Today, in tech world, it was like Black Friday. Because the HP TouchPads were being dumped on the market at prices that would make Crazy Eddie proud.

Two of the biggest online retailers haven't dropped their price yet. That would be Newegg and Amazon, but that'll happen later today or tomorrow. Best Buy claims they still have some in-store and will be sold starting tonight or tomorrow, but that seems completely random, as they allegedly sent all their stock back. But the Office Depot/OfficeMax/Staples Axis of Evil seems to be out. As are Target and Wal-Mart and your warehouse clubs.

Meal of Links

Groupon is running low on cash. This is really good insight as to how the company actually operates and how they get paid. And how accounting principles allow you to tell a story that is kinda true.

Probably the quintessential piece on the demise of Borders. The last time I was in the Crocker store was last Christmas and could not believe how much that store had changed. Especially when I found they now opened at 10:00.

Controversy about the Gay Softball World Series. Who knew?

Emeritus interviews Michael Vick in GQ. I found it interesting that after probation ends next summer, Vick can legally own a dog.

You can get a PBR around here for, what, $2? In China, that'll set you back $46 a bottle.

The new sports talker in Cleveland starts on August 29. Finally.

The Postal Service has to change for its survival. The battle starts in Washington when the recess ends.

Top 10 things you don't need to buy because they are already in your home. Vick's VapoRub solves itching? WTF?

Did the Libyan rebels actually pull this off? Gadhafi flees Tripoli. I guess illegal wars can work.

I see Wolf Blitzer once in a while. Yes, he's boring.

This is why Jon Huntsman matters. A Republican who says you can't shun science.

Finally got a look at "Ebert Presents: At The Movies", while stumbling around the dial after the Browns and Indians last night. A trip down memory lane as Roger and Gene talked about overlooked acting of the '80s. Got affirmation when Gene mentioned Gene Hackman in "The Conversation" and Roger piped up with James Caan in "The Gambler". Looks like WVIZ runs this on Fridays at 10:30 with overnight reruns on early Saturdays and Sundays.

Recent news about Ted Williams. The voice guy.

Exercise Yard

A nice story about the Tribe. Well done, men.

Visitor

37 Across: Classic Leontyne Price role (4 letters) Answer: Aida

I must confess, today's Klitschko-Haye fight was an abomination. This was wrong on so many levels from one of the strangest ring entrances by both fighters (featuring cameos by Lennox Lewis and George Foreman) to an apparent lack of security ringside. Plus, this was held at an outdoor stadium in Hamburg where patrons only 10 rows back were getting rained on. All sides should be glad there was no controversy or this could have ended badly for lots of people.

One more thing, the ring entrances were so tardy, HBO comes on at 4:45 local time and the opening bell sounds at about 5:27. Lamps kept blaming German TV. Anyhow, once the fight started, Roy Jones insanely insisted Haye's strategy was to beat Klitschko with one punch and it didn't matter when it came. Larry Merchant, around Round 5, said that may be true, but Haye was wasting his time. God bless Larry Merchant! Harold Lederman with, "Haye bobs, he weaves, he ducks, he moves. But he doesn't throw any punches." It was that bad.

For Haye didn't do anything. He had a habit of ducking around Klitschko's knees and Klitschko would oblige him by helping him to the mat. This happened about 5 times, like bad wrestling, before Klitschko had a point deducted for pushing. It continued later a few more times, and Haye even made a feeble attempt to steal another point. Finally, late in the fight, the ref, fed up like everyone else, gave Haye a standing-8 to stop him from doing it.

I wish I could describe any action. But it was like that movie title, give me "Something, Anything", and until a bit of a flurry in Round 12, there was nothing.

The disappointment of this fight is endless. I have to believe HBO will go back to avoiding the heavyweights. After the fight, Haye blamed a broken toe, suffered three weeks ago, as an excuse, and didn't want to drop out. You know, for the fans. Last time I looked, you don't throw punches with your feet.

Each guy got paid between $15 and $20 million for the bout. Haye should get down on his knees and thank his favorite deity for that check. For the "Hayemaker" should retire before he's known as the "Paytaker".

This one will leave a bad taste in everyone's mouth for quite a while. Or, maybe not, as the heavyweights will continue to be ignored.

Meal of Links

Kutcher vs. Village Voice seems to have more fight than the boxing match. Advertisers are leaving.

The Top 100 Products on Amazon. I actually have that OXO Can Opener and the OXO Tongs. Those tongs are great for the grill. Also have the "iPad Blender", but it's not an iPad. It's a Blendtec. Love that thing. Got an insane deal on it earlier this year.

NYPD blows up 5,000 lbs. of illegal fireworks...

Happy Birthday, America!



It was sort of tragic to see Spike Lee in attendance at the NBA Draft. He hasn't made a feature film in thre years, because he can't get funding.

Exercise Yard

The Tour started today. Two major pileups. The booed Alberto Contador is way back already. He'll be the story, if he catches up.

Visitor

15 Across: "The Defense Never Rests' co-author (10 letters) Answer: F. Lee Bailey

I've been in somewhat of a cinematic mode this week.

I discovered I had some passes from the Capitol that were due to expire tomorrow. The only non-pass restricted engagement this week was "Kill The Irishman", so I went. Spoiler alert: Danny Greene gets blown up. Shawshank alert: The guy who ran Shawshank is back in this one as the union boss before Greene ran him out.

