She didn't make it

Betty White died today, one week before her 100th birthday.

If you didn't like Betty White and the characters she portrayed on television then you lack a sense of humor and good taste.

She was great in the sitcom, The Golden Girls.

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Turns out all my bitching about never being able to retire was all just a bunch of crap.

The DJIA closed the year up more than 6,000 points which works out to an increase of just about 20 percent.

I'll take 20 percent growth rate any time.

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I'm going to try and stay awake until midnight.

Wish me luck...

While I do that, you can check these out:

• Key phrase in this story: "I got bumped by a car a couple weeks ago."
  Then stop riding your bicycle on the same road that cars are on.



• I'm not all that worried or anxious about it.



• Wasn't this one of the plagues?



• This is my new favorite youtube channel.
  Don't tell my sister Karen...



• I bet a dollar that Ghislaine Maxwell "commits suicide" this year.



• Only in Pennsylvania.

Just in time for New Years...

...my Christmas is finally over.

Last night my brothers and sisters and cousins all met up for dinner at the Springfield Country Club.

Well, those of us without household members who have tested positive for covid. Turns out we were short two cousins (and wives) and one brother (and wife) so there were only 10 of us .

It was a decent meal and a good time and I got home well after my bedtime.

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Speaking of New Years and bedtimes, I suspect this New Years will be less than exciting for us.

Normally, we don't go out on New Years. I consider New Years eve to be amatuer night where all those people who think they know how to drink go out and drink. Then they drive home. I don't want to be anywhere other than my couch while all those dingbats are tooling around in their 8,000 pound SUVs.

As for us, we consider it an exciting New Years eve if we both stay awake until midnight.

This year, however, I'm betting that neither one of us will make it to midnight. At least not without the aid of an afternoon nap. We are both perpetually tired.

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In baseball news, it continues to look like Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and David Ortiz will be the only ones that get enough votes to get inducted into the hall in 2022.

For the record, there are 30 eligible players. Among the 30 is Alex Rodriguez who is not even close to getting enough votes. Apparently testing positive for banned substances twice and then lying about it doesn't endear one to the voters.

Also, it appears that the ultra wealthy owners and players are still quibbling over money.

I suspect that by the time this comes to an end and they reach an agreement, a trip to the ballpark will cost a family of four more than $1,000...

And they wonder why fewer and fewer people are watching baseball.

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I'm going to watch some bad television (or maybe some great youtubes) and fall asleep.

If you would like, you can click on these links:

• Key phrase in this story: "If you find $1 on the street or embezzle from your employer, that’s all taxable income..."



• It's the old, "God told me it was okay!" defense.



• Oh Canada.



• Key phrase in this story: "...my biggest fear was giving it to them."



• This is your brain. This is your brain on drugs.



• Do this enough times and eventually they will start bringing the ball back to you.

There is a lot of stuff going on.

The 'rona is spiking all over the country, John Madden died, Harry Reid died, and it's looking more and more like Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens & David Ortiz will be voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

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My friend tells me that her partners 32 year old son remains on a ventilator. According to my math, it's been about 8 or 9 days for him. The survival rate for covid patients on a ventilator for 8 to 14 days is 74%. The survival rate for patients on a ventilator after 14 days drops to 50% and continues down from there.

Suffice to say they are hopeful that he comes off the vent within the next 5 days.

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I have things to do so you get an early post.

Here it is:

• Key phrase in this story: "Dare not go out of my house, as it’s lurking."



• This is why I've always said that the government should be enforcing their mandates, not some 25 year old bartender trying to earn a living.



• "Usually the team that scores the most points wins the game."



• If this all comes together correctly, it will be a game-changer for science.



• Well, that looks incredibly uncomfortable...



• I'll bet a dollar she ends up using the old, "I was testing security to see if they were alert!" defense. Either that, or she'll blame her kid.

Coffee settings are dialed in.

I switched over to the paper filters and this morning's coffee was spot-on.

Now all I need to do is figure out how to clean the thing. Fortunately, the directions indicate it only needs to be cleaned once every two weeks to prevent grounds from building up and clogging it. Apparently it will display a "clean chute" message when it needs to be cleaned.

Suffice to say that we are all pleased to have an enjoyable cup of coffee in the mornings and I am pleased to have a coffee maker that is not leaking on my counter.

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I'm going to watch some DVRs.

You can click on these:

• I both loved and hated watching him pitch because you never knew which one would show up - the pitcher or the space cadet.



• I kinda hope she goes to prison.



• I coached his two kids in rec league baseball and I can assure you that he was a decent guy and a good dad. He never missed a game, he was at every practice and he tried to help out on the field when he could.



• Key entry from our favorite police log: "4:19 p.m. Someone reported her aunt’s 20 years of marijuana use."



• Australia: What doesn't try to kill ya, takes up residence in your shoes.



• Key phrase in this story: "Given the choice between water and alcohol, they go for the booze."

New coffee maker

Several weeks ago I told you about the weird and creepy coffee maker stalking incident. We still have no idea who sent us the unsolicited coffee maker but we were successful in returning it to Amazon. That left us with a credit on our account.

I also mentioned that we had ordered a new coffee maker from a different vendor. Well, I can tell you now that the new vendor failed to come through and we ended up cancelling the order.

Flash forward to last week and our old coffee maker really went into leakage mode and we were forced to make a decision.

We took a look at the offerings on Amazon and found the space shuttle of coffee makers - the Cuisinart DGB 900BC.

We really just wanted to replace the nice, simple, easy-to-use 10 cup "grind and brew" coffee maker we've had for the last 10 years but that appears to have been discontinued. This was the closest we could come.

