With the World series starting up tonight (go Giants) I thought it appropriate to take a little look at the upcoming elections and the likely Republican victory. One of the many things that stats junkies will be pondering is how many unearned runs will be scored by the two teams. I can’t predict where that number will come in but I do think it is clear that there is at least one unearned victory on the horizon, but it’s not happening tonight. Rather it will happen next Tuesday when, unless...

I thought that after seeing it for most of my life that I was largely immune to being shocked by the things that people out there say, but this one takes the cake. Posting on his Facebook page, Arkansas school board member Clint McCance said “Seriously they want me to wear purple because five queers committed suicide. The only way im wearin it for them is if they all commit suicide. I cant believe the people of this world have gotten this stupid. We are honoring the fact that they sinned and...

As we draw closer to election day it looks increasingly likely that the Democrats will lose control of the House (Nate Silver on 538.com gives the GOP 4-1 odds in favor of such an outcome). They are also likely to lose at least 3-5 Senate seats and could lose control there (Silver does not predict that but does call for a 7-8 seat GOP gain). Unlike 1994 this is not something that has snuck up on the Democrats. From the moment Scott Brown won his upset victory in January the party was on notice of...

A union worker was fired for wearing a Bush sweatshirt and hat while setting up the stage for an Obama event. The sweatshirt and hat were from the Aircraft Carrier USS George H W Bush, where the man’s son is serving. So a man wears a shirt to honor his son, who is in the line of fire to protect free speech, and is told by the labor union to stop or be fired. Nice liberal tolerance there…

This made me fall down laughing, then crying, then laughing again It is BRILLIANT

This is both fascinating and frightening. For some time archivists have had a film made in San Francisco before the 1906 earthquake. Most experts had dated the film to September or October 1905. But a film historian did a little more checking. He noticed rain puddles on the ground but the fall of 1905 was dry. He also checked the license plates on some of the cars in the film and found they were not registered until January or February 1906. Doing some more research he found that March 1906 was wet,...

Last week it was Mrs. Cleaver and today it is Mr. C. Tom Bosley has died at the age of 83

Barbara Billingsley best known to us all as Mrs. Cleaver has died at the age of 94. For many, perhaps most of us she was a comforting memory of childhood and innocence. A couple interesting tidbits. She wore pearls on LITB because she had what she calls a ‘hollow’ in her neck, a physical defect that would have really shown up on camera back then. They didn’t always use pearls but that was why she always had them. High heels were to compensate for the fact that Tony and Jerry were...

In recent weeks we have had a series of tragic suicides and horrifying attacks involving the GLBT community. Even worse, we have had people using the beauty of faith for their own hateful purposes. I fully accept that different people have different views on faith, but nobody should use a loving God for purposes of hate. For all my friends, and indeed for everyone in the GLBT community, know that despite what some may say, God does love you and always will. No matter what….

No words of mine could add to his powerful message Good for him

I think the analysis is too positive for the GOP but it is interesting to note that he has both GOP and Dem pickups, including a few D pickups in places most people would not predict.

Sounds like an SNL skit but… Election

Some are calling it the worlds first billion dollar home, though the bulk of that price is land value so I think it a tad deceptive. However as noted in this 2008 article it is pretty over the top, even for the mega rich. The home features a 160 car garage, a 50 seat movie theater, *three* helipads (with ATC center of course), and will have a 600 member staff. The ‘home’ is ready for occupancy now and they are planning one heck of a party I bet. I wonder if they want someone from the...

One of the possible surprises of the 2010 campaign is the US Senate race in West Virginia. When Robert Byrd died and the special election was set most expected Governor Manchin to win the race with ease over perennial candidate John Raese. But polls have shown the race quite close, with Manchin trailing in some polls. Although there are obviously a lot of factors at play, I am wondering if Manchin is experiencing what I like to call the Weld Syndrome. In 1996 Massachusetts Governor William Weld ran...

Not exactly a pro GOP rag, they are calling for a 60-70 seat gain by the GOP in November. Of course one could argue they are highballing things to make it look better if the GOP gains 40-50 seats. I still remain in the camp thinking this sweep may not be as big as some think. Polls are often self perpetuating and people decide differently in the voting booth (or living room).

The first couple test runs in the Chilean mine rescue have been successful ! They are now sending down the rescue vehicle to pick up the first miner It is expected to take about 30 minutes or so round trip God Bless the miners, their families and all involved in the rescue

U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips today ordered the military to stop all discharges under the DADT policy, following up on her earlier ruling that found the policy to violate the Constitution. Good for her. The ruling is likely to be appealed but it is a step on the road to justice.

I’ve never been a big fan of the Yankees but behavior like this, coming on the heels of everything that has happened in NYC over the past week, makes me glad I’m not a fan.

I love it when conflicting reports get placed right next to each other Three articles today on RCP 1: RCP average reaches new high for GOP 2: From MSNBC: Democrats clawing their way back 3: From Hotline: Hail Mary Time for Democrats Personally I’d guess the truth is somewhere in the middle of these stories. The GOP is certainly on a roll and if it were not for the often idiotic comments from Tea Party candidates the Dems would likely be doomed. But with the key to the election in the hands...

I was listening to Armstrong and Getty on the radio this morning when they made a pretty good point. Today is Columbus Day, a holiday that many consider to be one of the most pointless holidays of the entire year. After all Columbus didn’t discover anything, people were already here, and he wasn’t that good of a person by all accounts. So why do we have an official government holiday for him ? Certainly one of the main reasons is Italian pride, and that is understandable, but why not...

Today is National Coming Out Day, a date set aside for people to come out to their families and friends and for those family and friends to be supportive of those they love. Given the events of the past few weeks, ranging from the tragic suicides of young gay people who were bullied by peers to the horrific kidnap and torture case in New York City I think that this year it is even more important that we all mark this day, regardless of our personal sexual preferences. This is not simply a day for...

Interesting article here about how Arkansas may be going through a major shift this year. According to the story some legislative seats that have been solidly D since the end of Reconstruction in the 1870′s are now tossups. Arkansas has remained largely Democratic at the local level despite voting GOP for President, and this could be the tipping point (much as some areas of New england shifted in 2006 and 2008)

I never thought I’d be writing a post like this but Paladino’s latest idiotic and frightening comments are just too much for me. I can accept that different people feel different ways on issues of sexuality but there is a line that cannot or should not be crossed. Saying that you don’t approve of certain behavior is one thing, but making comments like he did this weekend are just too much, especially when they come only days after the horrific events in New York City itself, and...

Probable new North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attended a major North Korean rally, offering further proof that he is destined to take over for his ailing father. Under most circumstances the potential succession in a demented nation like North Korea would be of little import to the outside world, but with Kim Jong Beiber having possible control over nuclear weapons, it is well worth our attention.

Two top figures in the Nevada GOP have endorsed Harry Reid, saying that Sharon Angle is simply too out of the mainstream to represent the state in the US Senate. Former First Lady Dema Gunn and State Senate Minority Leader Bill Raggio both backed Reid. To be fair, Raggio has a history with Angle, who challenged his re-election in 2008 and Angle feuded with then Governor Gunn for being a ‘RINO’. Gunn, who died in July was a moderate. In addition, Raggio’s endorsement was particularly...