Arkady Renko

yeah... he should have the decency to stop trying to do his best and ask for his unconditional release.

Would someone be willing to help fund my purchase of one of these shirts? I might be willing to pony up an appropriate e-greeting to commemorate your help.

You have a hot wife.

Yeah, this does not fit with http://dustindiamond.com/

Crap. I was hoping the picture wasn't as bleak as it apparently is.

I thought it was clear that Pyrite Gal was Fake Fat Sunny. Pyrite is fool's gold I believe and thus the screen name means that he's not actually a girl. I mean, I thought this was pretty clear and that everyone knew... but I assume this is some elaborate joke that I missed.

From the Census.gov, taxes per capita. 2004: NY # 10 http://www.census.gov/govs/statetax/05staxrank.html 2005: NY # 11 http://www.census.gov/govs/statetax/04staxrank.html I will trust the data from the Cenus Bureau more than I will trust the interpretation from a third party.

This is a joke, right? People know who Pyrite Gal is, right?

I think I saw a recent ranking that had NYS down to 9th, but maybe that was based on a different criteria.

Of course, I am currently driving a beat-up Ford Contour that needs its struts replaced but doing so would almost match the value of the car.

Is someone who is driving a Prius and someone driving a Fit arguing about who has the wimpiest car?

They didn't even keep the name. I mean, c'mon. The Whale lives on in my NHL Hockey game for the Sega Genesis, however.

To be honest having the NFL Network isn't what it's cracked up to be. Outside of the games they will be showing this season and the periodic old games that I might have some interest in seeing, there's not much to it.

I actually think it's more like if someone had a shirt that says "Microsoft is Gay" or something like that--people shouldn't get their panties in a bunch over someone insulting a for-profit corporation that they are involved with.

It would give him a chance to write his memoirs, FINALLY.

Good thing he didn't.

I do not necessarily doubt that, but, to me, that's not really the problem. The problem is that b/c of NYC's influence in the tax structure. NYC wants a high level of government services as a city and feels fine with having the high taxes that go along with this. W/out the downstate influence, upstate New York could structure its tax system more in-line with the devasted economy up here.

It's not like the current arrangement is working well. There is already a Wikipedia entry on this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upstate_New_Y...tehood_Movement

One thing that leaders across upstate New York should stop doing is offering these tax-abatements and other incentives to get specific companies to come or stay in the state. Instead, make it simple, just lower taxes and costs for businesses across the board. Let all businesses reap the benefits of lower taxes and not just the ones that hold governments hostage. How many times have we seen cases where a company has located in upstate New York due to some ridiculous tax incentive scheme and leave a few years later. What is disheartening is that I believe there was a vote for a constitutional convention several years ago that was shot down for some reason. I do not know much about it, but I imagine if it was a true convention, then perhaps there could have been real changes to the state government like making a unicameral legislature apportionated by rational geographic borders that could force one party to take full responsibility for the state's success. As it stands now, with a Democratic Assembly and Republican Senate all but guaranteed, each side can just blame the other.

Isn't the OP pointing out problems with the state in a board with still a lot of NYS voters? He's getting his message out in some small level at least. Besides, it's really silly to tell anyone that you cannot complain about anything in politics in government unless you are going to start organizing grassroots movements and run for office. It's as if you are saying you cannot talk about these things without having a five-point plan to change the political structure in the state.

Try being an Orioles fan. The outlook for the Bills seems downright sunny to me.

There are always sports bars.

I do wish he tackled those runners busting through into the secondary a little better last year.

Agreed. Football players are like everyone else: there's always something to complain about. There are a lot of things in my life so far that I thought that once I got I would be happy and have nothing to complain about anymore. Well... once you get there, you think things can be better, etc. People are never satisfied no matter what they are doing.

I thought you were asserting it was BF all along.