HopsGuy

I believe there was an attempt to try a financial forum earlier, but it fizzled due to lack of interest. There are quite a few places on the net, but I'm sure you already know that. I'm in the biz, so I look at Elite Trader quite a bit.

It was the liver. And yes, michelle is a homicidal cannibal. Isn't it obvious? J/K Michelle. Good luck with the job and even more luck in not succumbing to the hostile atmosphere that pervades the City of Brotherly Love. I went to college there. I know of what I speak.

Yeah well, you know... we covet what we see.

"His name is Louis Friend... he said he was from Philadelphia but may have lied." Philadelphia Buffalo Bill Man! The parallels are chilling.

Not necessarily true. He could have a good Co-op job in college, like I did. I was never the "poor, struggling college student". Or he might have some other creative income stream (pharmaceutical test subject, weekly fertility clinic donor, drug dealer, etc).

That's awesome! How much money did you make betting last year?

I wouldn't worry about it. How about this one: I think there is a world market for maybe five computers. - Thomas J. Watson [Fomer IBM CEO] Nobody really cares all that much about predictions that are wrong... unless you're a stockbroker.

I've been in 4 weddings. Here's what I received: (1) Glass Beer Stein with my name engraved in pewter with the date. (2) Cutco Pocket Knife for Key Chain with Name/Date Engraved. (3) Money Clip with engraved initials. (4) Leather travel bag (for toiletries), stenciled initials. These are all really nice. I use the knife everyday, and that dude's 10th anniversary is in August. The beer stein doesn't see much use (maybe because the marriage only lasted 18 months?). I lost the money clip, and I'm still sick about it. The travel bag was a nice departure from the norm. It's really high quality and not something that young guys would buy for themselves.

My folks were down to see me last weekend, so I took them out to Morton's for a nice steak dinner. If you've got a Morton's, Don Shula's (I know, I know) or a Ruth Chris, that's always a winner. That's true unless you're a vegetarian or some other kind of nutjob. I'll be getting him a digital camera, too.

Remember when he would score a touchdown and ummm, uhhh, they would show it on the highlights on ummm, uhhh Prime Time on ESPN and Berman would go 'Hee hee'? Remember that? That was awesome.

You know the great thing about -40 C is? It's also -40 F.

That's pretty cool. They have a site here. The Tanner Boyle jersey is sweet. It looks like the pricing for customs is still kinda high, but like you said, you can snag a Kemp on Ebay for ~$80.

Just curious... What number/name are you getting? The $270 price was just a bit too steep for me. If the replicas were customizable, I'd consider it.

I'll step in here and note that I while I have no practical advice, my dad always said, "Son, I don't care what you do as you as you please your mother." He got that advice from his father. This tells me that these two strong men had but one main purpose in life: Keeping their ladies happy. Take from that what you will.

Whaddya mean, no Googling? I found it, but that's not exactly information that I would be common knowledge. Anyway, the first documented use of the term is in dispute, much like the whole "Mularkey" debate. How Joe Six-Pack Popped Up by Jerry Ison In a recent interview with time magazine, Slick Willy said that if he were a private citizen - Joe Six-Pack, he would want his day in court. He went on to say that, alas, since he wasn't Joe Six-Pack, the country's interests have come first so he can't take the time to make Paula Jones eat her words. At least it was something like that. Joe Six-Pack. Where and when did the average guy get that name? What ever happened to John Q. Public, Average Joe, or even Joe Schmo? It seems that the media has been using this kind of colorful locution to refer to the average person in America. Joe Six-Pack started out back in 1867 as Joe Blow. In 1925 he was Joe Zilch, a play on zero, and by 1927 he was Joe Doakes. He went on to higher education in 1932 as Joe College, off to war in 1943 as G.I. Joe. By war's end Joe Cool had arrived and a year later along came Joe Schmo. While Joe Zilch and Joe Schmo are usually put-downs, Joe Cool is a reference to someone who is, well, cool. John Q. Public was another one of Joe Six-Pack's ancestors coming into play about 1937. About that same time, maybe earlier, unknown persons were known as John Doe; Jane Doe is the person of the female persuasion. To this day, however, Joe Six-Pack could end up a John Doe if he's not careful. According to the Random House Dictionary of American Slang, the first documented use of the term Joe Six-Pack was in the Los Angeles Times in 1977. Wrongo says Boston Globe reporter Martin Nolan. He cites not only the year, but the date Joe Six-Pack was born - August 28, 1970. The name first appeared in an article about another Joe, Joe Moakley, a state senator blowing (Joe Blow?) off about another congressional blowhard. One question bears examination when discussing the media's name for the average person. Why did they choose John or Joe? Maybe back when John Q. Public was born, John was a very popular name. The same may be true for Joseph and its derivative, Joe. That is no longer true, Michael has been the most popular name for an American boy since the mid fifties and Brian is a close second. Wouldn't Michael or Mike Six-Pack or even Brian Six-Pack make more sense that Joe? Especially when you consider how Irish both those names are and how much we Irish-Americans love our beer? Yet with all that logic, Mike or Mike Six-Pack just don't quite say what Joe Six-Pack does. - Patrick Sixpack

