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OK, so most of us have seen the finale to The Sopranos, and a lot of folks are non-plussed, to say the least.

Count my bride in that group.

Me: not so much. I thought that the ending was typical of the show through its entirety: the last scene opened with the tune, “All That You Dream” by Little Feat. Tony then scrolls through the old-fashioned table-top juke to play Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing,” all the while watching the door every time the bell rings announcing a new entry — as if to watch for the next guy determined to whack him.

Chase is asking you to believe two things: that Tony’s life is crap, even though he is wealthy and has a reasonably semi-functional family (regardless of his shortcomings), and that he still fears for his life, even though that sense might be heightened by his recent contract survival.

The tension is still there: things are still tenuous, at best; you are left to decide.

And I’m still thinking about that dumb cat. Paulie wants to whack him; I think he represents Chris in his best karma… but who am I?

~~~~~

In other thoughts…

I have a hard time understanding how all of these folks out there have absolutely no knowledge of what their computer is and what it can do — and then call to see if they can upgrade it.

One hint: you will be best served if you have all of the original paperwork with you when you call to find out if your previously-upgraded, Windows 98, Pentium II, 250Mhz can run Windows Vista. Good luck.

I can’t believe how many calls I get for this…

~~~~~

I also can’t believe that the PeeDee would actually try to drive “The Sweep” drivel across to Cleveland sports fans. It was too much over the top, if you ask me.

Why?

Simple: “The Sweep” already happened — in 1954: the Indians had the best-ever record in the Major Leagues, winning 111 games while losing a mere 43, and were swept in the World Series by the New York Giants.

Nobody expected the Giants to win more than one game.

Similarly, the Las Vegas line had the Spurs winning 4 games to 1; the odds that the Cavs would win more than one game were set at 100 to 1 at the onset of the NBA Finals.

With “The Drive,” “The Fumble,” and “The Sweep (1954),” each Cleveland team was not only in the thick of things — they were expected to win — or they were winning when the event happened.

It’s not a matter of luck.

Obviously, this year, the Cavs were never in it (the NBA Finals) in the first place; how could anyone, in their right mind, even expect the Cavs to do it all this year — their first year in — against one of the game’s best-ever teams?

They had no chance, and most folks knew it right from the get-go. (Personally, I think the Cavs blew their emotional toast with the Detroit series.)

So the PeeDee was way off in their coverage. Play it up, sure… but what they did was too much over the top.

Don’t get me wrong, here: the Cavs are there to stay — they’re a great team — and that much is sure; they will be back to challenge for the NBA Title again — and again, so long as LeBron keeps wearing the Wine & Gold.

I still think they need a point guard, though.

~~~~~

Another thing that’s on my mind tonight is — again — Cleveland drivers.

Most of the people in Cleveland, evidently, get their driver’s licenses in Cracker-Jack boxes.

They can’t stay in their lanes, can’t drive more than 5 MPH below the speed limit, and insist on blocking your way when they want to get somewhere — even if they have no pressing need to get to where they want to go.

Turn signals are useless; they mean nothing. The mere fact that they are standard, government-required equipment on all cars in the US these days doesn’t mean that drivers *have* to use them — even if it’s the law.

One other thing: you can bet your life savings that if the guy in front of you has ears that stick out wider than the brim of his hat, then you ain’t getting nowhere — anywhere — soon.

Count on it.

~~~~~

OK, maybe I’m being a little impatient: 10 days without a cigarette will do that to you, ya know?

~~~~~

And… lastly…

I think that the architect/engineer that redesigned the Shoregate parking lot, around Get-Go and AmTrust Bank, should be shot, at the stake, with no last cigarette rights (no public smoking these days, remember?).

That place is now impossible to navigate safely, even at slow speeds…

~~~~~

With all of this, you have to wonder how humanity got this far…

;-)

2 Comments

• by Derek 28 Aug 2007 at 4:14 am

  

  So true about Cleveland drivers. I have two main pet peeves when it comes to driving. One: I totally agree with you about turn signals. I hate when people don’t signal to change lanes. If someone changes into the lane in front of me without utilizing their turn signal, I speed either turn my signal on behind them and leave it on for a while, or cut in front of them and leave it on for a while. Two: People who don’t have their headlights on when driving at night. This is happening more and more often I notice. I saw someone driving without their headlights on while speeding down Pearl Road in Parma a few weeks ago (doing 40+ mph in a 25 mph zone where there are ALWAYS cops… duh!) and so I did the flash the headlights thing and beeped and made a flashy hand gesture outside the car window at them and then yelled, “YOUR LIGHTS!” as they sped past in the other direction. The guy, who was likely drunk off his rocker, actually flipped me off and then turned around and started following me in an obvious fit of drunken road rage. The hell? I’m doing my civil duty to make his life better and to possibly save someone’s life (let alone lave them from an obvious and expensive DUI) and he wants to stalk and hurt me? Again, the hell?

• by Derek 28 Aug 2007 at 4:15 am

  

  Oh, and he still never turned his lights on!