Well, I have made several pots of coffee since the new one arrived and I can tell you that it has taken me at least 4 days to tune this thing in and get it to brew a pot of coffee that we actually like.

This mornings brew was pretty good but tomorrow is the big test. This morning I used the supplied "mesh filter basket" instead of paper filters but tomorrow I'll be using paper because the mesh filter tends to leave fine grounds at the bottom of the pot. If tomorrow's brew comes out good, that will be two acceptable brews and I will feel pretty comfortable with the process I have.

Wish me luck.

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Another little necessity that arrived at my house was a much-needed grease gun.

I have spent that last few year keeping my machinery running by applying liberal amounts of spray-on grease. The problem is, that is not enough and my wife was nice enough to follow my suggestion and acquire a grease gun to put under the Christmas tree.

First warm day will see me lubricating the crap out of all my machines.

You can never have enough lube.

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Hockey is still postponed so tonight will be a DVR-fest.

While I do that, you can check these out:

• Oh great. Just freakin' great.



• The woman is a hundred and fifty years old. Leave her alone fer cripes sake.



• Key phrase in this story: "Meanwhile, their dogs 'simply looked on'."



• Only in Florida.



• Presenting this episodes, "Brilliant Criminal of the Week."

Day two of Christmas for us

We spent the day with family and I didn't spend any time surfing the webs.

That means no posting for you.

Again.

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I did find a couple of links:

• Well, this sounds unpleasant...



• And this sounds uncomfortable...

Merry Christmas

Go enjoy your day with family and friends.

Or not.

I suppose it depends on your vaccination status and your risk tolerance.

Either way, have yourself a Merry Christmas.

Unexpected

I did not expect to get 3 inches of snow this morning.

I know this is going to make me sound like I'm a lazy SOB but I broke out The Beast to clear off my driveway. Simply put, I didn't feel like shoveling and using the snowblower made quick work of the driveway. I put that thing in fourth gear and I was done in less than 15 minutes.

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We got our last minute grocery shopping done this morning and I was a little shocked to discover that Stop & Shop had no ricotta. And by Stop & Shop, I mean the entire chain had no ricotta. At least, that was according to the stock guy we asked.

Fortunately, Big Y had some but how the hell does an entire grocery store chain run out of ricotta?

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I got very little sleep last night so I'll be falling asleep early. Again.

This getting old shit is for the birds. I sleep in two hour blocks and usually only about 4 or 5 hours a night.

Then again, the alternative to getting old is getting dead so I'll stick with the old.

While I bitch about my age and lack of sleep, you can visit these links if you want:

• Australia: What doesn't try to kill ya, goes surfing.
  (Yes, I am fully aware that "Surfing Chicken" would be a great name for a 1960's rock band.)



• This video is a pretty good representation of our world over the last two years.



• Running of the Balls would be a fantastic name for a bunch of naked guys running in North Carolina.



• Australia: What doesn't try to kill ya, goes for a ride with you and then tries to kill ya.



• The Dutch have not forgotten the sacrifices made for them.

We are about as ready as ready can be

If it hasn't been bought, it ain't gonna get bought.

My Christmas shopping and present wrapping are all done thanks to my daughter.

My wife has been doing her usual Christmas baking and cooking so we are all set for food.

Now all we need is for the date and time to arrive.

In the meantime, we can always celebrate Festivus

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For the record, the DJIA has recovered from the shitty November it had.

Maybe one day, in the distant future, I'll be able to retire.

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Now I'm going to watch some bad television and then fall asleep early.

You can do the same if you want.

• Key phrase in this story: "I’ve given a stern warning now so don’t come crying to me..."
  Who else should I go crying to? I got my shots, why should I face restrictions when I'm doing the right thing?



• No thanks, I'll pass.



• Gentlemen, if a woman is sending you a constant stream of text messages urging you to "Kill yourself", you should probably just block her.



• Key phrase in this story: "...the vessel sprouts new mushrooms every time Ayers takes it onto the water."



• Apparently, the KFC's in England have a different menu than we do.

Slow day.

I actually found time to go get my hair cut today and I no longer look like an aging balding hippie.

Other than that, I got to spend some time reading the news and watching some of my favorite youtube channels.

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In covid news, I found out today that a friend and her partner both have covid. Her partner's mom died from covid last week and his son is in the ICU on a ventilator.

I have no idea what their vaccination status is (or was) but for cripes sake, this shit is everywhere. Get yourself vaccinated. If you are already vaccinated, get boosterized as soon as you are eligible.

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I've got some wrapping to do and then I'm going to watch bad television and go to bed early because, well, I'm old.

Here are today's links:

• Does anyone know who the asshole is that shoot a moose in Ludlow?



• It's the old, "She was a human when I started having sex with her!!!" defense.



• In other news from Kasatintin...



• To quote Monty Python, "NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition!"



• Flock of Vultures would be a fantastic name for a Flock of Seagulls cover band.



• In my opinion, anyone that disrupts a flight or threatens a flight attendant should be banned from flying.



• I'm going to stock up on ammo but I'm not picking sides.

Everything is expensive

We went grocery shopping this morning and man, is it expensive.

I realize that we are in an inflationary period but this is ridiculous. I remember infaltion from the mid 70s (Anyone else remember Jimmy Carter?) and the late 80s/early 90s but those were nothing like this one. During those inflationary periods, rices increased slowly over a year or two. This time it seems like the prices go up every week.

I've never seen this kind of inlfation in the United States. I've seen it in third-world countries were some dictator in a funny hat is controlling the cost of everything but not in the US. In the US, the Federal Reserve has always worked hard to keep deflation/inflation in check by controlling interest rates.

Everyone is blaming covid but I'm thinking that Trump pushing the Fed to keep rates low may be the cause of our current problem.

