So How Smart Was Pirate Rupert To Air Lie To Me Instead Of The Obama Presser?

(Guest posted by JFein from Fire Andy Reid Now!)

The answer: As it turns out, Pirate Rupert may not have been as dumb as we thought, or at least I thought he was. While the Obama Presser combined had 22.02 million viewers combined from CBS, ABC, NBC, and Univision. However, no one network's airing of the presser had more viewers than Lie To Me: With 7.88 million viewers according to the overnight numbers on TVbythenumbers.com, while the network that had the most viewers for the Obama Presser, NBC, had 6.68 million viewers.

However, as far as Lie To Me numbers go, it was the season's lowest numbers of the season. The previous series low was 8.56 million viewers, and that was the number they pulled last week. But the trend has been to lose a few viewers each week with Lie To Me, especially seeing as it is a new show and it's pilot 12.37 million which went head-to-head with Lost and won. So when you're numbers are that high, you are bound to lose viewers over time (just look at Survivior). And this was also not the biggest amount of viewers lost from one week to the next for Lie To Me, so all in all, while it did not gain them viewers, I would file this one in the category of the late Chick Hern's "No harm, no foul, no blood, no ambulance".

Lie To Me Ratings Week By Week (Wikipedia)

My New Favorite Animated Series

She's so cool, even a noted journalist interviewed her...



It also helps that they're on the same network. The show is called WordGirl and is fun on a lot of levels. I'll tell you more this week.

Countdown Live Blog: 4/30/09

The Tie: Blue, gray and lavender stripes.

Number 5: The Swine (Influenza H1N1) flu is almost everywhere via media overpanic, and President Obama explained last night we should be avoiding going on flights anywhere, but Vice President Biden said we shouldn't go anywhere - even on public transportation. He retracted that statement for those traveling via air whatever this week, especially if you feel sick. Howard Fineman is not wearing a mask though tempted, but he'll tell all.

The CDC count has topped 100 cases over 15 states, and schools in Fort Worth, Texas were closed, with high school sports events in all of the Lone Star State and Alabama on haitus indefinatly. And the World Health Organization (WHO) sways it's eleven countries. Dr. Roy Gulick from the New York Presbyterian Hospital is in the studio to explain the flu to you.

Number 4: The Godd Oldboysandgirls Party have announced The National Council For A New America. Leaders include Mitt Romney, John mcCain, Kenneth the Page, Haley Barbor and Adolph XLIII's brother, Rigging Jeb while the current GOP leader, Michael Steele (remember him?) went on MSNBC to explain hats. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) started robocalling Sen. Arlen Spector (D-PA) with Adolph commenting on Spector. Chris Cillizza, what in the bluest of blue hells is going on?

Oddball: Eight days since Inanity's boast. What's Elizabeth Santmatina Fey's Evil Twin Sister doing an interview on American Chopper with a dead bear in the background? And we have another fall down of the models and posing in Brazil. Nuts!

Best Persons: 3 - Billo started web chats online and he's lost geographically, thinking he's in Rockefeller Center on 48th Street across from NBC, when it's actually 49th Street. GPS? 2 - A California batern whirler, er, baton twirler beat down bullies. 1 - An Keswick High Shool student bully in Ontario was chopped down by a black belt, and protests followed after he used Asian ephitets. Boy the cops are confused on who to charge.

Musical Segue: Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It".

Number 3: Con-di "The Wicked Bitch Of The East" Rice, former NSA supervisor and Secratary of State may have admitted she was involved on torture at Leland Stanford Junior University. And that would be a confession according to John Dean.

Number 2 (Worst Persons in the World)
Bronze - Billo again on the web this time saying about universal health care that they should stop drinking gin.
Silver - Turdblossom in The Murdoch Street Journal didn't get the question on universal health care from an online town meeting.
Gold - Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) blames ABC News for the insincere apology on last night's statements.

Number 1: Miss California USA Carrie Prejean, has joined an anti-gay marriage group (not a big fan of Perez Hilton, either) but not before the state pagent organizers paid for breast augumentaion. Thus avoiding as Y2J once said about Stephanie McMahon "let the boobies hit the floor". She also turned her back on the Special Olympics as well.

Oh, shit, Musto's on. I am outta here...see you tomorrow.

The Bus Pulling Out and The NFL Network on Comcast (Updated)

Pretty big news for football fans this final day of April.

First, since Com(munist)cast and the NFL Network have been miles apart on a new agreement to carry the network (NFL Net wants to be on a basic digital package, while Commiecast wants you to pay up to $7 as part of a what-seemed-to-have-been-named-by-Vince McMahon-named "Sports Entertainment" package sans fake fighting) as of 11:59 PM tonight, there might not be any more NFL Network on your local Comcast system, but users will get something. Depending on where you live, you'll get an option on two of the following: one free upgrade of your internet service, a year of the Starz premium movie channels, a free pay-per-view event (rock concert, WWE/TNA fake fighting, boxing or UFC event) or six on demand flicks. I predict lots of people will drop Commiecast in a hurry and sign up for DirecTV or Dish Network, mostly the former. Or if there's another video provider in the nieghborhood, that option will be used. Let's face it, when MLB Network was beiong formed, they agreed to allow cable into the project, and avoided those pitfall traps the NFL encountered.

UPDATE: Looks like they're going to stay on a little bit longer for now as the two are in extended talks to keep the channel on for now.

Meanwhile, it looks like NBC is taking "The Bus" out of the Football Night in America station. Jerome Bettis according to Newsday is being ousted from his role on the program, so it looks like it'll be Keith, Dan Patrick, Bob Costas and Tiki Barber instudio with Peter King along for the show as well when it all begins on September 13.

The Subhead is Right: A Penny a Second For Waterboarding Inanity

No kidding. I just can't afford $1,000/second like Keith can thanks to his Olbermann Broadcasting Empire. So, as long as Inanity wants to do so (hey, it's been a week since he's been triple dog dared by ex-NBC Universal employee Charles Grodin to do so), I'll pitch one cent a second to Keith's charity of choice; and it will be doubled if Inanity admits to being scared for his life.

If anyone wants to match (or exceed) my penny-a-second pledge, leave a comment with the amount you will make per second or e-mail me via TheInanitFund@gmail.com.

Let's all make Inanity take the Waterboarding Challenge as it were.

Countdown Live Blog: 4/29/09, Delayed Because of President Obama's Press Conference

Please note, tonight's show is being delayed (except on Fixed) by President Obama's Press Conference...and what are the odds that Keith will take aim for the WPitW at Pirate Rupert?

The Tie: Purple with navy microdots.

Number 5: You have three guesses, and the first two don't count... That's right, the presser. How many questions were asked on torture? A few, and he invoked London during WWII with 200 detainees, and Winston Churchill did not torture. Swine flu? A couple, especially that the border between the USA and Mexico won't be closed due to that A1P1 virus. The economic stimulai? Well, it looks like it's working. What's the biggest surprise in the first few days? And we get an answer, so we'll defer to Howard Fineman to fill up his blue book as it were.

David Axelrod then joins us to further anaylize what the West Wing is up to.

