OK, I'm back from the great Down South excusion, and while I'd thought about doing a Cooch-style travelogue complete with pictures and a mind-numbingly detailed personal exposition on each and every day, all you're getting is text. But still day by day.

Friday, September 20 Who'd have thought that you could fly through Logan and Hartsfield and have the biggest travel problem be a sun-induced pass of the 93 South ramp off of Leverett Circle? Got to see the Monsignor O'Brien Highway, at least.

Flights to Myrtle Beach were surprisingly trauma free but very crowded. Apparently, the economic downturn and terrorism fears aren't keeping people from flying Delta. Several flights, beyond our own, were over-sold. At any rate, the biggest surprise of the trip down was the relative comfort and nice ride provided by the Aerospatiale 72-210. Roomier than the Canadian or Brazilian regional jets, although slower and with more engine noise (but less than expected).

Once in we drove over to our hotel, the Holiday Inn Sun Spree. A little dumpy, but very close to the water and free thanks to a referral that I'll discuss at greater length in a bit. Once in we walked the beach a little, collected some shells, etc.

Dinner saw us drive up US 17, the main highway that connects coastal South Carolina. In many places it splits into Business and Bypass routes, so you can either cruise the towns or travel at more highway-like speeds. Going up Business 17 gave me my first comparison of the trip: Myrtle Beach is a lot like Daytona Beach. US highway running paralell to beach with lots of touristy crap, hotels/resorts, etc. Had dinner at the Carolina Roadhouse, which sounds like it should be honky-tonk but is actually pretty nice.

Returned to the hotel to await Sarah's sister and her fiance, as they were coming down for the weekend from Richmond. This turned into quite the night in, as they didn't show until sometime between 2 and 3 am (being asleep I missed the exact time). Apparently, the place where you'd leave 95 to take 501 into Myrtle Beach isn't as well marked as one would like.

Kind of a quiet day, perhaps not surprising for a travel day.

Saturday, September 21 You'll remember that our stay in Surfside Beach was free based on a referral. That referral came via Sarah's parents, who can access such things via their timeshare company. What this meant for us, though, was that in return for 2 free nights we had to go to a presentation at Ellington at Wachesaw East. The presentation was listed as going 90 minutes, but you'll see that's not exactly the way things work.

Got there a little early, filled out forms, and were eventually paired up with Kay, a very nice young woman who is really into the timeshare thing. Her sales pitch started with her showing us some of the area, which was actually kind of nice as we went back to one place later in the week. However, she used most of the 90 minutes giving us a little tour and talking. She talked a lot. Often about things she'd already talked about, which I suppose is part of the sales thing.

Upon return we started the real sales bit. Saw the units, which were actually kind of nice. Saw some of the other amenities, which were OK. They're in the middle of building, so we saw a plan for the completed development. Then we returned to the big room that the sales people all use and started talking money.

There is, apparently, a kind of progression to this. You first get the prices without any sort of deal, show to you "as required by law." Don't know if it's required by law or not, but in any event it's a good set up for the deep discount you get for buying today.

Timeshares are sold by color-coded week, with red weeks being those in highest demand. Yellow and green follow, but you don't get prices for those right off because the whole point is to sell the red (and costliest) weeks. At some point a manager comes over and works out some sort of deal, either a lower price or some sort of monkeying around with fees or some added benefits. A point of contention here was the "platinum card" that provided a bunch of amenities mostly of use if we lived in the area.

The more humorous part of this is the manager having to go back to the office to check a computer or some such nonsense to find deals. During that time, the sales person shows you great pictures of tropical vacations, mysterious information about how desirable timeshares in that area are, and (most importantly) how you need to buy now, as there's never a good time to buy, so why wait?

With no intention to buy, we went with the "getting married, can't afford it" route, and got a lot of different pitches. Refinance out over more years to lower the monthly. Work the down payment into the financing to make the initial nut easier to pay out. Show the green week amounts and their cost. Taking no for an answer is not an option! Finally, we were able to get it through to them that we weren't buying. All in all we spent most of the afternoon on this. To my mind, I'll pay for the hotel next time.

The entire process enamored us so much that, upon learning that Sarah's folks had checked into the timeshare they got for the week that we immediately checked out of the hotel. OK, we actually checked out so we could start spending time with everyone, but there was a cathartic aspect to it, too.

In this case I do wish I'd planned a Cooch-type recap, as there were some mockable moments. Two that stick out:

1. Kay labeling us as "European" because we like vacation and Sarah's mom is English.
2. The woman who started to yell at her salesperson because they were going over the 90 minute mark.

Sunday, September 22 Not much from this day. Almost got sucked into another presentation to get freebies. Passed. Sarah's dad and uncle got two free rounds of golf for their trouble.

More later.

I'm going on vacation tomorrow. Woo hoo!

Heading down to Myrtle Beach, a city I've never been to that's in a state (South Carolina) that I've only driven/trained through.

This will be my first real "Southern" experience. I do not count all the times I've been to Florida, given all the former northerners who live there. Weekends spent in places like Atlanta and Chattanooga really don't count, either, as I didn't exactly mingle with the locals. I did spend four days camping in the Shenandoah Valley, but that's more Appalachian than Southern.

