Dr. Who

She's lovely. Folks can think and say what they want. I personally believe Allen has a decent chance to be very good, but I am not a pure analytics kinda guy. I find it tiresome when some posters appear most interested in registering their skepticism/dislike of the pick. If you're a Bills' fan, why not try to evince at least the hope that the fella is the player OBD thinks he is? This ought to be a fun time where hope abounds, not the reiteration of doubts and anger that a preferred qb wasn't picked. There will be plenty of time for recrimination if things don't work out, but constant negativity, especially at this stage, just drains the joy out of anticipating a new season.

Just put him on lifetime ignore.

The vets brought over from St. Louis, including Hutton, should contribute to a better chemistry as well.

Thanks for sharing that. A fella I like who you may find of interest is Wolfgang Smith. Cosmos and Transcendence, Science & Myth, and Christian Gnosis are worth a perusal. Smith synthesizes Vedantic insight, Kabbalah, Christian mystics.

Genuine spiritual practice usually involves some form of initiation. While exoteric forms of religion can be helpful and are even necessary, imo, the esoteric is what allows for development and genuine gnosis. By its nature, it's difficult to talk about and attempts to convey it through writing suffer from what Plato talks about in his Seventh letter (I judge it genuine -- i.e., the most important elements require living interaction and dialogue, because one has to measure the teaching to the unique person and to try and convey such wisdom "neutrally" in writing invites misunderstanding and derision.) I don't discount the therapeutic aspects of spirituality, but my own experience is that it doesn't typically calm, reduce anger and stress, etc, though some forms of meditation take one away from the roil of egoistic anxieties, you can't simply live in a fortress of meditation. Well, I can't and I don't really trust those who claim otherwise. I suspect them of faking, but maybe I'm just not there yet. Anyway, to answer your question a bit more concretely, my own path involves study, meditation, art (because process requires some form of activity to manifest contemplation.) I am an eccentric Christian, so prayer and liturgy are part of spiritual praxis, though it has not often played a tangible role in my own experience because I am frequently alienated from demotic, egalitarian forms of religion. It was different in pre-modern eras when a vital folk culture preserved lived patterns of ancient wisdom, but today one mostly gets bathetic pabulum and I can't abide it. Rare for anyone to broach this subject. Notice how one has to apologize for it, so far have the concerns of the spirit been marginalized and made nearly illicit.

But context is important, no? Hapless has it right. Really good players are cut more slack. If you are going to bring baggage, you better be really good. Otherwise, teams will take a somewhat less talented player who isn't a pain in the keester. It's human nature to avoid unnecessary conflict. I don't think it amounts to a terrible injustice or conspiracy.

Jury is out on whether they have a clue on offense. I like that they cut bait with Dennison. Not sold on Castillo as oline coach, but he continues to have a good reputation so perhaps he is better than I imagine. I do wish we would bring in some young blood at rb. I liked Allen before the draft, so I am not a skeptic there and if they hit at qb, that is the tide that raises all boats. As for Kaepernick, folks who like him will continue to think he is being black-balled for political reasons. Maybe so, but I think it more plausible he falls into the Tim Tebow category of not good enough to be worth the distractions.

"You know what the fellow said -- in Italy, for thirty years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, they had five hundred years of democracy and peace -- and what did they produce? The cuckoo clock."

What is your current opinion of Risto? I still think with reduced minutes, he can be valuable to the team going forward. Some seem to think he is a good chip to help acquire a top six winger. I dunno. Certainly, Botterill has now packed the pipeline for D.

I am rooting for England and Croatia. Based on life experience, I advise no one to bet on either.

Smart and sexy is a really good combination.

I love the episode where Chumlee buys some exotic coffee for the Old Man that apparently involved being proceesed through the digestive system of a monkey. The Old Man loved it. RIP Old Fella.

I read a long article a couple years back about Tiger and his father. He had a lot of issues and acted badly towards his wife, but I still believe he is a flawed, but decent fella at heart. I can understand if others feel differently.

I would like to see Tiger win again, but it seems like a pipedream, alas.

Hell, that's how I watch golf. I put in on because golf courses are pretty and I don't really care who wins.

Well, I may be provincial, but I have to agree that sort of thing keeps me from being anything more than a casual fan. I watch World Cup and pick a team for laughs. I'm for Croatia this time. Argentina seemed a bunch of bad sports.

He's a big fella, 6'4" -- one of the message boards say he is a safe pick. Some think we should have taken a chance on someone with more risk, but more upside. Looks like we want to solidify the blueline. Seems a good idea to me.

I think Wilde and Thomas are the best available. I'd put talent over position need.

Whaley was a hard-working fella who was saddled with coaches he probably would not have chosen and new owners finding their way. On balance, he was a mediocre GM, but I don't think he was the disaster some appear to believe. Regardless, I have sympathy for the difficulty that must be involved in having to speak publicly when one is less than comfortable doing so. Folks ought to just wish him the best in what is not a particularly prestigious position. Those who take the opportunity to get in one last snide dig are pretty shabby, imo.

Ahh, he was pretty articulate for a zombie.

If you say it backwards three times will he disappear?

I don't see Botterill doing this, but I would be tempted.

My main concerns are actually the tackle positions. Dawkins played well, but how will he do next to a guard who will probably be inferior to Incognito? I don't really have confidence in any of our RT candidates.

Blatant anti-vampire bigotry . . .

I didn't really study up on Teller. What I read encouraged me to think he might be a good guard, but I don't recall anything suggesting he could play RT. (It might very well fit with his skill set, I just don't recall reading about it.) Any indication he was lining up at tackle during OTAs or mini-camp? Personally, I'd be happy if Teller secured one of the Guard positions (I almost wrote G spots and decided against it ?).