• U.S. Senate race:
I get it. I really do.
[...] 
• Rep. Jason Chaffetz is at the Hinckley Institute of Politics telling the president a full withdrawal from Afghanistan is the only way to go. The same Rep. Chaffetz who told me months ago the president should be listening to generals on the ground. The same [...] 
I skipped doing a published story on Joel Wright's formal announcement as candidate for county commission because he didn't announce an opponent. (I did mention his intention back in September on the Grinder.)
• Gov. Herbert's panel to discover the truth about global warming is still in the planning stages. My prediction? By the time a recommendation comes down, the coasts will all be flooded and millions will be dead, or Sarah Palin will be president and we'll be' [...] 
Tell us something we don't know:
Looking for something to burn off the last 30 minutes of Monday work? Stare at this for a two and a half minutes then spend 27.5 minutes shaking your head:
• I think there are a couple of ways to look at BYU's exit poll that shows 55 percent of Provo voters still support Bob Bennett. Negative: 55 percent isn't particularly healthy. Positive: It's among Utah's more conservative voters. Negative: General election voters aren't delegates. Positive:' [...] 
I'm bringing up pieces of the the last comment from the Bennett post the other day from "Anonymous" because I think it's interesting discussion. (Seriously, just put your name at the bottom if you don't want to create an account. Even a first name. Feels awkward' [...] 
It's Monday, and you know what that means:
So I'm working on a little political analysis to post, but in the meantime, blow your mind with this:
I'll start with this:
Where does your money go? Where does the Chinese investment money go? Its best if you have a widescreen monitor. A big one. Click on it for the massive version.
I just want to say this about the kid who was hiding in a box in his attic while the nation waited for his dad's homemade dirigible to land in the Colorado desert to see if the 6-year-old was alive or had bailed out at' [...] 
So once in a while you write the atta-boy stories where kids do something nifty and everyone feels good. Wednesday night, the eight-graders at the Reagan Academy in Springville hosted their second town hall meeting with political heavyweights. Last year it was McCain vs. Obama (their [...] 
You'd think someone who has been in the news business in Utah for more than a decade would remember not to pick October or April for Sunday shifts. But noooo.
It seems everyone's getting in the game early.
Finally dragged myself back from vacation and what do I find?
Orrin Hatch is a smart guy. You have to be to stay in office for as long as he has. He's been on TV so many times, worked on the same issues so many times, that answers he gives to questions are often polished enough to' [...] 
On the heels of Sen. Orrin Hatch's "economic forum" at UVU that was more a chance for like-minded people to act like they're at a high school football game, we get this gem:Senator Orrin Hatch and Governor Gary Herbert are hosting a forum to consider [...] 
Sen. Bob Bennett, RINO-Utah (I kid! I kid!), came by for a visit to the Herald's editorial board on Monday.
• We're 60 minutes into the workweek and you're already looking for inspiration to make it through the next 2,340 minutes. Look no further than the Salt Lake Tribune's write-up on Sen. Dan Liljenquist who survived a plane crash a year ago. Now get back [...] 
Oh KSL classified ads, is there anything you can't do?
So I've been working on a story for a week about county governments backing a law that has boomeranged on them. It's complex to the point of mind-numbing and the excitement factor registers somewhere on the scale with Full House reruns. (Look it up,' [...] 
• LDS missionaries miss the Census county — again. I link to the Trib story for the awesome mug shot of Rep. Rob Bishop, who looks like a cat ate his pancakes. But before you scream "discrimination!" check out the money quote:The Bureau printed 520,000 [...] 
• Joe's weekender is about the appointment process in Utah. Did you know that 30 percent of the Utah Senate and 20 percent of the House seats are currently filled by someone who was originally appointed? [UPDATE: "Chicago governor"? Sometimes you just blow it. This' [...] 
Hey, the guy flies it a couple of times a week. Sounds safe enough. Up we go! (Video by iPhone)
Thought I forgot about the weekly weekend roundup? While that may be mostly true, it isn't true today. To the links!
Tired of Matheson, health care, Sotomayor, the economy, and all the rest? Me, too.
Having read through Hatch's entire statement again, I feel like I owe the public an apology. Shatner isn't going to be enough to compensate. So here, watch the hell out of the ukulele orchestra:
I'm really sorry about that last post. With the long-ness. The drawnout-ness. The scratching the eyes-ness. So I give you the only thing I know that can bring you back from the brink. I give you Shatner:
... which is why newspapers are — to put it in eloquent 1990s language — royally screwed. But that's not the topic of this particular post. This particular post is about my current obsession with semi-punk band Rise Against.