You don't hear much about the Confederate flag controversy anymore, do you? It's still there, and apparently the NAACP has been picketing tourist information centers trying to get folks to not spend money as a sign of protest. Not sure if that's the best route- if I'm already in South Carolina, how am I not going to spend money? Live on the beach and eat grasses and fish I catch with my hands?

In some cases, a partial economic boycott is already in place, given how many of the attractions I'd be likely to go to are already closed for the season. I don't think there's a water park within 30 miles of the place that's still running, and just one amusement park. I may have to settle for conning Sarah into a trip to the Rice Museum.

I suppose if all I get out of the vacation is a week of reading and using the pool I'll be happy. Just have to hope that Tropical Storm Isodore hangs out in the Gulf of Mexico. Weather is supposed to be sort of iffy anyway, but I don't know if I want my vacation extended because we're in a federally-designated disaster area.

Now that you're back, some election news.

Almost everyone I remember voting for yesterday lost. The lone winner that I can recall was for state rep. Apparently, folks didn't believe there was a doctor who'd make House calls (I'm sorry).

I just hope the general election is more entertaining than the primary.

Speaking of voting, I've now heard "A Moment Like This," the first single from American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson something like 3 of the last 5 days I've eaten lunch in the dining hall here. I have to hope that she gets better material very, very soon. Then again, if this article is any indication, she'll be singing whatever Simon Fuller wants her to sing until she's performing with Steve and Eyde's jar-encased heads.

I don't go to many concerts. The ones I have seen, though, have generally turned out very well. Which makes me think I should go to more, except that I'm bound to get suckered into a crapfest sooner or later. I'd rather it be later; this unfortunate vision of me taking an as-yet unborn daughter and her friends to some teeny-bopper show is coming to mind.

Anyway, my streak of good shows continued last night when Sarah and I wandered down to the FleetBoston Pavilion (originally and much more euphoniously known as HarborLights) to see Ash and Coldplay.

Didn't know much about Ash other than Jon Couture listens to them and likes them. And they were fine, kind of a poppy-punk sort of deal. My hearing, sadly, isn't what it used to be (assuming it ever was what it used to be), so I had a hard time picking out lyrics. Still, they were fun and pretty energetic, especially in front of a crowd who, judging from reaction, were about as familiar with their music as I am.

Coldplay opened up with the song "Politik" from their new album, A Rush of Blood to the Head. The album apparently marks a new, more complex Coldplay (according to the Boston Globe review of the concert), and was a little different from the few songs I really know of theirs. The review, sadly, seems to focus on the fact that Coldplay isn't U2 and never will be, although the person liked the show just the same.

I will say that the group, or at least the lead singer, seems a little too apologetic. He made apologies 2 or 3 times about various things, including the fact that they aren't as heavy as some other groups. Part of this is linked to their being on tour with Aerosmith at some point in the past, on a bill where they were clearly the "which one of these things is not like the others?" group. He even worked that into the performance of "Trouble," ad-libbing "What's this I see?/An Aerosmith fan chucking stuff at me" to start, and working in a little "Walk this Way" at the end.

He also threw in some of the chorus to "Hot in Herre" in a song later in the show. It was kind of like how BNL incorporates pop hits into their shows, but without the arch irony that can get old.

Funny moment at the end, as a number of people left when they announced they were playing their last song. They apparently didn't think it odd that the group wasn't going to play "In My Place," the first single from the new album. Those that stayed (the vast majority) were treated to the cut in the middle of a three song encore.

I'd go on at more length or detail, but I don't want the Champion of the West to break down sobbing during class.

Your assignment, gentle reader, is to go buy the new Coldplay album and their previous album Parachutes. Now. Go. Shoo! I'll wait.

I love the smell of voting in the moring. It's the smell of a school gym.

It's primary day in Massachusetts, or as it's better known, four more days until another Pats game. Seriously, the word "apathy" may undersell how little people care about today's elections.

And it's not like there aren't contested races. On the Democratic side, there are 5 choices for governor (one who withdrew, so four active), three for lieutenant governor, and four for state treasurer, among others. The GOP has fewer races, but their lieutenant governor's race could change the face of the general election if Mitt Romney's hand-picked number two doesn't win (though she's expected to).

I say the smell of voting is that of a high school gym because the two places I've ever voted in person (Manchester and Wellesley) had their voting location in a school gym. In Manchester it was the elementary school, while in my precinct in Wellesley (and it's odd to think I even have a precinct; Manchester is one big precinct) is at the high school.

We got over there bright and early (polls open at 7 am) due to doctor visits and a concert which prevent voting late. Got to the school just after 7, pulled into the lot, and realized we had no idea where in the high school the voting took place. Common sense dictated a large room such as a gym, but no structure presented itself. So we ducked into the main doors to the school, and proceeded to have a nice tour of Wellesley High School, home of the Raiders.

We saw hallways. We saw the cafeteria. We saw everything but voting machines.

Finally, with almost no help from the snack bar worker we asked directions from, we found the gym and the voting booths all set to go. Hurrah! And, just so I didn't feel like an idiot, there were other, more responsible looking people who were also turned around by the lack of signs.

Anyway, I got to the table and had a little problem given that I was listed under Babson College rather than the school's Forest Street address. That was actually a good thing, as Forest is the boundary between precincts (OK, how many times can I use that word in this entry?). So rather than have to find some school I'd never heard of, we got to stay right where we were.

