kkktookmybabyaway

Don't care about the games, but resetting the scores would be lame.

But I thought Stern went to satellite radio to get away from the confines of the oppressive FCC. In all fairness though, Stern, when I used to listen to him, was always against Napster and other file-swapping programs. By the way, has anyone here bought Sirius just to listen to Howard Stern?

There are only a few more days until Super Bowl XL, and like every other Super Bowl since 1990 I haven't tuned in to the usual media hype. Sorry, but half-a-month's worth of coverage leading up to one game is just too much for anyone to endure. I understand it's the "Big Game" and all, but come on already. I personally like the one-week wait from the Conference Championship games to the Super Bowl whenever it's been done, but oh well. Life goes on. As a southwestern Pennsylvania resident, I am more privy to the latest inside info regarding this year's AFC champ. Below are some Steeler-related newsbytes. • Today marks an annual event in southwestern Pa.; Groundhog Day. This "holiday" takes place in a small town named Punxatony that bases a large chunk of its tourism revenue around a rodent, who if he sees his shadow means we all have to deal with six more weeks of winter. Well this year when the townspeople gathered around this groundhog, who is named Punxatony Phil, they made sure to wrap him up in a Terrible Towel. Now for those that don't know, the Terrible Towel is one of those golden obnoxious rags that Steeler fans wave around during a game. This device was conceived back in 1975 by a local sportscaster, and if you defaced one of these things at Heinz Stadium you would be lucky to walk away without any broken limbs. As Phil made this year's prediction (he saw his shadow by the way), he tinkled in the Terrible Towel wrapped around him; he must be a Seahawks fan, which is odd considering if seahawks actually existed, Phil would probably be viewed more as dinner than a four-legged meteorologist by the bird. Of course, Phil could have also been wondering what in the hell these crazy people were doing to him. • Some of the idiotic callers this week on my local sports radio stations have been goofing on the Seattle area. While it only took about a day for the "all that's up there is rain and coffee" jokes to get old, there was one diss that made me laugh. Several callers have made fun of the Seahawk franchise for their less-than-stellar history in regards to winning. In fact, this is the first time ever in the team's 30-year history that it has reached the Super Bowl. Of course, what these callers seem to forget is that before the 1970s the Steelers never won a damn thing. In fact, from 1933-1971 the Steelers finished the regular season with a .500 record only 12 times and made the postseason game once, which they lost. Seattle, on the other hand, from 1976-2004, finished with a .500 record 16 times and made the postseason seven times. • I have heard for years that the Steelers travel well, meaning whenever the team goes on the road to play a game there is usually a decent amount of fans cheering them at the other team's stadium. This isn't hard for me to believe. Is it because the Steelers fostered a devout following during their 1970s run where they won four Super Bowls in six year? Maybe. However, I think a more accurate reason is because the southwest Pennsylvania region has had its population leave the area en masse over the years, and these transplanted Pittsburghers have set up residence elsewhere throughout the country. Whether or not my theory is correct, I have noted that during the weeks leading up to postseason games at Cincinnati, Indianapolis and now Detroit, there have been businesses in all of these regions advertising their restaurants/bars/hotels. I didn't hear a Denver-based business advertise before the Conference Championship game, but that doesn't mean it happened. I'm sure this happens in other cities, but the only other NFL city I have ever lived near to was Cincinnati, and that was before the Marvin Lewis era. • Whenever the Steelers make the playoffs, the local newspapers always go to town regarding team coverage. This makes sense after all since people will purchase $1.50 Sunday edition just for the pin-up poster found in the special Sports section. Well, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has also encouraged Steeler fans to submit photos to show their support for the home team, and some of these pictures are, well, you decide. Here are my "top" choices. Here, here, here, and here • Now you may be thinking that Shittsburgh is going crazy because the Steelers are headed to the Super Bowl for the first time in a decade. Wrong. Steeler fans are always nuts, even when the team has a losing record. Last summer, long before this NFL season's opening kickoff, a fan passed away and was laid out for viewing sitting on a recliner, dressed in black-and-gold pajamas and facing a television playing Steeler highlights. The TV remote was, of course, in his hand, and beer and cigarettes were nearby. Then again, if one is to pass away, this isn't a bad way to go out.

I hope you're not one of those arrogant IT people that get around to fixing things when you feel like it just because nobody else in the building can do your job. I hated those people. Fix the server, THEN take a 20-minute smoke break.

