Half of these genes are mine...
an email from my mother:

"Dear Jason,
I just got out today now at 5:10 p.m.. I slept from about noon till now because I didn't get any sleep last night. I walked all the way up to the laundry yesterday and took the garbage down too but I couldn't sleep last night for anything. I didn't take my zyprexa last night because the doctor wanted me to try to go off it. I knew that this would happen. I was dogg tired. He also wants me to get off the prozac. I guess that'll be allright but it was the first medication that I was on that made me feel better. I'm a little moody without it.
Anyway, how are you? I'm basically O.K. but I hate it when I can't sleep because of a backache and migraine---that was bothering me too last night. I'll probably be going up to see Colleen and Mom next week. I'll get down to see you after that if you have a job by then. I really can't wait to see your place. You know that you might decide to stay there for awhile and work in Baltimore if you get to liking it well. It's a nice apartment and centrally located...etc..
How's Tony? Tell him Mom says "Hi" and that I am not controlling. After all you got the big t.v. hahaha...but You might not understand that. I just think that your friends think that I have a controll issue when it comes to you. Well' I'm doing much better, don't you think?!
I miss you a whole lot. I've been thinking...things haven't been idelic for you growing up and I'm sorry about that. I've always felt like it's been me against the world about the things that I care about. Sometimes it's a real struggle going through life. There's so much that get in the way of our goals sometimes and not always our own fault. I just am thankfu; that you are my son and I love you very much. Well' that's all for the mushy stuff. How's school? What kind of job are you looking for?
I was thinking that I might be able to bring your bike down to Baltimore on the bus when I come down. Mike has the boxes there and it's only a few dollars to transport it under the bus. I know that you miss it and I'd like to see you working again. I know that you must feel like a slug by now.
I have to get off here in about five minutes so I'll sign off for now...write back.........................................Love Mom..........................................
p.s. Steve really liked the dragons that I drew. He's getting them tattooed on his forearm. He said they were awesome. I should have had the designed patented. Bye..."

Yeah, I know.

Draper

As with most things, football IS better when drunk.
Well, you guys know how long that pledge of mine to stop drinking lasted...not long. I went to the bar to watch the game...thought it would be a quick affair, mnaybe two beers before The Giants whupped the 'Boys asses...but no, fucking overtime...anyway. Woke today at the ripe hour of one pm. Good times.

Draper

Pele can eat with hollandaise sauce
There's been some good news in the world of sports. The WUSA, the struggling three year old Women's proffessional soccer league has folded. I say good news not because it is a women's league but because it is soccer. Soccer is never going to be this nation's number one sport, despite what people who drive Astrovans think. I'm just glad to see anything relating to soccer fail. Next up, the MLS and then Hockey. Because I fucking hate hockey...Check out Wilbon's take on the infant NFL season...Finally, the Conneticut Sun, a WNBA franchise who moved from Orlando (where they were the Miracle) plays in an area inside of a casino. That's something, ain't it.

Tony

Football: Better When Drunk
Parcells may be a homo, but Jeremy Shockey is a bottom.

Maybe it's the Canadian Club talking, but that was a pretty goddamned good game. Parcells will be treated like the Second Coming for going into Jersey and giving the Giants a Dirty Sanchez, but there wouldn't have been an OT if the Cowbags had got a field goal at the end of the first half.

The 'Boys had a sure field goal with 20-some seconds left when Parcells calls for another play. It's an inbounds completion which would have run out the clock had Dallas not been called for holding. Walk it back ten yards, and Billy Cundiff misses the field goal.

Anyway, it was pretty funny to watch that clown Shockey drop two passes, including a TD, and then blame his gloves. Homo.

Marc

Crap, and stuff.
Ok, so the Steelers lost. Is only the second game of the season. Though, is troubling that we can have two 100 yd receivers and a 300yd passer and still lose the fucking game. I remember (fondly) a time when all we needed was 9 points and about 200 yds of total offense to secure victory. Offense is for pretty boys and the NFC west.

Bah.

On another note....the Vuelta
is shaping up to be a good battle between USPS and ONCE.



