Crosblog

Fan gropes Tim McGraw during concert - gets reamed out by Faith Hill later.

As I suspected, we caught the midnight showing of the Simpsons movie. It's...ummm...fine, I guess, although if you're going to make a movie that Americans are going to feel culturally obligated to attend, you should at least give them a better effort. (Spider-Man 3, I'm looking in your direction...)

Cut 25 minutes from it, and it's a decent season finale. Not Who Shot Mr. Burns, but then, what is? It has some funny moments (the line about going mad with power is my favorite), not a lot of guest stars or references to TV episodes, and frankly, the time could have been better spent making better television. It starts funnier than it ends, and if you're worried about missing anything during the credits, you can leave after the Pimply Faced Teen shows up.

You get to see the trailer for Horton Hears a Who, though. That's a plus.

The Atlanta Falcons choose to start practice with some speed drills...

Stay out of Painesville, OH - a judge there makes guys who patronize prostitutes wear chicken suits.

Because they have to pay when your dentist gives you boar's tusks.

Apparently J.K. Rowling had a few details left over that she couldn't wedge into the book. If you want to know what various survivors are actually doing for a living, you may now rest easy.

Tip - Mountaineer Musings.

I really, really hate the song "Waiting for the World to Change."

I never fully appreciated how big a phenomenon this whole Potter thing is until about two hours ago, when I couldn't find a parking lot at the Borders/Movie theater, and it wasn't because I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry is going to break box office records.

On an unrelated tangent, the Chuck & Larry movie should be considered an in-kind contribution to the Romney and Obama campaigns. Seriously, the New York Fire Department's pension rules are so messed up that firemen have to fake gay marriages to make sure their kids are protected? Boy, any mayor or senator who was on the job when the system was getting that bad must suck and suck hard.

Back to the Potter party,



I think one of these kids is not as clear on the concept as the others, maybe. Anyway, I showed up at Borders at 11:58 without having reserved a book, so I was issued a moron wristband with the other idiots who just showed up and expected a book.

Or, as J.K. Rowling might put it - the stupid sorting hat put me in Hufflepuff.

Anyway, we got two copies of the books, because the wife will be damned if she's going to wait for me to read it, and she's also going to be damned if she has to wait too long for me to read it so she can talk about it. Bottom line - keeping the wife out of hell is going to be hard.

Fortunately, this weekend begins the annual prosecutor conference, which is on the beach, because studies have shown that you learn much better when there's a beach nearby, so I should have the thing read in a couple of days.

Feel free to wreck the plot in comments if you must.

"Idol: The Musical" opens Off-Broadway. It's "based on a worship of Clay Aiken."

Man, the things we miss living down here in the South.

Mayor of St. Louis refuses to proclaim "Ike Turner Day."

Reason being, if Ike had gotten a day, O.J. would've wanted a whole week.

Everyone's doing one of these map things....



create your own personalized map of the USA
or check out ourCalifornia travel guide

Nobody in Atlanta gives a crap about the Chris Benoit case anymore.

You can read the indictment here. Did you know Michael Vick was also known as "Ookie?"

Through his lawyer, Vick has previously denied any involvement. His lawyer has alleged that people who lived at and managed the property where these dogfights were supposed to be happening had taken advantage of Vick's generosity and perhaps used his name when they shouldn't have. That's at least possible, although it has also been reported that among circles familiar with dogfighting, Vick is a known "heavyweight."

If convicted, Vick faces a maximum of five years in prison.

For more on dogfighting, read the Humane Society's fact sheet.

Chris Benoit toxicology results are in. He had an elevated testosterone level, which anyone who'd been paying attention could tell you. He was also positive for Xanax and Hydrocodone.

What does that tell us? Pretty much nothing:

The state's top medical examiner, Dr. Kris Sperry, said there was no evidence of any other anabolic steroids in the wrestler's body, and nothing to show that steroids played a role in the death of Nancy and Daniel Benoit.

"An elevation of that ratio does not translate into something abnormal in a person's thought process or behavior," he said.

The more I hear, the more convinced I am that Chris Benoit killed his wife and son because Chris Benoit is a jerk, and not because of anything the WWE did to him, or anything he did to get or stay famous.

