The worst commercial on the tube right now has to be the Kia commercial. "Adieu, adieu, adieu...". Nope, can't buy that car.

Some end-of-year stuff:

Best 2006 songs by AdTunes. I like "Galvanize" for Bud, but I've had that since it came out last year. The "I Walk the Line" for Levi's is wretched.

Best sports quotes.

All about comics.

The year in sex.

Best TV.

The fights of the year.

A wrestling recap.

Departing lawmakers.

Meal of Links

What kind of a superhero are you? Hah, I'm Green Lantern. There is that term "hot-headed" again. Goddamn, why do I end up with the "fly off the handle" or "hot-headed" tag all the time? The bastards.

What the hell is going on in Mogadishu?

Canada is falling apart. Literally.

Exercise Yard

What can you say about today's CSU game? Not much. They played West Virginia. West Virginia Tech, that is. They are an NAIA school and as such, the Vikings put a hurtin' on them, 73-52, as they should.

The highlight may have been when a WVT player wanted to inbound the ball after his own team scored. The ref had to tell him, "Son, it's white ball."

Visitor

29 Down: Oscar-nominated "Peyton Place" actress, 1957 (10 letters) Answer: Lana Turner

One of the things I enjoy about having XM Radio is the variety of programming. I was listening to the Christmas podcast of Harry Shearer's "Le Show" when Harry told everyone that his show was now on XM, Sundays at 3:00. That's good news. It gives another outlet as WCPN airs this at 1:00 on Sundays. He played some cool Christmas tunes, including "Jesus Was A Dreidel Spinner".

"Le Show" is one of my favorites and his "Donald Rumsfeld Christmas Special" was really funny. It had special guests Yakov Smirnoff and Al Franken. Al was Santa and he was dropping in on Yakov, who was living in Iraq. Al bitched about not having a chimney to enter the house, so he had to knock on Yakov's door. Yakovisms: "In Russia, starlets put panties ON." and "Iranis remind me of my brother-in-law...come for two weeks, stay for two years!"

Meal of Links

I can account for the iTunes Store being all fouled up earler in the week. I wasn't even trying to buy anything. I wanted to redeem some gift cards and had major troubles until late Tuesday.

I applaud the Gordon Square Arts District effort. This is the type of vision that is sorely lacking in the city. Note that neither Mayor Jackson nor any City Hall official are quoted. Detroit-Shoreway is quickly becoming the coolest place within the city limits and it's all because of the local (non-Downtown) input. Outside of Tower City, this will be the only movie house in the city. I can't wait for "Happy Dog and a Movie Night". Perhaps, one day, we'll be like Dubai.

They are piling on the Bears fans this week. First, the Packer game gets moved to the evening for NBC. Next, no beer after halftime.

Exercise Yard

Mike Tyson in trouble. Again.

Visitor

22 Across: Major character in the bestseller "Disney War" (6 letters) Answer: Eisner

I happened to see "Deal or No Deal" twice this week. Trust me when I tell ya, I hate this show. Sure, the chicks are nice, but they just stand there. Howie Mandel is OK as host, I guess. But it's these contestants that kill me. Too eager, too stupid, and not very funny.

I happened to see the Christmas episode on NBC. I wanted the guy sent back to "Loserville" in the worst way. Last night, I caught a rerun on CNBC. The woman had six cases left of $1, $50, $400,000, $500,000, $750,000 and $1 million. Eventually she got to three cases and was congratulated for taking $313,000 when two offers ago, she turned down $414,000. That's progress?

Two lines I hate. After having a case with a large amount taken from circulation, the Mensa usually utters, "That's OK." No, it's not. And after Howie (with hands in prayer mode) says deal...or no deal?, the idiot inevitably says, "That's a lot of money." Ugh!

Meal of Links

After the CSU game, Gale and I headed over to The Town Fryer, for what may be the last time. The owner is moving west. The non-greasiest fried food I've ever encountered. Great homemade chips with salsa and chicken that is yummy. Cold beer and good music and smoke. Yes, still smoking here. A real gem in town that will be missed.

The aforementioned models of "Deal or No Deal". The Christmas contestant knew all of their names. That is creepy.

In an odd twist, Clay Aiken does not know "Chocolate Thunder".

Exercise Yard

Cleveland State blew another game last night. This time in league play against Illinois-Chicago. Strange game, because it's the second team in a row that arrived without their head coach, this time Jimmy Collins was absent on personal leave. CSU had a 50-38 lead with over ten minutes to go, then promptly got outscored 34-12 the rest of the way.

Two things coincided with the Flames catching fire. One, they took their big guys out and got smaller and quicker. Two, Gary Waters seems to run more of a spread offense with a bigger lead, theoretically setting up easier shots. That doesn't work, as we get not much inside play, resulting in desperate heaves from afar. And Illinois-Chicago seemed to want it more down the stretch. Vikings lose, 72-62.

Visitor

40 Down: OK Corral name (5 letters) Answer: Wyatt

Merry Christmas to all!















Randomness from yesterday's Browns home game:

My current favorite bartender, Kevin, was yesterday's special guest. Browns Version 2.3 still has a chance to win back-to-back games for the first time in three years, because of the final two opponents. This shows how inept this franchise is. We are bascially the New Bengals. Coming in, I don't think we should lose to Tampa Bay at home. This was a team that used to have a very poor record in the cold. Now they are poor pretty much everywhere.

As alluded to, today's opponent: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I recall the few times we have played Tampa recently have not been stellar by any means. Rather boring, if I recall. But the Bucs are coming off what may have been their best game of the year, an overtime loss to the Bears. The game shapes up as a true Clash of the Titans (or Race to a Draft Pick), but we can't lose to Tampa, of all teams, at home. Can we?

The weather was pretty good for Cleveland this time of year. Clouds at the start gave way to sunshine throughout. Temp around 45, a pleasant day. No gloves or blankies necessary.

Today's giveaway: None. Alltel was the sponsor and they were thanked for today's giveaway. Not sure what they handed out.

Section 345 must have had visions of Mrs. Claus dancing in their heads, because it was pretty quiet. Stadium was about 67% full, which beat my estimate by a lot. We are a hearty bunch, although I recognized only one fellow season ticket holder in my section. However, with a throwback to the Chris Palmer Era, there could not have been more than 5,000 in the place for the final whistle.

You know the Browns are in trouble when their rushing yards almost equalled their passing yardage. Derek Anderson was, well, Derek Anderson today. I believe the QB rating was 12.5, as he threw four interceptions. He seemed to have big time trouble locating the safety or the cover man from behind, as most of those picks came from those positions.

No G.E. Smith, and even Snoopy, as a Browns fan, could not save the team.