One of these days I have to write about my experience with Game 3 of that series; it was such a memorable event. I know EXACTLY what pitch you are talking about, because I was screaming at the television when the umpire called that a ball. The pitcher was Stan Belinda, and he was the Pirates' closer. He was a bit unreliable, but he improved somewhat that year. The catcher was (I think) Mike LaValliere, who was the team's "defensive" catcher while Don Slaught was the "offensive" catcher, or at least that's how it seemed to me at the time. Another note about that inning, Ron Gant (I think) hit a deep ball that could have ended the series if it went a few feet further. I think it only brought in a RBI though. Van Slyke was the man. Fans here loved him, and some idiot columnists said that was because we were RACISTS for liking him over Bonds. Too bad Van Slyke was on his way to another great season around '94-'95 (I can't remember the year) when he hurt himself going after a ball in St. Louis. He was never the same after that.

I think there are times when Gay Julian could have been more understanding, considering all the times he fucked up as a rookie, but Danny, with all the crap she had to endure since season 1 has every right to bitch her out, especially when the n00b resorted to personal attacks. I wasn't sure whose side to take with Gay Julian and the n00b, but after she began bitching about how Gay Julian has a problem with women partners has me over on Gay Julian's side for now. I'm curious to see what happens to Miss America. Out of curiousity, Haws, have you seen previous seasons of the Shield?

While I think some of the zombie buffs here praised it a bit much, it's well worth the $10.

I remember him, funky goggles and all. I forgot he left the Reds after a few years -- do you remember how much he was making with Cincy and how much Baltimore offered him?

So the President gave his annual report to Congress last night, and like usual I didn’t pay much attention. No matter who is in office I normally skip these speeches. For some reason listening to new programs being suggested, and even more ways to waste money Uncle Sam doesn’t have, isn’t high on my list of things to do during the course of an evening. For the record, I also don’t tune into political conventions. I hear enough of this crap throughout the year; watching these staged weeklong celebrations would be enough to send me over the edge. Despite my dislike of State of the Union speeches, I did catch a few minutes of this year’s edition. While flipping channels I noticed that MSNBC and CNN had a slight delay in-between their broadcasts, so if I went from CNN to MSNBC I could catch the same three-second sound bite, which made whatever it was Bush said sound much more important than it probably was. And even though I loathe the beast, I had to laugh when Hitlery and friends stood up and applauded after Bush said his Social Security reform plans were killed last year. The only reason I watched any part of the State of the Union speech was because I was waiting for my favorite show to start – "The Shield." I’ve been a viewer of this program since it first aired in 2002, and ever since “NYPD Blue” ended, “The Shield” is the only show I regularly watch when it is a first-run broadcast. This past Christmas I bought seasons 1-3 of the “The Shield” (retail priced reduced by more than $30 each of course) and watched them again from start to finish. It was interesting because not having to wait a week (and sometimes a year in-between seasons) to watch new episodes I saw a number of the characters in a different light. For example, my opinion of Vic Mackey diminished while I felt more sympathy for Claudette after she lost her shot at being named captain of the Barn. However, some things remained the same: I still can’t stand Shane’s wife, and Dutch, despite being one of my favorite characters, is still on my shit list for killing that kitty a few seasons ago. (If you haven’t seen this show chances are you have no idea what I’m talking about. Too bad.) Some other thoughts I have regarding characters on The Shield: Detective Vic Mackey: The main character, he tries to have a love/hate relationship with the viewer. When he’s not busting bad guys, he’s making deals with them and taking a little drug money off the top. Vic is the face of the show, and although he’s not my favorite character he is what makes many viewers tune in every week. Detective Shane Vendrell: Everybody’s favorite redneck cop in Los Angeles. Like Vic it’s hard to feel sympathy for him, especially since he married that bitch he calls a wife. What I find amusing about Walton Goggins, who plays Shane, is that I can’t stop thinking of his role in the 1997 movie “The Apostle.” In that film Goggins plays a wholesome, god-fearing man named “Sam,” who is the pretty much the opposite of his Vendrell role. Detective Curtis “Lemonhead“ Lemansky: Lem was one of those characters who I didn’t really think too much about when I was watching first-run episodes, but when seeing him on DVD I started to take more of a liking to the “surfer” of the Strike Team. Detective Ronnie Gardocki: Eh, he’s there. He got skin from his BUTT and had it put on his face after being burned by that guy in season 2. However, I think he’s the father of Danny’s baby. If a member of Vic’s team is going to be taken out, it’ll probably be Ronnie. Officer Julien Lowe: Ah, gay Julian. He was featured prominently in season 1 with his “I-not-a-homo-but-I-love-the-cock” dilemma. It’s a shame Gay Julian hasn’t resurfaced, because he was one bad mo’ fo. I do like the fact that the rookie officer he’s now in charge of training is prissy little bitch because as of right now there is absolutely no sexual tension between the two, which makes it funny to watch her screw up and unable to rely on her looks to find an easy way out. Officer Dannyelle “Danny” Sofer: Next to Dutch, Danny is probably my favorite character on the show. I laughed out loud at last nights episode when Gay Julian’s partner was trying to say that Danny was no longer the “Queen B” around the office and then made a remark about her pregger looks. After seeing all the dues Danny has paid in the first several seasons, it was funny listening to her rip into this rookie who had no idea what she was getting herself into. Detective Claudette Wyms: I really dug her character in the first season, but after she got screwed out of being David Aceveda’s replacement as captain, she has seemed to be without a purpose. Sadly, it looks like they might be writing her out this season with the medical problem she’s coping with. Detective Holland “Dutch’ Wagenbach: My favorite character on the show. Quirky and brilliant, he’s made me laugh a number of times with his off-color remarks. But like I said earlier, even with all these positives, there’s a special place in hell for those that kill cats. Him and Claudette had some great interaction early in the series, but it seems to have tailed off. Captain/Councilman David Aceveda: The Captain turned City Councilman. I think of him as Vic Mackey with a suit. In some ways, I feel more pity toward Aceveda, especially since he was raped a few seasons ago and couldn’t really tell anyone about it (look at how his power-hungry wife flipped out over hearing that news). There are other characters to comment on, to be sure, but some have been written out (like Glenn Close’s Captain Monica Rawling character) or have yet to really make an impact (such as Forest Whitaker’s Lt. Tom Kavanaugh character this year). And while this is my favorite show on television, I only hope that this series ends the way it started: with a bang.

