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

I wasn't too happy with John Kasich Theater the other day. Why waste everyone's time with that stunt?

We'll see what the people think of SB5, come November. If it's repealed, it's 1 win, 1 loss for everyone concerned and then we can work on a compromise.

Meal of Links

Chipotle doesn't talk turkey. They talk pork. Looks like Bill Niman is consulting. Buehler's sells Niman Ranch meat and it's very good.

Matt Taibbi has a long read on the SEC and its document keeping. Should be bigger news.

Bourdain has no reservations ripping on everyone. Deen, Fieri, Ray and Sandra Lee. Stuff needs to be said.

Another film oasis. Gary, Indiana.

Should the Beachland Ballroom have to pay its back taxes. Or, given its role in changing South Collinwood, do they get a pass? Love the place, but if their taxes are waived, I think that line of others starts forming pretty quickly. Let's hope for a settlement.

Exercise Yard

Not really a curse, but the Indians do need to think about selling postseason tickets. And they did. The Tribe's playoff odds are down to 9.3%.

Visitor

None, on a changing sky Sunday.

Last night, Best Friend and I went to see the Lake County Captains. They kinda suck this year, in fact, losing yesterday, 12-0, to the dreaded Dayton Dragons.

It was my first time at a Captains game. Well, the first game I actually watched. An ill-fated attempt several years ago ended with me not gaining attendance to a sellout.

But the Captains certainly do a good job with gameday presentation. Since it's Class A ball, you get a lot of stuff, you know, "for the kids". Run with Skipper through the outfield, race Skipper from second base, throw the ball into the cup on the other kid's head, an inflatable horse race. a Beer Batter (if he whiffs, discount beer!) and, of course, a fish race won by Wally Walleye. And fireworks, which we could see as we were driving away on 91.

Two things stood out, I got to high-five Skipper and they have really good gyros. The concessions seemed to run about two bucks less than Progressive Field. Parking is $5.

I gotta say, it was actually a lot of fun. And with the specials they run throughout the week, it's a top-notch value for the entertainment dollar.

Meal of Links

Speaking of baseball, why is MLB attendance flat? I think it's the time commitment. Even the Captains game was three hours long, but with not-so-good pitching, I guess that can be expected. But the majors are beyond help.

VISA wants to dominate mobile payments. They just may.

What happened to Obama? and just wait a minute on Obama.

Exercise Yard

The Community Shield was supposed to not mean anything, as it was the annual game for charity to kick off the EPL season. But with the two combatants being Manchester United (last year's League champ) and Manchester City (last year's FA Cup winner), we got something else.

A damn fine match.

Nani



Visitor

None, on a sunny Sunday.

While on vacation...

I was getting bids on my roof, as I have to get a new one. So, on Saturday, I got a call from a prospective bidder, who said he would be over but about 20 minutes later than planned. This gave me an opportunity to run to the bank.

So, as I was heading up to Third Federal on Ridge, I encountered some slow traffic on Pearl past Brookpark. I mean REALLY slow. I was third through the light, but, damn, the first car through was like following a horse and buggy. Naturally, I bolted to the right lane for a seemingly easy pass. Just as I was about to make my move into the left lane. I check my mirrors and now the guy is right next to me. WTF?

Yep, it was the old "I was going slow, but I will now prevent that guy from passing me" move. Some sort of strange behavior where he is judge and jury on YOUR driving. As we come to the next light, I decided to get behind this car, which is obviously being driven by an old-timer. As we are now stopped, he looks in his rearview, starts yelling, and seems to be writing something in the air.

I am now truly puzzled, but he is still yelling. I decide to yell back, "Whatever you're writing, you are! Yeah, that's you! That's what you are!" As we approach Ridge Road, I realize this dance is gonna be played again because:

a) We are stopped at another light.
b) We are both turning left onto Ridge.
c) We both know I am passing him pretty much as that light changes and I get onto Ridge.

So, as we complete c, I see him once again crazily pointing his arm towards the right side of the road. It finally dawns on me. He is pointing at the speed limit sign! Which reads 25! So, this is what he had been drawing at the previous light, the number "25"!

Yes, while on vacation, I yelled at a old-timer and called him, in not so many words, a "25".

Meal of Links

S&P downgrades U.S. Treasuries. That kinda blows. First time ever.

The verdicts in the Danzinger Bridge shootings, alluded to very much on "Treme" are in. 5 NOLA cops guilty.