Number 4: And so, not-so-senile Sen. Arlen Spector (D-PA) visited 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to meet with President Obama this morning, and it took Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME)* to comment in The New York Times that this was a good move for him, but the remaining members just didn't get a damn, unless you ask Newt Gingrich and change in 2010 and 2012. Tweety (Chris Matthews) joins us from beautiful downtown Burbank to deliver his thoughts.

* - Might change soon.

President Obama also took shots at Fixed Noise and the teabaggers in a town meeting in Missouri. *Chris Matthews "HAH!"*

Number 3: The Adolph XLIII torture violations keep adding up, and yes, our President agrees with it, and it ended when he got the job. The ACLU trove from publicrecord.org displays an e-mail authorizing Adolph's use of torture. this after the abuse at Abu Gahrib back in May 2004. Richard Wolffe, do tell it all.

Number 2: A Inanity update: Matt Hasselbeck's sister-in-law commented on The View that he doesn't need to do the waterboarding thing (Remember, Keith donates $1K/second to a military-related for the waterboarding of Inanity; doubled if he feared for his life.)

Number 1 (Worst Person in the World, at Numbero Uno for only the third time in recent memory)

Bronze - Rep. Michelle Bachman (R-MN Mars) tops Jimmy Carter's "watch" on the Swine Flu while it was Gerald Ford, but topped topped it while speaking about the Smoot-Hawley repealment. Brings up Ben Stein: "Anyone? Anyone? Buhler? Buhler?"

Silver - Pirate Rupert...not for that preemption, but One of New York's Finest Newspapers has seen circualtion dropped 20.5%. Does the mocking impression of Billo.

Gold - Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) discredits the hate crimes bill named for a gay man - Matthew Sheppard - as a hoax. No excuse whatsoever, just like Michael Weinersavage. Her comments must be retracted or else...and all of this was while Sheppard's mother was in the gallery.

Guess I'll see you tomorrow after that.

Why It Must've Sucked To Work At ESPN.com Recently...

The above was what happened when someone recently reported to have put in the dreaded Konami "Commando Cheat Code" at The Worldwide Leader in Sports' Website. As you can see from the above picture provided by Lee Ruskokoff of Comcast.net, there were rainbows, unicorns, Hello Kitty and pretty girlish sparkly stuff. At first, Kotaku.com reported that story on Monday (4/27). Their sibling website, Deadspin.com, however has stated from the souce that a website called cornify.com hacked into TWWLS's site and did the dirty deed as some belated April Fools' joke.

Stay tuned for more details.

Countdown Live Blog: 4/28/09

(Guest blogged by JFein from Fire Andy Reid Now)

HE'S ACTUALLY HERE FOR ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Tie: Gold with silver and black stripes

Number 5: As mentionned below, Arlen Specter is now a Democratic Senator. He has already aggrevated the GOP by supporting the Stimulus Bill and this is unlikely to make those people happy. The Republicans are trying to play this down as a local story that Senator Specter wanted to be a Democrat solely because he knew he was going to lose the primary in 2010. Al Franken getting in the Senate would make it a filibuster proof majority. Chris Matthews, quite a bit of an expert on Pennsylvania politics, joins us.

Just as a quick aside while we're at commercial: I've often felt that the one problem with Countdown is that Keith never debates anyone on his show. And right there, he had the perfect chance to debate Matthews who was making loudly making a point about the switch of Specter and Keith just awkwardly laughed it off as if he did not agree with Matthews and ended the interview. And he could have argued the other way as well. Matthews claimed that people would question Specter's character with his sudden change of party and Olbermann could have easily gone the other way and said, "well, he is already more popular among Democrats than Republicans and he had stated that it was because he no longer wanted to identify himself with Republican idealogy". That one improvement would make Countdown perfect, but Keith often seems too scared to debate anyone (watch the interview: you could tell Matthews was inviting the debate too).

Number 4: George W. Bush has made his first statements on the Obama Administration. And surprisingly, he believes that those who committed war crimes should be punished. Wait......what??????? And now there is discrepency over the CIA Report over the Abu Zubaida waterboarding. Four times and he lasted 30 seconds or was it way, way, way more? Eugene Robinson joins us for more.

Oddball: It's been six days since Hannity said he would be waterboarded, five days since the charity challenge, and he has said nothing for four days. You've got a rather different type of animal calling a cat "mommy". Meanwhile, rockets are blasting thousands of feet in the air on YouTube.

Best Persons: 3 - James Howard falls at the wrong time. 2 - A man was attacked by a robot and now has 4 broken ribs. 1 - Some conservatives believe that Stephen Colbert does not really play an idiot conservative on The Colbert Report but he is actually a conservative.

Number 3: Ashamed native Philadelphian Michelle Malkin and disgruntled former beauty pagent contestant Gretchen Carlson and the rest of Fixed Noise are on a delusion that the Swine Flu came through illegal immigration when really it was because of a Catholic School who spent the summer in Cancun. Margarette Carlson of Bloomberg news (no relation to my university; the spelling is completely off) joins us to give us more on this story.

Number 2 (Worst Persons In The World)
Bronze - Michele Bachman got a new appointment because of her dumb statements on natural gas.
Silver - Brian Kilmeade actually said that John McCain cannot speak on the issue of torture because he was tortured.
Gold - Bill-O The Clown saw Turdblossom talk him down from one of his grand delusions tying NBC to the demise of the Republican Party.

Number 1: More on the unfortunate "photo-op" from yesterday. It is not yet known whether or not Caldere will keep his job. As the sub-text under my blog title of Fire Andy Reid Now! used to say, "Idiocy has no limits". NBC's Brian Williams joins us with more over the Obama Administration's first known ginormous gaffe.

Thanks for joining me! I hope I did JC proud....

EDIT FROM JC: You sure did...hope you don't mind the minor editting for formatting.

Will Obama Be At Game 7 Tonight?

(Guest posted by JFein from Fire Andy Reid Now!)

We all know that President Obama is the "Commander-in-Swoosh", but after tonight, will he also be known as the "Commander-in-Puck"? From From John Taylor of the Washington Times via Puck The Meida.

With the Capitals wrapping up their Game 6 rout of the New York Rangers, NBC play-by-play announcer Mike Emrick had a shout-out to President Barack Obama.

He told the listening audience — and I’m paraphrasing here — that President Obama has never been to a hockey game, and that with the Caps now forcing this series to its max and bringing it back home to Verizon Center, well, he’d never miss a Game 7.

For you White House schedulers reading, that’s Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the big arena in Chinatown, about 8 blocks or so from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

I'm sure we'll be hearing about it tomorrow si le President d'Etats-Unis decidait regarder un jeu d'hockey au Verizon Centre.

(*Translation for those that don't speak French and/or forget everything from high school: if the President of the United States decides to watch a hockey game at the Verizon Center.)

The Democrats Are One Step Closer To A 60-Seat Majority In The Senate

(Guest posted by JFein from Fire Andy Reid Now!)

Assuming that the reason for my substitution today is the same as all the others, JC is watching the WFCs take on the Washington Natinals at Citizens Bank Park tonight. And while I am sure Keith will cover it on tonight's Countdown (I'll try my hardest to be here for the 8:00 live blog, although you'll have to excuse me if I miss something as I will be toggling between the Sixers and watching streams of the 2 NHL game 7's), I wanted to break it to you personally the HUGE story of the day and that is the defection of PA Senator Arlen Specter to the Democratic Party. From Reuters.

