I spent a good portion of Saturday with my Dad, ushering him around as we went to a movie and grabbed a late lunch and then took in the Florida Derby and some Miami hockey, which I'll get to later. We went over to the Regal Beagle at Middleburg to see Jason Statham in "The Bank Job".

It was OK. This group of people is set up to rob a bank vault. Aside from all the cash and jewels, they also get photos of a royal (allegedly of Princess Margaret) cavorting around the Caribbean that are being held in the deposit box of a black militant, a ledger of police payoffs kept by a porn mogul, and candid photography of some of Britain's finest in compromising positions at a local brothel. Well then, what could possibly go wrong when everyone besides the police and the Secret Service is after you.

Statham is held in check until near the end, when he beats up four guys, including the tried-and-true double headbutt on a henchman. Leg whipping that would make a Denver Bronco lineman proud, as well. That's about it for the fight scenes. I must say, Saffron Burrows is looking great in this film. Meow. Otherwise, it was your standard British heist film, where they say "bollocks" and "cheeky" and "wanker" a lot.

Then we went over to Panera for some eats. They have an Asiago Roast Beef sandwich that I've had a couple of times and it's very good. That hit the spot.

Meal of Links

Since I'll be at Opening Day tomorrow, it's time to look at the Tribe's chances for 2008. Last year, if you recall, I said the Indians would 91 games and make the playoffs. Well, they won 96 and made the playoffs. I also said, "If Joe Borowski has 35 saves like last year, the Indians brass will be happy." and "the outfield platoons bore me". But I also said Jeremy Sowers and Cliff Lee would be good. Note I didn't say "would be in the minors in 2007". What about this year?

The biggest challenge comes from Detroit. It appears the Tigers are loaded and that offense will probably score 1,000 runs. They have pitching issues, especially in the bullpen, but remember last year's Tiger team was only 3 games back with two weeks to go last year. They will be tougher this year.

The leftfield platoon still bores me. It shows what a bad deal the Indians gave David Delucci. Even if he hits .300 this year, they still owe him for 2009. I would understand this Jason Michaels/Delucci platoon better if Ben Francisco were 21, but he is 26. Not sure he's the answer, but let's see what he can do at the big league level. The Indians are set with Grady Sizemore in center and Victor Martinez behind the plate. No worries there.

Franklin Gutierrez, Turtle Boy, is now the regular rightfielder. Not a big fan. I think he's a 2-tool player. For all of Jhonny Peralta's faults, the dude carried us in the playoffs last year. So shortstop doesn't seem to be an issue. The $6 million dollar man, Casey Blake, is at third, and quite frankly, no use going over his abilities again. The heir apparent at third, Andy Marte, seems to be have regressed at this point.

My running joke since last year is, "Do you mean the soon-to-be .244-hitting Asdrubal Cabrera?". Possesses a great glove, but his late September and playoff decline at the plate have me questioning the Hall of Fame status already bestowed upon him by some. I think this is a huge question mark for 2008. He must hit. Same with Ryan Garko at first. I love the guy, he's the darling of "The Jim Rome Show" and bloggers everywhere, and he is probably my favorite Indian. But you can't be a corner infielder and knock in 62 runs (well, unless you're Casey Blake). He must do better at the plate. Don't forget in 2006, he knocked in 40-some runs the last two months. That is the guy we need.

That leaves Travis Hafner as DH. He hit .255 this spring and had 12 walks and 2 homers. The Indians seemed satisfied, saying he had been pretty selective at the plate. But selectivity has never been an issue and those stats echo his 2007 season. Hafner, for whatever reason, was not able to drive the ball last year with disdain. His walks were still up, so an expanding strike zone was not an issue, he just lost some pop. However, in what was considered a down year, he still had over 20 homers and knocked in 100. I'll take that and we'll have to see if he'll ever get back to that 40-120 plateau.

Starting pitching is the team's strength. Can Paul Byrd repeat his performance last year? If not, Cliff Lee should pick up the slack with a hopeful return to form. Keep in mind, Wedge hates him, so that's a short leash we're working with here. Westbrook, Sabathia and Cabrera should be solid.

Bullpen is pretty much the same, except for the additions of Breslow (a late add), Julio and Kobayashi. I see these questions and they are not going to provide simple answers, I believe. Do you honestly believe Perez and Betancourt can duplicate their 2007 seasons? These guys had ERAs below 1.45! I don't think that can happen again. Even a full run more of an ERA, which would still be very good, could be the difference in some losses. And Jensen Lewis, who wasn't touched the last two months of 2007, is he for real? I say no. And do we think Joe Borowski can do it again? We thought he was on borrowed time last year, so it may be more of a tightrope in 2008.

In an off season where the Indians did practically nothing, I am predicting 89 wins this year and no October baseball. Tigers win the Central, Oakland takes the West, Boston the East and the Blue Jays are the Wild Card.

Here is what the Beacon thinks.

