The Palestra Blog chronicles the adventures of a Palestra reporter. From exotic trips to some not so pleasant locations, our team reports constantly from the field. You will get a behind the scenes look at the workings of the Palestra.

Apparently Joan Jett hasn't heard Britney Spears' cover of 'I Love Rock 'n' Roll.' But she did comment on the matter (taken from NME.com):

"I've never even heard Britney's version. I mean, I've obviously heard about it, but I never understood that whole idea." She added: "I mean, people usually cover a song that says something about them, but I doubt she loves rock 'n' roll. Maybe she likes songs."

I agree with Miss Jett, but poor Brit just got belittled, oh snap!

Is the Democratic drag on darkening your door? With confusion, inertia and a mixed up score? Patience, my friends, patience be with you. We're one step, two steps closer to the issue. On Saturday day and into the night, the DNC wrestled and put up a fight. What to do with those Michiganders? The voters went early, crime of philanders. Obama not on the ballot, Clinton claims the pot But those Obamaniacs say, "Nay, I think not." Oh the beauty of compromise decision of Solomon, he of the wise. Those votes uncommitted, now find their O-spot Clinton's camp upset, calls it a cheap shot. We'll go halvsies...seat the full crowd. But only half the men can cry "Yeah," outloud. Clinton reserves the right to appeal, potential for a Denver "it's not fair" sequel? The darkness of Michigan done, into sunshine and the state of fun. Oh, ye Floridians, beach clad and merry, again controversy making orange juice harry. You, like Michigan, jump started the vote. But unlike up north, both names were wrote. Again, the ding of compromise donged. All will be seated, whether right or wrong. All will be seated, but only half tallied, maybe a measure ringing in Clinton's finale. In summary a look at the starkness of lines numbers and graphs, charts and signs. The new magic number to win nomination 2,118... standing ovation! Obama's got 2,070, Clinton 1,914. He's still ahead, two contests remaining. Yesterday, Puerto Rico did decide. Olay! for Hillary! Obama didn't try. Clinton carried 68 percent. Obama dealt with a different event. He resigned from Trinity, church of controversy...oh what will we do now that he's done? No more pastor remarks, no more cable tv sparks just political talking heads talking charts. Anyone up for a game of darts?

I have no words and far together too many words to describe the sheer magic of Sex and the City. Currently, I'm debating selling all of my clothing and buying a single pair of shoes. However, that would leave me like the Bluefly commercials that I so passionately detest...so I'll resist the temptation. Looks like creative fashion flops and frocks will continue to wreak havoc on my morning routine. Beyond the stunning shoes, glorious jewelry and divine dresses...the entire movie experience warmed my soul. I've never felt more kindred with 1000 strangers. Women of all ages, sizes, backgrounds and beliefs swelled together in a chorus of anticipation. We chattered anxiously as the previews dragged on, cheered as the lights dimmed and rippled and tittered as the opening skyline flew into view. It was two hours of total abandonment from life and a total immersion into the unrealistic, materialistic and ultimately optomistic world of a few ladies all of us ladies would like to call friends.

Best moment of yesterday: realizing Gary is alive. Second best moment of yesterday: Watching as Gary COMPLETELY wipes out/eats it while roller blading backwards shooting the bike story. I'm talking TOP fall I've ever seen. It was our first interview, guy on bike, I was on my bike riding next to him while interviewing. Gary was holding the camera and skating with supreme skill backwards over the cobblestone sidewalk. Everything was peaches until the manhole ate Gary. One of his skates hit the one inch ridge and time stopped. Legs, body, parallel to the ground, camera shooting upwards as his arm flared to the sky...BANG. The humble realization gravity will always win...the bitter realization bodies are not made to fall...the happy realization no bones (or spleens) were broken. The footage only lasts a second...but the memory will live on forever. Best moment of today - Alisyn commenting on our sweet shooting while bike riding while interviewing skills during the Fox and Friends hit this morning.

Yet another buzz-worthy band... Apparently the keyboardist of Vampire Weekend, Rostam Batmanlij (hawt superhero name, me likes) leaked a track called 'Campus.' You can check it out on the site that leak Kelly Clarkson tracks prematurely, prettymuchamazing.com.

Things in the music world that currently merit an eye roll:

-Ashlee Simpson saying that she was so calm on her wedding day that people called her "Bridechilla." Use valley girl accent here--->OMG, really?!

-LL Cool J launching a clothing line at Sears, 'nuff said.

-People dubbing My Chemical Romance's music as pro-suicide

-Kate Nash snubbing other girls in the pop biz after winning the award for Best British Female against Leona Lewis. Here's what she said: "Leona seems like a really nice girl. But I think it was really good I won it because I started this myself. I'm not a manufactured, size-zero pop artist who is going to bring out her own perfume and clothes range." Get a new thought Kate Nash, this one's already been kicked around more than a soccer ball.

-Tila Tequila being on the cover of Blender, are you seriously serious?

-R. Kelly's ridiculously long child pornography trial...

-Jordin Sparks' ugly gold dress on the American Idol Finale, ew.

Sometimes it's hard to appreciate the production that goes into a story while sitting in the comforts of a living room couch. Today we are attempting one such magical marvel of technology, skill and sheer audacity. The goal: a story about bikes while bike riding. The strategy: Gary on roller blades while shooting. Me on the bike with another camera shooting and getting audio. The struggles: balance, rain and the shaky camera syndrom. End result: just a few spins of the spokes away. Watch Fox and Friends tomorrow morning at 6:30 a.m. to see if I'm able to scale this story mountain Lance Armstrong style!

