The men in my family took my niece to see the old alma mater take on Brooklyn. I don't even know what they call this rivalry these days. The Backyard Brawl? The Battle of Biddulph? All I know is Rhodes is dominating this series lately and won last night, 64-14. That's right they scored 64 points! Would have been 70 if they had a kicker or were not just 4 of 8 on 2-point conversions.

First of all, it's a pretty cheap night. $5 to get in, pop and pizza squares were a dollar and it's $1.50 for popcorn. But there seems to be a malaise hanging over the football games at Brooklyn. Clearly, the kids who go in don't even care about the game as they congregate and do their own thing seemingly miles apart from the game. The cheerleaders don't have any focus and don't seem too thrilled to participate. They have a mascot without any direction. The band doesn't seem fired up. If I were an administrator at the school, I'd be embarrassed, or at least concerned, about the overall production.

Shockingly, Rhodes actually had fans show up on their side. They have a band this year, as well. And the guys really play hard on the field. Seems like some good things happening there.

But, much like last year's game we attended, Rhodes had big plays all night. I mean plays you wouldn't think would result in 6 points. They led, 20-0, at the end of the first quarter and it was inconceivably 40-0 at the half. Rhodes only put the ball in the air three times that I recall. A stupid backward pass on the first play of the game that failed and resulted in a turnover. A beautiful two-point conversion that made it 20-0. And a failed pass attempt on a 4th down play late in the fourth quarter. Otherwise, they must have run for at least 500 yards. Seriously. Their big running back, Wall, totaled 116 yards on his first two carries and had TD runs of 94, 36, 55 and 3 yards.

Here were the TDs:

A 94-yard run (6-0)
A 64-yard run (12-0)
A 36-yard run (20-0)
A 70-yard punt return (28-0)
A 10-yard run (34-0)
A 55-yard run (40-0)
A 3-yard run (46-0)
A 15-yard run (52-0)
A 45-yard fumble return (58-7)
A 65-yard kick return to finish the game (64-14)

Needless to say, lots of fun to watch.

Meal of Links

Irene must be important because I see Wolf Blitzer on my TV. No Geraldo sighting yet, my favorite part of hurricanes. Details here. Mail was delivered in Virginia Beach today. Kudos.

Now I find this interesting. Fox, yes, Fox, the big network, will start showing tape-delayed EPL games on a few Sundays they don't have football doubleheaders. And on Super Bowl Sunday, Chelsea and Manchester United will be on Fox that morning. As long as Michael Strahan makes no appearances and my drinks are cold, that will be the start to a great day.

Do you have any of the !00 Most Sought-After Out of Print Books. Some interesting titles, but I don't have any of them. Although, I thought I had a copy of "Cards As Weapons' by Ricky Jay laying around here, but have his other book, "Learned Pigs and Fireproof Women". That's out of print, but not as popular, I guess.

How to discover new music. I still haven't had time to comprehend Spotify, but I will.

More "Louie". Although his Afghanistan looked a lot like the Korea of "M*A*S*H".

"Say Something Nice"



Upping the antihero. "Breaking Bad', "Psych" and "Dexter".

Exercise Yard

Ric Flair not only has trouble inside the ring, he's got huge issues outside the squared circle. A long history of failed marriages and financial turmoil.

Hey, my favorite sign from last week's show: "It doesn't matter what my sign says".

Visitor

3 Down: Country that eliminated the United States at the last two World Cups (5 letters) Answer: Ghana

I am officially on...



Big day on the Tour day, as the snow cleared in the Alps. My main man, Andy Schleck, decided to attack with, oh, only 60 KM left in the race and got himself back in line for a shot at the yellow jersey with basically only two days left. Tomorrow may be a repeat as it's Alpe d'Huez, followed by the time trial in Grenoble on Saturday. With the ride into Paris on Sunday, a symbolic one, the finish will be bang-bang, as Rick Manning likes to say.





























Schleck's ride today will be epic, especially if he wins the Tour. Probably the best one-day ride since Floyd Landis in the infamous Stage 17 in 2006. You guessed it, shades of Eddy Merckx. But the leader, Thomas Voeckler, didn't crack and hardly anyone can believe he still has the yellow jersey. But the Schleck ride cracked Alberto Contador and Sammy Sanchez.

So, it's probably down to 4 guys. The Schleck Brothers, Cadel Evans and Voeckler. After tomorrow, the leader will be one of the Schlecks, so it all comes down to Saturday's time trial.

But the Tour finally started today.

Allez!

Meal of Links

Going to the movies in Australia is like buying books in Canada. The prices are high.

Debt ceiling talk. Yeah, it's important.

"Dexter" cranks up Season 6 on October 2. New trailer is out.

Did someone mention R.E.M.?

The endorsements are starting for US Women's Soccer. Not a bad idea, as that team competes in the Olympics next year in London. I think the real star is Megan Rapinoe.