None of which means wrestling doesn't have a problem, although it's kind of ironic that the deaths that finally focus everyone's attention is one that isn't as directly connected to the wrestling lifestyle as others. The problem has been minimized for several reasons - for instance, only counting the "big deaths" - wrestlers currenty or recently associated with the WWE, such as Eddie Guerrero. Another problem is, oddly enough, the protectiveness wrestling fans have towards the industry - when outside media, who neither understand nor appreciate wrestling, move in, wrestling fans become naturally defensive. In this case, however, that protectiveness isn't helping wrestlers. The list of wrestlers who have died young and died recently is shockingly long. Some deaths are directly related to wrestling - Owen Hart, for instance. Others can at least be tied to wrestling - Rodney "Yokozuna" Anoai died several years after his days in the WWE were over, but his massive size, which ultimately overwhelmed his heart, was directly due to the WWE's rewarding him for his bulk with main event pushes and titles. And while there are people on that list whose death can't be blame on wrestling - John "Earthquake" Tenta just got cancer, it's a disturbingly long list, even allowing for the inclusion of referees, managers, and independent performers. A list of football players that long wouldn't prompt parsing over the inclusion of Arena League players on the list.

There are plenty of changes that could help - redesigning contracts to mandate time off for wrestlers would help with painkiller addiction and abuse, allowing wrestlers' bodies to heal more completely and naturally. The second issue is promoters putting an end to pushing people because of unnatural physiques. Ideally, no aspiring wrestler should think that getting a build like Chris Masters used to have is a shortcut to fame and fortune. Besides, from a creative standpoint, it's a relatively bland gimmick that hasn't worked since Rick Rude, who, by the way, is on the list.

Maybe a different framework would have given Chris Benoit time and space to get help instead of lashing out the way he did. Maybe not - you don't have to be a pro wrestler to take out your frustrations on your family - sometimes you can be a fertilzer salesman. While saving the next Nancy and Daniel may be out of the question, saving the next Louie Spicolli is a worthy goal too.

As always, read Bob's take on the subject.

Been meaning to add some friends to the blogroll for while now -

Mr. Pop Culture.

Matt's Crazy World - an old friend from my St. Louis days who had a nice post after he read about Mishka.

Three words.

Waffle. House. Museum.

Keep in mind, it will only be open to the public on special occasions, so call in advance to avoid the rush.

It's a sad fact that many Americans don't want to serve jury duty. This reluctance can cause people to go to great lengths to try and avoid service.

For instance, this guy in Massachusetts, who claimed in his jury questionnaire that he was homophobic and racist. When questioned by the judge, he also said he was a liar.

"You say on your form that you're not a fan of homosexuals," Nickerson said.

"That I'm a racist," Ellis interrupted.

"I'm frequently found to be a liar, too. I can't really help it," Ellis added.

"I'm sorry?" Nickerson said.

"I said I'm frequently found to be a liar," Ellis replied.

The good news is he didn't have to serve on a jury. The bad news is he was taken into custody and now faces charges of his own.

Fortuntately, he has the right to trial by a jury of his peers.

Evel Knievel vs. Kanye West.

What should a couple of thirty-somethings who have to be at work the next day do on a Tuesday night to entertain themselves?

...I mean, besides that.

The correct answer is, apparently, "Midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix." This is the second time this summer we've done the midnight showing thing, in case anyone was under the impression that the "spouse is out of her damn mind" thing was a temporary condition. I figure I've got at most one more midnight screening hurdle to clear, and we should be good until next summer. (We can see the Bourne Ultimatum on the weekend like normal people.)

It is fun to see the popcorn stuff at midnight, although it's a lot easier when you're in college, and you weren't planning to go to class the next day anyway.

Oh, yeah - the movie - better than Goblet of Fire. Spouse really liked it, but she may have just been delusional for lack of sleep. Come to think of it, so could I. It has its really good moments - the opening is excellent, for one, and there are some really good supporting performances. Evanna Lynch is great as Luna, Alan Richtman turns in his best effort since the first movie, and Imelda Staunton is perfect as Dolores Umbridge. The film does well in setting up the relationship between Harry and Sirius, and the Harry as clandestine Dark Arts teacher is good as well. Getting rid of Quidditch is a plus - it's clearly a sport designed by a person who knows nothing about sports.

