Mid-afternoon open thread

• Zogby admits that it's a piece of shit. And stupid, too.
• Every so often I get a particularly hilarious piece of winger mail, a piece so ridiculous it stands out from the rest and reaches that loftiest of perches -- hilarity.

  I don't understand your site.  So much unhappenist.  Hate GWB, fine.  Now HRC?  One of your own?  Forget the middle east.  Russia, China, and South America. all are after us.  We here in the USA, even without the muslium killers, are in danger from 3 or 4 fronts.  The US can be killed. Not by a missive nucular strike, it would only take two or three cities.  We would fold.  Civil war would rule.  Our country, would not be here anymore.  Where would be your dreams be then?  Sure our country has problems. If we give up our security to other enities, we will be distroyed.  The world wants it.  They don't need our help. No matter what.  Our freedom comes from us.  The world wants it.  It's ours to lose.

• My book will be published by new Penguin imprint called "Celebra". It has officially been unveiled. From the publishing industry newsletter Publishers Lunch:

  Penguin Adds Mainstream Hispanic Imprint
  Penguin Group announced their latest new imprint yesterday, Celebra, which will focus on "mainstream Hispanic personalities," beginning with yesterday's release of Geraldo Rivera's HIS PANIC: Why Americans Fear Hispanics. Run by publisher Raymond Garcia, who was associate publisher at Harper's Rayo, "the goal of the new imprint is to publish books for mainstream readers that will also resonate with the vast population of Hispanics in the United States."

  Garcia says in the announcement, "Hispanics are no longer a niche audience, but rather an integral and seamless part of today's mainstream America. With Penguin's excellent reputation for marketing and distribution, I’m confident we will make a significant impact." Celebra will publish as a part of New American Library. Other authors for the line include Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Perez Hilton, real estate developer Jorge Perez, and DailyKos.com blogger Markos Moulitsas.

  You know what's cool about this? We aren't being pigeonholed into writing about "Hispanic" issues. Pengiun has simply decided to find and promote new Latino voices, but letting them do what they do best. It truly is an effort to mainstream our voices. It's quite the difference from Deborah Howell's efforts to segregate us at the Washington Post a couple of years ago:

  The Metro section needs a female columnist, and it also needs a columnist attuned to the region's burgeoning Latino communities. A Latino columnist could appear in the Extras since they are oriented toward counties and neighborhoods. Not all new voices have to be on the staff; they could be regular contributors. Metro's new Page Three could be used to bring in more female and minority voices.

  The point is not to toss excellent white male columnists; the point is to add more and lively voices to The Post.

• Super delegate John Lewis officially switches from Clinton to Obama.
• Funny.
• You know how the "reform" groups are always screaming about politicians doing favors for their donors and allies?

  To a fault, they have invested heavily in the McCain asset base: he has fought their fights, introduced their bills, promoted their regulatory agendas, helped them secure good press for this all. After so great a dependence on him, the costs of his diminished luster on reform issues are also theirs to pay [...]

  After all these years, in a sharp turn of the tables, these organizations are being asked to answer for a relationship with a politician that may have been too close, with too many favors traded, albeit for a cause that they all believed to be unimpeachably for the good.

• Indiana's wingnutosphere is dumber than most. And that's a real accomplishment in the party of Brock Olivo.