ICanSleepWhenI'mDead

I had a hard time figuring out why Buddy took a place kicker in the 7th round. Lindell had a shoulder injury at the end of last season, but that shirley must have healed by now. So why essentially waste a pick on a kicker who wasn't even from the SEC? We could have drafted another future starter like Jasper (OK, so he's a project, but so was Jason Peters, and Peters wasn't even drafted). In light of Junior Seau's death, it makes a lot more sense. Remember, Buddy worked in San Diego for a while and may have seen that unfortunate tragedy coming. Bounty Gate and the concussion-related lawsuits have dominated news coverage now that the draft is over, but the hidden NFL story is the extreme psychological trauma suffered over the years by place kickers, especially recently. Kickers have always been considered a little strange, but now that NFL rules favor the offense, the pressure to score on every possession is much greater. Opposing coaches are constantly trying to "ice" them by calling time-outs. Not only that, but field goals are worth so little to NFL teams that you can't even win an overtime game with one any more. Talk about job security anxiety! Put yourself in the kicker's feet for a minute just before the snap - - will a time-out be called? - - will the ball be snapped anyway but the lineman won't bother to block anybody and I'll get killed? - - will I kick it thinking it's just a practice kick only to discover that the whistle came too late and I blew my only chance to win the game? Huge stress! No wonder San Diego's kicker was reduced to semi-publicly pissing on the sidelines before trotting out on the field in a game last year. That's the kind of psychological trauma-induced behavior that you usually only see if you put too many rats in one cage. There's a reason why you don't hear much about Scott Northwoods or Pete Gogolack any more - - they just can't bare to be in the spotlight because they have a form of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - -just like our boys coming home from Afghanistan. We don't hear details about Ralph's health or Easley's heart condition because that HIPAA law now makes all types of medical info highly confidential. So I wonder if Buddy drafted the new kicker because he's worried that Lindell is on the verge of a performance-detracting psychological breakdown? I'm a fan of Lindell's and think he's a good kicker - - but in light of what's been happening to other kickers around the league, I can understand why Buddy wants a plan B. I sure hope Lindell's mentally OK. Anybody know how he's doing? NFL-kicker-trauma-issues

