I thought this was kind of interesting. 20 recession-proof cities. Philly and DC make the list.

Otherwise, it's a lot of Iowa and smaller burgs.

Meal of Links

George Clooney's 10 best movies. The "Good German" is on this list? Thankfully, "Leathernecks" didn't make it. "The American" starts Wednesday.

10 must-see movies this fall/winter. "Jackass 3D" makes it, plus releases from big-time Directors..

How to raise a superstar. Most come from small towns, with only 13% of pros hailing from towns with populations over 500,000.

Here are the Emmy winners. The Roll Call of the Dead, for some reason, did not include David Mills. He was well-loved.

Crappy sequels. There are some of these I don't recall at all. "My Summer Story" is a sequel to "A Christmas Story" I may have heard of, but have completely forgotten.

Exercise Yard

Behind the scenes with, of all people, Eric Mangini. He's only human, of flesh and blood, he's made.

I had this e-mailed to me, find someone who's an ESPN Insider.

Visitor

19 Across: "Manhattan" director Woody (5 letters) Answer: Allen

Cosell in "Bananas"



"Here comes Mellish..."

Time Warner may have solved its fee struggle with Disney. We've been getting that creepy ad played more often that Time Warner customers may have to do without all of the ESPN and Disney channels, if there were no agreement.

One would hope ESPN3 is included in these negotiations, which Time Warner still does not provide access.

Meal of Links

The billionaires behind the Tea Parties. Maybe it should read "puppeteers".

This is interesting. Were we born on the wrong continent? A look at life in Germany vs. the US.

How President Obama got rolled by Wall Street. From Newsweek.

This is kind of amazing. Five years out and still no major Katrina movie.

The secret of Silicon Valley engineers. It's all about age.

Luna Vachon is dead. I swear the streets are full of dead wrestlers.

Doc directors who move into feature films. The list continues to grow. Speaking of docs, the Maysles Brothers great "Salesman" is now on Hulu. One of the first docs I remember seeing. Of course, it hooked me.

Exercise Yard

I absolutely loved this Dimitar Berbatov goal for Man U. yesterday:



Visitor

None, on a sunny Sunday.

Early this morning, while watching some soccer and addressing the crossword before Beck-A-Palooza, two noteworthy things occurred. The first is, I got a call on my cellphone which actually had the ringer on, so I answered.

The second was that Cousin Kevin was on the other end of the line and he had some news. He actually got engaged to Lisa. He said she finally put him into submission. I asked if it was the Figure 4 Leg Lock that finally got him, he admitted it was the Sharpshooter.

So, congrats to the happy couple. Looks like some 2011 nuptials for them.

Meal of Links

Katrina anniversary coverage. From the locals.

Major Garrett talks about moving on from Fox News. He and Shepherd Smith were about the only islands of sanity on that network.

A look at some guests on a new episode of "The Simpsons". Includes Flight of the Conchords.

Hungover owls! There are some gems here.

As I mentioned, I watched some of Beck-A-Palooza. You should always watch the other side, so you know what they are up to, and C-Span obliged. Anyhow here are some musings on the strange appeal of Glenn Beck. I think the guy is bonkers.

Parts of Mexico are pretty violent these days.

"Twin Peaks" revisited. Again. And I lap it up. Again. I love the clip they included. Lynch lingers on the pain of Laura Palmer's mother, where other directors, especially on TV at that time, would have cut away much sooner.

Sufjan Stevens has a new record. I will buy it, of course.

Chicks dig the geeky gadget guy. I think there is a TV show about that.

Public photo shoot turns into personal video shoot. Then the word "goober" is used.

Exercise Yard

Was over at Paul's for the Browns third exhibition game aka the GLC, or as Jake Delhomme called it, the dress rehearsal. Delhomme looked pretty good, however, this appears to be the same offense the Browns ran last year. Although, we now have someone at the helm who goes through the progression quickly.

As evidence, I point to the fact the Browns have not really thrown the ball deep in this preseason. Keyword may be "preseason" and they are not showing anything, but what are they doing? Mainly the Dink and Dunk of years gone by. The only medium-range throw, and it has been effective, is the tight end running the seam downfield. We've seen Evan Moore and Royal Roberts make that catch. Otherwise, it's a ton of the short stuff mixed in with dumpoffs. The only other pattern is the sideline up route that cuts off as the ball is thrown to the outside. We see no wideouts running deep over the middle. The only time the Browns do attack through the air are some redzone patterns.

That type of offense can be effective. But you have to keep the chains moving or it becomes a snoozefest. And as Gary said, if the Browns fall behind by 10-14 points, there are not a lot of signs currently that point to any big comeback ability. That, combined with an obvious lack of speed on defense, allows hope for only some slight improvement by the team this year.

Visitor

19 Across: Mystery author whose work has been translated into more than 100 languages (8 letters) Answer: Christie

I am gettin' my late summer on with an off day today.

Why is my neighbor whistling, all of a sudden?

I see a local resident was commended for stopping a guy who burglarized 8 houses around here. Not too far from me. But no neighbor noticed the dude in a yardful of large TVs? WTF?

The city is opening the Muni Lot at 7 a.m. on Browns gamedays and people are upset? Yikes! And I don't wanna hear people bitchin' about elaborate food displays. This is all about the booze. If you can't get your drink on in the requisite 6-hour window, you need help, man. I'd be more upset at the raising of the price to park to $20.

This blog puts WKNR in perspective. Could be a decent station, only if they tried. Laziest talk ever.

Another local blog discusses dumping the Dawg Pound. I am all for it. Old and tired. Especially on a game day.

Meal of Links

ESPN has its own Beadle-Mania. She'll be on a lot more, I think.

This guy wants you to run out and see "Scott Pilgrim". Like now.

