Can Blogging Get You Out of Jury Duty?

I've been called to jury duty at Middlesex Superior Courthouse in Woburn on August 9, and the latest questionnaire they require me to fill out asks the following:

"Is there anything else in your background, experience, employment, training, education, knowledge, or beliefs that might affect you ability to be a fair and impartial juror?"

I want to answer "Yes, I am a blogger and I have already blogged twice about getting called to jury duty."

Do you think that will get me out of jury duty? Was that questionnaire supposed to be confidential? Oops.

Don't Have to Be Cool to Rumble In Clarinda

The Rumbles at a street dance in Clarinda, Iowa on July 16, 2010. It was a hot humid night but that didn't stop the sweaty street dancing.


The Rumbles were free, the beer tickets were $3.

Catching America's National Pastime for Less Than $4

You can have a good time across the river in Boston at a Red Sox game with your Fenway franks and your bleacher seats. But to really take in the national pastime the way it was meant to be played and watched, there is no substitute for a Clarinda A's baseball game.

Parking was free, admission was $2, the hot dog was $1.50, and for an extra $.25 they made mine a cheese dog. The game was called after six innings on account of a torrential thunderstorm. The crowd kept one eye on the game and the other on the cloud front and the lightening coming in from the west across the open sky, and most ran to their cars as the drops started to fall.

The players had to complete their inning in the first edge of the rain with the stands empty and a few people watching from their cars. It was a 2-0 win at the bottom of the 6th for the A's over the Excelsior Springs Cougars.

The A's play in the M.I.N.K. League, made of "farm" teams in Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas. This league plays college kids and locals and is not affiliated with Major League Baseball (so no prior written permission of MLB is needed for rebroadcast of part of the game).

The A's roster sports one hall-of-famer, shortstop Ozzie Smith, who played for the A's in 1976 before finishing his career with the San Diego Padres (1978–1981) and St. Louis Cardinals (1982–1996). The A's won the NBC World Series in 1981 with a perfect 7-0 record.

By the way, the A's bus broke down on the way to game a couple of weeks ago, and they need help with the expense of the repairs. Donations can be sent to Clarinda A’s, 225 E. Lincoln St., Clarinda, IA 51632.

Farewell to Medal of Honor Recipient Vernon Baker

The signpost at the corner of 16th Street and Main Street in Clarinda, Iowa honors two World War II heroes. Glenn Miller was a big band leader who entered the armed forces and was lost in flight over the English Channel in August 1944. Vernon Baker was a young second lieutenant who fought in the Italian campaign.

Vernon J. Baker was one of the most decorated African-Americans who served in World War II, winning the Distinguished Service Cross, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and Croce di Guerra. Later he was presented the Congressional Medal of Honor.

He died this past week in St. Maries, Idaho at age 90, after a long battle with brain cancer.

Baker was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He attended school there and at Boys Town in Omaha, Nebraska and graduated from Clarinda High School in 1939.

Here is the plaque in front of the Page County Courthouse. His full citation reads:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his own life above and beyond the call of duty in action on 5 and 6 April 1945, Lieutenant Baker advanced at the head of his weapons platoon, along with Company C’s three rifle platoons, toward their objective; Castle Aghinolfi—a German mountain strong point on the high ground just east of the coastal highway and about two miles from the 370th Infantry Regiment’s line of departure. Moving more rapidly than the rest of the company, Lieutenant Baker and about 25 men reached the south side of a draw some 250 yards from the castle within two hours. In reconnoitering for a suitable position to set up a machine gun, Lieutenant Baker observed two cylindrical objects pointing out of a slit in a mount at the edge of a hill. Crawling up and under the opening, he stuck his M-1 into the slit and emptied the clip, killing the observation post’s two occupants. Moving to another position in the same area, Lieutenant Baker stumbled upon a well-camouflaged machine gun nest, the crew of which was eating breakfast. He shot and killed both enemy soldiers. After Captain John F. Runyon, Company C’s Commander, joined the group, a German soldier appeared from the draw and hurled a grenade which failed to explode. Lieutenant Baker shot the enemy soldier twice as he tried to flee. Lieutenant Baker then went down into the draw alone. There he blasted open the concealed entrance to another dugout with a hand grenade, shot one German soldier who emerged after the explosion, tossed another grenade into the dugout and entered firing his submachine gun, killing two more Germans. As Lieutenant Baker climbed back out of the draw, enemy machine gun and mortar fire began to inflict heavy casualties among the group of 25 soldiers, killing or wounding about two-thirds of them. When expected reinforcements did not arrive, Capt. Runyon ordered a withdrawal in two groups. Lieutenant Baker volunteered to cover the withdrawal of the first group, which consisted of mostly walking wounded, and to remain to assist in the evacuation of the more seriously wounded. During the second group’s withdrawal, Lieutenant Baker, supported by covering fire from one of his platoon members, destroyed two machine gun positions (previously bypassed during the assault) with hand grenades. In all, Lieutenant Baker accounted for nine dead enemy soldiers, elimination of three machine gun positions, an observation post, and a dugout. On the following night, Lieutenant Baker voluntarily led a battalion advance through enemy mine fields and heavy fire toward the division objective. Lieutenant Baker’s fighting spirit and daring leadership were an inspiration to his men and exemplify the highest traditions of the military service.


