I finally caught up with "Lights Out" and finished the final four shows this past weekend. This was the boxing series on FX that I really wanted to be a knockout, but ended up a no decision. I think "Lights" Leary set a record for apologies by one man in a series that lasted 12 episodes. The last scene was terrific but could not make up for what seemed like weeks of plot twists and too many characters dropping in and out.

Interview with Warren Leight, the showrunner, is here. It was announced today that he is going back to "Law & Order", now that "Lights Out" has been cancelled.

Meal of Links

Some guy copyrighted the "Charge" theme years ago. You know the one, played at your favorite sports venue. Now he wants paid.

Is there a bubble out there right now? Yeah. The higher education bubble.

Congresswoman Quotes The White Stripes



Here is a movie game clocked "Clockbusters". I got 43 out of 50 after two passes through.

Sports movies that sorta stretched the truth. But Jimmy Piersall was cuckoo. If I recall, I don't think "The Rookie" acted like Jim Morris had some great career. Great scene with the speed limit sign, however.

A more measured outlook of the recovery of Gabrielle Giffords. Finally.

Exercise Yard

Half of the EPL is now owned by foreigners. Stan Kroenke is the latest, after he buys Arsenal.

Visitor

46 Down: Director Hitchcock (6 letters) Answer: Alfred

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

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

Time to join Progressives United.

Meal of Links

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

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

We knew it was coming. Post-bankruptcy Borders.

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

Uncle Leo



Working at the Apple Store. True confessions.

Why Meg White matters. Maybe not so much today.

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

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

Hannibal Buress



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

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

Exercise Yard

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

Visitor

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

Today is Groundhog Day. Today was only the 16th time that the groundhog did not see his shadow. Huh? 95 shadows to 16 non-shadows?

What a hoax!

Meal of Links

Later this month, AMC brings back its Best Picture Fest. February 19 and February 26 are the Saturdays at Ridge Park.

Are you a tourist? Or a traveler?

Cast of "Community" kiss each other. Or not.

Well, this kinda sucks. The White Stripes have officially called it quits.

Nearly 11 percent of all US homes are vacant. That seems like an awful "lot".

Palin's phrenology. Charlie Sheen said he was a phrenologist in "Men At Work". My favorite line in that one: "Pizza Cong comes with us. Get him on his feet, I'll get Tricky Dick."

Rob Neyer moved over to SB Nation from ESPN, but he wrote this about Omar Vizquel a few weeks ago. I think Omar has his place in Indians history, but he is not a Hall of Famer. I think Neyer explains why.

A counterpoint to Beck's chalkboards. No fires, no snowballs.

Exercise Yard

Fascinating stuff. The large arm of Bernie Madoff was stuffed into the pockets of the Mets.

Visitor

56 Across: Sportscaster Cross (3 letters) Answer: Irv

Thanks to all the Veterans for their service. Nice to see Veterans Day getting a much larger profile in recent years.

I started the day by listening on XM to a terrific program by Bob Edwards, "Surviving the Fallen". This was all about remembrances and descriptions of what happens to the surviving family members, when a soldier dies in combat. How they are notified, what preparations they make before they go to combat (wills, insurance forms) where to bury them (near home or Arlington), etc. Extremely poignant.

As always, there are many organizations that could use your help. Three of them that I follow are the IAVA, the USO, and The Pat Tillman Foundation.

I got an e-mail from the Tillman Foundation promoting their good work, especially the Tillman Military Scholars. Cleveland State is one of 31 participating universities, BTW, that allow Veterans to further their education. And CSU is one of only 8 university partners with the Foundation. This year, 60 Veterans were chosen nationally, and 2 of them are CSU students.

Anyhow, this prompted me to check (for the millionth time, I think), when and if "The Tillman Story" was going to make it into town. I have been waiting for months to see it. Lo and behold, it finally snuck into town today of all days, albeit to the Atlas Theatres in Mentor. So, I went after work and grabbed an early show. Actually, it turned out to be a private showing.

It was as good as I heard it would be. You get background on Pat and his family. And you get details on how he was killed and how his family just wanted a simple explanation on how it happened. The government originally said he had been killed in a heroic firefight and then had to backpedal when family pressure determined that was not what occurred. Congressional testimony was also included.

Can't recommend it enough. Probably in town for a week.

Meal of Links

What's happening in Pittsburgh? One thing that becomes an issue as you get older is weather. Combined with all of Pittsburgh's charms, they average about 40 inches of snow. It's not a bad place to live.

What's up with Bowie? Iman has the scoop.

25 Classic TV Title Sequences. Nice list to look at.

Jack White hints at a White Stripes reunion. He's also producing a Wanda Jackson record. Now that should be great.

