This country has gone daft. Jon Stewart tries to make sense of it:



Meal of Links

Documentary Heaven. Site gets the automatic thumbs up for including "Hoop Dreams" and "The Fog Of War".

Turner Classic starts up the Summer of the Stars series again. Even Elvis gets the treatment.

Nice dream, David. Got a long way to go to top some of mine. Keep trying.

Remember that goofy wedding dance video from last week. Chris Brown made money off it. The YouTube Case study is here.

Looks like Stormy Daniels political career probably ended before it started. An arrest can do that.

Dexter Season 4 Trailer



Exercise Yard

I remember when the baseball trade deadline was anticipated. Not anymore. When I went to bed last night, I thought Victor Martinez would be traded. When I woke up, I thought no. Now I think he's gone again.

Other deals? Carl Pavano probably gets the waiver treatment, especially after his last two starts. Maybe Jamey Carroll for a onesie?

Visitor

32 Down: "We Got the Beat" band, with "The" (5 letters) Answer: GoGo's

If you are a local sports fan, the dial was turned up today to DEFCON 1. For Cliff Lee was traded today to the Phillies. My initial reaction was great, who'd we get for him? When I found out, the tsunami of emotions took over. After thinking about it a while, this is what I think is happening: The current financial state of the Indians has taken a marked turn for the worse. Let's hope Victor Martinez, at least, survives the next two days and remains an Indian (until his eventual departure next year).

I know that Lee said it was "extremely unlikely" he would re-sign with the Indians after 2010. I realize he was actually a better deal for a team this year and why should the Indians wait for the inevitable next year. But my fear is that they could not actually afford Lee's $9 million option for 2010. And that's the scary part. I think we may be looking at a payroll of (gulp!) $50 million next year.

And think about where the bulk of that money goes. Wood, Westbrook, Hafner are three guys you got not much out of this season. Sizemore and Peralta are two guys that underperformed this year, one with injury (Sizemore) and one in a coma (Peralta). The other, Martinez, is gone after next year, if not sooner. The rest is sure to be "the kids". It's funny. Fans always bitch about major leaguers and say, "I'd rather watch a bunch of young kids who still have fundamentals, try hard, etc." Well, here's your chance. I think it's so bad, the Indians will not even afford the "luxuries" of a Jamey Carroll or a Kelly Shoppach.

Unless there are other trades coming, the catcher we got, Marson, is probably here soon and is the bridge to Carlos Santana. The shortstop, Donald, will be next year's Jamey Carroll at $2 million less. Carrasco, the AAA pitcher, should be in the rotation immediately. Knapp, the A pitcher, looks like he may be the real deal, but no one is willing to wait 2-3 years for him. In fairness to the newcomers, it's tough at these levels to focus on ERA and won-loss record for the pitchers. You have to look at the strikeout and walk ratios and their ability to keep the ball in the park. (An FYI, Knapp's career stats of 116 IP, 4 HR, 51 BB, 149 K, 3.64 ERA are eerily similar to CC Sabathia's stats of 86 IP, 5 HR, 44 BB, 111 K, 3.54 ERA at the same age.) Some of these low minor leagues are considered hitter's leagues, so you have to dive deep beyond the numbers. I trust the front office has done their due diligence on these guys with talent and injury concerns, but the burning question of the day is, why didn't we pry at least one of the seemingly universally revered prospects from the Phillies?

If these guys all fail, this will be considered a colossal blunder. I think it's rather amusing when some folks look back and say this is a repeat of the '60s and '70s. But it's not, because back then, no one cared. Everyone knew they were bad, no one showed up, and it was a collective yawn when someone was traded.

These days, however, the mood has changed completely. The dial has been hovering in the red for most of this season and it got pushed to the limit today. I've never seen the fanbase this angry. I've seen them in their apathetic state, nervous state and questioning state before. But I've never seen "torches and pitchfork" mode and that's where we lie today.

And if Eric Wedge comes back next year, what are we looking at? We can't possibly contend in 2010 with the projected roster and the way this clown incorporates younger players into a lineup, what good will that do? One crowd on Opening Day and averaging perhaps 10,000 the rest of the way?

They may be able to survive that financially, but the smoldering anger that's been there for a while has now boiled over into "I'll never attend another game." and "Sell the team." and "Kill them." Good luck trying to recoup that crowd.

Meal of Links

Whatever happened to the cast of "Night Court"? My favorite line, "Those are new."

LG tackles the bane of watching sports in HD. Motion blur!

Very conflicted. NBC is going to remake "The Rockford Files". "Jimmy, old buddy, buddy. It's Angel! You know they allow you one phone call? Well, this is it."