As I think I mentioned, I'd registered to vote by mail. This worried me, as I feared that some snafu would keep me off the rolls, a fear that proved baseless. Sarah, on the other hand, used the motor-voter option and registered when she updated her licence. She registered last October- and still wasn't on the rolls. According to the poll workers, this is pretty common. Don't know if the Registry of Motor Vehicles is to blame, but as they get a lot of blame to begin with, so might as well put this failure on them, too.

Wellesley, for those of you not familiar with the town, is a whitebread upper middle class suburb of Boston. It's highly Republican, as evidenced by a friend's registering to vote some years ago and being told "Oh, Republican. Just as we like it." For the 20 minutes or so that we were in the polling area, we were also apparently in Bizarro Wellesley, as a good 80 percent of the ballots handed out were Democratic (differing colors for ballots helped in my data gathering). Perhaps the conservatives come in later after their servants all vote early.

Taking my pink Democratic ballot in hand, I wandered over to the booth. The system used here is funny, in that to vote for someone I have to fill in an arrow. Using a magic marker, I filled in the space between the arrow's head and tail. Why this method, other than just straight OCR bubbles, I don't know. All I know it even this unusual system is going to be better than whatever they did in Florida. Speaking of which, when do Jimmy Carter and the UN intervene in Tallahassee?

So who did I vote for? Many people who I didn't know anything about, and a few who I know very little about. And yes, my vote counts as much as a fully informed person's does.

GOVERNOR No one really interested me here. Shannon O'Brien is the front-runner and current state treasurer. My beef with her is that the office of treasurer is, in my mind, synonymous with graft and corruption. Bill Crane ran the place like a personal bank, and Joe Malone seemed incapable of keeping his employee's from dipping into the till. O'Brien is apparently cleaner, but the performance of the state retirement fund under her watch is at issue. She also likes to take claim for reigning in the Big Dig, but it's not like the project has returned to fiscal solvency.

Tom Birmingham, state senate president, seems amiable enough. But his campaign has had a hard time putting forth a unqiue message other than him being down with the unions. Doesn't do much for me. Warren Tolman was going to get my vote as the only candidate using the Clean Elections system voters approved a couple years back, but he turned around and used the money to go negative. He paints himself as a reformer, but doesn't seem to know what he wants to reform. He also spent much of his campaign running against state speaker of the house Tom Finneran. Finneran isn't running for governor (not that he needs to, given how he's shaped his office into a protected duchy).

So I went with the diminutive Robert Reich, former US labor secretary. Can't say I'm really behind him, but he's at least outside of the Beacon Hill crowd. And Bill Bradley's been stumping for him, so it's a way to channel my latent disappointment at how Bradley's presidential bid panned out.

Sarah, toting a Republican ballot, didn't want to cast for Mitt Romney, heir presumptive, so she wrote in friend and conservative Shawn DeVeau. Laura DeVeau repaid the debt by writing me in for registrar of probate for Norfolk county. Had I known I'd have written myself in, too.

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR For a largely ceremonial position, venture capitalist Chris Gabrieli spent a ton of dough in hopes of getting the nod. Shannon O'Brien has formed an alliance with him (we vote for each separately here in primaries, and perhaps even in general election, though I think that's changed). Both made it easy for me not to vote for him.

Instead I went with John Slattery, the Boston Globe endorsed state rep who has almost no chance given what little he's done to campaign. Polls have about one-third undecided about this race, so perhaps he'll get a groundswell of other people turned off by Gabrieli's spending.

TREASURER Four candidates, two with the last name of Cahill (not related). This led to the entertaining "Tim for Treasurer" campaign theme to distinguish himself from "first on the ballot, first in your hearts" Mike Cahill (he actually did use some version of that in an ad).

I eschewed both for Jim Segel, who was endorsed by the Globe, Herald, Patriot-Ledger, almost the entire Massachusetts Congressional delegation, and Suffolk County DA Ralph Martin (who's Republican, if memory serves). His ads started pretty late, but the race is apparenly wide open (because no one cares!), so we'll see.

STATE REP All I knew here was that Alice Peisch was endorsed by the local weekly and her opponent, Dr. Lawrence Kaplan, used the slogan "It's time to put a doctor in the House." Except that the "House" is in fact named the General Court. Stupid slogan + ignorance of local quirkiness = vote for Alice.

There was other stuff on the ballot, too, even some contested races for county offices. Don't know who I voted for and can't say I really care.

One other interesting race today is the Democratic primary for Suffolk County DA. Brian Honan, a former Boston city counselor, is expected to bring a good showing, and perhaps even win, even though he died of complications from surgery. He was well liked by colleagues and citizens alike, and most are seeing a vote for him as a fitting final tribute.

Apparently, I missed the strangest thing to come out of football this weekend. It wasn't any team record or individual performance. It was the NFL saying that Peyton Manning couldn't honor Johnny Unitas by wearing high-top black cleats in the Colts game against the Dolphins.

Anyone who can explain this decision to me without trying to rely on the sanctity of NFL guidelines related to player uniforms gets a cookie.

For an organization that rarely screws up in front of the public, I can't really see what the NFL felt would be the upside to this decision. Avoiding excoriation from Mr. Blackwell?