Exercise Yard

Last night, Nomar Stalker and I went to the Cavs-Nets game at the Q. The Cavs did a nice job by saluting veterans throughout the evening, but when it comes to this, they still can't beat the Browns. For they have flyovers. But the Cavs still have fire coming out from the scoreboard and it's still hot.

The atmosphere has really changed down there, obviously, as we experience Life Without LeBron. Oh, Q Tube is still in effect with Oblivious Cam and the Joe Tait Sweater Cam, and Moondog is still dunking and taking off multiple shirts to get alternating cheers and boos.

Over the last several years if you attended a Cavs game, odds are they were gonna win. Now, however, when a team like New Jersey comes to town, you have your doubts. So, last night, it was the back end of an NHL-style home-and-home with the Nets here in town. The crowd really wasn't into it, because, well, it was the Nets. But they better get used to it and not take anything for granted this year.

We had club seats. Center court stuff. A really nice find I got about a month ago. Thanks, StubHub! Pretzel and a pop cost me $7.50.

The Cavs ended up losing this one. They had a double-digit lead early and were up comfortably at the half. Then the third quarter woes reared their ugly head once again and the Nets kept chipping away, eventually getting the lead late in the third quarter.

However, Mo Williams went down with an injury and even with his on-and-off shooting, they could have used him down the stretch. While the Cavs had a fairly active lineup including Varejao, Gibson, Sessions and Parker, they could not make a shot. And it irritated me that the Nets outrebounded the Cavs for the game. The Cavs had no answer fo Devin Harris and let people like Kris Humphries and Anthony Morrow provide big contributions.

Then there was the mysterious absence of J.J. Hickson in crunch time as well, as the Nets held on for the win. Curious. If Hickson is one of your best players and Williams is out, Hickson probably needs to be in there. At the very least, an inside presence is available with him in the lineup.

My take is the Cavs have a lot of work to do. They can't let up on an opponent like the Nets, who had lost 5 straight coming in and were winless on the road. Not a stunning loss, by any means, but a bit of a puzzling one, I'd say.

Cavs lose, 95-87.

Visitor

53 Across: ______ Tunes (6 letters) Answer: Looney

I admit it.

To this day, if there is anything written about "Twin Peaks", I just gobble it up. So, here's another one dissecting the third hour and then chronicling the rise and deep, deep fall of the series in Season Two. It includes many clips, including perhaps my favorite subtle one where Johnny Horne is eliminated in the Tibet sequence. You had to be there. And, if you only have time for one clip, watch the dwarf. BTW, read the Comments. It certainly jogs the memory. I think I had forgotten about Harold Smith. Geez, that subplot, one of many in Season Two, just sucked the wind out of the series.

Meal of Links

Ernie Harwell died the other day and there were many good things written about and by him. We were very lucky to be within listening range of his voice. His Hall of Fame speech. Ernie allows a sportswriter to shadow him. Mitch Albom with some memories. Joe Posnanski shares some thoughts. Hard to believe his first game with the Tigers was right after the Harvey Kuenn-Rocky Colavito trade.

Drinking Songs! I actually have several of these in my collection. I'm a huge fan of "The Alabama Song". Richard Butler does an awesome version on that Kurt Weill tribute album I have laying around here somewhere.

More reality series. Starring Hasselhoff, Saget, Danza and Dee Snider. The Hoff may actually die in his. I heard this week he was in some sort of Gumball Rally. Yep, it visited Canada this week. I wish I had a spare $45K. I would do that in a heartbeat.

Jack White says Meg White has conquered her anxiety. No reunion yet.

Remember George Costanza's fiance, Susan? She now plays the ukulele.

Doofus who can't spell ruins stock market for a time. Whoops.

Exercise Yard

His best rant since last year's grades. I think it was Kobayashi who got an F-Minus on that one.

Drennan Goes Off On The Tribe



Visitor

58 Across: '50s-'60s TV Earp portrayer (6 letters) Answer: O'Brian

The Derek Anderson Era is over. Then he went all Sean Penn on the way out. Not sure what to make of it all, as I kinda liked the guy. But the NFL highway is littered with guys who get 15-20 starts (in D.A.'s case, 34), some with early success, and then they just seem to fade away.

But it's better to burn out than fade away.

Which leads us to the Seneca Wallace Era. I don't mind Wallace as he knows how to run the offense. Not Brian Daboll's offense, mind you, but Mike Holmgren's offense. All I can say is, we better have a starter prepared to run this offense. I don't want Brady Quinn or someone of his ilk learning this offense from a guy (Daboll) they admit is taking a crash course in learning this offense.