Exercise Yard

Pot. It does a body good.

Visitor

42 Across: Former wrestling star ____ Brazil (4 letters) Answer: Bobo The Coco Butt. Hah!

Just when you think the Andy Marte Era is out of your head, they pull you back in. Well, all the neighborhood statheads are ecstatic that Marte is back with the Indians. There really are two camps regarding Marte. Either you've seen enough of him and you are already checked out. Or you think Wedgie really never gave him a full shot and now is the time to get a lengthy look at him. I tend to fall into the first group. However, even I realize that Casey Blake came on the scene here at age 29, while Marte is still only 25.

But Marte's arrival signals the end of the Ryan Garko Era. I liked Garks. He always was the good soldier (even losing weight both of the last two off-seasons), surviving many seasons as Wedgie's whipping boy, only to find him volunteering this year for hazard pay...in the outfield. But let's be honest, if he isn't hitting, he's a drag on the team. He's average defensively, at best, and can really clog the bases with his lack of speed. The three deals this past week are where Mark Shapiro is at his best. Getting Jess Todd to complete that DeRosa trade was highway robbery and to get two young starters (an obvious need) for Garko and Betancourt is very good work.

Next year we could be looking at a bullpen like this: Jensen Lewis, Rafael Perez, Chris Perez, Tony Sipp, Jess Todd, Joe Smith and Kerry Wood. That has some live arms and some depth, I'd say. Keep in mind, that's on paper. No way they'll contend next year, unless they address the starting rotation. But it's a beginning, I think.

FWIW, I just found out I share a birthday with Jhonny Peralta and my agent name is Agent Slick. Jhonny is "Agent Hotman".

Meal of Links

If you hate meetings, read this. I don't mind them if there is an agenda or, at the least, proper order. The ones that drag on aimlessly are a real chore to sit through.

Paste lists the Top 20 R.E.M. songs. Hey, I love "Pop Song 89". Shoot me.

More John Cazale love.

This is why we should treasure the Cinematheque locally. LACMA cancels their film program.

Songs that lived twice or more. Hey, "Tom's Diner"! Journey, as ever.

Even the big beer brands are being affected by the economy. This summer, I have had Bohemia, Leinenkugel Summer Shandy and Magic Hat No. 9, but even I found myself drinking a PBR at the Beachland over the weekend. But that was only after some tall Bourbons previously at the Happy Dog.

Shatner Does Palin



Exercise Yard

I always liked "Black" Jack McDowell. He finally talks about what ended his career with the Indians.

Visitor

15 Across: Actress Gershon (4 letters) Answer: Gina

My brother and I attended the first Rock'n'Roll BBQ Throwdown at the Beachland Ballroom. This was sponsored by Cleveland Food Rocks and it was quite the event. Many restaurants were there cooking up some nice BBQ or some summer fixins. $25 got you in the door, or should I say, through the entrance and into the tents at the parking lot.

The rain stayed away and it was a rather nice day. Of course, I had to have the 3 B's (bloody, bourbon and beer) among all of the chowing down I did. There was limited seating, and we sat at the bar for a few minutes, at times. But this was mainly a stand around and eat kind of thing. Pierre's Ice Cream was also on hand. I had the Peppermint, Jeff didn't particularly like his Pineapple because it had coconut in it and he opted for a Peppermint later.










































Bootsy Collins was also there with the Gibson Guitar Bus. My camera on my Blackberry failing about five different times to take a decent picture of Bootsy. I kept looking at my photos while saying, "...a man purported to be Bootsy Collins...". Bootsy helped raffle off some items. I am so glad I did not wear my original outfit, as we would have clashed (He had a red Mark Ecko outfit on, similar to the above pic). There were also three different bands on hand that played, as well.

All in all, a fun day. Look forward to this becoming an annual event.

This was the menu (and what we ate):

Prosperity: Grilled shrimp (honey chipotle, with pineapple mint salsa). I had this, it was good.

Brother's Lounge: Kalbi ribs (Korean BBQ). Jeff and I both had this. Made well, it's just too tough of a rib. Rather jerky-like.

Johnny's: Lamb osso bucco OR short ribs on foccacia. Neither one of us ate here.

Luxe: Potato salads (3 different). Jeff had two of these. He really liked one, the other so-so.

Lago: KJ Greens chilled grilled peaches, McKenzie creamery chevre, balsamic reduction. Neither of us opted for this.

Crop: Chicken soft shell tacos-esque creation. Jeff had this and thought it was great.

Bar Cento: Smoked duck with sour cherry BBQ and corn Bellini. I had this and thought it superb.