The NFL, for whatever reason, has a hair across its collective ass where uniforms are concerned. Consider the variety of headbands sported by Jim McMahon and the fines that ensued. In that case, you could perhaps see the league's position, as in a number of cases the headbands said something that ripped the league. But in Manning's case, what's the point? If Peyton had inscribed the number 19 on his regular cleats, would the league have fined him? That's not exactly to code, either.

I'd have like to seen Peyton just wear the damn shoes anyways. Unfortunately, he's one of those quiet, non-confrontational leaders. Consider how this case may have turned out if Bryan Cox had asked to wear the shoes. Explatives would still be bouncing around league headquarters.

Chris Redmond wore black high tops without asking. I'm sure any civic leader in Baltimore worth their salt, from the mayor on down, will have check in hand if the league fines Redmond.

Michael Wilbon theorized that the league, still smarting from Unitas's challenge to the league regarding health care, may have seen this as one last way to get back at him. I'd like to think that no one would be that venal in the face of a legend's passing. And then I remember John Henry Williams and wonder if the NFL's given him a job.

Over on Boston.com I just ran across a picture of workers giving David (the Michaelangelo statue) its first cleaning since 1873.

I can't help but think of all the Antiques Roadshow appraisers who tell folks that their heirloom is now worth only half as much because they cleaned it. Someone tell the Vatican, quick!

What's stranger?

Notre Dame being 3-0 after playing Maryland, Purdue, and Michigan?
Cal- Cal?- being 3-0 at all (even if two of their wins were over Baylor and New Mexico State)?
Boston University being listed on an ESPN crawl as South Carolina State's September 7th opponent- after the beloved Terrier program was cut in 1997?
The St. Louis Rams starting the season 0-2 with losses to the Broncos and Giants?
The Pittsburg Steelers going 0-2 with losses to the Pats and Raiders?
Me picking the Rams and Steelers to meet in the Super Bowl this season? (No, wait, it makes perfect sense that my picks would open the season 0-2)
The Carolina Panthers going 2-0 to open the season by beating the Ravens and Lions?
The San Diego Chargers going 2-0 to open with wins over the Bungles and Texans?

I'm voting for Cal's burst out of the gate, even if they face a four week span where they play, in order, Washington St., Washington, USC, and UCLA. They could still oh-fer the Pac-10 season.

I'm feeling it for UTEP. They're 1-2, with a season-opening win over Cal State Sacramento, but they've lost two straight games by a total of 145-17 to Oklahoma and Kentucky. You can see a rout by the Sooners, but Kentucky? Actually, the Wildcats could be listed in my parade of the strange, as they've gone 3-0 (including their season-opening upset of Louisville). They at least have a reasonable shot at a bowl, as Middle Tennessee State and Vandy should give them five wins. Not sure where their sixth win would come from, though I'm guessing a home game against a swooning South Carolina (1-2) may be their best bet.

Do you have a feeling that Victor Green and Rod Woodson have shared karma? Green, now with the Pats, returned a pick 90 yards for a touchdown. Woodson, former Steeler stalwart, recovered three fumbles in the Raiders win.

Regarding my Sports Night list the other day, the Champion of the West was quick to point out that I had neglected to put in anything from "The Sword of Orion," his choice for best episode. I didn't put the episode on the list because, unlike Major League Baseball, I tried to focus on scenes and moments rather than entire episodes (had I done a top 10 episode list, "The Sword of Orion" would have ranked no lower than 2).

As for not putting any of the scenes from that episode on the list, I think it's one of those things where the whole is greater than the sum of their parts. Not that the parts are bad; the entire end, showing Dan trying to not get a game result to his surprise night out (well, in, I suppose) probably should have made the list. Such is the problem with this show; I could probably identify at least five other worthy moments.

The title of the episode comes from a sailboat that sank during a race that acts as a metaphor for Jeremy's parents, who are divorcing. It's done much better here than in season 2, where Natalie transposes handing a tape over to the police with her having to return Jeremy's stuff after they break up.

The email also contained a link to the "Smoky" script, so here's the dialog I wanted to quote for the number seven entry from my list:

DAN: What were you just doing?
CASEY: Nothing.
DAN: You were flirting with Sally.
CASEY: I wasn't conscious of it.
DAN: Conscious or not, you were doing it.
CASEY: Was Sally flirting with me?
DAN: Yes indeed she was.
CASEY: I missed the whole thing.
DAN: Thank God I got here when I did.
CASEY: I'm not gonna go out with Sally.
DAN: You don't have to go out with her, she was strippin' down right here.
CASEY: We were talking about women's college basketball.
DAN: Casey. Please. I'm not other people.
CASEY: I know.
DAN: And I know I said it was time, but just to be clear, it's not time for that. It's not time to dally with Sally.
CASEY: "To dally with Sally?"
DAN: That was an unfortunate rhyme, but still --
CASEY: What's your problem with Sally?
DAN: Look at her, Casey. I don't think she's of this world.
CASEY: You don't think she's of this world?
DAN: I do not.
CASEY: What world do you think she's of?
DAN: She scares me, Casey. She's too good looking. Nobody's that good looking. I'm not that good looking.
CASEY: You really think she was flirting with me?
DAN: And her beauty comes from a very strange place, have you noticed that?
CASEY: The places her beauty comes from weren't all that strange to me. I can identify almost all of them.
DAN: Don't do it, Casey, she's got an agenda.
CASEY: You think she wants a job on Sports Night?
DAN: No, I think she wants to rule all of Metropolis.
CASEY: You've seen the job she does on West Coast Update. She's a very skilled producer.
DAN: Of course she's skilled, she's Satan's handmaiden!
CASEY: She's not Satan's handmaiden.
DAN: On the entire planet, have you ever seen anyone with eyes like that? She's a Steppford Producer!
CASEY: I say she's a very nice person.
DAN: I say she has no reflection!

