Here's Beyonce at a news conference the other day, singing the Star Spangled Banner live. Just amazing. I'm really looking forward to her half-time performance today.

Beyonce's performance today is expected to start around 8:15 pm ET and last around 30 to 35 minutes.

President Obama is ready for the Superbowl (Posted on Twitter by the White House.)

Here's Alicia Keys singing the National Anthem.

It's that time of year again - exotic Super Bowl bets time.

Here what I did:

SUPER BOWL XLVII - The largest points lead of the game by either team will be Over 13½ (6 units)

SUPER BOWL XLVII - Margin of Victory - San Francisco 49ers 7 to 12 points 4/1 (2 units)

SUPER BOWL XLVII - The First Score of the Game will be? Field Goal or Safety (+120) (2 units)

SUPER BOWL XLVII - Will the opening kickoff result in a touchback? No (2 units)

SUPER BOWL XLVII - Who will win the coin toss?Baltimore Ravens (2 units)

SUPER BOWL XLVII - Coin Toss Tails (2 units)

UPDATE - Took the Niners on the moneyline at the half +300, 5 units.

More on the flip.

Big Tent Democrat will be posting some Superbowl things tomorrow.

I'm searching for a good fajita recipe to make for the TL kid and his girlfriend/s.o tonight. I'm also looking looking for a store that sells fresh pomegranate juice. In case I strike out, does anyone know whether you can make pomegranate juice by putting the seeds in a Vitamix?

Here's an open thread, all topics welcome.

R.I.P. Mayor Ed Koch. Here are some reactions from prominent New Yorkers. He died on the day a new documentary about his life and three terms as Mayor opened.

President Obama has offered a compromise on birth control.

At least 60 Harvard students have been forced to withdraw from the school in the aftermath of a cheating scandal. [More...]

When Mark O'Mara was interviewed by Fox 35 in Orlando the other day about his motion to continue George Zimmerman's trial, he said (3 min. 30 sec mark) the defense fund was down to $5,000. and he might have to ask that the Court declare George indigent so that the state would pick up some expenses. In the 24 hours after the interview, Zimmerman's attorneys say 160 people have donated $5,200.00. They would like the contributions to keep coming. [More...]

George Zimmerman's attorneys have filed a motion to delay George Zimmerman's trial until November. The motion to continue is here.There is quite a bit of new information in it.

I think the biggest revelation is about Trayvon Martin’s cell phone and mysteriously missing data. Even if you have no interest in the George Zimmerman case, you should read this to see the extent to which information stored in your phone is capable of being retrieved and provided to law enforcement (or anyone else who gets their hands on your phone and wants to know what’s on it.) It's a new dawn in the age of the Tele-Rat. [More....]

I'm just catching up with the day's news and I haven't even started to read my e-mail. Until I get caught up, here's an open thread, all topics welcome.

Update: I just read that Geraldo Rivera may run for the Senate in New Jersey -- as a Republican. New Jersey hasn't elected a Republican senator since the 1970's.

How popular is Hillary Clinton? Public Policy Polling says she could win Texas.

An unnamed government agency has been secretly monitoring court proceedings in the pre-trial hearings of the 9/11 defendants at Guantanamo and pushing the censor button. The judge today ordered it to stop.

Army Col James Pohl ordered an unnamed government agency to remove censorship equipment, as a second round of pretrial hearings finished on Thursday....The judge said in his ruling that he had sole authority to decide when to close a hearing or stop spectators - including journalists and relatives of the victims - from listening to testimony.

From the transcript [Unofficial/Unauthenticated Transcript of the KSM et al. (2) Hearing Dated 1/31/2013 from 9:01 AM to 9:22 AM, accessible here.) [More...]

The Senate is holding a hearing on guns today. Here's a recap from The Atlantic.

Here's who is speaking and their positions.

David Koppel of Colorado is one of the speakers. He is the Research Director for the Independence Institute in Golden, Colorado, an Associate Policy Analyst for the Cato Institute, and an Adjunct Professor of Advanced Constitutional Law at the Univ. of Denver Law School. I recommend his prepared testimony, available here. (All of the prepared statements are accessible here.

Morning! Bad GDP number for the 4th quarter. Reason? Drastic drop in government spending. But, but, but Fix the Debt! Idiots.

My own budget policies now include a sizable investment on the 49ers (-4) over the Ravens. Geithner Lew should take a look at that. (I kid.)

Open Thread.

The Colorado Sheriff's Association, which represents Colorado's 62 elected County Sheriffs, has come out swinging against President Obama's executive orders on gun control. The Sheriffs also oppose assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazine bans. Their position paper is here.

The Sheriff's say (and I agree) the tragedies of Sandy Hook and Aurora, Colorado should not be used as a "backdrop" for gun control laws.

CSOC will not waver on our defense of the Constitution, and will stand to preserve every constituent's right to possess a firearm. We believe the Second Amendment is no less important than the other nine Amendments contained in the Bill of Rights.[More...]

Via Wired, Congressmen Darryl Issa and Elijah Cummings have written this letter to the Department of Justice asking for information on the Aaron Swartz prosecution.

Among other things, the letter inquires as to whether the prosecution's decisions were influenced by Aaron's opposition to SOPA or his association with other advocacy groups. It also asks if the investigation uncovered other hacking attempts by Aaron. Why not ask if it was influenced by the FBI's prior investigation into his downloading of PACER documents. In 2009, Aaron posted the FBI documents on the investigation, which he received via an FOIA request.

I'd have more confidence if someone other than Issa was leading this inquiry. But at least someone is asking.