I try to avoid sticking my nose in other people's business, but you specifically asked, and I was curious about how the eminent domain process works in North Carolina. I don't claim any particular experience or education in my posts, so you'll have to draw your own conclusions about whether I have a clue what I'm talking about. Let's just say that I have a high regard for how hard family farmers typically work to make a living, and you are a fellow Bills fan, so FWIW, here goes. First, I'm unclear whether you are concerned only about the economic impact of the 3 year construction project, or the economic impact after the construction is completed, too. It sounds like you've put a lot of effort into trying to get a good outcome at the VAD's public hearing. That strikes me as smart, but if I understand correctly, the VAD only has the power to make recommendations to the NCDOT, and cannot force them to do anything. In any event, the VAD has issued its report, and the ball is now in NCDOT's court to determine the feasibility of the 3 alternatives that the VAD asked NCDOT to evaluate. If you find the "tunnel style cattle crossing" a satisfactory outcome, I hope the NCDOT chooses it, but it certainly sounds like the most expensive option for NCDOT, so I'm not optimistic that NCDOT will build one. If NCDOT doesn't change course and take action acceptable to you, you need to understand your legal options. I did a little google searching, and found a pretty detailed description in fairly plain everyday language about how the eminent domain process works in North Carolina: http://www.smithdebnamlaw.com/articles/holy-cow-they-can-take-my-land Shifting gears to another issue, I'm not sure that you have a clear understanding of how the "just compensation" that you are legally entitled to receive will be calculated. The portion of your post reproduced above seems inconsistent with the following statement in the published VAD report: I agree with you that there's a lot of legal mumbo jumbo involved, but to get the best possible outcome for your family you need to understand the "just compensation" issue. So I did a little more google searching to see if I could find anything that might be helpful in explaining what the components of "just compensation" can include North Carolina. Here's a North Carolina Supreme Court case from 2006 that explains how "just compensation" should be calculated when NCDOT takes part of someone's land: http://caselaw.findlaw.com/nc-supreme-court/1069021.html Note that if NCDOT merely offers you only the fair market value of 1.7 acres of agricultural land in your area, that MIGHT be a lowball offer - - it depends on several factors. I don't think you ever said how many total acres your farm has, but if you follow the 3 acre per cow metric you mentioned and have 50 head of cattle, that sounds like about 150 acres pre-taking. "Just compensation" requires that NCDOT pay you not just for the 1.7 acres that they actually take outright, but also for any reduction in the market value of the remaining 148.3 acres that results from the planned construction. Hypothetically, let's say that if no tunnel-style cattle crossing is built, the construction makes access more difficult (or eliminates it) to a 40 acre pasture. If that reduces the market value of that 40 acre tract, then NCDOT has to pay you not just the full value of the 1.7 acres they take outright, but also for the reduction in market value of the 40 acre pasture that the construction permanently affects. OTOH, it sounds like your land is already split by an existing bridge, so it's not clear to me if access to land on the far side of the new bridge will be any more difficult (after the 3 year construction project is finished) than it is now. An important factor in arriving at "just compensation" is figuring out what the "highest and best use" of your land is. Even if you have no plans to use any part of your current land for anything but cattle farming, you MIGHT have an argument that some or all of your land is currently worth more than typical farm land if it is suitable, pre-NCDOT construction, for other future uses. For example, if you are in the path of future residential development, and the NCDOT construction makes some of your land less desireable for future residential development, that is something NCDOT should pay for. I don't know what land near your farm might be used for in the future, but because you mentioned that the construction project will impact a nearby fire station, it makes me wonder if you are in the path of suburban development rather than way out in the boonies. Alternatively, does the nearby railroad make your acreage suitable for a future factory or warehouse project? Any aspects of your land that might make it suitable for future development (pre-NCDOT construction) as something other than a farm can work to your advantage in getting a higher "just compensation" award from NCDOT, IF the NCDOT construction negatively affects such suitability. I think there are some situations in which a partial taking actually increases the value of the remaining land - - so picking the brains of a knowledgeable local real estate agent or appraiser about how the planned construction will impact the value of your remaining land (up or down) might be useful. Here's an extreme example of how the pre-construction suitability of farmland for other uses can be used to get higher compensation when the government takes a portion of it (example is for Iowa farmland especially well-suited for non-agricultural uses, but principles are similar): http://www.condemnation-law.com/blog/articles-on-case-evaluations/2562/eminent-domain-case-evaluation-low-ball-offer-made-to-a-property-owner-in-north-central-iowa/ Even if you don't want to file a lawsuit to get more compensation than what NCDOT will eventually offer, you will be in a much better position to negotiate a better deal from NCDOT if you know exactly what you can threaten to do in the courts if necessary. But if you ARE willing to deal with the hassle of filing suit to try to get more compensation from NCDOT, you might be able to retain a lawyer to handle your case on a contingency fee basis. I know nothing else about them, so I can't recommend that you retain or avoid them, but there are lawyers who will calculate their contingency fee on the amount of any increase they can get you (i.e., the lawyer takes no part of the NCDOT's initial compensation deposit): http://www.sigmonclark.com/PracticeAreas/Eminent-Domain-Land-Condemnation.asp http://www.kurtzandblum.com/CM/Custom/TOCLandCondemnation.asp Finally, a few other on-line sources of info about the eminent domain process in North Carolina: http://deondarzasimmons.com/eminent-domain-condemnors-deposit-and-your-answer/ http://www.tfmattorneys.com/durham-eminent-domain-attorneys http://www.manningfulton.com/professionals/john-b-mcmillan Hope this helps - - Good luck! NCDOT ----- boooo BN Acres -- moooo

Would you like a tinfoil hat? Based on research at MIT, I won't wear mine unless solar flares are interfering with satellite communications anyway: http://berkeley.intel-research.net/arahimi/helmet/ An excerpt from the MIT report: More research is needed, though, because they only tested 3 helmet designs.

Alex, I'll take short-lived NFL cheers for $100: Rah Rah Ree Kick 'em in the knee! Rah Tounkara Rass Kick 'em in the ...!

