More Mt. Hood And Scary Weather, Buh Bye Rumsfeld, Duke Case Update, Partying Miss USA, And Friday Fun With A Rubik's Cube Whiz (Friday's Show)

Happy weekend everybody! We begin tonight with the climbers on Mount Hood. I guess I'm going to have to accept the fact that they're going to milk this story for all it's worth. Don't get me wrong, I don't have a problem with them covering the story. It is a news story, but why is it the top story and why can't they just give us the facts and move on. It's fine for Larry King to spend an hour on the three men because that's the kind of show he has. I expect 360 to be different. Anyway, in a Dan Simon piece we learn that a note has been found that outlines all the supplies the men have with them. It's good news because now rescuers know they have the necessary resources to survive. Unfortunately, this is the second straight day of blizzard-like conditions and rescuers have been forced off the mountain. More crappy weather is coming Monday. Bummer. I hope they find them before then.

Rob Marciano then gives us a weather update. It's too bad we only get to see Rob when something bad is happening weather wise. After this we have the Rick Sanchez piece from yesterday and then an Anderson story on the climbers. Frank James, the brother of climber Kelly James, then returns to talk about the note. Anderson mentions that most of the country has been following the story. Really? I highly doubt that. The other day I mentioned the name "James Kim" to my mom and she said "Who?" Not to be insulting to the climbers and their families, but I'd wager half the people in this country haven't even heard about this story. Following the interview we have more repeat Rick and then move onto a Rob piece on the extreme weather that has wreaked havoc on the northwest and left four dead. The wind gusts were hurricane strength and power has been knocked out to a million people. My area of the country can really sympathize with the latter. Rob joins us live again after his piece. I hope my northwest readers are doing okay. It looks pretty brutal up there.

Transitioning now to Rumsfeld's last day. Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey hey, goodbye!! Jamie McIntyre breaks down the day's festivities. Man, don't you wish we all could get a parade-like celebration after totally sucking at our job? Cheney says that Rumsfeld is the best Secretary of Defense we ever had. Wow. Is it opposite day? Rumsfeld is thinking to his legacy now, but everyone pretty much knows it's going hinge on Iraq. Oh golly gee Rummy, you go down in history with the legacy you have, not the legacy you want. In his speech Rumsfeld pledges to remember the fallen. Really? Just like you remembered the fallen when you let a machine sign their death notices? Good riddance and may history judge you harshly or forget you completely.

On now to a Joe Johns piece on the Duke rape case. Hey, remember that? Well, guess what? The accuser is pregnant. No word on the baby daddy, but the judge has ordered a paternity test even though no one is saying the father is one of the accused. Also, the district attorney has been accused of burying evidence AND it's been revealed that the line up the accuser looked at only had lacrosse players, which is not how you do a line up. Whew. This case has prooooblems. I don't know what to think anymore. I'll admit I was completely in the girl's camp at first because I hate those frat boy types and believed they did it, but now it's looking like she doesn't have much of a case. And did you guys hear about how Foxnews.com briefly outed the accuser? It's like there's no low they won't stoop to.

Court TV's Lisa Bloom joins us after the piece to discuss the case. Argh. Well, at least they're not talking about OJ or John Mark Karr. Lisa thinks the pregnancy could damage the girl's crediblity if it's true that she had consensual sex not long after being gang raped. Anderson brings up the line up thing and states that he doesn't know anything about the law, but he's "obsessed with Law & Order" and knows that that's not the way you do it. I remember him referencing CSI once when asking Sanjay a medical question. I find it both hilarious and disturbing that Anderson views entire subjects through tv shows. I've heard he also likes 24, so Anderson let me just say that torture does not work like that in real life. Okay?

Next up Anderson laughs his way through the intro of a piece he did on Miss USA. Was Anderson drinking during the commerical break? Because I'm okay with that. I like how apparent it is that he doesn't know why this is a news story. That makes two of us, Anderson. Okay, so Miss USA is out of control, y'all! She's been out, OMG, drinking and socializing and she's giving The Donald a big headache. What does this have to do with Donald Trump? He owns the pageant or something. I don't know...does it even matter? The important part is that Anderson is urging us not to panic because apparently Miss California is on standby. Whew. Now I can sleep tonight.

We move on now to some Friday fun with the Rubik's cube guy from The Shot a day or so ago. His name is Tyson Mao and you can go leave him a message at his blog. See mine? Hee. And did you know he was on Beauty and the Geek? Anyway, he's on 360 because apparently a lot of people have been emailing to say they didn't believe he could solve the Rubik's cube blindfolded. Really people? This is what you've been emailing about? Tyson is going to try to do it for us live to prove it. He explains that it's about counting and he mentions something about how he would be good with phone numbers, but he would need to meet girls first. Anderson boosts his confidence a bit and offers, "God knows the ladies love a Rubik's cube master." That is so true. It's on my list right between sense of humor and nice smile. Seriously though, he's smart, cute, and dorky in a good way. What's not to love?

In case you're wondering if the Rubik's cube has been tampered with, there's been a perfect stranger messing with it all hour. Anderson greets her with "hello perfect stranger." I'm telling you, he's been drinking. Tyson then starts with the solving and Anderson, in solidarity, works on his own cube and his expressions are priceless. However, he gives up after about 10 seconds and decides he better start talking to us before the viewers start "leaving in droves." Are you kidding? This is good tv! Tyson then seems to be hitting some difficulty. Houston we have a problem. After some counting out loud he takes the blindfold off and...it's not solved. Oh noes! It's pretty damn close though, so I say way to go Tyson! Anderson also seems impressed. Okay, that wasn't newsworthy at all but it's the most fun I've had watching the show since the Mentos and Coke experiment. I feel bad giving the show a bad grade after the fun we just had, but in terms of news it was pretty crappy. So I'll give it two grades: C for news and A for adorableness.

Screencaps by bcfraggle.

Is this the last we've seen of Rumsfeld? What's your take on the Duke case? Did you leave Tyson a message?