Hey, I'm back from Music City. I went to visit Mr. and Mix and try and extend summer a bit. So, to keep up with what had been happening weather-wise in the South, it continued to rain through Saturday. Lots of rain this month. Probably about 2.5 inches in the last storm that blew by. Finally got sunny and Sunday and Monday were very nice. Cooler, but nice. Of course, I arrive back in town yesterday and it's winter.

I got to meet their new dog and here he is...Brutus!

















A black lab and pit bull mix that is just the right kinda dog you want. Nice temper, hustles around (hell, he's young!), and is a great companion. Even when I had to sit with him for a time, he was cool.

I went to a few places I had not been before for chow. Ted's Montana Grill was one. This is the chain owned by Ted Turner. Remember when he went crazy and bought bison in Montana. Well, this is the end result. I actually buy bison now and then and was eager to try Ted's place. It actually is pretty good. All of the burgers can be beef or bison. I opted for the bison, of course. Unlike our local buffalo purveyor, you can actually get a pot roast or meatloaf done bison-style. And I think I had 17 gallons of sweet tea. Nice touch with salt and pepper onion rings, too.

We also had some barbecue over at Calhoun's. If you recall the glory days of the National Rib Burnoff locally, you may recall Calhoun's being an entrant for a few years. Pre-scandal winner as well, I think. I wish I was a bit hungrier here, but the pulled pork was very good. And they had Shiner Bock, too.

Since we had a chance to see some preseason hockey on Saturday, we went to Rippy's, which is right across from the Sommet Center. Who cares if it was more barbecue? We got here in plenty of time, as it was packed. Tennessee had a 6:00 game on TV and the hockey game started at 7:00. Unfortunately, the kitchen lost our order. A discovery made only about 45 minutes after we ordered. Uh-oh. But one of my favorite words appeared via the manager. "F-R-E-E, that spells free." Great pulled chicken sammie. Which I think I inhaled. Good stuff.

After the hockey game, it was time for a snack. Wild Bill's (it seems he may have a shady past, but his food is good) Beignets and Bikes. This was right across from the Sommet Center and it's a little shop that combines, oddly enough, beignets and motorcycles. I had the banana with caramel sauce and, lemme say, it was outstanding. It is hard to describe, but this concept may actually work. Can't speak for the bikes, or any alleged shady past, but the food was a real thrill.

















As I mentioned, we took in a Nashville-Carolina preseason hockey game at the Sommet Center. We got last row seats for not a bad price. And they had a pretty good view. It was good to see hockey again. I cannot stand the Monsters games because the speed of the game is way too slow for me. But it had been a while since I saw a live NHL game. Cheerleaders, louder music, Kiss Cam (with Kiss band members over your face), etc. It's just a different experience these days. And I loved it.

Meal of Links

We had to get out of the rain, so Mr. Mix and I bolted quickly to catch a matinee of "Surrogates". You know you are in the big city when you have to shell out $10 for a matinee. The local Regal only allows the first show cheaper. This is the movie where Bruce Willis plays an FBI agent who wants to start living his life again instead of using a surrogate. Did I mention surrogates are the rage in the not-so-distant future? You lie on your ass at home while it does the work for you. The movie was OK. I decided that I like the fact Bruce Willis is left-handed. I don't know, when he beats a guy with a bunch of lefts, it looks pretty cool to me. I saw Bruce on Letterman that night, and I gotta tell ya, I'm not sure Bruce is really into the final product here. Not necessarily going through the motions on the publicity tour, but not giving it the hard sell either. After seeing it though, one could hardly blame him.

At first, this was a big WTF when I heard it over the weekend. But this is why Roman Polanski was arrested. i still think it's a big WTF.

The Senate Finance Committee took two votes today on the public option for the healthcare bill and denied it twice. Check out Sen. Jay Rockefeller from West Virginia during these deabtes. He may be the smartest guy in the room.

"A Serious Man" congers up memories of "Barton Fink". "You're a sick fuck, Fink."

Dear God. She's back.

"The Brady Bunch" has turned 40.

The Austin City Limits Music festival takes place this weekend. It's live here.

Exercise Yard

While in Nashville, we witnessed the debacle that was the Browns game against the Ravens. The Browns are just not bad, they are historically bad. One offensive TD in 9 games. That is now more than half a season over two years. I don't think the Browns are at Chris Palmer, expansion-level yet. But it's getting perilously close.

And after only three games, is it really this bad?

Visitor

22 Across: Japanese sleuth Mr. ____ (4 letters) Answer: Moto

How exciting! Ohio finally joins the 20th century as my E-ZPass transponder as arrived in the mail. This will free me, allegedly, from waiting in lines at the Ohio Turnpike toll booths. No more fishing for change. No more waiting for the clueless. No more handing a card to the toll booth worker to swipe like a credit card (did that really save more than 10 seconds?). No more waiting for people to get a receipt.