Blue Canyon Kitchen: Brisket w/5 regional BBQ sauces. We both agreed their South Carolina sauce is out-of-control good. Their regular sauce was good, but the SC stuff was way ahead. South Carolina sauce does not get much play up here, but I do like it.

Dante: Rosemary grilled leg of lamb, tomato Provencal. We both passed.

Beachland Ballroom: BBQ tofu sandwiches. We both passed.

Sky Larae's: Culinary Grilled wings with BBQ sauce and slaw. This was our first stop. Awesome.

Moxie: BBQ'd Ohio baby back ribs. I think I liked this more than Jeff. Their sauce was very good.

Melange: Clam bake/clam chowder/bacon caramel corn/PB+J popcorn. We both had the bacon caramel corn. Very good, interesting flavor.

Greenhouse Tavern: Corn on the Bone and Watermelon mint slushies. Jeff had the corn...I think he liked it. The slushes were OK, at best.

Blue Point: Smoke, BBQ salmon. The presentation on this was great, but I didn't have any. Jeff dislikes salmon.

Happy Dog: Polish Boys (don't Cry). Looked good, but I just had a buffalo chicken salad there on Friday for Polka Happy Hour. I know their food, so I chose elsewhere.

Southside: BBQ short rib sliders. Sweet or spicy. I had the spicy. Good stuff. Jeff went back for seconds here, I think.

Momocho: Grilled corn, chipotle-lime butter, cheese, pico de gallo. This stuff was unbelievably good. Passed there on the way home. Packed. At 5. On a Sunday.

Flying Fig: Coleslaw. So many places had slaw, we opted for less slaw.

Local Crop: Cheeses, sausages, and fruits. Looked good, but passed.

Green Planet Catering: Grilled fruit. Passed

Tree Huggers Café: Caribbean kabobs and rice. They were there, but completely missed them.

Boulevard Blue: Sous vide pork belly with watermelon & pickled watermelon rind. Nope.

Meal of Links

First, Trent Reznor gives up on Twitter. Now, Bill Gates abandons Facebook, because too many people wanted to be his friend. "Who is this person who keeps e-mailing me?" Funny fake Facebook pages.

20 ways you waste money. But I loves my cable.

In Britain, if you are a bad family, they are gonna put you in the sin bin. Whoever lives next to Future Felon in the UK, nods approval.

Craig Ferguson on the "Deification of Youth"



Exercise Yard

Another boxer gone. This time, it's Vernon Forrest. Considered one of the true gentleman of the sport.

Visitor

None, on a stuff-your-face Sunday.

I don't know much about the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. But I got a call today from InfoCision, who must be the telemarketer that does calls for them.

Do you know what they want you to do? I'm sure they are soliciting donations, but they wanted me to mail 15 letters to some people. WTF? I didn't wait for them to tell me who these 15 people were or why they can't send the letters themselves, but I'm supposed to do it for them? What is up with that crap?

I was waiting for the hit me up for cash deal, so I could say no. Then when I heard what the call was about, it made me angry. Obviously, this is a nuisance as their calling tactics for the Society are chronicled all over the Internets.

Meal of Links

Why is Katherine Heigl so annoying? Newsweek tells us.

The "Wizard of Oz" is now 70. But you have to see the Pink Floyd version.

The Big Picture chronicles the Tour de France. My favorite photo has to be, well, #3 has kind of a Where's Waldo? look to it. Of course, El Diablo, #25, was there again. But I think #36 with the eventual winner, Alberto Contador, is a great shot.

Exercise Yard

Catching up with one of the first female sideline reporters, Lesley Visser. She started in 1976.

Visitor

65 Across: 1988 winner of seven Olympic swimming medals (10 letters) Answer: Matt Biondi

I go to watch the Tour de France on Versus HD tonight and this is the screenshot I get. For over an hour.
















All is not lost, of course, because of the access to the Versus digital channel, but it's so much better in HD. Lance Armstrong was pretty shitty today. However, Lance zipping down that descent at the end of yesterday's stage was one of the coolest things I've seen in HD. Can't get a clip of the descent, but here's a clip of Lance's climb. Check #22 in the Astana jersey at about the 3-minute mark:



If you wanna see what the craziness is all about, I urge you to watch Stage 20 on Saturday, the second last day of this year's tour. Mont Ventoux. Get up early. See if Lance can win a stage.

Meal of Links

Here's a bunch of "Star Wars" T-shirts I own #81.

Tackling myths of Canadian health care. Look out for that e-mail.

It's stupidity, not racialism. Arrested for "breaking in" to your own house. WTF?

Exercise Yard

Mark Buehrle threw a perfect game today. The great thing about Buehrle is he works fast. Really fast.

