UConn James

For 1), I just don't have that hope. Like I thought at the time, the president's biggest mistake was in not seperating each group to its own province. What he envisioned as a diverse Iraqi society cannot work for the same reason it wouldn't have in the former Yugoslavia. These people are killing each other. I am resigned to 2) and while it doesn't do us any favors for our standing, it has to be done. This admin stepped in a big pile of sh-- and continue to insist they can't smell anything.

The alternative is that staying there also "is going to do *nothing* for us in the future." My brother was a hoo-rah Bush-Great Republican from the start; Air Force Raven Team --- he has been everywhere, done everything from crawling down sewers in Kuwait to guarding Laura's Bush's shoes down to Crawford. Loves the military. But last night, his words: "This is worse than Vietnam. These people [the Iraqis] will never get their sh-- together." To which I replied, "Well then, in the future you better watch how you vote." The Maliki gov't has been craptacular, even given the givens. We are losing time fast.

Way to go out on a limb there. If only we had 16 games vs. the Lions.

I've said this for a while about the FB position, and Shelton specifically. He can bust some good blocks on a lot of plays, but there's waaay too many mistakes and a goodly number of complete whiffs over the years. There's a reason he was sitting on his couch on Sundays for a year, even after he had fully recovered from surgery. Expect an upgrade in the offseason. Should have happened this year, but I think he was held onto for continuity.

I get the Providence channels and I wouldn't say that by a longshot. Last poll I saw was 44-42 in favor of Whitehouse, well w/in the MoE. Chafee has the family name in RI; his father was a very popular (Dem) pol in the state. The advertising is probably what's to be expected with two candidates who're pretty close to each other in viewpoints. Whitehouse is running campaign ads that are mostly party-centric --- that speak of regaining control of the Senate and that to change the direction of the country, the leadership needs to change. But this is after he staked out his key issues and where he stands during the primary season. Chafee has been running low-ball ads featuring his soft voice and calm demeanor, where in spite of speaking for 30 seconds, he says nothing at all... "For months I was attacked by the right for being too liberal. Now I'm being attacked by the left for being too conservative. That puts me in the middle. [Fingerpoint toward the camera]. With you. It's only through clear thinking that the country's problems will be solved...." blah blah blah 'I approve this message.' He doesn't feel the need to actually say anything concrete. No joke, the commercials in RI are more than 50% political campaign ads. They're laying down some serious coin.

Surefire way to pick a partisan out of the crowd: 'I object to this type of journalism because...because...because... it really hurts my side!'

I've said this myself about "Jay-Pee." It's time he switched to Jon. Jon Losman. See, that's respectable; that's a man's name.

HFB!

I'm not torn. Nazis were allowed to march in a parade in Skokie, Ill. The Supreme Court upheld this right. If I read it right, it would be the same thing that just b/c they marched in stupid khaki clothing wearing swastikas and verbally promoting (what was actually a small part of) Nazism, the police can break down their doors, search their drawers, and use their toilet. The First Amendment provides "freedom for the thought we hate." The other 99% of us can only hope to stamp it out by using the First in like kind to promote tolerance.

The football intelligencia will not change their story about the Bills until they make the playoffs. Until then, it's all 'rebuilding' stories, Marv is old, JP isn't ready, suspect OL, blah blah blah. After Week 8, if our guys continue to play well, the talking heads might label the Bills as a "surprise" team, they could turn some heads, and that the full-of-sh-- speaker of this "knew it all along." This is what you get when you bother to listen to these clowns. I watch the game. That's it. No pregame shows, no Sporting News, no E$PN, etc. I scan the TBD frontpage for real information -- injury reports, etc.

So it's too late to change the ballots w/ Foley's name, so the latest boondoggle from the Big Two is that a vote for Foley in the booth magically becomes a vote for Joe Negron. There will be signs in the voting places saying as much. Which.... in my purview violates the electioneering w/in 100 feet, but whatever. I'd do harikari before I put a check mark next to a pedophile's name on the ballot. This is shameful.

Those things are way, way overpriced to begin with. Even at $90 they are. I bet the production materials and (Chinese) labor costs per jersey are maybe $20.

