I'm back. I ended up getting a new computer yesterday. Staples was clearing them out, so I picked up a Dell with a 22-inch monitor. It has Vista and it has worked out great, thus far. Real easy setup and trying to get everything running again has been a relative snap. Then you start remembering some websites that you frequent and have to bookmark. Like today, with World Cup Qualifying all over the globe, I was reminded I needed Sopcast, so I can watch England-Croatia for free via the Internets. A big thanks to the Chinese sports channel in Shanghai for that one. On another channel, it's Australia playing somebody now, but I don't understand Chinese. It sounds like Ping on "Seinfeld" when he called that hair clinic in China. All I can say is, it's a "team in white". And over there, it is France-Serbia. Of course, I have the requisite adult beverages at hand. Ah, if each day could be like this!

This morning, it was cleaning out the garage and I tossed away some clutter. Of course, the garbage pickers were like vultures. Some of that stuff lasted barely 5 minutes out there.

Meal of Links

Sometimes you need to go outside the country to get the proper perspective on the election and what it means. And the blatant lying of the McCain-Palin ticket is testing the "Americans Is Stupid" theory. I'm willing to bet after the election, a significant portion of the electorate will still buy that "I sold the jet on eBay" canard.

BTW, I kind of like Rachel Maddow's show on MSNBC, thus far. I saw more varied guests on her first two shows than in a month of Keith Olbermann's usual suspect appearances. Don't get me wrong, I watch K.O., but the show has fallen off a bit in my eye, where most of his regulars parrot each other, without much actual sparring. I'd at least like someone to represent the right, no matter how lame, kind of a reverse Fox, if you will. I mean someone could play the right Juan Williams on MSNBC, no? My God, she had the Libertarian candidate, Bob Barr, on last night. He'll probably visit Bill Maher, I'm sure, later, but it was good to see him on there. I was just happy to see a different face on my TV. And I also heard her apologize for interrupting someone. That may have been a first for cable TV.

She's smart and has a quirky sense of humor and a nice delivery. And she whipped Larry King's ratings on Day One. And he had Bob Woodward on.



(Hey, Theo Wolcott just scored. England up, 1-0.)

Camille Paglia checks in on Sarah Palin. Andrew Sullivan talks about McCain.

Can crime shows make you hungry? It appears so.

Would you call Chris Elliott a comic genius. I don't know, but he makes me laugh a lot. I loved his "Conspiracy Guy" on the Letterman show. Lengthy read, but lots of memories here.

(The halftime commercials are interesting. McDonald's slogan in China is also "I'm lovin it!". Pizza Hut is really pushin' the shrimp pizza. No Chinese people in the Acura ad. But they use plenty of Mobil oil for those nasty traffic jams. Hey, KFC has a new drink of undetermined flavor. A candy, I think, called Sugus uses "Sugar Sugar" as its music. Lays with a dumb one, reminiscent of old goofy cereal commercials, as a gaggle of youths stops to let a dog with a Lays bag trot on by. Nikon, Sharp and Sony hawking consumer electronics. Kia had an Olympic-themed ad. And Visa uses the Paralympics for their commercial.)

When you are home during the day, you never know what awaits. Today, it was the "Hogan's Heroes" episode, in HD, where they end the war. One of my all-time faves, Hochstetter gets in a few "What is this man doing here?" references and lets the leaders of the Underground borrow his car as a goodwill gesture upon their release. Great stuff from Klink and Schultz, too. Of course, the war is not over as Kinchloe and Father Mulcahy as "Thomas" broadcast that from the radio station in Hammelburg. Looks like a marathon on Saturday and this episode is included on TVLand. Good prelude for OSU-USC.

Classic movie cameos. Any list that has the Baseball Furies and Sgt. Oddball and Zed on it is OK by me.

(Theo Wolcott scores again and it's 2-0, England.)

Exercise Yard

(Four minutes later, Wayne Rooney scores! England is winning 3-0.)

Vince Young has made some strange statements in the past. But I think he may be losing it with these latest incidents.

Visitor

62 Across: Former NBA guard Danny (5 letters) Answer: Ainge