Joe Barton thought that the $20 billion deal the government cut with BP was a "shakedown" and apologizes to BP. Which, these days, is akin to rooting for Hitler.

So, the GOP leadership pulls him aside, and I guess, in their version of an actual "shakedown", give him the option of resigning his ranking committee position or retract his apology.

He opts to retract his apology in the lamest way. Is there an apology in this statement: "If anything I said this morning has been misconstrued to the opposite effect, I want to apologize for that misconstrued misconstruction."

What he is actually saying is, "Obviously you, the littles, misconstrued what I said and for that misconstruction, I apologize."

Speaking for all the small people, we didn't misconstrue a thing and heard you loud and clear. How someone can be so out of touch speaks volumes about the people we elect.

Meal of Links

Five plants that can almost survive dark. Begonias are one.

Here is the saddest IMDB page ever. Something to be proud of, I guess.

Paste picks the 10 best Ramones songs. Good to see some love for "Cretin Hop" and "Judy Is A Punk", they don't get played as much as the others.

Danny Boyle gets the call to direct the London Olympic Games Opening Ceremonies. I sense dancing.

Crap. More evidence that you can't retire at 65. Hello, lottery.

Remember that Joaquin Phoenix doc? Or is it a mock-doc? Anyhow, it's release is getting closer.

The "Blues Brothers" movie is 30 years old. Great movie. Hate the "Blues Brothers" impostor acts these days, but a great movie nonetheless.

The technology of "Minority Report". An absolutely underrated movie, but even ESPN has adopted gesture-based computing. They used it in the NFL draft, I've seen it during horse racing's Triple Crown and I even saw it used the other day for NCAA conference realignment.

Exercise Yard

Erin Andrews figures to leave ESPN. Her contract is up at the end of the month. But what exactly can she do going forward? Outside of late-night Olympics hosting, where does she go?

Apparently to find her luggage.

Visitor

68 Across: "Gymnopedies" composer (5 letters) Answer: Satie

"Gymnopedia No. 1"