Worst Browns play: The pooch punt after the first drive. It was only a 44-yard attempt and Romeo can say it was against the wind all he wants, but the wind was out of the west. If he can't trust Dawson from that range, dump him. If his game plan was to pin the Bucs back all day, dump Romeo. We moved the ball well on that drive and felt he gave up, instead of trying for the points. Needless to say, the punt rolled into the endzone and Tampa started from their 20. Ugh!

Best line from me (when random drunk spilled beer over the guy in front of him): "Hey, I didn't think it was supposed to rain today."

Best line from a random: Same random drunk was a stander. You know the guy. Stands for all the inappropriate plays. Stands up on third down, imploring the crowd to join him. I hate that guy! Anyhow, after everyone ignored him, he turned around and said, "When I stand up, you're supposed to be with me!" Crickets. Hah! He eventually left at the half.

Oddest Browns jersey: 38 Langham. I am deeply troubled by that one.

There were items purchased at this one. I had a hot dog and Kevin treated me to a couple of beers, a rarity at the game for me, and some peanuts.

Best Browns play: Ralph Brown with the Hit of the Year on Alex Smith. A thunderous tackle.

Boas were not present. Men wearing orange-colored camo gear was in vogue. Kevin cracked me up when he yelled, "Look out!" when I got close to one of the guys. As he explained, he wasn't sure if I could see the guy.

Best Fan Cam feature: "Baghdad Brian" was back. Again, if you watched these halftime highlights, you would have sworn we were winning by 20, instead of sporting a goose egg on the board.

Worst stat: The Browns averaged 3.4 yards per pass play.

2nd worst stat: Time of possession for the Browns--22 minutes.

Most interesting stat: Three total penalties. Two for them, one for us.

The Bucs, with one of the worst teams in the league, gain their first road win of the year. We really threatened only twice in the game. The first drive and a second-half drive that resulted in a blocked field goal. The Browns played another game that was reminiscent of the two-year reign of Chris Palmer. Each time I believe it can't get worse, it does. OK, that's a broken record, but it's true. It's awful when you say, "At least it wasn't bad as the Bengal game." or "Well, it's not as bad as last year's Christmas Eve game." The measuring stick is not great games, but horrific ones.

We find out that Braylon Edwards was benched for missing a meeting. Then when he gets in the game, he drops passes. I don't think it's a T.O. situation, but the fans seem to want this guy shipped out. I agree, he's been mediocre this year, but let's see him a full year removed from his knee injury. Then we can make a decision. Romeo, who seemed to be waiting for a bus during last week's game, gets animated, for once. May be a little late. He had a pretty snippy presser after the game, and barked at players on the sideline. It seems contrived and a little bit late.

I was in his corner, but if he loses to Houston next week, I think he's done. Conventional wisdom would be to give him another year, but what if he's this shitty of a coach? Why torture us more?

Not the Browns worst game of the year, as the Bengal game will be the benchmark and that was one for the ages. But it was a lousy one.

Bucs win, 22-7.

Happy Holidays!

On the 12th day of Christmas, a classic.

Nat King Cole-"The Christmas Song"

Winding down toward the holiday, I'll post tomorrow about the Browns game. Chelsea scored in extra time to beat Wigan, 3-2, today.

On the 11th day of Christmas, if you are not a Browns fan, you'd also say "Thank God it's them, instead of you." I always get a kick out of seeing who was deemed popular in 1984.

Band Aid-"Do They Know It's Christmas"



Meal of Links

Hey, a list with links. I think this is pretty cool. An old list of the 50 Greatest Cartoons and you can watch most of them. And, yes, Duck Dodgers is on it.

Oh, no. Paul Westerberg injures his hand. There is no replacement for that guy.

To waste away even more time, online games. I got 82% on the state game. Use the keyboard directional arrows for Sober Santa. My best Pingu Throw was 319.3, a big blast.

Exercise Yard

It looks like I won't be getting the NFL Network for Christmas. Or anytime soon.

Visitor

8 Down: Actor McBride of "The Nine" (3 letters) Answer: Chi

Christmas at work is always a strange dance. Never say yes to accepting a poinsettia, without knowing which one you'll get. Doh, I got the Barbaro (on its last leg) version. I saw others, they were much healthier. But I also got a Dunder Mifflin shirt unexpectedly. So, the world is good.

It's all over except for the shouting. It appears I have all of the Christmas shopping done, except for one package that seems to be on schedule to arrive in time for Orthodox Christmas. All of the wrapping is done, as gift cards make that an easy task. And I purchased a ham for Christmas eats, so dinner looks right on course. One more Trader Joe's visit for wine and other stuff and it looks like I can watch a lot of football and soccer (Boxing Day especially) comfortably the next 4 days.

On the 10th day of Christmas, it's Gus Van Sant drinking and Dontrelle Willis peeing. Nope. Let's get the joint jumpin' with:

The Brian Setzer Orchestra-"Run Rudolph Run"



Meal of Links

An annual tradition. Santa tracked by NORAD.

You may find tinsel distracting, but here's a chat with the creator of "Festivus".

If you like unwrapping presents, do not read further. If you think it's a waste of time to get to the good stuff, try this.

Exercise Yard

Speaking of footie earlier, here's a pretty good first-half recap of the EPL.

And I haven't been ignoring the Cavs, they have me worried. Steve Kerr offers excellent points. We tend to focus on defensive deficiencies, but stats are pretty good on that side of the ball. But what about the O?

Visitor

1 Across: "Walk the Line" subject (4 letters) Answer: Cash

Drew and I headed over to O'Rielly's this evening for some beer. Harps for me, Guinness for him. I had been hankering for the Po Boy on many visits since I last had one a couple of years ago, and tonight, its menu appearance finally coincided with my visit. I believe the highlight was Drew relaying a story of a bar patron, before I arrived, who claimed they went to U of A in Tempe for baseball and hit .600 before injuries took their toll. I thought it preposterous and we agreed that anyone who would make up that stuff was pretty pathetic.

Later on, I pointed out that I knew a bar patron who was present, and that he was a racist. Turned out it was the same dude Drew referenced. I'm thinking the baseball story is a load of bullshit and must investigate further. Earlier in the day, Drew tipped me off to today's Christmas video.

On the 9th day of Christmas, a new one. I was familiar with the tune and it made my Christmas CD, but I was unaware of the video. Twisted Sister's "Oh Come All Ye Faithful". I think they do a good job on this and it may be the best of the 2006 releases.

Twisted Sister-"Oh Come All Ye Faithful"



Meal of Links

At Momocho last night, I happened to make a comment that "Mick Jagger seems like he's in good shape.", which apparently means in some unfamiliar language that "I want to marry Mick Jagger." Therefore, I'm not sure I should watch this show, regardless of how funny it may be.

Speaking of Momocho, the Tequila Dinner was excellent last night. Some random posted some pictures, so this is what I ate last night. Best Friend points out the tuna was not purple.