I see way too many times during a game this upcoming season where Holmgren will say, "Why did he call that play at that time?".

Meal of Links

The easiest way to make a timeline. Ryan Garko in the outfield would be a good one.

NPR has the White Stripes live. DVD out next week.

Time catches up with Chelsea Handler. She is always funny.

Many have asked for it and now here it is. The Hall and Oates tribute by The Bird and the Bee.

Coco does good. Even Larry King gravy trains.

Why pick on Bob Barker? Now? Old '70s clips.

Exercise Yard

Speaking of timelines, the epitome of the Sports Bathroom Break. Water usage in Edmonton during the Gold Medal Hockey Game at the Olympics.

Visitor

33 Down: Cosmetician Lauder (5 letters) Answer: Estee (She lived til she was 97)

One of my favorite movie pleasures the last few years, has been seeing what Luc Besson comes up with next. I have loved his stuff since I saw "Subway". He has stumbled upon a formula of action movies starting with "Transporter" (although I still can't forgive him for "Transporter 3"), "Taken" with Liam Neeson, and now John Travolta in "From Paris With Love".

I continue to eat this up. Make the movie with a bankable international star, let him go against character for about 90-100 minutes, add a bunch of gunplay, weapon play, martial arts play, car chase play, all in a foreign setting.

Travolta is so over the top, he's in orbit. His name his Charlie Wax, so he sends a henchman to warn the main villain by saying, "You tell him I said, "Wax on, Wax off!". Later on, as he gives some evidence over to some trenchcoats, they trade him a brown paper bag. It contains, what he says, will be the death of him. When he opens it up, it is...you guessed it...a Royale with Cheese! OK, I figured this movie out in about 8 minutes. And you know what? I didn't care. I enjoyed the ride.

Meal of Links

The White Stripes claim the Air Force Reserve ripped off the song, "Fell In Love With A Girl", for a Super Bowl commercial. The guy who wrote the music says it was his fault it sounded similar, but he didn't copy anything.

The management secrets of The Grateful Dead. The Dead's archive will have its first exhibit soon.

The Bonnaroo lineup is here. I say it's very impressive. Steve Martin and Daryl Hall look like a surprise. I go all the way down to Calexico and OK Go before the unknowns hit.

IHOP has free pancakes on the 23rd. With a donation.

MTV finally dropped "Music Television" from their logo. Here are the best videos from their first broadcast day.

Sarah Palin is still a liar. Stephen Colbert had the best line regarding her palm notes: "Oh, those elites! With their memory!".

The Films of the 2000s



Exercise Yard

The NFL lockout for 2011 will be picking up headlines the next few weeks, as the capless year for 2010 looms. But it looks like the NBA is well on their way to a lockout next year, as well.

Visitor

30 Down: Actress Adams of "Enchanted" (3 letters) Answer: Amy

If I was a West Virginia player, I wouldn't want to show up at the next practice either.

















Yesterday, my brother and I attended the Cleveland State-West Virginia game at the Bart, expecting a laugher. But we came away with one of the most exciting college basketball games I've seen. For the Vikings had the 6th-ranked Mountaineers on the ropes. West Virginia was the champ, sitting on his stool, contemplating if he had enough to win the fight...then somehow finding a way to do just that. West Virginia wins on a layup with 1.2 seconds left to defeat the Vikings.

Cleveland State was a far different team that lost to Robert Morris on Tuesday. Robert Morris, not Bruce Drennan's friend, but the university. Cause they're stupid in Pittsburgh. Hell, they were even a far different team in the second half from what they were in the first half.

CSU was down by 17 early in the second half. It seemed this would be a long march to another defeat. The Vikings had no other option, but to press. Then a funny thing happened. It was as if the Mountaineers had never seen a press before and made mistake after mistake. Finally, CSU tied the game at 78. WVU inbounds, and CSU almost traps the guy in the corner. Then they get the ball at midcourt and almost trap the guy there. Somehow, they spotted De'Shaun Butler and he waltzed in for an uncontested layup. Game over.

So, for a half, CSU figured it out. Next up are Ohio State and Kansas State. Let's see if they learned anything.

Meal of Links

Roger Ebert releases his Best Films of 2009. He had "Knowing" and "Bad Lieutenant" on the list, making for TWO Nicolas Cage films. I saw "Knowing" and "Bad Lieutenant" arrives here in January. Locally, the Cedar-Lee and Capitol Theatres are changing the Cult Film Series to the Late Shift. OMG, "Big Trouble in Little China"! And "Clerks" on the big screen. "My mom's been fuckin' a dead guy for 30 years. I call him Dad."

John Frusciante leaves the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Well, he quit a year ago and just made it public. Glad I got to see him live. Great guitarist.

