These book titles have one thing in common, can you guess it?

"Diseases of the Stomach"

"Administrative Law"

"Sociology"

"Coromandel!"

(hum the Jeopardy tune)


OK, times up!

If you said they're all books you have read, well then, you are a loser twice over: in this game, as well as in life.

The truth is, these books are among the several dozen that line the bookshelf that stands behind the podium in the House TV/Radio Gallery where I covered a story today.

But what's more interesting than the story is what they did to the books to give the speaker some space. The books themselves have all been cut in half so that the bindings and half of their covers still remain. You can actually walk up and pick the halflings off the shelf and read what little remains.

I'm still giddy about going to the hill, or as I sometimes refer to it, el capitollissimo, because I have these cool-ass things called press credentials. I don't have to go to the guest lines, I walk through the "appointment and official business only" lines. I even get a friendly knod from security agents carrying large automatic weapons, which always makes me feel good.

Credentials don't keep me from getting lost, or being blind for that matter, as I walked past the door of the room in the capitol that I needed to get to.

Twice.

The press conference was on immigration reform legislation, and I think I was the only reporter in the room who couldn't speak spanish.

Whatever the case, I got what I needed and left, made a bunch of phone calls that were not returned so a bunch of Congressmen will not have their voices heard. Their loss, their loss.

I got the story out after a few extra hours of mental thrashing, which is becoming a common thing for me when I write lately, in case you haven't noticed. But it's done, so w00t for me.

Finally, a special message to a special mom out there: I finished that beef jerky today, please send more. Just don't tell Lauren, she'll try to steal it.