Last night, Best Friend and I saw the Foo Fighters. As always, when Dave Grohl is in town, you know you are going to a ROCK show.

The Venue: Quicken Loans Arena. The home of the $8 cocktail.

Dave Grohl: Grohl remains quite the entertainer. He reminded us that about 40 minutes to an hour away from here, there is a city with a street named after him. The city would be Warren, OH. He also said it wasn't really a street, but "an alley behind a Burger King. Because there is no way they are gonna name a fuckin' boulevard after Dave Grohl."

After the last song when everyone is waiting for encores, the video screen comes on. Again with the night vision backstage. People cheer. Then who do they switch to? Of course, it's Grohl. How many are they gonna play? He cups his ear to the crowd, they go crazy. It's always funny. Are they gonna do two songs? The negotiation begins. Then Tyler Hawkins gets into the act. Eventually, they decide five is enough and they come back on stage.

The Tickets: We were in Club Section 108 about 5 rows from the front. Pretty good seats which allowed us to see everything.

The Crowd: The upper section facing the stage was curtained off. The other uppers maybe half-filled. The floor was not overly packed and it looks like 10,000 were there. I gotta say the atmosphere in the clubs was way different than the last time we saw them, when we had great seats downstairs. Lesson learned.

The Sound: The Q used to really suck soundwise. Dave's screaming and cussing came through with no problems.

They had two opening acts last night and we got in a lot earlier than last time, when Supergrass was on the bill. The first was Mariachi el Bronx. Sort of disappointed we didn't see them. Rise Against was next and I thought they were very good. Really a hard driving sound.

The Stage: The setup was a bit different this time. The stage floor was lit up at times.. Grohl still has a ramp into the audience. This allows for the typical gesturing and running around with your guitar. At the end of the ramp was a stage, which later elevated maybe about 15 steps and that gave everyone at the shitty end to say they at least saw Dave Grohl, up close. Two video screens fronted the stage.

The Foos were back to a more normal number with 5 members and an ocassional keyboardist. You have four guitars, including Grohl, up front. In the back, we have the keyboards and Taylor Hawkins on drums, of course.

The Music: A consistently strong performance once again last night. All the hits were terrific, "Let It Die" "My Hero" and "Monkey Wrench". We got a solo version of "Best of You" this time. "Everlong" closed it out with the full band treatment, which was acoustic last time.

Setlist:

Bridge Burning
Rope
The Pretender
My Hero
Learn to Fly
White Limo
Arlandria
Breakout
Cold Day in the Sun
Long Road to Ruin
Stacked Actors
Walk
Monkey Wrench
Let It Die
These Days
This Is a Call
All My Life

Encore:

Wheels (Grohl solo)
Best of You (Grohl solo)
Times like These (Grohl solo)
Dear Rosemary
Breakdown (The Tom Petty song)
Everlong

Once more, a great performance by the Foo Fighters. More bang for the buck than any band out there. You get great tunes, jocularity from the band, and an adoring audience. Still impressive after all these years.

PD review is here.

Meal of Links

Albert Brooks is a revelation in "Drive". A long way from the Danny the Dummy era. Which slays me all the time. Somewhere, I see Andy Kaufmann getting inspired.

Albert Brooks with Danny the Dummy



Does Troy Davis signal the end of the death penalty? I remain a staunch opponent.

R.E.M. folds.

"Pop Song 89"/R.E.M.



Cameron Crowe dissects Pearl Jam tunes. PBS airs this on October 21.

TV's Best Characters. Sterling Archer should be on this list.

Let's talk about death, baby. Let's talk about you and me. Let's talk about all the noncommunicable diseases that may be.

Exercise Yard

I guess we can forget about Dan Gilbert being ruined by the subprime crisis. He is one of Forbes 400 richest Americans.

Visitor

Across Down: ( letters) Answer: TEXT

I found it odd that the penis amputation victim was from the city of Waddy, KY. BTW, how unsympathetic of a character are you when the jury rules unanimously in favor of the doctor?

Meal of Links

Steve Jobs resigned today. Hard to believe he's been a headline grabber for over 30 years.

Another Louis C.K. interview. I am sure after his series hit the high water mark two weeks ago, something's been missing since. Although those kids were awfully cute in the Halloween episode. One dressed as Frederic Douglass!

Matt Taibbi on a roll.

TiVo confounds again. More subscribers lost.

There are 1 billion cars in the world. They say 2.5 billion by 2050.

Canada lost a good one.

Exercise Yard

Here's the Jimenez-Pomeranz/White trade from the Rockies perspective. The takeaway? Rockies fans hate Dan O'Dowd and loved Ubaldo.