This was better than I thought it would be. Not the greatest, but interesting to see Hollywood's take on the story. For sure, Greene was made out to be the Robin Hood of Collinwood, but overall, it was a decent story. What hooked me was the old actors who got to chew on some scenery. Paul Sorvino, Robert Davi, Tony Lo Bianco and Christopher Walken, all professionals here. Walken as Shondor Birns made me laugh, because he's just playing Walken, but it fits. Even Vinnie Jones (old "Bullet-Tooth Tony") shows up as Keith Ritson.

A nice trip down memory lane. Even though it was filmed in Detroit.

Lots of movies to see at the Cleveland International Film Festival, but so little time to see them. I actually made it to the HBO presentation of "Bobby Fischer Against the World", by Liz Garbus. HBO is showing this doc over the summer and I urge you to watch. It's a pretty compelling view of the rise and fall of Fischer.

Hard to comprehend now, but in 1972, Bobby Fischer may have been the most famous person in the world. And he played chess! Great archival footage and photographs from that time. Even "Wide World of Sports" is there, covering Fischer-Spassky.

You get the chess genius of Fischer, a US champ in his teens. The defeat of Spassky. His complete withdrawal from the game. His sudden re-emergence and subsequent exile from the US. And his demise, following his anti-US rants, post-9/11.

A very good documentary.

Meal of Links

This explains why the Michigan film industry is probably dead. Those tax credits got rolled back. Let's see if Ohio can make it work.

Interested in the Royal Wedding? Here are the media in attendance. Even the Weather Channel will be there. They better send Jim Cantore to see if he brings bad weather everywhere.

March Madness fans have spoken. It's back to Luther's version of "One Shining Moment". The last one with Luther had Raft with the famous "Onions! Double order!!" from Siena-Ohio State.

Thank God for "Archer". It stayed out of the Danger Zone and got renewed.

"Archer"/Danger Zone



20 great songs from movie trailers. "The Lake House" made it. And "(500) Days of Summer". Check that one out, if you haven't seen it.

Matt Howard is from Connersville, IN. That city chipped in to help his parents see Butler in the Final Four Fear the Glasses!

What's up with baseball cards? The 2011 sets look pretty good, especially those Allen & Ginters.

"Mad Men" seems to be in chaos. Rumors are some characters need to be axed. That means you, January Jones.

Boots on the ground. Boots on the ground. In Libya. Only for (ahem) "intelligence gathering".

Costco sells wedding dresses. And giant cans of olives. "Lindsay, Jerry, Lindsay".

Exercise Yard

Baseball starts tomorrow. Guess what happened 30 years ago? Fernandomania!

Rookie of the Year, Cy Young Award winner, Silver Slugger winner, World Series ring. That's a nice start to a career.

Visitor

17 Across: Whip-cracking cowboy of old films (9 letters) Answer: Lash Larue

After bolting from work early today, a huge crowd of 8 saw Russell Crowe in "The Next Three Days". It was worth it to hear my Dad bitch about the Senior price at the Regal.

Anyhow, Crowe is a teacher at a community college in Pittsburgh. Yes he is, and they actually filmed it in Pittsburgh. He's married to Elizabeth Banks who conveniently gets arrested, charged and convicted of the murder of her boss rather quickly. This allows the appeals process to peter out, as Banks is housed at county during that timeframe. Without makeup.

After that, Russell has to decide how he's gonna get Banks out of jail and he sets up a meeting with Liam Neeson, a prison breaker turned author. Liam has broken out of seven jails. That sounds good on paper until you realize he keeps getting sent back to to the hooskau.

So, Crowe goes about plotting how he can spring Banks. He needs cash, passports, IDs, weapons, and most importantly, a plan on how to get her out. Neeson sets expectations at 15, then 35 minutes. You see, roadblocks, train stations, airports will all be set up to stop you, by those times. Now Neeson is onscreen for maybe 5 minutes but he outlines what Crowe needs to do, even telling him to pick a destination where Americans don't normally travel. "Think Yemen." Then we see Crowe for about the next hour or so do just that. Plot.

In the meantime, I get to stare at Olivia Wilde who shows up in a rather thankless role. Brian Dennehy is also here as Russell's father, but I don't stare at him. Then we get onto the prison break and the start of the lam.

Not bad, by any means, but not much potential to do much else with it. No one is great in it and no one is terrible.

Meal of Links

A slideshow of 40 people from "Twin Peaks". Of course, I read every word. Even David Lynch is sorta still acting.

Thanksgiving facts. I hate Green Bean Casserole.

Go ElfYourself! This time with a float.

21 ads from the '80s. Did Taco Bell really serve tacos that large?

It depends on what your definition of an earmark is.

Motor Trend named the Volt its Car of the Year. Rush Limbaugh didn't like that and attacked Motor Trend. Motor Trend fought back. It really is a brilliant rebuttal.

Salon just finished its list of the hackiest pundits. Definitely worth reading.

Don't Stop Believin' in Robocop



Remember when you could shop for records? Check out the Black Friday vinyl. Lots of Christmas-y stuff, including Sinatra. Local participants here.

Exercise Yard

Hustler loses the case of publishing photos of Nancy Benoit. No damages yet.

Visitor

39 Down: Aniston's ex (4 letters) Answer: Pitt

Drew (picking up Clooney air miles these days) and I were at O's last night. First time I had a burger there. I selected the J.V. Burger. On an English muffin, with a bit of bacon, tomato, lettuce and bleu cheese. Very good. And, of course, I had the Tomato Soup.

They had the Cavs and the World Series on, as well. So, it was a good time. Drew may be the only person I know who has been to New Brunswick. Not a suburb of Brunstucky. Canada.