Richard Lewis was back on "Curb Your Enthusiasm" last week. He chats about Larry David.

Comeback of the Year? WWE Wrestling!

Exercise Yard

I'm actually on Team Stevie on Steve Williams firing by Tiger Woods. Yeah, that Stevie, the scourge of photogs everywhere. Boy, are there a lot of folks giving Stevie the business over how much money he received for being Tiger's caddie.

But, let's face it, he was not on some mystery retainer and he hadn't worked that much in the last 18 months. Typical caddie pay is a Missed Cut will get you zip, 5% of earnings for a cut finish, 7% for a Top Ten, and 10% for a win.

I'm not sure how much loyalty comes into play, when you are deprived of a job you like to do and you get that itch to get out there and do something. I'm sure Stevie was tired of sitting.

But, man, is he getting blasted for being "The Caddie".

Visitor

44 Across: PETCO Park player (5 letters) Answer: Padre

I was actually at the Tribe game on Thursday. The Indians had some insane deal (meaning advance ticket sales were dreadful) for the Toronto series where you can still get $44 tickets for $13 plus fees. Take that, StubHub!

But I wasn't there for this:



Somewhere, Bill Selby nods approval.

Anyhow, I'm not a master of the ALE (Always Leave Early) theory, but if you witnessed the first 7 innings of that game, no one would begrudge you leaving. Indians starter Zach McAllister threw 94 pitches in only 4 innings, while Carlos Villanueva for Toronto threw 110 in 6 innings.

I may have had a sense of kismet on the way home because I mentioned to my Dad that we had missed comebacks from large deficits in the past (ahem...the largest), so no big deal if we missed something that night. With that Joey Bats homer in the 9th to put Toronto up by 4, I thought that was the clincher.

But then Hafner came up and he smoked one. Good for them. Victories like that can really mean something come September.

Hey, at least the hot dogs were good.

Meal of Links

I don't know this guy from Adam. But he did co-invent Rotisserie Baseball. Deserves a parade.

What is with the fake fireworks? Child, please.

Another series jumps ahead in time. This time, it's "Dexter"!

There was a time if you had anything to do with baseball memorabilia, you knew the name, Barry Halper. Turns out most of his artifacts were stolen or forgeries. it's a long read, but fascinating.

Getting your kicks. On Route 66. Don't forget Winona!

Philly saves $2 million a year. How? By essentially decriminalizing marijuana.

Marc Maron does have a fine podcast. Listen here.

F-A-T. That spells fat.

Monkey self-portraits. Funny. Put a hat on hiim. Really funny.

Exercise Yard

We have two lockouts. One has been rumored as "close to ending" for weeks now (NFL), the other (NBA) has two factions divided like Korea.

Bill Simmons tries to solve the latter.

Visitor

10 Down: Pink Floyd's "The Wall:, e.g. (9 letters) Answer: Rock Opera

I was lucky to find out about the death of Bin Laden when I did. I finished up "Treme" and somehow landed on Fox 8 to watch a scene from "The New Adventures of Old Christine". Then I landed on the baseball game where ESPN was running a Breaking News crawl about the death of Osama Bin Laden and we had the body. Mercy! So, I grabbed a news channel and continued to watch the President and the aftermath of his speech.








































I was surprised at the gathering outside of the White House and the subsequent cheering. I seem to recall when we see people in their homeland cheering at our misfortune, we are none too happy about it. Somehow when we cheer it's not necessarily a celebration, but something else? I don't get that. It looked like a bunch of students with nothing better to do and having some sort of meetup at the WH. I found that very strange, because frankly, there wasn't a whole lot to cheer.

I mean hadn't Bin Laden won this fight a long time ago. In terms of the human cost and dollars spent to get him. Setting aside other freedoms that were lost via the Patriot Act, travel restrictions, constant fear mongering, etc. Plus, he still wins in death, by the virtue of the war not ending, meaning more lives are wasted.

Don't get me wrong. I love the fact Bin Laden is gone and the mission was pulled off expertly. I see it most definitely as a milestone, but the job is far from finished.

Meal of Links

The story behind the FDNY photo that made the rounds after Sunday's news. Oh, that'll get awards.

Top 25 Newspapers in America. By circulation The PD is 20th daily and 15th on Sundays.

There is "Dexter" news already. He gets a Latina love interest.

Beastie Boys references. These are my favorite rhymes:

"Hey Ladies"/Beastie Boys



"There's more to me than you'll ever know
And I've got more hits than Sadaharu Oh"

"Three MCs and One DJ"/Beastie Boys



"Sweet and sour like a tangerine
Fresh like a box of Krispy Kremes
Kenny Rogers' Gambler is my gambling theme
Mix Master Mike with the scratch routine"

"Sabotage"/Beastie Boys



"But Make No Mistakes And Switch Up My Channel
I'm Buddy Rich When I Fly Off The Handle
What Could It Be It's A Mirage
You're Scheming On A Thing That's Sabotage"

The economics of fighting Bin Laden. His strategy all along was a financial one.