Josh Charles gives the last line this great emphasis, like Sally really is a threat to all mankind. Then again, Dan probably does think that.

So you got my moderately deep thoughts on the year since September 11, 2001 the day before the first anniversary. Now you get my reactions to that anniversary the day after. At least I'm not running the orange terror alert across the page.

In the aftermath of doing almost everything wrong, baseball proved it could do something right in the way they marked the day. From the afternoon remembrances to the moment of silence at 9:11 p.m., very nicely done.

What was odd for me, though, was that the Yankee Stadium organist played during the moment of silence, making it sound like your local funeral home. The PA guy also spelled out what was going to happen in the pre-game ceremony in detail, which made it seem like less a memorial and more like color guard practice. Yes, even in times of national sorrow I can find some way to rip on the Bombers.

But I do have to give props for them replacing the creaky "God Bless America" with "America the Beautiful." I also like as a funkier alternate choice "This Land is Your Land," even if it is communist agitprop. As much as I like the "Battle Hymn of the Republic," I'm happy to see it's not been trotted out at ball games.

I became officially overloaded on coverage at 7:02 a.m. After being subjected to close-captioned coverage while working out, I got home to hear Matt Lauer say that at 7:02 a.m. one year ago, Mohammed Atta was somewhere on his path to imfamy (I don't remember where, thankfully). At that point I figured I had the rest of the day off from coverage.

(An aside: Katie Couric looks like hell. Her hair is colored some shade which clashes with her skin tone, and her face is looking a bit slack. Can't tell if it's make-up, lack of sleep, nature taking its course, or too much tanning. I don't judge her from her appearance, though; I've always thought she was a hack.)

I did watch enough of CNN this evening to see Ralph Kershaw's name scroll by. Ralph was from my hometown, Manchester MA. He was on United 175. I didn't know him well, but if there's any part of this thing that gets to me, it's the simple fact that our little jerkwater berg could be affected directly. You never know.

If I have to hear Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA" morning, noon, and night every September 11 from this year forward, the terrorists have won.

Clear Channel let its radio stations play commercial-free. Nice sentiment, but I have to figure it meant KISS-108 (Boston's most strictly programmed Top 40 radio station) played its song list every 35 minutes.

I should have mentioned this much earlier, but take a gander at Bill Biggart's Final Exposures, a photo essay from The Digital Journalist. I used this as the basis of a photo display on campus yesterday (thanks to Dirck Halstead who wrote the article I linked to), which I hope got people thinking.

How many people saw Yahoo's tribute - they greyed out their home page - and thought their monitor was broken?

While flipping around, I did catch about a minute of a ceremony at Battery Park involving representatives from every country that lost someone at the World Trade Center- 91 of them. That's a part of the story that you don't hear much about. The US lost the most, but the attack was an affront to the global community.

The AdCouncil ran a great PSA showing people of all ages and ethnicities saying the same thing: "I am an American." It closed with that motto you see on all the coins: E Pluribus Unum. Out of many, one. Damn straight.

I realize now that I've left off one of my favorite Sports Night bits, the problem with trying to cull out ten of them. Dan is going through writer's block, and Natalie uses glasses of water and an air horn to try to snap him out of it. I swear at one point Peter Krause is giving honest laughter at this.

I know there are some Sports Night fans out there from the various announcements that the show's entire run will wind up on DVD in time for Christmas (Sarah, if I've not asked for it by now, I am asking for it). The show represents several things you don't see on prime time TV nowadays: sharp writing, an ensemble that truly is an ensemble and can act the hell out of any script, and an Aaron Sorkin not hopped up on magic mushrooms. Sadly, it also represented something altogether too prevalent on prime time TV today: idiot network executives whose tunnel vision and need to put every show in a neatly-defined box prevents them from giving a show that studiously avoids such definition the time to develop. Just one sample of Jamie Tarses' attempt to bury ABC.

Anyway, for your diversionary pleasure, my top 11 Sports Night moments:

11. Every shot of New York City that contains the World Trade Center.

10. Jeremy meets a porn star who he later dates. The porn star, played by Paula Marshall, is notable as she is a show killer on par with Ted McGinley (who played Gordon Gage during the show's first season) and Alison La Placa. She's offed Wild Oats, Chicago Sons, Cupid, Snoops, and Cursed. Not that most of those shows needed her help. She's starring in this season's Hidden Hills; be warned.

9. The Passover seder where Dan and Casey patch up their fight and Jeremy admits to Natalie that he's dating a porn star, only to have Natalie tell him how much she misses him. Moving stuff.

8. We learn that Isaac Jaffe missed the "Shot Heard 'Round the World" Bobby Thompson homer that won the Giants the 1951 pennant because he was in the bathroom washing his hands. Imagine being in a place where something will happen that will define something you love forever. And then put yourself in the can when that thing happens. Robert Guillaume did a whale of a job with this.