Meal of Links

Jim Rome started a day early and warned everyone with his annual "If you are older than 12, and you are wearing a Halloween costume, you are a loser" rant. How appropriate are costumes at work?

Frank Jarvis died. Don't know him? He was a driver in "The Italian Job". You know, the one where Michael Caine says, "Just remember this. In this country they drive on the wrong side of the road."

Could "Moneyball" work at Liverpool? Not sure. Just because there will be a cut in player wages isn't an automatic adoption of "Moneyball" principles. Huge late Saturday match this week: Manchester United vs. Tottenham.

Here are 15 Black Friday myths. I have snagged some good deals on Turkey Day before, without waiting until Friday. This year, I'm trying for a Thermapen.

Remember Newy Scruggs?



Danno gets booked for heaven. Last of the original Five-O cast.

"I'm about to fuck you up with some truth." "Big Love" ends. Both "Bored to Death" and "Eastbound and Down" get renewed by HBO.

Karl Rove blasts Sarah Palin. Keep your eyes on Delaware, Nevada and Alaska on Tuesday.

How do these pumpkin offerings from chains actually taste? I had a pumpkin muffin from Giant Eagle last week that was really good.

The 10 Most Disturbing Horror Scenes of the past decade. Didn't see any of them.

This is old news. Really. I heard this shortly after the controversy died down that this was a prime motive of all involved.

Exercise Yard

A look back at the post-season managing of Mike Hargrove with the Indians. Oh, God, the pain.

They're all here:

1995: Jim Poole in Game 6 of the World Series.

1996: Casey Candaele pinch-hitting for Jim Thome in Game 3 of the ALDS vs. Baltimore. Jose Mesa for a FOURTH inning in Game 4.

1997: Surprisingly devoid of stupidity.

1999: Jaret Wright in Game 3 of the ALCS. Forcing both Bartolo Colon and Charles Nagy to go on three days rest.

2001 (OK, this was by Uncle Cholly): With Ricky Rincon warming up, Bartolo Colon remained in the game to pitch to Ichiro.

Hence, no title since 1948.

Visitor

2 Down: Stern with a Strad (5 letters) Answer: Isaac

Well, the Browns are getting closer, but still do not have a win after three games. That is three straight years and four of the last five that the Browns have lost their three games. So, when we say we've seen this before, we have. Once again, they grabbed a lead in the 4th quarter, only to have the defense fail again at the most important point of the game.

Good things today:

Peyton Hillis ran for 144 yards. Doubly important because it was against the Ravens.

Phil Dawson nailed his first field goal of the year.

Bad things today:

Eric Wright was bad defending Anquan Boldin today. Very bad. Boldin had 8 catches for 142 yards and 3 TDs, mainly against Wright. Wright will be the whipping boy this week.

Joe Flacco had his best game for the Ravens this year. Beautiful throws on all three TDs.

8 penalties this week. I'm sure everyone has noticed. No laps being run in training camp equals more penalties.

4 of 11 on third down conversions.

Seneca Wallace with 5.5 yards per pass attempt. QB rating be damned.

Browns lose, 24-17.

Meal of Links

Deal News has posted their Black Friday predictions. This isn't exactly a primer on what to buy, but helps you plan for the deals you will probably see come November. You know, that 52-in. TVs will see better prices than 55-in. TVs.

F-R-E-E. That spells free. As in free stuff.

Polls:

Jack Conway pulls close to Rand Paul.

Ted Strickland is within the margin of error with John Kasich.

Reid ahead of Angle in Nevada.

A history of malt liquor. Plus, a look at the advertising.

Exercise Yard

Another dead wrestler. This time it's El Gigante.

Wrestling is real. The Browns are fake.

Visitor

None, on a cloudy Sunday.

Everywhere I went this morning, it was pumpkins.

Marc's is selling punkins for $3.99. Does that seem early to be selling pumpkins? I am not sure, but they looked pretty good.

I got a pumpkin muffin at Giant eagle for 99 cents and it was awfully good.

As I passed a Dunkin Donuts, they were trumpeting their pumpkin muffins are back.

It's only 38 days to the Pumpkin Festival.

Meal of Links

I've actually seen this for myself. Rottweilers as great pets.

Check this out. "Dexter", "Bored to Death" and "Eastbound and Down" all return on September 26.

A 9/11 widow speaks about lots of things. And the mosque.

The Matrix Dude



What does Lou Reed have to with Susan Boyle? It's a "Perfect Day".

Last night, they screened "2001: A Space Odyssey". One audience member decided to relive the past by dropping acid during the flick. Not fun for the other audience members.

Roger Ebert resurrects "At the Movies". It's back to PBS. Now the key is airing at a time when most humans are awake.

Hollister and immersive retail. I think this is why I avoid department stores and malls.

Exercise Yard

I know very few probably saw it. But that looked like the 2007 Fausto Carmona last night. He threw a pitch in the 9th, that was reminiscent of "Eight Men Out":

"Did you see that pitch?"

Visitor

38 Across: Nickname of 1950s Reds slugger Ted (3 letters) Answer: Klu

Did you ever take a look at something that obviously needed to be fixed, like a water main, and it seems no one's really in a hurry to fix it? Late last week, there seemed to be a water main that burst or a major leak on Ridge Road by Biddulph. Tons of water.

Later that day, there were at least two other places up the road a piece where the water department was addressing situations. I swear one part looked like Old Faithful. Now that was a gusher. I think they needed those fixed, before they could move on.