Here are all of your May TV finales. Not on there, but the Champions League final is on my birthday.

Finally. Deconstructing Limbaugh's act on Monday.

Exercise Yard

Bill Simmons combines "The Wire" and the NBA Playoffs. Complete with a Hebner Brothers reference.

The Hebner Brothers



Jesse Ventura: "How can there be two Dave Hebners?"

Classic.

Visitor

5 Down: Sandinista Daniel (6 letters) Answer: Ortega

From the land of the extended storm watch...

At least we are not on that Avalanche Watch list.

I heard yet another talk show on the Magic Radio yesterday debating whether Bob Dylan should retire. I've seen the latter-day Dylan a few times and I have to say, half the crowd always leaves disappointed, because they think they are going to be treated to the "Bob Dylan Songbook".

Dylan is pretty clear that his earlier recordings should be considered versions of his songs. Which allows him to tinker with, update or emasculate music you might be familiar with. Is that risky? Sure it is, but that's Dylan. Hey, I've been there. I recall one time, seeing the setlist the day after, and asking, "He sang that song? I couldn't understand it."

It's a dance that not many get to partake.

Meal of Links

God bless old Bernie Sanders. He did the filibuster, old-school style for most of Friday.

"Dexter" wraps up Season 5 tomorrow. Many questions remain.

It's hard to believe the EPL went into December without any coaching changes. Chris Hughton was sacked earlier in the week by Newcastle and no one can quite figure out why. But that's how it is over there.

Five NFL teams that need to be blown up. The Browns would have made this list, what, 7 of the last 11 years.

Exercise Yard

Peyton Hillis is on the verge of becoming the first white running back to rush for 1,000 yards since Craig James in 1985. Good for him. Browns fans haven't been in love with a running back like this since Leroy Hoard.

Speaking of Craig James, the final "30 for 30" for a while, airs tonight. It captures the demise and eventual death penalty for SMU.

Visitor

36 Across: Munsee-speaking people (15 letters) Answer: Delaware Indians

It's been a long-standing history of misleading previews on "Dexter", but I thought this past week was really absurd. In it, we have Lumen in Dexter's old house and someone is trying to come in through the kitchen door. Methinks it's going to be Dexter's sister, Deb.

And another piece indicates that Robocop may have the goods on Dexter and Lumen. Clearly, he has pics of Dexter and Lumen leaving on the boat, but I don't think his long lens took anything else but that. Plus, he is still going on the theory that Lumen and Dexter were an item before Rita was killed. And we know that's wrong.

At least, that's what I gathered this past week.

Meal of Links

One of the guys from "Restrepo", Sal Giunta, will receive the Medal of Honor tomorrow. Very much worth viewing the ceremony, because they are not handing out these medals with great frequency. Book it now. "Restrepo" will debut on the National Geographic Channel on November 29.

NBC shakes it up. Thursday gives you three hours of comedy. "Community" stays at 8, "30 Rock" moves to 10.

"The Night of the Hunter" gets the Criterion treatment. Oh, it's creepy.

All about the Keith Olbermann suspension. Pretty sure Comcast will not tolerate him when it takes over.

PC Magazine picks its top blogs for 2010. Lots of stuff in here.

Exercise Yard

Wrigley hosts football this weekend. It's Northwestern vs. Illinois and not much room beyond the endzone at the outfield wall.

Something like six inches at times.

Visitor

62 Across: Poet ____ St. Vincent Millay (4 letters) Answer: Edna

While watching Roy Halladay throw only the second no-hitter in postseason baseball history...

I saw a movie the other day that I don't think old timers would like. Gale and I took in "The Social Network" on Monday. Hey, only $4.50 at the AMC and you put the butter on your popcorn.

It was good, but I'm not sure it lived up to some of the hype that I saw ahead of time. The story is about the founding and subsequent early days of Facebook. Not done chronologically with hopping back and forth between two legal depositions. Because Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg had a tendency to screw over people and didn't seem to care. I mean, this guy is portrayed as one giant asshole. An extremely unlikeable character. Of course, why would the real Mark Zuckerberg care. He's the world's youngest billionaire and could make his own movie if he wanted.

Written by Aaron Sorkin, so we were going to get some rat-a-tat dialogue. David Fincher directed and kept things moving along nicely. It clocks in at two hours and it's got a nice pace from the opening chords of the White Stripes "Ball and Biscuit" to the inevitable conclusion. BTW, Trent Reznor with the score.

The two leads, Jesse Eisenberg (as Zuckerberg) and Andrew Garfield (as his best friend co-founder) do a terrific job and nominations may be talked about. Justin Timberlake is along for the ride as Sean Parker, a co-founder of Napster, who convinces a clearly hypnotized Zuckerberg to go to California. Rooney Mara is a friend of Zuckerberg's who provides the original motivation for the development of Facebook. Fincher has tabbed her for his version of "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo".