Then again, what the hell do I know about economics and politics.

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Time for an update on baseball:

There is no update on baseball because the owners and players are both being jerks

What I can tell you is that assuming the owners and players grow up & stop acting like children and assuming that covid doesn't cause another shutdown, we should be treated to a Red Sox / Braves spring training game in 67 days

Yes, I realize there was a lot of assuming in that previous paragraph.

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Speaking of covid, I'm sick of speaking about it.

I'm going to watch a little Tuesday Night Football this evening.

While I do that, you can do whatever you want.

If what you want involves links, well look no further...

• Do you know who's almost as crazy as the Japanese? The British, that's who.



• This was obviously not her first venture into the world of retail theft.



• Key phrase in this story: "...the theft of the bridge was actually done in phases..."



• Just another case of brick violence.
  We need to ban those things.



• People are leaving New York faster than rats leave a sinking ship.



• Turns out Joshua is the missing Link...

Bureaucracy is a bitch

Do you want to know why it's so easy to defraud this state?

Simple - They are spending some much time & energy roadblocking and stopping legitimate requests for service that they don't have time to stop the criminals.

This state kinda sucks if you are trying your best to follow the rules.

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I'm going to settle in to watch some bad television.

You can visit these links if you want:

• Yes, alcohol was involved.



• When you let fools make your decisions for you, you end up with foolish decisions...



• Only in Florida.



• Attention Alanis Morissette: This is ironic.



• Australia: What doesn't try to kill ya, tries to kill everything else.



• Oh Canada.

Covid abounds

In the past month, six individuals that I know have contracted covid. Two work with my daughter, two of them are friends of mine and two are grandchildren of the aforementioned friends

Four of those folks were vaccinated and their experience with covid was pretty low-key. Basically, they had a runny nose, slight loss of taste and, in one case, a low-grade fever.

Two of those folks were not vaccinated and their experience with covid was drastically different. One was coughing up blood, running a high fever and, at one point, was sick enough to make a trip to the emergency room for treatment. The other one was "sick as hell".

What's my point here? Well, simply put, six people that I personally know suddenly came down with covid at different times. That tells me covid is spreading like wildfire and, unless you live in a secure facility with air locks and you never go out, you are going to be exposed to it.

It is my humble, non-medical opinion that you should get yourself vaccinated.

And stop complaining about having to wear a mask. It's not that big of a deal.

Don't get me wrong, you can complain about the pandemic and how it sucks and how it's killing your friends and relatives but stop complaining about having to wear a mask. You sound like a whiny child.

And if you are one of those people that claims being forced to wear a mask is a form of authoritarian nazi mind control (or whatever it is that you think), you are an idiot.

The government mandating that you need to wear a mask when you enter a indoor public space is not an affront to your "civil liberties", your "personal freedom" or your "constitutional rights" any more than being told you have to wear pants when you are in public.

Please don't walk around in public without a mask. Or pants.

Good rules to follow are wear a mask and wear pants.

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Well, I managed to watch half of last nights game and I came to the conclusion that the Patriots would have been better off if the NFL had postponed their game. They kinda sucked.

I can only tell you what I saw during the first half of the game and it wasn't pretty. I got to see two interceptions, a blocked punt that resulted in a touchdown for the Colts and several holes in the defensive line that let Colt players run like they were out for a Sunday jog.

When I went to bed, the score was 17-0 in favor of the Colts. I did have hope that I might wake up to find that the Patriots rallied in the second half and go on to win the game but it wasn't to be. The final score was 27-17 Colts.

The Patriots are still in first place in the AFC East and in third place in the AFC. They just need to get back on the winning bandwagon. They have three games left against the Bills, the Jaguars and the Dolphins before the playoffs start.

All-in-all, they are not in a bad place. My hopes are high that they will go into the playoffs as a 1, 2 or 3 seed (they are currently the 3 seed).

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The democrats have begun the process of destroying their own simply because he says he can't justify voting for it.

Unlike our senator, Lizzy "I'm going to, uhm, get myself a beer" Warren, Joe Manchin gives a shit about the people he represents and doesn't want to destroy their life. He realizes that the tax increase this legislation will generate will be devastating for the middle-class working stiffs and he does not want to do that to his people.

In my opinion, the democrat party should be looking up to Manchin and following his lead instead of kowtowing to the "democrat/socialists" that are trying to destroy a way of life on a whim.

Then again, the republicans have been eating each other alive for the last 5 or 6 years so it's not just a democrat thing.

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I was planning on watching some hockey this afternoon but the NHL has shut the Bruins down until after Christmas. That means no hockey for me until the Penguins game scheduled for the 27th.

While I find something else to watch, you can enjoy these links if you want:

• As I said the other day, there is a shortage of everything.
  (As long as it's not toilet paper...)



• Key phrase in this story: "She was squeezing my hand to the point where I thought she was going to shatter it."



• Jamie Gagne sounds like a peach of a guy...



• Oh Canada.



• Key phrase in this story: "...he grew suspicious when they appeared to be growling instead of meowing."



• Must have been teenage boy brain cells.

So much for the "big emergency"

Thank god they sent that emergency notification yesterday about the devastating snow storm headed our way. Without that notice, we would not have been prepared for the...

...complete lack of snow today.

Idiots.

Our world is being run by idiots.

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I've been watching Tiger Woods and his son, Charlie, play golf today and I gotta tell ya, I'm pretty impressed with Tiger Woods as a dad. He always says encouraging things to his son.

For instance, when Charlie hit his fairway shot into a bunker, Tiger looked at him and said, "Great shot. There's a clear path to the green from there."