Visitor

6 Down: Five-time Grammy winner James (6 letters) Answer: Taylor

We are all Kipnises. Yes, it's catching on.

Gale and I were at Ubaldo's first home game on Wednesday. I liked what I saw. If he pitches like that through September, there's a gleam, men. The bats are coming around a bit better the last 10 days and just in time. The Tiger series was the first series win since the Yankee series on July 4 and first back-to-back wins since July 18.

One of the lowlights this past week has been the defense of Carlos Santana. Three lazy attempts behind the plate (one in Boston, two in Texas) and two bad plays at first against the Tigers, which all led to runs. Finally, Droobs had to call bullshit on him and let him have it last night.

Hell, on Wednesday, Kipnis called for a foul ball and Santana apparently didn't hear him and eventually caught the ball. But, it was an adventure and Kipnis barked at him for a while. So, it had been festering for at least 10 days. Nice that it came from Cabrera and not the coaching staff. And you better pray this doesn't cost us a playoff spot somewhere down the line.

Now Choo and his Uma Thurman-like thumb is back. The corpse that was Austin Kearns was finally DFA'ed. I'm not sure where Kearns was all year, but he didn't produce at all and when you have Marson, Kearns and Carrera starting, that ain't a lotta pop from one-third of your order. And maybe Shelly Duncan will relax now.

A nice chat with Josh Tomlin.

Meal of Links

How many stories have we seen on AMC and trouble on the sets of their biggest hits. Here's another one.

The R's had a debate last night. Earlier, some old guy at the Iowa State Fair yelled at Mitt. Oh, it's starting already.

Why do new sporting venues in the U.S. lack architectural ingenuity? It's actually a good question, since we foot the bill.

Two months ago, I didn't give two shits about Russell Brand. But, I gotta say, the dude is growing on me. And it has nothing to do with his real job.

I cannot say this enough. "Curb Your Enthusiasm" is waking up the echoes, thus far, this season. Last Sunday was a show hitting on a all cylinders. Larry is, indeed, a "social assassin".

Vow of Silence/"Curb"



Klosterman fawns over "Louie". And rightfully so.

Seven fine movies that were 90 minutes or less. Includes "Airplane" and "High Noon".

Three futures for healthcare reform. Individual mandate was struck down today, so it's on to higher courts.

Rick Perry is not a climate change guy. This should be the first item to check off on any sane person's candidate checklist. If it's a "No", you have to start questioning each part of their platform.

That cow is right. Eat more chicken.

Good Grief (the War on Christmas!). I saw this last night, as it happened:



Exercise Yard

I'm worried about Tiger Woods. Did you see any of his play in the PGA? I mean this thing is getting serious.

I wonder if we are starting to go Mike Tyson with him. It's getting like Tyson near the end. We remember what he used to be, and even though we knew better, we always thought he would snap out of it and regain his past glory. Now I get that Tiger isn't biting the ears off of fellow golfers but jeezy creezy, this is painful to watch.

Now this can go two ways. One is post-shaved head Britney Spears and a comeback or the other is Keyser Soze, where he disappears. No way is this a David Duval situation where he schleps around missing cuts in every time zone.

Visitor

53 Across: Team playing in the Big A (5 letters) Answer: Angels

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

Casey Anthony is off to find the real killers.














Meal of Links

It's the American way. Making fun of Hitler.

Have you seen the light? The world's greatest light bulb.






















One of the most hilarious things I read today was Hollywood's reaction to the Tot Mom verdict via Twitter. Kim Kardashian, of all people, was shocked at the verdict. Prompting this response. Dexter Morgan was also trending high on Twitter, as if he were a real person who could take care of Tot Mom.

David Simon has a real knack for season-ending montages. He did it again with Sunday's season-ender on "Treme":



Simon talks about "Treme" here.

What's lurking in a navel? Strange stuff.

E-Harmony guy says don't get married. Wait a minute. What?

Exercise Yard

Nate Silver writes about the NBA lockout. The financial distress of the owners is a canard.

Visitor

9 Across: Jake LaMotta, e.g. (5 letters) Answer: Boxer

While watching Manny Acta leave Josh Tomlin out there to die...

Mr. and Mrs. Mix were in town yesterday and I met up with them at the Winking Lizard in Avon. Which needs better signage, BTW. It's right over the border in Lorain County. Anyhow, Mister and I have had some dialogue lately about our mutual hatred for Guy Fieri. I think the guy is a tool.

