UConn James

"I'm privately convinced that most of the really bad writing the world's ever seen has been done under the influence of what's called inspiration. Writing is very hard work and knowing what you're doing the whole time." -- Shelby Foote I would insert near the end, " --- and knowing the consequences of the ideas that you're writing --- ..."

I hardly think the Bills or any design firm would be using a plastic doll action figure to display their ware. First off, because that's not how it's done and second, I would imagine there are legal issues with using the doll action figure in such a manner (or at least invites lawyers to throw things up in an infringement case to see what sticks). You can tell by the facemask this is one of the Drew Bledsoe line from shortly after he signed with the Bills. There is a sect of people who paint McFarlane figures for their own amusement. Oftentimes, it's things like throwback uniform versions that haven't been released. Sometimes, it's someone doing their own take on things. This is just a higher level of the raster mock-ups fans/graphics junkies create. Even as those go, this is terribly designed. Personally, I'd rather focus my energy on different pursuits, but Thomas Jefferson's "pursuit of happiness" idea is as varied as the number of souls out there. I put zero stock in this. Zero.

There's a time and place. On the marble of the National Library of Switzerland in the middle of the day isn't either. My uncle always used to call out "Hey! Let go of that snake!!!" in situations of the like when we visited in Maine and after piling out of the car, found a tree that looked ammonia-deficient.

Yeah, that's it. Don't expect AR to get too far off cultural stereotypes. I could've done that, in a pinch. The eating challenges in the few seasons I've seen aren't to be taken lightly. Favorite part (and by favorite, I mean ) was when one of the Globetrotters (Flight Time? It was the smaller one) says he has to pee. And in the next scene, we see him standing next to the marble building as Kent and Vixen are running past. Seriously, dude couldn't think to ask where the toilet was when they were done with the couch? Just pisses against the side of the building in broad daylight? You stay classy, Globetrotters!!

Just a question Frostbelt... do you wake up every morning and kick yourself in the balls, too?

Dude on the right is a dead ringer for Wolf Blitzer, a known Jew. Guilt by doppelganger, sez Dexter!

+1. 1 - Oooooh! 2 - That make his tattoo a tramp stamp, right? Any dude who gets a tat in that spot should automatically have to send in his man card --- and not in standard mail; we're talking express overnight. It's just wrong.

What's wrong with that? WNY actually wants to attract businesses and jobs, right? The project is for $1.7M. I'm sure they'll make it back soon enough in myriad ways. I know a restaurateur here in CT who had to pay $800 for one 'dedicated handwashing sink.' Now, the sink and installation didn't cost that much, it was the $600 inspection fee for that sink and a tiny little sticker. A new business opening is like found money for govt entities. They're not going to be losing in this. If they have to do a small initial giveback as an incentive, what's the problem?

... unless the Chinese's answer to the most important question of our time is "Picard."

Just so! Nevertheless, 42 is the answer.

Actually... it's 42.

<==== To the TARDIS!!! We can travel back to 1948 and introduce Mao to the Daleks, YES!!

We knew two former purples would be going to Redemption. Turns out it's arguably their two strongest --- Mike and Dave. Rob seemed particularly interested in sending someone strong who could beat Matt. That's not a ghost he wants to have to face again at an inopportune time. Mike just may be the guy. Come to find that the machinations of Redemption will no doubt be a three-person face-off next week. The first immunity challenge was pretty straightforward. That second one really played into what I've written before. Men tend to be good at handling pain in shorter spurts, women can better handle long, drawn-out pain. Any wonder that the final three hanging by their legs were Andrea, Natalie and Ashley? So now, it's probably going to be a short game of attrition for the remaining purple members Steve, Ralph and Leathermanface. They might buy a little time with an immunity win, but Probst might as well write SHORT on their foreheads. AJ, if you watch mostly to see what kind of crazy **** Phillip is going to say, well, it looks like you got your fill this week. Seriously, this is one crazy cat. But wait. Owing to the preview, that might be a racist statement. Whoops. Seeing his grandfather during meditation, wearing a footlong feather that appeared "out of thin air" in front of him... that's so far from crazy, that it repelled from the curve of the C, and circled back and landed smack dab into the obtuse angle of the Y. Nonetheless, it appears that Phillip, if he plays his cards right, has a very good chance of getting into the top four. Now, the rest of this kind of assumes that Rob keeps his grip on power. Ashley got on the wrong side of Rob by not telling him what Ralph said, when Natalie did. She's probably the first gone among the former yellows. Andrea had the link with Matt --- tho she did vote him off last week --- which represents some danger. I think Grant may go before Phillip simply for his strength in challenges. But, there's always that plan of Phillip's --- I think he may have designs that once the purples are gone, the following week Rob will be most at risk and that's where his secret idol comes in. I really think Phillip's strategy in taking the hamburger may have been that he half expected there to be a hidden idol clue up there, as happened at that reward where he caught Rob and Grant. Like Rob said, Ralph used his last week, so it would seem like there should be another one coming into play. Maybe it's in the new camp and there just isn't a clue? Maybe there won't be a new one until both of the ones from the two-tribes time are used?