Another observation: Can you contact the writer somewhere in their column; do they have an e-mail link somewhere in each column they write?

Repeating what I said about wisdom teeth from an earlier thread:

The few times I played we lost patience, which is a good sign I guess.

Yeah. She's the type who relied on her looks to get what she wants. (Lord knows I've met enough of those bitches in my lifetime.) Now it's not going to work when your training officer is a closet homo and the other chick of note is preggers and tougher than most guys in that station.

Or drunk rednecks, although there's not much of a difference.

That's just a stage name. His real name is probably Leonard Goldenstein.

Doug Doug's a fraud. Magic Missile? If he was a wizard or dual/multi-classed character of any real power, he would have been able to launch multiple shots. A druid? Doug Doug's not going to hell -- he's going to the tree in the backyard.

I think it was Jungle Book (can't remember it was so long ago) but I do somewhat remember seeing ET.

• Judge Samuel Alito was just confirmed as the newest Supreme Court Justice. Elsewhere, Wal-Mart is running a special on rusty coat hangers and signs that read “Whites Only.” What makes me laugh about this whole event is that if Alito really was as awful as Ted Kennedy and Chuck Schumer made him out to be, then how in the world did he ever get to become a federal judge in the first place? Better yet, how did he manage to graduate from law school? I guess it’s only fitting since civil rights, for all intents and purposes, died with the Alito confirmation that Coretta Scott King, widow of Martin Luther King Jr., passed away on the very same day. Could this be an omen of things to come? Well, as someone who loves dirty air and water, tax cuts for the rich, and seeing old people survive on cat food and dumpster scraps, I certainly hope so. Even though I’m giddy with how the Supreme Court is shaping up, there is something that annoyed me regarding RIGHT-WING RADIO during recent Supreme Court confirmation processes. Just about every national talk-show host I listened to said Alito and John Roberts before him “ran rings around the liberals questioning him.” Well I should sure hope so. If you can’t outwit Ted Kennedy or outsmart Diane Feinstein, then you have no business being a civil servant, let alone a Supreme Court Justice. I would hope that even a liberal like Ruth Bader Ginsburg would be able to hold her own in an argument with these same people, and I’m sure she could; that is if she actually answered any questions posed to her. Justice Alito, enjoy the perks of your new lifetime appointment. And remember when the next time a bunch of far-sighted Jews claim they were disenfranchised in the voting booth, think back to who got you this cushy gig. Seriously, is there any better job than to be a Supreme Court Justice? You’re paid to sit down and write opinions all day that nobody can overrule except for five of your eight colleagues. Future courts could also override what you deemed constitutional or unconstitutional, but by the time this actually happens you’ll be long dead and nobody will care. • In California, an an ex-postal worker recently killed six former co-workers before committing suicide. What is up with postal workers hating their jobs? From the want ads I’ve seen regarding vacant post office positions, the pay is more than fair. In addition, it’s a government job, so there has to be good benefits along with some other perks. Why do these people go nuts? Earlier this month I was at a local post office near my workplace to purchase some of those hippie 2-cent stamps, and the cashier whose register I approached to make the transaction was flipping out to his supervisor about how a co-worker expected him to weigh letters for her while he was still waiting on his customers. In hindsight, I don’t think it was a good idea for me to say in front of his supervisor, “give me $50 and I’ll slash her tires,” but at