John Waters picks his favorite films of 2006. Some of the films include one "where the male stars eat shit", another where "the star of the film rimmed someone" and another about "a girl who once blew her dog". Family fare all. And, yet, several mainstream films made the list.

Exercise Yard

Drew Bledsoe chimes in with a blog about the starting QB on his team. Very funny.

Visitor

39 Across: Paranormalist Geller (3 letters) Answer: Uri (Can he bend the small spoons?)

On the 8th day of Christmas, we continue in glorious black and white. To a much simpler time, when not many rock acts sang Christmas tunes. Clarence is actually standing during this song, a rarity these days. Hey, there's Nils, at about the 4:07 mark. This song does get played quite a bit, but you hardly ever see the concert footage.

Bruce Springsteen-"Santa Claus is Coming to Town"

After today's CSU game, I was heading to grab something to eat, when it dawned on me. Taco Tuesday at Capn Taco! Why does every fast food joint that's good, close by 10:00? It's criminal.

Stuck with the old reliable Steak'N'Shake, but man, you can't get a Quizno's or anything around here. And 10:00 isn't late. Dammit.

On the 7th day of Christmas, there's some folks having a bad time of it. That's "Happy Christmas to You" at the beginning, followed by Matt Dillon, foreshadowing "Crash", escorting Shane to the drunk tank. I love it when Shane and Kirsty share the vocals.

The Pogues/Kirsty MacColl-"Fairytale of New York"



Meal of Links

Wolfgang's Vault is getting the "Borat" treatment. Here come the lawsuits. Listen to the site before it goes poof.

Lookee here. It's the return of Number 6.

Here are the top ten stories that did not grab the headlines. And it's not Lindsay Lohan learning how to strip.

Exercise Yard

My Dad and I took in the CSU game vs. Chicago State this evening. They stole CSU's colors, initials and basically everyone was confused when the cheerleaders would yell "C-S-U". The popcorn was still shitty, but my beer was cold. Why do the teams I root for suck? Chicago State dressed nine, but played only eight.

This evening, CSU could not shake the Cougars. Each time the Vikings threatened to pull away with a 9 or 10-point lead, the Cougars would stay in it. The Vikings had an 11-point lead with 5:47 left, then we watched Chicago State pour in 14 in a row to take the lead. That was a punch to the gut. The hometown CSU took the other CSU to OT, but lost, 82-77.

They listed attendance at 2034. They lie. A lot. Maybe 900. Tops.

Visitor

13 Down: Bryant of the NBA (4 letters) Answer: Kobe

This may be the fact of the month from today's Plain Dealer: "One water-pipe smoking session can be the equivalent of 100 cigarettes." Maybe that's why people loves their hookah.

Boy, it seems for a state with a no-smoking ban there sure are lots of places to light up. Like that free ad for the Tick Tock Tavern the other day.

And you can't smoke in Hawaii anymore. But they have better weather.

On the sixth day of Christmas, it's Sufjan. And why not.

Sufjan Stevens-"Put the Lights on the Tree"



Meal of Links

Can you ever order a jumbo Coke at the theater ever again. This makes it sound oh, so nasty to drink one.

John Mayer wins a "Dundie".

Breasts are getting bigger in the Netherlands. "What kind of a name is Todd Gack anyway?" "I think it's Dutch."

Exercise Yard

The first round Miranda KO of Gibbs:



Carmelo Anthony gets a 15-game suspension. My fantasy team on DEFCON 2.

Visitor

24 Across: Half an English pop band (5 letters) Answer: Duran

Idle thoughts:

In a world of hateful commercial characters, "Joey" from H.H. Gregg is Number One for me. I can't even enter the place until this goofus is offed.

How bout that, the Browns played today. Oh, they lost, but weren't as putrid as normal. As if 0-for-11 on third downs and 68 yards rushing isn't putrid.

To the Ralph Lauren model in the full-page PD ad today: "Woof."

I am tired of getting three-star days in my horoscope.

Steve Carrell makes me laugh. Even a throwaway line like "...and we all know what all-inclusive means..." is hilarious to me. And sampling that James Blunt song from iTunes over and over without paying was pretty funny.

Since I can't get "Mr. Heat Miser" out of my head, we all must suffer:

"He's Mister White Christmas
He's Mister Snow
He's Mister Icicle
He's Mister Ten Below

Friends call me Snow Miser
Whatever I touch
Turns to snow in my clutch!
I’m too much!"

Cannot wait for the "Dexter" finale tonight.

Props to Knicks/ESPN announcer, Mike Breen, for not being a homer on his analysis of the Knicks-Nuggets brawl at MSG last night. Breenie said the fact the Nuggets had starters playing in the last minute of a blowout was a non-issue, a point the Knicks tried to offer as an excuse. He refuted the Knicks' Nate Robinson's comments about J.R. Smith showboating with a dunk, when Robinson was the guy who tried to showboat against the Cavs and missed a dunk a couple of weeks ago. And he called out both teams for not playing defense, Robinson for escalating the melee from the Knick perspective, and Carmelo Anthony for escalating on the Nugget side. Great recap.

I like Beck's new album. "Nausea", "Cellphone's Dead", and "Think I'm In Love" are very good tunes.

On the fifth day of Christmas, I can't seem to shake The Pretenders. Saw them live twice this week; freakishly turned on my radio, not once recently, but twice, to be greeted with one of their songs; and I saw the "Don't Get Me Wrong" video, with Chrissie as Emma Peel. So, here's more:

The Pretenders-"2000 Miles"



Meal of Links

Time's Person of the Year is You. Yes, You! Me, too. Where's my dinner? Where's my plaque? When is my interview aired?

I get scared looking at this. The most dangerous roads.

This is how "The Nine" failed. I never saw it.

Exercise Yard

Each time I believe Lennox Lewis will get better as a broadcaster, he takes about nine steps back. On Saturday's HBO "Boxing After Dark", he referred to Jason Litzau (an oddity, an American featherweight), at any given time, as "Litzco", "Litzcow", "Litchko", and "Litko". Having said that, Jason Litzau fought one of the dumbest fights I've seen in a while.

The problem I initially had with the fight was the unbelievable hype HBO was pouring on Litzau. Then he got dropped twice in the first, because he kept his left hand pretty low. Then he seemed to be in control for several rounds. Clearly the superior fighter, he could have probably gained a decision (he was up 68-64 on all cards), but he chose to slug it out and was kayoed in the 8th with a beautiful right hand by Jose Hernandez. Props to Hernandez for ignoring his insane corner who told him to jab before the 8th. Hello, we're losing! So, he went to the power, with which he had been successful all night and won. Good for him.

