 6-foot-10 power forward had the second-most rebounds and third-most points of any freshman in NCAA history and led the Wildcats to their first NCAA tournament victory in 20 years.

"There's no question in my mind who the best player in the country is," said Kansas coach Bill Self. "It's Michael Beasley. He may not win all the player of the year awards, but he's the best player."

Kansas State coach Frank Martin has made no secret of his advice for Beasley.

"I think he's going to go, and I think it's the right thing to do, because he's going to be the top pick in the draft," Martin said in an interview with The Associated Press.

His friends know Beasley as a big, playful kid who will jolt teammates out of bed in the morning by shooting them with a water pistol. Opposing players know him as the bruising forward who averaged 26.2 points and a nation-leading 12.4 rebounds.

The day he arrived at Kansas State as the most highly advertised recruit in school history, he talked about sticking around.

"I don't want to be an athletic student," he said. "I want to be a student-athlete."

A Pesach Joke

This comes via Kosher4Passover.com:
Top 10 Reasons to Celebrate Passover
10. Save money by using last year’s Matza (it won’t taste any different and you haven’t thought of eating it since then)
9. Elbows on the table
8. Maror – it’s a better medicine for sinuses than any prescription.
7. Four cups of wine (and if Elijah doesn’t show this year, there’s a 5th!!)
6. The extra cash from selling your Chometz comes in handy after Spring Break.
5. The required cleaning of the refrigerator gives you a reason to throw out that old milk container.
4. You actually eat the parsley.
3. Reasons to use your wooden spoon, candle, and feather collection that you can actually tell you mother about.
2. Think of all the toilet paper you save by eating Matzah for a week.
1. To remember that Charlton Heston (and his wife, Lilly Munster) led you out of Egypt.

Another one:
Moses was sitting in the Egyptian ghetto. Things were terrible. Pharaoh wouldn't even speak to him. The rest of the Israelites were mad at him and making the overseers even more irritable than usual, etc. He was about ready to give up.

Suddenly a booming, sonorous voice spoke from above:

"You, Moses, heed me ! I have good news, and bad news."

Moses was staggered. The voice continued:

"You, Moses, will lead the People of Israel from bondage. If Pharaoh refuses to release your bonds, I will smite Egypt with a rain of frogs"

"You, Moses, will lead the People of Israel to the Promised Land. If Pharaoh blocks your way, I will smite Egypt with a plague of Locust."

"You, Moses, will lead the People of Israel to freedom and safety. If Pharaoh's army pursues you, I will part the waters of the Red Sea to open your path to the Promised Land."

Moses was stunned. He stammered, "That's.... that's fantastic. I can't believe it! --- But what's the bad news?"

"You, Moses, must write the Environmental Impact Statement."

Boycott the Opening Ceremony

China has a severe human rights problem and that it why I am in agreement that the opening ceremony must be boycotted by the United States of America.

In a statement last week directed at the Bush administration, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs cited China's human rights record as well as its close relations with the regime in Sudan, where hundreds of thousands of civilians have been killed by government-allied militias in the Darfur province.

"In the spirit of the Olympics, China's close relationship with Sudanese President Al Bashir puts it in a unique position to help end the genocide in Darfur," JCPA chairwoman Andrea Weinstein said. "However, instead of advocating for peace, the Chinese government has allowed the atrocities in Sudan to continue. By boycotting the opening ceremony of this year's Olympic Games, President Bush would send an unmistakable message that the United States does not and will not countenance genocide."

Jewish groups have led efforts to press Sudan into ending the Darfur genocide.

Speaking of which...an Israeli has been jailed in China for four months with no trial.

An Israeli businessman has been held in a Chinese jail for nearly four months without a trial, his lawyer and family say.

Dato Mansharove, 32, of Or Yehuda, was detained at the end of December by Chinese customs officials as he crossed the border from Hong Kong to the Chinese city of Shenzhen for failing to declare second-hand cell phones in his possession. Mansharove was bringing approximately 450 second-hand cell phones to Shenzhen for repairs.

According to Mansharove's lawyer, David Buxbaum, the Israeli's failure to declare the phones to customs should at most have warranted a fine.

The Israeli government has sent consular agents to meet with Mansharove but has not negotiated for his release.

More on the Carter...