E-mail today from the Utah Transit Authority:In celebration of the 19th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Utah Transit Authority will host its annual “I choose to use UTA” awards ceremony. Three UTA riders with disabilities and three staff will be [...] 
Story today about "Selling Chaffetz" in which I explore a former marketing exec turned congressman and the love affair he and the press are having. (No, it's not lost on me that I'm the press.)
It's been a couple of weeks since I purchased the new 3G S and I have to say I'm pretty happy.
• Rebecca Walsh (x2):Gov. Huntsman's legacy."Governor Huntsman did less with more than any other Utah governor," says Bob Springmeyer, Huntsman's 2008 Democratic challenger. "I would have liked to see him use his extraordinarily high approval rating and stand up to the Republican Legislature on issues" [...] 
Are you kidding me? Are you freaking kidding me? My kid brought this home today (thanks Gramps). Is Crayons Co. out of its mind? Do you realize how many Crayons I'm going to have to dig out of my kid's mouth because of this?
A couple of things:
Look everyone! She's a racist! To the Sen. Hatch press release:Hatch Statement on Supreme Court Reversing Sotomayor Firefighters Decision
“The Supreme Court today correctly held that race-based employment decisions must be justified by facts, not fear,” said Hatch. “These firefighters, who worked long and hard for [...]
Good Chaffetz (via HollyOnTheHill)Rep. Chaffetz’ bill will create a “postal holiday” on the “Census Day” to allow the collection of Census information rather than the delivery of mail.
Chaffetz better be careful though – his out-of-the-box thinking and common sense approach is earning him a reputation. [...]
Sen. Howard Stephenson can say what he wants about the Nebo School District pulling a fast one by holding its septennial bond election in June. (And he did, dusting off the never-gets-old "unAmerican.")
Glen Warchol (anyone know if he prefers "The Crawler?") has posted an Idiot's Guide to a Blue Guv. The only question that remains for the Dems is which of their heavy hitters is going to run for which office.• Republicans tried to crush Congressman Jim' [...] 
UTA is one of the transit agencies teaming up with Skynet Google to use the company's map system to plan trips.Just type in locations, date and time and voila, you're on your way. Of course, if you hate transit and all those poor/disabled/commuter people who [...] 
It's Day 4 of My iPhone Life. Things that are better on the iPhone than a computer: TweetDeck, Facebook, and Google's RSS Reader.
Now, this is a little bizarre. In one day, I have heard rumors from the community that the Daily Herald is being sold by its parent company Lee Enterprises and alternatively that we're going to a Web-only format. There is an easy way to check the facts that were reported in the newspaper. Cedar Hills Council meetings are recorded and posted on the [...]
Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, reloads after TSA porn and earmarks and takes aim at government waste. And thus was born the Sunset Caucus — "in reference to the idea that wasteful government programs should be “sunset,” or eliminated."
Filling in on the court beat is always a nice distraction from the grind of politics and all the rest. Society's most colorful paraded in front of you for an afternoon? If you've got the callused heart for it, it can be as fun as watching [...] 
So which friend from Friends am I? Who cares? That's who.
I'm no stickler when it comes to the rules. I don't use the handrails on escalators. I cross in the middle of the street. And I often swim less than an hour after eating.
I've been trying to figure out how a couple of members of the LDS Church could be at the core of the torture memo debate. You know, God-fearing Christians. Do unto others. Turn the other cheek. The stuff we all believed before 9/11 when all' [...] 
New feature! (That I'll probably forget next Monday.)
Dear America,
Where in the world has AutoPager been all my internet life? Firefox users, you are obligated to go download it right now. Excuse me? I said obligated. In brief, it takes many Web sites' multipage stories or search results and loads it into the' [...] 
Oldest journalism trick in the book: Pick someone relatively popular (or with a popular name) who hasn't said anything, hasn't had anything said about him (or her) (or him if we're still in Utah) and ask a question so loaded that pulling both triggers would' [...] 
So the MTC sends out a release that their boys are coming in with Swine Flu. Parents, please watch for signs and, you know, keep them at home for a few extra weeks if they're exhibiting behavior that could result in a pandemic.
That is all.
It's like Manifest Destiny. For guns.
These are PSAs. From ourselves. From the future.
