Is the marijuana plant technically a vegetable? 'Cause, well, cookies...

They need a glaucoma muppet. That way they can introduce pot use, as it's strictly medicinal.

Kate, something I've done for weddings, wedding showers, graduation gifts is different things from this basic concept (boy, I'm wordy today!). Buy a bucket and fill it with cleaning supplies. Or, buy laundry basket and fill it with detergent, fabric softener, towels, etc. Those are things that everyone needs, and it can be a fairly inexpensive gift.

Yeah, Nationals does sound like the kind of name chosen because nobody hated it, as opposed to anyone liking it.

It was also a traditional nickname for the Senators. They were often referred to as the Nationals or Nats in the forties and fifties.

Whereas, last night's game was on Channel 14 broadcast in Boston, as well as ESPN2, while the cable channel NESN did everything but re-enact the play by play, in absence of having the actual game.

Really? It was blacked out on ESPN2 here, but we got the NESN broadcast. Unless Cox stuck the local channel into NESN's slot for the night.

My league awareness has been kinda poor -- the only person I can name on the D-Rays is Carl Crawford.

Only one I remember is Alex Sanchez, and that's just because he was suspended for 'roids this morning.

Sanchez has got to be the dumbest player in baseball.

Matt, they explained while they were sewing him up that a bitten member doesn't have clean edges for reattachment and that the digestive juices had already gone to work on it.

They're taking fun away from kids! Soon they won't be allowed to spin around until they get dizzy and fall down.

Which really sounds gross to me now.

Now I want cookies. Will have tea, but I desire cookies.

Teppy, I'm a born and bred Hoosier. But I've heard of the outdoor theatre drama of Bluejacket--so that may have been their desire to make the mascot unique to Ohio. *shrug* but yeah, bug??? NSM. I'm still bitter because the bush league team, the Chill had a GREAT name and offered it to them free. But no, then people wouldn't be lined up to buy new merchandise. Feh.

People are turning out in huge numbers for junior hockey up here. It's a sickness.

It's been great for Ohio State Hockey, too. But they tried to get another bush league team going here and it folded before half the season was up. I don't think they were very financially sound.

I don't have the link, but Cookie Monster is going health food. The PTBs have decided that he needs to eat more veggies to be a good role model.

Fucking hell.

The other strategy I like for low-cost gifts is to go with teh wacky. Like, really bizarre, funny napkin holders (with napkins in) or actual glass swirly straws or something similar. So, sort of wedding-like "household" stuff, but also household stuff nobody would ever think of but you.

(The exception might be the wall to wall local coverage when the Red Sox won the world series.)

And that almost managed not to be a political thing! Almost.

My loathing of all-news-item, alla-time stated, however, I watched the PBS Frontline special on the Pope, and it was really interesting. Uninvoled as I am in Catholic politics of any kind, I really enjoyed the basic biographical/philosophical/political survey I got out of it. Also, talking heads were not just Pope Pope Pope, but sometimes talking about their own experiences (Germaine Greer was a highlight).

I just got a friend an engraved frame on RedEnvelope for her shower. It's silver, it's classy, and it was only $40. You can put their names on one line, and the wedding date beneath. That might work for you.

Hmm, that's a good idea. Actually, along those lines, there's a chichi store in Northampton that sells picture frames and other home decorating things from around the world, so maybe I should check them out and see if I can find something good there. Thanks!

Buy a bucket and fill it with cleaning supplies. Or, buy laundry basket and fill it with detergent, fabric softener, towels, etc. Those are things that everyone needs, and it can be a fairly inexpensive gift.

Oh, that's good too. Thanks for the ideas!

What's a good, fairly cheap, but not careless gift?

I got Hec and JZ a nearly complete run of Bone. You can't go wrong with comic books.

Do you have (or can you get) a picture of the Happy Couple? Put that in a nice frame, and bob's your uncle.

I came into work today to find that my boss took the day off. I could do some filing, but I just have no interest.

Cereal:

Really? It was blacked out on ESPN2 here, but we got the NESN broadcast. Unless Cox stuck the local channel into NESN's slot for the night

You're technically out of the local market, so you get NESN. They did mention their own blackout for the direct Boston area. (I have a friend who travels for a living, and in the afternoon she was suddenly like, is Burlington, NH part of the Boston market? Will my hotel have good enough cable to have NESN or ESPN2 or both? Aieee!)

Yes, yes, fewer than 80 miles, and not "local". Welcome to New England.