No matter what you think of Tiger Woods as a golfer, as a dad, he is doing the right things with his son.

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I am going to try and stay awake to watch at least half of tonight's football game. If the score is close and both teams are playing well, I might actually make it through the whole game. But it's going to have to be a very exciting game for me to stay awake for the whole thing.

Kick off is at 8:15 so I suspect the game will end sometime around 11:30. That's way past my bedtime.

Enjoy these links if you want:

• Key phrase in this story: "They were taken away and never seen again."



• Key lie in this story: "I’m really really ashamed of what I did."



• Eventually, all the conspiracy-theorists and nutcases in this world are going to kill themselves off.



• So far, this guy has managed the Yankees, the Diamondbacks, the Rangers, the Orioles and now the Mets. I'm beginning to think he might not know what he's doing...



• If you haven't see it yet, NASA has a spacecraft that just passed through the sun's atmosphere. That, in my opinion, is pretty damned cool



• More proof that there are a lot of idiots living among us.

Stock up on batteries and milk!

I want to know when 2 inches of snow became "an emergency".

This is what popped up on my television screen at 5:00 this evening:

Two things I want to say about that message.

1. Why do I get emergency alerts for New Hampshire? I don't live in New Hampshire.
2. Who decided that a few inches of snow is a good enough reason to fire up the system that was put in place to warn us about nuclear attacks?

We are using technology to scare the shit out of ourselves. This is the modern version of Aesop's Fable: The Boy Who Cried Wolf.

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The NHL has cancelled tomorrow Canadiens/Bruins game because of covid.

I'm not entirely sure how many members of the Canadiens have covid but at least six members of the Bruins, Blidh, Frederic, Swayman, Bergeron, Marchand and Smith, are all out on the "protocol"

In this situation, postponing the game is a good thing for the Bruins. Those six guys make up a substantial part of the team and not having them on the ice pretty much guarantees a loss.

As for football, the Patriots/Colts game scheduled for tomorrow night is still on but three other games have been postponed. The Raiders/Browns, Washington/Eagles and Seahawks/Rams have all been postponed to Monday or Tuesday.

Covid appears to having its way with us again.

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You can enjoy these links if you want:

• I'm pretty sure his phone didn't shoot that girl.



• Australia: What doesn't try to kill ya, sure has a lot of legs.



• Oh Canada.



• This is the kind of thing I would try.



• Nutcases. They are all nutcases.



• Only in Florida.

It's nice having the Christmas shopping done

Normally, I am running around on Christmas eve trying to find something for my wife. This year, I have found everything that I want to get her. Also, my daughter has been more than helpful in picking up some things in my stead.

Now I just have to wrap the presents. Once that is done, I will have completed my Christmas tasks and will be free to enjoy the holiday with family and friends.

Or not.

Kinda depends on what covid is doing I guess.

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In the world of baseball, the only news I can find is "Those big stinky heads don't want to play nice with us!"

Look, wealthy team owners versus wealthy players is meaningless to me. They are both making more money than they deserve.

These are the same people who charge outrageous ticket prices and then wonder why attendance is down.

These are the people who bitch on social media because they are only getting paid $20 million a year for 5 years to play a game.

I love playing baseball. I love watching baseball.

I hate the business of baseball.

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You might want to visit these links:

• Key untruth in this story: "Defense attorney Jeffrey Lichtman said Weaver is deeply remorseful."



• Psycho Nancy just made insider trading okay as long as it's done by elected officials.



• You just gotta love dogs.



• Key phrase in this story: "...he wouldn’t shut the f*** up."



• Man, there is a shortage of everything.

Nope, not today

I spent the majority of my day trying to get some Christmas shopping done.

That means there was no time for interwebbing.

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Having said that, here are some links:

• Penis in Padlock would be a fantastic name for a 1980s punk band.



• I think the U.S. Congress should do this.



• Trust me, this isn't going to happen to you.



• Presenting this episodes Brilliant Criminal of the Day.

Still trying to learn

I spent a good part of my day reading and listening to experts talk about the java Log4Shell vulnerability that I told you about yesterday.

There still is no "magic bullet" to fix it but there are more scripts appearing online that will help you exploit it. This means that more and more people are learning how to exploit it and that is a problem. The more people that know how to do this means more people trying to hack into networks and computers.

Your best bet is to do what I told you: Do backups and keep all of the backups you do.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to do the first backup to my computer since November 1st...

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The Golden Knights are in Boston to play the Bruins at 7:00 tonight and I will be watching.

Hopefully they win because a win tonight will at least solidify their 4th place slot in the Atlantic.

They are eight points behind the Lightning so they have a long haul to move into third but if they can lock down fourth place, they will hopefully hang on to a wildcard slot.

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Here are some links:

• Any company, or school system, that bans cell phones should be tried in criminal court for negligence when something happens and people die because they can't communicate where they are or what is going on.



• Here's a good safety tip: When a gasoline tanker overturns, run away from it.



• Ho, ho, ho. Merry Christmas.



• Hopefully the judge tells her to shut the hell up and just drink soda or tea.



• Add this to the list of Things I Didn't Need To Know.



• If someone breaks into your house and waves a knife in your face, don't shoot your floor. Your floor is not the threat, the person with the knife is the threat. Shoot them and leave your floor alone.

We have a good dog

I had the guys who installed our furnace here today to install a replacement fan sensor. Before they showed up, I told The Dog she had to get in her "box".

Her "box" is a large dog crate. The door is tied open on it and she sometimes crawls in there to sleep. When we have strangers coming to the house, we have her get in the crate and then close the door so she doesn't bother them.

This morning I said, "Come on baby, get in your box" and she crawled right in. I closed the door and she promptly laid down and stared at me like I was the worst person in the world.