Baker's memoir Lasting Valor was published in 1997. He chronicles his early life and almost 30 years of military service from World War II to the desegregation of the armed forces under President Truman to the Vietnam War.

Netherlands Gets the Red Card, Spain Gets the Gold Trophy

Netherlands 0:1 Spain is the official end to the World Cup after 90 minutes of regular time, 3 minutes of added time, and 30 minutes of extra time.

The shot of the Dutch player kicking the Spanish player in the chest is in all the highight reels. Those in the U.S. who have been calling soccer a sissy sport will hopefully be quieted by this full contact game.

We had a little rematch of organge men verus the blue/red men in Somerville this evening. Once agan the orange team was unable to score (at least in this clip).



At the Somerville game I didn't see any yellow cards or red cards, or any green cards for that matter.

Milky Way Midnight Dark Wins the Candy Bar Taste Test

We have a winner in the candy bar taste test: Milky Way Midnight Dark. Second place goes to 3 Musketeers.

Candy Bar	Calories	Remarks
Milky Way Midnight Dark	230	The dark chocolate with the vanilla nougat is a great combination, and who can argue with caramel. A few less calories per bar than most of the others.
Milky Way Simply Caramel	250	No nougat, just a mouthful of caramel wrapped in milk chocolate. Delightful.
Milky Way	270	You can't go wrong with the classic chocolate, caramel, nougat. What exactly is nougat again?
3 Musketeers	260	For the biggest candy bar, it is suprisingly light. That's because it's whipped.
Snickers	280	Some people love the peanut taste, but we fnd it leaves an unpleasant after taste. And it has the most calories.
Snickers Dark	240	The dark chocolate goes well with the peanut flavor.
Cadbury Caramello	220	A good balance of chocolate to caramel. The fewest calories in the lot.

A word about the taste test. We included candy bars that can be readily purchased in the United States. We did not include chocolate bars, such as Hershey's or Hershey's Special Dark, because we do not consider chocolate by itself a "candy." We did not include Reese's, Reese's Pieces, Tootsie Rolls, or M&M's because they are not a "bar."

We also did not consider wafer or rice based candies such as Kit Kat, Twix, 100 Grand, Nestle's Crunch, Nestle's Butterfinger or anything with coconut or nuts. Arguably these are candy bars but we put them in the chocolate-covered food category. And we really don't like coconut or nuts.

Frank Ahearn Called to Manage the Big Comedy Club in the Sky

Frank Ahearn, legend of the Boston comedy club scene, passed away this week at age 53, he had suffered strokes in December and June. Frank was longtime manager of the Commedy Connection in Faneuil Hall and just last year opened Tommy's Comedy Lounge at the Charles Playhouse in the Theater District.

Back on May 24, his commedy friends responded to the organizing efforts of longtime Comedy Connection pal Paula Murphy by putting on the second of two benefit comedy shows to help with Frank's expenses. A third was in the works for August.

Harrison Stebbins emceed the benefit for Frank on the Shear Madness stage at the Charles Playhouse.

It's always fun to mock the members of the audience who have to use the restroom.

Steve Sweeney reminisces, "I'm from Charlestown so all my friends are dead." So sad, so true.

Chris Zito is a single dad who would like to go back to the days when he could roll a big fatty and smoke it in front of his kids.

Graig Murphy still has all his fingers.

Joe Wong hits home with the unsettling fact that while half of marriages end in divorce, the other half last forever. That's right, forever.

Joe List came up from Queens for the night, not that there is anything wrong with that.