Someone was messing with Uncle Leo. "I'm an old man. I'm confused! I thought I paid for it. What's my name? Will you take me home?".

Preston Sturges films are always a breath of fresh air. I try to watch "Sullivan's Travels" if I see it is on.

Exercise Yard

Jay Mariotti finally got suspended by AOL. He probably won't return to ESPN either. The first I heard from him was when the Cavs were battling the Bulls during the Coach Lenny era. His guest columns for the PD from Chicago were thankfully before the dawn of sportstalk radio, because they were the typical fodder for fans who get easily offended.

Visitor

11 Down: 1969 road movie (9 letters) Answer: Easy Rider

Did you ever take a look at something that obviously needed to be fixed, like a water main, and it seems no one's really in a hurry to fix it? Late last week, there seemed to be a water main that burst or a major leak on Ridge Road by Biddulph. Tons of water.

Later that day, there were at least two other places up the road a piece where the water department was addressing situations. I swear one part looked like Old Faithful. Now that was a gusher. I think they needed those fixed, before they could move on.

It's funny, they had the wood prepared to build their walls around the problem for two days and finally had it constructed today. I wonder if they have to wait for experts, or if they are really that busy. Meanwhile, we still have water escaping in parts.

Meal of Links

Inside the secret world of Trader Joe's. I am not sure we learned any deep, dark secrets, but it is interesting.

Do you remember quicksand? All I remember is that it always popped up when you least expected it. And it seemed like a horrendous way to go. Although someone could rescue you, typically with that large, unattended branch that happened to be nearby.

Karl Pilkington travels the world. And then whines about it. Maybe there will be "Monkey News"?

Jim Jarmusch is planning a documentary on the Stooges. Iggy, not Curly.

TicketMaster knows you hate service fees. They are now attempting to change their policy and let you know upfront what you'll be charged. But they will keep charging for the fees.

20 things to know about travel. I have to believe if we had the same off-time as Europe, we would all travel a lot more.

We will get bombarded this week with remembrances of Katrina and rightly so. Here is a record to download to help some organizations in New Orleans.

Damn, it's a traffic jam. One that goes for 60 miles in China.

It's amazing how things can evolve so quickly these days:

"Bed Intruder Song"/North Carolina A&T Marching Band



Frank Costanza goes home. Reminisces about paella. Watch the video, it's rather sweet.

Remembering Hank Thompson. Get that "Six-Pack To Go".

America isn't buying houses. Key quote: "The number is so low that it looks like a statistical aberration: let’s hope it is. Because if it isn’t, the news is gruesome. It means that despite record-low mortgage rates, people aren’t able to buy houses: essentially all the benefit from those low rates is going to people who already own their homes and are taking the opportunity to refinance."

Exercise Yard

Tim Couch has a new job. He'll be an analyst on a weekly SEC show.

Visitor

15 Across: Linguist Chomsky (4 letters) Answer: Noam

Here we go with a Sunday Laughfest. Quotes (culled from Cleveland.com) about new Browns fan favorite, Peyton Hillis.





















"Hillis looks to be a real beast at times..."

"I think the Browns have an Alstott type player now."

"I can see us running for 160+/game and passing for 200+." <--(Crack Pipe User)

"Hillis looks like a beast."

"I look forward to watching Vickers and Hillis run some people over..."

"We ran the ball well with Hillis even though we were missing the entire right side of the line and our starting WR." (Against the Rams, I might add.)

"Hillis looked great, as I have said from the beginning." (Same guy probably touted Brady Quinn.)

"I will take the opponent punishing running of Hillis over the fan punishing throwing of Quinn any time!!!" (Hahahahahahahahaha)

"Hillis will deliver in the first few games of the season more than Quinn did in his several years with the Browns." (That won't take much.)

"Peyton Hillis is the second coming of Larry Csonka and John Riggins combined! This is the change of pace running attack that is sorely needed by the Browns and is such a requirement in the AFC North freeze zone late in the season. What a stud!" (Not my satire, but I affirm. If it's honest, this man needs help.)

"The Browns stole Hillis from Denver."

Look, I hope the guy does well, but is he even a Leroy Hoard-type at this juncture? If Hardesty doesn't go down, we never see this guy.

And I'm no Negative Ned. But I am a realist, because I am actually sober enough during these games to make honest evaluations.

Meal of Links

If you're looking for a good radio news show, "Here and Now" from Boston, debuts on WKSU on 8/30. Been hooked on this show via the magic radio since the start of the year. Good stuff.

Financial advice from Mark Cuban. He says save your money.

The back-and-forth between your conscious and unconscious mind. Good tips on evading those nasty recurring nightmares.

Cue The Doors. This is The End.

Nick Cave remains busy.

Look at this giant Post-It Note. it contains all of Chewbacca's dialogue.

Exercise Yard

One of the funnier sidebars to the baseball season has been the adventures of the Oakland A's Ball Boy. Using his job for personal gain. MLB Network says he has become a Ball Man.

Visitor

None, on a cooler Sunday.

Movie time.

Last night, it was "The Natural" at the Palace. Part of the annual Cinema at the Square series from Playhouse Square. Of course, it was good to see it on the big screen. I was perplexed by some of the crowd reaction, but I sensed there was a portion of the crowd that hadn't seen it before. And, yes, it is preposterous that a guy can sit out 16 years and then be the toast of baseball. But, then again, he's Roy Hobbs. There was actually applause after Hobbs did this.

Roy Hobbs First At-Bat



I also thought it went faster. When you watch it on commercial TV, well, you're doomed to at least a three-hour window. Last night, though, it was like they left out a reel, it was moving along so nicely. "The Natural" is an old favorite of mine. Great cast, the Oscar nominations of Randy Newman's score and Caleb Deschanel's cinematography, a real throwback to a much simpler time. When men wore hats and ties and women dressed up to go to the ballpark.

