Amazing weekend of college football craziness, eh? Now College GameDay is being forced to go to StarkVegas.

Here are some less astonishing midday news/views treats:

* WSJ says rising southern unemployment rates “a mystery.” Could it possibly be bad state economic development strategies?

* New York Times urges voters in Alaska, Oregon and DC to legalize recreational pot on November 4.

* Panetta book promotion to batten on conservative criticism of Obama for withdrawing combat troops from Iraq. Hits close to home here on Central Coast.

* E.J. Dionne ponders lack of credit Obama is getting for job numbers.

* Bobby Jindal, still searching for ’16 wingnut traction, calls for defense spending increases.

And in non-political news:

* Hewlett-Packard to split into two computer/printer and corporate hardware/services companies. Unclear if one is to be “Hewlett” and the other “Packard” [joke!].

As we break for lunch, here’s Dave Hole again with an amazing introduction to “Bullfrog Blues.”

YouTube video

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Ed Kilgore is a political columnist for New York and managing editor at the Democratic Strategist website. He was a contributing writer at the Washington Monthly from January 2012 until November 2015, and was the principal contributor to the Political Animal blog.