UConn James

AVG is bloatware anyway. It used to slow my old computer to a crawl at startup. I'd uninstall and use Avast. Have had this since May (on a recommendation from Dean, Fez, et al in the TBD Consumer board) and it's worked wonderfully.

And yet, there's a war going on that many of those in the military have seen firsthand. A war against people who believe it's a war of religion and who will do anything to kill Americans. Vague threats of what percentage might be less inclined to re-up or join because some Tim who's nine bunks over is dating a dental hygienist named Steve... well, it just holds very little water. People join the military to defend much higher values than who's boinking whom. And it's not like this stuff isn't known w/in a unit anyway. DADT is a macrocosmic policy. In the microcosm, it plays a little differently.

Stop with the platitudes? How about you stop promoting segregation. It smacks of the "I'm afraid he's going to pull the stiff one-eye on me" homophobia, as if gays / lesbians can't keep it in their pants. It's a slow process to give citizens their rights? I hate that argument. It's akin to the South's argument that slavery was needed so blacks wouldn't go hungry / homeless / start raping white women / etc. off the plantations. When in doubt, Freedom First. And like taking off a Band-Aid, faster is better. Plinking it one hair at a time does nothing but prolong the pain. And if anyone has a problem with other people they work with finally receiving their freedom, they can get a job outside the military (Oh, wait. There aren't any!) or move to friggin' Kuwait.

Wow. Awesome move to shore up the BE. I know everyone thinks of the conference as a weak sister in the BCS stuff, but this adds instant creds. Improving programs in Rutgers, Pitt and UConn.... A number of people are upset that a 4-loss team from the BE will be going to a major bowl game (as of this writing, if my alma mater beats S. Fla, they are guaranteed a tie for the conference title). Well, be upset all you want. Cry about only wanting undefeated teams in the bowls. I call a a good deal of bulls--- on that. Conference play is tough. And just the way the NFL is set up to take division winners plus 2 wild cards, the system should be set up in a way that rewards teams that play in tough conferences and knock the s--- out of each other. Northeast / midwest teams and conferences that make their bones on tough defenses and solid running games are at a serious disadvantage. Well, we'll see what happens from here. The shake-ups just got started this past summer; many are predicting just as much movement (or more) this off-season. This brings the BE-football schools to 9.... Would be really nice to bring that number up to the standard 12. Personally, I think UBuff would be a great addition to the BE. Also, they really ought to be renaming these conferences when the re-alignment stuff is completed. PAC-10 and Big-10 that have 12 teams, the Big 12 that has 10 teams, now the Big East with a team from Texas.... Tough to have to re-brand conferences, but these names just don't fit anymore (for starters, they ought to keep numbers out of it).

There's a pretty good read on LOST here, now that we've had 6 months to digest the finale. Really helps stitch together the themes of faith and sacrifice. The part about Locke's "faith" being his belief in an unknown destiny is a really great look into his character that I never fully appreciated before. On topic, tho, I stopped watching The Event after ~ the 3rd episode, and I stopped on it a couple of weeks ago as a guy and the lady who used to be on ER were opening some kind of gelatinous safe. All right, enough of that. I do hear that Carlton Cuse is producing a series (and one of the main LOST writers is writing) set during the Civil War and ABC picked it up recently.

I don't get the point of separate barracks for gays/lesbians. As it is now, they are serving in secret --- but they are serving. Is there a massive wave of male-male or female-female rape occurring in barracks that mandates --- let me check again to make sure that's the implication...yes, it's what you're suggesting --- segregation? In the general population, even the high estimates are that ~10 percent of the population is G/L. I don't think an end to DADT is going to result in recruiting doors being knocked over with gay/lesbian applicants.... Ending this is a matter of principle that the military must get in line with the rest of the country and not be given carte blanche to discriminate in hiring on the basis of sexuality. The benefit costs are something that needs to be looked at, but what's the difference whether they're being paid to same-sex partners or straight? There'll be a marginal increase, but it's the cost of doing the right thing. And I'm sure there will be some savings from ending the processes required to prop up the administration of DADT. "EQUAL JUSTICE FOR ALL," it reads on the Supreme Court building. The point of all this is that this creed does not mean "SEMI-EQUAL JUSTICE FOR MOST." I'm reminded of the Dickens quote of Mr. Dorritt, when told he would be in debtors' prison for just a little while longer: "You talk easily of hours, sir. How long do you think an hour is to a man who is choking for want of air?" DADT WAS the baby-step. It's time to get this done and live up to the ideals of freedom.

And worked not-at-all on every other play. Just wonderin'... since the Bills are paying him $24M, could Kelsay be bothered to learn another move that has more chance of success than allowing himself to be circled 15 yards behind the QB by the matador Tackle? Pretty sure there wasn't a fumble on that play....

Probably should've tried a FG in one of those OT trips. On that second punt by Moorman, you just knew the luck wouldn't hold.

I don't exactly think Big Ben should be raising his hands in triumph. Dude just eeked out a win against THE worst defense in the league.

