UConn James

Which, with how past and present presidents of every party have used the military either for just causes or as their personal toy soldiers, will be.... never.

I'll see that and raise you a "... and never should have been." That said, and the reality of the USA's role in the world being what it is, it continually amazes me that some people spend so much money and time for a chance to take a bite out of the sh-- sandwich that is global (and national is no less a ka-ka side dish) politics. I guess the explanation is that most action in politics seems to be driven by a dislike of a slightly worse alternative --- yet another area where marginal differences/gains mean everything in the moment and in history mean jack squat.

VPNILF?

He misses the anal probes, more like. Was Nancy Pelosi chewing gum during her segment? Sure looked like it. Made me think of the "Mars Attacks" girl only w/o the ta-tas.

I'm not sure about "provocateur" but I think the kid himself was being pretty facetious. Paraphrasing, 'So, you're, like, old and stuff. Are you worried about getting Alzheimer's or that you'll die in office?' That's a hell of a question to be asking, and the kid knows it and either did or should have expected some joking rebuff for how he posed it. But in the same tack, JMac knows it's a point to consider for a person who wants to become president. That's why he answered it seriously before he made a short quip. I'm 99.9% sure the kid was laughing along with everyone else. And if you can't take a joke that most everyone else on this planet understands is meant lightheartedly, screw 'im.

Uhh, people, JMac answered the student's question seriously and then made a tongue-in-cheek jab. It's called 'dry humor.' Most people have the mental capacity to grasp it. Maybe his delivery wasn't perfect (and it would've helped if he went over to the kid and tousseled his hair or something) but this isn't Last Comic Standing. Everyone in the room got it. Quite unlike when I was in the store the other day.... My cart was at the start of an aisle and I was about 5 feet away getting an item. This woman comes in with her cart and hesitates even tho there's ample room. I took a quick step and moved the cart and said a polite "Excuse me." She says, "There's no excuse for you" and there was about a five-second pause where I was like... Oooooo-kay. And then she says, "That was a joke." Uhhm, no, in every usage, that's a put-down, not a light-hearted joke. It's amazing these days the number of people who are too slow-witted or dull for humor. JMac over the years has shown a great sense of humor, especially self-effacing. It's one of his biggest assets in being able to reach people. That said, I can't say I've ever seen Obama really laugh, even when he was on that SNL intro he was very stiff.

Yeah, I've heard Jason Peters is pretty hard up. Someone reported seeing him sitting on the corner of Delaware and Chippewa with a tin cup and a mangy dog.

Per articles on Google news, Bayh and Kaine were both told they would not be picked. I believe they listed the highest likelihoods as Biden or Nancy Pelosi-endorsed Chet Edwards (can't say I've ever heard of him).

A lot of people are saying it's going to be Biden. Which would be mildly amusing, since Biden's campaign pretty much started and ended on the same day when he dared to call Obama "articulate" and "well-spoken." For some people who hear what they want to hear and everyone's a racist until Revs. Al and Jesse say they're not, that's code for "He's a ni--er!" rather than a statement that someone, in fact, talks eloquently. The MSM had already picked their guy, and didn't let up on Biden until his name was thoroughly muddied. But besides all that, I think Biden would be a solid VP choice. For all those Dems who've been clamoring for party unity/healing a perceived rift, I think Obama knows that if he goes with Hillary, it'll be signing his own death warrant. As it is, Biden will serve as a strong debater and advisor in an area where Obama's cred is light.

Well, Sharif, Bhutto-loyalists et al probably don't want Musharraff coming back to Pakistan exactly like they did last year when everything they touch turns to sh-- and the mainstream Pakistanis clamor for the better days under Pervez. It's a political see-saw there. Perhaps Sharif has read some Shakespeare and learned that you don't leave the progeny alive when you kill a king. I hope it's just exile, else the Pakistan govt would be doing exactly what AQ-affiliates tried and failed a few times. Further destabilization in the region... not good. Especially trading a pro-west leader for ones who are ambivalent. The main concern is, who has control over their nukes?

That was me, mike. Happy that at least one person watched it. Agreed that it was the best scene/episode of the series, and that's saying something. Regardless of the politics of Bartlett and staff, it was so well written and acted; kind of pulled me into being a bit of a political junkie (along with 'uncle' Tim R). For anyone who missed out on Alda (I believe he got an Emmy for the Vinick performance), you really missed out. The point from the clip is one that more people should take to heart. (As someone who voted Romney in the primary b/c I think he'd've been a good administrator president who can come in and fix some f---ed up situations like he did many times in the past, it's painful that the reason he probably didn't get the nod is simply b/c he's a Mormon in a party with an Evangelical base.) And how prescient was that election when you think back on it now? The characters are pretty darn close. Santos = Obama, Vinick = McCain.

They had to cheat for a music appreciation class?!? That really indicates the mettle of their recruits. College athletics|academics (esp. in the major sports) is a pretty sad state of affairs right now.

I don't doubt that Goodell might have said he was disappointed by it. Hell, I'm disappointed by it. For sure, 54,000 would have been better than 17,000. But then, Goodell and even Ralph and Rogers probably projected this --- they didn't get where they are by being stupid. The two preseason games were never the main driver in the 8-game deal. It's Toronto's reception to the regular season games that really count. Disappointing, yes. But no way can anyone fairly compare this to last year's London game, and thatt's probably not what Goodell meant, if he did make a comment.