U.S. Senator Arlen Specter abandoned the Republican Party for President Barack Obama's Democrats on Tuesday, putting them within reach of a 60-seat majority that could give them absolute control of the Senate.

"This is a painful decision," Specter told reporters of the stunning decision which boosted his 2010 re-election chances to a sixth six-year term by sidestepping a tough challenge in the Republican primary from conservative Pat Toomey.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid promptly welcomed Specter, 79, into the ranks of Democrats, who together with him now control 59 seats in the 100-member Senate. Democrats will reach 60 if they hold on to a contested Minnesota Senate race.

A 60-vote majority would be enough to override Republican procedural hurdles and muscle through key parts of Obama's agenda, including measures to provide health insurance to all Americans and combat global warming while moving the nation toward energy independence.

The last time either party held 60 Senate seats was in 1978, when the Democrats had 61. Democrat Al Franken, who won the vote tally in Minnesota, would be the 60th but Republican incumbent Norm Coleman is challenging the count in court.

"Since my election in 1980 ... the Republican Party has moved far to the right," Specter said in a statement explaining his decision. "I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans."

Talk about shocking! And now a 60-seat majority rests in the hands of the courts if Al Franken gets admitted into the Senate, but alas, Norm Coleman just will not give up the fight.

Assuming that Specter survived the Republican primary in 2010, I would have voted for him in the general election as a Republican. I've always really liked him as a moderate Republican. And I will obviously still vote for him as a Democrat (and I can vote for him in the primaries now as well because I'm a registered Democrat) for I do not think that he will change his idealogy and even though several political talking heads will try to spin it as absolute control, that may not necessarily be the case as Specter will most likely now be more or less known as a moderate Democrat instead of a moderate Republican. And chances are, you can thank George Bush (or as JC calls him, Adolph XLIII; I'll try to stay away from his nicknames in order to avoid being billed for them on a later date) for this, for it is him and his far-right administation which forced the rest of the party to be far-right that has ultimately ran a once great political party straight into the toilet.

Countdown Live Blog: 4/27/09

The Tie: Maroon, gray and navy stripes, jacketless a la Dan Rather.

Number 5: Another John Yoo Torture memo was released today. No water in the lungs of the Adolph XLIII torture, and whatever happened to the messages from the CIA, incluing placing H₂O in the nasal cavaties or lung, and with doctors nearby with lung equipment. So, Prof. Jonathon Turley, explain.

What do we know about the combined 266 times they did to facilitate the two? Richard Ben-Veniste has the answers, fuzzy as they are.

Number 4: The Good Oldboysadgirls Party are trying to blame the Democrats on the waterboarding story, and as Rep. Boehner and Speaker Pelosi bitch at each other, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) wants to do the "W. Is For Whitewash" therory. Meanwhile, ex Speaker Newt Gingrich (the bad half of the siblings) says that he believes torture is good, reverting a 12-year comment he said to the head of China. Richard Wolffe, doth they protesteth too much?

Oddball: In 1965, Edward R. Murrow, one of Keith Olbermann's heroes passed away. We have a bull in an Irish supermarket. Cleanup in Aisle 6, 7, 8 and 9. No offense, but The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin is on DVD. Blatant plugola complete with clip.

Best Persons: 3 - James Bopp Jr. calls Democrats Socalists. 2 - Ex-Sen. Norm Coleman's team wants five days on Al Franken. 1 - Jason Tyner is the Suitcase Simpson of the modern baseball era, traded from the Brers to the Tigers for nothing...as he was hitting .091.

Musical Segue: I'm Free!

Number 3: There is a swine flu epidemic, according to the Homeland Security department, unless you see the $900 million removed by Turdblossom of The Murdoch Street Journal and Sen. Collins (R-ME) and Senile Sen. Spector (R-PA). Chris Hayes of The Nation, what the hell is going on here?

Number 2 (Worst Person in the World)

Bronze - Prof. Harold Hill says swine flu is a political thing. (Should be tied with Michael Weinersavage, Hugh Hewitt, Neil Boortz, shamed native Philadelphian Michele Malagang Malkin and Comedian Boss Limbaugh for this award, blaming the Mexicans and Weinersavage also blaing the Arabs.) Speaking of the Comedian...

Silver - Limbaurgh gets his for the piracy thing by Shane Murphy, second in command of the Maresk America.

Gold - White House Military Office boss Louis Caldera with an unfortunate bad timing on the backup of Air Force One for a photo op over Lower Manhattan. He's apologized. Now resign.

Number 1: So Inanity is still holding back on his promise to be waterboarded for charity with Keith giving $1,000/second, doubled if Inanity says he feared for his life. One of the guys in that demonstration video you've seen a zillion times, Mike Ritz, joins us.

Two quick notes. If Shuster isn't in tomorrow (4/28), JFein will be here for the live blog (or "plausably live" blog as he has finals this week at Bloomsburg University), and there's a delayed edition Wednesday (4/29) due to the presser for President Obama, unless you happen to work at a Fox over the air station. They're not going to cary it, but Fixed Noise Channel and the Fixed Goinjg Out of Business network will. Something about a new episode of Lie To Me, which just happens to be their motto.

Where Was The Day Two NFL Draft Live Blog?

The answer is right here.

NFL Draft Live Blog

Enjoy the first day of the NFL Draft as we recall it happening.

Countdown Live Blog: 4/24/09

The Tie: Pink.

Number 5: We open with breaking news on TortureGate, as Donald Rumsfeld's cronies was told that yes, torture can cause false information. Meanwhile, Herr Goeble's files have been opened in his own office with the words "DETAINEES" and now the paper trail goes to the National Archives. He wants 21 pages out of 34 listed all about torture that waterboarding does not cause pain, or "enhanced interrigation" as the Adolph XLIII Gestapo dubbed it. And that Joint Personnel Recovery Authority memo produced by The Washington Post from July 2002 was a followup echoing warnings from 2001. Jonathan Alter, it's been a rather important last few hours, hasn't it?

Number 4: More on the torture with Pulitzer Prize winner Eugene Robinson.

And once again, our military gets the blame from the Gestapo of Adolph XLIII in another case of redirecting the bad from this group of liars that ran this country as a dictatorship from September 12, 2001 through January 19, 2009. You may remember when Brigadier General Janis Karpinsky (Ret., USA) slammed everyone at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue while two of her associates are either still in the brig or have served their time. Major General John Batiste (Ret., USA) discusses this with Keith.

Number 3: Officially, April 30th will mark the 100th day of this Obama Administration, and accoridng to the guy who consulted on the campaign of loser Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), the Good Oldboysandgirls Party is shrinking. Obama's first days have been a success as for the first time since 2004, we're on the right track on the USA. Chris Cillizza now will talk about why th GOP has gone on a diet... Politcially, that is.

Updating Inanity's attempt to be waterbaorded for charity. I guess it's a stunt, as does Keith, who's still willing to donate $1,000/second for a armed forces charity, and doubled if Inanity claims he feared for his life.

