UConn James

Steve, you're sniffing the crack-infused Florida air while unpacking your moving boxes, aren't you? Go outside and breathe in the Buffalo air (through a HEPA filter, o' course).

The PSD machine-sorting system has really changed how the mail is put up; a carrier can make the case a lot faster b/c it's prebundled except for magazines, etc. It's being implemented pretty widely now, and the theory is that it will take less time and save money. There's been a lot of dogging during the counts tho. The carrier on my route has went at it honestly (he drives way too fast tho), and has gone from ~2 p.m. delivery to, most of the time, 11:30 a.m. to noon. As time passes, I would guess there will be fewer carriers needed for fewer routes as efficiency grows (unions be damned, b/c the PO really needs to cut their spending to stop raising stamp prices, which is killing their volume). The test is probably the same as it was, tho, b/c it is a bureacracy. And then there's always the argument What if the machines fail, etc. Still, it's like making a math major learn the abacus. Don't know about the driving test, but a little birdie told me those trucks handle like a pig. Especially in the snow.

Sorry, but those look like arse.

Colin Powell has apparently played a part in raising doubts about Bolton to some of the Repub senators. I usually don't make too much of management styles, but his are a little beyond the pale. We don't need a diplomat who's going to tell everyone off, especially at a time when we need fewer enemies. People try to make the UN out to be more than it is or should be. As originally conceived it was a place for diplomats of all countries to have informal or formal talks, and to settle a few international issues, like use of the oceans, etc. A great idea to 'keep the back channels open.' Then they took off from there to the morass it is today.

Then there's the argument just like the photos of the woman falling from the fire escape in Boston. The paper had done stories about how they were unsafe. Only when people found out what really happens, they got off their butts to do something about it and the fire escapes were fixed throughout the city. It sucks for the family, I agree. But they know the details already, I'm sure. Sweeping it under the rug doesn't do them any good, and I hope the father never stops speaking out. We've read more and more for the past five years stories just like this. The best thing I can think of to honor and remember Jessica is to try to stop it from happening again to another little girl.

I could think of a few punishments. There was an old mafuch one for diddlers. They brought them out to a shack in the woods, suspended him from the ceiling via a Chinese Finger attached to his you know what. Gave him a dull knife. Walked out and set the shack on fire. And they waited outside with shotguns just in case he made it. Something really has to change in how sexual offenders are prosecuted and sentenced, tho. For the last hundred years the justice system has been blind... to a raging epidemic. The bills for 25-year mandatory sentence is a start, but that's not even enough.

Cpl. Sergei Korinskya protests the label 'Victory Day' because, as he shouted in his slogan, 'How can there be a winner in a split republic?'

They're staying w/ white helmets. It'd be stupidity defined for them to switch to black jerseys in the Arizona sun. (Never mind a design atrocity). And by using Dennis Green logic, I expect that's exactly what they'll do.

He's in his Congressional death throes. Next week he'll be calling the Constitution unconstitutional.

Shining example of employment through the Good Ol' Boys Network.

Guys, it sounds like the hard braking (and subsequent revelation that one didn't work) was done out of necessity, not for sh--s and giggles. As for the injury, Pete, get a date with a nurse.

What gets me more are those people saying TD should trade back into the first, then trade down and stockpile picks. Pardon my English, but... HUH?!!? If trading down were so easy, everyone would do it, especially this year. Not to mention that there would be no net gain other than wasted time. 2+1-2 still equals 1. But I guess by doing something, anything, there would be headlines. Why don't people who only know the cliches of draft-day activity just wait until camp starts before opening their mouths? Abe Lincoln had some good advice on remaining silent, don't you know.

Unless the NFL has added several teams, that's a low 2nd. I don't get the logic of this scenario. Then again, it was conjured by armchair NFL pundits. There's lots of them these days. TD will get something tangible for Travis, not merely moving up a few spots in a craptacular draft. If not, expect to see #20 back in red, white, two shades of blue, and silver.