least it shut him up for the rest of the time I was there. One thing I really hate about the post office is that when you go in there to have a letter weighed and sent out they always ask you if you want to buy stamps. No I don’t want to buy any goddamn stamps; I just don’t want to play a guessing game of how many stamps I have to put on my parcel if it’s not in the conventional first-class 39-cent envelope. However, one thing I hate even more than this is when you’re in line and the customer in front of you answers yes to the same question I mentioned above. These people then take at least 20 minutes trying to decide between the stamps with the American Flag pictured on them or the stamps with the Stature of Liberty prominently featured. What’s the difference? Just order your stamps, pay for them and leave. Oh, and if you get run over by a car in the lot, that would be great, too. Then again, maybe it is customers like this that make these government workers go postal, which if that is the case then I totally sympathize with their plight. Just one request should you go on a shooting spree: Before offing yourself, make sure to take out a few customers, too.

It's funny because it's really hard to piss me off (believe it or not) if you're a waiter. Just give me my food, fill up my glass one or two times, and hand me my check. No hippie small talk. No "HI HOW ARE YOU I'M GREAT AND YOURSELF WOULD YOU LIKE TO TRY OUR HOUSE SPECIAL IT'S REALLY GOOD AND MY WHAT A NICE SHIRT YOU ARE WEARING." Just leave me alone. I'll have to remember the time I didn't tip at all.

I was too young at the time, but what was it like for SB XXX? Pull up a chair, sonny. For the first quarter-and-a-half the Cowboys had their way with the Steelers, mostly because Shittsburgh had a case of the nerves. However, after scoring a TD late in the first half, the Steelers seemed to start playing the way they were supposed to play. In that second half they really got it together, except for those two INTs, which were a shame really because I always liked O'Donnell and I will defend him to this day because if it wasn't for him there's no way the Steelers would have made it to the Super Bowl, in my opinion. For me the best moment came in the second half when Rod Woodson, after breaking up an Irvin reception, faced him and pointed to his knee. Woodson tore his ACL in the first week of the season and made it back in time for the Super Bowl. Irvin, during the week leading up to the game, was talking shit about how he was going to burn Woodson, which he didn't. It would have been nice for the Steelers to win and put a black mark on the Cowboys of the '90s, but they dug themselves a hole and couldn't really get out of it, despite having some chances to. The Steelers typically do that, and against lesser teams they manage to eek out a win. However, against a good team like Dallas you can't do that.

Not me. I didn't get anything, so they won't get anything. I don't mind the whole "tipping" thing though, although there has been two times where I didn't leave a tip. Well, actually one time, because the other "tip" I left was 2 cents and a note on the credit card slip saying all the things he did horribly.

My favorite episode of Cops was when they drove a big rig into a black neighborhood and pretended that the truck broke down. The "driver" then left and all these kids broke into the back thinking there were TVs/VCRs/etc. Everytime they broke in, a swarm of officers would get them, and when they took the kids outside the neighbors were laughing at them.

Back in the day I worked hard, brought people their food in a timely manner and never got any extra money for it. Oh yeah. I was working fast food.

Information Technology (I think that's what it is). Computer stuff. Congrats. You probably got the job over the more experienced guy because you won't screw up the job duties (much) and will be a much cheaper employee.

Not yet -- I want to put a fresh coat of paint on the walls first.