PENNSYLVANIA: Land of Milk, Honey

I knew something was different today. Just knew it. It was something airborne, I think. It floated with me all day and made my steps lighter. It resounded gently in my ears, like a church bell ringing on the hour (Ch-ching, ch-ching). What was the source of my hope? The promise of free money. Money flowing freely. Freely flowing from the pockets of these fools into the pockets of those fools.

It's for the schools, of course. And the aged, too, who apparently are now also impregnated with purpose:

These are people who lead very gray lives. They don't see their sons and daughters very much. They don't have much social interaction. There's not a whole lot of good things that happen in their month. But if you put them on the bus they're excited. They're happy. They have fun. They see bright lights. They hear music. They pull that slot machine and with each pull they think they have a chance to win. ... It's unbelievable what brightness and cheer it brings to older Pennsylvanians.

*cue "Beautiful Day"*

Mark Cuban and I have something in common:

We both wish we owned the Penguins.

Quote of the Day

Following Wednesday's loss to the Penguins, Los Angeles Kings center Michael Cammalleri was asked about his team's preparations for the game, and said, "We had to be ready because we knew none of those guys were out in the bars [Tuesday] night. They aren't old enough to get in."

The next time you think to yourself...

..."you know, Russ cares too much about sports," kindly remember this:

I declined two free tickets to Steelers-Broncos this afternoon because Ali and I have a Sunday afternoon date with Michael Apted's 49 UP and Thai or Ethiopian food afterward. And that 2-5 record had-- seriously-- nothing to do with it.