BTW, have you tried these Kettle-Roasted Honey BBQ Peanuts from Planters. They come in a resealable bag and are quite good. They are certainly better than the bag of Lays Kettle-Cooked Sea Salt and Vinegar chips that I threw out a few weeks ago. Man, those tasted awful.

The guy from "The Killing Fields" died. I love that scene where John Malkovich rips into Sam Waterston for not getting the guy out earlier. I actually saw Sydney Schanberg deliver a lecture at Miami a long time ago and BTW, it's a weepy movie.

Texas starts picking Democratic delegates. Can't be that tough, eh? But we wind up with shouting, booing and shoving matches. Things are getting serious.

Exercise Yard

As I mentioned, the Florida Derby was yesterday. Big Brown was your winner (from the far outside post, no less, a Gulfstream rarity), and he was not a UPS truck, although he ran like one. Hard to get overly excited, especially with Pyro out there, but Big Brown looked awfully good. Ran the half in 45.4, which is moving. In horse racing, you always wonder when there is a blistering pace like that, can the frontrunner widen the lead, hang on, or get passed by the cavalry down the stretch. Well, Big Brown widened the lead. Realizing Big Brown may have a lot of company up front at the Kentucky Derby if he does that, makes you wonder about his chances, but he does have the proven ability to come off the pace. Cemented his stature as one to look at for the Derby. Only had three starts and he's also got tootsie issues, so we'll have to see how his feet react to the Churchill Downs surface.

I also got to see Miami beat Air Force for a chance to move on to the Frozen Four. It took an overtime goal to do it. Miami is Number Two in the country and started with a quick goal in the first period, then gave up two in the second. They pretty much dominated the third period and the overtime, but the Air Force goalie was unconscious, making save after save. Finally, Miami cashed in on a power play in the third. Too many man on the ice for Air Force. Ugh! That goal tied it and after 15 minutes of overtime, the game winner! Next up, it's Boston College today, which has eliminated Miami from the tournament the last two years.

I am already checking eBay for tickets to Denver.

Visitor

None, it's a Sunday.

Here's a lesson to all the kids out there. When it comes to purchasing tickets for your favorite events, use the Presale Codes that are available and order early. I've been starting to fill the spring and summer up with some concerts and can't believe the string of luck I've had recently in getting some really good seats.

I've got tickets for X, Eddie Izzard, The Cure and the Foo Fighters within the last couple of weeks. And the Presale Codes have saved me a lot of time and grief, because of the choice seat locations. So, if you're offered one or come across one, use it.

Meal of Links

As one who can personally attest to the power of a Jell-O Shot, how about using a unique delivery system. Just looking at this, makes me woozy with delight.

I'm a sucker for this program. I am there.

Kate Beckinsale's Mom needs to back off. Some nude scenes have lots of artistic value.

Exercise Yard

Well, it was fun while it lasted. My bracket for March Madness essentially spit the bit this evening with Wisconsin losing. I thought with several days to prepare, the Badgers would have come up with something to defend Davidson. We may have to start questioning the validity of Big Ten basketball, much like football, after tonight's performance (and Michigan State getting pounded, as well). Sheesh, Wiconsin was the regular season and Big Ten tournament champion and they got their ass kicked. By Davidson! How about a rebound in the second half for Wisconsin? Let me know when you see one. Amazing.

But, wait. What's that on the horizon? Why it's my alma mater, Miami, starting their quest for the Frozen Four tomorrow. I may still remain underground for a while. Where's my hockey bracket?

Visitor

11 Down: Clay was one (4 letters) Answer: Whig

23% of Democrats who dislike Obama think he's a Muslim. Hey, that could be code for disliking him because he's black, but still. Americans is stupid. That is all.

Meal of Links

50 movies guys should see before they die. Yikes, I have seen 40 of these. Does that mean if I see the other 10, I'm curtains? Good shout-outs include: "The Limey", "American Psycho", "When We Were Kings", "Lucky Number Slevin", "Hot Fuzz" (a must see, currently in cable rotation from the "Shaun of the Dead" people), "Crank" (in the Top Ten!).

The GNR (or should I say Axl Rose) project known as "Chinese Democracy" has become comical in its inability to actually be sent to the public. But if it gets released this year, we all get a can of Dr. Pepper. Whoo hoo.

A dwarf walks into McDonald's. Girl behind register screams, has a phobia of little people. Seems a likely excuse. Where's the lawsuit?

Exercise Yard

Brian Anderson blew out his arm again, effectively ending his playing career. But here's a nice story on him. He bags the STO gig for some assistant pitching coach duties with Tampa Bay. I once heard him deliver a virtual thesis on pitching preparation that he mentioned he copped from Orel Hershiser, the Bulldog himself. Orel's smart and so is Anderson.

Visitor

39 Across: "Jurassic Park" actress (4 letters) Answer: Dern

Looking ahead to tomorrow's March Madness games, here are the teams I have winning in the Sweet Sixteen.