It's funny, they had the wood prepared to build their walls around the problem for two days and finally had it constructed today. I wonder if they have to wait for experts, or if they are really that busy. Meanwhile, we still have water escaping in parts.

Meal of Links

Inside the secret world of Trader Joe's. I am not sure we learned any deep, dark secrets, but it is interesting.

Do you remember quicksand? All I remember is that it always popped up when you least expected it. And it seemed like a horrendous way to go. Although someone could rescue you, typically with that large, unattended branch that happened to be nearby.

Karl Pilkington travels the world. And then whines about it. Maybe there will be "Monkey News"?

Jim Jarmusch is planning a documentary on the Stooges. Iggy, not Curly.

TicketMaster knows you hate service fees. They are now attempting to change their policy and let you know upfront what you'll be charged. But they will keep charging for the fees.

20 things to know about travel. I have to believe if we had the same off-time as Europe, we would all travel a lot more.

We will get bombarded this week with remembrances of Katrina and rightly so. Here is a record to download to help some organizations in New Orleans.

Damn, it's a traffic jam. One that goes for 60 miles in China.

It's amazing how things can evolve so quickly these days:

"Bed Intruder Song"/North Carolina A&T Marching Band



Frank Costanza goes home. Reminisces about paella. Watch the video, it's rather sweet.

Remembering Hank Thompson. Get that "Six-Pack To Go".

America isn't buying houses. Key quote: "The number is so low that it looks like a statistical aberration: let’s hope it is. Because if it isn’t, the news is gruesome. It means that despite record-low mortgage rates, people aren’t able to buy houses: essentially all the benefit from those low rates is going to people who already own their homes and are taking the opportunity to refinance."

Exercise Yard

Tim Couch has a new job. He'll be an analyst on a weekly SEC show.

Visitor

15 Across: Linguist Chomsky (4 letters) Answer: Noam

Movie time.

Last night, it was "The Natural" at the Palace. Part of the annual Cinema at the Square series from Playhouse Square. Of course, it was good to see it on the big screen. I was perplexed by some of the crowd reaction, but I sensed there was a portion of the crowd that hadn't seen it before. And, yes, it is preposterous that a guy can sit out 16 years and then be the toast of baseball. But, then again, he's Roy Hobbs. There was actually applause after Hobbs did this.

Roy Hobbs First At-Bat



I also thought it went faster. When you watch it on commercial TV, well, you're doomed to at least a three-hour window. Last night, though, it was like they left out a reel, it was moving along so nicely. "The Natural" is an old favorite of mine. Great cast, the Oscar nominations of Randy Newman's score and Caleb Deschanel's cinematography, a real throwback to a much simpler time. When men wore hats and ties and women dressed up to go to the ballpark.

Today, it was over to the Cinemark to see the Mark Wahlberg-Will Ferrell comedy, "The Other Guys". Ferrell didn't have to carry this comedy by himself and with the help of Wahlberg, they cranked out quite a few laughs. Ferrell was obviously Ferrell, but the lines were distributed throughout the cast, which was surprisingly good. Steve Coogan, Eva Mendes and Micheal Keaton, who actually showed some of the old Keaton comedic chops here, were along for the ride. Keaton, especially, tossed off philosophy culled from TLC songs. Samuel L. and the Rock were unbelievably funny as a Supercop duo, as well.

My favorite Ferrell line was: "Gator needs his gat, bitch." Without context that means nothing, but I thought it was the funniest line of the film.

Kind of a shock, but the closing credits give us a lesson on the financial crisis. Very cool design. Odd place for a very effective statement, but we get to hear Rage Against The Machine sing "Maggie's Farm" and another song from the film, "Pimps Don't Cry".

Meal of Links

Fuel that car. With whisky?

Celebrity Spotting Saturday. I saw Marc from Marc's at the Ridge Park Square Marc's.

Creepy fish. Great, I just know that stone crab is going to show up in a dream of mine.

5 cinematographers on the rise. Some good stuff there.

Not exactly "Behind the Music". But sort of, with Tears for Fears.

Exercise Yard

Did we learn anything from the Browns-Rams game tonight? Maybe some things. At first, the Browns, trying to be a bad weather team, couldn't hang onto the ball in the bad weather. I thought the Browns should have been embarrassed, trailing 13-10 at the half. They didn't have a first down until the end of the first quarter.

A solid NFL team would have had a 21-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. The fact is the Browns have faced starters who have thrown only two incompletions, thus far. Uh oh. They couldn't stop Steven Jackson in his only series. If it were not for the ineptitude of the Rams play-calling, this would have been a rout. As Bernie Kosar noted, it had to be frustrating for Sam Bradford, who really was not given any chance to shine.

Jake Delhomme, once again, was solid. Not throwing the killer interception. Benjamin Watson had a lovely one-handed catch on an awful throw by Delhomme that went to replay, but was obviously a TD.

We will be hearing a lot about Peyton Hillis this week. The Browns seem to want to establish Hillis as the "tough yards guy". But I gotta pump the brakes on that one a bit. Hillis had an early run that kind of woke the crowd up. He bulldozed several guys and refused to go down on a 9-yarder. Instant fan favorite. Actually had several touches during the Browns first scoring drive. Same for the Browns second scoring drive.

But I gotta tell ya, there were two plays regarding Hillis that stood out for me. The Browns were on the Rams 24 in the first half and Hillis had blocking that was TD-worthy. I mean, they cleared out everyone. Hillis got tackled in the open field for about a 2-yard gain. A quicker back is doing an endzone dance. Later on, he failed miserably on a 4th down call. When they needed three, he got about half that. Listen to the call-in shows this week. His name will be prominently mentioned. I need to see a lot more before sainthood is in the offing.

