UConn James

Well, to get this back on track a little.... 1) I don't think D.C. ever was or will be in the cards for Rudy. He is best as a more localized pol -- akin to mid-level management rather than CEO. He just doesn't have a national support network, and surely not among the base of the GOP in the key 'red' states. Regional politics are what they are --- a New England Republican will have a hard go winning the South or the West GOP; likewise a Western Democrat would probably have a hard sell here in the northeast. At most, Rudy's considered for a cabinet post if an as yet unidentified Republican wins in 2012. 2) Rudy is a fighter, especially when he's got an opponent he is almost diametrically opposed from on policy (fiscal much more than social)... and dislikes. Part of the problem, besides playing late-to-supper in the primaries was that he didn't have someone to totally disagree with (even when he tried with Romney it just elicited a shrug from me), and there was an air of holding back so as not to smear an eventual nominee too badly ahead of the general. And hey, the primary strategy was probably the best he could do with what polling suggested and with the resources his campaign had to work with; he was hoping to catch lightning in a bottle and he caught a lightning bug. Guaranteed that Rudy does not have similar problems raising $ inside NY.

NYT link I think this would be a great fit for Rudy and for NY. He shares a lot of the NY sensibilities and if anyone can reign in Albany, it would be Rudy. I just don't believe Paterson or Cuomo could b/c of their constituencies. For the GOP, too, as they need someone to get them to back away from the crazy Baptist minister types that took over. They need to get back to making fiscal discipline their party's #1 trait. Then they need to actually exercise fiscal discipline after elections. That's the hard part. But Rudy has done it before. Judging by the first 8 months of the current presidency and congress, this path would seem to be the way to go in '12; they need someone to lead the way out of the darkness. One might argue that Rudy helped the Republican brand in this regard and set the stage for '94.

The "reality," governor, is that people are judging these leaders based on their performance. Because so far, they either haven't done much of anything or further bungled bad situations. Gov. Patterson, don't proclaim MLK's dream dead when people are judging you based on the content of your character / your actions. It cheapens the sacrifice of the civil rights movement when you play the race card after you've been given fair chance by the (voting) public, and so far all they've seen from you is more deficit spending and trying to earn cachet from the 'Miracle on the Hudson.' Plenty of white pols are finding themselves in hot water as well b/c they've done nothing or made bad situations worse (see: Dodd, Chris). Skin color has nothing to do with this. Your failing plans for the state of NY have put you where you are.

Like the one Kennedy himself has exhibited since his diagnosis? Keller@Large on WBZ was saying last night that you can count on one hand the number of times he's been to the Congressional building since last year. Kennedy's main concern would seem to be for a certain specific piece of legislation that now needs all the Dem support it can get, don't you know. That is a bit of an honorable mitigation to have the replacement ineligible for the special election. But it would be more honorable if whatever method decided upon was kept no matter which party would get the 'upper hand.' As it is, the dominant party in the state historically likes to play Calvinball and change the method willy-nilly to their advantage. Word is that such a change is receiving a cool reception in the Mass. legislature. So, I'll give them that. As for the last part, no, there doesn't appear to be a way to enforce that the fill-in could not run. That would be a matter of keeping his or her word. But it brings up memories of the Mass. congresscritter (Massey?) who signed a pledge to limit himself to two terms, and wound up staying for six. How can you tell when politicians are lying? When their mouths move.

"Presence on the East Coast" might be attributable to all the Bills fans who've relocated to spots along the same. E.g. NC, MD, GA, etc. I would point out that youtube video a while back with the same actor portraying a guy from WNY and one from NC, and at the end, they hug as long lost brothers. I'd say with some confidence that a large majority of Bills fans in the US don't live in the WNY region. Either never have or through the WNY "brain drain" left b/c of the economy / politicians who keep raising taxes.

Because announcing that would have been career suicide. Note that he says pressure came from some members of the cabinet --- Ashcroft and Rumsfeld. No one else. And it probably didn't come as a "Hey, Tom. Our strategists said that raising the terror alert will help us win" so much as Ridge's feelings about their motivations (the requests came after two videotape messages were released in close conjunction). We'll find out more when the book comes out. As it was, he writes, the situation was the nail in the coffin to him stepping down very soon after the election. Are you talking about Ridge? Well, this probably doesn't help his standing in the party, especially among hardcores. But then again, the GOP is undergoing quite a catharsis right now. Quite a few congressional Repubs who drank the most kool-aid either lost last year or have announced they aren't going to run again. The party is looking for new blood that is unconnected to the Bush brand, b/c that just isn't selling enough. Look for them to be pushing the old-school 'fiscal responsibility' for '10 and probably '12. (Or were you making a funny that GWB probably won't be re-elected now? Good one.)

Anyone know the make of the new HD screen in the stadium installed a couple of years ago? Pretty sure it was Sony. Will they be covering up any competing brand logos on that? On edit: The HD scoreboard, along with the stadium ribbon screen was made by Mitsubishi. Link.