Target fires emplotyees for buying Zhu Zhu Pets early.

Hey, did you know we've been attacking Yemen?

I cannot wait to see the White Stripes DVD, with their much better trailer this time:



Time Warner is the devil. Now, they are threatening to pull Fox from the lineup.

Vote on the Worst Ideas of the decade.

Ending the debate about decades. Millenium gets trickier. Are you an Ordinal Guy or a Cardinal Guy?

On the Eighth Day of Christmas

The classic. Could you make a better Christmas song? So, why not call it "The Christmas Song". Written, as we all know, by Mel Torme poolside in California. It is the perfect blend of arrangement, lyric and artist.

"The Christmas Song"/Nat King Cole



Exercise Yard

Mike Holmgren turns down the Seahawks. Not exactly earth-shattering. I think the money and power in Cleveland trumped any offer being made there.

So, the likelihood of Holmgren arriving here grows more and we'll know by Monday. And that means Eric Mangini would be gone. The precedent was set when Bill Parcells fired Cam Cameron after his dreadful season at coach, when he took over the running of the Dolphins. I'm sure lots of names are going to be tossed around for coach and GM. Holmgren's agent represents a lot of front office and coaching types. Two names to keep an eye on are the former GM in Denver, Ted Sundquist, and the current Vikings defensive coordinator, Leslie Frazier.

Visitor

None, on a snow-dusted Sunday.

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

The family of Balloon Boy looks like they will be charged soon. But this points out what I've been railing about for years. That is, Reality TV is the quickest way to obtain fame in this country and I can't believe how we allow these idiots to cash in.

Like "Jon and Kate". Who are these people and why are they dominating headlines in mainstream media outlets? Like Fox 8 News becoming a wrapup show for "American Idol" when it's in-season. Like Kit Hoover and Keith Famie who somehow parlayed reality shows into cable TV hosting jobs on networks that should know better.

The list is endless, while the truly talented can't get a break or are ignored when they do. I'll never understand it.

Meal of Links

How's Jay Leno doing at 10 o'clock? Depends on who you ask.

Matt Taibbi covers the "Wall Street Swindle". The collapse of Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers and who profited.

Jack White gave a lecture to students at Trinity College in Dublin. Britney Spears was mentioned. Huh?

Another take on "Hoop Dreams". It's simply one of the best movies I've ever seen.

It's a review of Heath Ledger's last movie. Although rated highly, let the backlash begin on Ledger's acting ability.

Exercise Yard

Jim Nantz had his divorce trial end last week. "Irretrievably broken" doesn't sum up that pain.

Visitor

32 Across: Peter, Paul or Mary (5 letters) Answer: Saint

OK, we finally made it to Melt. A combination of weekday and timing made for no wait time for a table and negligible wait time for the chow. Jeff had a Devo menu, I had Bow Wow Wow and I think it was rigged, but my Dad had Man O'War, whoever they are.

I opted for the BBQ Chicken sammie, which was outstanding once more. We all split a piece of cheesecake and that was good, as well. We'll have to see if that Cleveland Heights location solves the crowd issue in Lakewood.

Meal of Links

Bittman tosses up some salads. 101 of 'em.

The White Stripes doc is scheduled for Toronto in September. This is the doc of the Canadian tour a while back.

"Under Great White Northern Lights"



Kid Rock now has his own beer. Why?

I think the AV Club has scored a winner with the "Nashville or Bust" series. This week: George Jones.

Chris Matthews goes after a "birther". "You are playing to the crazies."

Nirvana Meets Astley



Exercise Yard

Kellen Winslow talks about his staph infection. Good God!

Visitor

51 Across: "Believe It or Not" guy (6 letters) Answer: Ripley

I was down at Progressive Field last night as the Indians won, 9-4. Gale and I actually saw Carl Pavano work into the 7th inning! The guy has unbelievably turned into the second-best starter on the team. But it was a terrible crowd. You could tell when I parked close to East 9th on Prospect around 6:00.

The crowd was listed as 14,000, but trust me, there were not that many people there. And these were on that half-price ticket plan and they still couldn't draw. I admit it was cold and the Indians suck, but it was mindful of an early 1994 crowd. I understand the cold part, because I am still fighting my cold. Thought I had it licked late last week, but over the weekend it had returned. Jee-zus, this has been hard to shake. Anyhow, they are really pushing the Tampa series, starting on Memorial Day, for tickets. However, the Yankees, Cardinals and Reds show up in late May/June, so that should temporarily allay any temporary attendance woes.

Couple thoughts about last night:

First time I had seen or heard any mention of Albert Belle in quite a while. They showed his memorable 1995 grand slam off of Lee Smith accompanied by Herb Score's call (where was that Opening Day?). He's been poison for quite a while.