More like, eat the other. Dank, I'm sorry, but unless there's 8 teachers for 16 kindergartners, there's going to be damage. Blind faith that everything will be all right is a prescription for a $50,000 disaster. And the article didn't say --- are these are going to be taken home or left in the classroom? And who's held accountable for breakage?

The preview also has Rob saying that he's getting "idol paranoia." I think it may finally be burning a hole in his pocket. The longer he holds onto it secretly in this new camp among all the people who will be voting in the finale, the more it'll bite him in the ass if he makes it that far. It will be seen as an act of selfishness / betrayal (even tho this game is ultimately mostly about those two qualities) that will not be looked at kindly when that knowledge would have affected those players' choices.

Link Also an interesting idea that would $ penalize the player for a rookie holdout. Gotta say that the combined guaranteed salaries for Top-10-pick rookies in the '00s is really surprising when you see it all added up there. Two billion dollars... for a collection of guys that had probably a 50% bust rate.

Actually, that looks more like a metallic puce gradient.

Just a question: Do you have kids? Because there's the theory and the reality of this. Unless the covers are made of diamond-plate.... We got my nephew a Leapster for Christmas. Two weeks later, the screen had a quarter-size spiderweb-pattern crack on it. And that thing is pretty well coated in rubber and a plastic lens cover.

Used properly, they could be a great tool. I question the fundamental wisdom in giving them to 5-6 year-old children, tho. Have you ever seen screen devices used by kids of this age? They will have to replace these at least every two years. I wonder whether for the older student set, using tablets could actually save money. This is especially so for textbooks for out-of-copyright books, or possibly e-textbooks that would theoretically cost less than traditional texts b/c it cuts production/distribution costs. (Then again, the e-paper of the Hartford Courant actually costs more than print, when standard discounts are applied! Explain that one...). So, I'd definitely want to see cost info for both ways. But, there are other e-readers out there that cost far less, for this purpose. Don't think most people are knocking the idea itself, just the cost and feasibility of what will actually happen once electronics get touched by grimy digits. There's a lot of truth in Jeff Foxworthy's old line that with kids, "We just can't have nice things!!" It would be cool if they could buy or get donations of refurbed/repurposed original iPads and save some coin and then not have to worry so much when they get used and abused. You'd be amazed at the tech that just gets thrown away these days when the newest device debuts --- it would be nice if the workable stuff could be donated and put to use in the classrooms.

Tonight's episode is titled "The Buddy System" and there will be a double tribal elimination. And from the previews, it looks like Phillip is again considering gorilla/red-headed-stepchild mode. I don't know how they're going to work that WRT the individual immunity challenge, or how they'll be coordinating the Redemption Island match. It'll also be interesting to find out if they start again with only four people witnessing it.

Per the Bills Facebook page: @Bears, @Broncos, Jaguars, Lions. We're playing the Lions!?!? In preseason?!!!? What?! What??!!! WHAT??!!? Who'd've thought that?!!

Forced to agree.

You know, you can turn that annoying announcement thing off in the options. When that thing goes off and the volume is way up, it can scare the bejeezus out of ya! I had the same thing earlier. Rebooted and then there was no problem.

Because then, congressional committees get involved WRT anti-trust issues.

Mitt Romney announced his Presidential Exploratory Committee this afternoon. Link w/ a short video statement.