Sunday's conclusion of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" made me laugh really hard. Michael J. Fox and his Parkinson's. The soda kills me. Later on, Leon says, "If he handed you a carton of milk, you'd end up with a motherfuckin' milkshake." Leon is always good.

LD and Michael J. Fox on "Curb"



This season of "Curb" was probably one of the best. Oh, there were a couple of clunkers, but most times I laughed a lot this season.

Meal of Links

John Calley died today. Responsible for bringing many great movies to the screen. Especially at his stint at Warner Bros.

"Let him die." There is your republican healthcare answer.

10 Worst New Shows of the fall season. I have been watching "The Hour" on BBC America. But that's only got two episodes left. I would rather be watching Season 2 of "Terriers". "Archer" has a limited run starting this week on FX.

Doris Day has charted in the UK. Huh?

Talking with Nick Lowe. I've always enjoyed "Big Kick, Plain Scrap". And, of course...

"I Love The Sound Of Breaking Glass'/Nick Lowe



Bachmann and vaccines. Here we go.

Exercise Yard

NFL retirees are suing the NFLPA. Claiming they had no right to negotiate payments for them. I still think that 10-year deal sucked for the players.

Visitor

15 Across: Pop singer Brickell (4 letters) Answer: Edie

"What I Am"/Edie Brickell & The New Bohemians

A few thoughts...

Rick Perry and the "Ponzi Scheme" line about Social Security caught fire today.

Get used to it. ESPN has Monday Night Football for 10 more years. Hello, cable rate increase. Plus more Berman.

Interesting item about Carlos Carrasco's Tommy John surgery. Geez, they couldn't wait to get Jake Westbrook tossing on a one-year timetable. Carrasco? 12 to 18 months.

Jeff Tweedy Covers Black Eyed Peas



President Obama talks tough. Now that's the guy I voted for.

Buddy Holly would have been 75 this week.

"Well..All Right"/Buddy Holly



Meal of Links

Are you ready for some football? The broadcast maps are up! Somwhere Navin Johnson is dancing. Looks like it's Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots for the Browns.

I know he's bad, but today's Kevin O'Brien column was downright awful. Using semantics to deny the existence of a middle class is astoundingly stupid. Deconstructed here.

This is low. A mentally disabled guy got swindled out of a bunch of Superman memorabilia.

"Shaun Of The Dead". Incredibly funny.

Kate is told “Reality TV is not a career" by Jon Gosselin. Amen, brother...wait...WTF?

Missed last night's debate? Here are the Republican candidates in one sentence.

It's happened. Schweddy Balls Ice Cream! An instant classic from Ben & Jerry's.

Exercise Yard

The Arturo Gatti murder case will be reopened. Cyril Wecht says the original cause of death by suicide is fiction.

Visitor

17 Across: Former quarterback Peete (6 letters) Answer: Rodney

The words "Tea Party" are finally recognized as bad for a candidate. They could have asked me that two years ago.

Meal of Links

The Golden Globes is in legal turmoil. Dick Clark Productions negotiated a broadcast rights contract without the involvement of the Hollywood Foreign Press. Of course, renewal rights and money are at stake.

This is fantastic. Martin Scorsese is doing a remake of "The Gambler" with Leonardo DiCaprio. I can't help but be there on Day One. "The Gambler" is that hidden gem from the '70s with James Caan that I can't tout enough.

More important events than 9/11. Now that's an interesting read.

The science of sleeping. Brought to you by Overstock.com. Huh?

Bourdain talks about Southern food.

"50 Documentaries To See Before You Die" ends tomorrow. It's a pretty good post-1988 list. Number One is "Hoop Dreams", which went from rarely seen to almost a carved-up weekly feature on ESPN Classic.

Exercise Yard

Might be the last year to root for the Vikings in Minnesota. They are as good as gone.

Visitor

52 Down: Suave Butler (5 letters) Answer: Rhett

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

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

They had polkas at the Market today with DJ Kishka. So what better way to spend an afternoon than guzzling beer at Great Lakes Brewing. Had only been there once since the Great Smoking Controversy. That was for the Bourbon Beer Debacle as the annals report.

They are still on high alert when someone's about to smoke. No smokes inside the railing, Mister.