Why the markets are tanking. And not a lot can be done.

The best 2011 road trip vehicles. Porsches, of course.

"Louie" had another great episode last night. It actually touched on the accusations of Dane Cook stealing material from Louis C.K.

WTF? Martha Stewart's empire is actually crumbling?

I mentioned the lack of Joey Barton for Newcastle in Columbus last week. Now Newcastle doesn't want him anymore. For a free transfer.

Exercise Yard

Joe Pos on a forgotten moment of Track & Field. Carl Lewis and the 30-foot jump.

Visitor

18 Down: Wile E. Coyote's supplier (4 letters) Answer: Acme

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.

Visitor

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

While waiting for the new local sports talk station to arrive...

I was able to see a couple of movies recently. The first was "Captain America". This was even better than I expected and I'm not even sure what I expected, but this one was extremely well done. As far as the Marvel characters go, easily the best one since the original "Iron Man".

When I was in college, we came up with a comedy bit that superheroes had to register with the authorities. After following the likes of Superman and Spiderman, Cappy walks in and starts answering the questions. When it came to superpowers, he had to admit, "Well, all I have is this shield." Of course, everyone starts making fun of him.

And that, my friends, might be why this one is so special. It's because of that lack of a superpower, that the character has to be more human. That's why this is a throwback to the old war movies, where we shoot at Nazis, there's a guy from Brooklyn, we win the girl, and the world is a better place. I didn't think you could pull that off in 2011, but they did.

Kudos to whoever cast this picture. Chris Evans as Captain America, Haley Atwell and Tommy Lee Jones are spot-on. Dominic Cooper was outstanding as Iron-Man's father, Howard Stark. Hugo Weaving was the perfect Nazi villain. Only Stanley Tucci was a bit over-the-top as a good German scientist who developed the super-soldier serum, originally given to Weaving, turned bad, and now Evans, for the good.

Of course, Nick Fury shows up at the end (this time, pre-credits), as we prepare for next year's "The Avengers". Starting to film around here very soon. But I'd put "Captain America: The First Avenger" on the must-see of the summer list.

Next up was "Cowboys and Aliens". Much like "Snakes On A Plane", this is what you get. Sort of a weird combination of an old-timey Western transposed on a "Close Encounters"-type movie. Or maybe even a "Jeepers Creepers"-type as some of the townsfolk got snatched up by the flying aliens.

Not really sure what to make of this. I sort of liked the opening acts where Daniel Craig didn't know who he was or where he was, but he was definitely a badass. So, he has to mosey into town as the stranger. Causes a bit of a row, but then the sheriff, Keith Carradine, recognizes him from a wanted poster, and indeed, Craig is a badass.

Harrison Ford then shows up, because his son, Paul Dano, had a run in with Craig. And because he was the local rich rancher, he had to go to town and try to spring Dano. Olivia Wilde is around, I guess, because she looks hot.

Then the aliens show up and start scooping up some locals. For the most part, these are the red-shirted "Star Trek" types, except for Dano and Kenny Powers Mexican girlfriend. So, a posse is formed to find out where the aliens took them.

Then the story weakens because of that old plot drag, "This is where things need to be explained". I should probably mention I thought the aliens looked and acted kinda lame. We travel from God knows where to steal gold (WTF?) and we get attacked and can be killed by a spear? Huh?

So, the last half of the movie is where we learn:

Daniel Craig is a badass, but just may settle down.

Olivia Wilde is pretty beyond belief, and she's got a secret.

Harrison Ford is a crusty old coot with a tender side, but doesn't know Indian talk. Lemme tell ya, John Wayne always knew "Comanch" in his movies.

God can't save all preachers.

Sam Rockwell learns how to use a gun.

I don't know what it all means, but a decent start was sorta derailed halfway through. Trust me, you'll have more questions than answers after watching this one. Maybe it would be better as "Cowboys and Crusty Old Coots", or "Let's Stare At Olivia Wilde For 118 Minutes".

Meal of Links

Your Top 50 Politicos. Oddly enough, from Politico.

John Boehner actually said this on the floor of the House this evening: "A lot of people in this town can never say yes."

"Hell No, You Can't"



Billy Hunter is the head of the NBA Players Association, currently locked out by the owners. His life story reads like something from "Zelig".