[Chris Berman voice] NOBODY shoots themselves in the foot like the Buffalo Bills! [/Chris Berman voice]

Lucked into that sack.

Sorry, but the truth is that he's the guy who frequently ALMOST makes a play. If I'm a T and Kelsay is lining against, all I have to do is wide-circle him past the QB, right out of the play. He'll stick a hand out, get Oh-so-close and then 99 percent of the time *nothing*. He's the very definition of Tantalus.

WP: Troops buck historical trend by saying gays OK I don't think there's any reason to continue discriminating against young people who actually want to serve and fight for their country (tho I'm sure someone will come up with one). Sad that in the purported Land of the Free, gay/lesbian soldiers have had to sweep under the rug, part of their lives that has nothing to do with their service. I don't support a lot of the Obama agenda, but it's time for DADT to end. As a registered Republican, it shames me that such vitriol is spewed by some people under this same tent --- they are on the wrong side of freedom, not to mention that the rising tide of opinion (read: votes) is against them. There would also be a savings for the military courts to not have to adjudicate these cases anymore.

Too bad they couldn't work their way to stitch up his mouth while they were in the vicinity.

I guess the Bills did the equivalent of lynching Trent Edwards.

One of my favorites. His songs were such rich stories in themselves, which is surprising when they're each only a few minutes. Retribution for getting hustled, the code of the seedier side of areas, and some great broken romance tunes. There are a lot of artists who'd be ecstatic to have Jim Croce's songbook in an entire career, nevermind in under 10 years of performing.

I've become a big fan of Brandi Carlile. Don't let the name spelling fool you, it's not R&B crap. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-92r4ns9k0s&feature=related I dig the Holly Cole (Trio) suggestion. Love her version of "Que Sera, Sera."

Trailers usually kill any desire I may have had to see a movie. That one actually piqued my interest. ---- On topic, I was always a DC Comics type as a kid; never got into Marvel so these recent superhero movies have never lured me in. I collected The Flash into my teens, so it's awesome to hear that JJ Abrams is/was connected with an adaptation.

I think she's also saying that increasing taxes on these big, bad companies via carbon credits will not simply result in higher costs for goods/services for middle and lower income people. It may have been grounded toward the hard sciences, but Newton's "every action has an equal and opposite reaction" law has a firm logical basis in the social sciences / life in general. Then again, I'd hazard a guess that most of the Democrat base don't gear toward science & math beyond parroting talking point numbers.

Soldiers aren't supposed to keep dogs in the current war zones, but Target's story is one example of how they are so useful. A dog's nose is better than IDs. On my brother's last deployment to Afghanistan (he just got back stateside last week from his current one) they kept dogs at the outposts for heat at night. Gives new meaning to that '60s band name, Three Dog Night, yes? That is so sad. Blame on all sides here that brought about the sequence of events, tho. If the dog had a license / tags, it wouldn't have happened.

Not last week....

I share many of the Tea Party ideals and for the GOP to focus on defense and economic issues. Despite this, I can't stand Sarah Palin and her train wreck of a family. From her annoying voice, to her bathing in ignorance, to her QUITTING her governorship when the going got tough. Is she going to quit the presidency if/when Democrats win in her midterm? I think she's on the right side of the issues at the end of the day, but Palin cannot be the face of this takeback. Her nomination would gift Obama a second term. I want someone who has a proven track record of an ability to come in and turn around bad situations. As such, Mitt Romney is my #1 choice. He took over a total clusterf--- of the SLC Winter Olympics, his administration finished the Big Dig despite him being handcuffed by Massachusetts bureaucracy and unable to fire the Transportation chief, and his leadership during the flooding / major dam burst in 2005 where they got resources where they were needed and he got out of the way. In terms of the reality of actual leadership and governing, Palin doesn't hold a candle to Romney.

Geez, isn't all this is a little overboard just to try to get rid of devnull's hypno-toad?

Lebron who? NBA what?

Jack, I'm just starting Season 6 of The West Wing. I'm not of their political stripes, but I loved the show nonetheless. Would've loved to see a Vinick presidency with Alan Alda, as was originally planned before John Spencer died. Otherwise, since the end of LOST, I've run through the "Yes, Minister / Yes, Prime Minister" series on Netflix streaming and I expect that I'll start something else soon after I run through TWW. Winter's coming, which means more indoor time. So, yes, let's populate this list. It really seems like 3/4 of prime-time is occupied by crime shows. You'd think they might try something different, but no, it's all crime shows, all the the time. The studios just fail to get that the reason cable is ascendant is that they've branched out and done different things with their dramas. I'll put in a good word for "Due South" even tho it's a cop show (a much different kind, tho), and in 4:3. I started watching "Pushing Up Daises" when it aired and enjoyed it, but at the time I had some night classes and I missed a lot and didn't keep up. That was an interesting concept and narration format for a show, and I enjoyed the "Amelie"-like feel to it. It got a lot of critical acclaim (but, all too often that's a kiss of death).