Anyhow, it truly is a Cleveland success story. Outside was packed. Beer garden was packed. Bar was packed. Downstairs was packed. At 2:00 on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon. I know they are closed on Sundays, but man, that's pretty good business.

Meal of Links

Bachmann left her church when she decided to run for President. Sort of a reverse Jeremiah Wright going on.

Fox News has a segment on hacking. Jocularity ensues.

Hope Solo: Blonde. Against Hope Solo: Brunette. Either way, she has to stop the type of goal she gave up against France.

Exercise Yard

Minnesota is in the throes of a government shutdown. Vikings owner decides this is the right time to continue lobbying for a new stadium.

Visitor

2 Down: Frontman on the 1987 debut album "Appetite For Destruction" (7 letters) Answer: Axl Rose

You can tell CSU has a new Athletic Director, I had been getting calls from my ticket rep a couple months ago about renewal. I was thinking, pump your brakes, dude, as I had been able to renew virtually up to tipoff of the new season. So, I get a letter today and their new renewal date is August 1.

I guess, like most schools, this allows them to sell the non-renewals as season tickets. It seems they also have lopped some heads in the athletic department. The new Senior Associate AD is a woman, so I assume she is being groomed to take over the whole thing eventually. They also have a new SID and The Ticket Guy is also gone.

Meal of Links

Are we witnessing the death of the DVD? Netflix adjusts pricing and divides streaming and DVD rentals.

Are you still reading the newspaper? There are the same number of newspapers in 2011, as there were in 1890.

"Mad Men" reruns on Sunday mornings, from the beginning. Time to catch up.

The most popular e-reader is? The Nook Color? Not Kindle? Mmmm.

I Will Not Be Riding "The Takabisha"



Can you think of a street sign that is constantly stolen? How about Stoner Avenue?

Joe Jackson. I think, at one time, I had memorized the entire "Look Sharp" album. So, "Got the Time" seems appropriate. This is my favorite song of his...

"Right And Wrong"/Joe Jackson



PolitiFact takes on Sarah Palin. And Slim Jims.

Exercise Yard

Michael Irvin champions gay marriage. Another twist in his story.

Visitor

25 Across: "Two Tickets To Paradise" singer (10 letters) Answer: Eddie Money (At the Pickerington Violet Festival in Pickerington on July 30)

Eddie Money Commercial

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 saw a most enjoyable film today from Tom McCarthy, "Win Win". This is the third movie I've seen from McCarthy, who also directed "The Station Agent" and got an Oscar-nominated performance from Richard Jenkins (you know, the guy Adrien Brody Googled) in "The Visitor". This one, by far, had the most laughs in it.

"Win Win" stars Paul Giamatti, as ever, as a lawyer whose business may not be doing so well these days. He also coaches wrestling at the local high school. Through a series of circumstances, a kid who decides to leave his Mom and live with his Grandpa (Burt Young, one of Giamatti's clients), ends up living with Giamatti's family. Did I mention the kid also has fantastic wrestling ability? You know, he's from Ohio.

This movie hits a home run (pins everyone?), because it's casting is spot on. Amy Ryan is Giamatti's wife. Jeffrey Tambor shares a business office with Giamatti and is the assistant coach. Bobby Cannavale, much like in "The Station Agent", provides lots of laughs. Rose from "Two and a Half Men" plays the wrestler's drug-addicted Mom and the woman of the crime family on "Justified" makes a small appearance as a lawyer. The wrestler, Alex Shaffer, has this Zen-like attitude, but gets to run the gamut of emotions, as well.

No complaints here. I thought it was well worth the time.

Meal of Links

David Simon vs. Mitch Landrieu. And why those houses in the "Treme" ads came down.

Tax the rich? It's hard, because they have clout. We do not.

Poor Slider



Who killed cap and trade? That really did fizzle out quickly, didn't it?

ESPN and its endorsement problems. Reporters and anchors can't have them, but analysts can.

Guess the bad Nicolas Cage movie. "The title refers not only to car thefts but to your hearing." I actually forgot that I saw "Family Man" in a theater. Makes you wonder what else was playing. I think that may have been a free pass.

The story behind the cover of "Abbey Road". Sort of a "Under The Covers Behind The Music".

Exercise Yard

I stumbled upon "The Brady 6" today. This NFL Films production highlighted the career of Tom Brady against the careers of the six quarterbacks taken ahead of him in the 2000 NFL Draft.