I love this commercial. I love the colors, the song, the movement. And for some odd reason it makes me want to make out with Chris Martin, which is weird because he's all hands everywhere and his hair is all boofy. Go fig. In any case, I think Coldplay have got something new up their sleeve with their upcoming record "Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends." It comes out on June 17th.

Okay, really I'm only torn between Digital Music and CDs because I love having the cover art and discs to actually look at to see my entire music collection before me. But, I also like seeing the pictures in my library on my computer. I like how the music organizes itself on my computer, but I hate how it hogs hard drive space. I hate how CDs hog tangible space. I love seeing all my Dad's old vinyl in the basement though...will my kids love seeing my old CDs in our basement? I need more space on my ipod, I need new music all the time. It's a hard knock life.

I love Weezer's new music video for Pork & Beans. It's got all these internet celebs and YouTube stars and Miss Teen South Carolina... I personally believe such as South Africa and Iraq. It's total chaos and flawed and that's why it's yummy. Check it out in my full blog---->

Remember the sheer joy of grade school early dismissal? I don't even think the Flintstone's push-up pops pulled the same enthusiasm from my slightly school-saturated mind. Today, the same lightning-like phenomenon - work release at 3 p.m. Oh the Friday freedom! Now, bring it on. The new website is up (ish). Please check out www.palestra.net and send your comments...anything is welcome and appreciated. In unrelated political news, I would love to cook-out with McCain. Seriously. You know he's a tough guy if he can barbeque over an open grill in the blazing Arizona heat and then add extra spices. I believe that's heat (not meat) cubed. Over to the D side (no grade school connotation intended), Obama and Clinton are denying reports of a potential one/two tango. Hum. My thoughts - they're providing speculation conversation during Memorial Day picnics. My advice- saddle up to the dessert bar and indulge in sweet treats while staving off political parley gluttony.

Yep. Splitsville. No, the Democrats aren't breaking up, just splitting the pot...again.

You'd think one of them would get selfish and claim everything for themselves! Apparently, they're still playing nice. I thought that was a trademark of my generation - not theirs. Oh well, perhaps it's just another way Obama and Clinton are trying to relate to us Millenials.

Enough, guys! One of you can win - we'll be okay! Win-win is fabulous, but win-lose is more productive. Believe me, I'm all about competition (I did grow up battling three brothers after all), but while you've heel-scraped trenches across the country during this endless tug-of-war, I've begun to wonder, will your Democratic muscles atrophy from over-exertion?

Recently the Obama-Clinton bash has been portrayed as more civil cocktail party than bludgeon head banging. Regardless of how it's framed, I hope the future candidate and the country don't wake up with splitting head aches after it's all been decided.

Beaver State v. Bluegrass State. Not quite sure who bears the sweetest nickname... But today, Tuesday, May 20, 2008, the political elite will declare one state more politically sweet than the other. Hillary is lengths ahead of Obama in the Kentucky polls but Barack should best Clinton in Oregon. One to one right? Wrong.

All I'm saying is, one state's citizens are going to feel a bit slighted after their victor's victory is vanquished by the political pundits. Judging the current mood, Kentucky's unlucky. Hillary Clinton will win the Bluegrass battle, but Barack Obama will claim the Nomination war.

So...coming back to the other debate at hand. Head-to-head match up: Would you rather be a Bluegrassian or a Beaverite?

Okay, I admit it's a harsh title and it doesn't ring entirely true for the New Kids on the Block and their comeback. While I was watching their performance on the Today Show, I thought the whole thing was kinda sad. It's like they all had a fatal disease. They made the dancing look extra tough and some of the boys got outta breath real quick. Jordan Knight looked like he thought he was the shit, it was gross to see him try and be all seductive. Although, I have to admit Joey McIntyre was cute as a button. I don't think the whole cheese-factor they had that worked in 80s works now. They as performers didn't look dated with their attire, but their execution did. Decide for yourself.

Apparently listeners of the LA indie band called Lustra think Miley Cyrus ripped 'em off with her song "Rockstar." They're saying it sounds an awful like Lustra's song "Scotty Doesn't Know." I took a listen to both. Yes, they both have that poppy, brainless, teeny-bopper repetitiveness involved in their melodies, but other than that I don't see a rip-off. It's definitely not lawsuit worthy. Get a life people and stop trying to cause drama. Everyone's already waiting for Miley to trip and fall like all the other trashy young sluts in Hollywood. I say get over it and get real.

Chatting is easy, but some days, talking is not.

When you're watching stories on TV, you typically hear the reporter's voice at one point or another. We call it a voice over or track. Believe me, I was on the WRONG track today! A frog could have crooned a prettier croak than the one issuing from within my voice box. Oh, the oddness of an off day of voice overs. Just glad it wasn't live!

Finally a chick who can hold her tears! When Syesha got the boot from American Idol (saw that comin' from a mile away and I think she did too) she didn't cry. I'm so sick of these cry baby divas who act like it's the end of the world when they don't win. If you got to the top 10, you shouldn't be gushing tears because you probably have more awesomeness in store. Brooke White was probably one of the most annoying. You bottle that shit up and stay classy dammit. Just kiddin', but really it just makes me liker Syesha more because she held her own.