Congrats on his accomplishment! I once had a Cajun neighbor, and he was a great guy. After a few months I could even understand some of what he was saying (in English, not in Cajun). The following information would have been useful then, so you might want to pass it along to your son: http://www.cajunradio.org/cajuncusswordscajunswearphrases.html Note that apart from the Cajun cussword dictionary, the left margin of the above webpage looks like it has links for a great deal of info about Baton Rouge that a new arrival might find useful.

http://news.yahoo.com/remote-cabin-near-popular-colorado-hot-springs-frozen-162354456.html Explosives or burning down the cabin? WTF? Sounds like a cover story for the results of a biological weapons test gone wrong, and maybe the government needs to incinerate the cows and the cabin to prevent contagion. You decide.

The underwater UFO in the Baltic Sea was the subject of numerous media reports in the first few days of August, 2011 (see the date of the OP above). Shortly thereafter, the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency ("DARPA") tested a hypersonic "aircraft" in August that reportedly reached Mach 20 before "flying out of its skin" and crashing into the Pacific Ocean: http://news.yahoo.com/super-secret-hypersonic-aircraft-flew-skin-152315621--abc-news-topstories.html This raises some questions: 1. When our terrestial enemies are fighting us with AK-47s and RPGs from caves in the mountains, why do we need a Mach 20 weapon? 2. According to DARPA, the "aircraft" experienced shock waves "more than 100 times what the vehicle was designed to withstand." Did the hypersonic "aircraft" really simply "suddenly lose control," or did an underwater UFO in the Pacific engage shock wave countermeasures that peeled it like a banana? You decide.

I thought the article below was an interesting attempt to evaluate whether the "old draft chart" makes sense and how it could be improved. It doesn't take into account the recent changes in contracts for first round players and the varying costs of the 5th year option: http://harvardsportsanalysis.wordpress.com/2011/11/30/how-to-value-nfl-draft-picks/ OTOH, it makes me wonder if the Patriots habit of trading down early in the draft is based on some sort of similar analysis.

I'm no expert on the quality of the current LTs that start for the teams picking at #4-#9, but let's assume that those who have postulated that none of those teams need a LT are correct. If we can see that, so can the Vikings GM. So ask yourself what the Vikings have to gain by implying that they won't take Kalil at #3? They are trying to put fear in the teams at #4-#9. If MN wants Kalil, the ideal situation for MN is to trade down a few spots and still get him. If they can make a team that covets Blackmon or Claiborne believe that the only way to get the WR or CB is to trade up a few spots to #3, the Vikings can get Kalil AND an extra pick. The Bills have an obvious need for a LT, but Buddy Nix is known for not trading up or down very often. So the Vikings can trade down a few spots with little fear that the Bills will trade up to snatch Kalil away from them. While some other team with a LT need might trade up if Kalil slides too far, the Vikings don't have much risk of losing Kalil if they only trade down a few spots, because trading up from a spot below #10 takes a lot of ammo. If you were the MN GM, and you pretty much knew that Luck and RG3 are going to be the first 2 players picked, why wouldn't you try to trade down a few spots and still get Kalil (assuming he really is the guy MN most wants)?

You may have reached a correct conclusion about ESPN's potential legal liability for entirely the wrong reasons: 1. Repeating someone else's defamatory statement is NOT a defense for broadcaster ESPN: http://www.answers.com/topic/slander-and-libel 2. But because the GM of an NFL franchise is arguably a celebrity or public figure, Loomis might have to show that ESPN acted with reckless disregard for the truth or falsity of the reported information (i.e., with actual malice) when it republished the report in order to win a civil suit against ESPN, even if what ESPN reported turns out to be totally false: There was a pretty good movie called "Absence of Malice" that dealt with this topic some years ago.

Because it's in Austria, would the current postal abbreviation be F##king, A?"

Some people think meat secretly imported from northeastern Brazil explains the unique taste: MMmmmmgooooddd

http://articles.nydailynews.com/2012-03-04/news/31122324_1_white-boy-fire-tv-station

Grab my emergency zombie apocalypse response kit, my DVD of the Comeback Game (to preserve our culture and all), and high-tail it for my survival condo in an old missile silo in Kansas - - well, at least I want you to think it's in Kansas: http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/photos/best-us-places-to-survive-the-apocalypse/survival-condo

Here's a surprise - - three of helmet maker Riddell's insurance carriers say that the concussion-related health claims being made by former NFL players fall outside the scope of the insurance policies Riddell bought, so Riddell has now filed its own suit against those three insurance carriers: http://www.cnbc.com/id/47042055 P.S. Please make sure you have an operational sarcasm detector before replying to this post.