Meal of Links

There is a new Sad Keanu. It's the Cigar Guy from this Tiger Woods photo at the Ryder Cup:





































I am guessing he was dressed as Miguel Angel Jimenez, the Most Interesting Man in the World...er...the Spanish golfer.

Before the Giants-Browns game a few years ago, I described "The Pit" as a descent into hell. Well, Network Parking is now charging a "Pedestrian Fee" just to walk through or meet friends down there. Plus, it now costs $30 to park there.

They finally got around to Loretta Lynn. Hooray!

"Portland, Oregon"/Loretta Lynn and Jack White



Help with your Halloween costume. Well, Joaquin Phoenix looks original.

Behind the Scenes with "Dexter". Via TV Guide.

Here's an odd anniversary. The NC-17 rating is 20.

Joe Miller incurs the wrath of the Palins. Palin is not exactly helping Carly Fiorina in California either.

The 25 most valuable cable channels. What a crime. Fox Soccer Channel is not listed.

Is anyone guarding Puerto Rico today? The largest police corruption case in FBI history came to light today.

Sun Chips finally gives up on the biodegradable bag, except for the flagship flavor. God, that thing was noisy. Sheesh, sales dropped 11% since the bag was introduced.

Rick Sanchez apologizes.

"Under Pressure"/Homeless Puppeteer Guy



Homeless puppeteer guy is not homeless. But others need help, if you can.

Exercise Yard

Red Sox owners want to purchase Liverpool. They need help, not only financially, but on the pitch.

Visitor

5 Down: Harris of country (7 letters) Answer: Emmylou

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

Well, it seems everyone can get their 15 minutes these days.

As I was watching the Indians-Yankees game last night, Homer Matt mentioned a disturbance in the bleachers. It was actually loud and had everyone in the crowd distracted. At one point, the second base umpire even called time.

Homer Matt then continued with some cryptic thoughts about how it appeared there were two females fighting. Then he realized what was going on and started chuckling. Yes, some clown decided to wear a LeBron Miami Heat jersey. Now, why it took 6 innings for people to get on this guy's case, I have no idea.

Any video you see of this event makes me wonder, did anyone in the bleachers know how to film? Jeezy creezy, I saw one video where the guy could not keep the jersey popper in the frame. Another was filmed so you had to watch with your head tilted 90 degrees to the right. I mean, there was nothing I saw remotely close to Zapruder-quality. Shocking.

Anyhow, here's an update on the guy. And, of course, in true fashion, he says, "Eff the haters!"

I've read comments on cleveland.com that bring out the old refrain, "Wait until the national media gets a hold of this". So what? Even Kornheiser on PTI feared for LeBron's safety upon his return game and intimated he may have to sit it out. Huh? Really?

This sounds like a lot of huffery from people who don't attend games. If you wear an opponents jersey, especially at a football game, you will get yelled at. If you wanna be a guy who fights about it, there are willing participants lining up. So, it should come as no surprise that this incident happened. And, if you see the videos, it's clear he's enjoying the reaction until he gets the boot. As does his friend.

Two days from now, it's forgotten.

Meal of Links

The annual energy consumption of the average American. I go at least 50% beyond the average of driving 12,000 miles per year.

Could it be the greatest music video ever? The backstory of "Take On Me".

You know, Daniel Schorr, the last link to Edward R. Murrow at CBS died last week. I happened to hear an interview he did with Bob Edwards in 2008 on Monday and he is sorta like "Zelig" in his career. CBS, Watergate, Nixon's enemies list, CNN, NPR. Ane he was also friends with Frank Zappa. WTF?

Leonardo DiCaprio was going to do a movie with Mel Gibson. Even though he likes Vikings, Leo decided to tell Mel, "Nope."

If it involves The Who, you know I'm gonna lap it up. One of my favorites...

"La-La-La Lies"/The Who



"Dexter" stuff. I knew Julia Stiles was in, but did not know Peter Weller had joined for Season 5. Robocop! Masuka has a fake ad.

Ellen leaves "Idol". Looks like Randy and Kara need to look for work elsewhere and quick.

Foreclosures. Vegas still leads with 6.6% of housing units in foreclosure. The lowest rates seem to be in places no one wants to live.

Exercise Yard

Jack Tatum, "The Assassin" died the other day. Steve Grogan didn't like him all that much.

Visitor

6 Across: Northwest Passage seeker (6 letters) Answer: Cabot

Gale and I were at last night's Indians game, courtesy of cheap tickets via StubHub. Smallest crowd I've ever seen there. I'm pretty much through with Justin Masterson at this point. He gave up four runs in the first and mercifully got pulled after throwing 95 pitches in 4 innings. Off with ye to the bullpen. Now. That performance contributed to the overall mood of the joint, which was non-existent. Plus, it took John Danks of the White Sox 112 pitches to go 5 innings. They placated us with free Polar Pop coupons on the way out.