"Hang On Sloopy" was referred to as an "Ohio tradition". Ugh!

Aaron Laffey may become Pavano's "personal reliever".

Ryan Garko has been warming up pitchers between innings as a reminder to Eric Wedge that he is still on the team.

A female in front of us had one of those Hulk Hand Cup Holders on. If anything looked like it could be sold behind the curtain at an Indians team shop under the (ahem) "Novelty" banner, this is it.

Today, the Indians announced the return of Spork No. 1. On a team of Sporks (Matt Laporta now a first baseman), this is significant. And to hear Wedge say that said Spork is a candidate to hit leadoff, is he officially certifiable?

Meal of Links

What makes us happy? A cool report on a 72-year Harvard study.

Jack White takes Dead Weather on tour. Cleveland date? Of course not.

Jesse Ventura derides Cheney. He'd waterboard him, if given the chance.

Dude, don't Bogart them Cheerios.

The changing of the guard in Afghanistan. Not many times is a General publicly fired.

God help us. An "American Gladiators" movie has been announced.

Exercise Yard

The Bruins force Game 7. Quite simply, they have to win or it's another lost season.

Visitor

2 Down: "Deal or No Deal" host Mandel (5 letters) Answer: Howie

I saw "Wolverine" this evening. I headed over to Cinemark where they seem to have this movie running every 30 minutes or so. Now this was the origin version of Wolverine. As you know, he's our favorite cigar-chomping, motorcycle-riding Canadian wiseass superhero. So, we get the backstory on how Logan became Wolverine. Not a lot though. I think he was a kid, he got mad and somehow claws appeared out of his hand. But why let plot get in the way of fighting later on.

Anyhow, for a Canadian, he sure fought a lot of wars for the U.S. And with his brother Sabretooth at his side, played by Liev Schrieber. Eventually the army, well, the evil Col. Stryker, picks both for a unit he's compiling. Sort of a mutant Dirty Dozen. Anyhow, Logan quits, moves to Canada and then eventually has to go back to the world he knows, when his brother starts shaking things up by turning more evil than Logan cared to remember. But there is lots of trickeration as he gets injected with Adam Ant. No, I think it was adamantium or something. Anyhow, that's how he got that sharper stuff coming out of his hands. If you remember the trailer, "Ooh, shiny."

So, it was typical comic book stuff. Lots of special effects, bad military villains, fight scenes, unbelievable lack of security at government installations, you know the routine. We get appearances by Gambit, Deadpool, Agent Zero, Bolt, and the Blob. Decent movie and it was mildly entertaining. A nice kickoff to the summer schedule.

Meal of Links

Porn star Stormy Daniels may run for Senator from Louisiana. Change we can all get behind.

Jack White says not so fast. The White Stripes have not broken up and are, in fact, recording.

The cast of "Fawlty Towers" reunited. A very funny show. Haven't seen it lately, I wonder if it holds up.

Awkward family photos.

Look at how a Roomba moves. Kind of like a funky Spirograph.

Who do you carry a lifetime grudge against? Gotta be that idiot Nissan guy on the radio commercials.

The background on how Luc Besson became a producer. Loved the guy since I saw "Subway" lo those many years ago.

A look back at another favorite movie. "Wings of Desire".

David Lynch presents "The Interview Project". Could be interesting.

More polling. It's tough being a Governor.

The Indians are still bad. I get a look at Pavano on Monday.

Exercise Yard




















Manny Ramirez was busted for a drug on the MLB banned list. You can tell he was on something, because his locks are three times as long over the last few years. Or since it was a women's fertility drug, I guess it's a case of "Manny Being Tranny". OK, I stole both those lines, but it's still damn funny.

I'm just disappointed with the news. I suspected he was on it, hoped he wasn't, so it's not that much of a surprise. The real surprise is what he was caught with, hGC (similar to Clomid). That's so old-school of him. hGC itself doesn't manufacture testosterone, it just helps the body produce it again. Which is obvious after cycling down from steroid use. He could have achieved the same results using other things out there which aren't banned. It's probably what everyone else is using currently.

Visitor

3 Down: Red fez wearer (7 letters) Answer: Shriner

I didn't have the swine flu. Do you have pig flu? Here's your culprit! But I know this made me ill:

Oak Ridge Boys/"Seven Nation Army"



I haven't actually been ill, but watching way too much of the NBA playoffs. New month today and I'm back.

Hey, today was the first time in many years I had to deal with E-Check. Not much has changed. They only had one lane open shortly after lunch. Weird employees remain.