Tess Rafferty of the boyfriend for 13 years is having trouble making the social adjustment for calls from her married friends. "You're pregnant? Is there somewhere I can drive you?"

Tess has a great snark face move where she looks to the left and talks to the right. You can catch her writing and occassionally catch her on the E! show The Soup.

Gary Gulman has his regrets, "Jesus was Jewish, we should have hung onto him. That was our Babe Ruth to the Yankees."

Paul Nardizzi loves reading a well-rounded story with a happy ending, particularly when written across the rear of a hot girl's shorts. Becase he loves to read.

Jimmy Tingle confessed to stealing Ted Kennedy's bicycle off the Harvard campus when he was a kid, and for his trouble looks to have been cursed in adulthood with Ted Kennedy's looks.

Frank Ahearn front and center with his posse in Las Vegas. Rest in peace.

Longfellow Poem Gets Painted on Longfellow Bridge

The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere would have been a lot easier if he could have used the bridge.

Ayn Rand is No Conservative But May Be the First Slacker

American Glob has posted a Tom Snyder interview with Ayn Rand from the late 1970s. Here are some excerpts:

Objectivism tells you that it is not right, it is not proper to man, to take anything on faith. Religion is a matter of faith. You accept a religion emotionally or because you were born to it, you have not chosen it rationally.

What objectivism will tell is that reason, man’s reason, is his basic means of survival. It is immoral of him to act on his emotions, to be guided by the whim of the moment. Morality in fact consists of following your reason to the best of your ability. Rationality is the basic virtue from which all others proceed.

I feel that this country is being destroyed by its philosophy, specifically by its universities. The most dangerous things in this country today are the universities because they are teaching the kinds of ideas that would necessarily have to lead to the destruction of this country.

I think the American people is too good for that kind of program. You notice that the people are turning to the right. That’s a very healthy sign but there is no leadership on the right, there is no intellectual leadership, there are no ideas. And it’s very possible that people will be defeated for lack of proper intellectual leadership.

I mean a Harvard that would be preaching American ideas, more specifically reason, individualism, capitalism. Even institution of the intellectual prestige, which they don’t deserve today but they deserved it at one time, of Harvard, if an institution of that magnitude were preaching the proper ideas, that is the ideas on which America originally was based. Or to say it briefly, the philosophy of Aristotle, who was the father of this country.

If they were doing that, you could have the biggest renaissance in the world, still not too late even now. You can have a better renaissance than the first one. This country would come back to life.

But today when all those institutions from Harvard on down are preaching collectivism, mysticism, and above all altruism - self-sacrifice of yourself, the giving up, the resignation, all the disgusting kind of ideas that the whole world has been nurturing for centuries. When they do that this country can’t survive.

The ruling philosopher today in Harvard and everywhere else is Immanuel Kant, and that’s the real villain of our age, he’s the one, it’s not Karl Marx and it’s not even religion. I do not approve of religion as you know but those are not the villain.

The villain is Immanuel Kant. He tells you that morally you have to do your duty. What does your duty consist of? He says your duty consists of doing things in which you can take no possible interest and no advantage to yourself. He’s even worse than an altruist. An altruist would tell you that you shouldn’t be happy but you should sacrifice for other people and then you are moral. Kant goes beyond that, he says that if you do things because you have any goal whatever even the welfare of others, your action is not moral.

What will save this country is not its intellectuals but the people, because they’ve rebelled already without much intellectual prodding. That they already are becoming aware of the fact that we have to go to the right and not more welfare state. That’s a great tribute to the intelligence of the people.

I’m not a conservative. I think today’s conservatives are worse than today’s liberals. If anyone destroys this country it will be the conservatives. Because they do not know how to preach capitalism, to explain it to the people, because they do nothing except apologize and because there are all altruists. They are all based on religious altruism, and on that combination of ideas you cannot save the country.

Did Ayn Rand predict in the late 1970s that the policies to come of Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush would come close to destroying this country? Why aren't the Democrats on this? She would no doubt have had little use for compassionate conservatism.

And what is her real beef with Kant? He was all for doing the right thing because it was the right thing to do, not for you or for anyone else. Rationality without principles, that's what Ayn Rand's objectivism is really all about. That is a critique of principles.

I, for one, think the best policy is not to put too much stock in anyone who holds themselves out as a philospher, which is essentially just a clever way to live off the public dole. I side with Mel Brooks as espressed in History of the Word, Part I:

Dole Office Clerk: Occupation?