Imagine the possibilities. Driving straight through to Canada for a Tim Horton's. Getting to IKEA in Pittsburgh 2 minutes quicker. Making trips to Wrigley Field without stopping. Going on turnpikes just to use E-ZPass. Ah, heaven.

Meal of Links

I've noticed Jim Breuer on his pizza commercials lately. Now it looks like he'll star in a sitcom. Based on his real life.

Forget bouncing naked on a trampoline, can Matthew McConaughey stand by himself? Stewie still hates him.

Tom DeLay with a brutal assessment of his own party. Combined with video of him dancing, I'd say he's not running for anything soon.

Exercise Yard

After Manchester United defeated Manchester City this past weekend with 5-and-a-half minutes of extra time added to the second half, this controversy of extra time has exploded. Well, someone checked. Manchester United does, in fact, get the extra time at home. But what it doesn't reveal is how many times did they score with that extra time, which should be the point and easy to compile if you've already taken it this far.

What, you want me to talk about the Game Respecters, who lost again tonight, 11-3?

Visitor

61 Across: House majority leader of the early 1970s (9 letters) Answer: Hale Boggs

Good news on the TV front. I was able to catch up on three comedies that started up in the past week.

First, I think "The Office" might be climbing back. The debut episode actually made me laugh out loud for the first time in a long time while watching that program. When Steve Carrell grabbed the phone at the end of the episode and said "Hello, Cynthia.", I could not stop laughing.

Then it was the two HBO Sunday night programs. The return of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" was choice. Major laughs throughout. Funkhouser's mental patient sister played by Catherine O'Hara was a welcome addition. Everyone's character was played for maximum effect, especially Larry David at his best. Based on the first episode, this could potentially be one of their better seasons.

The other show was a newcomer to HBO, "Bored To Death". This stars Jason Schwartzman, Zach Galifianakis and Ted Danson. Enough of a quirky feel that has me interested in coming back for a few more episodes. Schwartzman has a lot of time on his hands, drinking white wine to get off booze while smoking lots of pot, and decides to become a "professional", yet "unlicensed" private detective. His clients respond to a Craigslist ad he posted. Anxious to see how this develops, could go either way.

Meal of Links

We all want to change the world. Here are some shocking ideas that would do it.

The most expensive movies of the past decade. And a lot of them were not very good.

Ten restaurant secrets. Yes, you are not dreaming. Watering down your beer and serving bottom shelf liquor from top shelf bottles make the list.

Exercise Yard

At least the Plain Dealer writer explains his college football ballot. Good to see some actual thought behind the process.

Visitor

19 Across: "A Beautiful Mind" star (12 letters) Answer: Russell Crowe

Time to catch up on some things:

Yesterday's Browns game. I mean, really. Could that have been any worse? I continued the punishment by listening to the postgame shows on the radio. It didn't help! As the great John McKay, former Tampa Bay coach, once said, "Three or four plane crashes and we're in the playoffs."

But where do you start with this bunch? We have a rookie OC who seems risk averse in his play calling. We have a coach whose only trait different from the previous coach is he chews gum, so we know he has a pulse. We had the CBS #8 announce team and it showed..."Eric Wright is one of the best defensive backs in the NFL". My ass. We seem to have a quarterback who can't throw long, holds the ball too long at times, then other times has the quickest progression to the 3-yard dink I've ever seen.

What else? We can't run the ball. We don't seem to block very well. We don''t seem to tackle very well. And we still can't stop the fuckin' run. 186 yards yesterday. Buckhalter for a long TD. Buckhalter! I have better knees than that guy!

Truly atrocious yesterday. I subscribe to the theory that you cannot underestimate the pride of the professional athlete. But after yesterday's game, I'm convinced we have not much talent compounded by very little depth. The scary thing is that in the years since the Browns return, there have been reasonable starts where the team has hovered around or just below .500 through 6-8 games, then the season goes down the shitter. But after these first two games, I wonder if we are gonna revisit the early seasons of Browns Version 2.1 and be terrible from the get-go.

The schedule this year is not cooperating and it seems we have a whole lot of suck to endure before it gets better.

Meal of Links

20 literal album covers. "I, Jonathan" made it. As did "The Wall".

Hasselhoff has been hitting the vodka lately. So, now he's in the hospital.

Fourteen television shows about television. A great clip of "Half Wits" from SCTV. God, I loved that show. Plus, Tom Waits on "Fernwood 2 Night".

Neil Armstrong is about to be hosed. You know, he's not a scientist. Although he did walk on the moon.