Perhaps you've heard flip-flop-flap over Obama's wearing a flag pin, not wearing a flag pin, wearing a flag pin etc. Not that interesting. But real life flips are fantastically fun.

Case in point (or pint...you'll understand), Hofbrauhous in Newport, KY. Ry-guy and I went to the authentic German Brew House with a political story in mind. Care to share a pint with a candidate? Instead of reporting, I was all CAMERAMAN! Oh, the sweet bubbly delight of behind-the-lens enjoyment. Just taking a sip of this exotic brew brought a faint buzzing sensation to my typically sated senses.

It's a workout! I fought frothy foam, traversed table tops and bounded over benches. All for the elusive shot...camera angle that is.

Hillary Clinton's landslide victory in WV sure played out well...John Edwards endorsement of Barack Obama dominated the media last night. That has to hurt.

Speaking of pain...or rather campaigns...apparently summer is swell for college student involvement. Ryan and I went to both Obama and Clinton's hq's in Lexington to find out the summer stats. Although the campaign staff workers aren't allowed to officially chatter, both gave background information that indeed, college student involvement is rising like the temperature should be. It was a cool 65 degrees yesterday. In May. In the south. I was less than impressed with the weather. But way to go co-eds!

Students on both sides of the Democratic divide sang: "Summer voting, having a blast, summer calling, dialed so fast. Want a girl, Clinton for me. Want a boy, Obama you see...Primary days drifting away, but-t-t ahhhhh those campaign nighhhhhhhts!

Okay, maybe I didn't get a Grease remake in Kentucky. But there's always hope...any takers?

When I interviewed Jason Mraz at Sundance in January he said his new album "We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things" was highly inspired by a diagram in a David Shrigley art book called what else but, "The Book of Shrigley." While perusing his site, I stumbled upon a page of his art on people's bodies- Shrig Tats if you will (the link to it is in my full blog). So I was wondering, if he used the art as inspiration for his record and the graphics on the cover- do you think he carried it to skin level? I'll get back to you if and when I find out.

You may fancy the fact that Richard Kelly (writer/director of Donnie Darko) is working on a new movie called "The Box." It's a thriller starring Cameron Diaz and James Marsden. The Arcade Fire are taking a whack at scoring the film with them. Sounds like good dark music for a good dark film. Party on. You can check out the full story on Pitchfork (link's in my blog as usual).

I'll tell you how you're supposed to breathe with "No Air", stop playing that damn Jordin Sparks song and maybe you'll be able to catch your breath! I'm talking to the radio stations of Columbus, Ohio. Every time I get in the car that stupid song is on. I'm sick of it. I can't believe it's Number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. There's no shortage of good music in the world, so there's no need to run short-bus songs into the ground.

On the note of an American Idol, I have my prediction for the winner this year. I think David Cook has it in the bag. You heard it straight from the horse's mouth. NAYyyyyYyy.

In honor of soon-to-be-Sunday and Mother's Day, I'm devoting this blog to my mom.

Although a phone often links us, our connection is crystal clear. She's always willing to listen, as I vent, explain or just be. She's wonderful - telling me things as only a mom can do. "Honey, you need a haircut," (although that didn't go over too well).

But as you know, mother's know best. Post-haircut compliments affirm her insight. Oh, the wisdom of my mom, a magical curiosity honed between laundry, baseball games, cleaning the kitchen, letting out the dogs and giving hugs.

Maybe it's the eyes on the back of her head, maybe it's her ears that hear whispers across the room. Maybe it's the love she stirs into bottomless pots of vegetable soup, Maybe it's the encouragement in every email she sends. Maybe it's knowing nothing feels like home without her.

She's my backbone on bad days, my sounding board, my shopping partner, my cheerleader, my walking companion, my friend. She never lets me leave home without leftovers. Thank you mom. Happy Mother's Day I love you!

Personally, I get a little tired of music based solely on personal feelings. And I get a little tired of reading literature that's all hyped up. I found this website in Paste Magazine called FoundInTheMargins.com and it lists artists and the books that influence their composing. So, I'm checkin' into it. Maybe I'll find a book that I can't put down (crosses fingers). It's true, I'm a nerd. So sue me *insert Brooklyn accent here.

Get the link to the site in my full blog.

Pundits may be calling for Hillary Clinton's withdrawal, but West Virginia's governor is hoping she'll move right in. The Mountain State is up next - voting May 13 - and finally the spotlight shines on this small state.

We spent today in Morgantown - home of West Virginia University and alma mater of one Sean Merinar. Talk about hills - this town hasn't seen horizontal. Seriously, I felt like I was taking vertical hikes up the hills. Beautiful campus buildings though - and the internet speed was lightning fast. Many blessings on the Mountaineers.

And then...(insert ominous music here)...the call. No studio in WV - drive back to Columbus for the live shot. Ohhh... french vanilla pudding. Nothing like revving up the stress speedometer. Sean jumped in the car and then drove three brake-light-free hours, careening between trucks and flipping between radio stations. I was in the back, editing and exporting more sound from the Governor - hoping we'd get back with enough time to upload the new sound bites.

Finally, Columbus and the office. Internet - upload - car- drive - make up - hair - chair - lights - camera - talk - "Thank you Tiffany" - drive home - open car door - spill purse everywhere - walk into apartment - breathe. All in a day's work!