Comicus: Stand-up philosopher.

Dole Office Clerk: What?

Comicus: Stand-up philosopher. I coalesce the vapors of human experience into a viable and meaningful comprehension.

Dole Office Clerk: Oh, a *bullshit* artist!

Comicus: *Grumble*...

Dole Office Clerk: Did you bullshit last week?

Comicus: No.

Dole Office Clerk: Did you *try* to bullshit last week?

Comicus: Yes!

It doesn't really matter whether the person flinging the philosophy is Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Marx, Nietzsche, Rand, or Rawls. It's still just bullshit. Force feed the hemlock!

As for Rand, if she is not a conservative, what is she? You could say libertarian, but she rejected that label too. Neocon comes to mind, she was a refuge from the Soviet Union and that dovetails with the Irving Kristol definition of a neocon as a liberal who has been mugged by reality. But perhaps the most fitting label is slacker.

Not only did Ayn Rand set herself up as a philosopher in the great tradition of bullshit artists, but her work particularly in the novels The Fountain Head and Atlas Shrugged all feature the smart but virtuous hero who withdraws his talents from society.

Yes, the answer to Rand's famous question "Who is John Galt?" can be answered quite simply as the Winona Ryder character in Reality Bites. Slacker.

Be Patient, Your Health Care Bill of Rights is Coming

Here is the new Patient’s Bill of Rights being touted by Organizing for America. Some of these rights take effect in September, some are phased in over 3 or 4 years. Most of this will not feel new to those of us living in Massachusetts.


1. No retroactive cancellation. Prevents insurance companies from canceling your policy if you get sick. Right now, insurance companies can retroactively cancel your policy when you become sick if you or your employer made an unintentional mistake on your paperwork.

2. No denial for pre-existing conditions. Stops insurance companies from denying coverage to children with pre-existing conditions. Beginning in September, discrimination against children with pre-existing conditions will be banned—a protection that will be extended to all Americans in 2014.

3. No lifetime limits. Prohibits setting lifetime limits on insurance policies issued or renewed after Sept. 23, 2010. No longer will insurance companies be able to take away coverage at the very moment when patients need it most. More than 100 million Americans have health coverage that imposes lifetime limits on care.

4. No annual limits. Phases out annual dollar limits on coverage over the next three years. Even more aggressive than lifetime limits are annual dollar limits on what an insurance company will pay for your health care. For the people with medical costs that hit these limits, the consequences can be devastating.

5. Pick your own doctor. Allows you to designate any available participating primary care doctor as your provider. You’ll be able to keep the primary care doctor or pediatrician you choose, and see an OB-GYN without referral.

6. Emergency care anywhere. Removes insurance company barriers to receiving emergency care and prevents them from charging you more because you’re out of network. You’ll be able to get emergency care at a hospital outside of your plan’s network without facing higher co-pays or deductibles or having to fight to get approval first.
 
We added the headings as Organizing for America definitely needs to punch this up so it sounds good to the average American. We like 1, 2, and 6. And we like 5 but it has two signficant caveats "available participating primary care doctor."
 
We are a little worried about 3 and 4, because we never like to give anyone a blank check. It's only devasting for individuals who hit these limits if they have to pay. If they get charged to the collective credit card of health insurance, we all have to pay. There is a third option, which is that hospitals can't collect from the patient or the patient's insurance company over these limits.
 
For example, we're not convinced that the day bed rate is applicable when you require extended hospitalization. Or when repeated use of expensive machines is needed. When you're really sick, you should be getting a bulk rate. The failure to get the bulk rate, we suspect, is a big reason medicare costs are so high and so much of the American health care dollar gets spent on the deathbed.

Will Elena Kagan Go Down on Don't Ask, Don't Tell Hypocrisy?

Elena Kagan kept U.S. military recruiters out of the career services offices at the Harvard Law School until U.S. Supreme Court told her in 2006 she had to let them in. Now she wants to be on the U.S. Supreme Court herself. But first she has to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate, which along with the U.S. House made Don't Ask Don't Tell the law of the land back in 1993. And it doesn't help that she took a job in the White House Counsel's office for none other than President Bill Clinton, the man who signed Don't Ask, Don't Tell into law.







Of course, there was a third part to the policy: Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue. Now the question is just how far Senate Republicans are willing to pursue this issue. There is legislation before Congress this summer to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell. It would be a final irony if that passed while Kagan was turned down.

