"Mention to New England fans that Patriots are like the Yankees of the NFL. (or at least they were prior to this year) They get so worked up shooting down the comparison....certainly worth a laugh."

I don't know why anyone would get worked up over that, it is the silliest comparison I've heard in quite a while. I have no special love for the Pats, I'm a Packers fan, but the Yankees have won around 1/4 of all the World Series ever played. The Pats have won a couple Superbowls and haven't even been around all that long in NFL history.

One reason the Yankees are hated is because they spend so much on players. The Pats aren't really hated by many people other than Jets fans (like my brother) and thanks to the NFL structure, they don't outspend other people like the Yankees do.

The Yankees and their fans expect to win. Playoff berths are their right (in their eyes). Pats fans think they have a good team and should go to the playoffs again. They're confident, but they spent a long time in Jets-like or even Red Sox-like suffering. Unlike Sox fans (and I know they overlap), they haven't become as entitled-sounding or as arrogant. At least not the ones I hear and I live in the NE and visit MA often.

So I suppose there is something worth a laugh in there, you making the comparison.

While I grew up listening to the music of the 30s and 40s, I didn't start listening to Rock beyond the Beatles until I hit junior high school. At that point I discovered the brand new MTV. I found many new bands, but never lost my love for what I'd been listening to before that. Ever since I've continued to find new bands, new sounds and continue to be open to more. The stuff I found in my teens? Some I still like, some doesn't hold up.

There was a decent story on this on NPR not long ago that didn't make the sweeping claims this article does, but I blame that on Farhad. He's the least talented writer on Salon, so I expect him to pull out the hyperbole every chance he gets. Not everyone's briain works the same and the NPR article suggested it was something like 90% of people stay fixed on the music they know by 35. That's much different from "What you love as a teen is IT!" (paraphrasing here)

The story on NPR also didn't get into it being a "critical step in evolution", just gave as an explanation that by the time we hit our mid 30s, we're established and see new things as either threatening or as indicators that we're about to be supplanted. They also stated that it isn't just music, it is trying new food, new forms of self expression, etc.

While the research reported on NPR could use a larger survey sample and corroborating follow up studies, the basics were sound.

So then, I'm guessing you're not voting for anyone in the upcoming election. Unless you're somehow going to pretend Schwarzenegger has never lied.

Yes, I understand the prison system in California has some special meaning for you that I've never seen you explain, but has the current governor done anything to improve the situation in your single issue cause? Evidently not or you'd be happy now. Try looking beyond this one note and see who'd stand a better chance of impoving CA, including the prison system. You'll probably end up back in the D column.

DirectTV, as I'm sure you saw in one of the interminable commercials, has a program that shows every play of an NFL game in just 1/2 hour. Unfortunately, it is only available to those with Direct TV, just like being able to see any game you want on game day. I found it quite annoying that Direct TV kept telling us that the only way to really enjoy the NFL was through a service that should be available to the general public on multiple platofrms, but thanks to a special deal you can only get it through them.

It seems to me to be the least savvy deal the NFL has made in recent years. You'd think they'd want to expand the fan base by ensuring that anyone who wants to see a game, can. Instead you have to get Direct TV and not everyone can get that. People in apartments, people who don't have a good southerly view, people who live in rediculous communities that ban satellite dishes because every house must look the same, etc...

Even though they took a beating yesterday, I'd have preferred to watch the Packers game instead of the Cowboys game that was shown locally. Even if I had Direct TV, I'd have had to shell out an additional large sum on top of the price just for the basic tv to get all the NFL games.

I'm guessing the NFL has the exclusive offer in part because networks don't want to be undercut and because local teams are worried people will watch a non-local game, but you'd think the NFL, which sees so much else about creating a good, accessible product, would get this one right.

He's been walking all over the Constitution and American rights and freedoms. It is only natural for him to start walking on the symbol too.

So how do these people have more power than a governor that was wildly popular when he was elected? Other than a soundbite, what did Arnold do? Did he throw his then considerable weight behind his statement?

And if you'd provide links to those two quotes you offer up, I'd appreciate it. The second doesn't sound more like paraphrasing than an actual quote.