The Political Whore

A fitting video of the arrival of Fay, a storm we in the CL Weathercenter 4000 find highly suspect. Stay dry, folks.

• A weakened Fay lands at Cape Romano as a minimal hurricane (at worst).
• The NOAA storm track predicts a hard left turn near the FL/GA border.
• Large swath of Florida under tornado a tornado warning (but not the Bay area).
• Hillsborough and Pinellas counties call off evacuations.

And in non-storm news:

• The choice is made.
  
• Tampa Bay’s water supply sure is leaky.
• College presidents rethink the drinking age.
• The Rays win again.

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Obama does a little social work, helping care for — and foster a sense of community in — a certain elderly gentleman. Have a good weekend everyone.

• Welcome back Cold War. We apparently missed you.
• Obama camp swings back hard at The Obama Nation author Jerome Corsi.
• Despite being less popular than a smallpox outbreak, President Bush can still rake in the cash.
• Cable companies turn to the McCain campaign to hand them full control of the Internet after the election.
• Peter Pan hauled off in cuffs!
• At Oakland, The Rays pull out a 7-6 win in the 12th.
• Donald Trump (!) comes to Ed McMahon’s rescue.
• Sorry kids, Harry Potter’s next big screen adventure has been bumped to 2009.

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Olympic fever and the dull days of August have slowed real news to a trickle. Sports Illustrated has a list of the 25 best sports videos (that contain no actual sports) on YouTube. Here is #1. (Warning: Not for the kids.)

• While the world watched the Olympics, war broke out in Eastern Europe.
• Incidentally, if you missed Friday night’s incredible Opening Ceremonies, they can be seen here.
• Lieberman on McCain’s short list, proving past performance is not a vetting factor.
• Who the hell is Robert McGovern, and what the hell does he have to do with the Edwards mess?
• Be the first to know Obama’s V.P. choice.
• The U.S. poised for an economic recovery?
• R.I.P. Issac Hayes, R.I.P. Bernie Mac, R.I.P. Whaley’s Market.
• The Rays break the team record for wins in a season.

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As the debate over “The Surge” continues, here’s a look at Baghdad from a journalist who actually lives there.

• Obama flip-flops on offshore oil drilling.
• Inflation on the uptick.
• A new book claims the Bush administration faked evidence against Iraq in advance of the war.
• Republican voter numbers in decline. 
• Supermarket chains wheel and deal to stay competitive.
• Anybody seen about 120,000 gorillas?
• Morgan Freeman gets banged up in a serious car accident. Fortunately, doctors think he’ll be available for the next Batman movie.
• Jazz is for loners.

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Here’s a sneak peak of the movie everyone (especially angry conservatives looking to score political points) will be talking about this fall. Presenting the first trailer for Oliver Stone’s W.

• Bush to leave behind a $482 billion deficit — and that doesn’t include “the full cost of military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the potential $50 billion cost of another economic stimulus package, or the possibility of steeper losses in tax revenues if individual income or corporate profits decline.”
• You know the nation is in trouble when the Justice Department is guilty of repeatedly breaking the law.
• “Nuclear weapons are so 20th century.”
• McCain has part of his face removed; Obama’s hip hurts.
• Obama narrows the veep list … maybe.
• BlackLight’s not just for your Jimi Hendrix posters anymore.
• Amy Winehouse leaves the hospital, Kelsey Grammer checks in.
• Helpful tips for hallucinating the natural way.

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And so we bring the week to a close in style, with a little game of “Bush or Batman?” Have a good weekend everyone.

• Obama wows them on the continent.
• McCain’s going to pick Romney for V.P., isn’t he?
• No end in sight: Foreclosures double from a year ago.
• Ford loses $8.7 billion last quarter.
• Firm charged with manipulating the oil market. But the oil execs said high prices were only caused by supply and demand?
• Qantas may never crash, but they can still come damn close.
• The Internet’s “critical flaw” exposed.
• The Mindfreak prepares for a little building-implosion prestidigitation on Clearwater Beach.

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McCain insists he was right when he said The Surge led to the Anbar Awakening, despite the fact that the Awakening happened in 2006 and The Surge happened in 2007.

• Poor John McCain, he just can’t catch a break. (This is possibly the most ridiculous story ever published by the Washington Post.)
• Obama gets double the airtime of McCain, and double the tough questions.
• “If somebody told me that I would save the people on the airplane by taking my pants off out in public out there, I wouldn’t mind doing it, but this was not necessary.”
• The director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Center warns his employees to limit their cell phone use to avoid tumors. Ah, what does he know?
• Jewelry stores and investment banking firms prepare for the rush of new customers as the U.S. minimum wage jumps to just $6.55 an hour.
• Headline of the week: “Motor racing chief wins ‘Nazi’ orgy lawsuit.”
• The Bucs on the verge of landing Brett Favre? Just what they need, another really old QB.
• The Bruce B. Downs “flyover” opens, traffic remains somewhat snarled.

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Work got you down? The state of world keeping you up at night? Are stress and anxiety eating you alive? Have I got the solution for you:

• Obama touches down in Jordan.
• Wachovia crumbles.
• McCain blames Obama for high gas prices. Up next, the JFK assassination and sinking of The Maine.
• The not-so-sordid tale of the McCain NY Times op-ed. At least one reporter thinks the Times did McCain a favor.
• What should St. Pete do with the Pier? The city would like you input.
• Texas prepares for an impromptu production of Hello Dolly.
• Madonna crumbles. 
• iPods about to get a price cut?

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Obama’s weekend tour of Afghanistan (as shown in this AP video) seems to have gone well. And check that standing-o he gets from the troops.

• Iraq’s PM backs Obama’s withdrawal plan. The McCain camp pretends they are still relevant on the issue.
• Complete Bullshit: “Mullen: Timetable in Iraq ‘Dangerous’, Time Horizons Safe.”
• Where in the world is Barack Obama today?
• Ridiculous flying machines? Check. Humorous crash landings? Check. 100,000 spectators cooking in downtown Tampa swelter? Check!
• What Would Jesus Watch? Christian groups try to shut down Marriott’s in-room porn.
• This is why I don’t do triathlons.
• The Dark Knight slays ‘em at the box office.
• Facebook gets an update.

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