Spud State Blog Rundown 7/30/07

In religion and politics, people's beliefs and convictions are in almost every case gotten at second hand, and without examination.

• Red State Rebels: Monday morning water cooler 7.30.07
  I'm back from 17 days on vacation, the longest holiday I've had in 14 years.

• The Unequivocal Notion: More on Market Limone
  If you wanted more places in the Treasure Valley to get your hands on Jeff Martin's cheesecake, well, if you're in Nampa you have one more place.

• The Political Game: Kennedy Comparisons
  It is interesting to me how often they are invoking the Kennedy administration and legacy these days.

• NewWest Boise: Matt Damon, Frank Marshall Introduce ‘Bourne’ Movie in Boise
  The last time Frank Marshall made a public appearance in Boise, he threw his arms in the air and asked, “What am I, chopped liver?” as reporters lining a makeshift red carpet began to put away their voice recorders and leave the scene.

• Fort Boise: Blasted from Childhood by a Uterus
  It almost felt like Bill O'Reilly was going to have a reasonable discussion about the knee-jerk issue of "sex ed for kindergartners" for his interview with the Reverend Debra Haffner on the subject, but then it broke down to the same old problem he has with listening to anyone who's opinions don't match his own.

• Ridenbaugh Press: Wyden, Kempthorne and endangered species
  This would seem to fall into the “helluva story” category, although the Northwest news media silence about it has been almost absolute - the Eugene Register-Guard (in a useful and telling editorial), Oregon Public Broadcasting and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer (and out of region, the Federal Times and Forbes) seem to have been almost alone in delivering even succinct reports about it.

• Arbitrary and Capricious: Go Vandals!
  Which headline do you think works better, headline - wise?

• Eye on Boise: ‘Black from horizon to horizon’
  Idaho Gov. Butch Otter and U.S. Sens. Larry Craig and Mike Crapo, who flew over the Murphy Complex fire on the Idaho-Nevada border in a helicopter today, said it was black “from horizon to horizon.”

• F-Words: Har har
  You know what's hilarious? Violence against women!

• Morialekafa: Is Gonzo finished?
  Apparently Fox "News" tried to get someone to appear and defend Gonzales and could find no one willing to do so.

• IdaBlue: He Never had A Chance
  Meet Jesse Edward Starkey. He was arrested shortly after midnight on Saturday and charged with aggravated assault, assault, DUI driving, and accident involving damage to vehicle.

• The MountainGoat Report: From Richard Stallings
  Democrats Make Communities Safer by
  Passing 9/11 Commission Recommendations

• Rob's Idaho Perspective: The future of the wolverine
  The US Fish and Wildlife Service is currently accepting comments on a petition to list the Wolverine as a threatened or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act.

• United Action for Idaho: The moral issue of paying people for work
  This is the op ed piece I wrote to celebrate when the minimum wage finally went into effect.