If you recall, one of those QBs was the Browns Spergon Wynn. If ever there was a clip to expose the coaching and talent evaluation ability of one Chris Palmer, you have to see the conversation between Palmer and then-Ravens coach, Brian Billick. Remember Wynn didn't even throw for 50% in college.

I'm paraphrasing here.

Billick; "You know, the guy I'm interested in seeing is this kid Wynn."
Palmer: "Oh, he's good. You know him."
Billick: "From where?"
Palmer: "Minnesota."
Billick: "Minnesota?"
Palmer: "Yeah, you were there at the same time."
Billick: "At Minnesota?"
Palmer: "At the university."
Billick: "Oh, the university."
Palmer: "He was there at the university."
Billick: "As what?"

Me: "F-u-u-u-u-u-u-ck."

So, we have Palmer, who never visited Donovan McNabb, thought Akili Smith might be a keeper, a renowned fan of how many revolutions a football takes out of a QB's arm, trying to prove to Brian Billick that he can spot QB talent. Ugh! To think they drafted Wynn ahead of Brady is sickening. I understand, with Tim Couch still at the helm, they would have never drafted Brady, but to see Palmer on this show harkens back to how lost those early years were for the return of the Browns.

Visitor

43 Down: "Talking Straight" co-author (7 letters) Answer: Iacocca (The secret to today's puzzle? The clues and answers had nary an "e" in them)

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

As I mentioned Wednesday, S. and I were at the House of Blues this past Sunday to see Dropkick Murphys. We originally were signed up for the dinner package which allowed us to have reserved seats by the sound board. But she used her feminine wiles to not only get us into the Foundation Room, but we were able to eat our dinner up there, too. Now this is the way to attend shows there, because you are absolved from dealing with the great unwashed.

This was an all ages crowd, because all ages were attending. So, when we occupied our seats, you were literally penned in amongst the crowd. You got moshers about 40 feet away, you got people standing around you amped up on God knows what, while you're calmly drinking your drinks and eating popcorn. Very surreal, because it was sold-out and very raucous.

Off With Their Heads

This was the opening act. I had never heard of Off With Their Heads. Sadly, I got bored with them real quick. Although they tried very hard, I think they stayed on about 3 songs too long. I'd probably use derivative or pedestrian to describe them. And if I hear that Dio-like space riff one more time, my head was gonna explode.

Against Me!

When the show was announced, I was thrilled to see these guys on the bill. I saw Against Me! with the Foo Fighters in Nashville and I liked them very much. But as I watched them, I was wondering. Why aren't these guys headlining? You have a following, you get airplay, you have a charismatic, good-looking dude as your front, you have a great sound, I don't get it.

Against Me! Setlist:

High Pressure Low
Pints of Guinness Make You Strong
From Her Lips to God’s Ears (The Energizer)
Cliché Guevara
Don’t Lose Touch
New Wave
White Crosses
Rice and Bread
I Was a Teenage Anarchist
White People for Peace
Walking is Still Honest
You Look Like You Need a Drink
Turn Those Clapping Hands into Angry Balled Fists
T.S.R. (This Shit Rules)
Bamboo Bones
Thrash Unreal
Sink, Florida, Sink

Dropkick Murphys

The Murphys just tore the roof off the sucka on Sunday. The familiar shifts between the Irish punk/hardcore and traditional anthems are still there. We saw a bagpipe, a flute, a violin, an accordion, a banjo, and other various and sundry items for musical purposes.

This was as intense a show as you'll see, as it was a constant bombardment of tunes. All in all, an awesome show, with the crowd whipped to a frenzied state as soon as "I'm Shipping Up To Boston" from "The Departed" started. A bonus, afterward back in the Foundation Room, was that we got to shake hands with founding Murphy, Ken Casey (the guy who looks like Chuck Booms), after the show.

