I certainly understand that there are going to be slightly unhinged people desperately trying to grab a moment in the spotlight by hanging on to a myth that didn't seem all that plausible before Obama released his birth certificate, but it turns out there are still people who aren't quite sure Obama was born in Hawaii. Keep in mind, these are the sort of people who actually answer telephone surveys instead of hanging up and going back to whatever sort of life they have, but still...people.

In a new poll, the number of people who doubt Obama's citizenship has been cut in half since President Obama released his long-form birth certificate, with 86 percent of Americans believing he was born in America or saying that's their best guess, the Washington Post's Jon Cohen reports. Just 10 percent of Americans think the president was born in a foreign country, half the number who thought that in a poll conducted by the Post a year ago. And even those people are mostly birther-lite, saying it's their "suspicion" Obama was born overseas. Only 1 percent say they have "solid evidence" the president was born somewhere else. A year ago, only 48 percent of Americans said Obama was born in Hawaii. That figure is now 70 percent. The group showing the biggest decline in birtherism is conservative Republicans, 16 percent of whom are birthers, down from 35 percent in 2010.

[Atlantic Wire]

Will someone please get Tucson's City Council and all the economic development people on getting some Original SoupMan restaurants in town? There are unemployed angry guys with mustaches waiting for this opportunity!

Side note: Does anyone think of that Seinfeld character as the "SoupMan"? C'mon.

[GQ]

Bad things happen when you sniff bath salts, including causing a grown man to wear a bra and panties while killing a neighbor's pet goat.

[HT: Gawker]

After an ACLU of Arizona panel discussion on medical marijuana on Wednesday, April 27, I talked a few minutes with Pima County Supervisor Richard Elias, who told me Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry's office was flooded that day with phone calls asking Huckelberry to fire public defense attorney Isabel Garcia and Elias for encouraging students to "riot" at the Tuesday meeting.

Why were the calls coming in? They were listeners of local conservative radio personality Jon Justice, who was encouraging listeners to not only call Huckelberry, but to also call TUSD Superintendent John Pedicone to fire governing board members Adelita Grijalva and Judy Burns for allowing students to "riot."

First, you can't fire elected officials, and Justice has already tried, albeit unsuccessfully, to get Garcia fired. Elias seemed good humored about the radio jock's continuous schtick, so he'll probably have good laugh over this video gem.

Enjoy:

• Photo by John Loo, Flickr

I'm not entirely sure how one drives into a giant canyon accidentally, but I haven't been for awhile. Maybe there's a bridge that's supposed to go over it, but hasn't been finished and has a sign that "Out Of Order" that he accidentally drove through:

A man who survived after apparently driving his car off the South Rim of the Grand Canyon hit a tree just feet before another long drop-off, an official said Wednesday.

The driver was treated at Flagstaff Medical Center for non-life threatening injuries, said Grand Canyon National Park spokeswoman Maureen Oltrogge. She declined to release the 21-year-old's identity or hometown until park rangers have finished their investigation.

Park rangers located the man's car some 200 feet below the rim, lodged against a tree, Oltrogge said. There was another precipice about 10 feet beyond the tree.

A park visitor reported finding the injured man in the roadway at about 7:45 p.m. Monday. The man told the visitor he had accidently driven his vehicle over the South Rim.

He told responding park rangers that he had extricated himself from the crashed vehicle and climbed up to the rim to seek help.

The crash happened about 6 miles east of the Grand Canyon Village near a spot known as Twin Overlooks.

[NY Times]

While the MSNBC version of the Fox News trademarked shoutfest doesn't do much for actual discourse, Lawrence O'Donnell gives Orly Taitz the definitively dismissive treatment that her relentless paranoia deserves.

From the University of Arizona Police Department:

On Tuesday 12/21/2010 at approximately 12:11 a.m., a Nissan X-Terra was seen traveling eastbound on Speedway and an occupant of the vehicle is suspected of breaking a window at the Architecture Building, located at 1160 E. Speedway Blvd. An unknown individual in the front passenger side of the vehicle can be seen holding a slingshot type device out of the window while passing in front of the Architecture Building. The license plate number and color of the vehicle are unknown at this time. A light-colored cross/crucifix decal can be seen on the lower left side of the rear window.

On Saturday 04/09/11 at approximately 2:10 a.m., another window was broken at the Architecture Building. In this case, video surveillance shows what appears to be the same Nissan X-Terra from the incident on 12/21/2010, traveling eastbound on Speedway. As in the previous incident, a person in the front passenger seat can be seen with what appears to be a slingshot pointed in the direction of the Architecture Building.

The University of Arizona Police Department is requesting assistance from the community in identifying the vehicle and person(s) responsible for these crimes. If you have any information regarding these incidents please call the University of Arizona Police Department by dialing 9-1-1 or 88-CRIME.

Enjoy this compilation of minor mishaps from this weekend's Bring Your Own Big Wheel event in San Francisco. It will become immediately evident why they make participants sign a waiver.

Can you imagine how terrible ASU will be when the budget cuts kick in? Will they even bother hiring teachers? Will the diplomas come with a coupon for a free Four Loko on the back? Why not just rename the campus "Girls Gone Wild University and Casino" and give up already?

[HT: Up on the Sun/Phoenix New Times]

Taco Bell has settled the suit over whatever they put in those tacos, but only after changes to their marketing and product disclosure.

I find it suspicious that the company couldn't just have a laboratory look at a taco and say, "This is beef." This fact will not slow me down at the drive-through, but it is weird.

From FoodBusinessNews.net:

IRVINE, CALIF. — Taco Bell said Montgomery, Ala.-based Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C. law firm voluntarily has withdrawn its class action lawsuit against the company. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court Central District of California Southern Division, called into question the filling Taco Bell uses in its tacos. The lawsuit claimed the filling does not meet the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s standard to be labeled or advertised as beef.

Taco Bell, which is a division of Louisville, Ky.-based Yum! Brands, Inc. said no money or other value was exchanged between the parties, and Taco Bell is not making any changes to its products or advertising.

“This sets the record straight about the high quality of our seasoned beef and the integrity of our advertising,” said Greg Creed, chief executive officer, Taco Bell. “We are extremely proud of our food quality. We took great exception to the false claims made about our seasoned beef and wish the attorneys had contacted us before filing and publicizing a lawsuit that disparaged our brand. We hope the voluntary withdrawal of this lawsuit receives as much public attention as when it was filed so we may put the matter behind us and fully concentrate on serving our customers.”

Dee Miles of Beasley Allen said the law firm withdrew the lawsuit after Taco Bell made changes to its marketing and product disclosure.

“We accepted Taco Bell’s invitation to confer with company representatives and share information and ideas about the issues in the case,” Mr. Miles said. “As a result of the lawsuit, changes in marketing and product disclosure were made by the company, allowing us to dismiss the case.”

In response to the lawsuit, Taco Bell took out full-page ads in at least nine major newspapers, aired television spots and launched a YouTube campaign to proclaim its taco filling is 88% beef.