There's more information being reported on Jimmy Carter's Middle East Tour (or rather, Jimmy Carter promotes anti-American values by meeting with murderous terrorists from Hamas despite being warned by the Department of State not to):

Former President Jimmy Carter said he hoped to help open talks between Hamas and U.S. leaders, saying Washington's policy of not meeting with people it labeled terrorists was counterproductive.

Carter's one-sided views are counterproductive and it is very clear that we don't approve of meeting with terrorists. Didn't he refuse to debate Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz at Brandeis?

Speaking at an event organized by an Israeli financial newspaper, Carter said he wanted to become a "communicator" between Hamas and the U.S.

Who named Carter as ambassador without our knowledge?

"I hope then the Israeli government will deign to meet with me — they have so far refused," he said.

Good for them. Maybe if you looked at your reputation over the years.

Carter brokered Israel's historic peace accord with Egypt in 1979, the first treaty it signed with an Arab country. But he has been unpopular in Israel since publishing a book two years ago drawing comparisons between Israeli policies in the West Bank and Gaza and apartheid in South Africa.

Sderot mayor Eli Moyal said he met with Carter to present Israel's side, even though he said he was "upset" about Carter's scheduled meeting with the Hamas leader, Khaled Mashaal.

"I don't think he should meet with killers," Moyal said.

I agree. He shouldn't be meeting with terrorist murderers.

"The most important single foreign policy goal in my life has been to bring peace to Israel, and peace and justice to Israel's neighbors. I have done everything I could in office and since I left office to do that," the paper quoted Carter as saying.

Maybe, maybe not. It's very clear that all Jimmy Carter cares about his Jimmy Carter and the Jimmy Carter we know now hates America and the values we stand for.

Carter jumps the shark...again

I've been trying my best to keep the political stuff out of here but this is one that has to be said because Jimmy Carter jumped the shark ten years ago, if not more. Who does he think he is?!? This ex-president must have dementia or something! Seriously, you don't just think you can fly overseas to talk to a terrorist! That's the job of CIA, NSA, or FBI operatives!!

Jimmy Carter is worse than damaged goods. If he were a television show, he would have been cancelled a long time ago. It's folks like him that make the Democratic Party look bad and question whether one belongs to a party that welcomes a guy like Carter with open arms. I cannot tolerate his anti-Zionist viewpoints.

The following was written this morning after he met with Shimon Peres:

Shimon Peres told Jimmy Carter that he has damaged Israel and the peace process.

The Israeli president met Carter shortly after the former U.S. president landed in Israel Sunday as part of a Middle East tour.

Carter has been sharply critical of Israel on its Middle East stance, notably in his recent book "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid."

During the meeting, Peres also criticized Carter's decision to meet later in the week with the exiled leader of Hamas.

Carter earlier had defended his controversial decision to meet Khaled Meshaal while in Syria.

"It's very important that at least someone meet with the Hamas leaders to express their views, to ascertain what flexibility they have, to try to induce them to stop all attacks against innocent civilians in Israel and to cooperate with the Fatah as a group that unites the Palestinians," Carter said in an exclusive interview with George Stephanopoulos on "This Week" on ABC aired Sunday morning.

Carter also met with Noam Shalit, the father of captured soldier Gilad Shalit.

He was also scheduled to meet with Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Shas Party chairman Eli Yishai and Israel Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni both declined to meet Carter, citing "scheduling conflicts." Opposition leader Benjamin Netanyau also canceled his meeting.

Leaders in Washington and Jerusalem reacted with outrage this week to reports that Carter planned to meet with Meshaal, who lives in Damascus. A State Department spokesperson said senior officials had counseled Carter not to proceed with the meeting.

Abraham Foxman, the National Director of the Anti-Defamation League, did release a statement:

Jimmy Carter does it again. His decision to meet with the head of the terrorist group Hamas is one more example of the destructive role the former President is playing with regard to issues affecting Israel and American interests in the Middle East.

At a time when the anti-terrorist coalition of nations is struggling to maintain pressure on Hamas, Mr. Carter's action can only serve to undermine that effort. Once again, Mr. Carter seems more comfortable with extremists and terrorists than with democratic friends like Israel, which he lambasted in his book, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.

It would be better for all if Mr. Carter would permanently remove the Middle East from his agenda.

The NJDC has also expressed concern.