Dropkick Murphys Setlist:

Hang ‘Em High
Captain Kelly’s Kitchen
Barroom Hero
The Gang’s All Here
Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya
Never Alone
Deeds Not Words
The State of Massachusetts
Memorial Day
Road of the Righteous
Curse of a Fallen Soul
Going Out in Style
Take ‘Em Down
Worker’s Song
Cruel
The Gauntlet
The Dirty Glass
Citizen C.I.A.
The Auld Triangle
Broken Hymns
The Irish Rover
I’m Shipping Up to Boston

Encore:

Kiss Me, I’m Shitfaced
Skinhead on the MBTA
Boys on the Docks

Meal of Links

The tsunami video is insane! 15 largest earthquakes. It did result, once again, in really bad Tsunami TV on our news networks. Ahem, it was dark! I saw the Weather Channel air not one, not two, but three know-nothing interviews with visitors, not residents. And claiming Waikiki was on the Big Island, but correctly identifying it as America. Hawaii updates are here.

The Canine Ten Commandments. Very nice.

The Baltimore cops and the Feds busted a drug ring. And they arrested Snoop from "The Wire". David Simon is sad.

Danny McBride confirmed what we probably already knew. Next year will be the last season for "Eastbound and Down".

Bonnaroo gets streamed this year. By Vevo.

I mentioned Brian De Palma the other day. Here's a primer. Great trailer from "Blow Out" with Lithgow looking menacingly around. Nicolas Cage over-the-top in "Snake Eyes". Why no scenes though?

The "Batting Stance Guy" now branches into comedy. I must say, the Shaughnessy and Boswell imitations made me laugh out loud.

"Baseball" Parody



The interaction between dog and man can't be understated. A slain soldier and his dog return to the UK.

Time to "Spring Ahead" is tomorrow. Is there any real reason why we do still need to do this dance?

More earthquake stuff. From The Big Picture.

Exercise Yard

The NFLPA decertifies. Really, the owners have been pointing to this day for years, what made us think the outcome would be different.

What If Gus Called The World Cup?



Visitor

52 Across: Biblical portrayer (7 letters) Answer: Delilah

Well, they said the airport got 8.9 inches of snow today and I firmly believe it. Because I shoveled it for a long period of time today. I had the plow come by twice today. The first time was the small deposit, as usual, at the end of the drive.

The second time? Yikes! It was as if the guy wanted to get to the exact measure of the curbside. I can't recall a dumping well up the driveway like that. I saw it up the street where he had not earlier because of a parked car and man, it just poured over the sides like a tsunami.

All we can do now is wait for the flooding.

Meal of Links

The Cavs made some interesting moves before the NBA trade deadline. But has the NBA become the EPL? There are parallels.

This may be why the App Store and Google Apps beat RIM's App World. It is a difficult process to become a developer.

50 ads starring Oscar winners. F. Murray Abraham and Richard Dreyfuss as tough New Yorkers. Dustin Hoffman for VW! George Clooney in a rather obvious Nespresso ad. Al Pacino likes coffee.

A look back at the movie version "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas". Johnny Depp is perfect as Hunter S. Thompson. I thought the scene where Depp is thrashing away with the fly swatter was genius.

Ken Jennings is still talking about Watson. Trebek was not happy.

Sympathizing with both Chuck Lorre and Charlie Sheen. I expect Charlie to visit just about every radio show in existence.

Americans is stupid. Only 52% think the healthcare reform act is the law of the land. 22% of our idiots think it has been repealed.

Would you pay a congestion fee at the supermarket. If it gets you ahead at Disney, why not the Iggle?

What is the real Best Picture? I think my last pre-Oscar task is the Live Shorts on PPV.

Kathleen Parker finally leaves "Parker Spitzer". I happened to catch a snippet of a program earlier this week and it was uncomfortable to watch. Spitzer asked multiple questions of Libyan experts while Parker sat there calmly, adding nothing to the proceedings. This continued when Spitzer even took the audience to the commercial break, which I thought Parker would do, to remind people she was still there. Unwatchable.

Exercise Yard

While the owners and the NFLPA are still meeting with the mediator, what to do about that schedule? Should it be 18 games or go back to 16 game in 18 weeks?

I think we are on track for the Super Bowl to become a Presidents Day Weekend tradition. Which would supplant Black Thanksgiving and the already-moved Daytona 500.

Visitor

19 Across: Danish poker star Gus (6 letters) Answer: Hansen

I saw another Oscar contender yesterday, "The Kids Are All Right". Annette Bening with a Best Actress nom, Mark Ruffalo for Best Supporting Actor, along with the movie itself for Best Picture.