My niece spells burps, "b-e-r-p-e-s". Of course, I think that's funny, and I did pronounce it "ber-pees" a la herpes.

Hope you didn't buy a $220 million Mega Millions ticket, because I have the winner.

How about Rado and Marty Allen getting dumped from Triv's show on WTAM? Haven't really noticed much of a change except the two bits I heard were lamer. I mean, "Paco Gonzalez" (seriously with a "jew" for you" accent) wants us to travel to Mexico. Yikes, that was incredibly unfunny. But Triv still hates Obama. So, you can still listen to that if you wish.

Saw the Kentucky Oaks today. Rachel Alexandra looks like a filly for all-time. Won by 20 lengths today, it appeared. Tomorrow's Kentucky Derby winner...Friesan Fire.

Meal of Links

Tomorrow is Free Comic Day. I think I might see "Wolverine".

Favorite opening scenes of all time. I just watched "Once Upon a Time in the West" last Sunday on the HD Channel. I always thought Charles Bronson ruled this one. But the more I see of Jason Robards, I like him more than ever.

"Raising Arizona" provides "No, not that motherscratcher."

"Mulholland Drive" with the Jitterbug!

"The Searchers" as ever. And nice shoutouts to "Blow Out" and "Jackie Brown".

Artists who get a lifetime pass. For me, it's probably Clint Eastwood. Hey, I paid to see "Bronco Billy" in the theater.

Environmental changes are affecting some popular tourist destinations. Even the Galapagos Islands.

A primer on the greater of the babkas. Chocolate babka! BTW, there is a "Man Hands Bandit" running amok in Seattle.

Why hasn't anyone developed an "SNL" killer? Maybe the time is right.

The AT&T Blue Room returns with the New Orleans Jazzfest this weekend. Looks like the Sunday lineup is strong.

Miss California is now "protecting marriage". Looks great in a swimsuit, but she's not very bright.

Exercise Yard

Guy Lafleur's son's troubles finally get Guy Lafleur in trouble. Sheesh, these guys are a piece of work.

Visitor

31 Across: "Turn Me Loose" singer (6 letters) Answer: Fabian

Happy Pi Day!

I went to the CSU Bookstore this morning and try and navigate that coming from East 30th. You have to avoid a bus lane, do a legal U-turn, then make sure you get in the correct unmarked lot. If you screw up like I did, you have to go back up to Prospect, over the highway, then back down 22nd to Euclid again. And then park in the correct lot.

BTW, I realize it's the weekend, but I didn't see too many people waiting for buses on Euclid.

There is some good local stuff though. I cooked a brisket today from Dave's Mercado that I had layin' around. Bueno!

Good fish fry at the Parma Tavern last night. Perch for $9.95 and Cod for $6.95. Tried the Union House, but they were way crowded.

Meal of Links

Time to catch up on some items:

Jack White has a new band, The Dead Weather that has an All-Star feel to it. The Kills, Queens of the Stone Age and The Raconteurs all represented. I love that Gary Numan cover, "Are Friends Electric?"

How long can McFaul still be Sheriff? I say by next Friday, he's out.

An interesting take on Jim Cramer vs. Jon Stewart. That was unbelievable television.

The current newspaper model is broken. And will not be fixed, but be replaced.

Another article on what has happened to the Food Network? This stuff started when Mario and Sara Moulton got the boot.

"How to Buy A New Car...For The Best Price"



A look at the inside of abandoned schools in Detroit. It just makes you sick.

TV spies and secret agents. Obviously, "The Avengers" is here. And "The Equalizer"! I loved that show and we get the opening credits in the included clip. And "The Prisoner (not the Caviezel one)" takes No. 1.

Exercise Yard

The New York Times revisits the 1986 CSU basketball team. It's a trip down memory lane.

Visitor

20 Across: Legendary track star (10 letters) Answer: Seabiscuit

The White Stripes (looks like Meg might be pregnant) closed out Conan (who says, "That meant the world to me.") last night with one of my favorites "We're Going To Be Friends":



Sometimes, you just know.

Meal of Links

Catching up with Robert Smith. No, not that Robert Smith. This Robert Smith. The one from The Cure.

Jeff Dunham is now the most popular comedian in the U.S. I know who he is, but I've never seen his act.

Wow, here's a name from the past. Chandra Levy. Somewhere, Richard Jewell sends down a beer to Gary Condit.

Shaq's on Twitter. So is Chris Bosh. Not me, though.

Exercise Yard

If you have several minutes...The Quest for G (that means many Holy Grail references)!



Actually, pretty well done. Garnett is becoming quite the actor. I must say, Ego had me on the floor.