One of Alan Alda's best roles.... I wish we had a candidate like this. Link. Shorter clip w/ most pertinent lines, but by all means, watch the longer version for teevee at it best

Actually, I kinda prefer 18-1.

I don't see that happening. Anderson, Fine, and Massaqoui will just get longer looks. Sucks for Shou, esp. after last season was shortened by injury too. I, for one, hope Fine is able to step it up with this opportunity. Hasn't looked bad of what I've read and seen. How great would that be to finally develop a TE after wandering in the desert at the position for the past 10 years?

If anything, it should tell Goodell et al. that they need to do something about the preseason situation, as was rumored with retraction of one game and expanding to a 17-game season. Big surprise that people don't give a flying sh-- about games that mean nothing in the standings!? Lots of popular teams have attendance trouble for what is tantamount to glorified practice sessions; only the hardcore fans care about it, and even then.... I think butts (PAYING butts, that is) will be in the seats in Toronto in Dec. when it matters. People should reserve any final judgment at least until then, and probably not until the game up there next year. In addition to the retraction of a game, it might be prudent to make the preseason results count for something. What, I don't know. Some perk that's not too big, not too small. But the MLB All-Star game certainly got more interesting when the winning league got home-field advantage during the WS --- all of a sudden, people had a bit of a stake. Finally, for anyone happy about the low attendance, it isn't good for the team. This Toronto partnership thing has to be successful for the future of this franchise in the new era of Snyder & Jones. W/o it, we sink and the team will move; with it, the NFL in this region will be possible. Again, I fully expect a large crowd in Dec., a good game vs. the Fish, and I hope it translates to some corporate support from Toronto at RWS. (Should be easier now with the strong Canadian dollar).

And you're the makers of Stephanie Rice.

Then again, perhaps the installation wasn't quite what the other NFL stadiums that have FieldTurf surfaces use, vis-a-vis underlayments/padding. A field that was planned mostly for baseball use may have leaned the design toward that purpose rather than for a game where people are being pounded to said turf. It may be post-game grumbling, it may be a legitimate criticism. But regardless of the surface, everyone's playing on the same field.

Not to mention that JMac himself was --- and still is --- "mangled." JK2000, only the latest iteration of ellegantelliot, et al. The tags change, the arguments and posting styles remain the same. Dude goes through screen names here like babies go through diapers, and for the same reason.

Note: that's not my quote, it's KD's. Doesn't surprise me either, especially for the type of people who go into Edwards' lines of work. I'd have a tough time condemning him for his actions --- I leave that for his family and friends who know him. But any amount of trust in him as a leader or modicum of respect people had for him is gone and won't be coming back, especially if/when this story plays out to the end. If the man doesn't honor the oath he took when he got married for a 10 second orgasm, can he be trusted to honor the oath to the Constitution w/o making similar moral trade-offs? My answer is a firm no.

IIRC, a team that has changed its uniform design cannot make new major changes w/in 5 years. They introduced the new design in May 2002, so this no longer applies. Also, teams must inform the league of their intent to make changes a year in advance of said change --- like the State of the Union, this could technically be a long drawn-out to-do involving mock-ups and Photoshop files, or it could be as simple as sending a letter saying, "Dear Roger, We're gonna be changing our duds. Thanx, Russ." Evidently this team has chosen not to do this and is content to using the throwbacks twice a year (plus some in camp and the pre-season to break the gear in) --- this despite all the positive feedback about how much the vast majority of fans want to stop all the bitching about the ugly clothes the team wears and install the throwbacks as the full-time jerseys. My money says they're just going to wait it out until the next owner(s) take over in the coming future and let them decide, which also seems to be what they're doing re: discussion of a new stadium (be it by the league, NYS legislature/politicians, and fans) that pops up almost every offseason.

I'd say the odds are pretty good that one among the team has since found out that you do not use Ben Gay, etc. (my old-timer uncle's story was Sloan's Liniment) on the nether regions.

More to the story and when/if it gets out, this will surely clean JE's clock. This whole affair is downright disappointing. This man had the stones to run for president after a fling he had to know would eventually reveal itself. He affected the course of the nomination and willfully put his party at risk (at least of getting its agenda derailed and at most of being blackmailed --- he was already arguably paying hush money for the woman's videos that I don't think his campaign really ever used) were he given the nod. But his association with a woman of Ms. Hunter's ilk is what's most appalling for someone of his stature --- New Age, yoga-practicing, tofu-munching, breezy bimbo airhead who would talk about people's 'cosmic energy/aura.' It's just flabbergasting that he let a person like this get into his circle, and it's really telling both of his judgment of people and his readiness to throw it all away for a fleeting desire (these last two points being two of the bigger faults of the GWB presidency vis-a-vis his initial trust in Putin as one example, and the gut instincts of wanting to take out Saddam that started the course toward all that has is Gulf War II). nd then bald-faced lying about it when he was caught red-handed. An Edwards candidacy or political appointment would have been ruinous for his party and for the country. That he was so callus to put both in jeopardy shows he cares about neither -- he just wanted to see "John Edwards" in big letters. It's funny how some here are defending him, when even JE's campaign head says he feels betrayed and humiliated. It's not admissible, but a show did a segment where you watch his body language in the Nightline piece. When asked, he said sure he'd take a paternity test... while he's moving his head side to side to say "no." While he was being asked about the affair, one hand was gesticulating... his other hand was held closely shielding his nether regions. When the spoken message conflicts with the body language, trust the body language. Lawyers’ Ties Hint at Extent of Hiding Edwards’s Affair

United Whitey College Fund.