He's pitched two games against the Indians in 2009. Lost 4-0 in May in 2 hours and 23 minutes. Won 10-6 two weeks ago in 2:46. That's a lot of runs scored in less than 3 hours.

Visitor

29 Across: Bando of the 1960s-'70s Athletics (3 letters) Answer: sal

My Browns season tickets arrived the other day. My friend, Kristie, who went in with me for tickets when the Browns first came back, always had a "ripping party" when her tickets arrived. I tend to think of "ripping party" meaning something else, but I guess she made a big deal of tearing her tickets at the perforations and decided that was enough of a reason to party. Well, Kristie's not around anymore and those left behind are now subjected to Browns Version 2.4.

The marketing budget must not be what it once was, because this was the leanest season ticket package I've received. Remember last year's "Section Hat"? Ouch. Anyhow, the package is 10 pages in normal paper-sized format bound in a spiral notebook. This year's slogan: "cleveland lives football" with the Browns helmet logo between "lives" and "football". This is graphics-intensive with no player images included in the notebook.

We have a page on how easy it is to manage your tickets and dump them, if you choose. I'm not kidding. That must be a question they get a lot. Then we have 2 pages on things I'll never use on game days. The Luxury Suites, a new BrownsTown reception room, Hospitality Village, AT&T Club Lounges and even Legends. 2 more pages on Browns Backers, the Applebee's Family Zone, the Team Shop and the Top Dawg Kids Club.

Then we have the stadium map and the always-fun-to-read Fan Conduct page. Zero tolerance for "attempting to sit in seats for which you are not properly ticketed" and "excessive standing". Ri-i-i-i-ight. Highlights of what you cannot bring in: Weapons, Animals, "Confetti or glitter", Fireworks, Mace, Large purses, Strollers. Of course, they don't allow clothing with "vulgar language or phrasing". Hahahahahaha, that's a good one. "Fuck Modell!" Things you can bring in are fairly normal except for "Diaper bags (if only accompanied by a child)".

The tickets themselves have unidentifiable players on them. No photos, just graphics. The only opponents to show up on the tickets are for the AFC North rivals. These have a random Raven, Bengal and Steeler on them. The last page has coupons for concessions! BOGOs on a hot dog, popcorn, pretzel, nachos and soda. And 20% off team shop items, but only before kickoff. get that foam finger ahead of time.

There you have it. I'll see how things have changed on game day, as the first home exhibition game is the GLC against Detroit on Saturday, August 22.

Meal of Links

Last year, when I was in Pittsburgh, I stopped at IKEA. Now most of the stuff I bought has worked out. But I have now successfully, but unintentionally, broken five of the six-pack of glassware I purchased. Did not even last one year. Not exactly tossing these things around, champagne toast-style. Very disappointing.

I actually like "Wipeout". The idea of riffing off the phrase "big balls" fascinates me on how they get that stuff past the censors.

World War II defined.

Which colleges result in the best paying jobs. My alma mater must not be technical enough.

Hedo's Cellphone Ad (In Turkey)



Exercise Yard

Watch LeBron get dunked on. No biggie, he's obviously gassed and it looks like he reacted late to the whistle to start the play. Not like he was underneath the hoop and got posterized. Elsewhere, TMZ weeps.

Visitor

56 Across: Wild West showman (4 letters) Answer: Cody

OK, we finally made it to Melt. A combination of weekday and timing made for no wait time for a table and negligible wait time for the chow. Jeff had a Devo menu, I had Bow Wow Wow and I think it was rigged, but my Dad had Man O'War, whoever they are.

I opted for the BBQ Chicken sammie, which was outstanding once more. We all split a piece of cheesecake and that was good, as well. We'll have to see if that Cleveland Heights location solves the crowd issue in Lakewood.

Meal of Links

Bittman tosses up some salads. 101 of 'em.

The White Stripes doc is scheduled for Toronto in September. This is the doc of the Canadian tour a while back.

"Under Great White Northern Lights"



Kid Rock now has his own beer. Why?

I think the AV Club has scored a winner with the "Nashville or Bust" series. This week: George Jones.

Chris Matthews goes after a "birther". "You are playing to the crazies."

Nirvana Meets Astley



Exercise Yard

Kellen Winslow talks about his staph infection. Good God!

Visitor

51 Across: "Believe It or Not" guy (6 letters) Answer: Ripley

I was in a pissy mode most of Saturday. Today was much better. Hey, there was an underwear sale at Target. Yesterday though, I was supposed to have a refrigerator delivered by a local appliance retailer. I had a conversation with the guy a week ago as to what would be a good delivery date. I said Friday, and then he mentioned they only deliver in my area on Thursdays and Saturdays. So, we agreed on Saturday and he said they would see me then.