Trust me, when the guy was finished and I let her out, she got taken care of. There was lots of praise and plenty of treats.

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Something happened today that made me smile.

Gregg Bigda was found not guilty of all charges.

I've met Gregg. I've seen the video of that so-called "brutal interrogation". I know two individuals that have worked with Gregg for a lot of years and they have always had nothing but good things to say about him.

The "brutality" that had some overly-sensitive idiots up in arms was when he yelled at a little thug who stole a car.

Maybe if that kids parents had yelled at him when he was growing up instead of either ignoring him or treating him like he was the second coming of christ, he wouldn't have grown up to be a car thief.

Gregg Bigda was not guilty of brutality. The only thing he was guilty of was being an adult.

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As a heads up, you may hear something about a new computer vulnerability called "Log4Shell". The media will say a lot of things about it, most of them will be wrong.

I spent most of my day listening to a lot of very smart, very geeky people, including some nerds from the FBI and the NSA. Here's what I know to be factual:

This vulnerability is known as a "injection attack". This is when someone injects computer code into a field that is suppossed to only accept text and the computer runs that code. For example, if there is a form that asks you to enter your name and instead of entering your name, you enter CMD: EXEC(DELETE DISK), the computer will see the code and run it.

In this case, the field is a system field in a log utility that comes with JAVA. The way it is activated is by passing code using almost any internet protocol to the java programming interface that calls the logging function. That code is a set of instruction to download and install some malicious code on the computer.

So far, it appears that the majority of malicious code being installed involved coin miners. These are a set of process intensive programs that will use all of your computer's memory and cpu trying to generate Bitcoin. The problem is, that's just what is being seen. The malicious code could be anything. It could be ransomware that steals your data, locks your computer and charges you money to get your data back. It could be code to turn your computer into a robot that sends out millions of emails. It could be anything

Since this is java, it means no one is safe. Java runs on linux, Apple, Microsoft, IBM mainframes and just about every one of those little "smart" devices we all own like cell phones, smart TVs, Alexa's, etc...

Currently, there are a lot of pretty bright people working on the best way to identify what is vulnerable and how to fix it. When that happens, I believe the fix will be rolled out be every technology company on the planet.

I'm not trying to frighten you but I am going to strongly recommend you do backups to external drives and save those drives. I can pretty much guarantee that you have this vulnerability.

Your goal should be to give yourself the ability recover if someone takes advantage of it. Once the fix becomes available, you should get it installed as soon as possible. Trust me, if I hear about the fix being available, I will post it here.

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SInce I've spent the majority of my day on the internet doing security stuff, I didn't have time to find a lot of links.

The ones I did find are here:

• She got her wish.



• Apparently the Massachusetts legislature isn't the only group of idiots in this country.



• Please, for the sake of all that is holy, don't let this happen.

We have a problem

Massachusetts, a state that has a government who legislates just for the sake of legislating, passed a law that is about to create a major egg shortage in this state.

The federal government has a regulation for egg farmers that says any enclosure of egg-laying chickens must provide at least 1.0 square feet of space per hen. Almost every chicken farm in Massachusetts (and surrounding states) complies with that regulation.

Then along comes the Massachusetts legislature, who always thinks they know what is best, and they say,

"We don't care what the federal government says! If you want to sell eggs in Massachusetts, your enclosure must provide 1.5 square feet of space per chicken!"

This made just about every farm in the United States out of compliance and will cause a major egg shortage for consumers in the state.

Unless the legislators get off their fat, arrogant, over-paid asses and do something to either nullify or rescind the law, you can expect the cost of an egg to skyrocket. You can also expect the cost of your favorite local bakery items to skyrocket because bread, cake, cookies, etc... are all made with eggs.

This is what happens when you have a full-time, over-paid, bureaucratic government who thinks they know best and exists solely to create new laws.

I need to move out of this state.

Soon...

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The Patriots are on a bye week so they are off today. The Steelers played on Thursday (and lost) so they are off today.

I will watch the Bills v Buccaneers game at 4:30 but I think my sportings for the day will be the final round of the QBE Shootout on the Golf channel.

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In other sports, the Bruins managed to beat the Flames last night.

This places them in fourth place in the Atlantic division and back into the mix for a wildcar slot.

They are off until Tuesday when they will take on the Golden Knights at the very reasonable hour of 7:00pm

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So the tornadoes that tore through Kentucky did a shitload of damage. It looks like one town, Mayfield, is pretty much gone.

A few businesses were in full operation when the tornado hit and a lot of people died.

That town is looking at a long, hard time dealing with the death & destruction and then rebuilding.

It's going to be months, if not years, before things resemble normal again.

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Here are today's links:

• This is actually a clever move on Newsom's part. I wonder how the conservative supreme court will deal with this?



• Man, I bet that smelled wonderful.



• Is anybody shocked by this? I'm not shocked by this. It has been my experience that 90% of everything shared on social media is bullshit. The other 10% is a horseshit.



• Only in Florida.



• Excuse me? Are they saying Excel is now a sport?



• Oh Canada.

Bad day for Kentucky

It appears that at least 4 tornadoes touched down in western Kentucky.

That's a lot of tornadoes.

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My wife and daughter did some Christmas shopping today.

The Dog and I watched the QBE Shootout on the Golf Channel and took naps.

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Here are today's links:

• Looks like Mike Pence is planning on running for president.



• This is what happens when you allow hospitals to become for-profit businesses.



• First they got the flood of immigrants. Then the drug cartels shooting up the place and now this. I have no desire to ever set foot in Mexico.



• She does not look 22 years old to me.



• Australia: What doesn't try to kill ya, likes to check out your butt.