I cringed when this guy was rewarded with a network show. The laughable "Set It And Forget It" or "Minute To Win It" or whatever it is called. They basically have imported the asshat contestants from Howie Mandel's show and given them a new forum to demonstrate their asshatery. Encouraged by this clown. The Memorial Day episode finally dropping me over the edge.

But there are people out there who dig the guy. As this article (courtesy of foodnetworkhumor.com), a slobber job, if there ever was one, shows. The picture alone, like some crazed culinary Corey Feldman, reveals a lot. Be sure to read the comments on how real Americans feel about this "awesome dude".

Meal of Links

Come on, old timer, get through the crosswalk faster. Traffic planners are seriously thinking about redesigns to account for elderly walkers.

Dueling Michael Caines from "The Trip"



Why is the TV always on? Or, so it seems.

I laughed. Bill Maher and Jane Lynch read Anthony Weiner texts. NSFW.

Exercise Yard

MLB is considering realignment. I am definitely in favor of the radical realignment that would put the Houston Astros in the American League.

Just think. Eliminate the divisions and the Top 5 from each league get in the playoffs. I think it'll work. Of course, the last time they were thinking radical realignment, it would have placed the Reds and Pirates in a division with the Indians and that never got beyond the discussion stage.

This latest realignment may have been floated to the public to test reaction. I haven't heard too much negativity, so maybe there is a chance.

Visitor

None, on a cool Sunday.

Man, I had an interesting day today.

Had a guy tend to my roof. I had birds that were subletting without my knowledge.

I could not get my garage door to open. Electrics all screwed up.

To get the last bit out of a jar of Taco sause, I had it upside down for about a week. When I opened it...A red Jackson Pollock painting before my very eyes.

Meal of Links

Austin City potst its lineup. is that suspiciosuly like Lollapalooza?

I haven't really bothered to explore the comedy of Mitch Hedberg. But his widow has relaunched the website, so maybe it's time.

The resume is dead. The new king is your bio.

More Dogs of War. This Belgian Malinois intrigues me. "They can be destructive or develop neurotic behaviors if not provided enough stimulation and exercise." A match made in heaven.

Dan Le Batard gets his own show on ESPN2 in September. I'll have to get that into the rotation.

Comcast signs up TiVo. They have cut a lot of deals to turn it around over there. Left for dead many times.

1979. A great music year.

"Go the Fuck to Sleep" has gone viral. The campaign has been very effective.

Cornel West vs. Barack Obama.

Exercise Yard

Was that the worst lineup of the spring for the Tribe tonight? It showed.

Visitor

28 Across: Musical with the song "Midway Chase" (6 letters) Answer: Barnum

I found myself at Champps last night. Mr. and Mrs. Mix were in town, so Jeff and Gale and I had a meetup at Crocker Park. Hey, they have Harp on tap there and I had a Fan Favorite known as a Club Sandwich. Anyhow, we found out Mrs. Mix and her family celebrated Dyngus Day for years. What Secret Society is this?

Anyhow, most of the TVs had the Tribe game and I noticed there was some MMA on, as well. Perhaps some old reruns from Spike or something. Boy, as soon as 9:00 came about, most of the TVs were tuned to MMA. Now, I realized it was the PPV event from Toronto. As I looked about the room, I noticed all the Affliction shirts and figured this was the reason for the crowd. Because it was kinda packed. No doubt these places get people to show up, because of the high PPV price for home use.

I'm still old-school boxing, but we saw a bout end in 20 seconds last night by a questionable referee's decision. So, at least that carries over from the Sweet Science. If you care, here are last night's MMA results.

Meal of Links

Our Governor is a Steelers fan. But he loves Cleveland. So, in the unlikely event of the Browns ever making the Super Bowl, sorry, but he cannot participate.

Never buy expensive HDMI cables. Why? It's science.

You are a thief. You need electronics. Where do you go? Starbucks.

The thing I like about President Obama is he handles these types of things with a pretty good delivery of these funny lines. Trump! Hah!

Obama at the White House Correspondents Dinner



Clay Matthews. Comedian.

Looking back at the Playboy Clubs. I am assuming there was not one here.

Exercise Yard

I just found out that the Tribe is serving Christmas Ale. Stand by Section 153. That's not a bad idea, but wow, if the crowds get bigger, it may go quick. I'm not sure I've ever had that when the temperature outside was warm.

On the field, things are looking good. Another win today.

Visitor

None, on a cloudy Sunday.