Thursday's Games:

Xavier, North Carolina, UCLA Tennessee,

Friday's Games:

Wisconsin, Kansas, Memphis, (I already lost Marquette, need Stanford over Texas)

How to stop the No. One seeds

Meal of Links

Rick Astley talks about "Rickrolling". It is such an odd phenomenon, but funny. Even the anti-Scientologists, Anonymous, use it at their protests.

The Raconteurs album, "Consolers of the Lonely" dropped yesterday. I've heard two tunes, thus far. "These Stones Will Shout" ends up sounding like The Who and the almost title track features Meg White-like drumming. I need to listen to a bit more before judging it. A not-so-good review followed by a good one.

Finally, judge shows are Emmy-eligible. I like "Judge Joe Brown", unless "Judge Judy" gets one of those lifetime-achievement awards a la the Oscars.

Flirting in Japan. I really think so.

One of my favorite documentarians, Errol Morris, has as his next subject, Abu Ghraib. I wonder if he still films the UPS Whiteboard commercials, which are very popular.

Every "South Park" episode is now available online. That's a good thing.

This week's presidential pardons. Under Bush, there have not been that many, 157 at last count.

Exercise Yard

Domo arigato, Manny!

















There is something to be said for watching baseball from Japan before you go to work. Nothing like seeing Manny crush one in the early a.m. We don't get a lot of live sports in the Eastern time zone.

You get the occasional Formula One race, the British Open, breakfast at Wimbledon (and the French Open, I suppose), British soccer, and I think that's about it. So, it's good to be "looking live' at some sport in the morning.

A recap of this morning's game.

Visitor

40 Across: 1930s-'40s pitcher "Schoolboy" ____ (4 letters) Answer: Rowe

Let's see. Steve McQueen born 78 years ago. Peyton Manning born 32 years ago. Elvis inducted into the Army 50 years ago. That's 160 years. I got my state income tax refund today and it didn't equal 160. How odd.

Anyhow, here is what life is like in the year 2008, from a 1968 perspective.

Nothing about a clown in the White House:























Meal of Links

A lyrics quiz. Seems harmless, until you realize the lyrics of each song are printed alphabetically. I tried to find the odd word that stuck out like "scaramouche".

A somewhat easier Monty Python quiz. No Albatross though. The Olympic Final of the Men's Hide and Seek (...this delving Dago, this senor of seek...) kills me every time:



The problem with becoming the new governor of New York after a scandal by your predecessor is you have to come clean. On everything. Next, we'll hear him cop to tearing tags off mattresses.

It's Colbert and Carrell from "The Dana Carvey Show" in 1996:



Exercise Yard

Hanging on to first place in the NCAA pool. Sunday's predictions:

North Carolina, Louisville, Memphis, Tennessee, Georgetown, Texas (didn't have a dog in the Siena/Villanova and San Diego/Western Kentucky fights). So I took five of eight games. Final Four still alive. Still lamenting Marquette losing on Saturday night.

Adjusting original picks.

Visitor

17 Across: Diplomat _____ Boothe Luce (5 letters) Answer: Clare

Duke got beat today in the NCAAs and that usually makes everyone happy. BTW, in Dolby Digital and HD, that was sweet. BTW, I've watched so much basketball, I am singing "This is our country" in my sleep and the VW ad with the beeping is killing me. After a crappy 8-8 record on Friday, I need to make some gains in the pool today.

So, how am I doing?














Today's Choices:

Duke (I had them losing to Xavier in the next round)
Wisconsin (A Final Four pick)
Xavier
Washington State (Gus Johnson is calling this one!)
Marquette (I have them going further, c'mon Golden Eagles!)
Kansas
UCLA
Michigan State (Yes, I am a Tom Izzo fanboy)

Meal of Links

How to travel simple. My method usually contains much bitching about overpacking.

Bill Richardson comes off the fence and endorses Obama. Of course, the Clinton campaign says it's too little, too late. Here are some reasons why Hillary should quit.

Elvis Costello must be a fan of the Polka Happy Hour. His next recording will only be available on vinyl.

Exercise Yard

I guess I can't complain about the ticket prices of our local teams. Up front at the new Yankee Stadium will run you about $2500. That's per game.

Visitor

2 Down: "Roman Holiday" scooter (5 letters) Answer: Vespa

Who knew George Mason had a human mascot?

Hard to duplicate last night's 15-1 start in the NCAAs. Matter of fact, that was the most I've ever had on Day One or Two. Let's see if it continues.

Today's Winners:

Tennessee, Davidson, Saint Mary's, Drake, Butler, Georgetown, Texas, Connecticut

Tonight's Picks:

North Carolina, Saint Joseph's, Vanderbilt, Oregon, Indiana, Louisville, Clemson, Memphis

Meal of Links

The History Channel drops the "The" and the "Channel". So, it's History. OK, will that make more people watch?

Converse is using rock acts in its new campaign. Sid Vicious and Ian Curtis are prominently displayed.

Stick your hand inside a cow! Win a prize!

