PastaJoe

On the plus side, it was with a woman.

"Boris, you've just conquered Georgia, what do you plan to do next?" "Ve're going to Disneyvorld!"

If people have to get their hope from an image on a window or a grilled cheese sandwich, that is a bad thing regarding those people's mindset. And it's even worse when people exploit them and make them pay to see it or sell it on ebay.

I give Howard a pass on sometimes letting success go to his head because Howard really had to do some lousy jobs and face rejection when he started, but he stuck to his vision and in the end it worked. He made it in spite of his looks, not because of them like most other celebraties. Not so much compassion for people who came onboard after the success like Artie, who has a job that allows him to basically do whatever he wants, all he has to do is show up. I understand that part of Artie's appeal is his personal life and habits, but he's gone overboard. I always preferred Jackie anyways.

John McCain now supports properly inflated tires. On a conference call with Philadelphia voters Tuesday night, McCain offered support for the fuel-saving tip. "And could I mention that Sen. Obama a couple of days ago said that we ought to all inflate our tires, and I don't disagree with that," he said on the call. "The American Automobile Association strongly recommends it. But I also don't think that that's a way to become energy independent." Of course neither does Obama. http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/

But shouldn't a person be able to go to a game wearing opposing gear without worrying about being doused with beer or beat up? I'm not talking about a jerky Patriot fan who yells, "the Bills suck, we own you!", but the guy who might bring his son to a game and root for his team in a respectful way. Fans wear opposing jerseys to hockey and baseball games all the time, and there isn't the level of abuse that there is for football.

I'd have no problem with Cheney and Bush dressing up as Batman and Robin and going to fight the bad guys. But of course the reality is they just make decisions that put other people in danger while they're safe and secure; more like Amanda Waller (for the other comic geeks).

The downside of this is that it could mean that Schobel is underperforming.

On a Syracuse radio talkshow this was discussed yesterday, and the Bills fans were getting hammered by callers who went to the Ralph to see their favorite teams who were playing the Bills. They talked about how they were verbally abused and got beer dumped on them just for wearing the opponents jersey or hat, and when they complained to security they were told to remove their gear and it wouldn't happen. They also talked about abusive language and people pukeing while tailgating in the parking lots. True or not, that's the reputation the stadium has out here. The host put the Bills fan's behavior in the same catagory as Eagle and Raider fans.

Real Clear Politics takes an average of all the different polls most recent results: Poll Date Sample Obama (D) McCain ® Spread RCP Average 07/23 - 08/04 -- 47.3 44.5 Obama +2.8 AP-Ipsos 07/31 - 08/04 833 RV 48 42 Obama +6.0 Gallup Tracking 08/02 - 08/04 2674 RV 47 43 Obama +4.0 Rasmussen Tracking 08/02 - 08/04 3000 LV 46 47 McCain +1.0 CNN 07/27 - 07/29 914 RV 51 44 Obama +7.0 USA Today/Gallup 07/25 - 07/27 791 LV 45 49 McCain +4.0 Pew Research 07/23 - 07/27 1241 RV 47 42 Obama +5.0 Colorado 47.0 45.3 Obama +1.7 Virginia 47.3 46.3 Obama +1.0 Missouri 45.3 47.3 McCain +2.0 Michigan 46.3 42.0 Obama +4.3 Ohio 46.0 45.5 Obama +0.5 Florida 45.2 46.8 McCain +1.6 Electoral College Obama McCain Toss Ups RCP Electoral Count 238 163 137 No Toss Up States 322 216 - http://www.realclearpolitics.com/

The holographic shielding for Gorilla City must be malfunctioning (for those familiar with The Flash).

Just like betting on football increased interest in games, so has fantasy football. More people are watching games they would never care about if not for fantasy implications, which boosts ratings, which is good for all concerned. It's a way to have some friendly competition among friends and coworkers, just like Superbowl squares. I've been running a league for 18 years, and it's been a way to keep connections with old coworkers and friends. You can root for your NFL team to win but still hope a player you have on an opponent's team gets good stats; it's not inconsistant.