I survived Dyngus Day. Yes, Mardi Gras for the Polish was so successful, it will now marked with a permanent spot on the calendar. Or should I say, drinking calendar. Locally, it joins St. Patrick's Day, Opening Day, any Browns home game, and Cinco de Mayo as an excuse to drink in the afternoon when you'd ordinarily be at work or lounging around on a weekend.

We took part in the Parkview Nite Club portion of the proceedings. Big Chuck was there in his Certain Ethnic Man outfit. There was a Miss Dyngus Day complete with a crown of sausages.

The crowds later on at Happy Dog and Reddstone were reported to be big, as well. So, I assume next year (April 9), it might be expanded or even more crowded.

Meal of Links

The President is an American. Whoo hoo! Now it's on to his college transcripts and Selective Service records for the non-believers. Where are Trump's tax returns?

"Celebrity Apprentice" has one of the largest Democratic audiences. Trump, with his "China is raping our country" shtick, is literally driving away its audience.

I think Jake Vale is funny. I laugh all the time at these.

Peyton Hillis is the Madden NFL 12 cover boy. Let the hatred begin.

Here is the Lollapalooza lineup. Thumbs up for Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.

Chain restaurants with the fattest meals. I'm glad I've not had any of them.

Good stuff with Rowdy Roddy Piper. Loved that guy. Great entertainer in the ring.

Tom Durkin bows out as the Triple Crown announcer. He cites stress. I don't blame him, especially in the Derby. You got 20 horses and have to mention them all. By the time you do that and get back up front, God knows what might happen. And, heaven forbid, you call a horse late, which he has done. Not as easy as it seems.

Tom Durkin Calls a Race



Exercise Yard

I took my Dad to the Indians game last night. The opponent was the hated Kansas City Royals. The bottom line is if they pitch and hit like they did last night, they'll hang in the pennant race for a while.

Pitching good news? Justin Masterson, not at his best, gets into the 7th, allowing only three runs. Struck out 7 and walked 2. Oh, Melky Cabrera drilled a homer and got to stare it down, but that was about it. Vinnie Pestano then got out of an 8th inning, based loaded jam without giving up any runs. I said when he came in that I didn't trust him yet. I may have to change my thinking.

Pitching bad news? Tony Sipp looks like he's back on the slippery slope after dominating for three weeks.

Hitting good news? When you hit five homers in a game, almost everyone looks good. Homers from Jack Hannahan (who hit 2), Matt LaPorta, Grady Sizemore and Shin Soo Choo. All of them smoked.

Pitchers are going to have to go back to the old book on Grady Sizemore, because they are pitching him using the 2009-10 book and he is just killing everything. On his second double, he was motoring around first like the old Sizemore and should have had a triple, but the third base coach, Steve Smith, held him up. They need to let him loose.

Choo's homer came off the first pitch from Lewis Jackson. It's as if Choo told the ball, "Where have you have been all spring?" Absolutely crushed it and pretty much clinched the game.

Hitting bad news? Orlando Cabrera isn't a very disciplined hitter and it's starting to show. His average is in decline. And Carlos Santana is now looking at fastballs when he has a hitter's count. A 2-1 fastball, with men on, from Hochevar and he never moved the bat off his shoulder. Uh-oh.

But it was a good win. There were only 9620 in attendance (the Monsters drew more next door) and it felt even emptier. But I got cheap seats behind the Indians dugout through StubHub and they even had the $4 concession value built in. So we opted to get super dogs. And they were good. The threat of rain was gone and it was most enjoyable to watch that victory.

BTW, SI has a feature on Choo. Very complimentary piece.

Visitor

6 Across: Texas Rangers CEO Nolan (4 letters) Answer: Ryan

See how Lord Football rules over everyone. Today, I found myself watching "The Reading of the Schedules". Yes, an ESPN show which was built around the releasing of this fall's NFL schedule. Maybe.

Even with the present lockout and perhaps some cancelled games later in the fall, Lord Football maintains his grip on our lives. The Browns finally get a Holmgren Factor when it comes to the schedule. Three of the first four games at home. Five of the last six games in the division, so the Browns are not of it by the end of September. Christmas against the Ravens, New Year's with the Steelers. Hardly any travel after October. Only one December and one January game at home. Could help a late season short passing game.

Meal of Links

I finally got to see Colin Quinn's Broadway show, "Long Story Short" on HBO. I gotta say, it surprised me how funny this was. I'm not saying I was on the floor, but the laughs were plentiful and it was very smart. Good stuff.

Cubes decides to get rid of some of his entertainment holdings. Seeking offers for Landmark Theatres and Magnolia Pictures.

Hitch takes on one of his favorite topics. The Royal Family. His advice to Kate Middleton? Run!