Today, it was over to the Cinemark to see the Mark Wahlberg-Will Ferrell comedy, "The Other Guys". Ferrell didn't have to carry this comedy by himself and with the help of Wahlberg, they cranked out quite a few laughs. Ferrell was obviously Ferrell, but the lines were distributed throughout the cast, which was surprisingly good. Steve Coogan, Eva Mendes and Micheal Keaton, who actually showed some of the old Keaton comedic chops here, were along for the ride. Keaton, especially, tossed off philosophy culled from TLC songs. Samuel L. and the Rock were unbelievably funny as a Supercop duo, as well.

My favorite Ferrell line was: "Gator needs his gat, bitch." Without context that means nothing, but I thought it was the funniest line of the film.

Kind of a shock, but the closing credits give us a lesson on the financial crisis. Very cool design. Odd place for a very effective statement, but we get to hear Rage Against The Machine sing "Maggie's Farm" and another song from the film, "Pimps Don't Cry".

Meal of Links

Fuel that car. With whisky?

Celebrity Spotting Saturday. I saw Marc from Marc's at the Ridge Park Square Marc's.

Creepy fish. Great, I just know that stone crab is going to show up in a dream of mine.

5 cinematographers on the rise. Some good stuff there.

Not exactly "Behind the Music". But sort of, with Tears for Fears.

Exercise Yard

Did we learn anything from the Browns-Rams game tonight? Maybe some things. At first, the Browns, trying to be a bad weather team, couldn't hang onto the ball in the bad weather. I thought the Browns should have been embarrassed, trailing 13-10 at the half. They didn't have a first down until the end of the first quarter.

A solid NFL team would have had a 21-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. The fact is the Browns have faced starters who have thrown only two incompletions, thus far. Uh oh. They couldn't stop Steven Jackson in his only series. If it were not for the ineptitude of the Rams play-calling, this would have been a rout. As Bernie Kosar noted, it had to be frustrating for Sam Bradford, who really was not given any chance to shine.

Jake Delhomme, once again, was solid. Not throwing the killer interception. Benjamin Watson had a lovely one-handed catch on an awful throw by Delhomme that went to replay, but was obviously a TD.

We will be hearing a lot about Peyton Hillis this week. The Browns seem to want to establish Hillis as the "tough yards guy". But I gotta pump the brakes on that one a bit. Hillis had an early run that kind of woke the crowd up. He bulldozed several guys and refused to go down on a 9-yarder. Instant fan favorite. Actually had several touches during the Browns first scoring drive. Same for the Browns second scoring drive.

But I gotta tell ya, there were two plays regarding Hillis that stood out for me. The Browns were on the Rams 24 in the first half and Hillis had blocking that was TD-worthy. I mean, they cleared out everyone. Hillis got tackled in the open field for about a 2-yard gain. A quicker back is doing an endzone dance. Later on, he failed miserably on a 4th down call. When they needed three, he got about half that. Listen to the call-in shows this week. His name will be prominently mentioned. I need to see a lot more before sainthood is in the offing.

Colt McCoy and Brett Ratliff need work. Chansi Stuckey was as slow as dirt on his first big catch, as he ran 28 and was timed with a sundial. Hate to keep harping on speed, but we have none on either side of the ball. Get used to it. This team is not throwing the deep ball. Again. Other than that, it was quite the yawner.

Browns lose, 19-17.

Visitor

3 Down: 2010 FIFA World Cup finalist (4 letters) Answer: Neth

If you haven't been watching "Louie" on FX, you need to. I don't think there has been a bad episode yet. And the good thing is, it's a comedy that actually has laughs in it. I think Louis C.K. has delivered a winner this time around. One of the best new shows in a while.

Pot Smoking on "Louie"



Plus, he uses the chorus from the old Stories tune, "Brother Louie", as his theme, except he uses "Louie, you're gonna die."

"Brother Louie"/Stories



Meal of Links

The comments following this article nail it. I am here to tell ya. Do not fuck around at the grocery. It's so poorly written, I can't tell if it's satire or stupidity.

The Mayor of New Orleans, Mitch Landrieu, addressed the National Press Club this afternoon. Even if you disagree with him politically, this is the type of advocate you need for your city. Do we have any of those around here?

Hey, the oil spill is gone! Oops. How are we gonna hide a 22-mile long plume?

Sex Toy? Or Dog Toy?

NME gives us the 50 best new bands of 2010. 50? Really?

The Elaine Benes Look is back. Well, stopping short never left us.

"I Stopped Short..."



Teams with the best QB depth. The Browns are not mentioned.

Exercise Yard

"Caddyshack". "Inception"-style.

Visitor

11 Down: Punxsutawney predictor (4 letters) Answer: Phil

I think I've finally reached the end of my rope with that schoolgirl in the Ellen Page ad for Cisco.

Annoying Character: "WE'RE GOING ON A FIELD TRIP TO CHINA!!!!"

TV Viewer: "AND I'M GOING ON A TRIP TO BUY A GUN!!!!"

Aaaaaaargh!

Regardless, I finally did it. I upgraded my 1G phone to the Blackberry Torch. As before, I got it through Amazon, which was $50 cheaper than my own AT&T upgrade price. I had to get one with a keyboard. Even with the touch screen on the Torch, I am typically sliding it open, so I can handle messages.

I like it so far. It has a decent enough heft. Good features. Frankly, I don't need that much in a phone. Let the power users bitch about it. And the messaging and security is outstanding, as one would expect from RIM. I know a lot of people hate AT&T Mobility, but I've never had an issue with coverage, support or really anything.

So, it was an easy transition.

Meal of Links

A hetero male watches "Eat Pray Love". It's just about what I thought it would be.

It is the 50th anniversary of "The Andy Griffith Show". TV Land celebrates daily with "50 Days of Andy".