Is her name Kimberly Pruitt? http://www.theonion.com/articles/but-if-we-started-dating-it-would-ruin-our-friends,11473/

http://www.erie.gov/billslease/stadium.phtml

While I agree with you that a future owner of the Bills is likely to have more debt than Ralph, there is reason to believe that Ralph had about $128 million in team-related debt as recently as 2009: http://forums.twobillsdrive.com/topic/130751-conventional-wisdom-bills-have-no-debt-service/page__p__2173076__hl__%2Bconventional+%2Bwisdom__fromsearch__1#entry2173076 I don't know where or how Forbes magazine got their info about Ralph's 2009 team-related finances, but Forbes is considered a generally reliable source of financial information by most people.

I'm a citizen, but if they don't want me to be distracted by the nurses I encounter at the Citizens Medical Center, then they are eliminating the wrong people from their applicant pool.

Found another consistent source - - apparently the rule used to be that an assistant coach could always interview for a coordinator job because it was considered a promotion, but that is no longer the rule: http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/bucs/content/nfl-teams-will-continue-be-permitted-block-assistants-under-contract

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/25/sports/football/stormy-honeymoons-for-two-new-nfl-coaches.html I found a link to an undated copy of the NFL's anti-tampering policy - - can't vouch for its accuracy, but FWIW: http://www.dawgtalkers.net/uploads/2009%20NFL%20Anti-Tampering%20Policy.pdf Schiano's comments about teams using "half-baked titles" seems to indicate that teams are at least claiming that an "assistant head coach" falls under the "head coach tier." As I read it, other teams could prevent Schiano from interviewing their current assistant coaches and coordinators (even without "half-baked titles") for the Buc's vacant coordinator positions because the NFL anti-tampering policy divides all coaches into only 2 categories - - (1) a head coach tier, and (2) everybody else. So by definition any assistant position coach, offensive or defensive coordinator, or even grand imperial pubah of special teams is interviewing for a lateral move (for purposes of the anti-tampering policy) if he interviews for a vacant coordinator position. Anybody read it differently?

You've said a number of things I agree with - - here's one: When you get off the soapbox and stop complaining about how access to justice isn't the same for everyone in our capitalistic society, let's talk about the part of your prior post that I still disagree with. Here it is: The parts I highlighted in bold simply aren't true. According to you, mere knowledge of someone else's intent to commit a crime is itself a "prevalent" crime in the US court system, and some laws are "clearly worded" to show that such knowledge alone is itself a crime. If that's true, it shouldn't be very hard or time consuming for you to provide one verifiable example of such a prosecution or the text of one such law. I get that (1) prosecutors have the ability to use the full weight of the government's justice machinery to roll over the poor, weak or stupid, and (2) poorly paid public defenders often aren't the sharpest tools in the legal shed. But that has nothing to do with how the criminal laws are worded, or whether mere knowledge of someone else's intent to commit a crime is itself often prosecuted as a criminal offense.

1. Mario Williams will go deer hunting in Jim Kelly's back yard and discover that what he actually saw were animatronic Christmas decorations that Jimbo never took down. He will quit the team and move to Kenya so he can hunt big game on safari; 2. Kelsay will find incriminating photos of the next owner of the Bills and get another big contract extension; 3. Some idiot will suggest that Ralph may have already granted an option to purchase the Bills to somebody in Toronto; 4. Fitz will retire and become an Amish elder; 5. ESPN's John Clayton will mysteriously disappear 3 days after an alien mother ship is sighted over Bristol, CT; 6. Doc and Mr. WEO will agree on something.

Sadly, if we had drafted a "punt catcher" to replace the legendary Chris Watson, we might not have lost that 6-3 game to Cleveland a few years ago. Let's not make that mistake again. While we're at it, let's draft a "kick-off watcher" who is able to watch kick-offs go through the end zone with a late lead against New England, rather than "pulling a McKelvin."

I just checked - - he's not there yet: http://www.jailexchange.com/CountyJails/Ohio/Stark/Stark_County_Jail_Inmate_Search.aspx