Well, I didn't get a call as to what my delivery time was, but I figured that's how they operate. Then about 11:30, I decided to call and then that's when my mood changed. You see, they didn't have me listed for a Saturday delivery. Then I really didn't like it when the sales guy tried to pull the old "I left you a message" routine. After I explained the apparently forgotten conversation to him, he noticed that I sounded "pretty adamant about it". Hell, yes. What I didn't like about the message reference is that he thought that would get him off the hook, but I was ready to question him on why that would be the end of his pursuit of a delivery date. Yeah, I'm paying them to have it sit in their warehouse? Anyhow, he said he would fix it and they did deliver it and the delivery guys were great. But, damn, I was not to be trifled with.

Later, the men in my family were scheduled to go to Melt, where I had another coupon I needed to use before Wednesday. Just like a year ago, an unknown event killed that. Last time, it was a Jeff Dunham concert that brought in a crowd. This time, it was a Detroit Road Art Walk or something. There was an hour wait, something I would normally go for, but we ended up going to the venerable West End instead. Just like last year, we had to get there before the youngins showed up. Not very crowded, but I had a great burger there. We'll try Melt again on Tuesday.

Meal of Links

How media celebrate Walter Cronkite and how they are nothing like him. Great Halberstam references and some Tim Russert bashing, if you're up to it.

The cartel to the South. in 2008, 6,000 Mexicans died in drug-related violence.

Now The Burger King haunts the soccer world. When will it end?

I'm Worried About Steve



Exercise Yard

Today could have been the greatest day in the history of professional golf. Old Tom Watson was just a few feet away from winning The Open Championship at age 59. But he gacked on the putt and it forced a playoff with one of golf's most notorious Tweeters, Stewart Cink. But most will forget how Lee Westwood threw this one away, probably more than Watson.

Of course, the Tweeter did win the playoff. To be fair, I actually like both guys. I am very thankful for Tom Watson's book on the short game, because when I played golf, it actually made me think about what the hell I was doing.

Cink has always seemed like a nice guy and he can play a bit. Finally breaking through on some recent Ryder Cups. Did not like it when Berman christened him Stewart "Kitchen" Cink at that Southern Hills US Open many years ago. And today he was referred to by Tom Weiskopf as "Stewart Stink" and by Curtis Strange as "Stewart Think". Is it that tough to say Stewart Cink on live TV?

Anyhow, it was some riveting TV.

Visitor

None, a beautiful summer Sunday.

Walter Cronkite died yesterday. Our household was a CBS household for morning shows and evening news all throughout my youth. I'm not sure how that happened, because their morning shows were watched by virtually no one. I mean we knew Bill Kurtis way back when before he was threatening Floyd Mayweather, Jr. on that AT&T ad.

For evening news though, it was always "Uncle Walter". It is really something, I think the person I may have seen the closest to Cronkite on TV in my lifetime might be Jerry Seinfeld, and he's beat by miles. I mean Cronkite was always there. Vietnam. Political conventions. Space coverage. Watergate.

They certainly don't make 'em like him anymore.

Meal of Links

Gale and I headed over to Johnny Mango last night, because I had a coupon near its expiry date. Jeepers, when we got there it was slammed, but it did ease a bit after 7:30 or so. One guy was there for a takeout. He ordered two Pad Thai. That seemed like an odd place to get Pad Thai. I went for the grilled steak quesadilla, and truth be told, I inhaled it.

I wonder how this outfit will look when I eat my pudding, waiting for UFOs.

Well, spank my ass and call me Charlie. Sonic is coming to Parma! That would be September 1 on your calendar.

Here are the Top 10 Endearing Habits of a Geeky Spouse. Oh-kay.

Has "The Simpsons" been surpassed by "Family Guy"? I still like Bart and the gang, but I never miss "Family Guy". Sometimes, the throwaway lines resonate with me more than than the big jokes, which are consistently funny.

Where the jobs are, based on postings per capita. DC is #1. Detroit and Miami are at the bottom. From last quarter, big droppers are: San Diego, Cleveland and Virginia Beach. Risers include: Atlanta, New Orleans, Kansas City, Orlando, Richmond, Jacksonville and Nashville.

Exercise Yard

Why is David Huff still on the Indians? Really. 108 pitches in 5 innings. Just kill me.

I haven't posted a Wedge picture in a while, so here you go:


















Visitor

10 Down: First "America's Funniest Home Videos" host (8 letters) Answer: Bob Saget

Hitler comments on just about everything these days. Here is what took place when he found out Michael Jackson died:



Meal of Links

We always think of P.J. Rourke as a political commentator/writer. But some of his best work involves the automobile. His new book is a collection of those articles.