Colt McCoy and Brett Ratliff need work. Chansi Stuckey was as slow as dirt on his first big catch, as he ran 28 and was timed with a sundial. Hate to keep harping on speed, but we have none on either side of the ball. Get used to it. This team is not throwing the deep ball. Again. Other than that, it was quite the yawner.

Browns lose, 19-17.

Visitor

3 Down: 2010 FIFA World Cup finalist (4 letters) Answer: Neth

I liked the feature on Danny Greene in the PD today. Now, let's hope these projects can match what we remember from those times.

Meal of Links

Can a matchmaker be a matchmaker, even if she dumps her fiance? I'm leaning toward no.

The five best deal-hunting sites. I swear by Dealnews.

Undoubtedly, you know they will build a mosque near Ground Zero. Before we continue to literally raise holy hell about it, check out its neighbors. Including two strip clubs.

Reminiscing with George Barris. He only made the Batmobile, K.I.T.T., the "Back to the Future" DeLorean among others.

"Smells Like Rockin' Robin" Mashup



Pop-Culture Legos.

They found a new type of monkey species. In the titi monkey family. Monkeys and titis, what can I say.

Exercise Yard

So, I'm watching the PGA. It looks like Dustin Johnson is in a playoff until a tour official says, "Not so fast, my friend." It seems he played his second shot from a bunker and grounded his club. The two-stroke penalty eliminated him from the playoff. I get all that.

But what was with the horror that CBS claimed? Clearly, on their clips of the 18th hole they were showing all week, you can see the damn bunkers on both sides of the fairway. What, they magically disappear when the people are standing in them?

Then the PGA says look at the course sheets for rulings on these bunkers. Number One on the list. Plus, it had happened in the 2004 PGA played there, for precedent.

Sure, it was unfortunate. But it was the right call and the mock horror seemed misplaced. The only thing I would question is did this happen in any of the earlier rounds when the cameras weren't around? If you fess up now, can you be assessed a penalty post-tournament or called a cheater if you didn't call it on yourself? Not sure, but maybe it did happen only once this week, when the world was watching.

Maybe golf without Tiger competing isn't so bad. Certainly the poor sister PGA was the best of the majors this year and at the start of the year with Augusta, Pebble Beach and St. Andrews on the docket, that would count as a major surprise.

Visitor

None, on another hot Sunday.

I had one of those decisions last night that can be only decided by The Ethicist. I had to run up to the local Marc's last night and when I pulled into my space, I noticed there was a guy parked there in the spot next to me. Didn't get a good look at him, but his car was running, air was on, and his lights were on.

For some reason, I had a helluva time finding the Orlando Texas Toast that was on sale. Doh! It was near the TJ Farms Sausage Links I had tossed into my cart about 15 minutes earlier. Anyhow, when I get outside, I notice it's gotten darker, not sure it was sunset time yet.

So, I start loading things into my car and I notice the guy is sleeping (maybe?) in the car. He's been in the car now, what, at least 25 minutes (Yeah, I shucked corn at Marc's). So, do I have to tap on the window to make sure he hasn't expired or do I just go about my business and leave?

I left.

Meal of Links

OK. Let's all move to Belize. Looks like fun.

The healthiest fast food breakfasts. Just remember, it's English muffin, not bagel.

Roger Ebert on Hitch. Great writer on great writer.

Kinda glad I didn't buy tickets to the World Cup. FIFA employee sells info on 60,000 people (including passport numbers) to the Black Market. Oh, boy.

I'm already done with the JetBlue guy. First of all, his story doesn't seem to make sense. And for all of his "Take This Job And Shove It" praise heaped on him, he wants his job back. It's over! I think it was over quite early for me, when I started seeing things like, "Who Would Play Him In A Movie?" crap. When there can be only one.

This guy ended his relationship with Blackberry. Oddly enough, today I chose to continue mine with a phone upgrade.

Exercise Yard

Quick Browns thoughts while watching our future neighbors late in the game:

Loved the Invisible Monkey ad for Dodge.

Syndric Steptoe is the Browns version of "The Thing That Wouldn't Leave".

First team offense looked OK, as did Seneca Wallace. Delhomme looked sharp.

On defense, the two standouts were T.J. Ward, who impressed me and "McMahon, I don't impress that easily." Looked to be more than a hitter. Seemed to be a very good tackler (not a hitter, actually wrapped up guys) and did not really get run over on the Packers first TD. Got beat with decent coverage on the second TD for Green Bay, but he had to cover a wideout. I thought he looked very good. The other was Marcus Benard, who was playing against second and third teamers, but took advantage as he should. Joe Haden also got some props on the broadcast (and I'm wondering why), but I thought Ward outclassed everyone.

Colt McCoy looked below average. His fade that got picked off before the half was HORRIBLE. It would be charitable to call that Quinn-like.

Broken record time: Linebackers looked slow.

Phil Dawson crushed a 59-yard field goal to tie it late and then won it even later with another 46-yarder.

Browns win, 27-24.

Randy Lerner's Other Team had a coach resign this week and the team came up with a 3-0 win earlier today.

I was in soccer mode this a.m. as Tottenham and Man City had a very entertaining 0-0 battle. Then the Villa game, as their fans were singing, "There's only one Randy Lerner!". Could you imagine hearing that at the Stadium?