• Here's your Naked Guy In The News story.

And they won

Despite the fact I fell asleep before the game even started, the Bruins managed to defeat the Oilers 3-2 last night.

They are off today and tomorrow is the last of the west coast games when they drop puck at 10:00pm against the Flames.

I can guarantee you that I will not be awake for that game either.

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The news, as usual, is all about political fighting and the possibility of some new war somewhere.

I didn't feel like reading it today.

That means I got nothing else for you except these links:

• Sign me up.



• I worked at a restaurant when I was a kid. It takes more than a waitress to run a restaurant. I guess my questions are, Did she cook the food? Did she clean the tables? Was she the only one delivering food and drinks?



• Trump is a spoiled brat.



• And they wonder why people don't want to work.



• Every dog I've ever had would eviscerate this thing in about 10 minutes.



• It's only a matter of time before they stop selling booze on planes and start giving every passenger a breathalyzer before boarding.



• Yet another one of my childhood memories is gone. That man is the one who made Linda Ronstadt famous when he wrote a little tune called Different Drum and gave it to her. He also created a television show called PopClips which was the direct predecessor of MTV and VH1

And they lost.

The Bruins are so far down in the standings that I'm thinking that at this rate, they won't even make the wild card...

They play well and they make a lot of shots on goal but they just can't seem to put the puck into the net. It's almost like the puck has a mind of it's own and it either pings off a post or it goes straight into the goalie's glove.

Tonight they take on the Oilers at 9:00.

I'll be glad when this west coast trip ends and they are back on normal east coast start times.

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I have a couple of Red Sox things I wanted to share with you:

1. Pitchers and catchers report in 70 days on February 17th and the first spring training game is in 80 days against the Braves. on February 27th.
2. The Red Sox have taken another rule 5 pitcher from the Yankees. Hopefully he's another Garrett Whitlock.

That is all the Red Sox news I have for you because the millionaire MLB players and the billionaire MLB owners are arguing about the best way to divvy up all the money that the business known as MLB pulls in every year.

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We had the weirdest thing happen and it has me a little creeped out.

In the beginning of December, I told my wife that we should probably replace our coffee maker because it was beginning to have some issues.

For instance, it has a coffee grinder built into it and the gate that holds the grounds basket flew open one morning, spewing coffee grounds everywhere. That was a bitch to clean up.

Another problem is there is a small leak where the water pipes into the grounds which causes a small puddle on the base of the machine.

I told her we should get the same make and model we have now because, well, it makes great coffee. She did what every modern, 21st century American does and went to Amazon to buy a new one. Unfortunately, after looking at almost every model the company makes, she couldn't find exactly what we were looking for. She ended up buying the correct model at an online retail outfit other than Amazon.

Then, two days ago, we get a shipment from Amazon. In the box is a coffee maker from the correct manufacturer but the wrong model. There is a note from Amazon saying it was purchased for us as a gift by an anonymous gift-giver. Neither one of us ever mentioned to anyone that we were looking for a new coffee maker so it is my assumption that someone knew she was looking at them on Amazon.

Who the hell is stalking my wife online, watching what she is looking at on Amazon? And who the hell gives anonymous gifts?

This is more than a little unsettling.

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The creatures have been fed and we've had our dinner.

While I watch bad television, you can check these out:

• Meet Donna Sanginario, the newest member of the A-Team



• Seems like a bit of overkill.



• I can assure you they are real.



• Oh Canada.



• If you have a spare $13,000.00, you can own a period table of elements that has the actual elements.



• Only in Florida.

No hockey for me tonight

The Bruins are playing the Canuks out in Vancouver and the game starts at 9:00pm our time.

A 9:00pm start time pretty much gaurantees that I will be sound asleep by 9:10pm.

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Here are some links that you might enjoy:

• Key phrase in this story: "Botox injections, face lifts and other cosmetic alterations to make the camels more attractive are strictly prohibited."



• It's National Brownie Day!



• Duh...

It certainly was an interesting game

Last nights football game ended at 11:15 and as we all know, that is a time that is way past my bedtime. Still, the game was interesting enough that I managed to stay awake and watch the entire thing.

Despite the fact the Jones could not throw the ball for shit because of the wind, they still managed to win because Belichick and McDaniels called a hell of a running game.

They scored a touchdown and instead of going for the PA, they decide on the 2 point conversion. This gave them 8 points. Folk made two excellent field goals for 6 more points and the Patriots beat the Bills 14-10.

They are in first place in the AFC and are now on a bye week. This will give them time to rest up, work on some things and get ready to face the Colts on the 18th.

Yes, the 18th is a Saturday, not a Sunday. Deal with it...

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National Grid got our power back on sometime around 9:00 last night. Based on some things my daughter was hearing from some of her buddies, I suspect a tree limb came down on a high-power line and caused a transformer fuse to blow.

All I can say is I am glad I have a generator. We had lights, heat, hot water and, this is the most important thing, a television to watch football on.

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I'm going to fall asleep early tonight.

Here are some links you can visit:

• Wow. These people are the scum of the earth.



• Key entry from our favorite police log: "1:22 p.m. A neighbor’s dog has been barking nonstop for two years. ."



• Christmas in England sounds like a really joyous event...



• Sign me up.



• Oh Canada.



• Thanks goodness they were able to de-escalate the situation instead of shooting him because now he's alive to do it a fifth time.

Going to be an interesting game

The betting line for tonights football game is Bills by 2½ and the prediction from the intellectual midgets that predict these things is Bills 23 - Patriots 19.

I have no idea who is going to win tonights game but I'm going to watch it and root for the Patriots. I have faith in both the offense and the defense.

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I got my airbag replaced today.