7. One of the early episodes has Casey flirting with Sally, the West Coast Update producer (I think it's "Smoky," but can't find corroboration). He and Dan then have an exchange about Sally that is phenominal, with Dan ending with "I say she has no reflection!" Just once, I want to be able to say that the way he did about someone.

6. Casey appears on The View and fails to credit the wardrobe people for his clothes. This leads to a dressing down (sorry) by a wardrobe assistant (played by Janel Moloney, better known now as Donna Moss on The West Wing) and an on-air thank you rundown of all the staffers on the show. Which, it took me a few airings to figure out, were actual thanks to staffers on the actual show. Check the credits.

5. After Dan finally makes headway with Rebecca and Casey is rebuffed by Dana, we get this exchange:

Dan: You know, sometimes it's worth it, taking all the pies in the face -- sometimes you come through it feeling good.
Casey: Yes.
Dan: And how was your day?
Casey: Sometimes you just stand there, hip deep in pie.

I have days like that. We all have days like that. I named my fantasy football team Hip Deep in Pie one year in tribute.

4. The episode "Quo Vadimus," where Continental Sports Channel is bought out and the new owner promises to keep Sports Night on the air. In reality, it's the show's last episode. To quote Homer Simpson, "Think about the irony."

3. Natalie, after being sexually assaulted by football player Christian Patrick, runs into him backstage at the show after an interview with him is cancelled. She tells him she's taking out a warrant against him, and ends their encounter by throwing a quote of his back at him: "How much do you love me now?" Timing is indeed everything.

2. Any poker-related moments in "Shoe Money Tonight," from Natalie saying she's got game to the actual cards to Dana's constant repetition of the title phrase.

1. The network tries to take over the show, more or less, by forcing notes (network suggestions for improving the show) on the staff. Sam Donovan, a ratings guru brought in by Isaac, calls the meeting off and leads the suits on a walk through the offices while talking about Cliff Gardner, brother in law of Philo Farnsworth, who invented the television. Sam compares himself to Cliff- he doesn't have the technical know how to put it all together, but he can get one thing done that's crucial to TV success, just as Cliff did when he learned to make glass tubes for this thing called TV. Sam then disses the suits' ability to get the best from people, and lets them know that they took their walk to get to the studio exit.

William H. Macy is ridiculously underrated.

I know, everyone and their brother is either going to write about September 11 tomorrow or studiously avoid doing so altogether. I'm going to split the difference and write a little bit about it today. Tomorrow I'll write something completely unrelated.

I had started to write on the topic, but didn't like what I came up with. Sounded a lot like news analysis by someone only half paying attention, which isn't that far from the truth. Instead, here are some basic conclusions I've made a year out:

Your life probably hasn't changed forever At least not in the way you think it would. We all remember what happened, and we all have our own private set of feelings about it. But given all the "our lives have changes irrevocably and forever" rhetoric in the aftermath, life today is strikingly similar to life on September 10, 2001. I know that's not true for those who lost loved ones, or for military personnel who are roaming around the deserts of Afghanistan as I type this. But for the rank and file American, those without direct loss or sacrifice, outside of travel delays you'd be hard pressed to say how life has changed in an physical or administrative sense rather than an emotional one.

Homeland Defense is a nice idea but almost impossible to implement With calls to federalize airport security, arm pilots, and guard anything that may be a vector of civilian death, at this point it seems like the greatest achievement to date from Tom Ridge's boys is a color-coded threat system. Pilots have a tentative OK to get guns, and moves to improve airport security are halting and of mixed success if the continued smuggling of weapons on to planes by journalists are any indication.

Matt Bruce pointed this out early on after the attacks. We may say we want layer upon layer of security, but when the bill gets passed along to you and me, we're going to be less quick to reach for our wallets. Some people would pay anything for a 24 hour watch on every power plant, reservoir, weigh station, and pipeline in the US. Most wouldn't.

And that's what makes homeland defense such a problem. Real solutions are going to have a huge price tag. We either raise taxes or cut existing programs to cover the cost, neither option being one usually taken with logical understanding by the American electorate.

We've seen the dawning of the infotainment-industrial complex It was coming anyway, but the attacks hastened the blurring of the line between news, entertainment, and how Americans think about and understand critical issues. And now with all the anniversary coverage, we can expect a renewed sense of whatever the networks want us to have a renewed sense about. As trifling as it is, the idea that the winner of American Idol will sing at the DC observances says something about the influence of media and entertainment.

Vague warnings are often worse than no warning at all They've slackened, but vague threat warnings only serve to freak people out again. Then again, if you're the government, keeping people panicked may lead them to support your programs if it means they'll be less freaked out in the future. Reminds me of the X Files episode where Mulder learns that a drug that keeps Americans mildly paranoid is being administered through asthma inhalers.

We'd rather fight an old war than continue a new one I have no doubt that Sadaam Hussein is a nasty piece of work who needs to go. I do doubt that taking up arms against him is the logical next step in fighting terrorism. I would prefer that we work with European and Middle Eastern allies to fight continued support and training of terrorists. Not to mention actually finding out if the Taliban and al Qaeda leadership that we've not caught is actually still alive, or finding out who is running the show if they aren't.

The Boston Globe had an interesting article today about how the Iraq thing is part of a larger policy towards reshaping the Middle East. Creating a more democratic, US-friendly Iraq is supposed to give support to reformers in Iran, get Syria to stop backing Hezbullah, push the Saudis to stop playing both ends towards their own survival, and lead to a resolution of the Palestinian question.