Number 2 (Worst Person in the World)
Bronze - Billo again blames He Who Won't Be Named or GE for making money, claiming that it would be bigger than Watergate.
Silver - Rep. Michelle Bachman (R-MN) or Pluto claims carbon dioxide is harmless...like death.
Gold - Debbie Barko, owner of a Kenosha, WI building because an apartment leasee was breaking his lease...after getting killed in a gunfight at a local bar. Stay Classy, Debbie.

Number 1: No time for Blago's attempt to go to Costa Rica for I'm an Impeached Governor Who's Going To Jail, Get Me A Lawyer!, so tonight's breaking story on Herr Goeble's memo recalling is recapped.

Well, I feel an NFL Draft, so join me tomorrow (4/25) for live coverage at 3:30 PM US EDT.

Countdown Live Blog: 4/23/09

The Tie: Caramel, silver and black stripes.

Number 5: All the thwarteted terrorist attempts on the Library Tower in Los Angeles was NOT avoided by waterboarding. The arrest was in May of 2002, not August of that year. Or was it in February of that year? Even Grand Oldboysandgirls Party House Minority Leader Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) admitted that his party was aghast about it. Attorney General Eric Holder and Defense Secratary Robert Gates agree on what has already come out. "Matthew Alexander", the former USAF interrogator and author of How to Break a Terrorist tells us more about it. His name of course is a psuedonysm for security reasons.

In the torture debate there was no way Adolph XLIII according to an agency at The Pentagon known as the Joint Personnel Recovery Agency explaining that everything was based on failed Chinese torture for one William Jim Haynes, former top lawyer in Arlington, Virginia, who killed it off altogether. Well, Richard Wolffe, plausability and accountability is blamed on whom?

Number 4: Back to Rep. Boehner and that moment of clarity, steering away from the stalking, er, talking points, and wanted to go send the Democrats down in flames with him. But his spokesperson tried to drag it out as a liberal comment. Nice try, bonehead. We had all the MXC refernces when we had Teabagging last week, and we don't need the smoke up our arrears. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said that there was some opining at the Office of the Legislative Counsel about. Well, Chris Hayes of The Nation, does this make sense to anyone?

Oddball: In 1564, we believe William Shakespere was born. In Marietta, Pennsylvania, there was likely a new texting record...and a unlimited texting plan almost cost $26K. In Russia, there are light decoys. THEY ARE BALLOONS!!!

Number 3: War Crimes 101 for you, especially those of the W. Is For Whitewash fans. Just ask Prof. Harold Hill about waterboarding or the Gestapo of Adolph XLIII. Or Comedian Boss Limbaugh slapping himself. Waterboarding has happened twice, and both times, the words "court marshal" was invoked. And we caught a Japanese soldier along with a sherriff in Texas doing such. Then there's Fixed Noise blowing up. Bottom line: it's illegal.

Number 2 (Worst Person in the World)
Bronze - Is there global warming? Past WPitW winner Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL) calls President Obama's engery plan worse than 9/11.
Silver - Little Jessie Watters, one of Billo's stalker/producer junior brownshirts (the other Prter Potty. Oh, sorry. Porter Berry), asked about the teabagging group and Janeane Garifalo's racist comment after buying GE stock to attend a shareholders annual meeting, and Billo complains that Olbermann got Obama elected.
Gold - Billo now says Nixon did not meat Chairman Mao, and instead said Cho En-Lai. Cue the archive film.

Number 1: Well, kids, Inanity has Boned the Fish (the replacement for Jumped The Shark, a site ruined by TV Guide, and not an obscene reference, so please get thine head out of yon gutter.) What does he want to do? Get waterboarded for charity, the families of the troops with former NBC Universal employee Charles Grodin laying down the challenge. Keith's going to put up $1K a second, and he'll double it if Inanity admits it's torture. Bring your own or other network cameras, too. Lawrence O'Donnell believes that and then some.

See you tomorrow night, and don't forget (plugola) our LIVE DRAFT COVERAGE this Saturday (3/25) starting at 3:30 PM US EDT!

Something Different this Saturday (4/25)

We're planning a LIVE BLOG of the first two rounds of the NFL Draft here. Join us at 3:30 PM US EDT.

Did I Mention This?

Mr. Olbermann will be a regular columnist for MLB.com on top of his blogging duties. I'd just thought you'd like to know that.

Countdown Live Blog: 4/22/09

Keith's back from his illness! And in honor of Earth Day, another all green edition!

The Tie: Blue, black and silver stripes.

Number 5: August 2002: The Adolph XLIII Gestapo was preparing to draft the torture stuff even after the CIA of the link between Iraq and Osama bin Laden. The Senate Defense Committee produced proof in a report today. One agent disapproved of it all, and walked out of one torture...all straight out of Chairman Mao's Little Red Book on Torture, and it was inexperience on how to avoid it. Jonathan Landay from McClatchy News Service gives us the inside poop.

And Herr Goebles said to Fixed Noise that's his story and sticking to it...it was all about the terrorists. Former CIA officer Jack Rice examines that.

Number 4: Another Adolph XLIII cronie, Secratary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, not Brigadier General Janis Karpinski (Ret., USA), was following orders from Rumsfeld on torture in Abu Guraid and Gitmo. She joins us in the studio to spill the beans.

Oddball (Play ball!): In 1881 Alexander Korinsky was born, and overthrew the tsar. Bat night at the New Yankee Stadium, and Keith's nephew got one, compliments of a Yankee batter. He's also an aspiring standup comedian as he appears in the studio, and at The Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field, another cat was running amuck as the ground crew tried their best.

Best Persons: 3 - Judge James Zagel ruled that Blago won't be able to appear on I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Jail! 2 - Ben Nyaumbe sank his own teeth into a python. 1 - Alec Baldwin had no beef with Keith and Rachael, thanks to AOL.

Musical Segue: Yodeling.

Number 3: A message to Eric Holder saying that the torture special prosicution should be on hold for now. Ex-federal prosicutor, Elizabeth de la Vega, the woman who made that statement, joins us.

Number 2 (Worst Person in the World)

Bronze - Mike Kilburn, of Warren County, OH, rejects $373K of stim money for buses. How will seniors in Warren County get to their doctors now?

Silver - Billo's continuing GE hate affair over at The Murdoch Street Journal and Fixed Going Out of Business; soon Fixed Noise and parent NewsCorp is falling as well.

Gold - Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) says that too much news comes from entertainers like Jon Stewart, Steven Colbert, Boss Limbaugh, Harold Hill, Inanity, Olbermann and Rachael. Right on the first two, wrong on everyone else.

Number 1: Senile Sen. Arlen Spector (R-PA), he of the "magic BS" therory on the JFK asassination has Turdblossom's talking points down saying that Adolph XLIII's torture wasn't like turning the US of A into "a [banana republic] with colonels in mirrored glasses running the country." So the Good Oldboysandgirls Party are running as afar as they try to get. Howard Fineman, is that all there is? Not really.

See you tomorrow night.