What does the New York Times former food critic do now when the chore of reviewing is done? Looks like eat a lot of chicken.

I'm fed up with the word "Czar". People are bitching about the word and its use of Presidential assistants and they have little knowledge of its use or the actual role a czar plays in an administration. I saw one woman (on film) claim they were awarded land! Yes, Americans is stupid. Anyhow, I hope this ends the discussion.

Exercise Yard

The F1 cheating scandal moves on. This is one of the most heinous acts of cheating ever in sports. A Renault driver intentionally wrecking so his teammate grabs the lead in a race. But the driver who wrecked, Nelson Piquet, Jr. became the whistle blower and the house of cards crumbled.

Visitor

62 Across: Pop music's Hall & _____ (5 letters) Answer: Oates

Gale and I attended the Ohio State-Toledo game at Cleveland Browns Stadium. It was a joke of a game as the Buckeyes rolled to a win. Geez, Toledo had 3 first downs and 8 rushing yards at the half.

Of course, the off-the-field stuff keeps your interest.

I got down there about 8:00 this morning and got a great spot on Saint Clair, across from Mall C. Every other spot where I usually park was taken. East 6th from Euclid to Lakeside was already jammed. Even Vincent was full. Lots of scarlet and gray-clad people already up and about that early.

This was a home game for Toledo. You would not have known that from the crowd. But the P.A. was all Toledo. They used the Browns locker room and bench. The commercials were all ads for the University of Toledo. The third down defense gong was for Toledo, which the guys behind us kept remarking about how it was wrong. Some people just don't get it.

We had the Worst Flyover Ever at that start. The Toledo band had finished the National Anthem a clear 4 minutes before the jets showed up. Scaring the beejeezus out of everyone.




















My seats were on the aisle, one section over from my Browns seats, a few rows closer. The bad: Too many people going out back, blocking your view. Plus, a drunk fell on me. You never get that in the middle of a row.

I was surprised at how young the crowd was. As usual, it was treated as another reason to drink. Not many even cared about the game. That may have something to do with the opponent being Toledo, but attention was turned elsewhere rather quickly in this one.




















The OSU Band, of course, played my favorite song at halftime. I did not participate. But I love Script Ohio and they did two of them. Did you know the song they play, Le Régiment de Sambre et Meuse, is also used for graduations at West Point?

One more thing. A very attractive girl in a short skirt, sat in the row in front of us. At Browns Stadium, there is a portal to the section with two stairwells surrounding the portal where they combine into one set of steps all the way to the top. Basically one entrance to two different sections. We were in Row 2 above the portal, with her third seat in the row in front of us directly in front of the stairwell. We noticed she was becoming very popular. The reason? She was going commando, so every guy walking up the stairs got a view of her Brutus Buckeye. I did not see that in my list of fees of TicketMaster, but to place her in that seat in that section was a gift to many, it seemed.

As I said, the most interesting stuff sometimes occurs off the field.

Meal of Links

How to rip music. Like a pro.

Here are 25 reviews from the Toronto Film Festival. in 25 sentences. Lots of popular stuff here. Although "Bitch Slap" seems...uh...interesting

Eddie Izzard just completed 43 marathons in 52 days for charity. He said he felt "dead".

Joe McGinniss almost won a dinner with Sarah Palin. Now that would have been fun.

"Curb Your Enthusiasm" returns tomorrow. The "Seinfeld" gang in tow.

How elephants talk to each other That reminds me, did you talk like a pirate today?

Delonte West was charged with carrying handguns while driving his motorbike. But carrying his shotgun was legal.

Exercise Yard

Eric Mangini fined a Browns player $1701 for taking a $3 water bottle. But can he stop the run?

Visitor

39 Across: Eddie ____, New York cop involved in the actual "French Connection" (4 letters) Answer: Egan

We were greeted with the news that the Fulton road Bridge won't open until next spring. That wasn't hard to tell, as the deck doesn't even appear to be finished. They claim the sidewalks and fencing need to be constructed with little rain and temps above 50. Which eliminates any late fall work.

Any detours I use are beyond pain-in-the-ass by now. They've become routine, but I wish they would finish the damn thing already.

Meal of Links

So, I was reading WomansDay.com today and ran across...A link to WomansDay.com? Yes. Only for optical illusions.

Ten weird celebrity commercials. Jason Alexander for the McDLT is rightly at the top. Remember that one? Your burger was "Hot", but your lettuce and tomato were "Cold". Throw in wasteful packaging and you have a winner!

A look back at Lance Armstrong's battle with cancer. And with a tidbit on how he had to become an employee of Oakley to get health insurance.