Exercise Yard

My prayers have been answered. See, ESPN is broadcasting early-round coverage of The Masters. I hated the way Chris Berman inserted himself into US Open coverage several years back with his Stewart "Kitchen" Cink idiocy. Well, he will not be on the air during The Masters. Whew!

Visitor

1 Across: Roberts of TV's "Charlie's Angels" (5 letters) Answer: Tanya

March Madness started today. That means I will be following the bouncing ball all weekend.


Afternoon winners (Had 'em all. Hope it lasts!):

Kansas
Nevada-Las Vegas
Michigan State
Pittsburgh
Marquette
Stanford
Purdue
Xavier

Tonight's winners:

Notre Dame
Washington State
Kansas State
Wisconsin
UCLA
Texas A&M
Arizona
Duke







Results are here.

Meal of Links

The peace sign turns 50. My current peace button is one with the hand as an American flag and the index and middle fingers formed in a "V". It is a UK import.

The most expensive foods in the world. I am currently eating salad out of a bag. Adorned with jalapenos from the garden, diced tomatoes, little bit of cheddar cheese and lite Vidalia onion dressing. Pretty low cost, I'd say.

Saint Joseph's is in the NCAA Tournament and their coach, Pete Martelli (the Peter Boyle look-alike), is one funny dude. Interestingly enough, the team is still outfitted by Sports Belle. Now that's loyalty.

Exercise Yard

Rob Jones plays for San Diego in the NCAA Tournament. His grandfather was Jim Jones, the cult leader. Rob is developing into a nice player for the Toreros. Powers Boothe nods approval.

Visitor

46 Across: Cisco Kid's sidekick (6 letters) Answer: Pancho

We had some odd things happen at work this week. Someone had brought in the typical fund-raising chocolate bars for some kid's softball team or other such extracurricular nonsense. It's fairly obvious a mouse has arrived and decided to chew up one of the candy bars. Well, after it sat there for two days, it resulted in the typical not-my-problem attitude from the masses. The thoughtful solution after a time? Move the box to a different spot on the counter. Hey, that'll work.

The other thing is Nomar Stalker ran into the same problem I had a few months ago. How hard is it to lock the men's bathroom door? You just walk in, turn the fan on to drown out any forthcoming noises and you push the button on the doorknob. Seems simple enough, huh? Well, he walks in on the same guy I did, who failed to lock the door again. All I know is when I walked in the guy, he avoided me for about a week. Thank God, he was only at the urinal.

Meal of Links

The haunting beauty of some abandoned structures. That Pabst brewery had some pretty cool architecture, I'd say.

Sgt. Kinchloe dies. I'm not sure I have a favorite Kinchloe episode from "Hogan's Heroes". Maybe it's the one where he does Nazi imitations over the radio. Oh wait, that was every episode, wasn't it? Although, my all-time favorite episode is one he isn't on. You know, where they
"end the war". Hochstetter so kind to lend them his staff car now that the conflict has ended. Hogan had convinced him the prisoners were future captains of industry. Lots of yuks.

White people really like that website. I'm sure you've been there. It's "Stuff White People Like".

The truth about relationships:



Exercise Yard

CSU's season ended tonight. Well, early tonight as their NIT game vs. Dayton started at 6:00. The Vikings lost this game pretty much at the start of the second half. A 38-30 lead for UD at the half became 45-30 within two minutes of half number two. It was a struggle form that point on. The lead would go down to 9, then back up to 15 and so on for most of the half.

Finally, with about 3:50 to go, CSU cut it to 61-55 and had Dayton reeling. For one fleeting second, I thought maybe they could win. But CSU could not get any more offense down the stretch and ended up losing, 66-57.

Visitor

36 Across: Hip-hop Dr. (3 letters) Answer: Dre

St. Patrick's Day was a modest success in Gateway, from what I learned. The prevailing opinion is that with most everyone having this Friday off, due to Easter, and Opening Day a short time away, people had to pick and choose their time off wisely. I know that applied to me, and I didn't arrive Downtown until 6:30.

By that time, it wasn't very crowded. I understand pre and post-parade was jammed, but not much activity in the a.m. compared with previous years. I can attest by the time my imbibing started, the celebrating looked to be mostly over. For instance, one of my favorite things is seeing the late-day drunk blowing a long, green horn. Missed that this year.

Although, I had a car bomb (don't mind the leakage), I was not close to auditioning for that role. I think the highlight was eating half of Uncle F-Bomb's corned beef sandwich, seemingly the last one in town. And it was good.

Meal of Links

"Let's talk about race, bay-bee. Let's talk about you and me." Obama delivers a speech about a racial stalemate. Mostly positive reviews follow.

HBO cans the head of their entertainment division. They are having a bit of a slump over there, besides "The Sopranos".

I do not watch "Dancing with the Stars". But here's a critique of the men.

The Raconteurs new album drops next week. Another release that tries to change the model of music delivery. Apparently, it was finished just this month.

Really cool beds. Some of these with the home theater incorporated, look like the view you get in Row 1 at the local cinema.

David Lynch donates a million dollars to MIU. Plus, he has his own weekend there.