Guess what? Matt Pinfield returns to MTV as host of "120 Minutes", starting tomorrow. And VH-1 salutes MTV's 30th anniversary, also tomorrow.

All about "Zodiac". One of Fincher's finest. Still have not seen the "Dragon Tattoo" trailer in the theater. Did see trailers for "Moneyball", "Contagion", "Battleship" which looked shitty for 5/12, "The Amazing Spider-Man" again for 7/12.

10 Popular Shows from the '90s that were terrible. I successfully avoided them all.

New GDP figures are out. Uh-oh.

Exercise Yard

U.S. Soccer finally did the right thing and hired Jurgen Klinsmann as men's national coach. Klinsmann has played in the World Cup many times, coached a WC semifinalist, and lived in the States for many years. Outstanding credentials. Truly a thinking man's coach who desires an attacking style of play. This is the man most fans have wanted as national coach for years.

Bob Bradley spent his time as U.S. coach rather well. But it is so difficult to have the same man in charge for multiple runs at qualifying and playing for a World Cup that a move had to be made. This year's Gold Cup Final showed it was the end of the line for Bradley.

This move is a no-brainer. But Klinsmann has to find someone, anyone, who can put the ball in the net consistently. It's a problem that has haunted the U.S. in international play forever. Right now, at age 46, Klinsmann might be the team's best striker. If he doesn't find that guy, today's holiday may not be as fondly remembered in 2014.

BTW, we are only 8 days til the Community Shield. The EPL has less of an off-season than NASCAR.

Visitor

26 Across: Rowan Atkinson character (6 letters) Answer: Mr. Bean

Yeah, it's over.

No more Podium Girls.







































No more Road ID ads with Bobke.



No more El Diablo.






















No more fear of a fan impeding a rider.



























I love the Tour de France, because it fits so nicely within the July sports calendar when there is a not much goin' on, 'cept the rent.







































This year gives us the first Aussie winner, the first winner from the Southern Hemisphere and the second-oldest winner ever. It was Cadel Evans and he gave it quite the ride this year.

Meal of Links

They are correct. Olivia Wilde is jarringly beautiful. She was on Bill Maher's show once and I think she was overwhelmed at that time. They need to bring her back.

I think I've waited a year-and-a-half to find a Thermopen on sale. It finally happened.

This guy's church HAS to be fun. "Boogity, Boggity, Amen!"

Invocation of the Year



"Wedgie, you're doing a heckuva job." The Mariners have lost 15 straight.

NFL seems to be starting again this week. BTW, Jay Cutler dumped his girlfriend and there will be no "Hard Knocks" this season.

The good old days.

About that Borders liquidation sale. You may want to wait.

Campbell's looks at the facts. It's hard to sell low-sodium soup. So, they are adding salt to the Select Harvest line.

Exercise Yard

I don't know if there is anyone out there who can help the Tribe. But, after today's game, I wonder "if the ship be sinking."

I'll be at either Monday's or Wednesday's game and have a better sense of what is going on.

Visitor

None, on a still humid Sunday.

It's not the heat, it's the stupidity.

Try a secret beach.

Meal of Links

Richard Jewell still had a court case against the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. That case was dismissed last week. Unclear if it will be appealed.

The Weinermobile is now 75 years old. Not on my list for the next car I get.

The 5-album test. I kinda like it.

How about a limburger cheese sammie? I don't think I've ever had one.

The Gang of Six. And their plan.

Modern poverty includes an Xbox No, can't be.

As always, the day to watch the Tour de France is when they get to Alpe d'Huez. BTW, that is this Friday. It's also snowing in the Alps. Huh?

Borders is dead.

Exercise Yard

NFL free agency starts in a few days. And what a whirlwind that will be. 5 months compressed into a fortnight.

Avoid these types of players.

Visitor

67 Across: Buck of country music (5 letters) Answer: Owens

The Seattle Mariners had another 3-ball walk against them yesterday. Wedgie apologized to the team after missing the first one.

Here's what he said after missing the second one in a week.

"I was OK with that," Wedge said. "I figured it worked against us last time, let it work for us this time. ... I was fine with Abreu not being up there 3-1 with the next two guys coming. I felt good about Felix facing those next two guys. I was hoping for a double play, but we got a strikeout and a popup."

He is still The Mentalist.

Meal of Links

OK. I have no idea if "Senna" is here soon. But, come on. I'm there. Wait a minute. Ron Howard is doing a film about the rivalry of James Hunt and Niki Lauda? That is a huge WTF.