Get Well Soon

According to no less than David Shuster's Twitter feed, Keith's ill. Hence the reason Dave's been in the last couple nights, and no "plausably live" blog. Heck, I'll give JFein this coming Tuesday (4/28) another shot unless of course, Shuster's in again...

EDIT: That must have worked because Keith returned tonight (4/22).

Just a Reminder...

There's going to be a plausably live blog tomorrow (4/21) as JFein is scheded to pinch hit for me. I'll be at the Phillies-Brewers game. Please be nice to him unless Shuster's in...

A Call From The Great Broadcast Booth In The Sky

The situation: San Diego Padres 4, Philadelphia Phillies 3, bottom of the ninth, Ryan Howard on first on a bloop single against that overshifted infield to left field. Raul Ibanez at the plate with a 2-0 count:

"High towering drive, could it be, could it be? IT IS OUTTA HERE! RAUL IBANEZ HAS HIT A TWO RUN HOME RUN AND THE PHILLIES HAVE COME FROM BEHIND AND BEATEN THE SAN DIEGO PADRES, 5-4!"

"OH, BROTHER! Hard to believe this game's easy, Harry."

Well, that's the way it was heard up there yesterday (4/19).

A Perfectly Good Waste of Pepsi in Times Square

I already gave JFein the story and video which is up at Fire Andy Reid Now! However, this does bear retelling.

For decades, New York Yankees fans have had to refresh themselves with Cola-Cola products at the original Yankee Stadium, a/k/a The House That Ruth Built and Mayor Lindsey Rebuilt. Well, thanks to a new in-house catering project with them and the Dallas Cowboys, bringing themselves with another Evil Empire in all of sports akin to merging operations of The Joker, The Riddler, The Penguin and Catwoman, the team signed an agreement with Pepsi-Cola to have their drinks served at the new $1.2 billion (with a "B") House That Fat George Built, a/k/a New Yankee Stadium. Fast forward to yesterday (4/16) and Times Square, the center of the fricking universe (Sorry, Toronto.)

News spread about a giveaway for 250 pairs of tickets for the first regular season game at the brand new Money Hole to be held beneath Dick Clark's Big New Years' Eve Ball, plus other stuff as well. Sure enough, at 43rd and Broadway, there was a long line before the scheduled giveaway. However, security pointed the folks to another location three blocks away, and alas, there was no Opening Day tickets to be seen, and even Hall of Fame closer Goose Gossage had to briefly wave to the fans from a Pepsi-provided limo. So the fans screamed "Pepsi sucks!" and threw cans of Pepsi onto the ground in the gutter (in more ways than one) as well as other promotional paraphanalia. Finaly, tickets came, but there were only 100 pairs and they were for a midseason matchup against the Texas Rangers. A spokesperson for Pepsi said that there was a major mixup in communications.

I'm willing to bet that if Fat George was still running the team, he'd fire the guy in charge. George Constanza, was that your idea?

Keith Olbermann Special Comment: Prosecute!

(Guest posted by JFein from Fire Andy Reid Now!)

Countdown Live Blog: 4/16/09

The Tie: Red, gold and navy stripes.

Number 5: The Adolph XLIII Gestapo CIA memos were released today, and President Obama will not prosecute anyone who followed orders, giving them immuninity. However, he will reverse those proceedures immeadiately. Those are the Rosetta Stone/Dead Sea Scrolls of torture. Sleep deprevation, aracnaphobia and yes, waterboarding were all mentioned. Howard Fineman explains this, and John Dean clears up the legal stuff.

Number 4: Keith's Special Comment on the release of the memos. Video from JFein above.

Number 3: Wouldn't you know it, we now have the story by way of The New York Times of more spying via attempts of wiretaps of a Congressman of all people! And without a warrant, too! James Risen tells all.

Number 2: On the DATA (Day After Teabagging America), we finally get the real results of the rallies by the far right wing kooks, tens of thousands to be exact, and it was smaller than expected for a Fixed Noise grassroots production. And in Pensicola, Florida, one protester told the truth. P\/\/NAG3 to the nth degree. So Janeane Garofalo, taking a time out from 24, what do you say, racist much?

Number 1: In case you didn't hear about it, or cought the post below this, John Madden has retired. Cris Collinsworth, the non-twin brother of Mr. Olbermann, will join Alfalfa in the booth starting in August. Keith's other boss, NBC Olympics/Sports chairman Dick Ebersol joins us.

Anywho, we'll see you tomorrow night.

BOOM! John Madden Retires.

After fifty years as a 21st draft pick by the Philadelphia Eagles, coach, broadcaster, and video game maven, John Madden has officialy retired. The 73-year old has decided to hang up his microphone after calling Super Bowl XLIII with Al Michaels back in February, which the Pittsburgh Steelers won over the Arizona Cardinals. Madden we understand will continue to work on the NFL video game for EA Sports. Cris Collinsworth, Keith's non twin brother, will take over Madden's role starting in August.

Countdown Live Blog: 4/15/09. Teabags Much?

The Tie: Blue.

Number 5: Yes, it was Tax Day, it was Tea Bag Day, it was the anniversary of the asassination of Abraham Lincoln, and they forgot to dump one million of them teabags at Lafayette Park across from The White House, but it was changed was to an office building, and Fixed Noise made numbers up doubling actual numbers in what is known as Fake Fighting as papering the house claiming that they were fair and balanced. (Wanna bet?) Back in the reality, President Obama wants to simplify the Tax Code post haste. Or at least by the end of the year. Scatalogical humor welcome. Only 300 in Philadelphia, so Howard Fineman how was the rally in Louvul?

Number 4: The tourism slogan is "Texas. It's like a whole 'nother country." On Tea Bag Day, Gov. Rick Perry (R) wants to succeede from the Union. That was a bad idea in 1861 IIRC. This after several people screamed "seceede!" at one of those rallies (the one attended by none other than Professor Harold Hill at The Alamo?) This after Perry threatened to not accept those stimulai monies. And getting 88 cents out of every dollar that goes to Washington. So James Moore, you of HuffPo.com, do you think it'll work?

Oddball: Jack Roosevelt Robinson debuted as the Brooklyn Dodgers' first baseman on this date in 1947, and today, every player, coach and manager in uniform is wearing his number. Except for the Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals, whose game was rained out. Over in Wales, sheep heards are getting digital and LED vests too. And in Georgia, don't bring a knife to a small ladder party hosted by Captain CAVE-MAN!

Still Bushed!: 3 - Obama leans toward the torture according to The Murdoch Street Journal. Care to demonstrate on John Yoo? 2 - Afghan women were protesting and were stoned. 1 - How much do we lose taxes to the Cayman Islands? $800 billion. Let's just go out and buy them.

Number 3: Did ashamed to have been born in Philadelphia Michele Malagang Malkin, Inanity and others get the Department of Homeland Security notice about far right extremeists being bigger terrorists than Al-Qaeda? The words "left wing" were not mentioned to anyone else. Arianna Huffington, voice of Mrs. Bear on The Cleveland Show, your thoughts?

Number 2 (Worst Person in the World)
Bronze - Billo can't still get over the Spanish Inquistion of Adolph XLIII's cronies. Cue the Obama video.
Silver - Eric Telford, sponsor of the Tea Bagging rallies, held a contest. $250 for ideas, lame as they might be.
Gold - Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) has an idea for the solution for the economic crisis: go to your ATM and take out all your money and run for the hills!