Villa Highlights (In French)



Tomorrow is a biggie: Liverpool and Arsenal.

Visitor

50 Across: "Mr. Television" (11 letters) Answer: Milton Berle

I finally bought a new lawn mower. I replaced my old Craftsman with a new Craftsman from the fine folks at Sears. The old one still works, but is a pain in the ass to push. Oh, it's self-propelled, but it's probably 1996 self-propelled. I figure advances in technology will make this one easier to get around.

I did the old "Get Sears gift cards at Giant Eagle" trick to get cheaper gas for the mower, as well.

I am having an unveiling later this week and we'll see how it works. Look for the flyers on a telephone pole near you.

Meal of Links

The Louisiana House passed an odd sort of bill. It will allow you to bring a firearm to church. Oh, the individual places of worship would have to approve, but hey now, doesn't that sound a mite risky?

Maureen Dowd sticks up for Elena Kagan. Brilliant parody.

How your brain makes memories. A rather lengthy read, if I recall. Something about hippos on campus.

Exercise Yard

I imagine Johnny Cash riffing on Slim Pickens: "What in the wide, wide world of sports is going on here?!" San Quentin inmates are now playing tennis.

Visitor

None, on a cool Sunday.

It surprised me that it snowed today. WTF? As I was heading home it changed from rain to snow instantaneously. I've seen some spring snows with heavy totals, so a dusting was OK. I guess.

Meal of Links

From the land of cheap. Sur La Table will sharpen two of your knives for F-R-E-E. And Pfaltzgraff has an insane sale for a few days.

Electric cart runs over 4 people at Houston airport. That is a nice, large airport with a lot of people who can get in the way of these things. But this cart was driverless. Hah!

"Twin Peaks" twenty years later. "I'm worried about Coop."

Iggy retires from stagediving. Oh, he'll take his shirt off at the drop of a hat, but no more diving off stages.

"At The Movies" gets cancelled. But Roger Ebert has plans.

The Pope is in trouble. Accompanied by creepy photo I recommend viewing with full light present.

Exercise Yard

Not much to report on March Madness as it cranked up again. Big win by Butler, but I only picked one game correctly.

My Winners:

Syracuse (I had them losing their next game)
BYU (I thought they would take Kansas State)
Wisconsin (This is the game I thought would hold down Kentucky. They had 62 tonight)West Virginia (My only correct pick)

Friday's Winners:

Kansas (Did not see UNI coming, had them winning one and out)
Ohio State
Duke
Baylor

Visitor

43 Across: Coward of the stage (4 letters) Answer: Noel

I actually watched more news programming than March madness today, because it looks like healthcare is going to pass tonight. Halle-fuckin'-lujah!. I am tired of costs going up and having to remove myself from a Cadillac plan because I just can't afford it with the monumental increases I've had the last 3 years. Increases that, to me, remain unexplained.

There are obviously some things I wish were in this bill, like the public option, and we can't roll over on that one. But this is a giant step forward. And I still can't fathom why anyone would be against this sort of legislation. Especially with the elimination of pre-existing conditions and lifetime caps. So, let's quit spitting on legislators and badgering poor folks in Columbus with Parkinson's and contemplate what is being done tonight.

It's about time. Next up: Reconciliation in the evil Senate.

Meal of Links

Your healthcare updates here.

The Amazing Randi is gay. Now, get back to badgering Benny Hinn.

I'm thinking I have to order some furniture. Reminds me of this...

"Drinking Coke"/Bill Hicks



Ben Folds Does Chat Roulette Live



Exercise Yard

Very sad last night. I got Farokhmaneshed.

Visitor

None, on a historic Sunday.

I had a long saga ordering some flatware. My old stuff from Target kept disappearing or breaking and I was really getting short on forks and was down to a single butter knife. So, I found a really good deal from Oneida and ordered some over MLK weekend.

After I ordered, I didn't hear anything for several days. The really nice people there told me on two different occasions over the course of the next 2 weeks, that they had some coding issues with their inventory that their new system was not recognizing. So, imagine my surprise when I returned home from vacation that the package arrived last Friday.

But it was weird. After the initial e-mail, I didn't receive any further notification that the item had been shipped or when I could expect it. Maybe the new system has caught up, but it's awfully strange they operate in this manner, when some companies go overboard on their communication.

Having said that, I really do like the set. And they do have some good sales from time to time. I guess my advice is if you order from their site, keep after them.

Meal of Links

Karaoke killings! Do not sing "My Way" in the Philippines. I repeat, do not sing "My Way" in the Philippines. And in Thailand, you may wanna skip the John Denver.

Nate Silver looks at Sarah Palin's 2012 primary path. Nice work.

Hitchcock movies that were never made. Cary Grant as a modern-day "Hamlet"?

Since there are 10 Best Picture nominees this year, AMC has changed their schedule to 2 Saturdays for viewings. With an AMC card you can watch them at Ridge Park for $40. They still haven't released the schedule and of course, in Cleveland, you can see "Avatar" in lovely 2-D!

John Boehner. Confused politician.

OK, she's got a great ass, but what else qualifies Rachel Uchitel to be on "Extra"? Wait a minute, she was interviewed by Mario Lopez, so, there you have it.

Your Olympic broadcast teams. In other broadcast news, The Champions League Final actually ends up on Fox, the big network, in May.

Exercise Yard

Now we turn our attention to college hoops. And NASCAR.

