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.

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