A couple of factors that contribute to the uncertainty of the polls this year is 1) some people who are unwilling to vote for Obama because of race won't say so in a poll to a stranger (the Bradley factor), and 2) many younger voters use cell phones and not land lines, and therefore may never be contacted by pollsters. So there are unique circumstances that may contribute to hidden support for both candidates.

Do I believe the neo-cons want to make a military strike on Iran before they leave office and lose their chance, you bet. The question is whether Bush is smart enough to resist them after being burned by their push to invade Iraq.

The bigger question is will Bush wait, or will he succumb to Cheney whispering in his ear to attack.

All these polls don't matter much until after the conventions and they get to the debates, when the majority of voters will be paying more attention. Reagan was thought as risky and people were unsure about him before he got to debate Carter, but after that enough voters decided he was a reasonable alternative. In the end it's Obama's campaign to win or lose. McCain has already started throwing the long-ball with those silly ads that say nothing about solving our problems, just trying to paint Obama as risky.

I'll never be as much an idiot as you, that's a pretty lofty goal to achieve, but you wear the crown well. Most of the oil that is pumping out of the ground was found and developed when oil prices this high were something that couldn't be imagined. Less than three years ago, Exxon's chairman said that the then-$60 a barrel price of oil included $20 of speculation. The increase in price - after subtracting taxes and cost increases -- is what economists would call a windfall. The oil companies have now leased about 41 million acres of offshore leases. They're only pumping in 10.2 million of those acres. Seventy-nine percent of all the offshore oil available off the coast of Florida, Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Coast, the Pacific Coast, lies within those acres that they now have. Why are they not pursuing what's estimated to be a total of 54 billion barrels of oil at their disposal right now if they pump? It's because they're not pumping the oil to keep the price up.

Like the old line about pornography, you know it when you see it. You can whine all you want about capitalism, but with rising costs and unemployment at a 4 year high, drastic measures need to be taken like they were when FDR took office if the private sector won't do it voluntarily. The threat of a windfall profit tax is just a shot across the bow of the energy companies to remind them that their days of excess are numbered, and if they don't lower prices to help the economy while still making a profit, then steps will have to be taken. At the very least the first step should be to end their tax breaks.

I'm willing to get less return on my investments if there's shared sacrifice for the benefit of the average American.

Remind me why I should feel sorry for companies that keep breaking the all-time records for profits and at the same time are receiving huge tax breaks, while the average person has to spend more of their budget paying for energy costs?

There's only one girl that I will ever love And that was so many years ago And though I know I'll never get her out of my heart She never loved me back Ooh I know I remember how she left me on a stormy night She kissed me and got out of our bed And though I pleaded and I begged her not to walk out that door She packed her bags and turned right away And she kept on telling me She kept on telling me She kept on telling me I want you I need you But there ain't no way I'm ever gonna love you Now don't be sad... 'Cause two out of three ain't bad I want you I need you But there ain't no way I'm ever gonna love you Now don't be sad 'Cause two out of three ain't bad Don't be sad 'Cause two out of three ain't bad - Meatloaf; Two out of three ain't bad Many times I've been alone And many times I've cried Any way you'll never know The many ways I've tried But still they lead me back To the long winding road You left me standing here A long long time ago Dont leave me waiting here Lead me to your door - Beatles; Long and winding road This is the end Beautiful friend This is the end My only friend, the end Of our elaborate plans, the end Of everything that stands, the end No safety or surprise, the end I'll never look into your eyes...again - Doors; The End Sail on silvergirl, Sail on by. Your time has come to shine. All your dreams are on their way. See how they shine. If you need a friend Im sailing right behind. Like a bridge over troubled water I will ease your mind. Like a bridge over troubled water I will ease your mind - Simon & Garfunkel; Bridge over troubled water

Possible promotion for the X-Files movie? Was the Cigarette Man seen in the area?

In case you haven't heard, the IOC changed the baseball rules recently to make sure the games stay on schedule. So if a game is still tied at the start of the 11th inning, runners will be placed on 2nd and 3rd, and the team will be able to choose where in the batting order they want to start. I'm not joking. This is the last Olympics for baseball anyways.

The portapotty is handicapped? Does the door not lock, or is it missing a seat?

I always expected Kelsey to be a new version of Phil Hansen.