So in less than two days we traversed from Columbus, OH to Charleston, WV to Huntington, WV back to Charleston on to Clarksburg, WV upto Morgantown, WV and finally back to Columbus. The best part of the trip? The food. We devoured a delectable treat at Tudor's Biscuit World in Charleston. Watch the story at the link below to get a taste. I highly doubted anything could top that. At least until we walked in the door of Jim's Restaurant in Huntington, WV. I can't explain it as well as Tiffany, so read her blog post below to get the low-down on the throwback diner. Fantastic.

Politically speaking, it was a decent trip. We interviewed WV Governor and superdelegate Joe Manchin. He was a cool dude. Big guy. Sean tells me he played football for WVU back in the day with Rich Rodriguez. No wonder he was elected. If you wanna see the coolest story we put together go to our MySpace page and watch Sean and I belting out "Mary Jane's Last Dance" on our way to Charleston.

Yeah, so Huffy's have nothing to do with this blog, except for the fact that a pink one was my first set of wheels. I was a bad ass...sorry getting off track here. Duffy is what this blog is all about. If you haven't heard about the British starlet by now you're either old or living under a rock. Her album "Rockferry" drops next week (which I'm so excited about btw). She used to work at a gas station and was born in 1984. I used to work at a gas station and was born in 1984. We have so much in common:) But seriously, I thought it was rad. I was reading an article about her in Blender and she seems down to earth and she's had a slew of shitty jobs. I can relate to that too, so it makes her easier to love. If you like your 60s soul divas not cracked out, Duffy is the choice of a new generation just like Pepsi.

Shucks, I'm usually on top of the sassy singer/songwriters. So, don't ask me how I didn't find out about Charlotte Sometimes' new album called "Waves and The Both of Us" until today. She's a hipster and has loud style. She's also on Warped Tour all summer... maybe I'll get to interview her;)

Politicians are much like doctors - you always wait before going in to chat. In the case of West Virginia's Governor Joe Manchin, the doctor must have been very busy.

Our original appointment was at 2 p.m. We got a call around 12:45 that it was pushed back to 3 p.m. So, we dutifully arrived early and were told the Gov. was running late. Finally, we entered his inner office at 4:15 p.m. By this time I had memorized the flower patterns on the rugs. Ways to keep the mind busy 101. Boring? Yes. Worth the wait> ABSOLUTELY!

The Gov. is an undeclared superdelegate and he talked about who he'll support, what problems plague WV and which candidates would help improve the state's situation...make sure to check back to ThePalestra.com and watch Fox News to hear all of his WV wisdom!

Some travel moments are pure magic. Walking into Jim's Spaghetti and Steak restaurant in Huntington, WV is more than a magic moment, it's a magic meal.

Case in point, Ryan ordered spaghetti with marinara sauce. The waitress told him the meat sauce was better, he held strong with the tomato. Not to be outdone, the waitress brought samples of both sauces and then didn't even rub it in when Ryan CLEARLY preferred the meat sauce. Waitress 1, Ryan 0.

After learning this was our first visit to Jims, another waitress walked over with a basket full of goodies. She asked where we were from and Sean carefully explained. His last phrase, "Yep, we're newbies." Immediate shock and sadness crossed her face, "Newbies? Why, I thought I coined that word! That's what I call this basket - the Newbie Basket." Oh the guilt trip...Still she allowed us to pluck mints and gum from the now, "New Person's Basket." Sean 1, Waitress #2, 0.

After the meal - dessert (obviously). I ordered the homemade chocolate pie, the guys grabbed the homemade coconut. Delicious on all accounts. Sean, "Do you have milk?" "Oh, absolutely sugar." "Whole?" "That's the only kind we carry." Sean's grin was ripe with glee. Apparently "that's how we do in WV." Oh Jim's...it was the perfect WV meal.

So the lead singer of the German emo rock outfit called Tokio Hotel (pictured in my full blog) is a dude. His name is Bill Kaulitz and he's the prettiest guy I've ever seen. He's got a girly stature, pouty lips, luscious lashes, and crazy long hair. Ladies we've got some competition, step it up.

p.s. Their album Scream dropped today.

Oh Hoosiers! Who's your candidate? Oh Tar Heels? For whom do you tap your toes? Patience...the virtue politics is teaching us all. And who says all politics is dirty, Washington tricks? Practicing patience is in the Bible!

Tomorrow evening we should know the answers to at least some of our questions. Will the Democratic landscape get a massive makeover as Hillary takes both contests? Will Obama lock up his nomination? Will they split the states and settle into West Virginia for the next primary on May 13? Only time will tell...

My prediction: Hoosiers for Hillary, Tar Heels for Obama. This would ultimately be more of a win for Obama than Clinton because NC has more pledged delegates at stake. On a more important note, it would ensure continued campaigning. This means the candidates are going to West Virginia, baby! Woo! (That's for Sean).

If Hillary did shots of whiskey in PA and Obama hooped it up in IN...what will be the gimmick for WV? The thought of either candidate in a carefully pressed suit suiting up to tail lambs, shoot skeet or chop wood is beyond my imagination.

Just keeping my fingers crossed that this becomes a camera-op reality!

We have had the pleasure of working with Fox News anchor Heather Nauert throughout the campaign as she works to cover the college-aged and young voter angle of the campaign. Be sure to check out her blog, linked below.