W. talks about lots of things. Wow.

Exercise Yard

How Columbus dealt with the big game on Saturday. With an interesting note on the...uh....er...cleanup following the 2005 Texas game.

Visitor

17 Across: Toon rodent who's a British secret agent (11 letters) Answer: Danger Mouse

Randomness from today's Browns home game:




















Special Guest: Nomar Stalker. This decision was made once we saw the schedule, which provided a look at Adrian Peterson. The Brett Favre fiasco just added to it. Still surprised this remained a Fox at 1:00 game, as the media attention for this one is nuts. Easily could have been a 4 o'clocker. But I loves my Sunday at One games, and we have many this year, because of last year's suckiness.

Today's Opponent: The Diva-led Minnesota Vikings. Yes, Brett Favre comes out of retirement for the 57th time to lead the Purple People Eaters. And why wouldn't he? They have the best runner in the game, Adrian Peterson, probably the best offensive line, and speed at wideout. They also have a really good defense. They made the playoffs last year and are a legitimate Super Bowl contender with Favre (if he lasts the season). Their future in Minneapolis is probably at stake. New stadiums were built for the University of Minnesota and the Twins, they struggled to sell tickets for last year's playoff game, etc. Tough sell for them to get new digs. I'm sure the Browns will be cited there.

But the wrapper comes off of Browns Version 2.4 today. New coach, Eric Mangini may have fans running laps for their mistakes, as new-found discipline allegedly reigns in Berea these days. I have no idea what to expect from this bunch.

There is a new quarterback, Brady Quinn aka Dink II, who will be riding a white stallion, shirtless, into his debut today. If he stinks, well, it'll be time to draft a new QB next season and the roller coaster starts all over again. I think they have some major depth issues. If the Browns suffer injuries at wideout or running back, I think it's gonna be a long year. May be that way anyhow, because the schedule is frontloaded with way too many road games.

If we see some baby steps, such as not committing stupid penalties and playing to the final whistle, I'll be happy. I look for the Browns to lose by at least 2 touchdowns today.

Parking: East 6th northbound in a Truck Zone between Saint Clair and Rockwell. Not too bad for close to 10:30.

Pre-Game Festivities: Had to meet Nomar Stalker early, so I was in the park around 12:15 or so. Kinda normal stuff. Calisthenics, player drills, Shaun Rogers not participating in either, etc. The Browns had Dino Lucarelli, recently retired from the Browns PR department, out there as an honorary captain for the coin toss. The Browns won that and eschewed deferring.

The Browns Spirit Flag was unveiled and referred to as the largest Browns flag in the world. The National Anthem was played and the biggest of the Big Ass Flags was unfurled. And since it was the Opener, we got the flyover. This time it was two military transport planes with the honors.




















Worst Feature (For Me): "Hang on Sloopy" at the end of the third quarter. Fans in an angry mood, little participation.

The Weather: It's official. Marky Nolan AND Hollie Strano are going to do this together this year, regardless of each other's alcohol intake. Channel 3 Dual Doppler radar showed us nothing. A perfect day for football. Sunny and about 76. As usual, this time of year, we have the sun beating down on us until the scoreboard becomes our friend after halftime.

Today's Giveaway: One of the biggest jokes of a giveaway ever. The fine folks at TicketMaster made sure everyone who entered received a schedule...sticker? WTF? No schedule magnet, are you kidding me? I know times are tough, but what a load of crap from a company that charges me fees on fees to attend things. Unbelievable.

Section 345: Opening week means massive tailgating by the parties involved, but things started OK before the game. We have some new season ticket holders next to us who actually spoke to us and everyone around us seemed to be happy. And things kind of moved pleasantly at the start, until...

Part of the STH Handbook that goes to all season ticket holders is a list of Dos and Donts. It's obvious the Browns are getting a lot of complaints about "Unnecessary Standing". And, admittedly, this is becoming a bigger issue. Especially for a team that sucks, meaning we really don't have a lot to get excited about, so tell me, pinhead, why are you standing on 2nd-and-13? Well, a lady who has sat at the end of our row for a few years, did what you're instructed to do. She had security called for guys standing in front of her. Within the first 5 minutes. Of the first game. Of a brand new season. Uh-oh. Not exactly the way to win new friends. So, the start of a brand new season devolves into a litany of constitutional arguments right off the bat. You know, freedoms violated, I pay my money, this is America, etc. I half expected President Obama to be blamed. Of course, the rest of the game involved snide juvenile retorts about standing up.

But that was not the end of it. There are guys in our row who have this habit of yelling about people leaving early. They have been doing this for years. I have yet to figure this one out, because I can't reiterate enough how bad the Browns have sucked at home. They yell things like "This is Cleveland, we don't leave early." and "Let us know how the game sounds on the radio." Most times, people ignore it. Other times people tell them to fuck off or just smile slyly as they really are the smarter of the bunch. Then, every once in a while, you come across Guy Looking To Do Physical Harm.