Catching up with craft breweries. Magic Hat got sold! As did Anchor Brewing from San Francisco. I loves me my Magic Hat.

In case you missed it, those floods in Pakistan are really, really bad. You know it's bad when even the UN is begging for assistance.

Dexter Promo (Starts in Less Than 40 Days)



I have been a fan of "Austin City Limits" for a long time. Check out this year's current lineup. Spoon, Alejandro Escovedo and Trombone Shorty, and Rosanne Cash look like the early standouts.

Headline says it all.

Is there anything new that stands out with this fall TV preview? Looks like "Five-O", "Running Wilde" and the chick from "Undercovers" might be winners. Plus, Donal Logue returns in "Terriers". That has to be good. Plus, Windell Middlebrooks (the Miller High Life guy) shows up in "Body of Proof".

Exercise Yard

Almost 60 years has passed. It remains the most famous homer in baseball history.

In case you didn't know, the Giants win the pennant.

Visitor

32 Across: Hammer-wielding god (4 letters) Answer: Thor

It was worse than a snow day today. I bugged out of work a tad early today and escaped with no traffic on 8. Forty-five minutes later...complete mayhem. See, there were accidents that shut down the Turnpike east of me, and 271 was also closed in both directions between 8 and Forbes.

And there was a massive delay northbound on 77 for the morning rush. i saw a a stalled auto carrier in addition to an accident. So, those folks were stopped from at least Wallings to beyond the Turnpike.

Long days all around.

Meal of Links

David Fincher finally picked his Lisbeth Salander. It's Rooney Mara. When he wanted an unknown, he really picked one.

An account of the Tila Tequila incident. They pelted her with rocks and garbage.

Economic charts. China is Number Two with a bullet.

Now this is unexpected. HBO picked up "The Life & Times of Tim". It was cancelled. I admit this show isn't for everyone, but I really like it.

22 TV characters who ruin good shows. Yep, John Burns from "Taxi" and Klinger from "M*A*S*H" show up. Of more recent vintage, Sonny from "Treme" and Rita from "Dexter" (well, not anymore) make it.

Exercise Yard

Joe Pa doesn't look like he's gonna last the season. If your local sports editor asks if he should be driving, That's a cause for concern.

Visitor

10 Across: "Java" trumpeter Al (4 letters) Answer: Hirt

"Java"/Al Hirt

I liked the feature on Danny Greene in the PD today. Now, let's hope these projects can match what we remember from those times.

Meal of Links

Can a matchmaker be a matchmaker, even if she dumps her fiance? I'm leaning toward no.

The five best deal-hunting sites. I swear by Dealnews.

Undoubtedly, you know they will build a mosque near Ground Zero. Before we continue to literally raise holy hell about it, check out its neighbors. Including two strip clubs.

Reminiscing with George Barris. He only made the Batmobile, K.I.T.T., the "Back to the Future" DeLorean among others.

"Smells Like Rockin' Robin" Mashup



Pop-Culture Legos.

They found a new type of monkey species. In the titi monkey family. Monkeys and titis, what can I say.

Exercise Yard

So, I'm watching the PGA. It looks like Dustin Johnson is in a playoff until a tour official says, "Not so fast, my friend." It seems he played his second shot from a bunker and grounded his club. The two-stroke penalty eliminated him from the playoff. I get all that.

But what was with the horror that CBS claimed? Clearly, on their clips of the 18th hole they were showing all week, you can see the damn bunkers on both sides of the fairway. What, they magically disappear when the people are standing in them?

Then the PGA says look at the course sheets for rulings on these bunkers. Number One on the list. Plus, it had happened in the 2004 PGA played there, for precedent.

Sure, it was unfortunate. But it was the right call and the mock horror seemed misplaced. The only thing I would question is did this happen in any of the earlier rounds when the cameras weren't around? If you fess up now, can you be assessed a penalty post-tournament or called a cheater if you didn't call it on yourself? Not sure, but maybe it did happen only once this week, when the world was watching.

Maybe golf without Tiger competing isn't so bad. Certainly the poor sister PGA was the best of the majors this year and at the start of the year with Augusta, Pebble Beach and St. Andrews on the docket, that would count as a major surprise.

Visitor

None, on another hot Sunday.

I had one of those decisions last night that can be only decided by The Ethicist. I had to run up to the local Marc's last night and when I pulled into my space, I noticed there was a guy parked there in the spot next to me. Didn't get a good look at him, but his car was running, air was on, and his lights were on.

For some reason, I had a helluva time finding the Orlando Texas Toast that was on sale. Doh! It was near the TJ Farms Sausage Links I had tossed into my cart about 15 minutes earlier. Anyhow, when I get outside, I notice it's gotten darker, not sure it was sunset time yet.

So, I start loading things into my car and I notice the guy is sleeping (maybe?) in the car. He's been in the car now, what, at least 25 minutes (Yeah, I shucked corn at Marc's). So, do I have to tap on the window to make sure he hasn't expired or do I just go about my business and leave?

I left.

Meal of Links

OK. Let's all move to Belize. Looks like fun.

The healthiest fast food breakfasts. Just remember, it's English muffin, not bagel.

Roger Ebert on Hitch. Great writer on great writer.

Kinda glad I didn't buy tickets to the World Cup. FIFA employee sells info on 60,000 people (including passport numbers) to the Black Market. Oh, boy.

I'm already done with the JetBlue guy. First of all, his story doesn't seem to make sense. And for all of his "Take This Job And Shove It" praise heaped on him, he wants his job back. It's over! I think it was over quite early for me, when I started seeing things like, "Who Would Play Him In A Movie?" crap. When there can be only one.

This guy ended his relationship with Blackberry. Oddly enough, today I chose to continue mine with a phone upgrade.