Blehck! I'm not a fan of Scarlett's Tom Waits cover. It's long, it's boring, it's monotone. I don't see the amazingness whatsoever. Look at her, she's so indie rock and cool (heavy sarcasm intended).

I finally feel comfortable enough with Garmin to introduce her to the world. She is a lovely middle-aged woman who goes on every trip with us. Her deep British accent guides us throughout the night and warms my heart with every, "Turn left ahead." If you haven't guessed it, Garmin is our GPS.

The magic of an electronic map never ceases to amaze me. But earlier this week, she nearly left Ryan and I to the roadkill vultures.

Driving from West Lafayette to South Bend is an adventure. No direct highway branches this cross section of the "Crossroads of America." So, slow country lanes and run down towns polka-dotted our dusky landscape. Then...nothingness. Like Christopher Columbus, Ryan and I sailed into the great unknown. Instead of falling off the edge of the world, we fell off Garmin's map. Bam. Into the mystical neon green our pointed little arrow sailed. Where? How? What?!?

My dad should be proud. After years of mocking my internal compass, my true north held true. Only problem...no road connected our van and the highway ahead.

I jumped out of the van...sneakers soaring over sun-dried grass and beaten-down earth. Road-ho! Beckoning Ryan on, he hit the gas and prayed theh shocks would hold. They did, he picked me up and bouncing merrily along, our arrow found the red line and followed it all the way home.

Going off the grid felt like we were breaking every British, polite instruction Garmin ever uttered. But - oh did it feel good to use mental capacity instead of satellite service. Never underestimate the power of the human mind!

Okay, so this is the worst stretch of the week for me. An entire day in that city a bit west of Lafayette, IN. Yes, I'm a proud IU grad, but I'm not biased. Purdue just isn't that cool. The story we shot today at the Purdue Agronomy farm was fun though. Nice people.

But we didn't see much political activism on campus. That sentence is merely to justify the random Ron Paul picture associated with this post. I heard Hillary is supposed to be stopping by the area today. To be fair, I spent most of the day holed up in a Potbelly's editing stories. I try not to infect myself with the toxic Boilermaker air. I much prefer the smell of toasty sangwiches to the fine aroma of animal dung we have outside right now. Keep it classy Purdon't. Note the school.

College can be the hotbed of political unrest. But sometimes, campuses are as cold as used charcoal. See picture.

I've spent the past hour walking up and down the many hills, alleys and sidewalks of Purdue's West Lafayette campus. Political sign count: zero. Oh whoops, I forgot - there was a Ron Paul sign. I guess the owners missed the memo that John McCain is GOP nominee-in-waiting.

My personal, political favorite: a peace-sign-altered flag hanging in someone's window. I'm not quite sure if they're loyal to the 70s, want to end the war in Iraq or they're merely into crafts. At any rate, I either found the most politically apathetic residents in all of Indiana or Purdue is on an island far, far away from the presidential primary.

Side note: during my political pilgrimage, I passed a white minivan with the key in the door. Tempting - but I passed.

Amy Winehouse is HAWT. Shazaam! This is why rockstars should lay off the hard drugs and stick to pot. Someone buy this chick a Twinkie. Check out the pic on my full blog.

Okay, okay. That was lame. I'll admit it. We're at IU and Ryan is like a proud peacock showing off his alma mater. I know I blogged about food yesterday, but People named Mother Bear's one of the "Nine Best Pizzarias" in 1982. We ate dinner there and it definitely deserves a shout out! Delicious - try the apple-gouda chicken sausage.

On to politics and back to campus. We interviewed the IU CD AVP (alphabet soup code for: Indiana University College Democrats Administrative Vice President) about early voting. Because so many IU students registered, the Monroe County Election Board moved a polling place to the student union. Last Thursday roughly 250 people voted, today workers expect 150 more. Ah, bountiful ballot bliss.

And the Hoosier Candidate series continues...

MoZella's so cute, talented, and down to earth. I got to interview her at Sundance and I just discovered her "Amnesia" music vid today. I love it and I can totally relate to it right now. Thank you for writing a song that most girls can relate to MoZella. Keep on keepin' on:)

Woohoo! You should volunteer for a campaign if for no other reason than to gorge yourself on the free food. Ryan and I walked into the Obama Indy HQ and were shocked at the spread before our eyes. Posters overwhelmed the walls, but food nearly buckled the table. Muffins, chips, fruit, coffee, cheeses, meats...cookies of every variety. Oh taste bud bliss.

How it works: area volunteers sign up to supply staff with food. Staff munches on muffins while working. A beautiful union of calories and calls. It must be an efficient and happy work environment strategy...thank goodness I had some cookies in the car!

We shot our story today at the Barack Obama headquarters in Indianapolis. It was BUSY. Crunch time I guess you would say. We interviewed a woman named Amber Lawler. She's 21. A junior at the University of Iowa...well she was. She took this semester off to work for the Obama campaign. So far she's been stationed in Iowa, Nevada, Wyoming, Colorado, and Indiana. She usually lives with a host family, but for the past month in the Hoosier State, she's been crashing in "provided" housing. READ: Empty, bare-bones apartment on an air mattress. Like Obama or not, that's commitment. But Amber wasn't my favorite part of our trip...it was funnier to see the group of Hillary supporters who rented a limo with a chicken on top stationed next to Obama's HQ while we were there with signs reading: "Too Chicken To Debate". Who says political geeks can't be funny? Check out Amber's story and watch us all week long on the Fox Report at 7 ET.