Number 1: So Comedian Boss Limbaugh says President Obama ordered the shooting and killing of three Solmalian pirates holding Captain Richard Phillips hostage...and then says they were black Muslim teenagers. Yes, he's played the race and religous cards at the same time, calling them Merchant Marines. And another freighter was nearly hijacked, and Secratary of State Hilary Clinton will provide more protection. Chris Hayes of The Nation, how angry are you?

We'll be back tomorrow, provided the Indians-Yankees game at the new Yankee Stadium in the boogie down does not go thirty innings or something.

Sunday Night Football Schedule

(Guest posted by JFein from Fire Andy Reid Now!)

All games are on at 8:20 PM on NBC, unless otherwise noted. All Eagles games are marked with what appears to be the closest to Eagles midnight green! (asterisk next to those that could be flexed)

Week 1 (Opening Thursday): Titans vs. Steelers, 8:30
Week 1: Bears vs. Packers
Week 2: New York Giants vs. Cowboys
Week 3: Colts vs. Cardinals
Week 4: Chargers vs. Steelers
Week 5: Colts vs. Titans
Week 6: Bears vs. Falcons
Week 7: Cardinals vs. Giants
Week 8: No game
Week 9: Cowboys vs. Eagles
Week 10: Patriots vs. Colts
*Week 11: Eagles vs. Bears
*Week 12: Steelers vs. Ravens
*Week 13: Patriots vs. Dolphins
*Week 14: Eagles vs. Giants
*Week 15: Vikings vs. Panthers
*Week 16: Cowboys vs. Redskins
*Week 17: TBD

In Honor Of Tomorrow's Teabagging...

(Guest posted by JFein from Fire Andy Reid Now!)

...we here at The O Files bring you an all-time classic in the history of teabagging.

Countdown Live Blog: 4/14/09

The Tie: Red with white micro pindots.

Number 5: The only tea party I want to attend is as Alice in Wonderland (pictured from this past Halloween on your left) with a Mad Hatter, a March Hare and a Doormouse. Tomorrow (4/15) across the country there will be teabagging (No, not the Greg Paulus style as listed above) sponsored by the far right nutjobs like Dick Armey (gutter much?) and Fixed Noise even as President Obama says the economy is getting better. And Americans, according to a Gallup Poll, we're okay as far as going to pay taxes. Richard Wolffe, is that a grasroots thing gone corporate?

Meanwhile, Neil Cavuto claims that Fixed Noise was there for the Million Man March. That was a year before Fixed Noise premiered. Nice work there, Slap Nuts! Let the Tea Party Fixed Noise promotions begin, and the video is here.

Breaking News: Blago will be on the NBC version of I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!, and hopefully will with the blessing of the court. Remind me not to watch, just like the ABC version a few years ago.

Number 4: W Is For Whitewash: Plenty of upraised right arms and lots of seig heils at a Adolph XLIII reunion down in Dallas last night except for the abscences of fellow gerstapo members Don Rumsfeld, Turdblossom, Herr Goebles Cheney and guest ex-director of misinformation, er, White House press secratary Scott McClellan. They are names, but soon will have numbers in front of them.

Oddball: In 1904, Sir John Geilguld was born. "I'll alert the media." We have an update on Vince Offer Schlomi and his arrest a couple months ago. At 80%-Owned-By-The-Taxpayers Field, in Flushing Meadows, we had a stray cat on the loose hitting Gov. David Patterson (D-NY) and a wild pitch went through the netting in front of Mayor Bloomburg. So that's why Keith wasn't there last night! *Palm slaps himself*

Best Persons: 3 - More fun at 80%-Owned-By-The-Taxpayers Field, as there was a flyover not as loud as the takeoffs or landings at LaGuardia. 2 - Billo criticized Professor Harold Hill on piracy in Somalia. 1 - Robert G. Kaufman spoke on rebranding the GOP, and to get a TV network.

Musical Segue: Merrie Melodies theme, complete with Porky Pig saying "Th-th-th-that's all folks!".

Number 3: The Junior Senator from Minnesota of the Decade, He... Al Franken, has officially won the race, but Republicans Norm Coleman (the former seatholder who will send it to the state's Supreme Court) and Gov. Tim Palenty will not allow it. Everyone is now telling them to give up the ghosts except for the Grand Oldboysandgirls Party's Senate Fundraising arm. Marc Elias, the lead attorney for Franken's recount, joins us.

Still Bushed!: 3 - Homeland Security book cooking for a dozen secret tests back in April 2006. All in an e-mail to Jacksonville International Airport in Florida...you get an F-minus-minus! 2 - Pakistan's new president signs a law to allow the Taliban run the country. 1 - Ari Flesicher wants to tax the poor ten percent according to his article of The Murdoch Street Journal. Check the math...

Number 2 (Worst Persons in the World)
Bronze - Harold Hill dislaikes gay marriage in church.
Silver - Inanity says Bernie Goldberg was wrong on Somali pirate rescue by President Obama, and...
Gold - Comedian Boss Limbaugh blasts fellow right wing nut Jonah Goldberg for that same rescue.

Number 1: And so, Bo, the White House's Portugese Water Dog was welcomed into their new living quarters. Keith calls it a story that his producers are making him cover. Bo is named after Mrs. Obama's late father, Diddley, and because Ted Kennedy's breeder provided it instead of being from a shelter, they made a donation to the American Humane Society. Twitter us, Craig Crawford if you will.

Hey, Keith's going to talk baseball on Rachel's show, so I'll see you tomorrow!

Merry Christmas...Well, Not Really...

It' s kinda like Christmas when the NFL Schedule comes out, especially if you're an Eagles fan. Home Games are listed in old school Kelly green.

9/13 Carolina 1 PM FOX

9/20 New Orleans 1 PM FOX
9/27 Kansas City 1 PM CBS

10/5 BYE

10/12 Tampa Bay 1 PM FOX

10/18 Oakland 4:05 PM FOX

10/26 Washington 8:30 PM ESPN/6ABC

11/1 New York Giants 4:15 PM FOX

11/8 Dallas 8:20 PM NBC

11/15 San Diego 4:15 PM FOX

11/22 Chicago 8:20 PM NBC

11/29 Washington 1 PM FOX

12/6 Atlanta 1 PM FOX

12/13 NY Giants 8:20 PM NBC

12/20 San Francisco 1 PM FOX

12/27 Denver 1 PM CBS

1/3/10 Dallas 1 PM FOX

Remember, Sunday games can be flexed starting November 22nd, and Week 17 is subject to change. JFein will have the full Sunday Night Football slate above for you, meaning more autumn and early winter fun with Keith and Dan every Sunday Night starting September 13th!

Keith Olbermann On The Death Of Harry Kalas

(Guest Posted by JFein From Fire Andy Reid Now!)

Here are Keith Olbermann's thoughts on the death of Harry Kalas from his MLBlog, Baseball Nerd

T.S. Eliot wrote it, in an utterly different context:

April is the cruelest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain.