The RJC went as far as calling on Obama's campaign to reject Carter's superdelegate vote.

I agree with Shack, Carter should be detained and treated as a traitor when he gets back to America...as it is very clear now: JIMMY CARTER HATES AMERICA!

Apatow to be honored

Mazel tov, Judd Apatow!

Judd Apatow will be honored with the Visionary Award, recognizing a filmmaker who inspires movie marketers, at the 37th annual Hollywood Reporter Movie Marketing Key Art Awards.

The awards ceremony will be held June 13 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza.

Apatow, working as a writer, director and producer, has become a comedy brand name in recent years with such hit films as "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," "Knocked Up" and "Superbad." He serves as producer of "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," which bows Friday. Jeff Garlin, who plays Larry David's manager and sidekick on HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm," will contribute to the evening's laugh quotient as host.

Nick Stoller has another interview. I'm awaiting my chance to see Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

Comedians give back

Jon Stewart hosted a star-studded cast last night for an autism benefit. Comedians have a serious side. Trust me, I know.

It's not too late to give back. You can donate here or mail a check to:
New York Center for Autism Charter School
Att: 2008 Night of Too Many Stars
477 Madison Avenue, Suite 420
New York, NY 10022

USA Today reports:

Adam Sandler, Tina Fey, Sarah Silverman, Conan O'Brien, Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Will Arnett and Amy Poehler were among celebrities taking part in Night of Too Many Stars: An Overbooked Concert for Autism Education, hosted by The Daily Show's Jon Stewart at the Beacon Theatre. The show was broadcast live on Comedy Central.

Comedians who couldn't appear in person, such as Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell and Will Ferrell (as President Bush), participated via satellite. But it was one big party for the crew at the Beacon.[...]

special raises money for a variety of schools and outreach programs for autistic children. The man organizing the laughs is comedian and cartoonist Robert Smigel, best known for his character Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. Smigel's son, Daniel, is autistic. The last special, which aired in 2006, generated nearly $3 million and featured a memorable turn by Sacha Baron Cohen's Borat via satellite.

It's a welcome assignment for many. "I'm singing a really generic … opening song," said Kelsey Grammer, who was accompanied on the red carpet by wife Camille. "We do what we can."

Comedian Sarah Silverman had no reservations about participating, she said, thanks to "Smigel. He makes the whole thing happen. … And it's all people I know from different parts of my life. It's like a family reunion."

When asked how he got so many celebrities to participate, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, played by Smigel, who had his face covered so only the character could be photographed, noted one method: "I have a lot a dirt on Conan. I've seen him naked."

In fact, O'Brien was one of the dozens of performers in the opening number, which played on the importance of celebrity.

Among the anonymous individuals to take the stage were members of the Blue Man Group. But as their set proceeded, Stewart recognized a fellow comedian: King of Queens' Kevin James disguised as a member of the troupe, with the trademark blue paint. James later joined other celebrities taking calls at the phone bank.

Another surprise appearance: Connecticut's Democratic Sen. Chris Dodd, a former presidential candidate, who replaced James at the phone bank and talked to host Stewart on air without realizing his ear was blue from paint left on the phone receiver. But Dodd rolled with the laughs, showing that even politicians can get into the act when it's for a good cause.

Ben Stiller, backed by Fred Armisen and Will Forte, sang a parody of "We Didn't Start the Fire" with names of donors included.

Pesach Video Humor

Some Pesach humor for you in the form of YouTube videos.

Manischewitzville:


Who Let the Jews Out:


AISH: The Office Exodus

Kentucky Recruiting Watch

The news from St. Louis is that Josh Harrellson has narrowed his choices down to the Kentucky Wildcats and St. Louis Billikens. Harrellson is considering SLU as it's close to home but Kentucky is on the list of visits to make as well.

Among the interested observers at the Riverwar high school all-star game at Chaifetz Arena on Saturday was Josh Harrellson. He’s the 6-9 center/forward from St. Charles who played last season at Southwestern Illinois College and has finally gotten a release from the letter of intent he signed with Western Illinois.

Harrellson’s release isn’t yet official — he expects to get through the NCAA clearinghouse on Monday — but when it is, he said he’s looking at Kentucky, SLU, Missouri, Purdue and Indiana. He was going to make his SLU visit on Saturday, but had to push it back because he hadn’t been cleared yet. So he’ll go to Kentucky next weekend, then SLU the week after that. He said he wasn’t sure if he would make any trips after that.

