Tom McMahon

CBS Sportsline: "McNabb is still a good player, despite his pedestrian numbers from the first two games. He's just not a great one. And that's why he earns the Most Overrated Player Award."

Sports Illustrated: "What distinction does Donovan McNabb deserve these days? Answer: Would you believe the league's most overrated player label?" 

UK Telegraph: "The unrelenting, daily racial categorisation of people by the government is one of the most divisive forces in American society. It is constantly emphasising our minor differences, in opposition to our better instincts that tell us to seek our common interests and common values." 

The Monsters Stained Glass Coloring Book, from this week's Dover Sampler. 

"Strange optical processes (frequency doubling, holographic effects) occur when intense laser light interacts with certain organic and inorganic compounds;these effects are generically referred to as nonlinear optical phenomena. Many of these unusual phenomena are tremendously important in emerging high-technology areas such as erasable optical information storage, optical computing, and optical communication. By synthesizing and studying new compounds, we seek to 1) understand the molecular and bulk properties that govern nonlinear optical response, and 2) develop more efficient nonlinear optical materials. Research in this area involves elements of molecular design, synthesis, molecular orbital calculations, laser spectroscopy, and materials chemistry."

My Cousin Bob is pretty smart, don't ya think? 

Another classic record album from the folks at Incorrect Music. Ed was mighty young back then. 

"Take heart amid the deepening gloom that your dog is finally getting enough cheese; and reflect that whatever misfortune may be your lot, it could only be worse in Milwaukee."

Deteriorata, via the J-Walk Blog 

LDSplanet.com I never thought about it, but hey, why not? 

. . . from right here.  

Picture yourself lost in the galaxy...UFO sightings and Alien Abductions are on the rise...Will you return to tell the story? In case of alien abduction these dog tags may save your life. The crucial data an alien will need to get you back to Earth is die stamped into these dog tags.

Not one of those fly-by-night deals, but comes with a Money-Back Guarantee: Should you ever be abducted by aliens while wearing Location Earth Dog Tags and not returned safely to Earth, you will be entitled to a full refund of the purchase price. (via dribbleglass) 

From Weird Wisconsin: "A beautiful blond undresses and steps into the shower, only to be attacked a few moments later by a man in woman's clothing, who stabs her to death.....

Sound familiar? Of course it does. It's a part of the plot from Alfred Hitchcock's chilling film called PSYCHO. In real life though, the killer's name was not Norman Bates, but Edward Gein." 

Chicago Tribune: "The selection of Danica McKellar for the lead in the just-opened West Coast production of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play 'Proof' must be the most perfect type-casting in the history of the American theater. Authored by University of Chicago alum David Auburn, "Proof" is about a neurotic and brilliant young woman named Catherine, who claims to have written an extraordinarily complicated and important mathematical "proof" that was found among the belongings of her late and loony U. of C. mathematical genius father. Not only does everyone doubt her claim; her elder sister sees it as evidence that Catherine belongs on a funny farm herself.

McKellar herself actually is a genuine math whiz and she actually did once author such a mathematical proof, graduating summa cum laude from UCLA in 1998 with a degree in analytical math. The proof she had to complete was all about "Percolation and Gibb's-states multiplicity for ferromagnetic Ashkin-Teller models in two dimensions." "We worked tirelessly," she said. "You experiment with things. You try different techniques. You try to get at the problem from different angles. The scary part about working on an original proof is that you don't know if the thing is provable. The theorem eventually did turn out to be true, thank goodness," she said. "The experience of proving it was amazing. It was so intense. There was no room for any other thought, any other subject during that time."

The charming McKellar is perhaps best known as teen throb Winnie Cooper on "The Wonder Years" -- and, now, as the dryly witty White House speechwriter Elsie Snuffin on "The West Wing." (Thanks, Tim!) 

"The key to a good college-application diversity essay is drama. One of the best approaches is to compose a story that captures the moment at which one of the deep truths of "diversity" crystallized for you. There are three such diversity deep truths (DDTs), and you can choose the one best suits your taste: (DDT 1) the reality of prejudice in American life, (DDT 2) the sheer thrill of encountering cultural difference, and (DDT 3) pride in one's own diversity. In each case, to bring the dramatic element into focus, you will need to introduce characters other than yourself. This will show that you realize that "diversity" is about the broader community and not just adolescent self. The story, however, will vary a bit depending on which DDT you chose as your theme." 

More from Mr Breakfast Check out the ingredient list:

• 1 lb. frozen tater tots


• 1/2 lb. diced ham


• 1/2 cup chopped onion


• 1/2 cup green pepper diced


• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar


• 6 eggs


• 1/2 cup milk

If this kind of cookin' is right up your alley, then you also might want to check out the recipe for their Back Woods Breakfast Pie . Mmmmm, good eatin'! 

"Kids will beat a path to the breakfast table when you use this unique Sylvester Waffle Iron. His animated face is featured in 3D on the outside of this Waffle Maker (with the indicator light right on the tip of his nose), as if he is waiting for the perfect moment to pounce on a crispy Tweety Waffle from the inside. Indicator light goes on when waffles are ready to serve. Waffle maker is thermostatically controlled for even heating and browning. Nonstick coating provides easy release and makes clean up a snap. Comes with a fully illustrated recipe book" 

Mr. Breakfast: "Gruel is basically a thin porridge or soup. The main forms of gruel include rice gruel, flour gruel and millet gruel. Other base ingredients you can boil include breadcrumbs or ground crackers. You can best understand it by making it for yourself. Here's a simple recipe for flour gruel:

2 teaspoons of flour
1 teaspoon of salt

Boil one cup water. Separately, drip water on flour and salt until it makes a paste. Add the paste to the boiling water. Stir to a semi-fluid consistency. Strain to eliminate film. Serve warm. Did orphans really eat it? You bet they did. " (via eclectica) 

The Grover Cleveland Campaign Playing Card Deck of 1888: This deck of playing cards was reproduced from a deck of 1888 campaign playing cards exhibited in the Smithsonian Institution's Museum of History and Technology. 

