Wonderful news Gud.

A song, in your honor. [link]

Okay, so the juror in the Sen. Ted Stevens trial who left, allegedly because of her father's death, lied because she was attending the Breeder's Cup races. Also, she's apparently nuts or a really good actor.

A juror who vanished during Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens' corruption trial told the judge Monday she lied about her father dying and flew to California to see horse races.

U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan ordered Marian Hinnant, identified as juror No. 4, to return to court to explain why she disappeared during jury deliberations. Hinnant brought a stack of handwritten notes with her to the court Monday along with public defender A.J. Kramer, and told the judge that her father hadn't died and she was at the Breeders' Cup in Arcadia, Calif.

She apologized for lying, and then started a long rambling story about horses, which included references to horse breeding, the Breeders' Cup, drugs, President Ford's son Steven and her condo in Florida being bugged.

"I am thoroughly convinced you would not have been able to continue to deliberate," Sullivan interrupted.

"Can I have a case of my own?" Hinnant asked. Sullivan referred her to Kramer and the federal public defender's office, and excused her from his courtroom.

[link]

"I am thoroughly convinced you would not have been able to continue to deliberate,"

This is easily the best translation I've ever seen of "What the fucking FUCK??!1!"

Ah good news, the county election office says I'm registered to vote, the secretary of state website appears to be incorrect.

That was scary. I was all "Dear gawd, they're disenfranchising midwestern married white guys now. Nobody's safe."

oh the crazy juror make me laugh.

I am concerned about lines tomorrow. I think I am going to actually try to be there when the doors open at 6, mac in tow. Crazy.

I wonder why she 'fessed up. Better to seek forgiveness than permission, perhaps. But she'd already lied.

Dana! Are you watching the new season of Spooks? Did you watch Code 9? Did it suck?

I'm glad that it's all worked out now, Gud. Freaky glitches.

PHOTOS: Best Wild Animal Photos of 2008 Announced

This is my fave: [link]

Winner, "Animal Behavior: All Other Animals" Category

An aptly named winner of the 2008 Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest, "Deadlock" was captured in the dead of night in a Belizean rain forest.

U.K.-based David Maitland observed from midnight to 3 a.m. as a rare Morelet's tree frog doggedly refused to become supper for a cat-eyed snake--and still didn't see the conclusion.

"I would love to have seen them go their separate ways, but I was exhausted," the photographer said. "The frog was all the time trying to pull the snake off, but the snake just wouldn't let go.

"This frog is actually incredibly rare, which lends to the bizarre nature of the whole encounter," he said.

Photo #3 is especially sad:

A black colobus monkey is roasted for sale at an illegal bush-meat market in Gabon.

NYers: Guide for the Last Minute Voter.

A song, in your honor. [link]

Heh.

Did you hear the story about Palin's prank phone call.

Politico Article

It's pretty funny.