Exercise Yard

Quick Browns thoughts while watching our future neighbors late in the game:

Loved the Invisible Monkey ad for Dodge.

Syndric Steptoe is the Browns version of "The Thing That Wouldn't Leave".

First team offense looked OK, as did Seneca Wallace. Delhomme looked sharp.

On defense, the two standouts were T.J. Ward, who impressed me and "McMahon, I don't impress that easily." Looked to be more than a hitter. Seemed to be a very good tackler (not a hitter, actually wrapped up guys) and did not really get run over on the Packers first TD. Got beat with decent coverage on the second TD for Green Bay, but he had to cover a wideout. I thought he looked very good. The other was Marcus Benard, who was playing against second and third teamers, but took advantage as he should. Joe Haden also got some props on the broadcast (and I'm wondering why), but I thought Ward outclassed everyone.

Colt McCoy looked below average. His fade that got picked off before the half was HORRIBLE. It would be charitable to call that Quinn-like.

Broken record time: Linebackers looked slow.

Phil Dawson crushed a 59-yard field goal to tie it late and then won it even later with another 46-yarder.

Browns win, 27-24.

Randy Lerner's Other Team had a coach resign this week and the team came up with a 3-0 win earlier today.

I was in soccer mode this a.m. as Tottenham and Man City had a very entertaining 0-0 battle. Then the Villa game, as their fans were singing, "There's only one Randy Lerner!". Could you imagine hearing that at the Stadium?

Villa Highlights (In French)



Tomorrow is a biggie: Liverpool and Arsenal.

Visitor

50 Across: "Mr. Television" (11 letters) Answer: Milton Berle

I got the call from the bullpen earlier this week. Nomar Stalker came through with Orioles tickets for last night's Tribe game. His Dad's company has moved from Club Seats to tickets a few rows behind the Indians dugout. He knew I was trolling for cheap tickets sometime this week, so "F-R-E-E, that spells Free" came through for me and my Dad. Uniquely, a "Clash of the Titans" affair. Baltimore now with 40 wins (8 in their last 10 games) and the Indians remained at 47.

What did I take away from the game? Well, the Indians are in a rut. Their starting pitching has gone south. Last night was another game where the starter, this time Josh Tomlin, only went 5 innings. He gave up 10 hits and thankfully only walked one. Otherwise, the O's would have scored more than 3 off of him.

The Orioles had fantastic defense in this game, robbing the Indians of a few hits early. So much so, the Tribe only had two hits. A Valbuena single in the 5th and a Cabrera single in the 9th. This off a pitcher, Brad Bergesen, with an ERA over 6 and a non-winner since May 11. Really ugly, as Bergesen had an easy 6th through 8th innings, only having to toss 7 pitches, then 7, then 8 in those 3 innings.

They announced the attendance at 11,555. Probably accurate. But there was no atmosphere. How could there be when the final three in the lineup were Valbuena, Nix and Chris Gimenez. I need to hear an explanation on why Gimenez is still on this club. I don't think they could do it with a straight face.

I must say, the Indians do have a video that packages highlights from their history. They didn't even ignore Albert Belle, so that tells you something. It may have been one of the better videos they've produced. Shown late in the game, ostensibly to fire everyone up. Unfortunately, I think it depresses the hell out of those in attendance.

As we see that cavalcade of stars in the video, we naturally overvalue our present players. Shin-Soo Choo comes to mind. Don't get me wrong, he's a good player. I like him a lot. But let's not start elevating him beyond that.

For example, I used to call him the Asian Trot Nixon. Well, Trot had a three-year stretch in the early oughts where he averaged 26 HR and 90 RBI. But let's face it, he took a backseat to much better players on that squad, and was a cadaver by the time he arrived here.

So, let's compare Choo with Luke Scott (former Tribe farmhand) of the Orioles:

Shin-Soo Choo, 14 HR, 55 RBI, .291 BA, .386 OBP, .861 OPS

Luke Scott, 21 HR, 52 RBI, .293 BA, .353 OBP, .929 OPS

So, when we start talking about Choo at an All-Star level, keep in mind, he's barely our own Luke Scott.

The highlight for me was avoiding hot dogs at the game and getting some at Steve's Diner in Brooklyn after dropping my Dad off. Clean, no one there, got my dogs to go, it started raining. They tasted good, just like on Lorain.

Meal of Links

What happened to Yahoo?

After work today: Mow lawn or grill chicken? I decided to grill chicken. I used thighs and it was good stuff.

Look who dominated the DVD charts this week. "Kick-Ass"!

I've mentioned pot and Canada before. US legalization could cause a recession in Canada. With a picture of a guy smoking a "Bob Marley Joint".

I have a couple of favorite songs this summer. One is "Holiday Road" by The Dahlmanns. Yes, that's a cover of the old Lindsey Buckingham song from "Vacation". I can't thing of an easier sing-along while tooling around town. Then there is another cover.

This one by the Hotrats. Actually this came out earlier this year and somehow recently I stumbled upon them. This band was formed out of Supergrass. They have several covers including "Pump It Up", "Love Is The Drug" and "E.M.I" and an oddly haunting take on the Beasties" "Fight For Your Right". But they also perform a nifty version of Bowie's "Queen Bitch", of which I wish I had better sound.

"Holiday Road"/The Dahlmanns



"Queen Bitch"/The Hotrats



Exercise Yard

Who is advising these hoopsters? Chris Bosh admits he liked playing with people's emotions.

Visitor

2 Down: "Chocolat" actress (4 letters) Answer: Olin

Something, perhaps, to file away for the future. Martin O'Neill, the coach of Randy Lerner's Other Team, resigned on Monday. Only 5 days before the start of the English football season.

There are some things that jump out right away. First of all, Aston Villa lost 43 million pounds last year. That is a bushel of money. Additionally, they have started selling off some players, and that's always a source of problems between the Chairman and the Manager. Last year, Villa sold Gareth Barry (28 when he left) to Manchester City and did the same this year with 24-year old James Milner.