In the second fight, well, lately we haven't seen many boxers get sent to Queer Street (hey, it may be outdated, but Lennox said it twice), but Edison Miranda put Willie Gibbs there in a middleweight bout. I struggled liking Gibbs when entering the ring, because he wore a mask that reminded me of the Intergalactic Space Fairy. For 2:40 of the first, not much happened, then Miranda hit Gibbs with a right hand that knocked him silly and turned him around. He went down after a further flurry. To show how bad he was, he was on a knee, calmly waiting for the count of ten, as if he was OK, got up after 10, the fight was called, and poor Willie struggled to even sit down on his stool when he got to his corner. It's like he thought he was already sitting. I am in awe of the punching power of Edison Miranda. I'll try to find a video of the fight. Bring on Taylor.

The recaps are here.

Visitor

None, its Sunday.

I saw my Dad today. I walked in and he was wearing a t-shirt, and I asked him if it was hot. He said, "No, I'm making fudge." Giddy up! I helped him out. If helping means stirring it for 20 seconds and licking the spoon.

On the fourth day of Christmas, it's Luscious Jackson:

Luscious Jackson-"Let It Snow"



Meal of Links

It is the season of giving. But, for God's sake, do not give out toys like these.

Judith Regan gets the boot. First O.J., now Mickey Mantle. Are you kidding me?

"Day Break" and "Show Me The Money" are cancelled. "Day Break" was dumb. Dude, did you ever hear of "Groundhog Day"? And we really don't need any more game shows.

Exercise Yard

This is one of the funniest goals I've seen. From a couple of weeks ago, Ronaldinho rolling the ball UNDER the wall for an easy goal. Oh, the keeper is angry.



Visitor

43 Across: Army leader for nearly 50 years (5 letters) Answer: Arnie

On the third day of Christmas, well...this is why they allow returns. In a career filled with insipid videos, Hall and Oates outdo themselves with this one. And then they went and released two versions, one with John Oates on lead vocals, the other, probably the more popular one, with Daryl Hall on lead.

It's not even ambiguously gay. We have unbelievably odd walking, people peering in windows, is that a turkey?, randoms refused entry for some unknown reason, a weird Santa that probably smokes, and a scene in which G.E. Smith plays guitar, as a woman, which creeps me out more than Santa.

See for yourself the differences in the second video. They are fairly obvious.

They are both only two minutes long and my head hurts.

Hall & Oates(Lead Vocal)-"Jingle Bell Rock"



Hall(Lead Vocal) & Oates-"Jingle Bell Rock"

It's time for the annual Christmas record, this time "The Peppermint Bark Mix". Some really cool stuff, I think:

"Do You Hear What I Hear?"/Spiraling
"A Great Big Sled"/The Killers
"Little Drummer Boy (Up the Khyber)"/Hoodoo Gurus
"Everything's Gonna Be Cool This Christmas"/Eels
"Oh Come All Ye Faithful"/Twisted Sister
"The Christmas Song"/The Raveonettes
"Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow"/Asleep at the Wheel
"Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto"/James Brown
"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"/Gene Autry
"I Wish You a Merry Christmas"/Big Dee Irwin & Little Eva
"Mr. Heat Miser"/Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
"Oi to the World"/No Doubt
"(It Must've Been Ol') Santa Claus"/Harry Connick, Jr.
"Donde Esta Santa Claus?"/Guster
"Christmas All Over Again"/Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
"All That I Want"/The Weepies
"Merry Christmas Again..."/The Young Republic
"Holiday in Cambodia 2006"/Richard Cheese
"Mambo, Santa, Mambo"/The Bobs
"It's Christmas Time"/Yo La Tengo
"Come On! Let's Boogey to the Elf Dance"/Sufjan Stevens
"Christmas Celebration"/Weezer
"iPod X-Mas"/Hello Saferide
"The Man in the Santa Suit"/Fountains of Wayne
"I'll Be Home for Christmas"/Josh Groban

On the second day of Christmas, it's Frank and Dino:

Dean Martin & Frank Sinatra-"Marshmallow World"



Meal of Links

Many laughs here. It's the Best of Craigslist for the year.

I am an excellent driver. Kmart sucks.

By popular demand, it appears. More commercials from the '80s.

Next Friday is Global Orgasm for Peace Day. We can change the world!

Exercise Yard
















"It's Gore-Tex. You know about Gore-Tex?"

It seems a lot of people lied to the BALCO grand jury. And the court is none too pleased.

Visitor

56 Across: Billie Holiday contemporary (11 letters) Answer: Carmen McRae

Let's get into the Christmas spirit. It's 12 days until Christmas, but the first day of Christmas is actually December 26. But not on my calendar, so here's a video on Day 1.

Run DMC-"Christmas in Hollis"



Meal of Links

Peter Boyle died today. How many guys had John Lennon as the best man at their wedding? Think about pulling those pictures out for show and tell. He'll obviously be remembered for "Everybody Loves Raymond", a show I never really watched. But he was excellent in quite a few things. He and Belushi did "Dueling Brandos" on the first season of "SNL". His guest appearance on "X-Files" was outstanding. And a few movies I like, "The Candidate" with Redford, "Friends of Eddie Coyle" with Mitchum and the Sandra Bullock vehicle, "While You Were Sleeping". "Young Frankenstein" and "Taxi Driver" go without saying.

Rolling Stone has done it again. The Top 100 Songs of 2006. Ay carumba, as lists so often warrant, this is up for debate. "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley is #1. The Good: Lily Allen and Wolfmother in the Top Ten. Beck and The Raconteurs with two each. Pearl Jam, RHCH, Sonic Youth in the Top 40. The Bad: Oh, crap. Fall Out Boy, Snow Patrol, "The Saints Are Coming".

The Top 15 Places to Waste Time on the Web. A list with some forethought from PC World.

Exercise Yard

Next year you can golf with Schwetty Balls. Founded by a guy named Glen Head.

Visitor

54 Down: Pop singer Vannelli (4 letters) Answer: Gino

With the strains of Cake's "Rock'n'Roll Lifestyle" in the background, I am back from seeing two concerts the last couple of days. The Pretenders at the Agora on Sunday, followed by The Who at Greg Oden's Place in Columbus.

The Pretenders, Agora

S. and I went to the Pretenders show at the Agora and that's a place I haven't been to in years. Of course, the Corridor Project has rendered their parking lot a bloody mess. Lots of mud. And we learned they have an interesting smoking policy, at least for now. Let people smoke before the show starts, then take the ashtrays away. WTF? I guess they are going to plead confusion over the law, but they better figure it out, as the arrests and/or complaints will start soon. The Agora has tables and chairs on the downstairs terraces, which are probably immediately claimed after the doors open. So, we headed to the pit, where we were about six rows back.

Where I think I may have suffered permanent hearing loss. How will I hear those kids playing on my lawn? It was because of the opening act, Living Stereo. Although the frontman was pretty funny, really spastic and such, the decibel level had to be about 130. Chest-pounding, ceiling tile-falling loudness. I liked them, but wished I could understand what the hell they were saying. At one point, I couldn't understand if the guy "worked at the Yellow Pages" or if he "was afraid of the undertaker". It was that muddied. Need to bring earplugs next time.

