I'm back. What have we learned lately?

Facts for economic arguments: Here is a graph describing Obama vs. Bush effects on the deficit. Half of Americans do not pay federal income tax. (Hat tip to Paul).

Last I heard today, the Dow was down 330. Oops! A really bad day for the markets. Is it time for extending the payroll tax holiday? It's one of the easiest quick fixes out there.

Breakstone's Zesty Blends Jalapeno Sour Cream is wonderful.

Hey, the Skinny Cow has moved into the candy aisle. Really good.

This year's Taste of Cleveland was cancelled. Not really a surprise. The Taste of Cleveland started in 1995 at Nautica with Cheap Trick as the headliner. So, they've handled this event at that venue before. I'm not buying the construction spin so much as a lack of interest by all concerned.

This event peeked the year George Clinton was the Saturday night entertainment. Without incident, I may add. Since that time, the Saturday musical acts have tended to be more mainstream or local...Michael McDonald, Squeeze, Blues Traveler, Michael Stanley, Donnie Iris.

The amount of vendors has dropped (last year, maybe 18-20) and the prices have gone up. Even the firemen, who used to have steak-on-a-stick for MD have been long gone. I think losing Giant Eagle as a main sponsor killed the entertainment piece. Marc's did a nice job as a sponsor and, for sure, Ohio Natural Gas Taste of Cleveland sounded funny, but I don't think the event had the same funding commitment.

The Taste of Cleveland, much like larger events like Taste of Chicago, has been spiralling downward for a few years now. Curious to see if a 2012 event makes it on the calendar.

Meal of Links

Speaking of food, I found myself watching back-to-back reruns of "Man v. Food", with Man losing. I thought his record was more invincible. But Adam Richman is only 37-22 against Food.

Oh, no. The "Shawshank Tree" suffered damage.

Rolling Stone lists the Top 10 Punk Bands of All Time. Better list than you'd think.

The NYC Lebowski Fest has a cast reunion. Where's Turturro, doesn't he live in New York? Didn't mean anything by that, because "nobody fucks with the Jesus".

Just what the world needs. Another tallest building.

The easy way to keep track of the flip-flops of Mitt Romney. It's Multiple Choice Mitt.

Exercise Yard

Ed Sabol gets his due as he is inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame this weekend. But here's how the NFL Network is neutering the gold standard that was NFL Films.

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32 Down: Citi Field team (4 letters) Answer: Mets