Visitor

16 Across: Gonzalez in 2000 headlines (5 letters) Answer: Elian "They broke Elian's bed!"

This is one of those winter patterns of snow...shovel...go to work...snow...shovel, wake up and start it all over again. But it was actually warmer today or less wind or something.

But, like I said, it'll start again tomorrow.

Meal of Links

Thinking of buying something in 2010? Consult this chart.

Now there are sportswriters all over the tube as many have made the complete shift over to TV. But many years ago, Bill Gleason may have been the first and he died over the weekend. When that show hit SportsChannel locally, I was hooked from the start.

There is a tribute album for David Bowie. A typically wide-ranging assortment of bands and tunes.

Slate cranks up the Movie Club. Roger Ebert along for the ride.

The business side of Gordon Ramsay. I swear he must own BBC America, because "Kitchen Nightmares" seems to be on all the time.

"Family Guy" disses Fox and promotes itself on Adult Swim. I'm not sure how they get away with that, but there it is.

It was 30 years ago today. The release of "London Calling" by The Clash. I think I have every Clash record on vinyl, including the rare "Black Market Clash" EP.

21 songs about hating radio. "You had better do as you are told. You better listen to the radio." Great list as we get visits from Rush, Springsteen, The Smiths with "Panic" (an awesome sing-along), The Dead Kennedys, Ramones, Steely Dan and The Kinks ("Around the Dial", a terrific tune), amongst others.

All about the Misery Tenor. And why he won't be singing at any Yankee games anymore.

Exercise Yard

Mike Holmgren showed up in town today. Tom Heckert interviews tomorrow for GM. And here's why Marty Mornhinweg will be the next Browns coach.

You know, the guy who as OC ran the ball 10 times against the Cowboys last week.

Visitor

9 Across: Yeast cake highlighted in a "Seinfeld" episode (5 letters) Answer: Babka

Another Babka?

Well, it's over. The losing streak against Pittsburgh, that is. I'll be honest, I don't know how they won that game, but first, let's concentrate on the obvious. There must be something about home night games the past two years. Since the loss to Pittsburgh on a Sunday night last year, the Browns whipped the Giants, then-defending Super Bowl champs. This year, they held the Ravens to 13 points, then mugged the Steelers, defending Super Bowl champs, last night.

Love him or hate him, Eric Mangini probably keeps his job as coach for next season, with that result. What did he say at the start of the year? There would be less penalties. They would be competitive within the division. The second time through the division, the defense has been awfully tough. Although I think they benefited by boneheaded offensive play-calling in both the second Ravens and Steelers games, you cannot argue with the result. There would be improvement by the end of the season. I think our crazy owner would give him passing grades on all three. Mangini today channeled Lou Brown by saying, "It's starting to come together."

Special mention needs to go to Rob Ryan, the defensive coordinator, and Bryan Cox, the defensive line coach. Ryan, with only one day of practice, basically designed a fun plan for the defense, which was basically throwing the kitchen sink at the Steelers. Mindful of the freak defense that Glowik installed in the defense a while ago with the Browns. You know, the one that worked for about an hour that season. Cox gets kudos because his unit has been the most decimated by injuries and they came to play last night.

Before we go all Winston Wolf on each other because of the win, here come the buts. The combination of not being embarrassed on national TV, a short week of practice and the weather conditions all came together for the Browns. The Steelers could not string together three consecutive good plays on offense and they had no answer for Josh Cribbs. None.

You do realize our QB was 6-for-19 for 90 yards last night, don't you? Granted, Brady Quinn did not turn it over, but I don't wanna hear that he "managed the game". In the second half, they had 3 three-and-outs and punted 5 times, totalling 76 yards. Yikes! You cannot tell me that you were not constantly looking at the scoreboard as it went from 13-3 to 13-6 and were just waiting for the inevitable 13-13 score? Which, for once, did not happen. As a matter of fact, the Browns best drive came with Cribbs running the Wildcat.

Brian Daboll still cannot call a game. Evan Moore seems to have come from nowhere to be a decent pass-catching tight end. Made a nice, one-handed catch for 24 yards in the first quarter for 24 yards. Next play, the Browns call for a reverse, not with Cribbs, but with Stuckey. WTF? Next play, deep ball to Massaquoi, FAIL. Next play, short ball to Massaquoi, FAIL. Momentum gone. Perfect example of Daboll's play calling meshing with Quinn's shortcomings at QB. Too many third-and-longs for my taste.

Conversely, the Steelers had numerous third down attempts, from short to medium length. And they didn't cash in on many of them. I'll give the defense credit for those stops, but again, I'm not sure how it happened.

Let's see how the Browns do in their final roadie at Kansas City. I'm glad they beat the Steelers, finally. But let's put an end to this talk about how it saved the season or how this makes up for the shitty results we've seen for most of the year. In the two Browns wins, they have outscored the opponents, 19-9.

The Floyd Reese as Czar Watch begins.

Meal of Links

Didn't we just do this? It's the year in band names. Really liked: I Was A Lover DeLorean Was A Dealer.

The White Stripes tour of Canada will be documented in a rather pricey box-set. The new trailer is pretty choice. Arrives March 16, 2010. Pre-orders...NOW!

Sears Killed My Dog.

There have been some excellent photo essays this year. here's another. The Ghosts of Shopping Past.

Exercise Yard

Catching up with Marvin "Bad News" Barnes. I don't know if he was a character or a thug, but he was always highly entertaining.