Then the Pretenders took the stage at a decibel level that accomodated by damaged hearing. The original drummer, Martin Chambers, is in the band, with a really young bass player, Nick Wilkinson, and a really good older dude, Adam Seymour on guitar. Chrissie Hynde is now 55 (gulp!), but puts on a really good show. And, let's face it, it's all about her. She mentioned they had been touring with The Who on part of their schedule. She said, "There were some old faces on that tour. Really old faces. They would come out and watch our set and learn some things." Hah!

She also mentioned the lack of vegetarian restaurants locally and since she moved back to Akron, there will be one open down there next year. By her, of course. I was curious that they didn't play that many new songs, so it had a greatest hits feel. And I think I have most of those listed here, in no particular order:

"The Wait"
"Message of Love" (my favorite done early in the set)
"Talk of the Town"
"Precious"
"Kid" (dedicated to Farndon and Scott)
"Tattooed Love Boys"
"Forever Young" (She mentioned there were many men in her life, but this one had been there since the start and had remained with her. Chrissie said he had recently written a book and now has a radio show. A girl behind us yelled, "Al Franken!". I thought that funny. Of course, it was Dylan.)
"Brass in Pocket"
"Back on the Chain Gang" (terrific solo by Seymour)
"Up the Neck"
"My City Was Gone"
"Middle of the Road"

All in all, a good show and Chrissie Hynde autographed my ticket after the show.

The Who, Value City Arena

Gale was working in Columbus, so I joined her for The Who at Value City Arena on Monday night. It may have been the most professional show, in terms of performing, I've ever seen. Oddly enough, still touring with The Who was...wait for it...The Pretenders! I give Chrissie Hynde credit. They were in a situation where no one wanted to see them, but she gave it a go and won the crowd over. Probably half the show from Sunday lengthwise. All the major hits.

I liked the part where she posed with a tambourine, wearing a top hat, and says, "Guess who I am?" On Sunday, people yelled "Tom Petty!" and I yelled, "Mick Jagger!". She says, "Stevie Nicks. I thought that obvious." Same routine Monday. I yelled, "Stevie Nicks!", and when she said it, this guy in front of me whipped his head around, and must have thought I was Kreskin. Better looking, of course.

The Arena: Can you tell this structure was built with strict governmental/university rules in mind? For example, not many men's bathrooms, so there were lines. Why? Well, besides serving beer, each men's room contained three urinals, two stalls, and a handicapped lounge. That's it. Oh, I longed for a trough. BTW, we parked for free at some OSU facility which they ignore. If that was in Cleveland, if they didn't charge for parking, you would have at least received a ticket, and maybe a tow. Also, I asked a guy at a stand where the mustard was, after I bought a pretzel. One guy who overheard me points, but the mensa I asked said, "Over by the condiments." Thanks, pal.

The Seats: We were in Section 123, the third section from the stage. Unfortunately, to cram in all of the seats, there is little leg room. It appears the Value City of design firms worked on this joint, and designed it for the 1920's type of body. But when standing, it's OK.

The Crowd: Chaperone Hat wasn't even packed. Wow, there were some old farts at this one. The hippy lettuce was smoked by some people in front of us. Also, in front of us, a guy who texted during much of the show. Has this replaced the "waving-hello-while-on-cellphone" during games? After the show, I was pleasantly surprised to see many people using public transportation after games. I understand it's college, OK, but there were lots of people waiting.

The Stage: It surprised me how sparse the staging was. Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey up front, the other four in a second row behind them. Huge video screen behind them, and three smaller ones, left, right, middle, up top.

The Band: Pete and Roger, of course, the last two. Pino Palladino, who has knocked around with them for a few years and late of the John Mayer Trio, on bass; Pete's brother, Simon, on guitar and vocals; Zak Starkey, Ringo Starr's son, on drums; the regular synth player had left the tour to tend to an ailing wife, so the keyboard tech filled in and did a great job.

The Music: This was the last show on this leg of the tour, before a long break. Unfortunately, Roger had a chest cold and his voice was subpar. I think if this happened in the middle of the tour, it probably would have been postponed. I said, "I don't wanna be here the day Roger killed his voice." But Roger fought on, telling us, after the fourth song, "It's not my throat, it's my chest. Whatever I got left, you'll get it tonight." I tell you, at times, it was a real chore, but he did a great job considering. There's no doubt, Pete just loves Roger singing his songs, because after the encore, he yelled, "You fuckin' made it!" and rubbed his neck and gave him a playful pat on the head a couple of times. I heart Pete.

Pete also cracked me up after "Baba O'Riley". He said, "The relationship between an artist or a band with the crowd is amazing. You are more responsible for our success than you know. We play that song and it gets such a great reaction and it brings the house down every night. But, sometimes, I wonder about it and think, people, it's a song about digging a hole in a field. Digging...Yay...(hands way up in the air). But we love playing the old songs and we got about an hour of them coming up." Then they went into "Eminence Front". He is still the craftsman on stage. Still has the windmills going, although not as many as in the past, for obvious reasons. He only had one side leap and one split kick in him, as well. Pete is great. And Roger clunked no one while whipping his mike around.

The songs: I'll try and remember as many as I can. Lots of hits.

"Can't Explain"
"The Seeker"
"Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" (Great tune)
"CSI Song"
"Behind Blue Eyes" (Every time I hear this song, I think of Scotty Baldwin in "General Hospital". Remember, when he was in jail, they used to play this all of the time.)
Then they did a six-song suite from a new EP.
"Baba O'Riley"
"Eminence Front"
Some more new stuff.
"You Better You Bet"
"My Generation"
"Won't Get Fooled Again"

The encore:

"Pinball Wizard" and a suite right into "See Me, Feel Me" where we really felt bad for Roger.

Pete, on acoustic, and Roger closed with "Tea and Theatre".

Meal of Links

Another highlight in visiting Columbus is Tim Horton's. After the show, we had to go to two of them to get a correct food order, but I had my Butter Caramel Hot Smoothie. Then I got another for the ride home.

And, of course, with the hotel next to a Waffle House, guess where I had breakfast? There is nothing like an ex-con makin' you breakfast. And no, I did not eat lunch. Great atmosphere. A guy was selling DVDs for five dolla. New stuff like "Saw III". I'm sure it was theatre quality.

Back to reality, here is a site that's cool. Lots of video. TV shows, cartoons, etc. First thing I see is "24: Season 1" and it looks and sounds good. And all the "Dexter"s, as well.

Exercise Yard

Boy, the Knicks are a sorry lot.

Visitor

46 Across: The Riddler portrayer of 1960s TV (12 letters) Answer: Frank Gorshin

I'm watching the boxing on HBO last night and realize I hadn't had any dinner yet. It was after 10:00 and thought, ah, maybe some soup. Then I decided to have a couple of waffles. While I'm waiting by the toaster, I hear someone knock on my side door and start to enter. You know, if you have permission at some houses, you knock, then you start in.