I think the biggest thing revealed last night is that, as much as we've been conditioned by the writers to almost unconditionally like Jack, he's now got something of a dark side that hadn't been shown before. We have come to admire his dedication... last night's ep shows when he became too dedicated/possessive. He was stalking Sarah. It's ony toward the end that I was a little relieved that he has indeed moved on from that, only wanting to know whether she was happy. I'm wondering at the chronology of it too. As I'm thinking, this obviously occured after Jack failed in the surgery on the Italian(?) guy... and right before Christian was fired for operating under the influence. Quite the building father/son tension there, combined with Jack's accusation (which Chrisitan didn't actually deny, just said 'Don't go there.'). The intercom thing was his father's voice, even tho Juliette said it hadn't worked in a long time. That opening scene was a jawdropper for me. Maybe the deal with Kate is a whole Stepford Wives thing to incorporate her into the Utopia? Anyway... Zeke/Mr. Friendly is definitely gay (Kate's not his type? WTF!?).

Sure it wasn't Tom Brady?

Neither did McGee (besides KOs, and whatever else, a limited role). Marv drafted Youboty and was very high on him. He should get reps this year. I don't think we need to break the bank to get a satisfactory CB, and the way the draft and signings went, ML was planning for the short-term future. We are rebuilding. Might as well rebuild there too with talented guys we've already got on the roster. Cap $ needs to go to the DL, OL, LB and other core areas.

Neither was Dre Bly a couple years ago.... And the salary cap has only gone up. Samuel will get a big payday from someone. There is approximately a 97.8% chance that Nate will be gone next year. I wouldn't mind Youboty or Greer getting the spot.

It's going to be more organized this season. Six new eps, then a mini hiatus of 13(?) weeks, then all new eps the rest of the way. On the Season 2 DVDs, one of the producers explained why the scheduling was a mess last year. There's no way possible to keep up the production schedule --- even with 2 crews --- with the airing schedule. Something has to give. I think they made a great decision this year. Have a mini-finale, and you have to think there'll be a shocker; and none of the fractured repeat schedule. I got the S2 set last week and finished watching it yesterday, as a brush-up before it starts. Something to note --- the guy sitting next to Bernard in the plane seat in the tree.... is the same actor that played Jason, who Ana-Lucia murdered in revenge. It's more evident in some of the extras footage. They're so careful on the show; this doesn't seem to be something they'd just allow. Then again, they revealed that the Dharma logo on the shark was supposed to strictly be an insider joke thing, until the scene came out lighter than they thought and people spotted it. The biggest question? Obviously, what are the Others going to do with Jack, Sawyer and Kate. What is their intent? What was the noise & light? I don't think the nod really meant much. A show of solidarity. An 'it'll be all right' even tho they don't know that. Perhaps as a reminder that Sayid has their back.

Same difference.

The Minuteman Project says JP is a dirty Mexican half-breed stealing a job from real Americans.

Didn't you listen to the guy in the garage with black hair and full mustache in the DirecTV commercial? How can a QB like Peyton Manning throw a bad pass with a "laser... rocket arm"? I don't believe you.

Watch out for the aliens who landed their ship next to the coliseum. I still can't believe what they did to a classic stadium.

Dude, all due respect, but they're supposed to be PROFESSIONALS! And b/w Walt Coleman being a doctor or lawyer or whatever from 8-6 M-F, when is anything like that going to be done to the degree necessary? Also presents a problem of giving your secrets to someone else. Sure way to have it not be a secret anymore. To say it in other words, I wouldn't exactly trust the refs with our playbook in a league where teams like Buffalo have to do Amish bowling (rent "Kingpin" ) while everyone else is doing ten-pin just to ensure we don't get screwed. On 4th and 1, we need to get 3 just so there's no question.

If that Super Bowl wasn't enough to convince the league honchos that something needs to be done about refs, nothing will. They accept a lousy standard. Maybe b/c it adds a level of drama in the script.

It's just sad that our ST coach can exploit his knowledge of the rules to create an advantage for us... but all it leads to is blown calls by refs who don't understand the rules' application, which is kind of the most important part. It does nothing for April to school the refs in a memo on Mondays when we repeatedly get screwed on Sundays. Fecking people can't do the simplest part of their jobs.... to know the rules. But no need for full-time refs in the NFL!