See, when you yell something which you think is directed at the weakest of the bunch and there is a long line of people within earshot, a person who you did not intend to be a target assigns themselves the bullseye. And, of course, when you are yelling, you really can't back down, while hoping all of your friends have your back. My friends that is what happened today. The target decided to come after the yeller to have a discussion. But, for some reason, he was interceded by someone below. Hence, the instigator was off the hook, while all hell breaks loose in the aisle. This was beyond a minor skirmish. This was beers flying, punches thrown AND connected, security having a tough time intervening between the combatants, which now numbered about 8. Oh, the Browns have no chance of winning, so why not fight amongst ourselves?

Best Browns Play: Josh Cribbs 67-yard punt return. I am running out of superlatives for the guy. This was a game where the Browns were dead, and in a flash, they suddenly found themselves in the lead. He only had the punter to be beat with about 40 yards to go and made it look easy.

Best Vikings Play: Has to be the 64-yard TD run by Adrian Peterson. No question the Browns defense contributed to the play with some of the worst tackling we've seen since, oh, I don't know, the last home game? Horrible effort by the defense combined with Peterson never letting up results in a highlight film touchdown. Then more people left.

Worst Browns Play: In the second quarter, new offensive coordinator, Brian Daboll, decided that running Cribbs in the Wildcat inside the 5-yard line is suddenly a good idea. We gave him a pass on 2nd down when he did it. Unfortunately, he decided to run it again on 3rd down. And ran the exact same quarterback draw. The end result was 3 points. Ugh.

Second Worst Browns Play: Brady Quinn dropping a ball after a scramble was highly entertaining. Had that Keystone Kop feel to it.

Best Exchange:

PA Announcer: "Dino Lucarelli has been with the Browns in many capacities since 1975. Public relations, community relations, player relations and alumni relations."
Me: "Sounds like Dino's had lots of relations over the years."
Guy Next To Me: "Hahahahahahahahahahaha."

Best Line from a Random: "This team is not fun to watch." Yep, that about sums up the last decade of Browns football.

Oddest Browns Jersey: 2 Couch, 24 Fuller, 34 Droughns, 44 Suggs, 55 McGinest, 58 Taylor. Yes, folks, someone thought highly enough of Ben Taylor to buy his jersey.

Food Items: Had my pre-game Corona Lights at Alesci's. Hot dog and a soda. Each were $4.25 for a total of $8.50.

Best Fan Cam Feature: For some reason, one of the Browns mascots was rolling around on the ground. I happened to see this in front of me and wondered did the guy fall down, is he having a seizure? I look at the board and no, he's rolling around with a bone.

Worst Scoreboard Feature: I think this is another Mangini request. Scores from other games are not given or given sparingly. Now, I stayed until Tavaris Jackson entered the game for the Vikings and I did not see any scores posted from other games. Fantasy stats are posted. Actual game scores are not.

The Fuckin' Run: Seriously, will this ever end? The Vikings rolled up 225 on the ground, with Peterson getting 180. Imagine if they actually used him in the first half, when he only had 9 rushes.

Worst Stat: Browns had 5.1 yards per pass attempt. Once again, fanning the flames of Brady Quinn's ability to throw long.

2nd Worst Stat: Attendance was listed at 70,560. So, was it a sellout? Were there no-shows for Game One, on a beautiful day? Are we nearing blackout potential? What's up?

Most Interesting Stat: Brett Favre attempted only 4 passes longer than 6 yards. And it looked to be a chore each time he attempted one.

Penalties: The Browns had 8 penalties. Only 66 yards, but too many false starts. The oddest penalty was the Braylon Edwards TD catch that was overrruled on replay. If there is a loophole in a rule or an odd penalty, the Browns will find it. Edwards was clearly interfered with on the play. He was forced out of bounds, failed to re-establish his feet inbounds, made the catch for an apparent touchdown. But his catch, an illegal touch, nullified that. How can the defense be rewarded for pushing him out of bounds? I don't know, but that rule needs to be changed.

This will be viewed as a game of two halves for the Browns. But, let's be clear, the offense stunk in the first half and the Browns defense benefited by some terrible playcalling by the Vikings coach, Brad Childress aka Mr. Noodle. The offense had a short field after the Vikings botched an onside kick to start the game. The result was three points after a godawful shovel pass call on third down. If it wasn't for Cribbs punt return, they would not have had the lead at halftime. Meanwhile, the Vikings seemed to believe that Brett Favre was their best player in the first half. They had success running off tackle, but kept sending Peterson up the middle. And they completely ignored the rookie, Percy Harvin.




