"Curb Your Enthusiasm" returned last night. I laughed.

Italy. The new Greece. Only larger.

24 Dance Songs you can't dance to. Including the great Roxy Music tune "Do The Strand" with a much younger Bryan Ferry and a glam Brian Eno. I actually heard "Sally Can't Dance" just last Friday.

Exercise Yard

Rest day in the Tour today. But what was with the French TV car wiping out a couple of riders to avoid hitting a tree. There have been lots of wrecks, thus far.

Poor Johnny Hoogerland went right through the barbed wire fence. He was cut up real good. Finished the stage, but in not-so-good shape.

Tour de France Wreck



Visitor

43 Across: "Sexual Healing" singer Marvin (4 letters) Answer: Gaye

"Inner City Blues"/Marvin Gaye

So, what are you going to watch this weekend? Hopefully, not much, so you can enjoy the weekend outdoors. But, if you are inside, here are some hints.

Here are this weekend's TV Marathons. My Dad will be psyched for that "Martin" marathon. And a very theme-worthy "How The States Got Their Shapes".

Klitschko vs. Haye is tomorrow. Like the old days, HBO has this one live at 4:45. Has potential to revive the heavyweights.

The Tour returns. I confess, I'm an Andy Schleck guy.

The closing arguments in the Tot Mom Trial are on Sunday. A quiz is included.

Alan Sepinwall makes a case for "Treme". That's a 90-minute closer on Sunday.

Close it out with a sold-out Indians-Yankees game on the 4th.

Meal of Links

A rerun of Fireworks suck.

Really loud movies. "Shoot the glass."

Work hard, feel poor. Explained here.

What's this? I may have missed Bash "Treme" Week.

Exercise Yard

First USC. Then Ohio State. Now Oregon.

Visitor

56 Across: Super bowl party array (6 letters) Answer: Salsas

I go to Giant Eagle this a.m. and when I leave I discover, after opening it, my right front window will not close. I'm kinda happy it didn't rain today.

Meal of Links

Large breasts on Chatroulette. With male expressions. It's probably a tie between Column 1 and 3 with some priceless gems. Guy under blanket, for one.

The HBO doc on Bobby Fischer airs tomorrow at 9. I saw this at the Film Fest and it's well worth the time. Especially to those who may not be familiar with Fischer.

Selena Gomez attends a Justin Bieber soccer match. Looks like the local chicks hate her.

Why can't they just admit it? She's an idiot.

More death. The smartphone is really killing the PC. Even faster than predicted.

What we're tired of at the movies. You're kidding. They are doing a "Battleship" movie.

100-year old Ohio woman has had an account at the same bank since 1913. "I get along good because I don't have many wants."

Exercise Yard

Donald Brashear wins another fight. This time as an MMA fighter.

Visitor

None, on a sunny Sunday.

The anticipation for "The Tree of Life" is getting even higher. Terrence Malick is even allegedly coaching projectionists on the correct equipment settings.

But the Cedar-Lee has a Malick retrospective next week that somehow does not include "Badlands". They do have "The Thin Red Line" though. But they don't really write what makes the films special. We go to Nashville for that.

And they have "Badlands".

Meal of Links

It seems DJ Kishka gets more ink than Bic these days. Tireless promoting will do that. Niche is now permanently carved.

We go to walk our dog and we pick up a hitchhiker named Bono. WTF?

Here are 5 major companies that pay taxes. Maybe I should go to Costco.

No surprise. The global war on drugs has failed.

One of Sandra Bullock's early roles was in the US version of "The Vanishing". She's not in it very much (looks great, bitches at Kiefer Sutherland, does a cute little dance, then gets chloroformed) and it sucked. Ah, but the original, was much creepier and, by far, the better movie. And, of course, it did not have a Hollywood ending.

It's official. TV has run out of ideas. NBC reboots "Fear Factor". When does "Sledge Hammer" return?

Exercise Yard

If you find yourself watching the Stanley Cup Final (and how could you not with the Bruins FINALLY involved) Listen to the play-by-play guy. Here is Doc Emrick's story.

Visitor

26 Across: TV's Mrs. Peel (4 letters) Answer: Rigg

Usually, it's only Cleveland that ranks dead last in various and sundry lists. But this time it's all of America.