BTW, Uncle Petey wrote about the differing careers, at this juncture, of Miguel Cabrera and Grady Sizemore. Cabrera, a career .312 hitter and on pace for 500 homers, while Sizemore...? Painful to read and Grady is due for a visit to Dr. Steadman. Uh-oh. Looks like another lost year.

Meal of Links

Here are a couple of websites titled correctly. First, Rooms with Great Views. And if you see a celeb wearing sunglasses you like, it's Sunglasses ID. For instance, MacGruber wears Ray-Ban 3025s.

Charlie Crist stopped using "Road To Nowhere" by Talking Heads for his campaign. David Byrne sues him anyway, citing damage already done.

Hey, an old band is making a new album. And that band is OMD.

Ringo Starr seems to be famous for being something other than a Beatle. Peace and love.

Rita will make a return visit to "Dexter". They are not saying much. Probably a flashback of new scenes.

With Memorial Day coming up, be aware we now have more troops in Afghanistan than Iraq.

This is hilarious. Joe McGinniss is the new neighbor of Sarah Palin. If you recall, McGinniss wrote this Portfolio piece that exposed Palin's relationship with oil companies. He also wrote "Fatal Vision" and a book on a soccer team in Italy, so basically, he's aces with me.

Exercise Yard

I thought F1 was going to New York. Nope. They are going to Austin. Brand new track and a big contract. So, the US will host a Grand Prix race starting in 2012 and presumably lasting for at least 10 years. That is great news.

Visitor

37 Across: Owens and Henry? (13 letters) Answer: Couple of Bucks

"Truck Drivin' Man"/Buck Owens

How did you like the Browns draft? I thought the picks of Joe Haden in Round One and Colt McCoy in Round 3 went well. I'm very curious to see if the second rounders consisted of reaches or if the Browns are just smarter than everyone else.

Paul had that relative of Jumpy Geathers circled as late draft pick, so kudos to him, as the Browns used their last pick there. And we also got a guy named Asante, but not Samuel. And South Florida’s all-time leading receiver Carlton Mitchell, whoever that is. So, all in all, not a bad start.

Meal of Links

Forget the VCs. Buy a lottery ticket.

Female. Model. Astrophysicist. Poker player. I'm all in.

Dexter killed cancer. Now get back to work.

"South Park". The most patriotic show on TV. Last week's censored broadcast was unbelievably good. But they are not showing the replays nor is it online.

This looks like a must-see for me. Especially with Linklater, Sayles and David Lynch.

"Great Directors"



There is a guy who plays Joni Mitchell in a one-man show. And Joni Mitchell likes it. She does a number on Dylan, too. Mitchell, that is.

7-Eleven now has its own beer, Game Day. Talk about a Big Gulp.

Speaking of beer. Paste reveals the best 30 beer bars in America. None in Ohio.

Exercise Yard

Kevin Kennedy took care of some wacko on an airplane. He had help, but give him credit.

Visitor

21 Across: Costanza portrayer (9 letters) Answer: Alexander

Pee Pipes

I had not been to First Watch before. Originally, S. and I were gonna go to the one at Crocker, but all the kids out there must play, "Wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey" on Saturdays, as it was crowded. So, we went to the one in Rocky River instead.

Not bad. I had some pancakes, which are huge, so I only had two. Had a side of sausage, although good, you only get 2 for $2.99. I like that V8 is an option. It looks like they are big on omelets, as well. Like I said, decent grub, but you may do better by supporting the locals. For instance, we passed Herb's (who has Saturday and Sunday breakfast) on the way and that place was jammed.

Meal of Links

The Big Picture posted Part 2 of Olympic photos this week. I am telling you that Crosby/Niedermayer picture is a classic. The timing involved with having Sid's gloves and sticks out of the picture and the Canadian captain Niedermayer coming over to start celebrating is awesome.

Lilith Fair. It's back. "Police Academy". It's back.

Did you ever wonder what music is popular in strip clubs? Funny you should ask. Weezer is extremely popular. I wonder if they play "Dope Nose".

"Dope Nose"/Weezer



Late-Period Steve Martin. He's into everything, and hosts the Oscars tomorrow.

The European Poker Tour was in Berlin this week. And they got robbed today. On live TV! Six gunmen took 800,000 euros.

You are more likely to be sentenced to death for offing someone of high status. So much for justice.

"Dexter" updates.

30 favorite opening lines in literature. The one from "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" is especially good.

Exercise Yard

I think it is cool when they name schools after people we've actually heard of. For instance, in Milton, Canada, they have named a new elementary school after the wrestler, Tiger Jeet Singh.

