Are Democrats in the US Senate about to become filibuster-proof? It certainly seems that way with Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Spector announcing he is switching to the Democratic party and Al Fraken likely to take a seat soon. Despite an appeal by Franken's opponent, public polling shows the residents of Minnesotta want this election to be over with and want Coleman to concede defeat. I don't see that happening now, especially with this recent development. If nothing else, Coleman may hold on as long as possible to just prevent another Democrat from being seated.

I've loved the show "Scrubs" and have been catching the new episodes on ABC.
However, since moving from the peacock and having been on television since 2001, it's time to end it.
Now, there is talk ABC wants to do another season, but without the show's creator Bill Laurence and star Zach Braff.
This last season hasn't been the best but could end in a high note and leave it at that.
"Happy Days" wasn't the same when they changed the core cast.
The best shows know when to call it quits. It just ruins things to throw new characters into the mix in the hopes of breathing new life into a show.
"Scrubs" needs to end.

So it's Thursday evening and I'm looking at the entertainment section of Google news and there is some story on there about a feud between Billy Ray Cyrus and Jamie Foxx about the washed-up country star's meal ticket, I mean, daughter.
Come to in find out, Foxx made some comments on his radio show about her.
Usually I could care less about celebrity feuds.
It's about as important to me as, well, orange peels.
But, it just strikes me as nothing more than ego that, not only should we put up with Foxx in movies, but he also cuts albums and apparently has a radio show (called of all things, "The Foxxhole").
I guess he compares the format to what Howard Stern does (which is unfunny, vulgar humor that makes 12-year-old boys chuckle and conservatives squirm).
It's funny how a little bit of fame and money makes people think the rest of the world wants to have them in any way, shape or form.

So yesterday all the true patriots came out to protest the excessive government spending that has brought us to brink of economic collapse right?

Well, not really. Depending on where you look, it would seem most protests were aimed directly at Obama and the perception that he is a socialist, or by people who just don't want to pay their taxes without giving up any of the benefits from said taxes (police protection, road maintenance, social security, etc.). Sadly, a lot of the protests I saw seemed more like people regurgitating the slogans they had prior to the election that seem at best misguided and at worst instigative. And I'm probably the 9,000th person to point this out, but the original Boston Tea Party was protesting taxation without representation, where as yesterdays' protests were against taxation with democratically elected representation, just not the person they voted for... or just taxation in general.

I'm sure many people went with the idea of protesting excessive government spending funded by our tax dollars, but somewhere along the line that message got lost in inflammatory name-calling, and that's what really bothers me about this kind of thing. When a majority of the dialogue is empty rhetoric, those who actually make a good point largely get ignored. And to be clear, a majority of what got shown from these tea parties was empty rhetoric. That doesn't mean that's all there was, it just means the rest got overshadowed.

When one political party places all the blame on another it doesn't help because it's obviously not true, but people don't want to hear that. Take this footage from yesterday, note how quiet the crowd gets when Dr. Paul refuses to blame one side over the other for the financial mess the country is in.





And I'm not sure who thought it would be a good idea to call the protesters tea-baggers, but that's a sure-fire way to make sure they are not taken seriously.

What was once old is now new again.
Again.
Pirates are back baby, and this time without Johnny Depp.
Spike TV is in talks with the U.S. Navy to do a reality television show about hunting down pirates.
I wonder how long it will be before a cable movie is created (if it's not already in the works) about the rescue of Capt. Richard Phillips.
All of that aside, this is putting a bad light on buccaneers everywhere.
In these economic times, can we afford to put pirate-themed businesses in such a bind?
Long-time American businesses, such as Long John Silver's, could suffer under such scrutiny.
Avast, I would cross the seven seas in a rowboat for a life time supply of Treasure Chest family meals.
And then there is Harlequin Romance, publishers of such literary classics as "Pirate's Bride."
How many love-starved females are going to want to see pirates for what they are, lice-covered men with rat-like inbred features and greasy, stringy hair.
It's skullduggery!

I will say this for the Palin clan.
They probably dodged a bullet when their daughter and Levi Johnston broke up following the birth of their child.
Johnston has recently decided the air-headed and always in bad taste Tyra Banks' talk show was the perfect way he could cash in on his 15 minutes of fame by airing his dirty laundry.
The whole mess was a train wreck during the presidential race. Not because the two teens had sex, but because of who Bristol Palin chose to have sex with.
If Johnston is truly unhappy with not being able to spend more time with his three-month old child, then that is for the courts system, not daytime television.
It's just as snarky that the family issued a statement giving their disgust at his choice of going public.
The whole thing smells of Jerry Springer to me.

It's hard to really think of Madonna as being relevant in the whole pop artist who uses sexuality to shock audiences.
She almost put herself in a situation of self parody, having done almost everything but released a pornographic video of herself to anger up the blood of conservative religious groups.
Now she's attempting to adopt another child from a third-world country and is appealing a court ruling in Malawi to do so.
She's already adopted one child from the country (a practice Angelina Jolie has pioneered).
Critics argue she is using her star power to circumvent the law.
Other people condemn her because of the estimated half-million of children in the U.S. foster care system.
It's almost like some kind of weird celebrity accessory, like you are only the coolest if you can do this.
To me, if Madonna really wanted to so something for the children of this country, she'd use her money to help build schools or even try to establish a place where orphaned children of this country can live.
Instead, she treats it like a chance to get her name out in the media.
After all, how many silver hardcover books chuck full of nude pictures of yourself.

England is in shock... SHOCK... that First Lady Michelle Obama broke royal protocol and actually touched Queen Elizabeth during their meeting yesterday. Well, okay, maybe not, but the story is making the tabloids as if it was a big deal, though to whom isn't clear. The Queen herself didn't seem bothered by any of it and was reportedly the one who initiated contact by putting her her arm on Mrs. Obama's back, after which the first lady returned the gesture by putting her arm around the Queen for a few seconds. Aides were shocked but nobody actually seeemed offended.

I doubt this will be news by this time tomorrow but it does seem funny that anyone would care about it if the Queen herself did not.

Watch the moment that shocked the world here

President Obama seems to have learned to stay way from shopping at the White House gift shop and gave Queen Elizabeth an iPod.

I guess the queen is pretty hip, technologically speaking. It's reported she owns a Nintendo Wii so that might not have been such a bad gift.

Although, I would venture a guess to say she probably already had one.

It's still better than the last gift exchange when British Prime Minister Gordon Brown gave the president an ornamental pen holder carved from the timbers of the HMS Gannet, which was an anti-slave ship from the 1800s.

And what did he receive in return?
About 25 DVDs, which, incidentally weren't compatible with British DVD players.
Wow, that's only slightly better than a book of McDonald's coupons.