You see, the North Koreans just did a study and they found the No. 2 place for happiness in the world is...North Korea. They suck up to the Chinese and make them No. 1. Rounding out the Top 5 are noted cheerful places like Cuba, Iran and Venezuela.

The USA comes in dead last at No. 203.

Meal of Links

Bill Simmons and his new website, the ESPN-named Grantland. I think the neat thing is some of the writers are going to get more eyeballs on their work. And adding Klosterman and Gladwell to the roster are certainly not bad moves. I've been reading this guy since the AOL days and the good columns still outweigh the duds by a significant margin.

Your home and renting vs. buying. Obviously, the trend is renting.

Older Japanese are volunteering for nuclear plant cleanup. They feel they can't have the young participating.

Letterman has a "Drum Solo Week" next week. Sheila E. and Neil Peart show up.

If you hate Time Warner, read this. Very funny.

Was 2001 a good year for music? Missy Elliott, Daft Punk, Jay-Z, White Stripes and Kylie Minogue. With Minogue's great Michel Gondry-directed video, "Come Into My World". Plus his White Stripes stuff.

Palin's back. Trump and his pizza. He's like Mr. Pitt.

Exercise Yard

Here's how you get a World Cup in Qatar. From the Argentina head: "Yes, I voted for Qatar, because a vote for the US would be like a vote for England, and that is not possible." That's like Sam McDowell throwing a curve to Dick Tracewski.

The English still hate Sepp Blatter. But he ran unopposed and "Captain Corruption" gets 4 more years at the helm.

Visitor

61 Down: Big name in ice cream (3 letters) Answer: edy

While watching Bin Laden watching himself on TV...

Today is Kentucky Derby Day. Even if Uncle Mo had not been scratched, this was gonna be a pretty mediocre Derby. Let's face it, the favorite is probably going off at 5-1, which means you don't really have a favorite.

Regardless, I have lit upon two horses that I think have a chance. That would be:

#1 Archarcharch -and-

#17 Soldat

Archarcharch is your Arkansas derby winner. he has one of the best speed figures in the race. But he drew the dreaded #1 post. No doubt, he'll be flying late.

Soldat gagged as the Florida Derby favorite last time out. Maybe Thunder Gulch revisited? He's got the speed and class to win this. If he doesn't get to the front, does he like the dirt in his face? In Florida, that answer was a no.

Meal of Links

The other day, I visited Palookaville Chili for the first time. I had the Texas Beef Chili, Cornbread and Chili Chips. Chili and 2 sides is $9. I just wish the bowl of chili was bigger, because it was really good. I had cheese, sour cream, jalapenos and onions added. They don't add a lot of volume, but just enough for some more kick. No beans and really good beef here, so i understand the pricing. Cornbread was only so-so, the chips very good.

What happens when a merely distinct movie gets branded a "classic"? See "A Bronx Tale" at Cannes.

OK, I understand oil prices took a huge drop this week. But the increases at the pump lately are blamed on speculators and Bernanke.

I turn my head and Gus Johnson may be leaving CBS. I think Twitter exploded the other day.

The new era of Internet search. Answers, not just links.

"Hey, those Muslims make me uncomfortable." So, they are removed from the plane. their destination? A conference on prejudice against Muslims.

TV has officially run out of ideas. Now, it's a second sitcom based on the life of an ESPN Radio host.

They made a movie about Paul the Psychic Octopus. Seriously.

Seinfeld has his own website. Looks like a few clips per day.

Oprah should have waited to start her network. Already fired the CEO.

Catching up with D.A. Pennebaker. That guy knows how to shoot a doc.

The problems with celebrity charity. Lengthy read.

I've picked up a couple of Groupon deals. Here is their model.

This is very cool. The dogs of war.

Exercise Yard

Seve Ballesteros died today. Deserves every accolade he gets today. The most emotional golfer ever, truly an entertainer. Invented the European Tour, saved the Ryder Cup from its negligent period, and a 5-time major winner. If you think Phil Mickelson can't keep it in the fairway, you should have seen this guy. Really a big loss for golf at age 54.

Visitor

48 Down: "Tommy" rockers (6 letters) Answer: The Who

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

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

The anniversary of the BP oil spill is around the corner. I've been reading some conflicting things about where all the BP money went. First off, was the excellent Spillionaires article that got some attention. It implies St. Bernard Parish used BP as a makeup for Katrina. This got my attention: "Flush with cash from cleanup and claims, many fishermen bought new toys, boats and trucks. Sales at the nearest Chevrolet dealer rose 41 percent."