Visitor

38 Down: Actor who often said, "Sorry about that, Chief." (8 letters) Answer: Don Adams (Two weeks in a row with clean Saturday crossword sheets, as he pats himself on back)

On the Fifth Day of Christmas

I am not sure where this rates among the Bruce Springsteen Christmas recordings. But the tune is really one of my holiday favorites. This is from 2002, when everyone looks much younger. Conan on guitar. Interesting blonde in the front row. Clarence jingling his bells. Presents include a blow-up doll for Max and a George Foreman Grill for Conan. "Well done, Santa."

"Merry Christmas, Baby"/Bruce Springsteen (on Conan)



Meal of Links

Let's do some catching up....

Yes, I was affected by today's Blackberry outage. You know when you look at your e-mail and you have had nothing for 4 hours.

The five laws of human nature. Still no law for E-Z Pass scofflaws.

Nickelback is the band of the decade! Everyone now...WTF?

Stephen Colbert's SI cover outtakes. The tie kills me.

Mr. Skin reveals his top nude scenes of 2009. I did not see any of them.

The worst movies of 2009. Didn't that John Cena movie. "12 Rounds", come out this year? That sucked. Here are the best. Jeezy creezy, there's "In The Loop" again at No. 6. Big ups to "The Hurt Locker". It is the best movie I saw in 2009.

Denver has opened the first marijuana restaurant in the US. Called "Ganja Gourmet".

Howard Dean continues his kill the bill campaign on healthcare. He makes a lot of sense, but I don't think it will happen.

Greece is all fucked up.

"Bad Santa" is revisited. Excellent timing.

It was 20 years ago today. Not Sgt. Pepper..."The Simpsons"! But do they matter?

Julie Benz talks about getting killed on "Dexter". Still a very compelling scene, several days later.

The 10 Worst Predictions of 2009. Some really bad ones, I think.

Opining on Reality TV.

Exercise Yard

Are NFL teams circumventing the Rooney Rule? The commish says the Redskins complied while conducting a seemingly quick Bruce Allen hire.

And I feel the Browns hiring of Fred Nance will somehow allow the Browns to hire Mike Holmgren, if it happens. It's easy to say Nance was interviewed for that job, but was more qualified for the job that he eventually received.

Visitor

46 Down: Comics cowboy Red and others (6 letters) Answer: Ryders

As season finales go, the last episode of "Dexter" was, indeed, a killer. As they offed Dexter's wife. So, it's the second time a cast member has been killed, as they got rid of Doakes earlier. Of course, all the buzz ahead of time was that this episode would be a "game-changer". Let's see if that rings true, it may have only been a "kick to the groin".

I hope now the series goes back to its darker beginnings. I was getting the sense that the marketing of "America's favorite serial killer" was getting the series away from his roots. Dexter and his family were becoming, in essence, a bit too cute. Now we need to get back to the "Dark Passenger" era where he needed to kill to satisfy his bloodlust, not to have his killings serve some other purpose.

A very good ending to what was a rather tepid season.

Meal of Links

How to learn your credit score. I use MyFico, BTW. I think it's a good tool.

Tag Heuer stands by Tiger Woods. Let's face it, you and I are not in their target demo, so who gives a shit. And who wears watches anymore? Even the "Cheaters" guy weighs in on Tiger. And if Ian Baker-Finch comments on Tiger, he's toast.

A lengthy read. But here's how America can keep its edge.

Yep, he's my Congressman. Dennis Kucinich answers online questions.



On the Second Day of Christmas

It looks like Merle Haggard comes on to ruin the Statler Brothers Christmas Special. I love the Hag, but jeezy creezy, why did he decide to pee on everyone's Christmas with this tune? Just to be clear on how shitty things are, my favorite line: "Got laid off down at the factory...". Even Merle gives up, by not even faking his guitar playing about a minute in. The sheep in the audience applaud heartily at the end, probably thankful the song has ended.

"If We Make It Through December"/Merle Haggard



Exercise Yard

Christmas never ends if you go to a bowl game. Look, it's Bowl Game Swag!

Visitor

17 Across: Comical character in "Star Wars" films (11 letters) Answer: Jar Jar Binks

What a sad day today. I feel like Al Bundy when his barber died and he didn't know where to go for his next haircut. In what has to be the suckiest move that ever sucked, Fox Sports Radio has dropped Steve Czaban from its lineup. The Czabe and I have been sharing my a.m. commute for the past 5 years and I even listened to his evening show for a time before that.

As a matter of fact, his show was the first place I heard Frank Caliendo, lo those many years ago. I actually thought John Madden was on the air drunk or high or concussed or something. Anyhow, XM also had a replay of the Czabe's show start at Noon, so he was also my lunch time companion for most of the past 5 years.

FSR has made some really bad moves over the years, but this one was really poor. To claim Czaban sounds like Lame and Lamer in the morning is absurd.

His replacement? Steven A. Smith. You have to be fucking kidding me. I assume Screamin' A has moved to London, so he doesn't have to be at work by 6:00 a.m. And do you really want him talking at you in the morning? And which of his friends will be up at 6:00 for a nice morning chat. Clowns.