Well, seasoned veterans do get a break in that regard. Favre is quite familiar with the ins and outs. Training camp is old hat, and he figures that getting more rest time will do him good toward the end of the year. Bruce did the same thing. Who's to say it didn't help? Comparing Favre to Maybin is completely disingenuous. Maybin has yet to even experience what "NFL speed" is... or just about anything else having to do with stepping it up from college. He hasn't done himself any favors.

Me three. Last year was the first year, tho, that when I came in from raking and it was almost 2 p.m. on a Sunday, that I didn't give a crap either way. Look, the most annoying thing about the Favre dramas has been the media's overreaction. W/o an artificial 24/7 news cycle, this is small peanuts. There've been a lot of guys through the years who waver on retirement. Look at Derrick Mason on the Ravens a couple of weeks ago retiring then un-retiring inside of a week --- it got a sentence in the paper here. The difference has been that for Favre, the media hypes it beyond all distortion. There's a difference b/w reporting the news and them trying to create news, regurgitating old sh--, and talking about it ad nauseum with nothing new being added. At this point, ESPN:Brett Favre::British tabloids:Lady Di. The media's silliness doesn't make me think the lesser of Favre. And as I wrote, I don't watch it.

Link

No, but she will watch them pretty closely.

Re: the parents' unwillingness to help the kid... It may be laziness/nonchalance, but it may also be that they wanted the kid to be arrested b/c this wasn't the first time.

And still, he stayed upright and between the DL and Edwards. Bought an extra half-second. How many veterans have we seen here this decade, who would've just fallen down or morphed into a turnstile and watch the QB get creamed. AL at least was doing his all to "protect his QB" even when he got beaten --- that's not something you can teach. The OL purge seems to have been designed to get rid of our sometime-matadors who stood up for the QB when they felt like it.

True, that.

Yeah.... then there's that.

It's quite evident that Dick Jauron still coaches this team. Nothing's changed. Not even the excuses. And if they haven't gotten "the right players for their scheme" by now, then they're not ever going to. Either the coaches can't identify and communicate what they need, or the FO isn't fulfilling what the coaches want. My money is mostly on the coaching. You get what you pay for, Ralph. DJ is a good person but he's a %$#*ing horrible HC given the job's responsibilities.

Looked on their website... does anyone know costs on this for counters and interior floors (per sq. ft.)?

Several years ago, in the winter, I woke up at ~ 3 a.m. for some reason, looked out the window next to my bed and saw several shadows moving among the cars in the driveway. I'm not sure whether they intended to steal the car (at the time, a 10-year-old Escort sedan wagon) or were just rummaging through it. (And I do generally keep a small change purse in the jockey box with ~ $10-15 for unexpected gas emergencies and tolls when we go on trips.) Whoever it was, they were evidently either not local or they had big balls, because everyone around here (in a fairly rural area, too) knows that our house has the area's constable, and our neighbor across the street is a state trooper. Anyway, in a daze, I opened the window and shouted "Hey!" and they ran toward their waiting getaway car behind some bushes and peeled out. On balance, it might've been fun to see the liquid spilling down their pants when they heard a S&W .357 hammer rooster behind them, accompanied by a friendly, "Hey, whatcha doin'??" You feel a little shaken/nervy and violated, but life goes on.

There's an air of history about this that respects the intent. During the Revolution and even after, flags would get seriously damaged during battle. Our national anthem was written about the flag flying through the night, and despite it getting shot through, singed by flares, etc. it was still there. Likewise, this man's flag is seeing tough times, yet it is still flying. I can also appreciate the motive. I have two brothers who have done stints in the global hot spots. Each time they go, it doesn't get easier. You tell yourself that they're smart and strong, but that guarantees nothing. There you are, living your life pretty much as normal, and you just want some connection, something that the two of you share, something the son has to hold on to in order to get him through a tough day in the field, something to look forward to when your soldier returns home. I don't really get the notion that we should all only be flying pristine flags. This seems to be a relatively recent concept with our 'consume-throw away-buy another' society. And I don't really understand all the to-do about every one of the decorum rules for showing the flag, which I believe weren't developed until the Eisenhower admin. What about the flying of the 9/11 flag that was torn almost completely down the middle? Parading and flying it during the Salt Lake City Olympics? Was that proper decorum? Honor or disgrace? It all has to do with the motivation. In this case, I think the motivation is completely honorable.

Recognition, legitimacy... and a booster seat at the table for Obama to spoonfeed some whipped carrots.