So, I see the guy come guy in, he has a parka on and a backpack and as he's about to shut the door, he starts talking. I point to him and say, "I think you have the wrong house." He then says, "Omigod, I can't believe I just did that." Obviously, he was supposed to be visiting my neighbor's house. I thought that was funny. Uh, then I locked my door.

Meal of Links

Do you still own your liripipe?

Geek movies that do not suck. I always thought "Minority Report" was a bit underrated, but glad to see "Run, Lola, Run" on there. "Top Secret" also. Some good titles here.

Here are some new Christmas CDs. The two I hear the most about are Sufjan's and the new one by Bootsy Collins.

Exercise Yard

Last night's boxing on HBO was pretty average. The best part was probably the look back at 2006. The next best part was Andre Berto destroying Miguel Figueroa in five rounds. Mike G. and I saw Berto back in his amateur days when US Boxing came to town. Although the local Juan Macpherson got most of the pub that week, Berto was clearly the best fighter. I think that was his HBO debut last night at 147 and he looked awesome.

Jermain "Bad Intentions" Taylor beat Kassim "Uma, Jerry" Ouma to retain his belt. I thought it a dud. Taylor is not one of my favorites, but just like Winky Wright last week, guy comes back to his hometown, promises big things in terms of a KO, but does not deliver. 12 rounds later (yawn), Taylor is still the champ. HBO knew they had a dog, so the promoter tried "open scoring" where after the 4th and 8th rounds, we would know the judge's scores. Didn't matter, as Taylor was almost throwing a shutout through eight.

I think the highlight for me was Larry Merchant wearing Ouma's "I heart Larry Merchant" cap. That shows how stellar the card was.

Visitor

None, it's a Browns-free Sunday.

Today was the day I ventured out in the Salt Magnet to do Christmas shopping. I took notes:

Why does NCB advertise gift cards for Visa with a "come on in, it's easy" approach. Then they ask for your name, address and phone number. I don't like it.

An old man lets his wife out of his car before he pulls into a parking space at Crocker Park. I couldn't get around him and it cost me a prime spot. I cursed. At them. Loudly. Then I noticed he stayed in the car while wifey went shopping. I wished he froze.

Borders now has some cute chicks working there. I still got gay guy.

Giant Eagle has 88-cent wrapping paper on sale. But it's at the front entrance. Didn't see it until I was leaving.

One place I dropped in on for an advertised sale, didn't have the item and no one could help. "My assistant manager did not leave me instructions." was the excuse. I walked out muttering.

A woman ran into me with her cart at Giant Eagle. Right there in the condiment section. She apologized. I muttered once more.

I am doing the remainder of gift shopping online, I think.

Meal of Links

Boy, HDNet has a nice print of "Manhunter" tonight. Anyhow, here are the coolest inventions of the year. I liked this one.

Another time waster, but if you like live music with an easy signup, go to Wolfgang's Vault. This is a whole bunch of old Bill Graham and King Biscuit shows. Elvis Costello at the Winterland in 1978 is what I have on currently. Try "Work to Do" by the Average White Band or "Dinah Flo" by Boz Scaggs or "Marie Marie" by The Blasters or "Hard Drivin' Man" by J. Geils or something else you haven't heard in a while. They are all here. Bowie, Springsteen in a 2:45 extravaganza, Floyd, The Who, The Dead. Really good shit here.

ESPN is gonna have a film festival next year. I wonder if "Season on the Brink" or Tom Sizemore as Sonny Bono, I mean Pete Rose, will be rerun.

Exercise Yard

It was goals aplenty in the EPL on FSC today. Tottenham had 5 against Charlton. West Ham is bad, as Bolton put in 4 against the Hammers.

Also, Matty Taylor may have had the goal of the year for Portsmouth:



Tomorrow: No Browns, but Arsenal-Chelsea.

Visitor

16 Across: Louisiana-born designer (5 letters) Answer: Beene

I've a said it a million times. The Browns cannot stop the run. Are you kidding me? The Steelers had 305 yards rushing, uh, we had 18. That has to be a record for disparity. So, we've had two godawful games out of our last three. But, really, what did we expect? We can't get ready for a game when we have 6 days to prepare, what made us think we could do well with only 3 days.

The Steelers also threw for 225. So, they went for 528 total. Last week, in the win, it was 417. Against Cincinnati, it was 388. That's 1333 in the last three games. Man, the defense is getting pounded. Bottom line is KC was probably a mirage, because we suck. The Browns lose, 27-7.

Thoughts:

Did the late-arriving crowd in Pittsburgh ever arrive?

Derek Anderson looked OK.

Tony Dungy offering advice from the bushes is creepy.

How can you facemask a guy with a shield over his facemask?

The Nationwide commercial where the Asian guy's car fell apart made me laugh.

Bryant Gumbel isn't bad on play-by-play, it's that he doesn't get jazzed up though and probably doesn't have the voice for it.

I think Romeo might be in trouble.

Meal of Links

The Browns game made me miss the debut of "My Bare Lady". This is the show where porn stars do Shakespeare. Well, not really do Shakespeare, and I'm not sure there are spears involved. Let's just say they try and act legitimately.















Salma and her Hayeks won Mr. Skin's best nude scene for 2006. They accept the award proudly.

Today is Pearl Harbor Day. This was once a solemn remembrance, now we bitch about the Browns and new wars, I guess. Something you don't see very often. Depression Era photos in color.

Exercise Yard

I guess Klinzy didn't take the US Soccer job. Who knows, by 2010, he may be a candidate.

Visitor

6 Down: Onetime Dr. Pepper alternative (6 letters) Answer: Mr. Pibb (Onetime? I guess those labels lie. It's Pibb Xtra.)

Nomar Stalker and I attended the Cavs game this evening. The great thing about it, it was F-R-E-E. The Cavs went through the motions, and we got help from unexpected sources, Donyell Marshall and Daniel Gibson, and beat the Raptors, 95-91.

Observations:

New P.A. announcer was pretty good, sticking to the basics. However, in the first half, he had this annoying habit of counting down the shot clock. 15...10...5, 4,3,2,1. For example, the Cavs bring it slowly up court, they flip it to Varejao and, in the background, the guy says, "15." Even though it is inane, I might see him calling out at 10 and 5 and below. But 15? Yikes! I'm not sure this happens every game, but he didn't do it in the second half, thankfully.

The Brad Daugherty bobblehead may have been the worst-looking bobblehead ever. It is Brad in a suit and a Cavs cap, holding up his jersey, a la Draft Day 1986. One of the few bobbleheads in which the guy is wearing a tie. Brad had a scoreboard message for everyone, saying he'll be here in March. I guess a 20th reunion or something. He should hope there is no NASCAR conflict.