Visitor

26 Down: Alternative to newspaper classifieds (10 letters) Answer: Craigslist

I was touting XM again and now news is breaking out they will file bankruptcy. It's those insane deals from Sirius for Stern and the NFL. Stern has one year left and I'm sure he'll head back to terrestrial radio then, because satellite won't renew him at his current rate. But that NFL deal, wow! Because what out-of-towners LISTEN to their favorite teams on the radio? That's why Sunday Ticket exists.

I understand XM's deal with MLB is exorbitant, as well. But people still listen to baseball on the radio, I'm guessing. Anyhow, we'll see how long it lasts. They gotta sell more cars to get more subscribers.

Meal of Links

Mr. Skin has the nominations for the Anatomy Awards. I'm guessing Anna Faris and Marisa Tomei win.

The White Stripes play Conan's last show on February 20. That's next Friday and get the DVRs ready.

8 Bizarre Sexual Fetishes. Lemme say this, objectophilia is really bizarre.

America's Worst Allies. Just begging for a miniseries or reality show.

Exercise Yard

It seems that Robbie Alomar's ex-girlfriend is suing him, allegedly because he has AIDS. People say he was at the closing of Shea Stadium last fall and looked fine. So, who knows?

Visitor

27 Across: Oklahoma Sooners rival (14 letters) Answer: Texas Longhorns

My Dad and I trundled down to the Bart tonight to see CSU whip up on last-place Detroit. The nagging thing about this game is Detroit kept hanging around until finally wilting in the last 6 minutes. Norris Cole threw in 21 for the Vikings, as CSU wins, 66-49, in front of 1752 hardy souls.

Meal of Links

Dumping cable. Looks like it should work, but I don't know for sure.

The worst hotel in NYC. Click "Traveler Photos" for bed bug evidence.

About our economic appetite. Can you really do more with less?

Meg White's drumkit is being auctioned. I guess I can do more with less.

Exercise Yard

Rahal-Letterman Racing may not race IndyCars this year. Hard to do without a sponsor or driver. In NASCAR, David Gilliland has a ride with Yates Racing, but no sponsor, so he sits. Sponsors can't justify the expense in this economy.

Visitor

6 Across: Three-time NFL MVP (5 letters) Answer: Favre

While contemplating that it's the 30th anniversary of Cheap Trick's "Live at Budokan" and they have released a reissue:

Strangely enough, as I was driving home tonight, 1st Wave actually played "Stories For Boys" by U2, so I rightfully can sing, "I've got the pow-er."

My niece likes Kid Country, I mean, Kid Rock. And knows Taylor Swift songs. I may have to plan an intervention.

Why does that guy on the BeepBeep.com commercial sing "easy" like "E-Cee" not "E-Zee"? Really bugs me.

Until I see a "Ganley Man" commercial, that is.

On "The Office", why did they so easily discard Pam's graphic artist foray? That seemed to take a turn to wrap things neatly in a bow in the span of 10 minutes.

And speaking of Jim Halpert, he is the voice of those Blackberry Storm commercials. "It clicks...".

I'm glad Romeo denied the Browns quit last Thursday. I think that word is tossed around way too much these days and covers up a severe lack of talent. Early in the history of Browns 2.0 you could say that, but not last week.

Do you laugh when the graphic on "Larry King Live" commands you to "Blog"?

Could C.C. Sabathia command $140 million? And, if so, what would Manny Ramirez get? I wonder what the Indians bid will be? Oh right, there won't be any, because we'll go after Casey Blake.

I watched "Kitchen Nightmares" for the first time last night. The first hour with an Italian restaurant from Stamford, CT. I think I found the real "Uncle F-Bomb". Jee-zus, even if the restaurant turned around by the end of the show, why would you ever give that guy any of your money?

The restaurant in question.

Meal of Links

A list of the "100 Movies I'm Embarrassed I Haven't Seen". I still have not seen "Forrest Gump" or "Top Gun".

We are now in the W's. That means The Who, White Stripes, Wilco and X.

I don't watch "Real Housewives of Atlanta", something about these Reality TV shows I guess. But I understand the wife of former Cav Eric Snow is on the show.

Exercise Yard

Lenny Dykstra is still making money. Yes, "Nails" is surviving the recession quite nicely.

Visitor

16 Across: First name in a Beatles title (7 letters) Answer: Eleanor

Today is a rather anxious day in XM nation. That's because the new channel lineup, post-merger of XM and Sirius, takes hold. I always listened to Fred, Ethel and Lucy on XM. They have been replaced by 1st Wave, Alt Nation and Lithium respectively.

