Last Call

Yet another poll shows Todd Akin disintegrating in the Missouri Senate race.  I'm beginning to think it may be over for the guy no matter what he does.  The St. Louis Post-Dispatch has the results of the 50-41 lead for Claire McCaskill:

U.S. Senate challenger Todd Akin's support in Missouri has plummeted since his remarks a week ago about "legitimate rape" and pregnancy, putting him 9 points behind Sen. Claire McCaskill in a race he was previously winning, according to a new Post-Dispatch/News 4 poll.

More than half of Missouri voters now view the Republican congressman unfavorably, the poll indicates, and fewer than one in five view him favorably.

Akin's fall is especially dramatic among women. They were about evenly split between Akin and McCaskill in a similar poll at the end of July, but women now oppose him by almost 20 percentage points. Even in rural areas where Akin retains the lead, his support has dropped significantly from a month ago.

"I was undecided ... Now I'm not supportive of him," said Bonnie Walker, 75, of Queen City, who was one of the poll respondents. "It's such a negative for Missouri."

Akin, long a staunch opponent of abortion rights, was comfortably leading McCaskill, the incumbent Democrat, before the recent controversy. A Post-Dispatch/News 4 poll in July, before the Republican primary, showed Akin ahead of McCaskill by 5 points in a hypothetical matchup, 49-44.

In other words, what was shaping up to be a cakewalk for Akin is now turning into a bloodbath for McCaskill.  Akin's support among men is still dead even, 46-44...but women now prefer McCaskill 55-37. 

The poll also finds Mitt Romney ahead in the state by 7 points, 50-43.  Tying Romney to Akin isn't working.  Yet.

We'll see.

Fly Him To The Moon One Last Time

Arguably the most famous astronaut in human history has passed.  Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon, died this afternoon at the age of 82, after undergoing heart surgery earlier this month.

"We are heartbroken to share the news that Neil Armstrong has passed away following complications resulting from cardiovascular procedures," Armstrong's family said in a statement obtained by CNN affiliate WKRC.

Armstrong underwent heart surgery this month.

"While we mourn the loss of a very good man, we also celebrate his remarkable life and hope that it serves as an example to young people around the world to work hard to make their dreams come true, to be willing to explore and push the limits, and to selflessly serve a cause greater than themselves," his family said.

"For those who may ask what they can do to honor Neil, we have a simple request. Honor his example of service, accomplishment and modesty, and the next time you walk outside on a clear night and see the moon smiling down at you, think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink."

Many Americans and even the history books omit how Armstrong earned his wings saving the Gemini 8 crew some three years earlier.  After the first successful docking of a spacecraft in orbit, the Gemini 8 capsule nearly met with disaster.

As Gemini 8 tumbled wildly at 17,500 miles per hour, Armstrong decided the problem had to be a stuck thruster. He and Scott shut off each of the spacecraft's 16 orbital maneuvering system thrusters one at a time. Thruster Number 8 did not respond.

"All we've got left is the reentry control system," Armstrong told Scott. Armstrong believed those thrusters, more powerful than standard thrusters because they positioned the spacecraft for reentry, would override the stuck thruster.

"Press on," Scott said.

Both astronauts wavered on the edge of losing consciousness. At first, nothing happened. After turning the system off, then on for a second time, the reentry thrusters responded.

Armstrong guided the capsule to a water landing in the Pacific where the Navy deployed to snag the reentry vehicle.  His quick thinking and cool head made him the obvious choice as mission commander when the Apollo 11 mission launched in 1969, where he became the first man on the moon.

Here's to you, Neil.  Not very many people get to be the first person on another celestial body.

Podcast Versus The Stupid!

And we're back on schedule with PVTS #4, Mitt The Birther.  Bon and I discuss reasons why Romney has gone the full birther (hint:  screw the middle and the undedecideds, it's all about turnout) and why it means for the race.

Listen to internet radio with Zandar Versus The Stupid on Blog Talk Radio

Give it a listen!

Van Damme Funny

So that the current state of things don't drive us crazy, enjoy a little amusement. I love me some Jean-Claude on a Saturday afternoon.

 

Paul Ryan Visits Springfield

The reception wasn't warm.

From the News-Leader article:

Brigitte Channel, also of Springfield, said she was protesting not only Ryan, but other Republicans such as Todd Akin who spoke last weekend about abortion.

"They are both advocates of not letting a woman have a choice," Channel said.

The dominoes are falling.  It isn't a lot right now, but a lot of Missourians are disgusted.  A lot of people are starting to realize the line of reality has been crossed.  Recent events have splattered mud on the Romney campaign at a time when they need goodwill the most.  Todd Akin has pulled a Palin as it were, and it couldn't have happened at a better time.

Epic win.  

By the way, you may have heard about the FBI investigating threats against Todd Akin.  It wasn't me, honest.  I was at work with a legit alibi.

Bite Of The Golden Apple

The Samsung/Apple patent case came back from a jury, and Samsung just got its head handed to it.

A federal jury in California on Friday recommended that Apple be awarded more than $1 billion in damages after finding Samsung was guilty of "willful" violations of a number of Apple's patents in the creation of its own mobile products.

The jury did not recommend awarding Samsung any money in its counterclaims that Apple had violated some of its patents. The judge and lawyers from both Apple and Samsung continued to discuss the jury forms late Friday afternoon.

"This is a huge win for Apple," Mark Lemley, a Stanford law professor, said over e-mail. "$1,051,855,000 is just large enough to make it the largest surviving patent verdict in history."

In aftermarket trading, Apple stock jumped more than $12 a share, to more than $675 a share.

Samsung said the verdict should be viewed "as a loss for the American consumer."

"It will lead to fewer choices, less innovation, and potentially higher prices," the company said in a written statement. "It is unfortunate that patent law can be manipulated to give one company a monopoly over rectangles with rounded corners, or technology that is being improved every day by Samsung and other companies.

And yes, there's definitely the case that patent law is woefully outdated in the age of the internet.  But patent law is law now, and that's what the case was argued on.  Samsung (and Google) can cry all it wants to, but this was a complete win for the Crew from Cupertino.

A billion bucks isn't chump change, either.  Who knows if Apple will see a dime after appeals, but Samsung is facing nothing but pain for years to come.

StupidiNews, Weekend Edition!

• Two are dead, including the gunman, and nine more are injured as a work dispute turned deadly outside the Empire State Building in NYC yesterday.
• As the Tampa RNC Convention nears on Monday, the party is considering a call to return to the gold standard.
• Another US drone strike in Pakistan has killed 18, just one day after Pakistan's foreign minister lodged formal protests against drones to the US.
• After a week of fundraisers from oil and gas giants, Mitt Romney released a 21-page energy white paper calling for substantially more fracking and oil and gas drilling on US lands.
• Online game-maker Zynga is imploding, with its stock down 70% and now major talent jumping ship on the dying company.