Exercise Yard

SI puts all of its content online, for free. That means easy access to the best cover ever:


















Visitor

5 Across: Rapper Shakur (5 letters) Answer: Tupac

The brackets for March Madness were finally drawn this evening. One of the few years that I don't have a major quibble with the selections, but there remain some irritating selections. Oh, yeah, Virginia Tech or Arizona State should probably be in there. Butler, for one, got no respect. They were a Top 10 team who won their regular season and conference tournament and were rewarded with a 7 seed. Not only that, they have to go to Birmingham to play South Alabama (a team I'm not sure should even be in). Last time I checked, Birmingham is in Alabama.

The MAC gets hosed again. It was a down year for the league, but you can't tell me Akron can't play with these teams. I recall when the MAC used to get 2 and 3 teams in annually, but they have been overlooked the last 10 years and it doesn't seem likely to change soon, as only 6 mid-majors got at-large bids.

We'll see if Cleveland State makes the NIT later. The Cleveland State women made the NCAAs today joining my alma mater, Miami, in the women's brackets.

Here are the matchups.

Meal of Links

Check to see if your favorite website is down or is it just you? I used this the other day to check on YouTube and the site was actually down.

How would McCain rate as Commander-in-Chief? Temper, temper.

Why should Bear Stearns be bailed out. It looks like JPMorgan Chase is picking up the scraps. Has W. mentioned "recession" yet?

I think I'm now addicted to these. After I finish this, I think I'm gonna get one at BK.

Seems obvious. Trolling the Internet for hookers. With all of this hooker news lately, I've been playing "Part-Time Hooker" by Betty Blowtorch a lot.

Exercise Yard

War Pass went off at 1-9 odds in the Tampa Bay Derby. He finished last. Big show prices followed.

Visitor

None. And it didn't snow either.

Happy Pi Day!





















Sunday and Monday are Must-See-TV as ESPN, of all networks, gives Dan Klores another chance to shine. His documentary, "Black Magic", shows civil rights from a basketball perspective. We visit many of the stars from America's HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities). I haven't seen a frame of this, but I know it will be good.

Klores is one of the best documentarians going right now. Last summer, it was "Crazy Love" and before that, an awesome doc on Emile Griffith, "Ring of Fire". One of the cool things is there is a focus on John McLendon. CSU finally gave his legacy a boost with a game they will host each year for the McLendon Scholarship Foundation. This year, it was Ohio State in town, if you recall. McLendon's story is quite a fascinating one that many locals, I'm sure, know very little about.

Meal of Links

What does that commercial say? "My bank is National City." Well, maybe not for much longer. I know Wells Fargo has done due diligence on them many times, but I hear the main suitor is coming from north of the border. Get the maple leaf ready. It's the Bank of Montreal.

The Pelicano trial in L.A. will have some A-listers testify. Garry Shandling testified on Thursday, and others will join in.

I think I feel sorry for the guy, but this made me laugh.

Exercise Yard

If you want to see the Red Sox play in Cincinnati this year, you'll pay a lot. Suggestion...find a scalper.

Visitor

23 Across: Shortcake's dad, to Fonzie (3 letters) Answer: Mr. C

Just finished watching CSU get beat up by Butler in the Horizon league title game. No dancing this year! Second half was the key. The Vikings did not improve their shooting (it was dismal, in the low 30's at best, I suspect) and Butler held on to the ball and had decent enough shooting to win by 15. File this one under the dreaded "Learning Experience" for CSU. Almost ready-for-prime-time, but not there yet. Look for big things next year. Going to take in a couple of MAC tournament games tomorrow, including the alma mater.

The plows made their return during the last 24 hours. Huh? Yep, after the melt has started and most of the denizens around here resorting to one-lane traffic, the plow came through last night to deposit all of those big ice boulders in everyone's driveway. Silly me, I waited until this morning to remove them. Hey, those boulders froze overnight. I actually had to resort to Charles Bronson mode and use an axe to get rid of them. Imagine my surprise when the plow made a return visit during the day to start the process all over again after I came home from work. Idiots.

Meal of Links

David Simon writes to fans of "The Wire". The show actually had worse ratings this year than "John From Cincinnati", a show HBO could not wait to d8ump. But it lives on via the DVDs and I expect HBO will hang on to it for a while.

How is Eliot Spitzer still the New York governor? If you frequent prostitutes, but bust up a prostitution ring as state Attorney General, aren't you getting rid of the competition for your company of choice? Seems obvious, you have to leave. Now.

I think we've been down this road before. If not, here are some great opening credits in movie history. "Raging Bull" has been on the HD channel lately. That's a worth a late evening of viewing, which I did. I think I've driven that "Lost Highway" before.

Exercise Yard

Two of my favorites combined: Wrestling plus Boxing. Or should I say, The Big Show plus Floyd Mayweather. Reminiscent of "He threw him like a lawn dart!". Yeah, looks like Floyd was really risking that $14 million dollar payout there.