Better than I thought, as Annette Bening and Julianne Moore (doing a Diane Keaton impersonation) play a lesbian couple. Each of them having a baby from sperm donor Mark Ruffalo's donation. The kids are now an 18-year old daughter (with Bening) and a 15-year old son (with Moore) who want to find out who their biological father is. The movie never explains why they went back with the Ruffalo model for their second child, but I assume they liked the way the daughter turned out.

Ruffalo plays a college dropout who now owns a restaurant and uses the products from an organic farm, down the road a piece, which he also owns. He starts to creep into the kids lives and finds himself having a lot in common with Moore. Bening senses she is falling out of favor with her all of her family, hence, her angst.

Ruffalo eventually hires Moore to do landscaping at his house. Because she's there all the time, they eventually have lots of sex, although I thought she was a lesbian. It is very mindful of the "Seinfeld" episode where Elaine tries to get a gay guy to switch teams, but he decides to stay on his own team, because he's a starting shortstop. Julianne Moore is like that in this movie.

Bening finds out that Moore and Ruffalo are having sex and the shit hits the fan. Everyone ends up disliking Ruffalo and Bening and Moore decide to stay together, with approval from the kids.

Overall, the movie is OK. The casting of the kids is spot on, and Bening and Ruffalo do a nice job, as well. How it got to Best Picture status, I do not know. Maybe someone needs to start Oscar Bracketology.

Meal of Links

Dave Duerson committed suicide late last week. He though he might have chronic traumatic encephalopathy and requested his brain be studied. He may be the first to realize he had the disease before his death.

Are we starting to see a second dotcom bubble. Signs point to yes.

Roger Deakins will probably end his jinx and pick up the Cinematography Oscar this year for "True Grit". He explains his shot of the year.

Exercise Yard

The unlikeliest driver, Trevor Bayne, wins the Daytona 500. And he gets the historic Wood Brothers team back in Victory Lane for the first time in 10 years. They had not been there since Elliott Sadler stole the spring Bristol race in 2001.

Earlier in the day, NASCAR blinked. With Lord Football moving closer, it seems, to an 18-game schedule, NASCAR moves the Daytona 500 one week later for 2012.

Visitor

None, on a sunny, snowy, rainy, sleety Sunday.

I finally recovered from the Tron Fest that was the Black Eyed Peas.

On to the Super Bowl commercials. Overall, I thought things were pretty tame or lame, I guess. I can't name one that you'll think about during the coming year and say, oh, yeah, that was a Super Bowl highlight.

Traditionally, there are two types of ads that suck. Those for cars and those for movies. That pretty much held this year. And, oh, how those car manufacturers really tried to get out of their rut. Clearly, the best car ad was Eminem touting Detroit for Chrysler, the first two-minute ad during a Super Bowl:



Now, most people will tout the VW ad with the kid as Darth Vader as the best one for cars, but for art's sake, the ode to Detroit was awfully cool.

I, for one, was very happy to see that CareerBuilder was back on board this year. And they brought back the original guy who works with chimps in clothes! Nebraska plates!



As for the good ads, that was about it. Honestly. Nothing else resonated and there were some really strange efforts.

OK, the Doritos ads. I thought the pug was going to go through the window. And the guy sucking fingers was awfully gross. Not funny.

The other car ads. Audi with Kenny G. just took too long to tell the tale. The new generation of rich prison escapees prefers Audi instead of BMW. Got it. Yawn. Chevy missed badly on the seniors who couldn't hear and the Silverado that replaced Lassie. The worst had to be Mini with the "Cram it in the boot". The suggestiveness of the ad (with a Craig Ferguson-like host) reaches over-the-top status with the "Cram Cam" showing the guy shoving the extra long sub into the rear of the Mini:



Go Daddy is really wasting money at this point, aren't they?

Best Buy has Ozzy and Bieber and produces a WTF?

Snickers showed how tough it was to follow the Betty White/Abe Vigoda classic. The casting of Richard Lewis and Roseanne as whiners is spot on, but it had a sense of been there, done that.

Even the beer commercials were so-so this year. The Bud Light one where the guy was dog-sitting scored very high, but I'm not sure that some of the others were not worth the effort. Bud, especially, previewed their ad during the Conference Championship games and the possibilities were endless. I actually perked up when I saw that Peter Stormare (Buscemi's partner form "Fargo") entered the bar as the cowboy. To have them eventually sing "Tiny Dancer" was a major letdown.