Robyn and Santogold are both dropping albums on Tuesday. They're eclectic, electric, new wavey, and my cup of tea. Do yourself a favor and introduce yourself to them.
http://www.myspace.com/robynmyspace
http://www.myspace.com/santogold

During last night's Top Chef, the difference between winning and losing came down to a technicality. In politics, the same often holds true - just ask Al Gore.

I'm spending next week in Indiana. When I know about a trip ahead of time, I always try to line up interviews for our stories. To set up an interview, I have to go through a campaign's PR people. I tried calling Obama's Volunteer HQ in Indianapolis - picked up on the first ring. We chatted briefly, then transferred to press relations. We chatted, I sent a quick email and they told me I would get what I needed on Monday. Within three minutes, the deal was done.

On to Hillary Clinton's campaign, I called her Indianapolis HQ and was greeted by an automated answering machine with a full inbox. Next number in Lafayette rang and rang and rang...until finally another automated machine picked up...read the number back to me and told me to leave a message. No "Hillary for Hoosiers" help. I fell into the technology gap.

Technicality...yes. The difference between a Hillary Clinton story or another Obama story...yes. When the media is responsible for relating messages to the masses...if Clinton doesn't answer my call or listen to my message...her message isn't going anywhere.

So, I'm on the freakin' elliptical yesterday in the workout room in my complex watching Home Improvement (which is a classic btw), and all of a sudden this commercial urging me to save the kitties and pooches comes on.

And honestly, it wouldn't be so bad if Sara McLachlan's "Arms of An Angel" wasn't playing in the background. It lasts five hours, it just goes on and on and on. Then you see her mug and you know it's over from there.

It was embarrassing because this dude walked in to start lifting weights right then, and he probably thought I was pro-McLachlan with how I was watching it. Awkward times. Anywho, I urge you to save the cute animals too, but do what you will with Sara and her long commercials.

Yes please. Their sophomore album "Donkey" hits this summer and they're giving their first single away for free on Monday. I'm there. Although I have to admit that I haven't yet made my way through their first record. Shame on Ju.

"You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation." - Plato.

Perhaps this was Obama's downfall in Pennsylvania. Although the primary is behind us, lessons remain to be learned. Obama rolled up his sleeves, released the ball and wound up with a 37. His hour of play spawned a cycle of news and a crowd-wide cringe. Bowling isn't a test of brilliance, but for PA voters it might have been a test of balance. Is Obama all talk, or does he have what it takes for non-rhetoric based action? In the eyes of many blue collar whites who spared Hillary from the end, apparently not. Forget bittergate, forget Rev. Wright, forget Bosnia - let's put it on the bowling ball.

Now it's Hillary's turn. She won (as expected), she's raising money (as needed), so what? Obama is up by roughly 15% in NC - enough to negate the delegates she picked up in PA. Clinton closed the popular vote gap by roughly 200,000 votes. A sizable sum to be sure, but since every vote counts, 600,000 under Obama's tally still stand in her way.

So, forget the voters and polls. Let's turn it over to the pundits - my they are on overdrive. The spin rooms are whirring so fast, the golden mouths could fill spindles worthy of Rumpelstiltskin. Watching TV is like sitting through a ping-pong match of commentators. Pro-Obama - Pro-Clinton - Pro-Obama - Pro-Clinton. Back and forth, back and forth. No wonder there isn't a nominee, everyone is lining up at the hospitals to request neck braces after watching the Democrats dart from side to side. Perhaps they should put this on hold until a universal health care plan is implemented.

Pennsylvania take away...it was another Tuesday that will be followed by another Tuesday two weeks from now.

A book on Amy Winehouse's rocky marriage? Jigga puh-leez. People will do anything to make a buck these days. Who had the grand idea of pitching to Amy the idea of writing a novel on her troubled marriage? Someone should tape a kick-me sign to their back.That's all I've got to say.

Panera Watch continued. Free samples: French baguette. Lunch: Fugi Apple salad. Music: Lively. Internet speed: average.

With that out of the way - on to the day's observations. UPitt students adore Obama. Walking up and down the sidewalks, I couldn't step without smearing a "Vote Obama Today!" chalked message. The enthusiasm was impressive and the t-shirt varieties were even more entertaining. Obamanation, listen up, Obamawear (soft, comfortable and on message) is available at your nearest retail outlet. Pick up your tshirt, hat, socks and pants today!

So what do I think of Lily Allen's new songs you ask? As a fan, I think they're quite digg-able. It's always exciting to see artists progress and evolve. If they don't, they get boring. These tracks seem less sassy and in your face, but she's definitely calling it how she sees it- very blunt, matter of fact, and I believe there's a little bit of mockery in there too. It's darker than her other stuff for sure. See what you think.
Buckets O' Love,
JuLes

We drive a giant, honking 15 passenger, navy blue van around the country. This fuel guzzling, highway hogging machine drives like a bus and parks like a dump truck. Maneuvering is not so much an art as an impossibility. Most extreme example - parallel parking. I'm not an expert, but my skills are adequate. Ryan and I spent 15 minutes finessing Big Bertha into a spot. It was relatively near the curb, within the white lines and out of traffic. Two hours later, $93 lighter.

Awesome. $50 for parking in "busy traffic lane," $33 for parking more than 12 inches from the curb and $10 just for fun. Most expensive parking ticket ever. All of which I want to contest - within the line means out of the traffic lane. That's the point of the white line!

