Cancer, again

Beatles friend, record chief Aspinall dies - CNN.com

I probably shouldn’t post this, but do you think Paul McCartney wonders sometimes if it’s him, if he’s somehow a carrier?

Big Gym Shorts is probably behind this

Bill would require PE in all four years of high school in Alabama- al.com

Saying that “Alabama is one of the most obese states in the nation,” Tuscaloosa Rep Ken Guin wants to make schools up PE requirements — from 150 minutes a week to 200 in elementary schools, and to 225 minutes a week in middle and high schools. Currently, high school students only have to take one year of PE. It would cost a ton of money and take time away from actual, you know, studying. Well, I guess that when we’re all cleaning homes for the Chinese we’ll at least be in good shape for it.

Let me guess… 5-4 along party lines?

U.S. Supreme Court hears Alabama voting rights case Monday- al.com

Bob Riley’s continued attack on the very idea that voters should get to decide replacements to county commissions instead of him has made it all the way to SCOTUS, which presumably will decide such things as it usually does, as “whatever’s better for the Republicans”.

Council asserting its independence…

Birmingham, Alabama power struggle leaves city without Washington lobbyist- al.com

How long until BMLL calls for it to be replaced by a new legislative body?

Anyway, Crazy Larry wants to hire two lobbying firms, one for Democrats and one for Republicans. The council wants to hire one firm, out of Atlanta, to lobby both parties. I should point out that there’s every chance that there will be no point in lobbying Republicans starting in January.

It’s the big sewer crisis story!

Jefferson County sewer debt crisis contained key players- al.com

I won’t summarize the six HTML pages of the News’ sewer crisis story, but I thought I would point out the man behind the problem:

Steve Sayler, Jefferson County’s finance director from 1989 until he retired in 2007. He recently was hired as Birmingham finance director under Mayor Larry Langford, his former boss at the county.

Or, as the secondary story has it:

Steve Sayler was chief defender of Jefferson County bond, swap deals- al.com

So BMLL thinks that Sayler did such a great job for the county that he was a terrific pickup for the city, huh?

Duke loses, America celebrates

ESPN - West Virginia vs. Duke - Box Score - March 22, 2008

There are two days that happen every spring, nobody’s really sure in advance when: Easter, and the day Duke is eliminated in the NCAA Tournament. The latter seems to happen earlier every year, and is a time for universal rejoicing.

Oldest news ever

Star explodes halfway across universe - CNN.com

This happened 7.5 million billion light years away, which means that it happened 7.5 million billion years ago. Frankly, I’m not that impressed with their newsgathering.

UPDATE: Nor should anyone be impressed with my typing.

Bob Riley likes the following:

The Daily Show

They probably won’t be kneecapped, but you can never be sure

Jefferson County officials seek delay in debt payment- al.com

On their way down to the pawn shop to see what they can get for a courthouse and two middle schools, the Jefferson County Commission left word for the banks that they don’t have the money yet, but they’ll totally have it in a few weeks, so please be patient. The banks are really in a forgiving mood right now, I’m sure.

We have a quorum!

Gov. Riley appoints member to Lipscomb council- al.com

Riley took out his Jefferson County Commission frustrations by finally appointing someone to fill one of the two seats on the Lipscomb city council. Gardendale even let councilman David Horn out of jail, so they actually had five city councilors!