He said he likes SLU because he wants to play close to home, but likes Kentucky because he thinks he can play at the top level. He likes Rick Majerus and he likes Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie. “I guarantee you it will come down between those two,” he told me. “I’ll make the decision based on what’s best for me.”

He was impressed by Chaifetz Arena and the potential teammates he was watching on the court.

SLU could use Harrellson because with so many freshmen coming in, anyone with any experience will be valuable, and Harrelson - who averaged 15 points and eight rebounds at SWIC – is a good talent to boot. He’ll have three years of eligibility left.

All Clinton all the time...

Hillary Clinton delivered the following statement yesterday at a “Solutions for the Urban Economy” town hall meeting in Philadelphia, PA.:

Hillary Clinton Reacts to Sen. Obama’s Newly Discovered Characterizations of Pennsylvanians

“I saw in the media it’s being reported that my opponent said that the people of Pennsylvania who faced hard times are bitter. Well, that’s not my experience.

“As I travel around Pennsylvania, I meet people who are resilient, who are optimistic, who are positive, who are rolling up their sleeves. They are working hard everyday for a better future, for themselves and their children.

“Pennsylvanians don’t need a president who looks down on them, they need a president who stands up for them, who fights for them, who works hard for your futures, your jobs, your families.”

Here are Senator Obama's comments:

OBAMA:So, it depends on where you are, but I think it's fair to say that the places where we are going to have to do the most work are the places where people are most cynical about government. The people are mis-appre...they're misunderstanding why the demographics in our, in this contest have broken out as they are. Because everybody just ascribes it to 'white working-class don't wanna work -- don't wanna vote for the black guy.' That's...there were intimations of that in an article in the Sunday New York Times today - kind of implies that it's sort of a race thing.

Here's how it is: in a lot of these communities in big industrial states like Ohio and Pennsylvania, people have been beaten down so long. They feel so betrayed by government that when they hear a pitch that is premised on not being cynical about government, then a part of them just doesn't buy it. And when it's delivered by -- it's true that when it's delivered by a 46-year-old black man named Barack Obama, then that adds another layer of skepticism.

But -- so the questions you're most likely to get about me, 'Well, what is this guy going to do for me? What is the concrete thing?' What they wanna hear is -- so, we'll give you talking points about what we're proposing -- to close tax loopholes, you know, roll back the tax cuts for the top 1 percent. Obama's gonna give tax breaks to middle-class folks and we're gonna provide health care for every American.

But the truth is, is that, our challenge is to get people persuaded that we can make progress when there's not evidence of that in their daily lives. You go into some of these small towns in Pennsylvania, and like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them. And they fell through the Clinton administration, and the Bush administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not. And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.

Um, now these are in some communities, you know. I think what you'll find is, is that people of every background -- there are gonna be a mix of people, you can go in the toughest neighborhoods, you know working-class lunch-pail folks, you'll find Obama enthusiasts. And you can go into places where you think I'd be very strong and people will just be skeptical. The important thing is that you show up and you're doing what you're doing.

Florida demands recognition.

Rudy supports Hillary Clinton.

Actor Sean Astin said he thought some people might try to compare his role in the film “Rudy” with Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.

But, Astin said he doesn’t believe Clinton is fighting seemingly insurmountable odds, as Rudy was.

Speaking on behalf of the New York senator Friday at Wilkes University, Astin said he believes Clinton will win the Democratic presidential nomination.

But there is one scene from the movie that could play well in the New York senator’s campaign, he said. As Rudy prepares to take the field, a teammate asks, “Rudy, are you ready for this, champ?”

Rudy’s response: “I’ve been ready for this my whole life!”

“Rudy” tells the story of Daniel E. “Rudy” Ruettiger who led the Notre Dame Fighting Irish onto the field against Georgia Tech. The diminutive Ruettiger entered the game near the end and sacked the quarterback. He was carried off the field on the shoulders of his teammates and the story serves as an inspiration to millions of people worldwide.

Astin said he hoped to bring that kind of message to the Clinton campaign. Speaking to about 75 students at the Henry Student Center, Astin praised Clinton.

“I agree with Gov. Ed Rendell when he says Hillary Clinton gets it,” Astin said. “She not only gets it, she gets how to pay for it.”

