I think the media has really fallen down on the job here... if most people were made aware that this is the most radical administration in history with respect to its views on the limits of presidential power, I think you'd see a much higher level of concern.

Some cheering news:

It's just another poll showing just another all-time low -- unless you're inclined to attach significance to round numbers and the breaking through thereof: The new Harris Interactive poll is the first to put George W. Bush's approval rating at below 30 percent.

Only 29 percent of the poll's respondents give Bush positive marks for his performance in office, and the poll was taken before USA Today reported that the NSA has been trying to collect information on every telephone call made in America. If current polling trends continue, most other major polls should have Bush in the 20s within a week or so.

One bit of good news for the president, if not for his party: Only 18 percent of the Harris poll's respondents approve of the job the Republican-controlled Congress is doing.

[link]

Anyone else still watching Survivor? I failed to set my VCR properly last night. Please to give a recap.

Oh, too bad -- it was a good ep last night.

Basically, Aras won the reward challenge, which was an overnight yacht tour of the Panama canal, with food. He was allowed to take 1 person with him and took Cirie. They decided they were going to be the final 2.

Meanwhile, Terry and Danielle were sent to exile island, which didn't really have a point since they both knew Terry had the idol, and there was nobody back at camp anyway. But they also started strategizing, except that they both SUCK at strategy, so it was more like "Well, T, you should win immunity tomorrow and then give me the idol." That was it.

So then Aras ALSO won the IC, which pretty much fucked up everyone's plans. Effectively, Aras and Terry both had immunity, so everyone knew it was going to be a tie between Danielle and Cirie. Why Terry didn't just decide to vote for Danielle and hope that Cirie or Aras would think they could beat him in the final 2, I have no idea. Oh wait, it's because he's an arrogant moron. Right. Anyhoo, Danielle spent the rest of the afternoon trying to get the idol from Terry, the idea being that if everyone thought he had it, they'd vote for her, and then she'd have it, and Cirie would go home. But Terry must have thought that she'd tell them if he gave it to her and then vote him off, so he didn't. So it was a two-way tie (Cirie and Danielle), and the tie-breaker was a fire-making challenge.

BUT!, to make sure everyone tuned in for the 4-hour finale EXTRAVAGANZA next Sunday, they ended the ep right before the challenge actually started, so we don't know who the final 3 are.

One bit of good news for the president, if not for his party: Only 18 percent of the Harris poll's respondents approve of the job the Republican-controlled Congress is doing.

This is even more heartening, though given how Bush is trying to beef up the presidency at the expense of the other branches - perhaps we should be calling his reign "The presindecency"? - taking back congress may not mean as much as it would have a few years ago.

if most people were made aware that this is the most radical administration in history with respect to its views on the limits of presidential power, I think you'd see a much higher level of concern.

The thought that keeps occuring to me is that a significant chunk of their thinking on Presidential power is influenced by the writings of John Yoo, and part of me wonders every now and then if Yoo isn't a Chinese mole, trying to wreck the American political system by writing papers that encourage monomaniacal Presidential power and handwave away the various checks and balances.

Survivor:

"BUT!, to make sure everyone tuned in for the 4-hour finale EXTRAVAGANZA next Sunday, they ended the ep right before the challenge actually started, so we don't know who the final 3 are. "

Not unless we watched the rest of the "next time on..." we don't. Or the commercials broadcast since then. Thanks, Survivor. Way to ratchet up the suspense.

Thanks, Jess! I'll have to give extra diligence to make sure my VCR is set for Sunday. I am curious to see if Terry can actually win it. I don't think he's been paying enough attention to the jury math and he's been screwed on that point since the jury started building, but then he also hasn't really screwed anybody over, which can't necessarily be said of any of the other three. I think Aras' own arrogance may wind up biting him in the ass, but I also think the rest of his old team is too stupid to realize they really should give the money to the one guy who totally dominated their asses, and kind of deserves it at this point.

Survivor is so much more fun when everybody is really stupid and obnoxious.

Huh, really? My Tivo cut off the promo (and I never watch commercials anyway). Sounds like marketing and post weren't speaking to each other that day.

Re: NSA phone tapping:

Gingrich: I'm not going to to defend the indefensible...

Scarborough: Be afraid, be very afraid...

[link]

Yay.

I can't remember if I closed my bedroom sliding glass door. And there are supposed to be thunderstorms this afternoon.

Oops.

I don't think there is anything over there that would be damaged....