The Bureau of Prisons has posted Rod Blagojevich's release date: May, 2024, 12 years from now.

Freddy's Frozen Custard and Steakburgers issued a press release today:

“Typically, a company would cringe at the news of its brand associated in any way with a convicted criminal. However, this is brand complementary. This is a high profile person headed to 14 years of confinement in federal prison who had the opportunity for one more meal as a free man and he chose to eat at Freddy’s,” commented Freddy’s President Bill Simon. “It’s difficult to imagine a better testimonial than that.”

We certainly appreciate Mr. Blagojevich’s choice of restaurants for his last meal,” said COO Scott Redler. “I just wish he would have turned his cup to have the logo facing out while he posed for pictures.”

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Strip Searches of female visitors at Afghan jails

A cop goes undercover at a high school posing as a student for 8 months. Result: 12 kids, ages 15 to 19 are now busted on charges of distributing drugs within 1,000 feet of a school. 8 are juveniles.

Another reporter/news producer who doesn't want to do any research before spouting off. He asks:

Why was [Blagojevich] allowed to arrive at prison in Colorado on his own terms if he was sentenced in Illinois?

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The ATS Picks (Bracket picks in bold) (I was 11-3-1 ATS yesterday, 1 loss in my bracket):

San Diego State +2½ (3 units), Texas +2½ over Cincinnati, South Florida +3, LIU +20 over Michigan State, Duke -12 (3 units), St Mary's CA -2 (3 units), Virginia +3½ over Florida, Missouri -21½, BEST BET - North Carolina -15 1/2 (12 units)Kansas -14 (3 units), Michigan -5½, Xavier +2½ (3 units), Florida State -6½, Memphis -3, Georgetown -4, Alabama -1½ (4 units.)

Go Gators!!!!!

Open Thread.

In other news today.....

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

A little late with this. Here are my picks today (will provide the full bracket tonight):

K-State(W), Marquette (W), Murray State(W), Vandy(W), L-Ville(W), Montana, UNC-Asheville. W indicates my pick for straight up winners. Otherwise the pick is against the spread (i.e. Asheville is (+16) against the Cuse but I expect Cuse to win.)

Later games - New Mexico (W -4)(5 units), Va Commonwealth (W +7) (4 units), Gonzaga (W -1)(4 units), Baylor (W -7½) (3 units), Connecticut (W -1½), New Mexico State (W +6½) (3 units),Ohio State (W -17), Colorado (W +5½).

My Final 4 - Kentucky, Mizzou, Ohio State, Michigan. Ohio State-Kentucky in the Final. Ohio State to win it all. Open Thread.

It's afternoon in New York, but still morning in Denver.

Ed Kilgore, who's been killing it at Political Animal, on pearl clutching.

Open Thread.

Been out of pocket. But back now. I'll find something to write about.

Open Thread.

Swamped here, sorry for the lack of posting today. And I have more than 300 emails to get through before I get back to blogging.

I see there is fear and loathing in Afghanistan.

Kim DotCom says U.S. Government officials, including those from the Department of Justice and U.S. Senate, were among the biggest users of MegaUpload:

I hope we will soon have permission to give them and the rest of our users access to their files," Dotcom told the website.

The lamest season yet of The Bachelor finally ends tonight. There's also The Voice and Smash.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

Harry's Law is back from hiatus. There's a new episode of Shameless and The Good Wife.

Bravo launches a new reality show tonight about rich young Iranian-Americans in Los Angeles called "Shahs of Sunset." It's being compared to Jersey Shore and Real Housewives. Whose dumb idea was this? Ryan Seacrest Productions. Who recently acquired a $300 million stake in Seacrest Productions? Clear Channel. Sorry, Ryan, I'm not watching, no matter how many tweets you send out about it.

The stars of “Shahs,” which begins on Sunday on Bravo, are members of the reality tribe, defined not by ethnicity, nationality or religion, but by preening, boastfulness, obsession with appearances, crassness, conformism, thin skin and a tendency to violence.

...The one really unfortunate thing about “Shahs of Sunset” is the way it exploits, and will in turn amplify, a previously localized phenomenon: the longstanding stereotyping of Los Angeles’s Iranian-Americans as vulgar, materialistic show-offs who don’t fit in among the city’s supposedly more cultured elites.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

It's Daylight Savings Day. Make sure you change all your clocks.

Here's an open thread for the news of the day, or whatever else is on your mind.

Don't forget to turn your clocks ahead tonight.

Via Mashable, this is the only clock you need.

Is anyone watching Game Change? I'm not sure I'm up for a humanizing take on Sarah Palin. (Update: I watched, and I'm glad I did. My review is here.) The new episode of Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony's Q'Viva: The Chosen might be more pleasant.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

The Associated Press has obtained two reports on the NYPD surveillance of Muslims. One is here and the other is here. The reports show widespread surveillance by the Intelligence Division's Demographics unit based on religion.

Gloria Allred apparently needs to get back in the limelight. She's sent a letter to Palm Beach prosecutors saying Rush Limbaugh should be prosecuted for his comments about Sandra Fluke. The basis: An 1883 statute: [More...]