Link Caught early, "feels fine" etc. As much as I dislike some of his political views, his cheating on paying taxes on his Ireland "cottage" (claimed its worth was $100K), and his VIP deal from Countryside ("[Dodd] said he thought the VIP program simply meant enhanced customer service and the ability to get a live person on the phone." Ladies and gentlemen, the Chairman of Senate Finance either doesn't understand what a VIP program is designed to do, or he's lying his ass off), a company which he's supposed to regulate, among other things that show 30 years sucking at the public teat is way too long... most of the time, I still don't wish him ill. You've gotta wonder what this adds to a 2010 race that is projected as the most vulnerable Democrat Senate seat in the country. Dodd's poll numbers earlier this year were abysmal, and showed him losing to one of his challengers, Rob Simmons, even before Simmons said he would run. Nor has all the excrement hit the air conditioning yet about the funny money stuff. Whatever kind of fallout may come by next year from the health care bill that he's got a big part in forming. It all seems to be brewing into a perfect storm for Dodd.

Can't comment as the ABC player on my dinosaur sh--box computer does all the trappings and then never plays video. Also, forgot to include before that DL confirmed that we will find out about the food drop in S6. But I was watching the S4 Finale ("There's No Place Like Home Pt. 2") and some things have stuck in my craw... these may go along with my earlier long-ish post above. I don't know, I'm working it out as I type. Just have some thoughts about the Orchid station. All of the build-up with the machines etc. was an attempt to modulate or control space / time travel. We could surmise that Dharma sent a polar bear backward in time, based on the archeological site (or perhaps it was the Others, as Tom seemed to have knowledge of the polar bears). We know Dharma sent a bunny slightly into the future during the orientation film. What of the Others' possible experimentation with it after they controlled the island? I mean, Ben seemed to know exactly how to run it. Did either group ever send people? It's in my musings of this question that may have something to do with Jacob / MIB, the reasons why some people know/seem to know the future, especially as to whether they can die/whether the island will "allow" them to die / being "island dead." It is my estimation that both groups have sent people backward and forward. This seems probable just b/c it would bring so much to the show. It also seems probable in regard to Eloise Hawking vis-a-vis her statement that "for the first time in a long time [she doesn't] know what happens next." Was Des in the hospital may have been where she had to travel back in time, or as much info as communication with her future self allowed. How would a future self (the time travel resulted in a clone of the bunny) contact a past self? Perhaps as the island shifts in time? The workings of the Orchid aren't something we totally understand yet, nor are the results of any human experimentation by either Dharma or the Others. I'm wondering whether Jacob, MIB and Richard went into the future at some point via the Orchid. The island preserves them so they will be around to fulfill that future. Likewise, Ben and Widmore know they will be alive at some future set point. Tom knew that Michael would have to be alive for a future point, no matter how he tried to kill himself. Keeping them alive unnaturally long for this purpose is the "course correction" --- it's something that needs to happen, so it does. And so, everything that has been done have been steps toward a future that is known e.g. the Others clearing the runway for Ajira. This may roll into my (admittedly, I don't know how accurate it is b/c we don't have good viewing angles (you've gotta think this was for a purpose) above theory theory that Jacob might be Adam Rutherford ... or thinking about it now... that Adam Rutherford might be the future-sent clone of Jacob. Another small note is that Danielf Faraday's notebook shows the Orchid logo with one continuous stem (in the circles around it). The actual logo has the flower stem disconnected at the center from the outer stem that wraps around. What does this mean, I dunno. Could just be a logo. Am I making any kind of sense here? You know, I pushed the Orchid to the back of my thoughts pretty quickly. But right now, I've gotta say that Ben pushing the donkey wheel is --- to this point --- my favorite scene of this series. The role of Ben is just so great (and to think that Ben Linus was a late write-in, not conceived at the outset) and Michael Emerson plays him so well.

As I understood it, that came down from the Cambridge mayor (or perhaps, sufficient pressure to do so came from the mayor), who runs in the same circles as / is friends with Gates. Probably the right call. Not sure if Crowley has been asked about the charge being dropped, but his intent in the arrest was to prevent an escalating scene (initiated by Gates, as it was he who followed the officers outside and continued screaming) from escalating even further.

There was quite a bit of info/hints released at Comic Con, as usual. A lot of it hinted that whatever happened with the bomb basically was like hitting the reset button. The 815 crash didn't happen. An Oceanic ad claimed they've had "a perfect safety record" for 30 years since it started in 1979. A Mr. Clucks ad with Hurley was shown featuring a chicken recipe he dreamed up while in Australia. ... A number of characters who have been killed off previously will be making appearances. What all of this means is open to interpretation. And yes, Richard Alpert is going to be a series regular in this last season. As for his backstory, DL said that the Black Rock is "involved." Well, I think we all guessed that when he was building the ship in the bottle at the start of the finale. In other news, I believe LOST was nominated for 5 Emmy awards, including Best Drama. There is stiff competition there, tho, so who knows about the chances.... I also think S5 was a little too... too... involved with time-travel stuff to be extremely popular. All I can say is the others are critically acclaimed b/c I don't watch them.

Well, had Gates stayed inside, he wouldn't have been arrested. It was when he went outside, as the officers leaving the scene, and started yelling that was the problem. There's really no excuse for his reaction. If he had a problem with the officer(s) the proper thing would have been to file a complaint, not screaming and disturbing the whole neighborhood's peace.