The bad - the whole "Harry's first kiss" thing falls flat, mostly because at no point during this movie are you given a reason to give a crap about Cho. Also, the movie makes it look like Luna is Harry's next love interest. Also, the inconsistent rules about magical combat detract from the climactic fight, and Neville is again mishandled. (I don't like the way they handled how Harry learned about Neville's parents' fate, but also I get a sense that the people making the movies still aren't comfortable with the fact that Matthew Lewis grew about a foot and a half between the first two movies.)

So go see it. But maybe not at midnight.

Illinois Republicans have spent years screwing things up, until finally, their heads got so far up their collective George Ryan that the Democrats took over the whole state - governor's mansion plus large majorities in both state houses. Smooth, progressive sailing from here on out, right?

Dumbest. Governor. Ever.

"We have a madman," Democratic Rep. Joe Lyons of Chicago told reporters. "The man is insane."...

...The governor's relationship with legislators is so strained that even his efforts at diplomacy blow up.

Blagojevich met with Democratic Sen. Mike Jacobs to talk him into voting for the health insurance plan. Jacobs came out in a rage, saying the governor had screamed obscenities at him and threatened to ruin his career. If Blagojevich had talked to him that way at a tavern, Jacobs said, "I would have kicked his tail end." Blagojevich won't comment.

Has anybody mentioned Blagojevich as a Veep prospect? I think he and John Edwards would make a great team.

Video game expo going babe free.

Adult film star sued for allegedly stealing the name of high school classmate.

"Really on a weekly, if not daily basis, my client has had to deal with odd phone calls, former classmates that didn't know her that well sending her e-mails about whether she's now in the adult film industry and just a general lack of safety for her," attorney Caj D. Boatwright said.

Naming children is a challenge - you want to convey family history, and try to give your child a name that at least contributes to a wedgie-free adolesence. (Note to spouse - the name Truman fails this test miserably. Ask anyone.)

Now, we learn you also have to try and avoid giving your offspring a name that sounds like a good porn name.

Me neither.

Is Transformers a good movie? Not by any conventional definition of the term, no. Two days later, my wife is still experiencing Sudden Plot Hole Awareness syndrome where she will, in the middle of an entirely unrelated conversation, suddenly blurt out something like - "OK, if the government moved the Allspark to the Hoover Dam, how could Optimus Prime use the glasses to find it?" (If you've seen the movie - this question makes sense. I think maybe Bumblebee tells him, but this isn't clear.)

So, it's really stupid, but also really fun, because, hey, they have these cars, and they turn into giant robots, and they blow stuff up. Jon Voight plays the Secretary of Defense as an honest, brave, and competent man, which I gotta say, I didn't see coming. Actual problem - not enough Decepticons - especially Starscream.

Anyway, if you see only one two-hour GM commercial this year, make it this one.

Discussion as to why Chris Benoit would murder his wife and child generally centers around three possibilities, offered jointly or individually to explain a shattered mental or emotional state that would have driven a man to acts of which he was completely incapable. These possibilities are:

1. Drugs - particularly steroids.
2. An excessive work schedule.
3. The mental stress of raising a child with Fragile X syndrome.

There's a fourth possibile explanation, which doesn't get talked about a lot.

4. Chris Benoit was an abusive jerk.

Lots of people who have written about these murders have their own reasons for ignoring the latter possibility. Mainstream media writers prefer 1 & 2 because, if true, it can be argued that Vince McMahon, the WWE, and wrestling in general share responsibility for Nancy and Daniel's deaths by creating an environment that breaks down wrestlers physically and mentally until they ultimately snap. If Benoit is just a bad guy who did a bad thing because he's a bad guy, McMahon and co. can no more be blamed for the deaths of his family than the NFL can be blamed for the deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman.