Visitor

20 Across: Character known as The Saint (12 letters) Answer: Simon Templar

Sometimes it amazes me how stupid or naive some people can be. I hearken back to the last big snow we had a year ago, where my neighbor decided to leave without shovelling. That resulted in about 150 minutes of jaw-dropping disbelief, not to mention tearing up my lawn. So, last night in the midst of my big dig, I saw it again. This time across the street. Simple fact. If you have a car, you can't gun it through two feet of unshovelled snow. It won't happen. At least shovel a path, try something to make it easier. Anything but that display.















My life was compounded on all sorts of different fronts yesterday. First of all, I have to synchronize all of my clocks, because of Daylight Savings Time (and how come the U.K. waits til the end of the month still?). Then it was major snow, where I was confronting waist high-drifts by the time it was over. For me, it all ended after 9:00. Continuing to fight what illness I have to the point of having trouble talking, let alone breathing. Furnace issues, where for several cycles, I had no heat...that sucks. Guy coming out tomorrow, methinks it be a sensor. All in all, a peach of a day.

Meal of Links

You know this had to be made into a movie. "How I Fell in Love With a Female Assassin". Kind of a Colombian Nikita feel to it.

It's down to "The Wire" tonight. I dunno, maybe people don't like shows with a cadre of African-Americans in them. Anyhow, it ends tonight. I'm sure it'll be On Demand for a while or they'll start repeating the whole series like "The Sopranos".

Didn't I used to shop here for your stuff over here, O Famous Designer? You did, and now they are over there.

Exercise Yard

CSU made the finals of the Horizon League tournament. A weird game (not because I have ESPN U and watched it), in that CSU dominated statistically, but turnovers kept Valpo alive. The Vikings had leads of 18 and 15 and frittered away all of that second lead, but hung on for a closer win than it should have been. Tuesday, it's Butler for a chance at March Madness on the Four-Letter at 9:00.

Dual boxing shows last night. HBO was at that mecca of boxing...Cancun, Mexico? Yep, a converted bullfighting arena was the scene for two title fights. In the first, Nate Campbell beat one of HBO's golden boys, Juan Diaz. Fairly handily, I might add. Campbell was older by 12 years and whipped up on Diaz, who suffered a really bad cut on his eye. Unfortunately for him, his corner did not appear to know how to stop the bleeding and it looked awful by the end. Campbell took three Lightweight belts for the effort. He didn't call anyone out, saying that's Don King's job.

In the nightcap, Samuel Peter took on Oleg Maskaev for a heavyweight title. Or the "Nigerian Nightmare" against "The Big O", if you will. Peter was the better fighter in this one, as he landed some big blows on Maskaev in the third. Eventually, he landed a big right followed by many punches to get a stoppage near the end of the sixth. Peter said afterwards, "Who's next?", as he won the WBC heavyweight title. Seemingly, he'll have to fight a Klitchsko soon.

Too bad for Showtime, as they had a bout in London for the Cruiserweight title that didn't get out of Round 2. David Haye threw some big Hayemakers and beat Enzo Maccarinelli pretty quickly. Haye wants to move up to Heavyweight now, as he picked up another belt and now has three Cruiserweight titles for his effort.

Visitor

None.

The snow has arrived and this one shapes up as the largest one this winter, thus far. It has become a hunker down day, which is dangerous, because I have an Internet connection and a credit card with which to buy many things I do not need. So, it's soccer this a.m. and hoops and fisticuffs later on the TV. Then the digging begins.

A casualty of the weather yesterday was John Sayles. I went to see "Eight Men Out" at the Cleveland International Film Festival last night. There was supposed to be an intro and Q&A with Sayles, but he was stuck in New York, and the theater was only about one-third full because of the weather. Kinda disappointing as I did have a question or two or three, but I don't think he made it today. I was taken aback, however, by how lousy the print was. CIFF usually does a much better job, but this print was really dicey and eventually got eaten up during one reel. You could see the film snap and burn, just like the old days! After a delay, it appeared one part of the screen was foggy. It eventually got better with an immaculate final reel, but AFI needs to restore this film pronto.

I would also like to thank the good folks at Mucinex for helping me get through whatever I have presently. Trust me, it ain't pretty.

Meal of Links

Reality TV ideas are apparently limitless. How about "Kill It, Skin It, Wear It"? That has to be fake, no?

I saw O.M.D. once. They were OK. Here is how they lost their fans with the "ultimate commercial suicide". They went from 3 million records sold to 300,000 for the next record.

Even cows have trouble adjusting to daylight savings time. I mean, seriously, how would they know? Who's gonna tell them the milker is late that day?

Exercise Yard

Many ballclubs are offering the "All-You-Can-Eat" ticket. Mostly non-alcoholic drinks, except the Cardinals and Braves offer beer. Uh-oh.

I like the fact the Blue Jays have an All-You-Can-Eat Weekend for 1,600 seats. Must be the only way they can sell tickets for the Royals.