All of this seems incredibly bright eyed and wishful. It reminds me of the glorious, clean future we were all supposed to share thanks to the benefits of nuclear power. As in that case, reality is much less rosy. Simply consider the idea that a pro-US regime in Baghdad may be seen as less of a benign influence but rather the largest example of what's percieved as US bullying in the region. Our already low favorability rating takes a lethal hit.

The best revenge really is living well Bob Simon mused this during a bit on CBS Sunday Morning, and I think I agree. It's not necessarily the same thing, but I think these words from Tennyson sum up where I'd like to think we are collectively:

We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are ---
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

OK, I just saw Todd Peterson shank a 39 yard FG attempt to keep the Pats-Steelers game tied at 7. Just the latest offense in what has not been a very pretty game.

I'm impressed at Pittsburg's resiliency given Kordell's horrific start. I suppose I should have expected that, but that sort of opening is hard to shake. I suppose if the Pats had gone up 14-0 on the two picks that may have happened.

Otherwise, this is kind of a painful game to watch. Lots of penalties, which you'd expect in an opening game, but not one featuring last year's AFC title game participants. No real moments of beauty, though the Pittsburg TD drive showed solid execution. Brady's TD pass to Fauria was well done, too.

Still, I'd have expected better. The Cowboys-Texans game was better paced that this thing.

Today I rip off some others and give my NFL predictions, one game late.

AFC East: Pats, Fins, Jets, Bills Probably no Super Bowl repeat, but the Pats are for real. The off-season saw gains at wideout and tight end, which will only help shake Antowain Smith loose. Throw in a more comfortable Brady in a system that's growing with him, too. Defense is basically unchanged, except for Victor Green coming over from the Jets. Pats have a slightly better than average strength of schedule (13th), which helps.

Rickey Williams helps the Dolphins improve, they'll threaten to win the division. The Jets are overrated- one QB is past prime and the other's not ready, and the defense took some serious hits due to the cap. The Bills will stink, but not as bad as you think. The league's best division.

AFC North: Steelers, Browns, Bengals, Ravens This may be the weakest division. The Steelers could be the pro football equivalent of the Twins; so far ahead of the field that they lose focus. The Browns are getting a lot of hype thanks to the D, but still don't know if Tim Couch is ready (and have almost no running game, William Green or no). Bengals get better but need a real QB desperately. Ravens could finish second in the division, there's not much room from there to last, really. An untested QB and cap problems make them a bit of a mystery.

AFC South: Colts, Titans, Jags, Texans Nod to the Colts for their offensive firepower. Even with their poor defense they should be able to handle divisional foes, two of whom are inept (Texans and Jags) and one who can't score regularly (Titans). If Eddie George can get on track the Titans have a chance, especially if Tony Dungy hamstrings that potent O in Indy. If he makes Marcus Pollard an H-back, you know there's trouble.

AFC West: Raiders, Chiefs, Broncos, Bolts The crapshoot division of the NFL. Oakland's dominance hinges on their aging wideouts keeping it together and their flaky kicker getting back in the game. KC has a shot at the division if Priest Holmes has another year like 2001, Trent Green finds his way, and the receiver corps gels. Denver can get back on top if they can keep a running back healthy (and if Clinton Portis can keep his hands on the ball) and if Brian Griese can snap out of his funk. San Diego is screwed. I go with Oakland as I have more faith in them maintaining than in other teams making the step they need.

WILD CARDS: Miami and Tennessee
AFC Champ: Your guess is as good as mine. No one team stands out. I throw in with the Steelers, though. Randle-El adds an element of surprise, complementing Ward and Burress. The Bus gets more running room, too. The D is potent as ever, and Kris Brown is nowhere in sight.

NFC East: Eagles, Giants, Redskins, Cowboys Eagles are clearly the class of the division, solid on all sides of the ball and adding Antonio Freeman will pay off. Giants are kind of like the Titans, good D but flaky O. Shockey is all the rage, but it's the running game that needs attention. Redskins look improved, but I can't see any of the former Gator QBs getting the job done. Perhaps they need to get Jesse Palmer out of the Meadowlands. The Cowboys will struggle, but be a little better than you think, especially if Antiono Bryant matures and gives whoever is under center the added option.

NFC North: Green Bay, Chicago, Minnesota, Detroit Chicago won't be able to repeat last year. They'll do well, but I don't see them besting the Pack. If they do, it'll be thanks to Favre not getting on track with his completely revamped wideout corps. Chicago's D is better, and it was that D that drove the Bears into the playoffs. If you can beat their D, their O may not be able to catch up. Green Bay has the D to stay in a game and an O, thanks to Favre, that can win it. The Vikings are looking rough but may rebound; they are on the cusp of being the NFC's version of Indy. Lots of offensive weapons but a lackluster D. The Lions, well, they only need to get to the start of the NHL season so they can finish in anonimity.

NFC South: Bucs, Saints, Falcons, Panthers Gruden will get the Bucs going, but I wonder if they have any QB who can fully utilize their skill players. Neither Johnson is a world beater, and Shaun King is clearly the odd man out. Saints have a chance at catching the Bucs if Deuce can replace Rickey and the defense gets over losing Glover and Johnson.