Yeah, we want the straight dope. Edwards at times seemed like a spring chicken, and other times he was genuine and showed a lot of tact. What I've heard from the backroom is that he knew he didn't have a chance for pres. but was gunning hard for the VP slot so he'd be a shoo-in down the road. I didn't like that about him. Kerry should've picked a stronger VP, but then again, Kerry should've had a solid spinal column.

Saint Malachy(?) who has very accurately predicted the line of popes in the 12th century, wrote that the next would be "the pope of olives" or something along that line. Perhaps he saw Ratzinger as a de facto continuation of JPII's papacy. B/c that's what it is.

I predict that w/in 10 years, Bill Clinton will be a Republican. Mostly b/c of the "making the world a better place" happy horsesh-- only w/o the sky blue helmets along w/ the snafu that is NAFTA. The Clintons are no friends to the Democratic Party.

I must've been jumping to conclusions.

Check the voting stats re: the black vote. There was the start of something in '04. I can only say it would be a good thing to have Jesse Jackson be less of a voice in the Dem Party. I choose to think a little more optimistically about the racial thing. As for Hillary, it's hard to say if she'll run. If she does, I don't think she gets it. Lots of history there, and not much of it is good for her. In NYC she's safe, going national I wouldn't bet on her. Lots of discussion centers around running a current Dem governor, for the same reason as is being discussed in the thread.

A subdued anger might have been good in the election. It might have given everybody a sign that Kerry actually had a pulse, at times. Everybody's view comes from their perspective. From the other side of the hill, the Republicans are the party of "we oppose anything the Democrats support." Fresh faces aren't bad. We need a lot of them in D.C.

That looks like white smoke to me.

Reid comes across as an ass to me. I don't know how he and Pelosi got into leadership roles, just like you wonder about DeLay, Lott, etc. The thing that killed Kerry was he did not stand up forcefully enough to the "flip-flopper" attack. Something where he raised his voice, and quote from the 2000 debates about "No nationbuilding" etc. Make it clear that *ahem* other people have changed their minds as well.... *ahem* We never saw that on the evening news, b/c it wasn't being said. Kerry was also weak on this issue b/c the parties are in the middle of a SERIOUS policy swap re: playing World Cop, which I agreed w/ the Repubs before about not getting involved in other people's crap and taking care of our own business and I agree w/ the Dems now about not getting involved in other people's crap and taking care of our own business. I want someone like Schweitzer who'll say what we all want to say: "I'd personally put OBL's head on a stick." Kerry refused to attack on this point (which, let's be honest, it was the point in the election) b/c of his voting record and past statements. I'm looking for a much better slate in '08 with people who aren't afraid of a fight.

I doubt it. Kerry sucked at communicating, tried to be all things to all people, and he wasn't in a postion/didn't want to attack Bush on his weaknesses. Those things go to the core. Would it be wise for them to run a governor, just because executive --> executive? The track record for congressmen becoming president hasn't been very good. That, and they ran a just-left-of-center guy in Gore that alienated the "base", and then a just-right-of-Teddy-Kennedy guy in Kerry that alienated the centrists. Do they actually try for a middle-of-the-spectrum guy or gal this time 'round? Trouble was that Iowa picks someone like Kerry b/c they make the Ethanol Pledge and the party and media made him the nominee. It'd be a lot nicer if they did the primaries more clustered than they do. I just hope the Dem candidates in '08 will be honest and able to talk to people about their ideas. It will be a better campaign b/w the two parties b/c one of them won't have to explain how he would do each specific thing different than the current guy. My short list includes Wes Clark, Bill Richardson, and Barak Obama tho it's probably too soon.

Here's a guy that the more I read about 'im, the more I like 'im. Life of the Party: Brian Schweitzer

Sounds exactly like what the Bills need so they can keep McGee in a Tupperware container. The spectre of Jeff Burris really haunts this place....

I'd say the only way he gets those numbers is if there are injuries and b/c his contract year motivates him similar to Peerless. But likewise, I wouldn't pony up for a guy who could only be bothered to show up when it came down to fattening his wallet.