BTW, Peter Gammons announced today that he is leaving ESPN. Gotta be going to MLB, one would think.

Meal of Links

Depressing link of the day. An interactive map of unemployment in the USA.

Hitch writes about Palin. Again. And he does it well.

The top overlooked movies of 2009. I, at least, heard of "Big Fan" and "Anvil". Didn't see either one, but I was aware.

Czech yourself! Czech government allows 5 cannabis plants for personal use starting January 1.

What the hell is going with this "Jersey Shore" program? Seems like a lot of people are in a snit. I mean, it's MTV, what do you expect?

A look back at "Pee-wee's Big Adventure".

"Dexter" has one more episode. John Lithgow talks about life as the "Trinity Killer".

Exercise Yard

David Stern is insane.

Visitor

49 Across: Brockovich portrayer (7 letters) Answer: Roberts

In true Thanksgiving fashion, Paula Deen gets hit by a ham. This Zapruder-like film catches it all.

Paula Deen-Hit By Ham



Meal of Links

Detroit can't bury dead. And you thought it was bad here.

The best celebrity computer ads. Of the '80s! Oh, look at the familiar faces in these commercials.

More Palin. This time on Canada's health system. Plus the ever-popular President Obama does not recognize the sacrifice troops make.

Michael C. Hall talks about "Dexter". Voice-overs, his character, etc. Season 5 already ordered.

The current state of TiVo. It's subscriber base is eroding.

Exercise Yard

Brady Quinn is dating the gymnast, Alicia Sacramone. Look for Kramer around the 2:55 mark. "Jerry, you stand on the threshold to the magical world of sensual delights that most men dare not dream of!"

Seinfeld-"The Gymnast"



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42 Across: Guitarist ___ Paul (3 letters) Answer: Les

Last night, I was at The Happy Dog. I must say, it was the largest crowd I've seen there since the smoking ban. I know there was an after-party for the Made in the 216 Shoppe, but there were lots of people there.

It was a younger, dare I say hipper, crowd than normal for polkas. But they may have stumbled upon the cheap night out lure with the hot dogs (had mine with sriracha, cheddar, dill pickle and potato chips) and fries or tots. That means more drinking! I had my first Christmas Ale of the year and it was good.

Uh-oh, first ale and now my Christmas list is done. The holiday tidal wave has started.

Meal of Links

The cult of "Hoop Dreams" continues. Roger Ebert writes about the 15th anniversary viewing in Chicago (complete with Siskel & Ebert review). You can see it here, but 3 hours of computer viewing may be a bit much.

John Lithgow talks about his role on "Dexter". I think we are heading into the last 5 weeks on that series. I get a little of my Sundays back after this week with "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "Bored to Death" wrapping up.

A Benny Hill stamp was rejected by Royal Mail because of his saucy antics. What a shamockery.

Tom Tancredo throws out some BS on veterans and healthcare and gets owned. Same tired act. I hate it when vets get played like that. Way too many people talking out of their ass, when it comes to veterans affairs, without checking the facts.

There is actually a debate over the shortest sentence using all the letters of the alphabet. The Wiki version just sounds better.

I'm glad someone likes "Robocop" as much as me. I'll watch that anytime, anywhere.

There is no question, I am a Trader Joe's honk. But their Organic Raspberry Fruit Spread is unbelievable. All other brands are now on fail.

Wal-Mart scowls at a hoilday tidal wave. They want a tsunami, so they came up with a Holiday Price War!!! Geez, a Blu-Ray DVD Player for less than $150. That is a very good deal and it's a Sony!

Might as well play it now....

Steely Dan/"Black Friday"



This was absolutely hilarious:

Stewart as Beck (not Rod as Jeff, but Jon as Glenn)



Exercise Yard

This is part of the reason I like "Curb Your Enthusiasm". You never know what you will get. Last week, Larry was debating the merits of Derek Jeter with a stonemason.

Visitor

42 Down: Ace of Base genre (7 letters) Answer: Euro Pop

Another Halloween has come and gone. At first, I thought there were no Caucasians trick-or-treating. But man, it was starting to get cold, so after 60 minutes of distribution, I ran out of the candy I wanted to give away.


















Best Costume: By far, Michael Jackson. The kid had it down. Sunglasses, hat, glove, shoe, jacket. It prompted this exchange:

MJ (in full character): "Trick or Treat-ah!"
Me: "Michael, I thought you died."
MJ: "Naw, I'm still around."
Me: "Still a Thriller, eh?"

Second Best Costume: Captain America (with shield).

Third Best Costume: A penguin. Not THE penguin, A penguin. Off the charts on the "Awwwwwww!" Scale of Cute.

Worst Costume: Guy pulls up in a Time Warner Cable car. "Hey, that guy is dressed like The Cable Guy!". I really need an audience of more than 2 neighbors on Halloween.