Seems kind of crazy to me to put a new airbag into a 16 year old car but the government issued a safety recall so I had it done.

The actualy replaced the entire center portion of my steering wheel. It's very shiny and clean.

When I look at it, I feel like I'm driving a brand new car.

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We have no National Grid electricity right now but thanks to my decision several years ago to buy a generator, we have our own electricity.

Amazingly enough, we also have Spectrum internet access so here are some links:

• It's easy to say this when you're worth slightly more than $10 million...



• Key phrase in this story: "The last time I did it, I cried."



• I'm betting it's a Starbucks.



• Key phrase in this story: "...fortunately there are plenty of restaurants that don't discriminate and will welcome our officers..."



• Maybe they're remaking the movie Jaws...



• I definitely want to be cremated if there is even a remote chance that I might explode.

There's a storm a brewin'

According to the weather dweebs, we may see our first accumulating snow on Wednesday.

I conducted a test of The Beast in October but I think I'll drag it out tomorrow and fire it up. Call me paranoid but the last thing I want to discover is my snowblower doesn't work on the day of a snow storm.

I like to let it run for about 15 minutes because I figure if it can run for 15 minutes, it'll run for the hour or so it takes to clear my driveway, my backyard (The Dogs latrine) and the path to my neighbors house.

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No Patriots today. They're playing the Bills in Buffalo tomorrow night.

I did watch the Buccaneers beat the Falcons and now I'm watching the Steelers play the Ravens.

I also watched the Bruins lose to the Lightning last night.

They managed to tie the game in the third period but lost 3-2 in overtime.

As for baseball, I have no idea what's going on because the owners and the players are currently negotiating a new contract and when the old one expired, the owners shut down the league and locked out the players.

As a matter of fact, if you go to any of the team websites, like the Red Sox, you'll see the only thing posted are historical stories and this little note:

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I'm going to make some dinner and then find some other sport to watch.

While I do that, you should do these:

• For a politician, he was a decent human being.



• Like I said a few days ago, this may not be that big of a problem.



• If you need a desk calendar, a bedazzled cell phone case or you just want to visit with Santa in a pop-up garden tent, the Eastfield Mall is the place to go.



• Ouch.



• Oh Canada.



• Key phrase in this story: "I’ve heard worse Britney Spears covers..."

The decorating has begun

I did my lawn and then put up Christmas lights.

My wife and daughter spent their day putting all of the various baubbles, knick-knacks and festive holiday finery out for display.

Now we just need to do the "buying of gifts" thing and we'll be all set.

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As I type this, the Bruins are down 1-0 at the end of the first period.

What makes that sentance really bad is the Lightning scored while the Bruins were on a power play...

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While I watch this, you can visit these:

• Key phrase in this story: "...they were trying to flee to Canada."



• I can only imagine what the "twin torpedo" is...



• Turns out that Chris Cuomo is a better brother than journalist.



• This headline makes me think they were going on vacation or something.



• No thanks.

And falling back down...

Yesterday's partial recovery of the DJIA was short lived and the downward slide continued today:

As I'm fond of saying, I am never going to be able to retire...

Actually, I'm not really all that fond of saying that.

No sir, not one bit.

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The more I read about the Renfroe / Bradley trade, the more I like it.

Bradley was certainly a great outfielder but a streaky hitter at best. Renfroe was a serviceable outfielder and a good hitter. If the trade had been just Renfroe for Bradley, I would not be happy but the two kids they are bringing over with him are looking like they have the potential to be great baseball players.

Also, there is some speculation that Bradley is with the Red Sox only for the short term and they may trade him for someone with a good bat.

I'm really hoping Bloom has struck gold on this one. Whether it be because Bradley has suddenly become a high-end ball player or he is a valuable trading chip.

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The DA in in Detroit has decided to charge the parents of the kid who murdered four of his fellow students. They are being charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter.

From what I can tell, the school administrators and teachers called these people into the school on more than one occasion to tell them their son had some major issues. At one point, they were told they should get him into therapy. They were also told that a teacher found him using google to search for ammunition.

Did they do anything about their little angel? Did they act upon the information the school passed on to them? Yes, they did.

They went out and bought a gun. Then they let their kid play with it. Did they buy a safe to secure the firearm? No, they did not. They let their murderous little shit play with the gun and then they left it out where he had ready access to it.

They should not be charged with involuntary manslaughter.

They should be charged with homicide.

Oh, and before I forget, they appear to have run off, leaving their little angel on his own to face his first degree murder charges.

As I've said before, some people should not be allowed to have children.

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Time to find something to watch.

Enjoy these links if you want:

• This guy is trying his best to blame everyone but himself,



• Australia: What doesn't try to kill ya, just wants to have a drink with you.



• Looks like Springfield's biggest export product is thugs and gangs.



• Key phrase in story: "He was in a considerable amount of pain."



• Seems to me there might be better ways to get rid of snakes.

Bouncing back

The DJIA decided that it should go up a bit today:

That means the DJIA is now back to where it was on October 7th...

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The Red Sox decided that maybe they should bring Jackie Bradley Jr. back into the fold.

They also acquired two prospects with pretty good stats but I'm not entirely sure how I feel about bringing him back.

He can't it for shit but his defense manages to save at least one, maybe two, runs every game. Can't argue with that.

Renfroe, on the other hand, was a serviceable outfielder with a cannon for an arm who managed to hit 31 home runs last season.

Hopefully the two prospects are worth the trade because I'm not sure Bradley is...

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Time for me to fall asleep on my couch while watching hockey.

Enjoy these links:

• Man, this must have been a nasty wedding.



• Not only is this a weird story, it's also the mugshot of the day.



