There are 720 inmates awaiting execution on San Quentin's death row. U.S. District Court Judge Jeremy Fogel, who placed executions on hold in 2006 due to concerns that the chamber was antiquated and did not ensure a humane death, toured the new $900,000 death chamber today.

Judge Fogel didn't indicate whether his concerns have been satisfied, and will issue rulings later. He toured the old facility in 2006. Here's how the old procedure worked, according to San Quentin Operational Procedure No. 770. The 2007 revised protocol is here, but that too was declared invalid Then the state enacted Cal. Code Regs. tit. 15 3349 et seq. Here is Judge Fogel's September, 2010 ruling after the 9th Circuit remanded his decision on that.

Keith Olbermann is going to Current TV where he'll host a one hour nightly news show and serve as Chief News Officer.

Why? Will he offer anything different enough from what you can get elsewhere to make you learn a new channel number and tune in and watch? I think he'll disappear. Seems more than a bit like Dan Rather going to HDNet after leaving CBS. In case you missed John Stewart's take on MSNBC and Olbermann's leaving, it's below: [More...]

It's not quite the blizzard of 2006 (more photos here), but there's really a lot of snow falling and it's cold -- 1 degree right now. Tonight may get down to 8 below (and that's actual temp, wind chill will be much lower.)

While I get up to speed on the news (I'm not driving anywhere today), here's an open thread, all topics welcome.

(Thanks to Skippy for making the graphic.)

Newsweek reports that some people are addicted to anxiety and actually seek it out.

Researchers who study emotion regulation—how we cope, or fail to cope, with the daily swirl of feelings—are discovering that many anxious people are bound and determined (though not always consciously) to cultivate anxiety. The reason, studies suggest, is that for some people anxiety boosts cognitive performance, while for others it actually feels comforting.

....In some cases, the need to experience anxiety can lead to a state that looks very much like addiction to anxiety.

At the other end of the spectrum, are those who have turned "F**k it" into a mantra. Check out this video, F**k It, The Ultimate Spiritual Way. (It's only 1 minute but I won't embed it because the title doesn't have asterisks.) You can also take the "F**k It" course at a gorgeous retreat called The Hill That Breathes in Urbino, Italy. [More...]

Wikileaks Julian Assange is fighting his extradition to Sweden. Today, a witness who doesn't like him released a statement saying Assange is being framed.

Here is Gordon Rudlin's statement.

His lawyers released this statement.

The hearing will continue tomorrow.

Former President George W. Bush is the subject of the an Indictment by human rights groups in Switzerland. You can read it here.

Bush canceled his trip to Switzerland so the Indictment can't be filed as there is no jurisdiction without his personal presence. The Center for Constitutional Rights says he needs to be careful with his future international travel plans.

The Preliminary Bush Torture Indictment was prepared so that it could be used for individual victims to file cases against George Bush in any country where the Convention Against Torture provides jurisdiction.

...Swiss law requires the presence of the alleged torturer on Swiss soil before a preliminary investigation can be open. The complaints could not be filed after Bush cancelled, as the basis for jurisdiction no longer existed.

BTD is busy today and I'm off to the jail. Here's an open thread, all topics welcome.

In the odd couplings department, AOL has just paid $315 million for The Huffington Post. It's more like a merger, and the whole shebang will be run by Arianna Huffington.

The arrangement will give her oversight not only of AOL’s national, local and financial news operations, but also of the company’s other media enterprises like MapQuest and Moviefone.

I actually like the idea, but then, I'm one of the few people I know who still uses an AOL e-mail account. So aside from the merger reassuring me that AOL isn't going out of business anytime soon, what does it mean for the news, other than a behomoth conglomerate? [More...]

What's the White House serving for the Super Bowl? Hotdogs, hamburgers, pizza and ice cream. What's on your menu?

Sam Elliott has a great voice. It looks cold in Dallas. Here's Christina Aguilera and the national anthem, only they just went to commercial. (Ok, there she is, I think she did great, even though she missed a few words, and I loved her shoes.)

Update: The line "O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming" came out "What so proudly we watched as the twilight's last gleaming"

Whether you're watching the Super Bowl or not, here's an open thread, all topics welcome.

My picks: Christina Aguilera's national anthem length (1:54) (OVER) - Lock of the day.

Time Aguiliera will hold "brave" (6 seconds) - (OVER) - 2nd lock of the day.

Number of times Fox will show Jerry Jones (3) (OVER) (Bonus, will also show Jerry Jones' daughter once.)

Mentions of Brett Favre (2 1/2) - (OVER.)

Time left when Gatorade bath given to winning coach (0:45 second)- (OVER).

Packers player will attempt a Lambeau Leap - (YES)

The keys word for the Super Bowl is OVER, as in OVERdone.

Let me add to the overdone by adding these picks -- TAILS in the coin toss, the Steelers (+3) and the Over 45 points scored.

Open Thread.

Dana Carvey hosts SNL tonight. Jon Lovitz appears during the monologue. Mike Myers shows up in the opener to do Wayne's World (video here.) Carvey also brings back The Church Lady.

Justin Bieber will make a (not very) surprise guest appearance (as part of the Church Lady skit) and Linkin Park is the musical guest.

It hasn't started here yet, but that's what's running on Twitter right now, and the reviews are good.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

Update: Congratulations, Ed Sabol! The Hall of Fame Class of 2011: Richard Dent, Marshall Faulk, Ed Sabol, Chris Hanburger, Les Richter, Deion Sanders and Shannon Sharp. Video telling NFL Films story with Steve Sabol (already wearing his red socks) accepting award for his father here.

Update: Live: Ed Sabol makes the final 10. Other 9 are Dawson, Dent, Faulk, Kennedy, Martin, Reed, Roaf, Sanders and Sharpe. Now waiting for them to get down to 5.

Bump and Update 2/5/10: 4:30 pm MT: The meeting lasted 7 hours and 27 minutes. Announcements in 30 minutes. You can watch Steve Sabol discuss his dad's potential induction here. They will all be wearing red socks at the Superbowl in honor of his dad, including the Commissioner. (His dad wears red socks when watching the Superbowl every year. Steve said 130 people will tomorrow.)[More...]