Visitor

57 Down: Chair designer Charles (5 letters) Answer: Eames

I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving. I was at my Uncle's house once again and it was really good. Salad with fried broccoli and cauliflower bits, turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, corn pudding, cranberries, rolls, desserts and probably other stuff I forgot. You know, the whole shot. Toss in some football and you got yourself a Thanksgiving Day.

Now to catch up:

I saw Best Friend over the weekend and she was all fired up about these conjoined twins. After checking on them, I understand it's a great story. But, man, I also realized I have issues on this topic.

Drew and I were at O'Rielly's earlier this week. All I could think about was hoping a Po Boy would be on the menu. It was. Drew now upgrades to Lincoln Town Cars for rental car purposes when he can. Looks like a phat ride.

Something's up with my Dad. I've seen him drink a beer last weekend and then on Wednesday, he had a scotch. Maybe it was the '80s DJ at The Happy Dog on Wednesday. The new T-shirts look pretty cool there, BTW. Question: If I have 5 Magic Hat No. 9's, can I call it Magic Hat 45?

Gale and I took in a movie before dinner yesterday. It was "The Fantastic Mr. Fox". It had all of the quirkiness of a Wes Anderson film. Only this time, there were puppets. George Clooney as Mr. Fox and Jason Schwartzman as his son were real standouts. I slso liked a cameo from Owen Wilson as "Coach Skip". He coached Whack-Bat. I can't explain the game, but it looked neat. This one is definitely worth seeing.

Meal of Links

I cleaned my plate yesterday. But it should come as no surprise that Americans waste a lot of food.

Apparently there was no sexual abuse in the Catholic Church in Dublin until 1995. Amazingly, the Archdiocese never told the police about complaints until that year. But they had files on 100 priests since 1940.

Kim Jong-Il is a nutbag. A bunch of his crazy antics are detailed here.

101 places to shop online. With their discounts noted. BTW, Toys R' Us with that Midnight opening seems to be where all the Black Friday trouble occurred this year. You can get $3 in MP3's at Amazon by clicking here before Sunday.

Exercise Yard

Drudge probably has the siren up on his site. But Tiger Woods either did or didn't get in a serious car accident last night.

I'd check to see if Bill Clinton or Greg Norman were nearby.

Visitor

43 Down: Rockefeller Center muralist (4 letters) Answer: Sert

Seems to me, it was another record-setting crowd at Polka Happy Hour at The Happy Dog last night. I think the limited menu is resulting in more drinking. A rather festive crowd was there yesterday and we found ourselves sitting at the bar.

BTW, my Dad got a new TV today. It was the Vizio VO320E 32-inch HD LCD TV. Looks cool, weighs not so much, rates high and Sam's Club was selling them for $338. A steal. Costco also has them for that price, but won't sell Coke products. Mmmmm.

Meal of Links

Speaking of electronics, here is a heads-up for Black Friday. BTW, the Vizio TV we got today is in a Black Friday ad for Sears and is selling for $349. Sleep in and go to Sam's or Costco. Or travel to IKEA for some free breakfast, Friday through Sunday.

Here are all of your Holiday Specials and Marathons. G4 on Turkey Day has "Big Trouble in Little China", hah! What the hell is this: "Larry the Cable Guy's Hula-palooza Christmas Luau" on CMT. Good grief.

Movie. Buttered popcorn. Medium soda. Equals 3 McDonald's hamburgers. Get a small ICEE instead!

The Best Music of the Decade. They did a good job on this one. You are starting to see more of the same records pop up on these lists.

Dog heaven, perhaps?

If marijuana was taxed, look at those tax revenues. Ohio would rank 5th, based on current production.

Palin's book tour in Indiana. FAIL.

Ricky Jay talks about his career. Love that guy.

Tim Goodman thinks it may be a good idea for Conan go to a different network. Probably not a bad idea.

Exercise Yard

More soccer match fixing in Europe. These guys never learn.

Visitor

53 Across: Rhodes with a scholarship (5 letters) Answer: Cecil

I was over at Target today at Steelyard Commons. As I was leaving, I noticed they had a three-wheel motorcycle-looking vehicle parked up front. It was done up in the red-and-white Target colors and marked "Assets Protection". Only 100 stores nationwide have one, so far.















I guess if someone shoplifts, they can hop on this cycle and chase them down. I'd like to see it in action. But I guess the real reason is to patrol the parking lot and provide outdoor security.

Meal of Links

Have the laughs on this past week's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" ever been better? Looks like Leon will kickstart the Middle East peace talks.

Hey, you wuss! Make your own pie crust!

NME lists its 50 best albums of the decade. Not bad.

The 25 Best Live TV Moments of the decade. Includes the mother of Bill Hicks receiving Letterman's apology. Early White Stripes on MTV. Lots of sports, but no Ron Artest, which is easily Top 5 material!

A review of Palin's book. "It moves as quickly as possible to its real raison d’Atre, a methodical re-imagining of her entire political career replete with more excuses than a Cleveland Browns post-game press conference. Palin has never done anything wrong." Nate Silver says she will run in 2012.

Kurt Vonnegut writes a letter from the war. Read the crap that guy lived through.

Bill Maher keeps coming on earlier. Now it's 9:00 p.m. on Fridays, starting in February.

The Best Metal of the Decade.

Exercise Yard

The coach of my alma mater is a wise old man. Listen to Charlie Coles respond to a question of how the Kentucky game got away from Miami. Lowly Miami lost on a last-second shot, BTW.



Hey, Australia! Wrestling is fake! Not front page news.

Visitor

18 Across: "Seven Year Ache" country singer (11 letters) Answer: Rosanne Cash