Dairy-free frozen dessert. Looks good. Some Giant Eagles have it. Of course, none near the city.

Castro resigns. You are now free to move about the country. Cubans can buy property again.

How many times have I seen this guy on a Sunday night? Catching up with Wendell Pierce.

Ten reasons to be still pissed off about the BP Oil Disaster. There's that phrase, "tar balls", again.

Versus is going to get a new name. Something with NBC in it, I'm sure.

Exercise Yard

The Indianapolis 500 has something unique this year. Four women will try to qualify.

Visitor

7 Down: College football immortal Amos Alonzo _____ (5 letters) Answer: Stagg

"All My Children" died today. So did "One Life To Live". If Mario Batali's show isn't dumbed down, it might...what am I saying, it's network TV. OF COURSE, it'll be dumbed down.

Forget about it. It's Loretta Lynn's birthday.

"Portland, Oregon"/Loretta Lynn



Meal of Links

Look what Taco Bell is testing. A taco with a shell made from Doritos. You may call it fast food. I call it heaven. How about a roadie to Toledo?

Yeah, Simon Cowell leaving "Idol" means criticism also left the program. "Idol" really needs him.

"Treme" starts in 10 days. The producers are trying to stop the NOLA mayor from demolishing some homes. Homes in disrepair, but used to market the show.

Great kitchens. Hardly used.

Some love for Ernie Kovacs. New DVDs are out next week.

A history of Las Vegas weddings. No word on Mexican divorces.

The films of Walter Hill. Trust me, I'm an expert on these. Matter of fact, I stayed up late a couple of months ago to watch "Southern Comfort". I will stop and watch "The Warriors" and "Streets of Fire", if they show up.

Another fave. Luc Besson.

And lastly. Test your French. It's Cannes.

Exercise Yard

How do those pros play Augusta National? Here is Kevin Streelman's yardage book from the Masters.

Visitor

16 Across: Hater of David, in Dickens (5 letters) Answer: Uriah

I think I need Glenn Beck's blackboard. Especially now that he won't be using it. This almost seems like a victory for the left, as he'll be off of Fox by the end of the year. But I think it's really a story of making up shit and people getting bored with it. Half his audience under age 50 had left. I used to laugh when Olbermann called Beck, "Lonesome Rhodes", but the truth is he was pretty much that character.

But the reason I need that blackboard is I finally did my taxes. Just in time for the looming government shutdown. I'd like to trace where my refund is heading. Or stalling.

Meal of Links

The thing about the Paul Ryan budget is it really cuts back funding on low-income programs. Probably close to 70% of the cuts are there. That's a huge difference from what the Budget Commission proposed. Of course, the Democrats hopped all over the budget, but you have to admit, it's the closest thing to serious reform we've seen in a while. That's why the D's need a plan of their own. Come up with an alternative to that $2.9 trillion in low-income cuts and show how it can be done. Like taxing the highest 2%. How long will it take to get that in there.

Playing with Spam. I'm always surprised when someone says they've never had the stuff.

Did you see the list of material selected by the National Recording Registry? Steely Dan's "Aja" made it. Reminds me to listen to that again soon. "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" and "Stand By Your Man" also recognized. De La Soul, Mort Sahl and Al Green, if you need 'em.

2011's Ten Ugliest Cars. There are some bad ones here.

You asked for it. The Complete Guide to Jerry Seinfeld's Sneakers. Chronologically, I might add.

Mark me down for this one. The Bill Hicks doc is starting its release this week. Better get here soon.

Will Ferrell. MeetGary Sanchez.

The Grammys got revamped again. No more Best Hawaiian, Native American or Cajun/Zydeco awards.

The road to Nashville ends. In Nashville.

Exercise Yard

Speaking of docs, did you catch that surprise 25-year look back at the 1986 Masters that ESPN ran today? Once again, had the best line ever in golf lore for me. Conversation between Jack Nicklaus and his caddie, also his son, on the 16th hole. Nicklaus stripes his tee shot on 16.

Caddie: "Be right."
Jack (bending over to get his tee): "It is."

Jack on 16 (1986)



Visitor

23 Down: His 3,000th hit was a homer (5 letters) Answer: Boggs

The first reviews of the Charlie Sheen tour are in. Let's say, they are losing, for sure. There seemed to be two camps going into this thing. One was the "I wanna see a trainwreck" camp. The other camp, which I fell in, was the more prudent approach. I mean, how exactly was he gonna entertain me, given he doesn't do stand-up, sing or dance. Especially at the prices he was charging.