Cavalier Girls seem to have had a large turnover, which I think is by design. I'm just not sure where they go after they leave. Oh, they still look good, but no pole dancing or Erotic City outfits.

Ronnie Duncan's histrionics have been taken over not by the aforementioned P.A. guy, but a Scream Team Leader. He introduces the squad, implores us to make noise, accompanies Moondog when he fires hot dogs at the crowd. BTW, I had my hands on one of those little basketballs they toss into the crowd. Same one twice. In keeping with the evening, I bobbled it. Needless to say, these antics got the best crowd participation of the evening.

Celebrity in attendance: C.C. Sabathia.

The Scream Team still does their Lockers imitations. Somewhere, Rerun is smiling.

Honestly, it didn't seem as loud as it has been there. Maybe they save that for the weekend games.

They replaced the shot clock/scoreboard above the south basket at halftime. It's a rare sight to see a spare brought out. Good job by the work crew.

Beer from Les was $6.00. Small soda, hot dog, and a pretzel added up to $11.25.

The Special Olympics organizing committee was in attendance. They were guests in a loge behind our section. I won't tell you how I clapped. Use your imagination, it was funny.

Meal of Links

The NYTimes tries to define Creole, in response to Alan Richman. Bottom line, I'm hungry. Something about the word "pork fat".

More food. The memorial for Johnny Apple.

If David Lynch is involved with a movie, I am there. Let's see, evil, depravity, erotic longing, violence...Bring the kiddies!

Exercise Yard

Wow. Just when you thought the worst contract this offseason went to Juan Pierre or Danny Baez or J.D. Drew. Julio Lugo and Jason Schmidt hit the jackpot. If Julio Lugo is worth $9 million at shortstop, and Jason Schmidt gets $47 million for three years, what is Travis Hafner worth? Start preparing the "Hometown Discount" talk, boys.

Visitor

54 Down: Eponymous ice skater Paulsen (4 letters) Answer: Axel

After having way too much caffiene on Sunday, I found myself wide awake until after 2:30 a.m., watching Christian Bale in "The Machinist". And I have a DVR! "I haven't slept in a year.", he says, at one point. I hear ya! I'm glad I watched it. It was pretty good, but I wonder if I watched it in the afternoon, would I feel I the same about it?

So, that set up this a.m, when I had no idea it was supposed to snow. My ride was a little longer, not much. All I know is the Jennings was backed up onto 480, but south of Wallings, there was virtually no snow. But there were horror stories of those trying to reach Downtown.

BTW, I stopped at Bruegger's on the way in. Plain bagel with cream cheese was $1.99. WTF? Co-worker comes in with two bagels with butter, OJ, and a cookie for less than $5.00. Is there a cream cheese cartel I am not aware of?

Meal of Links

Celebrity perfumes. Marla Sokoloff? I have no idea who that is.

Giant Magazine picks the "5 Greatest Commercials of the '80s". "Freedom Rock"...Turn It Up! Omigod, it's the McDLT. Vhat, no "Svim Vare"?



MSNBC picks the "Coolest Christmas Movies". I always watch "White Christmas" on Christmas morning. Yeah, it's stupid, but...whatever. I paid to see "The Ice Harvest". I'm still under the hood on that one. And I saw "Some Girls" on cable years ago. He really was McDorky.

Video of the Week

Time for a Beastie Boys classic. This is "Three MCs and One DJ". I like this because it's a rare one that the group does live. Things to look for: Mix Master Mike seemingly coming from a "Ghostbusters" audition; Mike missing his opportunity to enter; the maze down to the stairs to the studio reminds me of trying to find the bathroom at Alumni Hall, the architecture building at Miami U.; "Mix Master, cut faster"; shoutouts to Rose Royce, Krispy Kremes, and Kenny Rogers.

Beastie Boys-"Three MCs and One DJ"



Exercise Yard

Juergen Klinsmann may coach US Soccer. It would be nice to get a new coach, because we haven't scheduled any friendlies in a while.

Visitor

10 Down: Libertine (8 letters) Answer: Rakehell

Randomness from today's Browns home game:

OK, I sat this one out and did not attend, but we are looking live at Goodison Park where...wait a minute...that was the Everton/West Ham EPL match at 11:00 a.m. on FSC. Everton won, 2-nil. At 1:00 p.m., we are actually looking live at Cleveland Browns Stadium, courtesy of CBS, and, by God, for one of a few games this year, it's in HD! Today's announce crew: "Oh, My!" Dick Enberg and Randy Cross.

No special guests today, except for the usual voices in my head. Browns Version 2.3 is in major disarray this week. We have people calling for the coach's head, while GM Phil Savage gives Romeo Crennel the dreaded "vote of confidence". Romeo, meanwhile, is seen at election HQ, asking the workers if the machine was a Diebold model. Some want Braylon Edwards shipped out of here, many because we've seemingly forgotten how to handle Albert Belle-types in this town, others, incredibly, just because he's a "Michigan Man". Coming off one of the worst defeats in Browns history, our backs are against that damn wall we've been against so many times, there is a chalkline drawing reserved for us. Also, the Browns have not scored an offensive touchdown in the last 10 quarters. So, why do I have a good feeling about this week? I am a devout believer in the theory of "You never look as bad as you do in a game like that and vice versa." It all has to do with...

Today's opponent: The Kansas City Chiefs. Yes, I know they have the closest thing to Jim Brown in their backfield, but they also have Herman Edwards as their coach. I love Herm, but this guy will attempt to run the ball about 45 times today. And they should, because we never stop the run. But, as a function of that type of offense, it consumes a lot of the clock, and they don't possess the quick-strike offense that normally kills us. Hence, I am expecting a low-scoring game, one where turnovers will determine the outcome. I expect lots of lengthy Chief drives resulting in some field goals, but not many TDs. Hence, they "will play to win the game", but it will also keep us in said game. Oh, don't get me wrong, we'll lose, but it won't be a rerun of last week. If not, there will be trouble in River City, and the whole word will be capitalized.

The weather is cold outside, because it's December. The temperature in my palatial estate is steady at 65 degrees. Warm breeze from my furnace.

Today's giveaway: None.

It took a while, but we finally got payback for the Dwayne Rudd helmet tossing game! Don't really know how the Browns won this game. Larry Johnson got his 100 yards. Trent Green was really good today, throwing 4 TDs. I point to the one series where he threw an interception in the endzone. The Chiefs were really greedy on that one. I don't think I was that wrong on the feel of the game, it's just that it was executed so differently than what I imagined. Pride on the tackle football field can overcome a lot.

Worst Browns play: Derek Anderson's interception on our last play in regulation. I thought we may lose after that one.

G.E. Who?

Best Line from me (after Anderson's 33-yard run): "That son-of-a-bitch with his crzay legs, just won us that ballgame!" or words to that effect. I think there were more expletives.