That seems to be the issue as Milner's transfer fee (30 million pounds) was not available to O'Neill to grab someone else for the team. Rumors abound that 25-year old Ashley Young will also be moving on, over to Tottenham, for another 18 million pounds. O'Neill was vehemently against that move. And, of course, it's very Tribe-like when you keep dumping good, young players.

As far as coaches coming and going in England, this is nothing new. O'Neill is booked as a favorite to pick up another coaching gig soon, as there are already a couple of coaches on the hotseat. Most notably, Roberto Mancini at Man City.

Lerner is on record as saying he wants a new coach named by August 22. Very interesting names are considered, it seems. Bob Bradley, the current USA coach. Sven-Goran Erikkson, the former England coach who coached Ivory Coast in the latest World Cup. He got a raw deal at Man City a couple of years ago. And Jurgen Klinsmann, although I think he's eventually gonna get the USA job.

So, there is evidence of money woes at Villa. We'll have to see if any of these issues surface with the Browns.

Meal of Links

Niche airlines! Pet Airways and Erotic Airways are still in business.

The New Yorker has an interesting article in the print version. Whatever happened to John Lurie? He was not fishing.

Who knew? Johnny Carson was a philanthropist.

I heard this song the other day, for the first time in a while. Still holds up 14 years later.

"Overground, watch this space
I'm open to falling from grace."

"Six Underground"/Sneaker Pimps



I've decided to watch "Rubicon" on AMC. Lots of people are into "Mad Men" or "Breaking Bad". But I hope something, anything, starts soon on "Rubicon". Better be a big payoff and not some goofy shit. Sledge Hammer is in it, as well as Clay Davis from "the Wire".

Well, we've waited a long time for it. Townes Van Zandt. Finally! You can watch the doc on Townes, "Be Here to Love Me", on Hulu.

Robert Gibbs condemns "the professional left". Oops!

Exercise Yard

How's that NASCAR Hall of Fame working out? Not so good? Built for $200 million with promises of 800,000 visitors, they are projecting half that total. But it's really been too hot to do anything, right?

Dan Gilbert should take notice with his gambling estimates.

Visitor

8 Across: Robbins's partner (6 letters) Answer: Baskin

"Yakety Sax" does make everything better.

"Hello, Scion!" Car Chase (with Benny Hill Theme)



Meal of Links

Patricia Neal died. The two movies of hers that you need to see are "A Face In The Crowd" and "Hud".

It never gets old. Hal vs. Dave.

Another week. Another Bob Barker lawsuit.

Sarah Palin (accompanied by annoying kid) Hates Teachers



This seems like an odd match. But Harper's Bazaar has an interview with LeBron's um...er..."sidekick".

It's back. Not sharks, but the Perseid Meteor Shower arrives this week.

Rare photos of Bruce Springsteen. Old ones, because Clarence is standing.

Hit me in the head with your luggage, eh? Fuck off!

Exercise Yard

It's the neverending battle. Who is the best soccer player ever? Pele or Maradona?

Regardless, it was great to see Maradona on the sidelines, coaching Argentina in the World Cup. Their run got stopped rather early by Germany, for they had no defense. But, contrary to early reports, it seemed Maradona really cared about his players. Unlike the French squad.

Visitor

53 Across: Hall of Fame Celtic whose initials are his given name (7 letters) Answer: K.C. Jones

My Dad and I had a Steaks and Stakes Day today. After we lopped off some renegade stems in one of my bushes in the front yard (He had the Arte Johnson role of separating the leaves, while I had the Steve McQueen cutting the chain link fence role), we had some steaks.

My Dad buys these huge steaks from Buehler's every once in a while and they can be insanely cheap at times. Good cuts, too. They can't tip over the Flintstone car, but close. One more thing about Buehler's, you cannot beat their sale price on muffins at 79 cents every Wednesday. Anyhow, we fired up the grill and then stuffed ourselves.

Then it was on to horse racing. We watched an odds-on Baffert horse, Concord Point, win the West Virginia Derby and saw Blame (file him away for Breeders Cup Day) win the Whitney at Saratoga over Quality Road.

Time for a nap.

Meal of Links

The World Sauna Championships have ended in tragedy. First of all, I never knew they had World Sauna Championships. The winner is the one who can withstand 110 Degrees C the longest. Of course, some guy died.

Stuff about that other hand. You know, the left one.

I heard "Soul Man" yesterday and was thinking about "Play it, Steve". Here is something on Stax Records.

I bought some popcorn when I saw "Restrepo" yesterday. I then realized, hey, maybe that wasn't a popcorn type of film. But did you know you could microwave gourmet popcorn in a brown paper bag? And save money, as well.

I am a sucker for this goofy song when these two get together...



Negroponte says the physical book is dead in 5 years. I think I'm with him, as I am seriously considering the new Kindle.

The Taliban killing of 10 medics should have everyone upset. We cannot afford to lose people like these:

Karen Woo

and

Tom Little.

Exercise Yard

Soccer has already cranked up again. The Frenchies started Ligue 1 today. I saw Bocanegra was in the lineup for St, Etienne. And the annual kickoff of the EPL is tomorrow with the Community Shield.

The Community Shield matches the Premier League winner against the winner of the F.A. Cup. So that means it's between two teams you may have heard of: Manchester United vs. Chelsea.

And speaking of soccer, how about this for not only out of the box thinking, but perhaps out of their minds. The purchasers of the Silverdome want to divide it into three venues. Ground level will be a concert hall and a multi-purpose arena. On top of those, where the upper deck now starts, they want to build an outdoor soccer stadium.