Astin said he has been a fan of Clinton since he heard her speak at the University of Colorado in 1992.

“She’s an extraordinary woman who has the sincerity and the genuine-ness we need in a president. She is authentic and it comes out when you hear her speak.”

Apatow Roundup

There are chick flicks for men...and Judd Apatow makes them.

You may not be expecting Freudian symbolism in movies starring Steve Carell, but that's exactly what you're getting.

And while Trish may be chopping vegetables, what you're also getting is the meat of insecurity in what are becoming known as "Apatow films," that is, movies written, directed or produced by Syosset native Judd Apatow, the latest of which - "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" - opens Friday. Apatow produced that one. He co-wrote and directed "Virgin," wrote and directed "Knocked Up," and produced "Superbad," "Talladega Nights" and "Anchorman." You couldn't do all this without a formula, it seems safe to say, and in this case the formula involves the male at his worst, the male under siege and, also, in pain.

Pain, of course, has been part of comedy as long as there's been tragedy. (Comedy is tragedy happening to someone else, as W.C. Fields once said, and considering the humiliation Fields suffered on film, he could work for Apatow tomorrow.) You need a golden idol of comedy? Consider the banana peel. But the so-called "Apatows" - which have occasionally been directed by Adam McKay ("Anchorman," "Talladega") and are often written by their actors (Jason Segel is both writer and star of "Sarah Marshall") - revel in the humiliation of men.

Some of it is self-inflicted: Andy's bike helmet is fashion suicide; Ben Stone (Seth Rogen) of "Knocked Up" could, in fact, get a job and put down the gas-mask bong. For others, culpability is less direct. In "Sarah Marshall," Peter Bretter (Segel) is dumped by the title character, cruelly, inexplicably - and yet, he seems to have brought it on himself. He's been known to hang around in sweatpants. He subsists mostly on teeming bowls of Trix and milk. And he has dug himself a career rut deep enough to fit Jonah Hill.[...]

These are, uniformly, child-men, these Apatow guys, arrested adolescents. Emotionally stunted, insecure, possibly paranoid, they lack the survival instincts and/or social skills of any woman in any of their films. Weakness is their strong suit. Their reaction to feminism has been unconditional surrender.

The two fallacies in these movies are 1) that men are actually like this and 2) that they are not.

"I think we all just make movies about ourselves," said Nicholas Stoller, who makes his directing debut with "Sarah Marshall." "I don't know anyone, male or female, who isn't vulnerable, even if they're guarded about it. It's just the truth about humans in general.

"If I see a movie," he added, "and the male lead is just totally a man, it's usually a fantasy - or it's a movie I just don't buy."

Admitting that "all of us just cry a lot," Stoller (he wrote "Fun With Dick and Jane" and the upcoming "Yes Man") said that while the humiliation aspect of all these films is funny, they're not just for cheap laughs. When Sarah Marshall ( Kristen Bell) breaks up with Peter at the beginning of the film, he's totally naked. It makes you smile - or is that a wince?[...]

"It's not a conspiracy," said Nicholas Stoller, who directed "Forgetting Sarah Marshall." "I think it's a practice as old as movies: If somebody pops in a comedy, you try to make him the star of the next film."

His advice: "If you're an actor, and you're cast in a Judd Apatow movie, grow a beard."

No word on Paul Rudd or his razor.

Coming Soon speaks with Nicholas Stoller.

Jeremy Cox: Billy Gillispie is staying put

I told you once, and I'll tell you again. University of Kentucky Head Coach Billy Gillispie is not going anywhere, much to Seth Davis' dismay. The Wildcats coach is staying put as Kentucky assistant coach Jeremy Cox comments.

Kentucky Assistant Coach Jeremy Cox delivered a message this week to the junior college coach of two UK recruiting targets: Don't believe the speculation about Billy Gillispie going to Oklahoma State.

"He wanted to reassure me that nothing was going on," said Barret Peery, the coach at Southern Idaho.

Rumor for months had Gillispie possibly going to Oklahoma State. CBS fueled the flame by mentioning that scenario during its Final Four telecast.

Two of Peery's players are making recruiting visits to Kentucky this weekend. One, wing Kevin Galloway, committed to the Cats earlier this year.

The other is Juan Pattillo, a 6-foot-7 player.