I'm sure Mr. Noodle apologized to each member of his team at halftime and decided that Adrian Peterson is a stud and he better damn well not go down in flames in Game One and not use him. So, it was mainly Peterson right and left the rest of the afternoon. Percy Harvin may be the fastest player I have ever seen on a football field and he could be a huge playmaker for the Vikings this season. He contributed a couple of reverses and a touchdown catch in the third quarter.

Meanwhile, Dink II was at the helm for the Browns and this is the type of game I think we are going to have to get used to from him. Very shaky on the long throws. Mainly his interception and the called-back Edwards TD. Bad passes both. The short passing game will move the chains, but it's dull to watch. It's just that if Quinn attempts very few long passes during a game, his margin for success has to be high. Otherwise, these defenses will catch on and defend the short one.

It seemed today that Minnesota adjusted at halftime and the Browns didn't. The third quarter, I think, exposed the true Browns defense. Minimal linebacker speed and depth remain major issues.

The Browns lose, 34-20, in Game One. Their record in season openers, all at home since their return, is now a stellar 1-10.

Meal of Links

Ten types of people you won't see on Twitter. I kind of liked The Imposter.

Trying to predict the next bubble. An interesting read.

Oh, God. Signs from the 9-12 March. "For The Truth, Watch Fox News", "We Came Unarmed (This Time)", "Glenn Beck 2012", "Kurt Schilling for US Senate", "I Am Grandma, Don't Touch That Plug". Really? And the spellings of "Kurt", "menapause" and "prostitation" are choice.

Exercise Yard

Bad goal celebrations in soccer. And, yes, once again, Robbie Fowler sniffing the endline remains Number One.

The Best Ric Flair Flops (With Appropriate Music)



Federer With A Gem



Visitor

None, on a sunny day to kick off the NFL season.

Yes, I am still here.

And I'm still mad at that Joe Wilson. You know, the "You Lie" Guy. I fired off an e-mail to him, because of my anger. When it comes to healthcare, all I know is, my rates keep going up. It's interesting, I've been on all ends of this debate throughout my various employs: Uninsured by choice, COBRA'ed, fully paid benefits, a cafeteria plan, shared with employer.

As I've said, with Anthem, our rates increased 25% last year and we were due for another 17-19% increase that keeps eating away at your salary. So, something needs to be done. The "death panels" and immigrants are canards in this game, while pre-existing conditions and preventative care are the real issues. I happen to like my coverage I get at the Cleveland Clinic, but we can't sit idly by and keep having these increases, seemingly on a whim.

Meal of Links

20 Cool Canadians. Yeah, I'm into McAdams and I know it's limited to entertainers, but where is "Iron" Mike Sharpe, the greatest Canadian athlete?

Best Cover Songs. Almost 1900 of them. Can't believe Phish's version of "5:15" didn't make it.

Ship blazes an Arctic Trail. It used to be covered in ice. Seems the last time someone saw this place ice-free was only 5-to-7,000 years ago.

At US Open Tennis, the seeded players get to pick their music. Just like wrestling. Here are some choices.

Brushes with Greatness. I was on an airplane once with New Jersey Net players. They were tall.

Larry Gelbart died yesterday. I remember the Dead Pool community was abuzz with a report of his premature death a while back. His reply: "Does that mean I can stop exercising?" When other noted humorists proclaim him to be the best, you know he was funny.

Exercise Yard

Jeff Hardy gets busted for drugs. Seems like he lots of vicodin, steroids, etc.

Visitor

43 Down: Pitcher Jesse, who had the most career appearances (6 letters) Answer: Orosco More Brush with Greatness: I once saw Orosco in a mall in Milwaukee. Strangely enough, he was with the Indians at the time. Never saw him in town though.

My Dad and I went to the Indians game this afternoon. Thank you, StubHub! There is no way I'm paying full fare for these guys. Highlights: Bloodys before the game. Good weather. Cold beer. Lowlights: About everything else.

Didn't we hear that Fausto Carmona had turned the corner? He was terrible today. Didn't even get out of the first inning after giving up 5 runs. With a chance do that, he gave up 2 hits to the number 8 and 9 hitters. That was it for him. And it seemed the Indians gave up at that point.

They actually got 7.1 innings of shutout relief from Jensen Lewis and The Notebook. But they were no match for Rabbi Feldman from Texas. The Tribe couldn't touch that dude. Then Rafael Perez came in and he crapped the bed as five more runs bookended the game for the Rangers.

Texas wins, 10-0, in what may have been the worst game of the year.

Meal of Links

Charlie Sheen is a truther. Who knew?