Best line from random voice in head (After Romeo Crennel challenged the Chiefs third TD): "Fucking idiot. We need that timeout."

Oddest Browns jersey: I wore a Tim Brown Raiders jersey. At least, it had the word "Brown" on it.

I consumed some items I had previously bought. In-game meal consisted of a salad, stuffed chicken breasts with broccoli and cheese, with sides of corn and, goodness, more broccoli. That should keep Dominion running til Tuesday, I'd say.

Best Browns play: The shovel pass from Anderson to Jason Wright in the 4th quarter, which gained 54 yards, which led to the Browns third TD. Superceded by "Crazy Legs" Anderson's 33-yard run in OT.

I sported no boas today. Now, this Thursday may be different.

Best Commercial: The FedEx Push-Pin One. "Bill, you have no idea where China is."

Best Commercial Music: "Galvanize" by The Chemical Brothers on the Budwesier Select ads.

Best Commercial Whores: My beloved The Who, who have allowed Cisco to use "Teenage Wasteland". Cha-ching.

Unluckiest Drivers: Jetta drivers. Behind every hedge, around every corner, is a driver just waiting to ram into one of those. But, safe happens.

Most startling accent: Leonardo DiCaprio in "Black Diamond".

Worst accent: Jessica Simpson for DirecTV.

Worst stat: The Browns gave up 417 yards. For once, we were better, as our offense gained 438, including 150 yards rushing.

2nd worst stat: Nothing else really jumps out. It's amazing how the play-calling gets rejuvenated after a heinous loss.

Most interesting stat: Joe Jurevicius had 6 catches for 75 yards. Coming into today's game, he had only 18 catches. That is something I've been harping on all year. Quit ignoring him and throw him the damn ball.

The Browns, who gave every blowhard lots of material this week, came through in a fashion I didn't expect. Derek Anderson looked pretty good as he took over for the injured Charlie Frye. The things I liked about him today was that he possesses a major league arm and seems to have good pocket awareness. Let's not go overboard just yet. Let's see how the other teams defense him when they get some film on him. Once again, the Chiefs loss is really bad, similar to San Diego's loss at Buffalo last year. Those critics of Herm Edwards' clock management can all come out again. The Chiefs used no timeouts late to save time for a final drive. Green fumbled and a Browns interception placed the ball on the Browns 42 with five seconds left. He elected not to toss a Hail Mary, but to go short and set up a field goal attempt. But with five seconds left, it didn't work. Very questionable.

Certainly, the Browns best game of the year. Too bad, it's a short week and not much time to celebrate.

Meal of Links

Today's inspirational sports story comes from the most unlikely of sources. Buddy Bell. When he was the Indians' bench coach, defense good. When he left, defense bad.

Keith Olbermann picks up more good press. I want more Michael Musto on there.

Richard Dreyfuss says, "Bring back civics.". That was one of my favorite classes.

Exercise Yard

Last night, it was a crowded night of boxing, as Showtime and HBO bumped heads. The bouts featured Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto on Showtime and Jeff "Left Hook" Lacy and Winky Wright on HBO.

The Margarito-Joshua Clottey fight had all the makings of an upset. Clottey gave the champ a major battle for four rounds, probably winning the fight, until he broke something on his left hand. It appeared his own corner needed interpreters, because it sounded as if Clottey wanted to quit between different rounds, eh, about five times after that. Margarito took the decision.

The star of the night was definitely Miguel Cotto. Even though his opponent, the unbeaten Carlos Quintana, got some licks on him, Cotto destroyed him in 5 rounds. His move to 147 was a good one and he looked fantastic.

The HBO fights were lagging. Jeff "Left Hook" Lacy is starting to get exposed and even though he won, he is really eating some leather in his last two fights. I think the fans have figured it out, as well. Regardless if Lacy won on a "hometown decision", the guy is done.

Last, but not least, Winky Wright delivered a typical Winky Wright performance in gaining a decision over Ike Quartey. Winky had the defense going great, but just doesn't hit hard enough. So, he piled up the points, while we waited for the inevitable outcome. Winky called out his boss, Oscar de la Hoya, but that won't happen. Even if Oscar beats Mayweather in May. The annoying part of this fight was the guy who screamed, "Bye-Bye, Ike!" for 12 rounds. He also threw in Quartey's nickname, "Ba-Zoo-Ka-a-a-a." for a change of pace. I hope he was pummeled at some point.

Visitor

None, it's a rare Browns Sunday at home.

I feel it is time for some "Turnpike Toll Booth Etiquette". OK, I understand we live in the Dark Ages while traversing the Ohio Turnpike. There is no E-Z Pass, the food should be upgraded and the tolls cost too much. Admittedly, they do a helluva job keeping it clear in bad weather.

However, the main disappointment is the drivers who don't know what to do when entering or leaving the Turnpike via the Toll Booth. When entering, you roll your window down before you get to the booth (regardless of weather!), grab the ticket and take off. You DO NOT wait till you arrive at said booth and do this:

Roll your window down.
Take ticket.
Figure out a place to put your ticket.
Roll up window.
Then take off.

This makes the driver behind you, namely me, start my day by uttering expletives that you can hear because my window has already been lowered.

When exiting:

Look for the shortest line.
Have window down before coming to the booth.
For God sake, remember where you put the damn ticket.
Have correct change (Doh! In an easily accessible place!), if possible.
Do not pay with a $20 unless your toll is above $10.
Don't be a Chatty Cathy with the booth attendant.
When you're done, MOVE!

If these procedures are not followed, this makes the driver behind you, namely me, continue my day by uttering expletives that you can hear because my window has already been lowered.

Having said that, I use the electronic Turnpike card. That way, I don't have to mess with finding change, or having the attendant drop my change, I can say "Hello." and "Thanks a lot!" around a quicker transaction.

That is all.

Meal of Links

Had a great time last night. For a change, I did not have a lot to drink. Well, not the strong stuff, anyhow. That El Diablo can be a cruel mother. A two-hour wait for a table at Fat Fish Blue necessitated a trek to Flannery's. It seems the Trans-Sexual Orchestra was at the Q. Huh? I don't get them. Anyhow, we ended up at Johnny Mango, so I could have an item for lunch today. I wonder who is having the smoke-free blowout parties this weekend?

"The Office" this past week was way out of control funny, with "Prison Mike" and Ed Helms on the banjo. Well-written episode by the UK writers, Gervais and Merchant. Jim and Pam said not one word to each other in this episode, but the non-verbals spoke volumes. Genius.

Ask Ms. Dewey anything. Anything at all.

Exercise Yard

Trying to determine if Fathead is a better name than Wallbangers. I guess if they had any Italians, they'd be Floorlayers.

Visitor

20 Down: "If I Had a Hammer" cowriter (6 letters) Answer: Seeger