File this under: this man obviously has nothing better to do.

Apparently Tom DeLay has his knickers in a twist over a throwaway line on a recent L&O: CI episode about a murdered judge. Read the article for further details but I must commend both Kevin Reilly and Dick Wolf for their comments. Each is a contender in my newly resurrected quote of the year contest.

One little tidbit I forgot to mention about this morning's Viagra post. I call my mom from the road and mention how humorous I find the story. She gets very serious and says "Ellen, you're father was on Viagra for a long time. This isn't funny." So I am at first mortified to think of my 75 year old father on Viagra -- but then I get curious and start asking a bunch of questions: when did he start, why did he go on it, was it effective -- you know, the usual.

Well, as she's talking I realize my dad was never on Viagra - he was on Vioxx -- which is definitely not humorous. But my mother's confusing Viagra and Vioxx - now that was funny. I was laughing so hard I thought I'd have to pull over. Classic.

Hmmm - now let me get this straight. For years, Catholic school nuns around the globe taught youngsters that masturbation could lead to blindness. Good gawd - they may actually have been on to something considering the latest news that the FDA looking into blindness-Viagra/Cialis link. Maybe Pfizer and Eli Lilly should have checked with the Catholic Church on this one.

But it's really common sense when you think about it. Everyone was all up in arms over Janet Jackson's boob in 2003. The Super Bowl ad that disgusted me was the Cialis ad, which I and I assume millions of others heard for the first time. It requires the disclaimer "if you have an erection lasting more than four hours, please seek medical assistance." Ya think? And forgive me for being naive, but do men really need to be told that? I think the disclaimer should have been to women (or young Catholic boys) that if your WITH a man taking Cialis and they have an erection that lasts longer than four hours, protect yourself and head to the nearest emergency room if you need to.

It may be harsh but I think anyone who takes chemicals to enhance this natural function should be willing to live with the consequences. Even if it is blindness. Nature is an amazing thing - if you have to force blood to one area of the body, it stands to reason another area of the body is going to suffer. Nature abhors a vacuum -- as do I.

PS - In light of this news, maybe VA Gov. Mark Warner should reconsider his anti-Viagra stance for violent sex-offenders. I personally believe castration is the appropriate punishment for "violent sex offenders" but blindness is just as effective come to think of it. Harsh? I don't think so.

Is it possible that I'm the only one on the planet that did not give a shit who won American Idol? I'm serious - I so don't get this show - why do so many people care?

I took the train into the city this afternoon - first time I've been able to read the NYT from cover to cover in a long time. From Grover Norquist to the White House War on the Media, there was one great article after another. And then I get to the White House Letter column. I just love this kind of story. Rove FORCED Bush to Calvin College -- and the campus isn't falling lockstep into praise and thanksgiving? In fact, there are petitions of protest. I can't remember when Karl Rove got something so wrong. Hallelujah. How cool is that?

So now it's lessons from the White House. I am a journalism professor. Scott McClellan is no journalism professor. What bizarro world do we live in that the WH press secretary -- WHO CONDUCTS REGULAR OFF THE RECORD NEWS BRIEFINGS (sorry, I'm not shouting, just really outraged) -- can tell the media how to do it's job?

Oh yeah, several journalists lately have NOT being doing their jobs so it opens a door. Somebody close it fast.

Now I know how the bookeeper felt in All The President's Men. You know the line - she says to Woodstein "if you guys could get Mitchell, that would be beautiful," or something to that effect.

Well I feel the same way about Grover Norquist - one of the founding fathers of Hillary's "so-called" right wing conspiracy. The rest of the country scoffed at her for that -- and these assholes continue to sit in the center of government every Wednesday and spin their little webs. These are the guys who planted the very seeds we have seen grow out of control today.

So Kate and Anne (my new woodstein) - if you guys could get Norquist, well, that would be beautiful.

What's the bigger crime here? A stupid mistake made by a company hired by the Daily News or dozens of people thinking they are owed something here? It cost them nothing to enter - so what do they think they are entitled to? They should be outraged of course - but why not stop reading the Daily News and buy the Times instead? Suing for prize money that was never yours? No need for Congress to get involved in this case, is there?

I'm in San Francisco this week blogging for my company. Will do my best to keep outraged but I had one of the best dinners of my life last night at Boulevard on Mission. Amazing food. Perfect company.

You heard it here first: there will be legislation to follow this fucking nightmare caused by Newsweek's sloppy journalism. Mark my words - now the White House is protecting us from the media - good gawd, what hath Newsweek wrought.

My birthday was Wednesday. Wasn't looking forward to it but had a great day with my sister. Spent the afternoon in NYC and saw Wicked that night -- after feasting at the Stage Deli (sort of a family tradition). Any way - it's been busy. Too busy to be outraged though there is plenty happening to be outraged about.

Heading to San Fran for work tomorrow morning. Gone all week for my company's spring conference. I spend it blogging about the conference. Could be worse, as Kevin used to say.

Is it just me or does the Pentagon do this all the time? I mean - threaten to close a lot of bases, put a lot of people out of work -- then all the locals from everywhere get their nickers in a twist. And the military gets a bigger budget. Am I the only one that notes a pattern here?

I'm truly at a loss to explain how in god's name Darwinism Goes on Trial again in Kansas. But it does explain Bush's re-election. It's all about what you believe - and fuck everyone else.

But where I come from, "intelligent design" refers to web site creation. Not our creation. Good gawd, as my grandmother would say. I couldn't be more outraged, as I would say.

I have one question (okay many, but one big one) about the episiotomy studies that conclude this very common, decades-old procedure actually adds RISK, and offers NO benefits. My question? What in god's name took them so long to figure this out?

My mom and her friend Marisa came to visit for the weekend. We had a great time. Saw Dame Edna on Broadway in the afternoon and laughed our asses off (okay, not quite...off) at Jon Stewart's stand up in Westbury. I love him. Seriously.

My first class as a university professor is almost over. I'm waiting on their final papers, which are due May 10. The experience was incredible -- and at some point in my life, I'd like to do this full time.

One of the difficult balancing acts for me was to making the journalism profession an appealing one, while setting realistic expectations for students. Sometimes it was easy. Sometimes it wasn't so easy to balance. How do you inspire students to work for spit while a chosen few are raking in the big bucks?