• Chicken Killing Dog would be a fantastic name for a 1960s rock-a-billy band.



• Key phrase in this story: "...YouTubers' looking for fresh content."

Nope, still can't retire

The stock market looked like it was in full blown recovery mode when it opened this morning, shooting skyward and making me smile. But then, right around 11:00am, someone announced that the omicron 'rona has shown up in the United States and everyone panicked & started giving their stocks away for free.

I am sick and tired of covid. This has gone on long enough. It's time for this shit to end.

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Speaking of things that piss me off, Charlie Baker announced today that he is not running for a third term.

I like Charlie. He ran as a republican but he is more of an independent than republican. He governs using common sense instead of following some "mob rule" party line.

Maybe I'll write him in.

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The Bruins lost last night but I wasn't too shocked by that. I kinda knew going into it that they weren't going to be the winning team.

They are off tonight and they pick it back up tomorrow night when they go to Nashville and play the Predators at 8:00pm.

That means I'll probably only see the first period and maybe part of the second.

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Here are a few links for you:

• Does this mean she kicked his ass?



• Here's your Naked Guy In The News story.



• I'm guessing he'll have something to do while laying in bed waiting for the sleep meds to kick in.



• Some people should not be allowed to have kids.



• The best part of waking up
  is Folgers in your cup.

I'm tired

After work today, I made a sandwich, sat down on my couch to watch some news and proceeded to fall asleep for a nice little nap. I didn't have any intention of falling asleep, I just fell asleep.

My daughter calls those "accidental naps".

The Dog took a nap too but I'm pretty certain her nap was intentional.

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Between the CEO's of the companies that make the 'rona vaccines and the Chair of the Federal Reserve, I'm never going to be able to retire...

The DJIA is down almost 4% since the 23rd (5 business days) all because first the CEO of Pfizer comes out and says, "concerned about a new wave of covid".

Then the CEO of Moderna comes out and says, "The vaccines might not work against the new variant".

Finally, to really kick us in the nuts, the chair of the Federal Reserve comes out and says, "Pfffftttt.... The economy is fine! We no longer need to take any measures to prop it up".

The CEOs are saying whatever it takes to sell vaccine. They would like nothing more than to see us all throwing money at them for the rest of our lives.

As for Powell, I'm beginning to think he may be developing a form of dementia. Either that or he is so far removed from the life of an average person that he actually has no idea what a the economy is doing.

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There will be hockey tonight but I don't have high hopes for the Bruins.

DeBrusk is back in the lineup but he's not a happy guy.

Marchand is out for three games because the league overruled Sunday's game officials and issued a penalty for something that doesn't look to me like it was intentional.

Oh, and Blidh is out with some kind of "upper body injury" and the coach, Bruce Cassidy, is quarantined because he has covid.

It's going to be a tough night.

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I'm going to reheat some leftovers and watch some hockey.

Here are a few links that you might find interesting:

• Australia: What doesn't try to kill ya, just wants to take a little ride with you.



• Maybe we should do this in the United States.



• This sorta brings a whole new meaning to the term, "shit-for-brains"...



• Face tattoos are usually an indication of someone who makes poor life choices.



• Anybody got a million dollars I can borrow?



• Someone decided it was time for a new Peanuts Christmas cartoon.

My lawn is clear

At 2:30 this afternoon, my lawn was spotless. By 4:30, a few leaves had begun to creep back on to it but still, not too shabby.

The beauty of a lawn tractor is that you can use it as a leaf vacuum.

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The Bruins just barely beat the Canucks last night, 3-2.

I am not impressed by their play lately and apparently neither is Bruce Cassidy. He benched DeBrusk and Clifton for last nights game simply because they have been playing like crap.

They are off tonight hopefully getting ready to face the Redwings tomorrow.

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I am in turkey avoidance today. Lunch was clam chowder and tonights dinner will be burgers and fries.

While I create the aforementioned feast, you can visit these links:

• Krazy Kim is fashion krazy.



• A cartel that controls the supply of maple syrup is the most Canadian thing I've ever heard of.



• Apparently it snowed in England.



• Key phrase in this story: "...we had him and his name was Tom Yawkey, and all that got us was 70 years of Elks Clubbing and zero World Series titles."



• Why do I have a feeling this is going to end poorly for us...



• If you are stupid enough to store ammunition in a stove, you should not be allowed to own firearms. Or ammunition. Or sharp knives. Or a car.

Celebrations are over but Thanksgiving goes on

Our guests left this morning, bringing our celebrations to an end.

Thanksgiving, however, well live on for at least another week or two while I eat turkey salad, turkey sandwiches, turkey divan (whatever that is) and dessert. Lots and lots of dessert.

I hope you also have lots of desserts to enjoy.

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The Patriots managed to run over the Titans this afternoon, beating them 36-13.

I am really enjoying this team. The defense, with guys like McCourty, Van Noy, Hightower, Guy and Judon, makes life miserable for their opponents and Jones is a rookie quarterback who looks like a seasoned veteran. Watching these guys play is amazing.

I'm still on the, "This is a building year for the Patriots" bandwagon and I won't be shocked if they lose a couple more games before the season ends but I'm convinced they will be in the playoffs.

I certainly will not be surprised if they make the SuperB owl...

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I'm going to feed the critters, eat some leftovers and then watch some hockey.

You can visit these links if you want:

• Yet another reason to not fly commercial.



• There is an old saying: "There are no atheists in foxholes." That means people wish for salvation when they are near-death.



• Key phrase in this story: "...the tracking system used for packages doesn't go back that far."



• I always find it interesting when people on trial decide to "take the stand to tell their side of the story". It usually doesn't go like they think it will.



• This might not be as bad as the media is making it out to be.