Second Worst Costume: Guy on crutches trying to catch up with his family, is in the middle of the street until he arrives at my neighbor's sidewalk.

Me: "I take it that's not a costume?"
(Crickets)
(Family gets candy, he walks away)
Me: "Apparently not."

Third Worst Costume: Some kid was dressed as Matt Hasselbeck, quarterback of the Seattle Seahawks. A big WTF.

Worst Trend: Clueless kids being escorted around in strollers by Moms. Seemed to be a candy grab for the Moms, while Junior had no idea what the hell he was freezing his ass for. Although someone texted me saying Mom was looking for a certain type of candy...Sugar Daddy.

Best Trend: No Halloween lights on the block this year! Oh, we had a gravesite and someone had scary music playing, but I did not have the orange-and-black wakeup call this year.

Second Best Trend: Not once did I have to ask someone: "How old are you?". As Tim Robbins once said, "...you know, for the kids."

Favorite Candy: Kids were choosing the Nestle Crunch. I had thought that was surpassed a long time ago. Really, it's the first time I gave that away in eons.

Meal of Links

How to build a bigass HDTV antenna. I'll never do it, but I must say, Time Warner Cable remains the devil. I had two days this week where more than half of the HD channels were not even tuned. Of course, after I make an appointment for service, they magically appeared later the next day.

Ten Sex Scenes Involving Costumes. Meh.

Making a case in the defense of extreme pornography. Let's just say, Roman Polanski gets more coverage than these folks.

"Dexter" is still pulling in viewers. It is the one show I never fail to watch. I rather liked Deb's crying scene last week. Done a la David Lynch, I thought. Not the weepy, whiny stuff, but the real-life-can't-catch-your-breath stuff.

Exercise Yard

How the World Series may have turned last night on a stupid pitch. As memories of Sam McDowell suddenly enter my head.

Visitor

None, on a refreshed Daylight Savings Sunday.

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



Meal of Links

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

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

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

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

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

Dexter Season 4 Trailer



Exercise Yard

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

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

Visitor

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

Now that Eric Wedge is really on the hotseat managing the Indians, people are going nuts waving the banner for their favorites. As I don't think Wedge gets the axe in-season, we need to talk sense for 2010.

Terrible Suggestions

Rick Manning: Yes, the delusional among us are suggesting him.

Omar Vizquel: Hey, Ozzie Guillen had to pay some dues.

Orel Hershiser: TV jobs are tough to leave and has zero experience.

Mike Hargrove: He quit on his last team. And we've seen him before.

Larry Bowa: Old fart.

Davey Johnson: The 2009 WBC should eliminate him from ever managing again.

Other Popular Names

Tony Pena: Quit the Royals. Ex-Indian. Not sure why he gets all the love.

John Farrell: Ex-Indian. Ex-Indian front office guy, as well. Seems to be a popular choice among fans and I'm not really sure why.

Bobby Valentine: Would take a bundle for him to leave Japan. Interesting choice, but I really don't see a fit here.

Buck Showalter: Ugh.

The scary thought is they may not go outside of the organization for the next hire. Don't worry, no one currently at the major league level would get the job. But if there is such a thing as a culture or "The Indians Way", wouldn't they find that someone from within? Therefore, it would not surprise me to see Torey Lovullo get the job and Travis Fryman promoted to AAA. Or someone like Robby Thompson, who I think did time as Wedge's bench coach a while back. Outside candidates would have to have some previous exposure to see how things work here and so the GM and Manager can be "partners".

That would set it up for Showalter, Farrell or maybe Bud Black in San Diego. Of the three, I'll take Black. Remember, always bet on Black.

Meal of Links

I've finished reading a book. What should I read next? Ask the Bookseer.

It's the newest promo photo for Dexter. Isn't he cute?

I guess it's OK if the Governor of South Carolina wanted to take a few days off. But shouldn't he tell someone?

Donald Fehr steps down as MLBPA Head. The new CBA comes up in 18 months. And with a different economic situation, why not get out now?

Exercise Yard

Today concluded one of the weirdest US Opens I can remember. We had:

Early rains that divided the field into two flights.

Lucas Glover wins and draws mostly yawns.

Tiger probably lost it, not today or yesterday, but on 15 thru 18 of Round 1.



























Ricky Barnes and his outfit finally played like the No. 519-ranked player he is.

David Duval, the No. 882 player, returns not from oblivion, but the parking lot of oblivion.

FIGJAM looks like he was a winner until 2 late bogeys.

Mike Weir faded late.

Hunter Mahan was in it until he hits a flagstick knocking his ball far away from the cup.

Ross Fisher. Who?

Glover wins his first major at -4, shooting a 73 today. Is he a walking commercial for that new Nike putter? His stats certainly show marked putting improvement since he grabbed that club.

On to the British at Turnberry.

Visitor

2 Down: "Mamma Mia!" group (4 letters) Answer: ABBA