Of course, he'll never top "German engineering in da house, yah" when he was unpimping autos way back when:



The Stella Artois ad was, well, um, different:



And, lastly, the Groupon ad with Timothy Hutton. It may have missed being a classic by this much. Christopher Guest has directed all of their ads and there is a charitable bent to the ads. However, when you have to explain the joke, it's probably not funny. But, oh, so close. The opening line especially: "The people of Tibet are in trouble. Their very culture is in jeopardy. But they still whip up an amazing fish curry."



Not my rule, but the bottom line is you can't make fun of Tibet.

Meal of Links

Keith Olbermann goes to Current TV. Raise your hand if you've ever watched Current. I watched it a long time ago when they had home movies of U2. That was it. Sorry, Al.

Liam Gallagher has stopped fighting his brother and has a new band. It's called Beady Eye.

The Top 100 British Films. "Don't Look Now" is Number One. Boy, there are a lot at the top I haven't seen. "Trainspotting" was 10. "24 Hour Party People" checked in at 94.

A detailed look back at one of Richard Pryor's classics, "Blue Collar". And that ain't no comedy.

Confession? There's an app for that.

Sexiest Cinematic Psychos. The popcorn-feeding Cameron Diaz is on the list from "Vanilla Sky".

Great observation on the AOL-HuffPo merger. SEO Speedwagon.

No wonder the "Basterds" had trouble in that movie. How you tell time in Germany clues everyone in to where you live.

Prince takes a stand.

Is the Super Bowl getting out of hand for those who attend. How about that half a million flyover of an unopened stadium?

Exercise Yard

I heard Mike Florio from Pro Football Talk this morning, talking about NFL relocation. He said the new CBA would allow for not one, but two teams to relocate to Los Angeles. Acknowledging that would be the Chargers and the Vikings.

The topic of the Jaguars came up and he said don't sleep on London. If Lord Football moves there, I'm convinced there is no way that home team plays at Wembley, considering its hallowed ground status. However, the new Olympic Stadium is allegedly going to seat 60,000 for the EPL team that moves there. Be it West Ham or Tottenham Hotspur, so I think that's where they would play.

The London games at Wembley have been selling out and the Super Bowl had record ratings there.

Visitor

8 Across: Buster who played Flash Gordon (6 letters) Answer: Crabbe

I got my new front doors installed today. Well, almost. The drywall was not drying sufficiently (too cold in the foyer), so the guy has to come back and do the necessary sanding. Plus, I need a different sort of hinge on my storm door, so it can open up like it should. But it was a long day, as they got here at 9 and were finally wrapping up until almost 8. And, as I suspected, it was probably wishful thinking that it would take only one day.

Already had a neighbor call and she liked the way the doors looked. And I must say, from the inside they did a hell of a job of reconfiguring my round-top entry way. So, it'll just be a bit longer to have this project finished.

Meal of Links

Hot chicks at the Snowsports Industry America Show. Scull Candy sells headphones and earbuds, but who noticed? If they sold hot water, I think I'd buy it. Actually, the slide show was kinda disappointing.

It's the Renewal Scorecard. Which of your network TV favorites will get renewed?

John Lydon lives by the beach. And wouldn't we all like to do that?

Egypt is all fouled up. Al-Jazeera English was the place to be online earlier today.

I've seen their commercial and, trust me, they don't emphasize it enough. Denny's has $4 all-you-can-eat pancakes!

"Restrepo" airs February 2. On the National Geographic Channel. Terrific doc.

The movie, "Series 7: The Contenders", is awesome. I saw this over at the Shaker Cinema, where it was up for maybe a week. Surprisingly, this came out 10 years ago, before Reality TV really got going. In this movie, the contenders try to kill each other. Hey, now.

Charlie Sheen finally goes to rehab. I stuck up for him the other day, saying how I don't think he's missed any work. But that's good that someone decided to have an intervention.

The New York Times explains its WikiLeaks connection. Lots of cloak-and-dagger stuff, publishing-style.

Exercise Yard

A must-read from The New Yorker. Football and concussions.