America's Best Hospitals. We're lucky to have a couple of them right here in town.

Tattooed Love Chicks.

Emmy nominations are out. How did Jemaine get a nomination, but not Bret from "Flight of the Conchords"? "Family Guy" gets a Best Comedy nomination!

How it was to act in "Eyes Wide Shut". That movie is now 10 years old.

Exercise Yard

What the hell is going on at the British Open? Old Tom Morris...er...Watson shot a 65.

Visitor

36 Across: "Black Bottom Stomp" jazz pianist (15 letters) Answer: Jelly Roll Morton

Of all the food I've tried lately, I gotta say stumbling upon Skinny Cow Fudge Bars was probably the best thing I've sampled. It reminds me of the old-time Fudgsicles, with the wooden stick. This stuff is really good.

Others:

Philadelphia Whipped is better than butter.

Pepperidge Farm bread products are pretty good, especially the hamburger buns. But they also make a mean Swirl bread with Cinnamon and Raisin.

By chance, a few weeks ago, I decided to try a frozen pizza from Giant Eagle. I'm usually a thin crust person, but this was on focaccia. Shockingly, it's one of the best frozen pizzas I've ever had. Definitely worth a try, plus you get leftovers!

Not so good:

This one I cannot figure out. When it comes to Deli cheese, I've always been a Land O'Lakes guy. The Sausage Shoppe carries it, but Giant Eagle has that damn Cheese Please or some other crap. I think Dave's dropped it, too. Marc's carries the small package, so all is not lost. But Sargento also has some packaged cheese slices. The Vermont Sharp White Cheddar is terrific and the Provolone is not bad, but the Sharp Cheddar is pretty yucky.

Giant Eagle Diet Root Beer in the 6-pack of plastic bottles for $1.99. Awful.

I learned my lesson on peanut butter. Smart Balance Peanut Butter blows. Back to Skippy Natural.

For the life of me, I bought ice cream sandwiches a few months ago and I finally tossed out the last two hideous ones today. Can't even tell you what brand, as I pitched the box a while back. Round with chocolate filling. May come in a 4-pack. If you're tempted to buy something close to that description, run the other way.

Meal of Links

If you ever get in a tax bracket argument, here's your answer. Please show your work.

The Big Picture series is always pretty good. This time, it's Apollo 11.

I always try to look in on what Nikki Finke writes about Hollywood. Here are some details about her new website deal.

TV has run out of ideas. Get ready for a fantasy football sitcom. How about a miniseries on watching the NFL draft?

Really bad wax figures. That one of Manson looks like he should play Captain Morgan. Jack Nicholson looks that guy who worked at Clifton Web. Bruce Springsteen = Jon Stewart. Omigod! Sandra Bullock!

Exercise Yard

Of course, no one is paying attention, but Baseball Prospectus had a shoutout to one of the Indians prospects that barely gets a mention. he's a third baseman and his name is Lonnie Chisenhall. File it. Just think, Hodges or Chisenhall at third, Santana behind the plate, LaPorta in left, Brantley in center.

Some day, some day.

Visitor

14 Across: TV host Trebek (4 letters) Answer: Alex

Well, it's the All-Star Game tonight. The Indians suck and have a catcher who made the team. Kinda like 1970. Of course, that was the game where Pete Rose bowled over the Indians' Ray Fosse for the game-winning run.

Here is a look back at Fosse's Cleveland career.

Meal of Links

Ruhlman goes to The Cheesecake Factory. As usual, read the Comments. He has some of the best commenters out there.

Bacon. In various forms.

Another list of the 10 Best Rock Docs. This time from Paste. I think I've posted these every time I come across one, because it's fun to see who gets the love. This time "Dig!" was high on the list. The only ones I have not seen are #4 and #7. The rest are all worthy.

Sarah Palin is now writing op-eds. On things she does not get, like cap and trade.

Google does midgets.

The story behind Breaking News Online. Maybe a Dead Pool section?

Exercise Yard

How about a road trip. To Delaware?

Visitor

Across Down: The Rebels of the Southeastern Conference, familiarly (7 letters) Answer: Ole Miss

Two boxers have left us recently. Alexis Arguello allegedly offed himself at the beginning of the month. What a champ he was. Pryor-Arguello easily one of the greatest matches ever.

And now, the apparent murder of Arturo Gatti. Gatti probably had the widest following of a non-champion this side of Mike Tyson and was easily the King of the Boardwalk. Toss out his last two fights because they were dreadful. Before that though, he had the style that thrills so many who watch boxing. He wasn't afraid to take punishment to dish out out some pain of his own.