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2 Down: "It Must Have Been Love" duo (7 letters) Answer: Roxette

Yikes! I heard the voice of Miley Cyrus coming from a different room today. I had no idea she sounded like a cartoon.

Here's what I've been listening to lately:

"Pull Up To The Bumper"/Grace Jones
"We Throw Parties, You Throw Knives"/Los Campesinos!
"Take California"/Propellerheads
"Dig!!!Lazarus, Dig!!!"/Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
"A-Punk"/Vampire Weekend
"Natural One"/Folk Implosion
"Funplex"/B-52's
"God, Pt. 2"/U2
"Run"/Gnarls Barkley
"About A Girl"/Nirvana
"Don't You Evah"/Spoon
"Bodysnatchers"/Radiohead
"Love Me Dead"/Ludo
"Via Chicago"/Wilco
"Snowball"/Devo
"Stop"/Against Me!
"Supernatural Superserious"/R.E.M.
"I Gotta Feelin"/Eagles of Death Metal
"Invalid Letter Dept."/At The Drive-In
"Red Morning Light"/Kings of Leon

Meal of Links

WTF? That idiot from the Wally George show was way ahead of his time. Some towns in Europe are banning traffic signs.

If you thought the front page of The Plain Dealer has looked really different over the last few months, you'd be right. The new editor explains the changes and what else is on the horizon.

Chuck Klosterman goes on the road.

Exercise Yard

Brett Favre did not say, "My wife is my rock." But he sure cried a lot at his retirement press conference. As they all do.

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11 Down: Hawaiian crooner (5 letters) Answer: Don Ho (needs updating)

Dennis! wins! It looks like Joe Cimperman's campaign died the same day Kucinich gave up his presidential bid. I think it's Dennis!'s job until he doesn't want it anymore. A clear repudiation of any or all opponents last night. The guy has a loyal group of followers and a machine that works. I got another phone call from him yesterday on Election Day. I'm not sure I even got the dreaded campaign literature from Cimperman and I certainly got no calls from his phone bank. Perhaps if he lived in the district, it might have helped.

As for my voting journey yesterday, there were a couple of things I didn't get. But the good news is they had a person at the door who had a master list of voters. I vote at a church that has four precincts, and I know I vote in Precinct E. But there are always people who forget or get confused, so this is a good thing to have someone direct you to the correct precinct.

But I wasn't sure they were matching up my ballot without any sort of checking device to know it was mine. I think they ripped a ballot from a legal pad and when I was done, I threw it into a box with no stub or anything that I was aware of. The other disturbing thing was that if you didn't want to go to a booth, you could fill out your ballot while sitting at a table. Where other folks were filling out their ballots in the open! Didn't really care for that too much.

Anyhow, it looks like the D's will be at each other's throats for a while and now I'm guaranteed no sleep during convention week in Denver. Has anyone figured out why Puerto Rico, not a state last time I looked, has 55 delegates at stake in June? That's more than some states. Found that out after 1:00 this morning.

A pretty good analysis of what happened last night.

Meal of Links

All about Steve Jobs. I haven't bought an Apple product in a while, maybe it's time.

My Dad utters the word "Shit" with the best of them. But Clay Davis from "The Wire" rules all.

"Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeit"/Clay Davis



Keep this quiet. Do not give them any ideas. Or I'll do my Clay Davis imitation.

"If you could read my mind" becomes closer to reality. Kind of a Brainiac Video machine.

What is up with Jeff Conaway? Well, he carries a knife.

While the world is deifying Brett Favre, take a look at his first completion with the Packers:



Exercise Yard

The Top MLB Promotions this year. Omigod, Tampa is giving away Cowbells!

Visitor

22 Across Down: Coach Parseghian (3 letters) Answer: Ara

The most hilarious thing I heard today was when a woman called into 1100 and said Kelly Shoppach was making taped calls in support of Hillary Clinton. Another guy called in to confirm. On the surface, it seemed odd that the only support she could find locally sportswise, would come from the Indians backup catcher. Except the call didn't come from him. It came from boxing champ, Kelly Pavlik. I received that call, as well.

Aside from the judges who started calling me over the weekend, as I'm avoiding the phone, I also received calls from The Ron Paul Revolution and the wife of John McCain. Still amazed at receiving no calls from Cimperman or seeing many of his yard signs locally. I think we may be stuck with Dennis! again.

Meal of Links

There is a huge auction of pop culture artifacts. 850 items ranging from jackets of the Three Stooges, Madonna's "Like a Virgin" wedding dress, to a bullwhip from "Indiana Jones" and the gun that Jack Ruby used on Oswald. I have a birthday coming up as most of us do this year. How about Patrick Macnee's hat from "The Avengers" or The Maltese Falcon?

All about last night's episode of "The Wire". It was interesting that Snoop, who got offed last night, was quoting William Munny as "Unforgiven" was rolling on Turner last night. "Deserve's got nothin' to do with it."

How about some quick Blondie? Debbie Harry can't control herself.