Pitt's Panera will forever hold a place in my heart. We eat here so often, I practically know the staff. Today's free samples: cinnamon raisin bread. Today's internet connection speed: moderate. Today's music selection: atrocious.

We're having a day.

Post script - Walking out of the studio, Ryan had the van keys. I jumped in the van for a second and he tossed me the keys. I jumped out of the van, locked the door and started to walk away. Ryan wanted to grab something and the pit in my stomach plummeted. The key throw flashed through my mind. Then in slow motion- hand open door, push down lock, shut door sequence played. I locked the keys inside. Awesome. AAA to the rescue...It was a day.

Earlier this campaign season, Hillary Clinton complained she always faced the first question during debates. She said the guys were "piling on" because she was a woman. She said the media was biased. Now that Obama is complaining about Wednesday night's debate and media coverage - her talking points are a bit more pointed.

Instead of sympathy, empathy or apathy to Obama's situation, Hillary is displaying antipathy. "We need a president who is going to be up there fighting every day for the American people and not complain about how much pressure there is and how hard the questions are," she said.

Obama spokesman Bill Burton retorted: "Considering the fact that Senator Clinton sat on stage at the last debate and complained to all America that she always gets the first question, her blatant hypocrisy here is stunning."

Unfortunately for Obama, it’s tough to be critical of Clinton when he’s hypocritical himself. Months ago Obama and McCain struck a deal - if one accepted public financing for the general election, so would the other. Since that promise, contributions have raised the Obama coffers, thereby lowering Obama's incentive for public financing. So far, McCain's fundraising has barely raised eyebrows, let alone enough money to battle Obama. McCain’s plan is public financing and he’s calling on Obama to hold up his end of the deal.

Obama says he still needs to win the nomination before making any general election financing decision. True. But I'm left with the question: will the public mind if Obama - the politician of hope, the politician promising change in Washington, the politician promising to cross party lines and unite the country - will the public mind if Obama breaks his promise to another politician? Or will the people understand the realities of getting elected could outweigh the politics of hope? And if he does this, aren’t the politics of hope just politics as usual?

Last night's 21st debate was certainly a break from the typical health care hash. Now that Senators Obama and Clinton officially entered the "adulthood" of their debate life, perhaps ABC should have provided beer instead of podium-side water. Alas, the scene last night was anything but social.

The first 52 minutes covered Rev. Wright, Bosnia, Bill Ayers and flag pins. Today's news isn't focusing so much on what was said - but rather the questions that were asked.

Why the controversy? Journalists and bloggers feel Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos disgraced the profession by hammering the candidates on their campaign gaffes instead of presidential goals. The Washington Post writes Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos "turned in shoddy, despicable performances." So, was it a real debate or did ABC bait the candidates? Did George and Gibson take the 'G' out of cam-paign or were they merely testing the senators' electability threshhold? Perhaps a little of both.

The ultimate take away from the debate both candidates probably wish they could take back: Happy 21st! This is what a political hangover feels like. Welcome to adulthood - it only gets tougher from here.

"Make out with the universe now!"
OMG, I love it, Mac Lethal's song "Make Out Bandit" that is. Any melody that has artistic value and crack-me-up lyrics is A-OK in my book. I'm all for the message in it too. It's not about bein' skanky, it's about living in the now. Here's a tid-bit on his album "11:11":
"11:11 is a cynical, drunk, thought provoking and hard hitting album about beer, distaste with religion, kissing girls and most of all Kansas City. More fun that serious, but sometimes serious in a fun way."

Day-um why does Justin Timberlake have to be soooo dreamy and move like a hottie? And why does Madonna have to look so timeless? The world may never know, or I'm convinced we just don't want to know because they make perfection look easily attainable. I suppose we all could if we had a team of experts making us look divine. Anywho, beside my point. I just finished watching their "4 Minutes" video and the dancing was great, the pace was awesome, but the x-ray skin and tongue thing....I just threw up in my mouth a little bit. It thoroughly grossed me out. I wasn't a fan of her multiple nude-colored tops either, made her look butt-naked. That's probably what they were going for. It's all good though.

Welcome to the first glorious day of spring. I love the sun. I love seeing people walk in the sun. However, Sean and I were on the road before the sunshine fully made its way over the horizon. Pittsburgh,PA here we come!

First on the list - politics. Oh no, phone ringing. Scrap that, the Pope. What about politics? Also, politics. No forget that. Keep driving. Pope? Sure. Okay - we'll get there in time to do the Pope story. Can we do both? Uh. Perhaps splicing bodies will be invented in the next several hours and we can do both stories. Which story do you want? Politics? No - okay. We're doing the Pope story. Check. Duquesne University - on y va.

Arriving on campus and already I'm smiling. Sean successfully parked Big Bertha and a glorious Media Relations person organized our interviews. Question, question, question. Shoot some broll of campus...now internet and edit. Whoops - no firewire cord to connect the camera to the computer. Okay, student union, buy the cord, moving on. Final Cut editing software - where are you? Not working...oh really? It doesn't work. Fabulous. Option B? Imovie (also known as reverse editing). Instead of selecting the part you want - you select everything else and delete it. Working backwards delighted my soul on so many levels, Sean became concerned and bought me an oatmeal raisin cookie. My response, "I HATE that cookie!" He now knows chocolate is the only elixer strong enough to cure imovie infections.

