Ernie Els

After three rounds, the smooth-swinging South African is 25-under par at the Mercedes Championships. Astonishing as that it surely is, more astonishing is that he may not win the golf tournament. K.J. Choi shot 62 yesterday (11-under par) and is only two shots of the pace.

Day Eleven: 229 pounds

Only At The Globe

From the cover story on Ted Kennedy in last Sunday's Boston Globe Magazine:

If she had lived, Mary Jo Kopechne would be 62 years old. Through his tireless work as a legislator, Edward Kennedy would have brought comfort to her in her old age.

Thanks to reader Tom S. for this particular gem.

Sir Howard

Howard Stringer conducted a "global search" for a top music industry executive to replace the loathsome Tommy Mottola at Sony Records.......and found his friend Andy Lack, who didn't like his job at NBC because his boss, Bob Wright, hated him. Mr. Lack has no music industry experience and seems ill-suited to the task.

You would think that the business press would be howling at this brazen act of corporate cronyism, but not really. Howard Stringer, after all, is a ranking member of the major media mafia. The New York Times actually refers to Howard Stringer as SIR Howard Stringer. Not once, but repeatedly, in an odd bit of lackey journalism. Lack is dressed up as a "turnaround" specialist. And Jeff Zucker, the NBC executive who gains the most with Lack's departure, is given a big wet kiss for good measure.

Everybody's happy. Call it (crony) journalism.

Day Ten: 229 pounds

Day Nine: 229 pounds

On The First Tee

The 2003 golf season begins today with the first round of play at The Mercedes Championship. Because the tournament is being played in Hawaii, coverage on ESPN will be in prime time (basically from 8pm to 10pm eastern). On all four nights. Tiger Woods is not playing this week, unfortunately. He's still recovering from knee surgery.

Day Eight: 230 pounds

Foneblog!

If Glenn Reynolds finds out about Foneblog, we're talking ceaseless Instapundit.

Dumb and Dumber

From the lead of a Washington Post report on House "ethics" rules:

House Republicans weakened their own ethics rules yesterday, pushing through language that would allow lobbyists to cater meals to members' offices and let charities pay for lawmakers to travel and stay at golf resorts and other locales.

You can read the rest of the dreary details here.