Previously on The Jersey Shore my C&L blog, the Situation ate a steroid-infused meatball sub I recalled the events of my unlawful arrest at a National Organization for Marriage anti-gay marriage rally.

And now the stunning continuation...

To say that I sweated through the night is no metaphor. The air conditioning was on the fritz and, although there was a temporary system pumping in air from a semitrailer outside, the cells were hot enough to give Sheriff Joe Arpaio a spring in his step.

I did some metaphorical sweating, too. This was the Erie County Holding Center. Although it's a relatively quaint 680-cell facility, its “suicide” rate is five times the national average. And although it's recently been dropped, the ECHC was the focus of a two-year DOJ investigation, which alleged such constitutional violations as “elevator rides” (guards taking inmates to a floor without cameras and beating them senseless) and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome-style inmate-on-inmate combat – done, apparently, for the guards' amusement.

“Who run Bartertown?” I softly whispered to myself throughout the night. “Master Blaster.”

Rachel Maddow even did a segment on this place a while back. While Erie County Sheriff Tim Howard refused to let the Feds inspect the jail, he had no problem opening up the door to Keanu Reeves. He was researching a role – like he wasn't just going to play Keanu Reeves. I'm not kidding:

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Leftopia: Reality Bites (Back)

The Newshoggers: Nuke policy blog tank - Getting the word out

SeaBird Chronicles: Interesting, amusing, and frightening quotes on current events and the presidential race

Listening Post: With a dissatisfied electorate clamoring for less of the same, the candidates are stumbling over each other in a frantic race to determine who will become known as the changiest of them all.

Talking Points Memo: What, exactly, is Bill Clinton supposed to have said that is so 'venomous?'

'Just World News' with Helena Cobban: Gaza scenarios

"They are interested in your stuff, however, and sooner or later, they will swamp your kind out of existence." Sadly No on the dwindling honkie tribe.

Jesus' General's effort to seek guidance from Wiley S Drake results in little satisfaction.

Marc McDonald looks at how FOX blew it's chance at credibility.

You'll want to save this for when you've got more than a minute - Blue Herald's massive new Right Wing Cartoon Watch

And finally, it's a passing as sad as any, and as I hold the final issue of the Weekly World News in my hands, I must try hard to think about the good times, even though the grave of Elvis grows a bit colder, and Bigfoot trudges sadly through the frozen tundra which scientists predict will be a tropical paradise next year after the reversal of the magnetic poles. When again shall we see the everyman outrage of Ed Anger, who introduced the phrase "pig-bitin' mad" to the English lexicon? Or the sage advice of Dottie, who routinely advised the lovelorn that their best course of action would be suicide? So long, Bat Boy. Branches Up, Roots Down offers the eulogy.

Guest blogged by Mark Hoback. Send tips to mhoback AT verizon Dot net.

Time 10:47am EST

"Local news posted photo of arrested photog - all arrests were directed by Republican poll watchers. I don't nor does any other legal authority, know why it is illegal" to photograph - TV news cameras abounded. I will challenge it tomorrow. It was intimidation pure and simple and the people buckled after the arrest. I have taken photographs myself and will have them in a few hours. That's if I'm not arrested too!"

This is a really horrifying exchange especially after this new story just broke.
Download | play -WMP Download | play -QT

ABC World News:

VARGAS: When you look back on those days immediately following when Katrina struck, what moment do you think was the moment that you realized that the government was failing, especially the people of New Orleans?

BUSH: When I saw TV reporters interviewing people who were screaming for help. It looked - the scenes looked chaotic and desperate. And I realized that our government was-could have done a better job of comforting people.

Froomkin:

In "How Bush Blew It," his Newsweek story last September, Evan Thomas wrote: "The reality, say several aides who did not wish to be quoted because it might displease the president, did not really sink in until Thursday night. Some White House staffers were watching the evening news and thought the president needed to see the horrific reports coming out of New Orleans. Counselor Bartlett made up a DVD of the newscasts so Bush could see them in their entirety as he flew down to the Gulf Coast the next morning on Air Force One."

So that would be Friday morning, Sept. 2, that Bush saw people screaming for help....read on"

Bush noticed Katrina failures: When they were screaming!
Bush is going on ABC World News tonight to do an interview.
This is a pretty horrifying exchange:

VARGAS: When you look back on those days immediately following when Katrina struck, what moment do you think was the moment that you realized that the government was failing, especially the people of New Orleans?

BUSH: When I saw TV reporters interviewing people who were screaming for help. It looked - the scenes looked chaotic and desperate. And I realized that our government was-could have done a better job of comforting people.

You might have stopped playing your guitar in San Diego and paid a little more attention! This is a remarkable exchange.

Muhammad Ali gives Bush the crazy sign

Thursday Funnies

Atrios: Bush, who appeared almost playful, fastened the heavy medal around Muhammad Ali's neck and whispered something in the heavyweight champion's ear. Then, as if to say "bring it on," the president put up his dukes in a mock challenge. Ali, 63, who has Parkinson's disease and moves slowly, looked the president in the eye -- and, finger to head, did the "crazy" twirl for a couple of seconds.

Download | play -WMP QT coming (from ABC World News) (pic from First-Draft)

Download | play -QT

Here's the WaPo article: Medal of Freedom Ceremony Shows Ali as Fast as Ever.

ABC Bosses Tell ABC News Kill The Interviews With Robert Kennedy Jr. …

via Huffington Post: ABC corporate executives at the network's highest levels ordered
three interviews with Robert Kennedy Jr. pulled from ABC News programming. The interviews all centered around Mr. Kennedy's investigation of thimerosal, a mercury based preservative, used in vaccines given to
children and believed to be responsible for increasing cases of neurological diseases including autism.

Mr. Kennedy's interviews were slated for prime shows ABC World News
Tonight, 20/20, and Good Morning America. Salon.com and Rolling Stone Magazine have exclusive rights to Mr. Kennedy’s article and they embargoed his story on other networks because of his arrangement with ABC...read on

Nightline: Janice Karpinski says Rumsfeld knew about Abu Ghraib

Download | play -Real Audio

Download | play -WMP this is from ABC World News Tonight

She's mad as hell and is not going to take it anymore.

-Lest we forget

President Bush at the Small Business Administration's National

Small Business Week Conference: "The first essential step toward greater energy independence is to apply
technology to increase domestic production from existing energy resources. And one of the most promising sources of energy is nuclear power. (Applause.) Today's technology has made nuclear power safer,
cleaner, and more efficient than ever before. Nuclear power is now providing about 20 percent of America's electricity, with no air pollution or greenhouse gas emissions. Nuclear power is one of the
safest, cleanest sources of power in the world, and we need more of it here in America."

Download | play -WMP

From ABC's World News with Peter Jennings