"Hangin' on the Telephone"/Blondie



Exercise Yard

Will Vazquez and Marquez do it again? As a boxing fan, I say yes. As someone who fears their first three fights has taken a tremendous piece out of each fighter, I gotta go with no. Mickey Ward: "I think they gave enough of themselves for two lifetimes. And you only get one." Saturday's fight has already reached legendary status.

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3 Down: Actress Streep (5 letters) Answer: Meryl

Line from tonight's episode of "The Wire" where a kid is watching TV: "Hey, dude! You gotta see this. There's this serial killer who only kills other serial killers...". Thanks, HBO, for the tip of the hat to "Dexter". Hey, that's on Showtime, but who cares.

Meanwhile, back in the real world.

Meal of Links

The "Knights of Prosperity" only wanted to rob Mick Jagger, not kill him. The Hells Angels wanted to do that themselves. Get a copy of "Gimme Shelter" if you can, still fascinating after all these years.

Is the hat making a comeback? They list a bunch of hats I've never worn, although I think I wore a porkpie once. Maybe if I drove a taxi for a living...

Mainstream media finally figures out that Cuyahoga County is trying a new voting system for the Ohio Primary. Get prepared for a long night of election viewing. We may take New Mexico off the hook when it comes to tabulating votes.

Exercise Yard

The Top 10 names in hockey. This is the current version. I really hope Bear Trapp makes the NHL. No Miroslav Satan, is he still active? I always favored Bart Crashley in the old days myself.

Visitor

None, it's the last Sunday before the time change.

The Browns are loading up, it seems. They picked up Donte Stallworth today. That gives them a number two receiver with some speed. Joe Jurevicius moves to the number three guy. Happiest man on that deal is probably Kellen Winslow. The Browns have speed at both wideouts now and they will attract attention.

They also traded away their second and third-round picks for some beef on the defensive line, which was sorely lacking. My God, will they finally stop they run? Corey Williams and Shaun Rogers show up. Each with their respective baggage. Rogers is up to 370 pounds, and is now nicknamed "Big Maybe". Williams arrives not only with a big contract, the second-round pick looms large, as well. He's gotta be a difference maker to justify that set of circumstances. As far as the dumping of the draft picks, Phil Savage must not be too pleased with the upper reaches of this year's draft.

Also, good news for Cleveland State basketball. The Vikings had five things that had to happen to reclaim the number two seed in the Horizon League tournament. Three of them occurred on Thursday night. Valpo beat Wright State earlier today and CSU beat the Fighting Penguins of Youngstown State. CSU had a complete turnaround, winning 20 games this year after losing the same number last year. The win, however, seeds CSU to the semifinals of the Horizon League tournament, depriving fans of a tournament home game, unless Butler loses before the final.

Meal of Links

Saw the new Will Ferrell flick, "Semi-Pro". today. This one clocking in at a crisp 90 minutes. Yeah, you'll chuckle at this one, but really, only a few scenes stood out for me. Kelly Leak makes an appearance as a '70s stoner named "Dukes". And a scene with a gun is funny. And a wrestling bear shows up. There are a few laughs throughout, but it's typical Ferrell. If you hate him, it's not for you. If you like him, well it's not "Old School" and certainly far from his best, but probably still worth the small time investment. Not a full house, and that's a bit surprising. Maybe the act is getting a bit old for some or the R rating is causing some issues. The trailer of his summer movie, "Step-Brothers" with John C. Reilly may offer him redemption after this one.

A man should never win "Idol". The two male winners, thus far, were "giant, non-threatening clowns".

All about the Steinbrenners. There are some gems from Hank the Quote Machine.

Exercise Yard

First Saturday of the month must mean boxing on Showtime. Tonight, it's Vazquez-Marquez 3. Stallone and Jack Nicholson in attendance. This Super Bantamweight bout became the early leader for Fight of the Year. The combined workrate for both fighters was perhaps the highest I've ever seen.

Rafael Marquez dominated early throwing the left jab at will. Israel Vazquez got knocked down in the 4th, which was a terrific round for both fighters. I had Marquez way up on points early. But Vazquez kept at it, despite a probable broken nose and two nasty cuts, one on each eye. It was painful to see him get tended to between rounds as those cuts were stinging badly. His work paid off in two ways.

Marquez got penalized a point in the 10th for low blows. The final straw was probably a borderline call, but you had a feeling this would come into play, because he was warned very early for the infractions. This set up the 12th round which most viewing thought Vazquez needed a big round to pull it out. Unbelievably, he did it. Big right early in the round set the tone and he was all over Marquez, finally getting a knockdown in the final 20 seconds of the fight. That 10-8 round combined with the 10-8 round for the low blow round won him the fight.

It was tough to score, reflected in the split decision. I thought Marquez won it with a 9-9 round for the low blows. One judge had it 114-111, Marquez, another had the same score for Vazquez. The final judge had it 113-112, Vazquez, allowing him to retain his title.



















Great fight tonight.

Visitor

7 Down: Pan pal (12 letters) Answer: Wendy Darling