Well, I guess we found out in Detroit. And, for such a bad economy, how did nearly 5,000 people in Detroit scrape up enough cash to see this circus? Maybe they were government-funded research subjects. Afterward, no one seemed to know why they were there. Or, if they were there to see a trainwreck, they could not explain why they were disappointed. Doesn't anyone find that even a teeny bit scary? From alleged adults?

Actually, the show was kinda what I surmised it might be. A question and answer session, a comic, some music, the goddesses. The Q&A obviously needs work going forward. You need a third party asking questions, then you have them ask written audience questions. Shows a real lack of planning. What I was curious to find out was he thought his use of video was going to somehow win over the crowd. For him to be booed extensively, it must have been a truly awful experience for everyone involved. Kudos to Team Sheen for keeping details under wrap before the first show.

Let's track ticket sales going forward. If Sheen continues to sell advanced tickets at a premium, he's the modern-day P.T. Barnum. If future shows are cancelled or ticket sales, at the very least, lag, there may yet be a glimmer of hope for us all.

And I like the dude. But he thinks he's Howard Beale when he's actually as disappointing as Howard the Duck. Too bad he's going down. Hard.

Meal of Links

John Kricfalusi shows us some maps of the old Warner Bros. Cartoons offices. From a Bob Clampett collection.

AMC Stubs has finally come to Cleveland. I still have my doubts, but I do find myself going there more.

Wachovia laundered drug cartel money from Mexico. They paid a fine.

Haley Barbour's wife says her husband's presidential run horrifies her. And lots of others, I presume.

Richard Manuel would have been 68 today. Listen to him on the classic "You Don't Know Me", written by Eddy Arnold and made famous by Ray Charles, amongst others.

"You Don't Know Me"/The Band



Ten promising pilots for fall. One guaranteed bomb.

Exercise Yard

What? Wrestlemania is tonight? Here's a liveblog.

Visitor

None, on a cloudy Sunday.

How did Charlie Sheen get on Twitter so fast?

Sheen. Lunatic or marketing genius?

Who said it? Sheen or Gaddafi?































Meal of Links

An old interview with the Unknown Comic. What brought that up? You'll see.

The day that movies died? Do you realize there will be a movie called "Stretch Armstrong"?

The New York Daily News has dropped an entire page of comics. They had the balls to drop "Marmaduke".

Hey, it's Saint Tressel reading The Cat In The Hat. Or doing a Buck Henry imitation.

Let's go for a ride...(go full screen)

Downhill



Jeff Probst on the death of soap operas.

Josh Brolin and Javier Bardem kissed at the Oscars. That's why we had that long shot of Penelope Cruz on ABC. they didn't show it.

After shoveling a lot last Friday, I stumbled upon "The Cable Guy". Didn't like it when it came out and I still don't like it. But the new DVD is out now, and Judd Apatow talks about it. And other things.

Palin, once more, does not understand the first amendment. Where are your forefathers now?

Exercise Yard

Bob Probert had CTE. CTE's profile is growing with each of these brain donations by athletes.

Visitor

56 Across: "The Gong Show" regular with a paper bag on his head, with "the" (12 letters) Answer: Unknown Comic (I know this is Tuesday's, but, come on, it's the Unknown Comic)

The situation in Wisconsin was inevitable with their newly-elected Governor Walker. Trust me, this is the start of John Kasich's wet dream. he's got a lot in common with Walker. They have both rejected high-speed rail and want to balance their respective state budgets with a little union-busting along the way.

I don't think Madison's seen these types of protests since Vietnam. The pictures are pretty awesome. And Columbus hasn't seen anything like this in 25 years.

Time to join Progressives United.

Meal of Links

With the Oscars coming up soon, how about a look back at "Inception"? This deals with the architecture and the mind.

Banksy has a unique Oscar campaign. How can he not be seen doing his work?

We knew it was coming. Post-bankruptcy Borders.

Uncle Leo died. Can you believe he was only in 15 "Seinfeld" episodes?

Uncle Leo



Working at the Apple Store. True confessions.

Why Meg White matters. Maybe not so much today.

One scene wonders. Alec Baldwin: "Fuck you is my name." Also, "Boogie Nights" and "Network". Should have had Wilford Brimley in "Absence of Malice".

Scott Raab talks to Chris Rock. Rock is pro-LeBron, pro-Howard Stern and pro-Louis C.K. and a tip to this funny guy:

Hannibal Buress



The Ghost Signs of Chicago. There are still a few of of these in town.

If Walker and Kasich think they have government employee issues, look at California. Jerry Brown adopted a real mess.