Wrestling fans, I think, largely want to believe some external force broke Benoit mentally and emotionally to preserve their memories of him as a wrestler. Most wrestling fans agree that Benoit was one of, if not the top in-ring performer of his day, and deserved mention as one of the all-time greats. If he snapped because of external pressure, then it becomes easier to watch his great matches from happier times. Otherwise, the man you saw in the ring redefining wrestling with Dean Malenko is pretty much the same guy who strangled his wife and child, and that same match becomes a lot harder to watch.

Regarding possible external pressures on Benoit, the indictment of his personal physician, who is alleged to have provided Benoit with excessive amounts of steroids, suggests that Benoit was operating with an unsafe amount of steroids in his system. That said, violent behavior connected to steroids tends to be an impulsive overreaction to a sudden provocation, while Benoit's behavior suggests elements of premeditation and conscious thought. What steroids can do is expose a preexisting psychiatric illness that, but for the drugs, would have been better kept in check. If Benoit had a mental illness, however, it escaped the notice of friends and family. If he had a psychiatric problem - it apparently went undiagnosed.

About the effect of the work schedule I don't have anything to add - the idea that wrestlers should be guaranteed time off is something that's come up before, and it's one I agree with. It bears mentioning that the stress of the road is one all wrestlers have to deal with, and Benoit isn't the only one who had family at home.

Which brings me to the third reason - according to reports from Fayette County, it's not certain that Daniel Benoit even had Fragile X Syndrome, according to sources familiar with his medical and educational history. This story about a family dealing with a child with Fragile X (and a father whose job requires regular travel) makes it clear that Fragile X can put a strain on a relationship, but also shows how a family committed to each other as well as their child can cope with the hardships the disease creates.

And finally - reason 4. Domestic violence experts who have followed the story have seen signs of fairly conventional abusive behavior about control and domination of others. An expectation of control, and a fear of the loss of that control, is a common factor in domestic violence homicides. In this situation, any drugs or stress present aren't really causing the behavior, although they may be allowing the abuser to rationalize his actions at the time.

Obviously, he didn't behave like this around his co-workers or other family members, although he wouldn't be the first abusive husband to conceal a dark private life from his friends. While an autopsy and toxicology reports may lend support to the idea that Benoit was under the influence of drugs or illness at the time, the simplest, most logical explanation is that Chris Benoit murdered his wife and son for reasons similar to those of other domestic violence murders.

And the simplest explanation often turns out to be the correct one.

President Wackypants shoots down proposed Oliver Stone documentary.

"I sent a negative answer by Ahmadinejad to Oliver Stone," the Fars agency quoted Mehdi Kalhor, media adviser to the president, as saying Sunday. "It is right that this person is considered part of the opposition in the U.S., but opposition in the U.S. is a part of the Great Satan."

Reached for comment, Michael Moore was quoted as saying "For Pete's sake, what's a guy gotta do?"

"We believe that the American cinema industry lacks culture and art," Kalhor was quoted as saying by Fars, which is considered close to Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard.

Okay, I'll give him that one.

On a wholly unrelated subject, I'm totally hyped to go see Transformers today. My wife is somewhat less hyped.

Crazy Redhead: What's the big deal about this movie again?

Me: They're cars that turn into giant robots!

Crazy Redhead: Is that all they have?

Me: That's all they need!

Yes, I'm aware Michael Bay is involved. I'm also confident that there are provisions of the Patriot Act that provide for his immediate incarceration in Guantanamo Bay should this movie suck.

Movie starring Jessica Simpson and Luke Wilson delayed after producers surprised to learn it stunk.

The time the rest of us learned it stunk was when we learned it was a movie starring Jessica Simpson and Luke Wilson. The geniuses in Hollywood actually had to film the damn thing before they figured it out.

Something to remember next time a Hollywood personality tells you who to vote for.

Illinois jury orders "the other man" to fork over $4,802.87 for stealing the affections of the plaintiff's wife.

Here's the fun part - the plaintiff had encouraged his wife to sleep with the defendant, in an attempt to spice things up. Apparently the defendant spiced things up to the point where the wife preferred him.

I now invite any lawyer with relevant experience to weigh in on the applicability of the doctrine of "assumption of risk."

Here's the relevant statute, by the way. You're not allowed punitive damages, so the $4,802 was based on a formula involving her contributions to the household. Apparently putting up with her husband wasn't worth as much as you might think.