As much as all of us adhere to April as a time of rebirth in our shared game and the greater life it symbolizes, the month can just as easily take away, as give. Remember John McSherry? A wonderful man, that rarest of umpires beloved by players even if they thought he missed a call, dead on Opening Day in Cincinnati, dying as he prepared to do what he loved.

And this year, today, it's Harry Kalas, the gifted and unmistakable voice of the Phillies, who collapsed and died just before the team's game in Washington this afternoon. Of his endurance and wisdom and style, you probably knew - over nearly 45 seasons he had grown into the league of the Scullys.

But just as importantly, Harry had one of the best senses of humor about himself I've ever encountered. In the '90s at ESPN Radio, my Philly-based colleague Tony Bruno and I regularly lapsed into a bad impression of Harry, especially for names that were easily elongated. Harry never did, but as him, we could take the phrase "here's the two-two pitch to Mickey Morandini" and make it last fifteen seconds.

This, needless to say, bled into my narration of highlights on SportsCenter, after two or three years of which, I happened to draw as my only play-by-play assignment, an Astros-Phillies game at The Vet. Bruno came out with me to the ballpark and introduced me to Harry who immediately asked "So, Keith, how many innings of me are you going to?" He then laughed loudly and offered me any help I might need - volunteering, on the spot, a couple of tips on why the Phils would be resting some of their regulars.

I can also say, having known his son Todd, first of the Mets and now of the Rays, nearly as long as I knew Harry, that Harry must've been a pretty good parent, because Todd's as good a guy as you'd want to know.

RIP Harry The K.

EDIT: JFein will pinch hit for me for the next two Tuesdays (4/21 - hopefully a plausable live version - and 28) while I'm away at Phillies games. He would have done it last night (4/13) but Shuster pinch hit again. -JC

Harry Kalas: 1936-2009

Harry Kalas, the longtime voice of the Phillies, died suddenly today before the team was scheduled to play the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park at the age of 73. Our thoughts and prayers to the Kalas family and th rest of the Phillies organization. As a result, tomorrow's (4/14) scheduled visit to The White House has been postponed until May at the earliest.

Countdown Live Blog: 4/8/09

The Tie: Navy blue.

Number 5: Oh yes, the GOP does not want you to spend money when President Obama is upping the ante on the defense budget. And oh, yeah, the Congressional oversight of the TARP wants to sack a lot of executives. So, special guest in studio Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), any thoughts about the Good Oldboysandgirls Party "gutting" The Pentagon?

Number 4: Attorney General Eric Holder found a case where Adolph XLIII was wrong on illeagal wiretapping. One case out of twenty lawsuits. Meanwhile, a lawyer who wants to sue our government saying that he cannot sue them over secret illeagal wiretapping, Kevin Bankston from the Electronic Frontier Foundation, explains this for us.

Best Persons: 3 - A 69-year-old German drove away from a three car accident and then wrecked a house, then got in an ambulance that was in an accident. 2 - Someone at powerline.com thinks Norm Coleman lost to Al Franken. And National Review agrees. Rich Lowry erection excluded. 1 - Roger Ebert gives two thumbs down to Billo The Clown, putting his newspaper, the Chicago Sun Times in Bill's Hall of Shame, and compares him to Squeaky the Chicago mouse.

Musical Segue: Barnicle Bill the Sailor.

Number 3: An ex-Marine Dittohead revolting. The caller, Charles, a vet voted for McCain, has a problem with Comedian Boss Limbaugh and blames him for losses by the GOP in the election and calls Limbaugh "brainwashed" and a Nazi. Then, hilarity ensues! Hey, Chris Hayes from The Nation, what do you believe is going on?

Number 2 (Worst Person in the World, The Fixed Noise Edition Number Whatever)

Don't forget, tonight's nominees are eligible for the Friday week ending honors...

Bronze - Ex-beauty queen Gretchen Carlson is saying Social Security is bankrupt. About 73 years early.

Silver - Pirate Rupert says Google and Yahoo! steal material just like The Murdoch Street Journal does.

Gold - Glenn Beck the paranoid one is at it again about Grand Theft Auto and all video games in general.

Number 1: Billo has started a legal defense fund for Miss Wasalia 1984, the Evil Twin Sister of Tina Fey. Some stories are so easy, they deserve a laugh track. Meanwhile, Levi Johnston claims he has broken up with Ms. Fey's Evil Twin's daughter Bristol because he was being used in the election, this after a visit to Tyra Banks' show. Oh, the manna from Alaska keeps Craig Crawford feeling giddy!

Hoppy Easter ya screwy rabbits!

Countdown Live Blog: 4/7/09

As JFein pointed out last night, Keith's mom passed away, and so out of respect (and the fact that we took my nephew to Golden Corral for dinner for having straight A's on his report card, and I was stuffed and slept away), no live blog. However, I am back and thank JFein for the video.

The Tie: Black, blue and silver stripes.

Number 5: President Obama was so much against Adolph XLIII, that was then. Now, The DoJ claims that they must do wiretapping, and it must be expanded. See Section 221 (c)(1) for more information, and the Adolph XLIII expansion of the Patriot Act. Howard Fineman discusses the ramifacations of it all, and Prof. Jonathon Turley gives us the legal stuff.

Number 4: President Obama made a surprise visit to Iraq today. He saluted the 600 troops, including Vice president Biden's son, Beau at one of Saddam Hussein's old palaces at Camp Victory. He also met with the Iraqi PM and awarded ten Medals of Freedom. Oh, he was also in Istanbul (not Constananoble or Byzanthium) for a town meeting before a new poll showing 66% approval. Steve Clemons from TheWashingtonNote.com is here to give us his insight.

Oddball: In 1934, Sir Ian Richardson was born. General Motors uses that bailout money to create a dual passenger Segue. In Essex, England, 100 folks piled into a diving site to watch the world's game.

Number 3: The Grand Obstruction Party has now turned to Billo stalker/producer tactics. Led by Minority Whip Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA), they now attack the 42 freshmen Democrats on the floor. When a political party has to turn to a "journalist" like Bill O'Reilly for ideas, they've run out of ideas. Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy (D-OH) was "attacked" by the aptly-named Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) on the floor about AIG while Ms. Kilroy was talking about volunteerism. Also, he has his cronies read scripts which EPIC FAILED and made them P\/\/N3D on the YouTube. Ms. Kilroy joins us.

Number 2 (Worst Person in the World)

Nominees eligible to join other daily winners in Friday's week ending fun...

Bronze - Inanity opened his dillusion saying Obama apologized for the War on Terror... WRONG!

Silver - A T-shirt maker made "Hitler made good speeches too" selling them at an NRA-sponsored event.

Gold - Glenn Beck had a hysterical stupidity for the murder of three Pittsburgh pokliceman on a non-existant Obama gun ban.

Number 1: As if we need to be cheered up, The Sixth Simpson (much like Pete Best as The Fifth Beatle) Harry ("Hello! Welcome to Le Show!") Shearer has brought Phillies fan Christopher Guest and Michael McKean from his repretory film company to the program and sing a song tonight as members of The Folksmen and Spinal Tap in an acoustic style.

We'll see you tomorrow...