One of the hallmarks of a good judge is the capacity to enforce a law that you may not personally agree with. So one could vote to repeal the law but against Kagan. We'll see if the Republicans can persuade any of the more conservative Democrats to join them on this issue.

The real irony is that this is all taking place against a backdrop of rumors that Elena Kagan is herself gay (the White House says she is not). That would be a perfect defense: "I couldn't in good conscience support a policy that would exclude and discriminate against me." But in order to make that defense, she would have to tell and no one in the Senate is asking.

Enter through the Ice Cream Parlour, Exit through the Gift Shop

My feud with the Somerville Theatre in Davis Square is over.

It was no contest really. After all, they have the movie screens and I don't. I did take the precaution of checking online to make sure they had something good playing, as the one lesson I have learned is that can no longer be trusted.

I walked over from Cambridge on Monday to take in Exit through the Gift Shop. It was a hot afternoon in the 90s, and I took care to walk only on the shady side of the street. All the streets between Cambridge and Somerville are a little shady. When I arrived there was A/C.

It was a 5:20 show on a Monday, and the ticket was $5. So that made me happy. And I got a small bowl of ice cream for $3.25. A small bowl is plenty unless you are sharing with someone else, in which case the small bowl is still plenty. That's $8.25 for a movie and a heaping bowl of ice cream. Deal!



Exit through the Gift Shop is about street art and popular art and what makes some art worth pursuing and other art not. It's being held out as a Banksy film. And it features a filmographer and artist named Thierry Guetta. And it is a thoroughly entertaining story that is completely untrustworthy.

Oh, how long did my Somerville Theatre boycott last? Seven weeks and a day.

Out of Town Nudes in Harvard Square

I was walking through Harvard Square on July 4th when I saw these paintings. In the backbround is the newsstand for Out of Town News. In the foreground are two or three nude paintings. I'm not sure what is going on in that third one on the right (click the picture to make it bigger).


The guy hawking these paintings is from Sacramento, California. So that makes these out of town nudes.

Don't you hate a guy who feels he has to explain his jokes? Then you are not really reading this, are you? The guy has his hand out to warn me off from taking this picture. I gave him $10 so I am posting these under license. Don't be clicking Report Abuse.

Prince Won't Sell New Album 20TEN on the Computer Network Formerly Known as the Internet

Well if Prince is saying so it must be true:

"The internet's completely over. I don't see why I should give my new music to iTunes or anyone else. They won't pay me an advance for it and then they get angry when they can't get it. The internet's like MTV. At one time MTV was hip and suddenly it became outdated. Anyway, all these computers and digital gadgets are no good. They just fill your head with numbers and that can't be good for you."

That's the word from Prince, who says he won't be selling his new album 20TEN anywhere on the internet. I would link to his website as is my usual practice, but he's taken that down as well.

And what new medium of music distribution will replace the internet? Prince sent out free copies of 20TEN with the UK newspaper the Daily Mirror this Saturday. Yes, he inserted a copy into the newspaper and the newspaper boys delivered it to all the UK subscribers and no doubt quite a few people who don't ordinarily read the Daily Mirror picked it up at the newsstand.

I suppose the Daily Mirror paid him a nice fee for that privilege. So this is really an example of advertiser supported music distribution. And perhaps a little bit extra to diss the internet, which is killing the newspaper industry. We'll see how many of those CDs end up on eBay (eBay search today found 51 results).

Before you rush over to eBay and buy one, keep in mind that the commercial release will probably have some bonus music not on the free Daily Mirror CD.

So what is Prince up to these days? For one thing he has found religion and clean living. And for another he has found music.

"It's what I always dreamed of when I was a young musician, playing in the basement. Music is my life. It's my trade. If I can't get it out of my head I can't function. Someone told me they saw me at my peak, but how do they know when my peak is? I think I'm improving all the time. When I listen to my old records I'm ashamed of how I played then."

I remember first hearing Little Red Corvette in the summer of 1982, when I was living in a house is Allston, across the river from Cambridge where I was working that Summer. Prince will always be a great artist even if he had stopped after 1999, the album with that song, and Purple Rain.

By the way, that whole artist formerly known as Prince and slave tattoo thing came out of a 1993 contract dispute with his music label Warner Brothers. They told him they he couldn't perform under the name Prince without paying them royalties. He told them his new performance name was an unpronouncable symbol. The media joined ranks and made fun of Prince, which was still his real name and the name he continued to use as songwriter and composer.