Frank Reich started the first few games for the brand new Carolina Panthers. Kerry Collins took over about halfway through the season. Reich finished up his career in Detroit. At the '97 game at Rich (Ralph Wilson) Stadium, there was an eerie feeling of deja vu as the PA announcer said, "Reich's pass is complete to Metzelaars." You couldn't help but cheer.

Yup. Their son-in-law (a guy I've known forever) got it in his head that the area where they lived was in dire need of an A&J's. He got some investors together, brought out some other Olean people to run it, and there you go. They started the other restaurant a couple years later. I was there last October and things are going well.

Did you know that A&J's now has a place in Cleveland? 2004 Playmate of the Year, Carmella DeCesare is a frequent customer. They have also opened up a restaurant there. I'm good friends with the family. Try the Chicken Wing Pizza.

I'm going to second SF Bills Fan and recommend Kauai (I stayed at the Princeville Resort). You're away from all the tourist-type stuff there. USMCBillsFan is right on about the snorkeling in Hanama Bay, too. It's really great. A climb to the top of Diamondhead might be in order. It's a bit of a tourist trap, but you'll get some nice pictures of Waikiki from the top. As long as you spend some time away from downtown Honolulu, you'll do just fine.

Funny you should mention that. Murphy looked weird in a Phillies uniform, and downright silly in those Rockies duds. I was at a Braves-Phillies game in '91. Glavine was throwing a gem as the Braves were killing the Fightins. Roger McDowell was doing some mop-up work when Otis Nixon came up. They had a history, so McDowell gives him some chin music. The ump warns him and on the next pitch, Nixon gets plunked. McDowell is tossed along with the Phillies manager (Fregosi? Felske?). A the top of the next inning, Dale Murphy is leading off. Glavine has to protect his player, right? But if he beans Murphy, he'll be as popular in Atlanta as General Sherman. He throws 4 70 MPH tosses in the Mormon's direction and gets the rail. That was about the only interesting thing that happened at the Vet that day.

Carlton was convinced that he merely had some "mechanical problems" with his delivery. Yeah Lefty, your arm wasn't moving fast enough to maintain the spin required to make your slider... uh... slide. When he went to the Giants he gave his first press conference since 1971 when he claims he was misquoted by a St. Louis beat writer. The press hated him so much because of his refusal to speak to them, he was conspicuously missing from the All-Century team. Okay, at the time he was #2 all-time in Ks, #2 all-time amongst left-handers in victories, and a 4-time Cy Young winner. The BBWA show their spite by not electing him because he wouldn't talk to them. Nice. As a kid, I had a great poster that had him holding a burning base ball with Mike Schmidt holding a burning bat. The title was MVP and CY. They were wearing those gawd-awful blue roadies.

Speaking of Iron Butterfly, anyone ever hear the story about Phillip Taylor Kramer, the bassist? Apparently he was an aerospace engineer and mathematical genius. He died under suspicious circumstances 10 years ago. Here's a link.

I can imagine the thought process. "Hey, Johnny Cash won Grammys with his covers of modern music. I can do the same." The difference is this: Johnny Cash was cool; Paul Anka isn't. Didn't Pat Boone try something similar?

Actually, I hear the argument that Portis is making a couple times every week. It goes something like this: Customer: I had an order out there to buy XYZ stock at $9.00. Did I get filled? Me: Yeah, you were filled at $9.00 at 10:10 this morning. Customer: Really? Where is it trading now? Me: Last trade was $8.20, down $1.05 on the day. Customer: Oh, then I don't want it then. Me: Do you want me to sell it for you? Customer: No, I want you to cancel the original buy. Me: (Sigh) Well, that's not how it works. Are you new to trading? ...

Yeah, I know Bill Brasky. He's a 10 foot-tall beast-man, who showers in vodka, and feeds his baby shrimp scampi.