R.I.P. Marie Olbermann

(Guest posted by JFein from Fire Andy Reid Now! )

Sorry for posting without warning, JamesCraven, but I wanted to get Keith's touching tribute to his mother last night up and seeing as you were not around for the live blog, I'm afraid you might have missed the show entirely and in doing so you might have missed this. It's very moving and if you have not seen it yet, you might want to hold on have a Kleenex nearby.

Be Thankful About One Thing...

Opening Day/Night comes once a year in any sport.

That's what happened with the Phightin' Phillies, as they were taken out of the game early by longballs, and an very outstanding performance by Derek Lowe, noted Phillies killer leading, to the old joke about the team no longer serving beer at The Vault. Being one of the 44,532 fans, of which 99% Phillies fans (and taking three extra 2008 World Champions flags given away because they were from all Braves fans, remember when they were "America's Team"?) it was a proud moment to see the championship gonfolon raised aboue the yard. However, it was all downhill in about fifteen minutes.

It's Over for Nova...And It's Starting For The WFC.

Villanova's "Cinderella" run ended last night in the most sloppily way possible.  Happening in the remants of the biggest audience to watch an NCAA National Semifinal doubleheader (many of whom were rooting for Michigan State, a three-hour drive away), The Cats fell to North Carolina to the tune of 83-69 before what was left of 72,456 fans.

What was the main cause? The three-point line was not friendly to Villanova, as it had been to previous UNC oppoents like Oklahoma, and Heel out trey'd the entire team.  The pressure defense didn't show up, and Carolina were in track meet mode all night long thanks to Tyler "Beaker" Hansbrough and that Lawson kid.  Still in all, the Cats have a Regional Championship trophy to show for their efforts, and can hold their heads high in spite of their efforts.

Meanwhile, after 161 days since the last time they played a game that had meaning in their home, the World F. Champion Philadelphia Phillies will wear gold-trimmed uniforms tonight as they begin their defense of their title at home against the Atlanta Braves (Derek Lowe vs. Brett Myers, ESPN2, 8 PM US EDT).  Holding the honors of a Sunday only package gave me an opportunity to be in a lottery for the right to buy a ticket to Opening Night (adjective, not a brand name) which I won.  I also entered for non-season ticket holders, but I lost out, but that's different.  I will be there in person to watch a flag rise above Citizens Bank "Chan Ho" Park in person with the words "2008 WORLD CHAMPIONS" on it.

Hopefully, live blogging resumes tomorrow.  And BTW, because JFein didn't get his cance to fill in for that, I've given him the April 13th show to do.  The WWE's "Draft" is that night. Hey, I have to watch that, i can't do this gig full time as you know.

Gunman Strikes In Binghamton

(Guest posted by JFein from Fire Andy Reid Now!)

Seeing as JamesCraven is out today, I hope he won't mind if I post something on the tragedy today in Binghamton, New York. For those that have not heard of this story yet, basically a gunman open fired in an immigration center in Binghamton, New York, killing "tweleve to thirteen people" and taking several more hostage. The gunman has since been found dead in the building where the shooting occured. Here is more via MSNBC.com

Twelve to 13 people were killed Friday when a gunman walked into an immigrant services center and opened fire, Gov. David Paterson said. A federal law enforcement official said the gunman was found dead in the building.

"I speak for all of New York when I offer my prayers for the victims and families of this tragedy," Paterson said hours after the gunman shot several people and took dozens hostage. The gunman first blocked the back door with his car, authorities said.

Two people were seen in handcuffs as they left the building, but NBC's Pete Williams said they were not suspects and that police were simply taking extra precautions as people left the building.

Police had identified the suspect as a 42-year-old man who lived in upstate New York, Williams reported.

Authorities scheduled a news conference for 4:30 p.m. ET.

At least 41 people were in the American Civic Association building at the time of the shooting and that citizenship classes had been scheduled Friday at the center, The Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin reported.

The gunman had a high-powered rifle, Mayor Matthew Ryan told the newspaper. Law enforcement sources later told NBC News that several weapons were recovered from the shooting scene.

The suspect was described as a man in his 20s between 5 feet, 8 inches, and 6 feet tall, wearing a bright green nylon jacket and dark-rimmed glasses.

All the best to the families who lost loved ones in this terrible, terrible tragedy.

A Quick Note...

I'm not going to be here tomorrow as I will be away, so JFein will be pinch hitting for me for the live blog at 8 PM US EDT/5 PM US PDT.

Oh, You Sly Little Devils...

Looks like the webmasters at the Countdown web site pulled a fast one on everyone today...

The order on the videos were flipped from the usual 5 to 1 to 1 to 5.

HAPPY APRIL FOOLS DAY!

Countdown Live Blog: 4/1/09 (No April Fools Joke, Either)

The Tie: Black and silver stripes.

Number 5: Little Nicky Sarcozy, the President of France, wants to leave the G20, and meanwhile, President Obama talked with several leaders and even gave QEII an iPod, and then there were protests against British banquers (correct spelling) who wore jeans and t-shirts to avoid being attacked and then Obama met the British press, who make the stalker/producers at Fixed Noise look tame. Richard Wolffe, who has a funny accent, joins us.

Meanwhile, back in the States, a shocker. Attorney General Eric Holder will overturn former Sen. Ted Stevens' (R-AK) conviction on many charges, and will not proceed with a new trial. Reason? The Adolph XLIII Gestatpo, er, DOJ, forgot to allow many different evidence points. John Dean, explain why.

Number 4: Remember the Good Oldboysandgirls Party "budget" that had no numbers, nineteen pages and the same old shit but in a newer package? Well, here's the total of the same old same old: a $1.7 trillion defecit including tax cuts for the rich, elimination of some medical items and more Adolphian crap. Democrats on the other hand had said "we ain't the first to tell you so..." Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) is in Washington to say "we told you so."

Oddball: Happy 36^th birthday to a pair of regulars of Countdown, comedian Christan Finnegan and Rachael Maddow. Whatever happened to her? The Japanese kickass robot of the week breathes fire and looks too much like Casper the Friendly Ghost. In Newark, Ohio, after 15 beers you can be charged with drunk driving on a motorized barstool.

Number 3: Miss Wasalia 1984, the evil twin sister of Elizabeth Santamatina Fey, was supposed to speak at a GOP fundraiser in Washington in june, but backed out, and then brought in Newt Gingrich, this via her PAC. The ship is sinking, bail out! Joe the Non-Plumber on the other hand speaking in a rally didn't know about the Employee Free Choice Act. So, Chris Cillizza, where the hell is his Snuggie?

Number 2 (Worst Person in the World)
And a note, tonight's throika eligible for Friday's end-of-the-week bonus.
Bronze - Billo isn't the only one with stalker/producers, and he ambushed David Brinkley's son.
Silver - Billo says NBC is in trouble with him because he doesn't watch MSNBC but gets a clip file.
Gold - House Minority Leader Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) lies 140 times over on the costs of energy.

Number 1: Keith welcomes Ed Schultz to the family of MSNBC with an interview. That means 1600 Pensylvania Avenue moves to 5 PM ET as of Monday April 6, and Hardball goes live full time instead of replay 7 PM ET.

With that, I'll see you tomorrow.