Draper

More Football Nerdery

A proposed Dolphins helmet from 1990. It looks like what they would wear if they had been in Back To The Future 2.

Marc

The Award For Most Fascist Logo In A Former Fascist Country Goes To...
The Berlin Thunder.

Marc

Gephardt goes after Dean
In a speech given to a group of Teamsters Gephardt accused Dean of sideing with Newt Gingrich during the Medicare, Medicaid debates of the mid-90s. I fear the Democrats are doing what I was worried about all along. In order to pander to their base their going to kill each other over who's more oppossed to reforming a government program badly in need of reform. Sometimes I think the Democratic primary voters are so out of touch with mainstream America that securing the Party's nomination is the worst thing that can happen to someone who wants to be president. I'd like Dean to stand up, prove his moderate credentials and drag his supporters to the electable center, but I don't think his numbers are strong enough yet. At the very least, this race is shaping up to be more exciting than Aunt Faye's world famous labor day watermelon salad.

Tony

more Plates..
This one is still just a bit unfinished...but I like to keep you want more...it involves a Red Sox Jersey

Death, rain, and Sigur Ros
Man...what a weird couple of days it's been. In a half awake haze, then this rain comes, then Mr. Cash kicks off...anyway.

Oh...Marc, you'll love this...and this is from the news a couple of days ago...but...since I can't keep anything in the front of my head for more than a fleeting moment...it is just coming out now.

Anyway. Supposedly the state is trying to crack down on the generally shoddy quality of the buses in this city. You both undestand exactly what I'm talking about...never on time, over crowded, falling apart (18 fucking wheels...what is that?) But, they've hired a new maintenance guy, and state wankers have been doing anonymous ride alongs just to audit the system...failures everywhere...here is the kicker though...those fucking bus driving card carying union members made (some of them, with overtime) 125,000$ dollars last year. Can you fucking believe that? And, and they are supposed to announce the stops they make, if their bus doesn't have one of the automated voice dealys...but most of the time they turn those things off...fucking people.


You may be wondering how Sigur Ros fits into this...well, the seasons are changing and to get through the long grey months...I listended all the way through the ( ) album last night at about 4 am...is amazing...not really you guys' pace, but you know.
Draper

Bill Frist's Skeletons
Nestled within this mostly positive David Brooks piece about Frist is a very weird fact: while in med school, he adopted pets and then killed them so he could experiment on their hearts. Uhhh...

Here's that story about the grave desecration in France I was telling you about, chief.

Marc

P.S.:Frist has term-limited himself out in 2006, giving him a pretty nice heard start on '08.

Death, Theft & Smilin' Joe

Death

Johnny Cash died yesterday at the age of 71...

John Ritter, age 54, also died yesterday...

Theft

Four Baltimore Ravens have been robbed in the last couple of months...

Smilin' Joe

Boy, George Will (Thanks for the original link Marc) really has a way of laying things out clearly. All my reservations about a Dean candidacy, reservations I've been trying to move to the back of my mind, are thrust to the forefront by Will. Lieberman's moderation is what best qualifies him for the Democratic nomination and it is also the albatross around his neck.

Tony

Yeah, It's 2:30AM And I'm Writing About Taxes
Wow. When you withdraw money from a 401k or IRA, it is taxed as normal income - when you contribute to one of these accounts, it doesn't count against your tax liability. Therefore, all the taxes that you would have paid on that income (contributed to a 401k) you still have to pay, but only when you withdraw - get it?

Anyway, the accrued deferred tax revenue on these things - to be paid as the baby boomers withdraw from them upon retirement - is 3 trillion dollars(with a 'T'). To put things in perspective, that's about the same size as the national debt. Talk amongst yourselves.

Marc

President Palpatine?
George Will on Lieberman's "Me or Dean" strategy.

Like Will says, if Dean takes Iowa and NH, then Gephardt and Kerry are done. But will Edwards give up, too? I think if those two guys are out, then Edwards will sell himself as the compromise candidate between Dean and Lieberman.

My guess is that Edwards stays at least until South Carolina, where he and Lieberman would split the anti-Dean vote. Will there be any stopping Dean after winning 3 primaries?

Marc Zogby