His trilogy with Micky Ward are highlights of this past decade. A great working relationship with trainer Buddy McGirt, as well. I remember the Ward fight where Gatti told McGirt early on that he broke his hand. McGirt asked him "What do you want me to do?" They decided to go ahead and never discussed it again, while Gatti continued to use that hand the rest of the fight. Many of his fights were instant Fight of the Year candidates, with 4 of them getting the honor.

Hard to believe he's gone at 37. Even harder to believe his wife is now implicated.

Meal of Links

The men in my family saw "Bruno" today. I had heard whispers that this wasn't as funny as "Borat", but I'm tellin' ya, I laughed just as much at this one. Velcro suits, Ron Paul(!) self defense against dildos, straight camp, boot camp, hunting, Richard Bey(!) and on and on. All of it, hilarious. He is this generation's Andy Kaufman. It's gold, Jerry, gold!

Gibraltar Airport actually intersects with a road. Traffic stops when a plane needs to go by.

Hear any loud commercials lately? I've been watching the Tour de France on Versus lately and there are two commercials that are absolutely ear-splitting. The trailer for "G.I. Joe" and the latest Kate Walsh Cadillac CTS (you know, "...some smolder beautifully for a long, long time...") commercial. Ow!

This made me laugh...



Exercise Yard

Today is the 30th anniversary of Disco Demolition Day. Starting a fire on the diamond is never a good thing. The second game was forfeited by the White Sox to the Tigers. Remember ex-Indian Rusty Torres? This was the third time he had been involved in a forfeit. Last home game of the Senators, Beer Night in Cleveland and this game, the last American League forfeit.

Visitor

None. On a beautiful summer Sunday.

One thing that bugs me about cleveland.com lately is headlines that contain criminal's names, crime victims' names and yesterday, of all things, those who commit suicide. Even the lady who bashed in the fawn got a headline with her name in it. I finally wrote the reader representative an e-mail about this.

What bugs me is the name in the headline is used as if it's a famous person. Then you click on the page and find out it's a civilian. Then you hope to God the family has been notified. Scuttlebutt from the PD is that that putting the name in the headline gets more search engine traffic. That doesn't seem a proper way to do business though. I've noticed the change online for about 2 months, but I don't see that policy adopted by the print version. Yet.

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This opinion about Palin is the best summary of why she is so bad. Could not agree more.

If you know nothing about Townes Van Zandt, watch this movie, "Be Here To Love Me". It's only up for a week, but worth the time. It's amazing how these legends talk about Townes.

Wha, wha, wha? Morgan Freeman to marry his step-granddaughter.

All about "Lost Highway". Whatever you do, do not tailgate Mr. Eddy.

This week's mugshot roundup. #14 makes me laugh.

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This week's SI is one of their best issues of the year. It's the annual "Where Are They Now?" issue. Great look at the AFL.

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7 Down: Fawcett's "Charlie's Angels" successor (4 letters) Answer: Ladd

When you drive 40 minutes to and from work, you tend to see lots of odd things. The latest was someone driving along with their dog.

Now, we've seen many dogs who poke their heads out the window. Some on the passenger side, some on the driver's side. But this was different. I swear this husky had two-thirds of its body hanging out of the driver's side window. The driver actually had their arm underneath the dog, I guess to secure it. If this Mensa had to make a quick move while driving, I am not sure what would have happened. Check that, I'm pretty sure and it would not be pleasant.

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Did you notice SciFi is now Syfy? Other channel name changes.

I saw Billy Mays on his Slider commercial last night. There are more ads coming.

Did you know there was a Slim Jim shortage? That's not as bad as this chocolate factory accident.

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The Yankees are now streaming games online. Do the Indians have any fans left to make this happen?

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47 Across: Actress Ward (4 letters) Answer: Sela

I had to go by my Dad's tonight to fix his TV. He steps outside to gaze at his Back Forty for a while, comes back in and his cable box is not functioning. He has Wow! Cable, which has been acting like Damn! Cable for a while. I mean, he has no guide because he only has basic cable.

Anyhow, after manually hitting the power button of his cable box, a message appears on his TV screen: "This cable box is not functioning. To view programming, take the cable wire coming from the wall and connect it to the RF input of your TV". Great, we did that and it worked. Since he doesn't have digital cable, I guess he doesn't need the box and hopefully, he doesn't get charged for one.

Strange though. No notification on the elimination of his guide and now no advanced warning on the cable box.

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I had no idea that Casey Kasem finally left American Top 40. I mean, that didn't happen years ago?

A really bad landlord.

I miss Lebowski Fest once again this year because of the annual family reunion. Now the organizers are taking it on the road

Do the Indians know their farm club is giving away a free liposuction tomorrow? Maybe they should aim that at the bullpen.