Falcons are basically in an extended pre-season for 2003, but Vick will be a difference maker against weaker opponents. The Panthers, if nothing else, reminded me that Rodney Peete was still in the league.

NFC West: Rams, Niners, Cards, Seahawks Rams continue their track show, no big surprises. Niners looked a little out of sorts in the opener, but I liked their defensive fire. They'll need that for their two games with the Rams. Arizona needs to make or break with Jake the Snake. It's not like they don't have other problems- Thomas Jones not panning out and Pat Tillman quitting to join the Army come to mind- but Plummer's rep is bigger than his performance. Another lackluster year could be the end of him with the Cards. The Seahawks, meanwhile, could change leagues with the BC Lions and I don't think people would notice.

WILD CARDS: Chicago, San Francisco
NFC Champ: Everyone's cruising for the Rams-Eagles rematch. I'm going with the Rams in another squeaker.

SUPER BOWL CHAMPS: Steelers win when Stewart, Ward, and Randle-El all wind up in the backfield to run a double reverse option to Tommy Maddox, who is out in the slot. Mike Martz shoots blood from his ears, while Kurt Warner starts to inquire where he can get that Jobu doll from Major League.

Quick hits today.

Kelly wins American Idol Leaving an entire nation to wonder: all this hoopla and her first single is going to be that song?

If you've not heard "A Moment Like This," you will. Soon. Too soon. Diane Warren may be off the hook, at least until the next Oscars.

The final show was two hours long and contained more fill than Love Canal (and was slightly less toxic). More importantly than announcing the winner, the final show marked the time where we could finally assign Ryan Seacrest and Brian Dunkleman to the dustbin of history. I look forward to seeing them on late night TV hawking Son of Paint Stick.

NBAers lose to Argentines This would be a real story if the US team at the Worlds included Shaq, Kobe, Iverson, Vince Carter, Jordan, Ray Allen, Jason Kidd, Kevin Garnett, Steve Francis, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Gary Payton, Wally Szczerbiak, or Chris Webber. Not that the US has a bad team, but most of the players lack the experience and maturity that's so helpful in international play.

I still expect the US to win gold.

Shakira Charo for the new millenium?

I suppose I root for Minnesota I'm not writing off the Sox just yet, even with Pedro's groin problem, but they're 8.5 back in the East, 6.5 back in the wild card race. Numbers which give me some impetus to choose my baseball post-season rooting interest. Went with the A's last year, and that almost worked. I tend to not go NL, with some exceptions (1998 I rooted for a Sox-Cubs series, but picked up the Padres when that went bust). No one in the NL really interests me this year (unless Jimy can get Houston in somehow), so I'll stick with the AL.

Oakland would be the trendy pick, but I'll go with the Twins for sticking it to the man purposes. I am Mariners-curious, and could root for them. The Angels? Nah.

Interesting thing about '98 Looking over the Sox-Indians divisional series, all the runs in Game 4 came from home runs. Nomaaaaahhhhhhh had a 3 run job, while the Tribe had four solo shots- Thome, Lofton, and two from Manny Ramirez.

England update Got our plane tickets. We're sitting in rows 56 and 61 for the flights. I didn't know there were planes that had that many rows. OK, I did, but damn.

Still trying to figure out what to see when we're over there. Sarah's aunt Joyce and uncle Chris are staying with us currently, and they aren't making it any easier. I hadn't even considered places local to them in Wales. I'd mused earlier about going to Normandy to see D-Day stuff, but that may have to wait for another trip.

London is in, of course, but after that...

While on the subject of embarrasing personal revelations vis a vis entertainment, I heard "The Things We Do for Love" by 10cc at lunch, and really dug it. Not like it's the best song in the world, but more that I'd not heard it in a really long time and was pleasantly surprised by it.

I'll also mention that, based on weekend radio listening, that "That's Why They Call it the Blues" may be my favorite Elton John song. Make of that what you will, either from the song or that I may have a Sir Elton fave.

You've probably seen by now that Sarah Michelle Gellar married Freddie Prinze, Jr. over the weekend. Kind of a sad note for me as, I have to admit, I had a little thing for Ms. Gellar (or is it Mrs. Prinze? Mrs. Gellar-Prinze?) at one time. This was part of a time where I'd also claimed that I wanted to marry Jennifer Lopez (a claim made after seeing Out of Sight and before she started up with Puffy and the singing) and had an "I feel dirty" sort of thing with Katie Holmes (given her age and high school vibe from Dawson's Creek).

For those of you for which all this is news please note that I didn't stalk, send letters, hunt for email or other addresses or post obsessively in chat rooms. I did hang out in the Usnet group for the Buffy TV show for a while, but that was really more interest based than personality based (and God knows there were plenty of obsessive types there already).

The nuptuals are also a little sad given that the new Mr. Gellar (or is that Mr. Prinze-Gellar?) is such a hack. Summer Catch? Down to You? Head Over Heels? The only screen credit he has that doesn't scream mediocrity is The House of Yes. I've not seen Scooby Doo to judge there, but from what I've heard and read Prinze was a very bland Fred. Which may actually mean he was spot on, given that Fred seemed to be along because he had the keys to the Mystery Machine.

I suppose I shouldn't begrudge him his niche, though.

Anyway, mazel tov to the newlyweds.