Lizzie Andrew Borden Museum Gift Shop: "Now for the first time you can own a "Lizzie Borden -- Did She or Didn't She?" bumper sticker. These high quality bumper stickers are made from the finest synthetic (polypropylene or polyester) materials. The color pigments are heat-fused onto the material. This makes the image resistant to weather, carwashes, etc. The stickers are flexible and easy to apply. " 

Mindzine: "One theory suggests that the game had been played on Noah's Ark during the 40 days and nights of rain. This theory would suggest that the game would date back to around 2350 BC. And where would the history of a Chinese game be without a suggestion that Confucius the great Chinese philosopher (500 BC) had developed the game?" 

Ten Commandments Card Game: "Do you want your children to really learn the Ten Commandments---not simply memorize them? Here are 100 questions and answers to help kids gain a deeper understanding of biblical principles. Some questions are specific, while others require thoughtful consideration of God's laws: "John cared about money more than anything else. What commandment did he break?" Fun for all ages!" 

The Soda Museum: This area is a collection of historical information about soda, and soda collecting. Learn about the history of Coke and Pepsi, find out their "secret" recipes, and much more.  

Hohner: "This has turned out to be a real gem. With a length of only 68mm, the Double Puck is the smallest mass produced double-sided harmonica ever made. It is tuned to the keys of C and G, permitting many well-known tunes to be played with a sound which is simply unbelievable for its size. The excellent workmanship is underlined by the high-quality gold-plated cover plates and unique oval case." 

A restless gorilla broke out of its zoo enclosure Sunday injuring a 2-year-old and a teenager before it was sedated and recaptured almost two hours later. The gorilla injured the young girl and an 18-year-old woman almost immediately after escaping. A witness told police she later saw the gorilla sitting at a bus stop on a street near the zoo. 

Cardinal Jaime Sin, an outspoken cleric who helped topple Philippine leaders but alienated some of the faithful with frequent forays into politics, is retiring at 75 with the Vatican's blessing. 

Business Week Online: "In business, there is big, and there is Wal-Mart. With $245 billion in revenues in 2002, Wal-Mart Stores (WMT ) Inc. is the world's largest company. It is three times the size of the No. 2 retailer, France's Carrefour. Every week, 138 million shoppers visit Wal-Mart's 4,750 stores; last year, 82% of American households made at least one purchase at Wal-Mart. 'There's nothing like Wal-Mart,' says Ira Kalish, global director of Deloitte Research. 'They are so much bigger than any retailer has ever been that it's not possible to compare.' " 

Oregonlive.com: "Demons chased Stanley Fafara from Hollywood to Portland, tormenting him while he spiraled into a hand-to-mouth existence on the street. Over time, he lost everything -- family, money, dignity -- to heroin, pills and booze. But friends said that Fafara -- a child actor who had a continuing role as 'Whitey' on the 'Leave It to Beaver' television show -- was at peace with himself Saturday when he died. " (thanks, Tim!) 

"For nearly 90 years, The New Republic has provided its readers with an intelligent and rigorous examination of American politics, foreign policy, and culture. Today, we're proud to offer a faster, easier, and more economical way to enjoy the magazine-TNR Digital." 

Bobble Dobbles: "Made of durable, cold-cast ceramic that denotes quality. The best in hand-crafted, hand-painted personalities." 

African Treasures "We feature tongue drums created by Michael Thiele of Hardwood Music Company. These are the finest tongue drums available. Each drum is hand made by a master craftsman and drummer here in America. The drums are inherently harmonic and melodic, so they require no particular skill to play. Wonderful soothing sounds - easy to play - and affordably priced. Made from Padauk wood brought over from Africa, these drums look and sound spectacular. You will find no finer tongue drums anywhere. " 

Michael S. Berliner, Ph.D.: "Columbus Day approaches, but to the “politically correct” this is no cause for celebration. On the contrary, they view the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492 as an occasion to be mourned. They have mourned, they have attacked, and they have intimidated schools across the country into replacing Columbus Day celebrations with “ethnic diversity” days.

The politically correct view is that Columbus did not discover America, because people had lived here for thousands of years. Worse yet, it’s claimed, the main legacy of Columbus is death and destruction. Columbus is routinely vilified as a symbol of slavery and genocide, and the celebration of his arrival likened to a celebration of hitler and the holocaust. The attacks on Columbus are ominous, because the actual target is Western civilization." 

A fun Flash Animation. (via Tim McMahon) 

Forbes.com: "One thing history teaches, over and over again, is that there are no shortcuts. Human societies advance the hard way; there is no alternative. Communism promised Utopia on Earth. After three-quarters of a century of unparalleled sufferings, the Soviet Union collapsed in privation and misery, leaving massive Russia with an economy no bigger than tiny Holland's. We are now watching the spectacle of another experiment in hedonism, the European Union, as it learns the grim facts of life.

The EU is built on a fantasy--that men and women can do less and less work, have longer and longer holidays and retire at an earlier age, while having their income, in real terms, and their standard of living increase. And this miracle is to be brought about by the enlightened bureaucratic regulation of every aspect of life."