Exercise Yard

Speaking of "Seinfeld", the poisoning of the Auburn trees is nuts. That Bama fan holds a grudge longer than Khomeini.

Visitor

32 Across: #1 tennis player for much of the '80s (9 letters) Answer: Ivan Lendl

Not sure about the Storm of the Century. If there is one thing I've learned from Dick Goddard, it's when you're on the Southeast side of a Panhandle Hook, that's a good thing. And we lucked out, as the snow line seems to be going to our West.

I thought I was going to have to work from home today, but that looks more likely to happen tomorrow. I had more snow than I thought we'd get last night, around 6 inches. But after shoveling, I realized it wasn't snowing, wasn't that cold and there was a long window of not much weather happening, I decided to go in.

The ride took 60 minutes, which is 1.5x longer than normal. My Cleveland street was untouched. Brooklyn apparently won't pay its workers OT for snow removal. 480 was a disaster. 77 was decent. The turnpike was pristine. Route 8 was in fine condition.

A plow did arrive this afternoon. Dumping all of that snow into everyone's driveway. There has to be an invention out there, where that doesn't happen.

So, now it's "Ice Ice Baby" from here on out.

Meal of Links

I always thought there was something, I don't know, disingenuous about the VISA ads with the four guys who never miss a Super Bowl. Did you know the NFL sells them their tickets?

A new book looks at the early history of National Lampoon. A talk with an artist.

Comparing the Steelers and Packers. Both teams have no cheerleaders.

Accidents can happen. A list of odd deaths.

"Exit Through The Gift Shop" is streaming on Hulu. It's Oscar-nominated.

The 50 Most Controversial Films. They pretty much nailed the list. Many of these were actually protested, including the No. 1, "The Last Temptation Of Christ".

He is most interesting. "Stay thirsty, my friends."

Dog? Or colonoscopy?

Robert Osborne has my dream job. I love the guy. He and Alec Baldwin restart "The Essentials" in March.

Ask Men reveals its Top 99 Women. My litmus test on these lists is Kate Beckinsale. This year, she's 14. OK, I'll live with that.

More Beck Bullshit (with multiple blackboards)



Exercise Yard

Soccer's transfer window ended last night and it was insane. There was a record amount of money spent and even Randy Lerner was in on it.

Visitor

34 Across: Pop music's Lady ____ (4 letters) Answer: Gaga

On this day in 1981, it was the coldest I have ever been. I'd still like to see if they could have made a field goal.

Noon start. After Red Right 88, I have never seen a stadium empty so quickly. Westbound Rapid froze after the game. Didn't get home until 7:30.

You can hardly explain the difference in enthusiasm between this game and the next home playoff game after the 1986 season. The buildup in 1986 was off the charts. Not sure why, but it was night and day during playoff runs from that day forward.

NBC Intro to "Red Right 88" 1981



Don Cockroft missed 5 PATs that year? WTF?

Meal of Links

Gerry Rafferty died today. I dare you to listen to "Stuck In the Middle With You" without thinking of the ear-cutting scene from "Reservoir Dogs". Listen to the "City To City" album. Sure, "Baker Street" is on it, but there are some other gems present.

Who'd have thought? The Irish love their movies.

Last night, I actually watched "Internal Affairs" with Andy Garcia and Richard Gere. To be honest, not sure why. Anyhow, here are 7 movies worth repeated viewings.

If you haven't been there lately, take heed. IFC runs commercials during their programming. Startling the first time you see it.

James VanDerMemes!

Some noise about Bill Hicks. I say he and Richard Pryor were the best at making you laugh and think. "Think of me as Chomsky...with dick jokes." Some commenters say Danny McBride should play him in a movie. That would be inspired.

Words can't describe the good work Barry Scheck performs. Today, another wrongly convicted guy in Dallas was deemed innocent after 30 years in jail.

Charlotte Knows Her Presidents



Exercise Yard

Do any of these potential Browns hires excite you? Unless the new coach calls his own plays, I'm more concerned at this point about what kind of an offensive coordinator would come here.

Since the Browns return, here are the OCs:

Chris Palmer 1999
Pete Carmichael 2000
Bruce Arians 2001-2003
Terry Robiskie 2004
Maurice Carthon 2005-2006
Jeff Davidson 2006
Rob Chudzinski 2007-2008
Brian Daboll 2009-2010

Palmer was OC at Jacksonville before he was hired. Pete Carmichael? I got nothin'. His son, Pete Jr., is currently OC at New Orleans. Robiskie was OC at Oakland for 5 seasons, 1989-93. Outside of these guys, no other Browns OC had ever called plays at the NFL level.