Visitor

31 Across: 2008 Libertarian presidential candidate (4 letters) Answer: Barr

Well, I think everyone got the best of both worlds for the Super Bowl as it wound up Green Bay and Pittsburgh. Both games today should really not have been as close as they turned out. Green Bay started failing to convert several third and shorts and allowed Chicago to hang around way too long. Even with a gift interception for a TD, the Packers allowed the Bears to get right back in it.

As for the Steelers, that game should have been over at the half. The Jets failure to score after a lengthy 4th quarter drive destroyed any chance they had, even after they got a quick safety as a followup. I actually gained much respect for the Jets for not folding at the half. The Steelers made way too many mistakes with the ball in the second half to keep the Jets in it.

The Super Bowl got a terrific matchup with about as many angles as the press needs for the buildup to the game.

Meal of Links

I took advantage of the late NFL starts today to see "The Fighter". It's the well-documented story of the boxer Micky Ward and his crack-addicted trainer, Dick Eklund, who is also his brother. Yeah, it's a boxing movie, so I had to see it.

The boxing sequences almost bordered on lame here. Really nothing memorable. You get an over-the-top performance from Melissa Leo as Ward's mother, who also served as his business manager for a time. Basically Ward was the family corporation and the movie details how his career got better when he got better management, meaning Leo had to take a backseat.

Christian Bale as Eklund is the gem here, as always. Like the young DeNiro, he immerses himself in any character he plays. Gets the crack addict persona down, with almost as much weight loss as he had for "The Machinist". You cannot believe this is the same guy that plays the Dark Knight. Mark Wahlberg as Ward is kinda so-so. I thought he didn't come close to demonstrating how tough of a fighter Ward was. And Amy Adams gets a sassy role for a change.

I expected better here. Ward himself says over the closing credits that he was glad the filming of the movie was finally over, as if he was tired of reliving his past. It's a decent enough tale, but somehow the movie went off the tracks just enough to not put it into the must-see category. Curiously, the movie ignores Ward's greatest triumphs a a boxer, the Ward-Gatti Trilogy. With the strange circumstances of his death, maybe that will be detailed in the Arturo Gatti Story.

Jack LaLanne finally unplugged his juicer. He was 96 and quite a fascinating individual.

Now we know the reason (well, 4.6 million of 'em) Baby Doc went back to Haiti. Straight cash, homey.

Exercise Yard

Yesterday, a pro bowler shot 100 in a televised match. It was the lowest score ever by a professional on TV. His opponent? He shot a 299.

Visitor

None, on a really cold Sunday.

I finally saw "Black Swan". But I'm not sure what I witnessed. Keep in mind, I've seen all of Darren Aronofsky's movies. Yes, I even paid to see "Pi".

Well, here we go. Natalie Portman plays a ballerina who's kinda getting up there in age. Winona Ryder plays the most recent oldie who gets tossed out on her ass. Portman sees this, while coveting the lead in an upcoming version of "Swan Lake". You know, where you have to dance the part of the White Swan and also the Black Swan. But Portman has a tough time connecting with her inner Black Swan. Even to the point of turning away the ballet director's advances.

That's where Mila Kunis comes in. At first, I thought Kunis was maybe a figment of Portman's imagination, because Natalie is, to be kind, mentally fragile. A perfectionist, she resents how natural Kunis is as a dancer and also as a human, it appears. In effect, her complete opposite, rather Black Swan-like that Kunis. Tatted up, a smoker, funny, out to have a good time, that's Mila all right. BTW, Portman lives with her mother, Barbara Hershey, who can be charitably described as overbearing, still a stage Mom at Portman's advanced balletic age.

Early on, before given the part, Portman has a dream where she is dancing the Black Swan. So, I guess the movie is a series of real-life hard work dancing combined with horrific dreams as Portman works to find that inner Black Swan. Because we have skin peeling, we have lesbian sex, we have Portman's body literally breaking, we have her Mom's paintings talking, we have Portman literally becoming a Black Swan.

At least, I think that was what happened. Not a huge WTF, but close.

Meal of Links

Don Kirshner died. "Don Kirshner's Rock Concert" was always a hoot.

Weird exam answers. Might have seen these before, but still funny.

Wanda Jackson has a new album. Produced by Jack White.

God bless Finland. They are happy and wealthy.

Baltimore and David Simon are still debating "The Wire". Still.

Going off-script. Shouldn't Don Knotts be in here somewhere?