My first thoughts are they have effectively killed Fred. Why last night I was able to hear groups like the Charlatans. This morning, I had this stretch:

"Eyes Without A Face"/Billy Idol
"I Will Follow"/U2
"Ball of Confusion"/Love and Rockets
"Rush"/Big Audio Dynamite

I like Billy Idol in his Generation X days, not that crappy tune. The U2 song, a classic for sure, but rarely played on Fred. How about "Stories For Boys" or something like that? I get the last two selections, although "Rush" would probably be played on Lucy. The first two could be heard virtually anywhere on terrestrial radio.

On the trip home, I heard "Kinda Kute" by Joe Jackson. OK, that's an amalgam of every one of Jackson's early tunes, but not often played. Good choice. And nothing wrong with hearing "London Calling" or "Fashion" by Bowie. But, "Voices Carry"? I only stick with that so I can sing, "Hu-u-u-u-u-sh, hush...keep it down now...voices carry". I'm afraid the songs of the Fred Essentials era are going to be tossed.

Disappointing Day One, I'd say, because the "Classic New Wave" that they play is just going to cover the "hits". I don't think I'll be hearing The Damned or Nitzer Ebb anytime soon. Conversely, the little bit I paid attention to the others, I'd say Alt Nation and Lithium were truer to the charter of their old XM counterparts. Although these channels always play Green Day and Social D's "Ball and Chain" which fit into almost any format, so they can act like they have a harder edge. I'll let ya know if I hear "Ring of Fire" by Social Disorder.

Thank God though, a punk channel is back. And pick an artist, they have a channel. I now get Margaritaville, Bruce Springsteen, Jam On, Little Steven's Garage, and the Grateful Dead 24 hours a day. I also get BBC Radio One and that's pretty cool, just because it's the BBC. Sports-wise, I picked up NBA play-by-play.

The station that I got to hear all of Sarah Palin's speeches live, POTUS '08, has changed to POTUS. So, I liked it that the channel has remained. And I picked up an NPR channel, as well.

I'll be listening to see what else has changed.

Meal of Links

Dave Grohl will be a judge on a Thanksgiving version of "Top Chef". I hope he screams.

Malcolm Gladwell has another book coming out. A long read about him.

The Raconteurs have gone goofy with "From Old to Gold". Cool song from the last album, so I'm not sure what they are promoting.

Looks like HBO is hooking up with Anthony Kiedis. I could get into that story.

A short history of the bagel. I went to Bruegger's today. I ask you, why are they so expensive there?

Smoking movies. Cannot believe "Good Night and Good Luck" is not on this list. And where is "Cold Turkey"?

Old: Red vs. Blue. New: Educated vs. People Easily Fooled by Propaganda.

Nate Silver talks about his new found stardom. FiveThirtyEight was really the go-to site for all of the election polling. Plus, when you hear fantasy baseball geeks talk about PECOTA, well, Nate invented that, too. And don't forget, we still have three Senate races going, so Nate's still got it going on.

Fox cancelled "Mad TV". This show was really strange. Sometimes it was absolutely hilarious, other times it was pretty embarrassing.

Exercise Yard

Herb Score died yesterday. What can you say about Herb? The man watched more bad baseball than any human deserved to endure. Look at some of the players he had to chronicle on a daily basis for over three decades. I mean, Joe Lis? Seriously, his only claim to fame was he could sign his name twice as fast as Jack Brohamer.

Here are some of the funnier things I remember about Herbie. I once heard some local wag, after hearing Score for probably the millionth time, claim his first words out of the womb were probably, “Throw to first, back safely.” I recall driving back from Columbus one time and tuning in the Tribe on the radio. Channeling Feagler, you kinda did that sort of thing back then. Anyhow, the Indians are playing the Oakland A’s and had the catchers, Mickey Tettleton and Terry Steinbach, at the time. Herb called the Oakland catcher, “Mickey Tettlebach”, for only about six innings before correcting himself. (I believe that was in the PD today, I actually heard that as it happened.) And finally, his call in the 1997 ALCS of the go-ahead homer by Tony Fernandez in extra innings against Baltimore, “And the Indians are going to the World Series…Maybe.” Herb forgot they were in Baltimore and had the bottom of the inning to get through. But everyone loved the guy.

It was a crime the liner off the bat of Yankee Gil McDougald that hit him in the eye started his downfall from what, early on, looked like a surefire Hall of Fame career, as this SI cover story from 1955 attests. He was really that good, piling up the strikeouts at a record pace and being mentioned with the all-time greats at a young age. Here’s a look at the early comeback in 1958 and a quite painful read of when it’s obvious he had nothing left as a pitcher in 1961.
















Truly a sad time for all Tribe fans.

Visitor

30 Across: "Seinfeld" stumbler (6 letters) Answer: Kramer