From the mouths of babes. Michael Jackson's daughter speaks.

Gone but not forgotten snacks and sodas. My big mystery: Why did Frito-Lay stop making Baked Cool Ranch Doritos? That shit was good.

Palin.

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SI.com with some midseason baseball awards. Let's see, any Indians? Why, yes. AL Worst Manager: Eric Wedge. AL Worst Executive: Mark Shapiro.

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51 Down: Eric Clapton classic (5 letters) Answer: Layla

Best lines from the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest:

"The Leader of the Four Horsemen of the Esophagus." (Always my favorite!)

"The David Blaine of the bowel."

"His stomach is a cauldron in which food is cooked by the heat of his liver."

"He is a genius of competitive eating. He knows why they call it couscous, and not just cous."

BTW, Joey Chestnut ate 68 hot dogs in 10 minutes.

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Could the use of Twitter, Facebook, blogging actually take us to a golden age of writing? Are we actually writing more than we have been?

Cheeseburger cupcakes! Nice way to cap off the 4th.

The Indians coaching staff gets the dreaded "non-vote of confidence, we'll decide later." Tribe celebrates with a 5-2 loss upon hearing the news.

Bring on the discount tickets.

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Steve McNair gone at age 36. Hard to believe. I really, really liked him at QB. One tough guy. I'd say some shady circumstances surrounding his death, but still hard to come to grips with. His death was ruled a homicide and I'm sure there is more to come.

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None on a sunny mid-summer Sunday.

Happy Independence Day!

You know, I actually thought to myself last night there might be a major news story released today, because of the upcoming holiday. Typically, you can toss some bad news out there and hopefully it gets lost in the hubbub for the weekend. But never did I think Sarah Palin would resign today as Alaskan Governor. Interesting that Mark Sanford stays in South Carolina, but she goes. I'm not really sure what to make of it.

Who is advising this woman? God? I think God has more than he can handle, but this is truly bizarre. She mentions she didn't want to be a lame duck, after deciding not to run for re-election in Alaska, as that would be "politics as usual" and she would always oppose that. Huh? She cites the fact that the kids seem to be important to her now, but that completely contradicts the campaign last year.

I guess she longs for a bigger stage but like I said, I'm at a loss as to what this nutbag is up to. I like this joke though, "It's the first time a Palin actually decided to pull out early."

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It's the weekend for Tales of the Cocktail. Maybe we'll see some some new stuff. Why I just had a few Dark and Stormys for the first time a couple of weeks back. Goslings Dark Rum and Ginger Beer. I felt very Caribbean.

Lowe's is back in the game. I had my dishwasher installed yesterday. Good guy, great install, nice machine, took about 105 minutes.

The Calgary Stampede has started. Not the rodeo, but the run to the divorce lawyers after the event. Blame it on cowboy hats.

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He's ba-ack!

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35 Down: Country Music Hall of Famer _____ Travis (5 letters) Answer: Merle

Gale and I went to see "Public Enemies" at the Regal at Crocker last night. They didn't wait for Harry Potter, as the price is now $10.00 per ticket for an evening show. That's the highest I've paid locally. And the trailers included one for "The Informant", the Soderbergh movie coming out in October. Excellent book, BTW.

"Public Enemies" had Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, and Marion Cotillard (Edith Piaf) in the starring roles. I liked it. It was a nice study of how J. Edgar Hoover (played by Billy Crudup) had to get as much publicity as he could for the FBI back then, because they were not exactly capturing a lot of criminals. Therefore, a capture or killing of Dillinger (Public Enemy No. 1) was their main priority.

Christian Bale played Melvin Purvis, the main in charge of the Chicago office and the primary hunter of Dillinger. It showed how some of the techniques in tracking criminals were in their infancy. And it noted how Dillinger was making it tough on the other criminals in Chicago by constantly grabbing headlines and bringing attention to them, making it tough to conduct business.

Johnny Depp was terrific as Dillinger. Good, but not great, movie. One criticism was pieces of dialogue seemed to be overridden by music or some other noises in general. I lost track probably about 5 or 6 times. Quite annoying.

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Here are your 4th of July TV Marathons. TV Land has "Andy Griffith" and SciFi has "The Twilight Zone" (again).

Vanity Fair on Sarah Palin. I now have a headache.

7 Hollywood Hoaxes. The movie, "Hoax", with Richard Gere wasn't that bad. Wasn't it "Capricorn One" that faked the moon landing?

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I loved this one-act play about the Indians. Jhonny Peralta playing Jhonny Peralta made me laugh quite a bit.

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19 Across: Longtime pageant host Parks (4 letters) Answer: Bert