Visitor

23 Across: Mule's parent (3 letters) Answer: Ass

This made me laugh a lot.



As usual, the collection of star commenters has me asking...how much do they pay to be on the show?

Meal of Links

Odd Macy's balloons. Eddie Cantor? Plus some news on Crispy Critters.

When Jay Mohr subs for Jim Rome, it typically is a riot. Well, he's back in the sitcom game.

All about 3-D TV. Uh, not yet. I don't see a crying need for it.

Obviously, China has high-speed rail. Here's why the USA will never get it.

Noomi Rapace looks beyond her role as Lisbeth Salander. No question, she'll be very popular in the US market soon. She's got the look.

Exercise Yard

NBA Lockout coming? Looks like it.

Visitor

49 Across: Cle. hoopsters (4 letters) Answer: Cavs

The Browns bid adieu to Jerome Harrison today. It's a classic "I'll trade my bad guy for your bad guy" trade. So, the Browns get Mike Bell in return.

Harrison is one of those guys who seemed to be the People's Choice. Many words have been written about him, urging the Browns to use him more. Outside of an unbelievable stretch at the end of last year, he had good results that were few and far between.

This year, it's almost like he was wearing cement shoes. Absolutely no fire and obviously disgruntled, so the Browns got what they could for him under the circumstances.

Let's see how much production he'll get in Philly behind Shady McCoy.

Meal of Links

An adult film star tested positive for HIV. That means studios start going on Operation Shutdown.

You buy a car, there's always that pesky insurance you need. Here are the cars that provide the most and least expensive insurance.

Zach Galifianakis has another "Between Two Ferns" up. This time with Bruce Willis. "Did you know that some actors turn down roles?" Genius.

The most powerful bald men in America. Charles Barkley is Number One.

Chris Dudley. Former Cav. Oregon gubernatorial candidate. Minority?

Another appreciation of Sally Menke.

Confessions of a Bad News Bear. Don't get too excited, it's good, but it's Toby.

Joe Queenan writes about the author, Jimmy Carter. Carter has now written 25 books. Very funny.

Exercise Yard

This is so sad, it's beyond words. Tommie Smith is selling his gold medal.

Visitor

12 Down: Joan of "Knots Landing" (6 letters) Answer: Van Ark

I was over at the Lakewood Winking Lizard today. Mr. Mix threw Mrs. Mix a surprise birthday party. And it actually worked as a surprise. But they had a nice spread on the stage area regarding the food. Fun had by all.

I was there during the Browns game and there were a lot of Steelers fans there. Many other fans, too, because of the Sunday Ticket. But the roars of the Steeler game were overwhelming any Browns action. The Browns didn't have most of my attention, but they won their first game today against the Bengals. Even though the defense was torched by Carson Palmer, who had looked average coming into the game.

Meal of Links

My Dad and I, being the wise horsemen that we are, thought we would see a sneak preview of "Secretariat" at Crocker last night. Unbeknown to us, they stuck it in a smaller basement theater, therefore we arrived after it was sold out. So, making a quick decision, we opted for "The Town".

"The Town" is directed, written and starred by Ben Affleck. Let's take a look at the men in the movie. Chris Cooper (as Affleck's prison-bound father) and Pete Postlethwaite (as a crime lord florist) are pro's pros in their limited screen time. I could not get beyond the "Hey, it's Ben Affleck with a Boston accent" view. Jeremy Renner, as intense as ever, is a solid casting choice. A scuffed up Jon Hamm is dominated in almost all of his scenes by another character even when he should be the dominant one. A fault of the writing, not him.

But the real revelation, once again, is Rebecca Hall as the female lead. I'm telling you, Hall is the most natural actress on screen since a young Sandra Bullock. You never get the sense she is reading her lines, but is actually the character on the screen. She gets to display all the emotions here and does a great job with what is obviously an unbelievable storyline. Clearly, I am smitten.

But the movie is one where the whole is greater than any of the individual pieces/parts. Not a great movie by any means, but entertaining enough to offset the $10.50 I paid to see it.

How Disney is selling "Secretariat".

The 5 most dangerous places in the world. New Orleans is the only US city, with Mogadishu the leader in the clubhouse.

Donald Duck Explains the State of the Nation (with Glenn Beck)



The Best Film Books. By 51 critics.

Watch Andy Kaufman be Alive. Absolutely incredible.

Exercise Yard

A blast at that Canadian institution. "Hockey Night in Canada".

Visitor

None, on a mainly cloudy Sunday.