The Great Chef Playbook. Some of these are great tips. And, remember, never put tomatoes in the refrigerator.

When there is a joint session of Congress and the President speaks, you can't heckle and must show decorum. This isn't the UK, for cryin' out loud. Therefore, this man is a tool.

Here's what Sarah Palin did to combat a high uninsured rate and high coverage rates in Alaska. Virtually nothing.

Exercise Yard

BTW, those negotiations between the NBA and its refs? They are not going well. And when you say well, maybe they should get new refs, think about these potential scabs. There are reasons they are not NBA referees.

Visitor

57 Down: Jack of "Dragnet" (4 letters) Answer: Webb

Today is mayoral primary day in Cleveland. So, the Plain Dealer devotes several column inches in today's paper on Flo from Progressive. I hate Flo. It's Flo and the combination of her customers that sets me off each time I see them. The latest guy with the remote. The "empowered" guy with his price gun. The guy agreeing, but yelling. Aaaaargh.

Anyhow, I voted for the mayoral race. I walk up there and it was the only race where I had to cast a ballot. I even turned it over to make sure I wasn't missing anything. I got up there around 6:30 and I was Number 68. That's not a very big turnout.

Meal of Links

A fascinating article on a phone phreak. This kid may have been the best ever.

Looks like Monopoly will take over the online world starting tomorrow. They promise "epic fun".

Tomorrow is 09/09/09. Why it is special. That reminds me, did I really see that remake of "The Omen" on 06/06/06? I guess I did. Why, it seems it was just yesterday when that film broke.

"Big Brother" finally gets decent ratings. After 9 years. And 11 seasons.

A local guy's revenge.

Kentucky whipped up on my alma mater last weekend in college football. But I have the last laugh. Because only 51% of the residents of that state are sure President Obama was born in the USA. To be fair, another 29% are not sure.

Novak Djokovic does John McEnroe probably even better than the real thing. Johnny Mac gets in one last passing shot (in long pants!) on center court.



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Why the Browns suck. "They basically hired the understudies of the two men who led the team to three last place finishes, two top-five draft picks and zero playoff appearances in four years."

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41 Down: Ralph Kramden's pal (8 letters) Answer: Ed Norton

If it's Labor Day weekend, it must be the Taste of Cleveland. And that means Mr. and Mix are up from Nashville for the Saturday entertainment. This year, that meant Lita Ford.

I'm not sure it was one of the worst concerts I've seen, but lack of familiarity with any of her tunes certainly doesn't help. She's most famous for "Kiss Me Deadly", a song that the Go-Go's could have easily performed. So much for her metal status.

She has a new record coming out, her first in 15 years. So, she has to promote that, adding to the question marks in my thought bubbles. On the good side, she still looks great at 50. I decided if she could have some hidden static electricity device or fan to make her blond hair go out sideways all the time, it would be perfect for her. Unfortunately, her husband is also in a metal band and she needs to ditch his part of the act. He helps out on probably half of the tunes. Needlessly showcased, I say.

The one song I really liked was a Motorhead cover and they did a great job with it. Otherwise, it was 70 minutes I will not get back.

Of course, there is only one man who can save us from this sort of entertainment at a food festival. His name...Eddie Money.

But music isn't necessarily the highlight, as there was some really good food I had last night.

Asian Grille-Chicken on a Stick. Wonderful.

Souper Market-Jambalaya. Awesome, as usual. Think Newman leaving the Soup Nazi.

Just Like Mom's-Chicken Wings. I really need to visit here.

Cornerstone Brewing-I had an egg roll here that was OK, but the accompanying hot sauce made this dish.

Frangapane Bakery-Mint Chocolate Cupcake. Out of control good.

I also had Beer. Beer. Mmmmmm.

Capped it off today, by visiting the St. Elias Festival. Had some gyros. I'm happy.

Meal of Links

Here is a guy who thinks President Obama is toast. And he takes his time doing it.

Van Jones was in town recently for Mayor Jackson's Sustainability Conference. Now he is out of the Obama administration. How it happened.

Socially responsible shopping. Geez, that seems like a lot of work, but there you go.

Exercise Yard

Citi Field. Home of the Mets. Brand new. Opened this year. Already falling apart.

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None, on a day that is probably going to see our streak of good weather end. Plus, my car is washed, clinching that.

It was like Afghanistan around here today That could only mean it's Labor Day Weekend, because the jets were buzzing around today. Each year, it seems as if they are drifting further and further away from Downtown.

But I was a good boy today, as I opted to do yard work today. That way, I can enjoy all three days of the holiday without being bogged down with stuff to do.

BTW, when I pulled into my driveway after work yesterday, there was a box in my neighbor's driveway in front of the garage. Emblazoned on the side were these words, "Mega Ton Fireworks".