Joe Lieberman bags it. But he would not have won anyway.

If you're young...look at all the things you missed.

Exercise Yard

Anyone with half a brain knows how great Aaron Rodgers has become lately as QB of the Packers. There was a hit piece done by Pro Football Talk over the weekend of him avoiding signing an autograph for a cancer patient. At last, PFT apologizes.

Visitor

20 Across: Group with the #1 hit "ABC" (14 letters) Answer: The Jackson Five

I'm ba-ack.

What happened while I was away?

President Obama made a speech at the Tucson Memorial on Wednesday that was fine. But I thought the crowd (i.e. the Arizona students) were completely off the mark with their reactions. I mean, it was a memorial, not a pep rally. And the Native American blessing was straight out of the SNL playbook. With a National Anthem singer who looked like Glenn Beck...well, there you go. This touches on issues I had with the whole thing. Especially about the "rain puddles".

Pat Shurmur was hired as Browns coach. And Browns Version 2.5 begins. I guess we're running a 4-3 and Shurmur will call his own plays. That's about all we learned about Shurmur at yesterday's presser, along with his Eric Wedge-like use of the word "process".

And they finally broke ground on the Medical Mart yesterday. Glad to see the uninvolved like Kasich and Fitzgerald grabbing a shovel.

I craved beer all week, so I requested this song at the Happy Dog.

"I Like Beer"/Tom T. Hall



Meal of Links

Pope John Paul II is getting closer to becoming a saint. I guess he performed a miracle somewhere down the line. But you need two. Lemme guess, we'll hear about that soon after the beatification.

Football's chattiest announcers. Number One is Kevin Harlan, who I really like. The least? Kenny Albert, who I cannot stand.

Best docs of 2010. Ebert's doc picks. The Most Underappreciated Movies of 2010.

I forgot to mention this. Queensland is flooded and it's Brisbane, as in Lisbon. Not Bris-bane.

"Hannah Montana" is over. The problem I have with this show is it gives kids free reign to say unfunny stuff.

The TV press is out in Cali with all of the networks. Interesting news from Showtime. "Californication" is renewed, I don't watch this very much. "Dexter" is said to have a "long shelf life". And they are going to do a "24/7" HBO-like series on the San Francisco Giants next year.

The real genius of "Real Genius". This movie has grown on me over the years.

Should the idea of death threats on Sarah Palin be scrutinized. You betcha.

Tunisia is all fouled up.

Exercise Yard

More NFL Playoffs today. This weekend has three of the four games looking good on paper, and I think Chicago-Seattle will surprise, as well.

The picks (and I can't believe I have three road dogs):

Ravens +3
Packers +2.5
Patriots -8.5
Seahawks +10

Visitor

14 Down: Jim with 589 lifetime homers (5 letters) Answer: Thome "Essentially, Thome last season had the best hitting season for any part-time player since World War II. And by a lot..."

The shooting of Congresswoman Giffords is a tough one to take. You know, the crosshairs, the rhetoric, etc. surrounding a rather conservative Democrat. But let's focus on the reporting for a bit, because we don't know much about the shooter (obviously a nutbag), his motives, or even if there is another person involved.

We've gone from Giffords being shot, to her being dead, to her "responding", to optimism about a recovery, to an induced coma, to now that she never awoke. How does that happen? If you are shot through your head, brain actually, optimism for recovery means what exactly? I sense that you'll survive, but at what capacity? That appears to be overlooked at the present. Maybe too tough to take, but man, there seems to be a lot of guessing or misinformation distributed over the airwaves.

Meal of Links

Kenny Dalglish goes back to Liverpool. This is comparable to Elvis returning. Of course, Liverpool lost their first game, an FA Cup match with Man U, upon his return. But, we'll always have this to look fondly on...

The Roy Hodgson Facerub



The 41 places to go this year. Even Durham, NC makes the cut.

BTW, my bad. Those weren't crosshairs, they were surveyor's symbols. Of course.

Exercise Yard

Seattle-New Orleans was a fun game to watch yesterday, really from nowhere. And the Jets beat Indy.

Today, Packers-Eagles looks good in the late game. I'll take the Pack and I really think the Ravens take it to KC.

Marshawn Lynch's Latest Highlight



Marshawn Lynch's Best Highlight



Visitor

None, on a cold, sunny Sunday.