The AP reported local governments bought items not associated with cleanup activities with BP money.

Others are not getting compensated. And attorneys general are getting involved.

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Maybe not the death blow to online poker in the U.S. But close. This seems like an effort to sort of clean up online poker stateside before legalizing it. But it's all very confusing.

Matt Taibbi with another gem. Per Gale, his Imus appearance. Complete with a classic Kenneth "I'm a proper citizen" Dahlberg reference from "All The President's Men".

The trouble with Twitter. Now on their third CEO in three years. Plus horrible ad revenues means they still haven't figured out how to make money off the thing.

Drug songs. Three listens worth it: Rick James, The La's and Tom Petty.

This article actually hooked me. The current state of the Royal Family.

NBA playoffs start tomorrow. Shitty weather allows for max viewing opportunities. Leitch on Carmelo.

iRobot. Beyond the Roomba.

Exercise Yard

Coco's fro.

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57 Across: University of Cincinnati team (8 letters) Answer: Bearcats

When I first read how small the actual budget cuts are, I felt kinda duped. Seriously, $14.7 billion? Then President Obama delivered his budget speech and I felt better.

"Just when you think you're out, they pull you back in."

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Mickey Rourke opens up. Seems like he's just kickin' it until his rugby movie starts. Next year.

The Sidney Lumet tribute on Turner is April 21. Seriously, you need to watch "12 Angry Men", "Network" or "Dog Day Afternoon".

The rich don't want you to know these things about taxes. Germany does it better.

Don't forget, it's Coachella this weekend. Streaming is here via YouTube. LA Times coverage is here

The Dead Milkmen make an appearance. With "Bitchin' Camaro" video. "I hope those guys have a good sense of humor and don't take us to court."

Ganga alert. Jamaica may decriminalize marijuana.

Strange, but the best rock interviews I've read lately have been in Financial Times. First, it was Roger Waters. Then, they asked a buch of questions to the Foo Fighters.

"Everlong"/Foo Fighters (on Letterman)



Smart Ass Cripple talks about adult sippy cups. He doesn't like plaid blankets either.

FIGJAM. Just a regular guy. Yep, he's like us.

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When you want to know about sports and the law, you read Lester Munson. Here is his take on the Barry Bonds verdict.

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45 Down: Birch of "American Beauty" (5 letters) Answer: Birch

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.

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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.

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

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None, on a cloudy Sunday.

We've sure come a long way since you had to find a place with a satellite dish to watch March Madness. Then there were times you hoped CBS would show your alma mater on local TV. Then there were times you had to find a place that would show your alma mater via the dish. Then it moved to taking off work to watch the games. Then that moved to the incredible development of March Madness On Demand. But now that CBS has outsourced its coverage to truTV and Turner, what's up this year?

Coming to the rescue, SI has posted a viewing guide. To get eyes on truTV, the play-in games are on that channel this year. I finally located the regular truTV channel. Shouldn't I have that in HD by Tuesday? Like Marv Albert, apparently Time Warner Cable says, "Yessss!". I mean, I need my car chases in HD.

It looks like Cleveland will probably get the Nooners on both Friday and Sunday. I'll be there for both days, always a great time in person.

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It's the 35th anniversary of "Taxi Driver". AMC Theatres are showing it around the country, but not here.

Life sucks? Here's how to deal with the most annoying problems.

Juliette Binoche is in a new movie. What is it about Tuscany? I didn't think there were any rooms there.

Don't touch me.

Michelle Bachmann visits New Hampshire. She's Palin II.

Iron Man is taking advantage of his newfound fame. He's selling his house.

Tomorrow's anniversary? Microsoft had its IPO 25 years ago. If you sat on 100 shares at $21 per until today, you'd have $750,000.

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With March Madness coming up, I have watched many games this week. I was especially interested in San Diego State and how they would play BYU today. They handled them nicely. SDSU is very athletic and can hurt you several ways. Only 2 losses this year, both to BYU.

For bracket purposes, be mindful San Diego State has never won an NCAA tournament game. Last year, I had BYU going a long way. After today's game, I'm not sure I'll go with them again. If you shut down Jimmer Fredette or he gets no help, it turns out to be along day for them.

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58 Across: Band with the 1997 double platinum album "So Much for the Afterglow" (9 letters) Answer: Everclear