"Tear the Roof Off The Sucka" (LIVE)/George Clinton



Visitor

41 Down: Theresa Dunn's ideal Mr. in a 1975 novel title (7 letters) Answer: Goodbar

I took a late afternoon swing today and headed over to Cinemark to see "Restrepo". This is the documentary that follows an army company through a 15-month deployment in probably the worst area for fighting in Afghanistan. This was co-directed by Sebastian Junger, the "Perfect Storm" author, who has carved out a really fine career as a war correspondent, in places such as Liberia and Sierra Leone.

The directors are apolitical here, but I can't see how you could be pro-war after viewing this one. The thing that is so striking is how young these guys are and, in the end (we find the US withdrew from here in April), they fight for what? But no one can question the resolve and professionalism these guys exhibit. Regardless of being at death's door on an almost daily basis, they have a job to do and perform it well.

The story revolves around the unit that has to go to the Korengal Valley to fight the Taliban. The guys hear the stories before they get there (CNN called it "the most dangerous place in the world"), but nothing prepares them for what they are about to experience. Restrepo was an outpost named for one of their fallen medics early in the fighting. A tribute to him and the bond these guys have with each other.

We also get to witness the problems they have with the locals, the rare times of boredom, the childlike hijinks and the effects of losing more of their brothers. Basically your heart gets ripped out when you hear how they try and deal with what they witnessed over there.

Anti-war? Probably. Pro-soldier? Most definitely.

Meal of Links

I happened to see Glenn Beck cry earlier this week on his show. I forget the context, but I think it's his 8/28 Fest or some other nonsense. So, to top most of his other idiocy, he says President Obama reminds him of Lucifer.

Wyclef Jean is running for President of Haiti. Sean Penn isn't a hater, but asks where he's been since the earthquake.

Eight inventors who changed the world. Tesla, Edison and Ford top the modern list.

Exercise Yard

Shades of Eric Plunk. Pitcher cannot intentionally walk a guy.

Visitor

13 Down: One of the original Politburo members (7 letters) Answer: Trotsky

Today is International Beer Day

and

National Underwear Day. I hope you enjoy both.

Last night, I decided to catch up on "Community". I actually was surprised on how many episodes I had neglected. "Archer", CSU basketball and March Madness really interfered with my Thursday viewing. Let's put it this way, the first catch-up "Community" was from the first week of March.

Therefore, I did not know that Senor Chang was relegated to student status. I also did not know that two women had professed their love for Jeff or that he welcomed Annie back with a kiss. And, most of all, I did not know about the "Paintball" episode. So, I am thankful I avoided all spoilers and got to enjoy these "lost" episodes.

Next: Catching up on "The Office".

Meal of Links

Toronto Film Festival has released its list of 25 docs. Looks like Errol Morris, Springsteen, the old master Frederick Wiseman on Boxing which has to be cool, Alex Gibney has Elliot Spitzer as a subject, and there is also one on Lillian Roxon. Sounds well done.

Hitch talks about his cancer. "Against me is the blind, emotionless alien, cheered on by some who have long wished me ill. But on the side of my continued life is a group of brilliant and selfless physicians plus an astonishing number of prayer groups."

More John Madden. But this one you'll like. The story of the development of Madden NFL.

Airships are making a comeback. Would you fly in one?

Lollapalooza starts tomorrow. No live streaming. I'm not even sure XM is there this year. But looks like Arcade Fire, Green Day, Soundgarden, Lady Gaga and The Strokes are the major players. But you can get Spoon, Devo, Black Keys, Against Me!, Social D among others. Easily 25-30 known acts.

I knew it was bad, but this? 27% of Republicans say President Obama was probably not born in the US and 14% say he was NOT born here. Hawaii IS a state, people.

Move over, Comic-Con. Next year, it's the Reality Rocks Expo in Los Angeles.

Good grief! This guy was running for Governor of Tennessee. Methinks he does not win today.

Things are heating up for Lance. Another of his US Postal teammates has testified against him. So, now we have Floyd Landis, Frankie Andreu and who else? Now, Levi Leipheimer is accused, as well. The issue here is not Lance's work for fighting cancer, but can he be above scrutiny when a lot of his closest rivals have admitted doping.

Exercise Yard

Manny Acta needs to stay out of the injury analysis business. Carlos Santana out for the year.

Visitor

29 Down: Midler's "Divine" nickname (5 letters) Answer: Miss M

Bette Midler Fan

Carlos Santana's injury last night was mindful of a game I saw as a kid. In that game, Leron Lee scored the game-winning run in the 9th and slid home and tore up the knee of one Carlton Fisk. Fisk sat out the rest of that year, broke his arm in spring training and didn't return until late June of '75. The year he hit his famous World Series homer.

Anyhow, if you look at the box score of the Lee/Fisk game, the first thing that jumps out at you is the fact that it's a late June game and the second-place Indians drew over 33,000 against the first-place Red Sox. Eight days later, the Tribe was actually in first place for maybe the only time that late, that decade. Or was it the only time that decade period? They drew a million that year, eventually finished in 4th, but Ken Aspromonte was canned following that dismal finish.

Another reason for the turnout was Gaylord Perry. This was during the part of that year where no one could touch him. He won this game to go 14-1 with a 1.27 ERA before July! It was his 9th complete game in a row, a year in which he completed 28 of his 37 starts. Earlier that year, he had tossed a 15-inning game and went into the 11th two other times. Of course, he was traded the following year by mid-June.

Look at that horrible lineup:

Speed merchant Buddy Bell led off.

Jack Brohamer was keeping second base occupied for Duane Kuiper's arrival.

John Lowenstein hit third and played first base. He should have done neither.

Charlie Spikes, "The Bogalusa Bomber" hit cleanup and homered that night.

Oscar Gamble and his hair hit fifth, his best year in Cleveland.

Leron Lee played left and had arrived from San Diego that year.