Should I be worried?

Meal of Links

The 7 Deadly Sins are mapped, American style. Locally, we are greedy and envious.

Here are two people I hadn't thought of in a while. Omarosa and Joe Millionaire.

Your Labor Day TV marathons. Beautiful weather forecast this weekend. Watch the evening ones.

You would think it would be great to hear the President speak to your students. I guess not. This canard about logistics and interrupting class time, especially on the first day of school, is absurd. Lemme tell ya, I went to school and time wasting cannot be much different now. Hell, I think I watched "Hemo the Magnificent" for about 5 years in a row and we never got tested on it.

Here is the cast of "thirtysomething". Did all the women get new faces? I also see Timothy Busfield going for the "Hi, I'm your neighbor" look.























Al Franken...the Voice of Reason on Healthcare



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Jason Whitlock goes on the attack. Again. This time it's his sports media brethren. Uh-oh.

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10 Across: Steinbeck hero Tom (4 letters) Answer: Joad

I'm driving to work this a.m. and lo and and behold, there is the Google Maps car driving down Ridge Road. Easy to recognize, but geez, the car was kind of a clunker.

Anyhow, they have this big ass camera attached to the top of the car, maybe 6-7 feet above. Not sure, if it is one camera, but maybe a series of cameras to give you the full 360-degree angle, I didn't have time to follow it, or chase it down and do a U-turn, so I could keep get filmed, but it was kinda cool to see it.

Now that I think of it, it could have been a rival organization. Nevertheless, SOMEBODY was filming on Ridge Road.

Meal of Links

Jerry Koosman goes to jail. For not paying his taxes for three years. What kills me about the anti-tax people is they are able to convince these schmucks that they shouldn't pay taxes after they have been ponying up to the tax man for years. Come on. Falling for the "only federal employees, DC residents and corporate workers pay taxes" line is unbelievable.

The anatomy of a Chicago mugging. The guy got debacled.

David Simon approves of "Family Guy". So, if he likes it, well then, everyone should watch it.

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The Redskins have been suing their own fans for backing out of their ticket commitments. The thing that irks me about this is the Redskins, for years, have touted their waiting list for tickets which allegedly numbers in the tens of thousands.

Couldn't any of those people pick up the slack? What an outrage!

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28 Across: Oscar Madison, e.g. (4 letters) Answer: Slob

I guess the City Club hosted a yawner of a debate today. It was the Cleveland mayoral candidates getting together for a little confab. On one hand, you have Mayor Frank Jackson probably taking an extra seat for his war chest. Then you have three complete unknowns and former Councilman Bill Patmon also running.

For all the talk of "Voting the bums out", this is all they could come with this time around? Given the current climate around here, that is absurd. The primary is next Tuesday and the top two go on to the general in November. With this cast of characters, Jackson gets, what, 70% in the general?

Meal of Links

Portland has gone to the dogs. And some residents are not that happy.

Looks they got revenge on Roxanne. It appears her story is completely fake.

Dave Grohl stays busy. His new band, Them Crooked Vultures, hits the road. Columbus yes, Cleveland? Why that would be a no.

"The Wizard of Oz" on the big screen, in high def. Columbus yes, Cleveland yes.

Pitchfork (you can tell it's the end of the decade) has the best videos of the 2000's. This is an excellent list. The Dead Weather makes it! "Star Guitar" at Number 28 is a fave. "House of Cards" is a cool example of the art form. Of course, Kylie Minogue and her ass (hey, pick up that paper!) make it at Number 14. "Dick In A Box" is there. Can you really argue with the Top 10? You get OK Go, Fatboy Slim (Walken dancing!), Pulp, Feist, Weezer, R. Kelly and The White Stripes checking in at first with "Fell in Love With a Girl".

Thinking about this fall's TV premieres? Here is a handy dandy schedule.

The high price and dubious success of cancer drugs. No doubt a cash cow, but would you spend $3,500 a month on a drug for pancreatic that extends your life expectancy by a mere 12 days. Wow.

Here is how some of your favorite websites looked when they first launched. Some of those screenshots look barren.

Texas will execute just about anyone. But did they send an innocent man to his death? It's a lengthy read.

OK, Springsteen at the Super Bowl, I get. But a documentary of Springsteen at the Super Bowl? Oh well, the NFL Network airs it next week.

Exercise Yard

The "Eduardo Dive" from last week is getting big play in the UK. Especially, since he got a two-match ban for doing it. He was booed mercilessly at Man U last week.

BTW, it was a gem of a dive ("I think the referee's been conned there"):



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2 Down: "Star Trek" navigator (4 letters) Answer: Sulu