The Rock Chalkboard

Podcast: Setting Up the Final Four - Blue Wings Rising
In today's episode of the Rock Chalk Podcast, I was joined by Brian Rauf of Heat Check CBB to explore the games coming up this weekend. He brings an outsider's view on the Final Four to lend a bit of objectivity to our discussion, as we break down both Saturday matchups, including keys to victory, the main storylines surrounding the teams, and what your rooting interest should be in Duke vs North Carolina.

The Parallels Between Kansas’ 2022 and 2012 Final Four Teams - Blue Wings Rising
Kansas will attempt to close out the last leg of its national championship run in New Orleans beginning Saturday. It will be the 10-year anniversary of when Bill Self led another group of Jayhawks to that same southern city on a quest for a title. And on closer inspection, that’s not the only parallel between the two occurrences.

Eraser Dust

Putin targets enemies at home as his missiles strike Ukraine
A widely used weapon in the Kremlin’s armoury is the state’s register of “foreign agents.” People whose names appear on this official list are closely monitored by the authorities. Among them is Galina Arapova, a lawyer who heads the non-profit Mass Media Defence Centre, which advocates for freedom of expression and is based in Voronezh, western Russia.

Tom Parker 'listened to Oasis' Live Forever as he passed away' | Daily Mail Online
Sources close to Tom have now revealed he chose to listen to the song Live Forever, from Oasis' 1994 album Definitely Maybe, in his final moments because he believed the lyrics 'really spoke to his struggle.'

Runaway flamingo that escaped from a Kansas zoo 17 years ago is spotted in Texas : NPR
"Looks like Pink Floyd has returned from the 'dark side of [the] moon'!" the agency joked.

Chris Rock Responds to Will Smith's Oscar Slap at Standup Show - Variety
“How was your weekend?” he began with a knowing wink, drawing a wave of laughter. “I don’t have a bunch of shit about what happened, so if you came to hear that, I have a whole show I wrote before this weekend. I’m still kind of processing what happened. So, at some point I’ll talk about that shit. And it will be serious and funny.”

Congressman Madison Cawthorn under fire over claims of DC drugs and orgies | Republicans | The Guardian
“I just told him he’s lost my trust, he’s gonna have to earn it back, and I laid out everything I find is unbecoming. And you can’t just say, ‘You can’t do this again.’ I mean, he’s got a lot of members very upset.”

Are Florida Republicans serious about going after Disney?- POLITICO
DeSantis has repeatedly criticized Disney — the state’s largest employer — for coming out against the newly-enacted law, and now some GOP legislators are returning campaign contributions. (Wait, does this mean that state Reps. Joe Harding and Randy Maggard are acknowledging that donations influence their vote?) AND one legislator caused quite the stir on Wednesday when he contended that he was discussing a repeal of a fifty-plus-year-old law that allows Disney to act as its own local government.

Two Years Later - Flathead Beacon
On March 11, 2020, the print edition of the Flathead Beacon featured an image of a member of the Blackfeet Nation Boxing Club on the cover. Inside, there was a story on then-Gov. Steve Bullock announcing he would run for U.S. Senate. There was another story on Micah Hill, who was just selected as the next Kalispell public schools superintendent. There was no mention of coronavirus or COVID-19 in the news section.

One week later, everything changed.

Bruce Willis diagnosed with aphasia, 'stepping away' from acting, family reveals | Fox News
"Bruce’s amazing supporters, as a family we wanted to share that our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities. As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him," the family statement read.