"He's an athlete," Peery said of Pattillo. "An ultra athlete. A big, strong athlete. He can play above the rim. He's one of the best, if not the best athlete in junior college."

Pattillo, who averaged about 17 points and seven rebounds, is considering Oklahoma State. He plans to visit Oklahoma the weekend of April 17-19 before making a college choice.

Ford says no to Providence

Jeff Goodman at FOX Sports has the news that Travis Ford will turn down the job offer from Providence.

UMass coach Travis Ford is the latest to turn down Providence in its pursuit of a new men's basketball coach, according to sources.

George Mason coach Jim Larranaga, a Providence alum, spurned the Friars last week.

Ford made his decision Thursday afternoon, a day after touring the Providence campus. He is expected to make an announcement at the UMass team banquet tonight.

Note to Boone and Oklahoma State: Bill Self is staying at Kansas

ESPN:

Kansas coach Bill Self said Thursday he will remain with the national champions rather than listen to an offer to coach his alma mater Oklahoma State.

In a phone interview with ESPN.com's Andy Katz prior to a news conference Thursday afternoon, Self said he spoke with Oklahoma State athletics director Mike Holder on Wednesday night. Holder, Self said, did not discuss money and only asked if Self wanted to come home to Stillwater.

"I couldn't see leaving this place," Self, whose Jayhawks beat Memphis for the national championship on Monday, said of KU. "This is where we want to be."

The move ends uncertainty about Self's future after he led the Jayhawks to their first NCAA title in 20 years.

Self said he and the administration would meet soon to discuss a new contract, but there was no rush to finalize one.

"I'm still in shock about how we won," Self said. Kansas trailed Memphis by nine points with 2:12 left in regulation, tied the score on Mario Chalmers' 3-point shot in the closing seconds, then prevailed in overtime.

"I'm most proud we made so many plays under pressure," he said.

Self said he didn't want to leave Kansas in the manner he departed Tulsa and Illinois -- without enjoying the full fruits of the program's success.

Yahoo has more.

The deal would replace the contract extension Self signed last year that pays him $1.375 million annually.

"I don't know what the big deal is, to be honest," Self said, referring to the speculation over his future. "These last three weeks, four weeks, have been an absolute whirlwind.

"I don't know if a guy deserves to have as much fun as I've had," he said.[...]

Self's Jayhawks won a school-record 37 games and beat Memphis for the national title. Since replacing Roy Williams in 2003, Self is 142-32 with four regular-season Big 12 titles.

Self's new deal is likely to make him one of college basketball's highest-paid coaches. Florida coach Billy Donovan is believed to be the highest among coaches at public universities, after he signed a six-year contract worth $3.5 million per year in 2007.

It's Now or Never for Providence

This looks like it will be a bidding war between Providence and Massachusetts based on this report.

Providence College has made an offer to UMass men's basketball coach Travis Ford.

However, NBC 10 Sports Director Frank Carpano says that UMass has made a counteroffer that Ford mulling over.

Carpano says that sources told him the money is much less than what Providence is offering. Sources close to Ford said the he's not sure what he wants to do.

One source close to Providence said that they are getting the feeling that Ford may not accept their offer.

Here are some details about the counter-offer:

Sources say UMass has upped its offer to $500,000 a year but that can't compare with the Friars reported offer of $800,000 a season.

It wouldn't make any sense to make a comment until after tonight's season-ending banquet dinner. I would expect that Ford will take the offer from Providence. It's a hefty pay raise and it's where Coach Rick Pitino coached following a stint as an assistant with the New York Knicks under Hubie Brown from 1983-85 and then as head coach from 1987-89.

Obama's WTF moment of the day

ABC News Senior National Correspondent Jake Tapper catches this, um, exaggeration from Sen. Obama:

"This was done by a magazine that was connected to the church," Obama explained. "I would have never done it. It was primary focused on the rehabilitation work that they do for ex-offenders in Chicago. That doesn’t excuse it, that just explains it."

Obama reminded the crowd that he'd denounced his church’s praise of Farrakhan, saying, "I’ve been very clear about saying that was wrong. And nobody has spoken out more fiercely on the issue of anti- Semitism than I have."

Really? No one?

Elie Wiesel? Simon Wiesenthal? Alan Dershowitz?

No one?

Wow.

Consider myself stunned...