Ford Falcon Parked on Beacon Hill Private Way

I was wandering around the base of Beacon Hill in Boston on July 4th, and due to the closed off streets came across this private way. The idea of a privately-owned street in a modern city may seem like an anachronism, but you should see what I found parked on that private way.

Yes, that's a Ford Falcon convertible and it looks like its been parked there gathering rust since 1960. I don't know the Falcon model years, so someone can correct me if it has only been there since 1970.

As to the contraption mounted on the back (click the picture to enlarge), I haven't a clue but it appears to have been there for 50 years too.

Holy Trinity of Festival Food on the Charles River Esplanade for July 4th

No 4th of July in Boston, indeed no outdoor festival in Boston or Cambridge, would be complete without these these three ingredients: delicious sweet Italian sausage with peppers and onions, fresh-squeezed lemonade, and Italian fried dough.



Did you know you can get French fries with your lemonade? That is just wrong. No, I do not want fries with that.

Gilbert Hall at Currier House Gets A Face Lift and Improved Wireless Access

There are some renovations going on at Currier House's Gilbert Hall. It looks the the exterior is getting a face lift. In addition, we've learned that Harvard University is installing new wireless communications equipment to server Currier House and the rest of the Radcliffe Quadrangle.

July 4th on the Charles River Esplanade

July 4, 2010 will be remembered as a warm day in the 90s that cooled off in the late afternoon and evening for a great fireworks display. I congratulate the people who camped out all day for the best seats, for myself I did a bike-through in the early afternoon.

How did we get the domain name July4th.org? Boston of course believes it owns the 4th of July. There would no independence without the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the Battle of Bunker Hill, and the Siege of Boston. We kicked the British out of Massachusetts a full 3 1/2 months before indepedence was declared.

The Star Spangled Louisville Slugger

The Star Spangled Banner, performed by Glenn Donnellan of the National Symphony Orchestra on a Louisville Slugger bat.

Happy Fourth of July!

Spain Careens Off the Goal Posts to Squeak Past Paraguay

Spain won its quarterfinal Wold Cup match against Paraguay by the narrowest margin, 1-0. It was even narrower if you watch the winning goal, first a kick that bounced off one goal post, followed up by a second kick that bounced off both goal posts before deciding to stay in the goal.

The game went on for some 94 minutes well past the regulation 90 minutes. One of the mysteries of soccer is when the officials will actually blow the game over, as they can add time to the game for injuries and various other reasons.

Now it comes down to Netherlands versus Uruguay on Tuesday, July 6 and Spain versus Germany on Wednesday, July 8. I look to see Netherlands versus Germany in the final match on July 11.

Cambridge Art Research Closes Its Doors on Huron

Cambridge Art Research, the art gallery that was at the corner of Huron Avenue and Concord Avenue in Cambridge, has closed its doors.

The lovely art which used to grace this storefront at 145 Huron Avenue is now gone.


We wish George Haigh well. His gallery was open "variable hours" and by apppointment.

German Blitz Gives Argentina Something to Cry About

The German team wore black, the German Chancellor wore red. All the South American fans could do was cry for Argentina as she went down 4-0 in the Word Cup quarterfinal round. And all German Chancellor Angela Merkel had to do was pace the stands in her red dress and smile her confident smile.

The German blitz took down England 4-1 on June 27 in the round of 16. Their play in the first stage group play was no less decisive, winning their opener against Australia (4-0) and then cruising through a loss to Serbia (0-1) and a win over Ghana (1-0).

Update: Here's some footage of German Team manager Joachim Löw that probably won't make the highlight reel on German TV:



Update 2: Below is the red jacket Angela Merkel wore at a match in Berlin when Germany beat Argentina back in 2006. OK, the buttons were white and now are black but othewise this looks like the same jacket.

Coors Light or Bud Light for Suspected Russian Spy

Russian spy suspects Richard and Cynthia Murphy, in an undated photo published in the Wall Street Journal, picnic at the apartment building where they formerly lived in Hoboken, N.J.

Richard has a Coors Light in his hand but a Bud Light on the table, along with enough Heinz products to have influenced the 2004 election.

Teresa Heinz Kerry is married to 2004 Democratic Presidential nominee John Kerry. That cheeseburger does look good! Are you going to eat that?