George Hendrick hit 7th. And we all know a handshake is better than an autograph.

Dave Duncan caught and hit 8th. Much better pitching coach than hitter.

Frank Duffy played here 6 seasons at shortstop. Yawn.

Getting back to Fisk. Lee was on first after a walk and Hendrick ripped a pitch to left. Lee got the wave home, and much like last night, the throw got there just as Lee was sliding into home. Fisk blocked the plate and Lee's slide just shredded Fisk's knee. The Indians won, and in those days, they didn't do a victory dance and pound each other or hop into a dogpile. I think they carried Fisk off on a stretcher and that was pretty much it.

Was a summer of highlights. Just one month later, a House committee recommended impeachment for Nixon.

Meal of Links

Kohl's is running a clearance on Majestic apparel. So, if you feel a need to grab some Tribe gear, do it. A cap is only $8.

50 amazing facts from Mental Floss. They are amazing.

Actors who were edited out of films. Kevin Costner from "The Big Chill", most notably.

Kenny Powers K-Swiss Ad



I am not meant to watch "Law and Order". So it is written.

FX can handle only 12 series at a time. Production and promotion costs are the main reasons.

How broken is the U.S. Senate? The Empty Chamber. And the only Republican House member actually outlining spending cuts.

Zach Galifianakis in "Between Two Ferns" is out-of-control hilarious. Please watch a couple.

Exercise Yard

Kenny Huang is the Chinese investor who picked up a piece of the Cavs about 15 months ago. Now, he is trying to buy Liverpool in the EPL. It's a great brand with a huge following.

But I don't think that's the major news as reported here. The thing that jumps out at me is "...he took a 15 percent stake in the Cleveland Cavaliers NBA franchise." That seems to me to be significantly higher than I thought. It may have been reported as such, but I thought his interest bordered on more like a 5 percent interest. This lends even more credence to the Windy report during LeBron's decision that Dan Gilbert, with all of the Cavs success lately, had barely broken even the last few years.

Visitor

34 Down: "Whip It" band (4 letters) Answer: Devo

Devo Honda Scooter Ad (1984)

Jeff and I headed over to the Capitol this afternoon to see the second of the three Stieg Larsson adapted flicks. This one, "The Girl Who Played With Fire". Yes, everyone's favorite bisexual hacker is back in action. She starts off living in the Caribbean and if I owned that villa, I would not have returned to Sweden, but she does.

I liked this one, but not as much as the first one. Although Lisbeth and Blomqvist are working in tandem, they are obviously not on screen together until the very end, because she is wanted by the law. Although she is wanted, she seems to be roaming Stockholm without much of a pursuit. We don't have much hacking going on this time and there certainly appears to be more gumshoe work this time around than actual thrills. We do get to meet her Dad ("Hello, Daddy.") and her somewhat amusing (to me) half-brother in this go-round.

This is a tough recommend if you haven't seen the first one, because there are recurring characters from "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo". If you read the books, feel free to jump into this one. And those Larsson books are burning up the charts presently. I'm looking forward to part 3, which rolls into theaters in November. Should be a more satisfying wrap to the trilogy.

Meal of Links

Who knew? Derek Anderson and Kim Novak live/lived in in Scappoose, OR.

Pluto. Brontosaurus. Now, they have debunked the really cool-looking Triceratops. What next? Dino?

LeBron gets the Miami Heat sales staff fired. Well, sorta.

Anthony Weiner, who can get pretty impassioned, cuts to the heart of the Party of No. By blasting R's on not voting a healthcare provision for responders to 9/11. Many of whom are from his district. An opinion on Weiner and Alan Grayson. More about the politics behind the 9/11 bill. R's wanted to put in a crazy illegal immigrant amendment, D's said uh-huh, forcing the vote to go to a 2/3 majority. It didn't pass, as only 12 R's voted for it. Seemingly, a good measure, until the R's introduced the idea of illegals. So, it goes down in flames, as the R's blame the D's for not accepting the amendment while supporting the original bill.

"The Gentleman Will Sit!"



Would the world miss mosquitos? Even Mother Nature says no.

Cinema at the Square is back. The only definite? Oh, it'll be difficult because I'll be reciting the movie, but it's "The Natural" on 8/20. Only a handful of others look OK, but we'll see.

This is a fun online game. Airport Madness! My first attempt ended up at a salary of $60,000. I had one midair collision.

I was at Marc's last night. I saw the return of Pepsi Throwbacks. This time around, they had the 20-oz. plastic bottles for 89 cents. Considering their Cokes from Mexico are a dollar, it's a steal. And these seem to be legitimately new with go-bad dates of Jan 24 2011 on my cans of Mountain Dew, not some "past their expiry date" crap. No announcement, so maybe a test for full-time status? I know Sierra Mist gets the real sugar treatment soon.

Speaking of bisexuals, I've always had a thing for Saffron Burrows. So, how did I only discover last night that she's been on "Law and Order: Criminal Intent" with Jeff Goldblum. Like for a few months. I don't watch any of the "Law and Order"s, so maybe that's the problem. Although, I think it's because I recognized Prez from "The Wire" and decided to watch.

Exercise Yard

For me, Mark Shapiro's ability to dump Branyan, Peralta, Kearns, Westbrook and Wood before the deadline is nothing short of a miracle. Obviously, what we got in return is up for debate, but three guys on that list were clearly not wanted by any fans. Kearns was a cheap signing and with his OPS plummeting the last month, it was time to flip him. For all of Westbrook's time here, he was oft-injured and a .500 pitcher. So, remember we always overvalue our own. I'm not sure we could have received more than we got from these deals.

But Shapiro has really cleared the decks to allow Chris Antonetti to work any magic he may possess.

Visitor

None, on a sunny Sunday start to Shark Week.

"Stay Thirsty, My Friends"