Pittsburgh must be the Steel City because nothing else could provide these back-to-back punches. Next hurdle - internet. DU allows only closed circuit wireless. Lovely. Let's pack up for Panera. Slowly, slowly the images upload. Slowly, slowly my blood pressure drops.

Then - the hit. 7:20 p.m. on the Duquesne documentary students who are credentialed to cover the pope. First half goes well...then bang in the brain. I forgot to say "Trace." Meaning - three seconds of dead air.

It's like spending the entire day baking a huge meal and then just as you're about to take the first bite - you realize you added salt instead of sugar. No satisfaction. No joy. No lingering feeling of good will. Instead, a residual hunger for the perfect bite that continue to haunt my dreams...and my reality.

After the Rev. Wright scandal, I was often asked if college students would flake on Obama. The easy answer - no - Obama's youth support is energetic and loyal. This elusive and desirable dynamic duo of enthusiasm and devotion is sought by major brands, restaurant chains and sports team franchises. Instead of thinking Obama's support is fanatical and abstract, realize Obama's youth support has been finessed.

Obama incorporated the strategies that create corporate brand loyalty into his public campaign. Instead of spending millions on advertising, Obama's spent... millions on advertising. Instead of local brand representatives, Obama has local Obama chapters. Instead of free samples, Obama has free speeches. Instead of viral marketing, Obama has viral videos. Yes, Hillary Clinton has tried to do much of thesame. But Obama needs no Chelsea/Bill surrogate. He created a hip,brand name and Millennials are all about the logo.

Enter this weekend and round two of "Ohh Obama". Bitter and clinging...not the best word choice for a politician describing potential voters. Yet, surrounded by a group of Northwestern students, I found all of them defending Obama. Their responses ranged from, "What's the big deal?" to "This is all media hype." to "It doesn't matter because Clinton can't steal the nomination anyway." Brand loyalty.

Politicians and pundits can pander, pontificate or poll all they want. But until they understand the power and potential of organized and energized youth, Obama's got a core constituency, neither his gaffes nor Hillary Clinton's beer-sipping-and-Crown-Royal-gulping image will woo away.

I was driving around town yesterday being cool, doing cool things while drinking Starbucks with my Ray Bans on...and all of a sudden I hear on the radio- Pete Wentz and Ashlee Simpson (whose hair I always envy p.s.) are getting hitched. I winced a little and to be honest I don't know why. It could be because I used to have a mondo school-girl crush on the skinny-jeans wearing, emo-haired, guy-linered petite Mr. Wentz. Initially, I got a little jealous...WTF? I know, right? Then I thought, if Petey and I were to stand side-by-side in person I'd look like a linebacker and that snapped me back into reality pretty quick. Then I thought, he's so not my type. AND THEN, I thought- he's a 'tudey celeb who exhibits girly qualities like Katy Perry's song "UR so Gay." What was I thinking? Oh me, I'm such a dork. Anywho. Great news though, I'm happy for the little couple. I just hope it doesn't end like Nick and Jess. Check out the article.

XOXO,
Julie- The Emo Dude Lover

The voter registration deadline passes before school is out, but the primary election is after final exams--Ryan Cost breaks down a potentially confusing situation for Indiana students.

I want more of the best TV songs from our childhood to feature on ThePalestra.com's Take 3. Give me your top 3 faves and check this vid out on the link posted below. Email me:
julie@thepalestra.com

I didn't know that Shel Silverstein was a composer and songwriter! That stuff has to be gold, at least to people like me who grew up reading his classics like "The Giving Tree" and "Where The Sidewalk Ends." I've posted the link that gives you the whole story from Paste Magazine.

p.s. It's National Poetry Month, do you love it?

Commercials are killer. I hate sitting through two, three and sometimes (miserably) four minutes of ads waiting for my desired diversion to return. What does this force me to do? Watch at least two programs at once. Oh the frustrations when both shows cut to commercial at the same time!

Judging from the airwaves' ripple effect in Pennsylvania, most people are more calm with their clicker. According to TV stations in Pennsylvania, Barack Obama's campaign spent about $6 million buying TV ads in the past three weeks. This trounces Hillary Clinton's $2.1 million in the same time period. Also during the past three weeks, Barack Obama closed Clinton's double digit poll lead to a mere 7.8 point gap (realclearpolitics). Correlation? Likely.

What I find shocking is the influence and impact a 30 second advertisement holds over the electorate. If you want to really learn about a candidate's position - call the campaign HQ, visit their websites or go to an event. Yet it seems many prefer candidate by commercial...Who said the power of the small screen was slipping?

For me, given the option of advertisement or entertainment - the latter always wins.

When candidates appear on a college campus, you often see the school's logo plaster prominently around the room. Now, some are raising questions about whether those logos could be construed as an endorsement. Ryan Cost has the story.

It's Laura's last day...our lovely lady Look is moving on to two- gallon hats and Tex-Mex galore. No more icy winters for Miss Neal, instead she'll be heel deep in Texas dust. Actually, I have no idea if Texas is dusty. However, after watching many old Westerns, I find it all too easy to imagine rough riders with gun holsters on both hips, galloping through town and kicking up dust. Enough about the dirt. Texas is lovely and will become all the more beautiful once Laura rakes up residence.

We will miss our Miss Neal. But as she is soon to become Missus, we're guaranteed she will miss us too. Best of luck Laura!