Who knew that Ettore Boiardi (later Chef Boy-Ar-Dee) had such a storied career.  Think about that next time you have canned ravioli to soothe your soul.

And go nominate my pal GottaLaff for a Shorty Award for politics. Because she’s smarter than the average pundit.

Title: “The 7: Seven Wonders That Will Change Your Life”

Authors: Glenn Beck and Keith Ablow

Rank: 7

Blurb: “The process of finding happiness through personal redemption was not easy, but it left Glenn with a blueprint for how to confront future adversity.”

Review: “I am disappointed in the New Age views of both authors. If you are looking for a Biblical discussion of healing, look elsewhere. As a 7 year listener to the radio show, I like him very much, but now I may question his POV.”

Customers Also Bought: “Unlikely Mormon: The Conversion Story of Glenn Beck”.

Footnote: “He gets $13 million a year from print (books plus the ten-issue-a-year magazine Fusion). Radio brings in $10 million. Digital (including a newsletter, the ad-supported Glennbeck.com and merchandise) pulls in $4 million. Speaking and events are good for $3 million and television for $2 million.” [Forbes]

The 7: Seven Wonders That Will Change Your Life [Amazon]

Buy or Die [Stinque@Amazon kickback link]

A brief new thread for you early risers:

• Nothing terribly new from overnight in regards to medical condition.  Latest from Arizona Republic is as follows: “As of 4:30 a.m. Sunday, Giffords remained in critical condition at University Medical Center in Tucson, according to hospital spokeswoman Darcy Slaten.”
• The idea that Rep. Gabby Giffords may survive is tempered by the thought that the bullet that entered her head, and exited, naturally did some damage.  Permanent, irreparable damage is, I think, a safe presumption; guesses as to the extent of it (cognitive or otherwise) are not.  None of this lessens the horror at all.  On that point: total death toll still stands at 6.
• John Boehner to speak at or around 0830 ET.  My guess is that the Sunday chatshows (Face the Nation, Meet the Press, etc.) are going to flood the zone.  Whether or not anybody wants to say anything provocative (for example: “this is what happens when you rile people up,” “how dare you,” and the cream-pie tossing that would naturally follow) is a big question.  I think that a Dem or two might hint at Going There, but not actually do it.
• Word is that there will be no business done in the House this week, at all.  Whether or not they actually gavel in is up in the air, but I think at some point they probably will, at least in a pro forma, “the government continues to function” sort of way.  HCR repeal vote is certainly off.
• Nothing further on the possibility of an accomplice that was raised last night.  Speculation on Loughner’s motivation and level of mental illness continues, shedding more heat than light as you would expect. [ADD: Fearless Leader posted comments by Mark Potok of the Southern Poverty Law Center, speaking to Olbermann last night.  That comes as close to “informed analysis” as we have seen thus far.

Stinque Book Club will appear at its regularly scheduled time, I am reliably informed.  Further updates as warranted.

Mark Potok of the Southern Poverty Law Center talks to Keith Olbermann about Tucson shooter Jared Lee Loughner’s textual YouTube videos.

Reading through all of his materials, or the materials purported to be his, he sounds quite mad, out of his mind.

But there is a thread through the material that really seems pretty clear: That thread has to do with seeing the government as an enemy. The books you mentioned, there’s a theme that runs through all of them, particularly the Ayn Rand book: The idea of the individual against the state. There are ideas like the idea of the only legitimate currency being backed by gold and silver. It’s a core idea of the Radical Right in this country.

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Stinque correspondent Jamie Sommers reports from the Phoenix candlelight vigil for victims of Saturday’s Tucson shooting.

It’s difficult to tell from the pictures but there were about 200 people there, mostly Democrats and local activists. I got there kinda late so I missed the first round of introductory remarks. The person I did see (Dem Party Chair Don Bivens) was mostly drowned out by some nutjob (haven’t we had enough of them today) calling Russell Pearce, Jan Brewer and “the White House” a bunch of thugs who are responsible for today’s murders. From what I could hear, his remarks were pretty generic “hearts and prayers go out to the families of the victims” type stuff. That was followed by the bagpipe player. Thankfully, the asshole nutjob shut his pie hole during that.

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But IOKIYAR – she will pay no price.

UPDATE: SIX OTHERS HAVE BEEN KILLED, TWELVE WOUNDED.

UMC Hospital news conference, 4pm ET:

• 10 patients: one died — “a young child” — five critical. (This does not include other hospitals receiving victims.)

• Giffords’ condition is “very optimistic” following surgery.

NPR (updated):

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head by a gunman at a public event in Tucson on Saturday. There are reports of numerous injuries and the White House said “some had passed away.”

The dead included U.S. District Judge John Roll, U.S. Marshal for Arizona David Gonzales told the Associated Press…

The suspect fired indiscriminately from about four feet away, Michaels said. A congressional official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity that the gunman was using an automatic weapon…

Giffords’ Tucson office was one of three damaged last March by vandals who targeted Democrats in advance of the U.S. House vote on the controversial health care legislation. A glass panel at her office was shattered, and at the time her staff said that it appeared the window had been damaged by a pellet gun.

The shooter is in custody; he is being described as a “white male born in 1988.” CNN reports that he used a 9mm Glock.

AP:

People familiar with the investigation tell The Associated Press that the gunman held in the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona and others has been identified as Jared Lee Loughner.

Post being updated as the story develops.

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