You know, if Hallmark is going to keep pushing these holidays on us, can't they make it a little easier to get a card? It used to be that there was a card for everything, now I'm not so sure. I'm looking for a happy father-in-law card, obviously for my father-in-law and mind you I'm actually looking an entire week before the day so the selection should be pretty good . After scouring the store, I can only find one specifically for a father-in-law, and it has flowers on the front and a love poem on the inside. Love, flowers and father-in-law on the same card?!? Clearly not happening...mother-in-law, maybe those things mix, but father-in-law, no. I just want a plain and simple card, is that too much to ask?

People never cease to amaze me with their insensitivity and outright rudeness. A friend of mine has a Hummer, which really isn't that unusual. The other day while picking up her kids at daycare, she was accosted by another parent about owning such a vehicle. Environment this, waste of fuel that, etc. The tirade included some colorful language - right in front of her two young kids. Sad the depths that some people will stoop to for no reason.

Finally got a pair of speaker stands for my home theater system, of course, my DVD player needs fixing so I can't test them out.

Speaking of which, does anyone fix anything anymore? I know that DVD players have dropped tremendously in price, and I'm not really attached to the old one...even the person I finally found to take a look at it told me I'd be better off just buying a new one....and I did. $198 to fix the old one, I don't think so.

Anyone else getting clipped by the latest in door to door salesmanship? College kid comes to your door spouting off about being in some contest to sell the most <insert something here>. I'm a sucker for this type of thing, but I gotta tell you, when the cheapest thing on the list is $50, that's where I draw the line. Am I ever glad that you have three business days to cancel these things. I mean, whatever happened to selling things that cost in the $5 - $10 range?

Memo to you guys out there, not a good idea to proclaim "My boys can swim!" when to your female partner gives you the news. You'd have thought I learned remembered this from the first time.

Not that anyone really cared about the USA Basketball team's pre-olympics tour, but how about the camera folks not caring either. Was watching the USA/Germany game and there was no video feed on the winning basket!?!!

How about this one, I bet you didn't realize that "safety standards" have changed in the two years since I bought my baby travel system. How do I know? I went to buy another car seat base for the bucket and all the sizes have changed. Ya, safety standards my ars. As if baby items didn't cost enough money!

Anyone else see this, a shrewd bear beer afficianato: http://www.boston.com/news/odd/articles/2004/08/18/bear_drinks_36_cans_of_favorite_beer_1092830872/ He must've been on spring break.

From the email: "I'm an avid reader of yours and appreciate all of your bathroom help. I've got a question I know you can answer: Can you advise me on the etiquette of the person whistling a Beatles tune in the stall next to you? It was a bit disconcerting to me. I just couldn't go." I don't know why I'm a magnet for questions like this, but I'm more than happy to help out. Whistling by rule is a no-no in the men's room, however, if the tune is "Hard Day's Night", "We Can Work it Out" or something like that, then the person may need that extra assistance. You'll have to leave the stall and either look for another place to make your deposit else come back another time when the coast is clear. The only other alternative is to slide the copy of this article that you are reading under the wall for them, which hopefully will distract from the whistling. Good luck.

Don't you love being involved in a fantasy draft the week after Ron Dayne erupts for 100+ yards. Which ended up being exactly one week before he fumbles the ball away twice!! Amazes me how much stock people put in pre-season games. News flash: The scrubs get good fantasy numbers because none of the starters are playing.

Speaking of pre-season, Patriots were wise to have a couple pre-season practices inside their stadium. They gave away a bunch of tickets, knowing that once inside the stadium we'd be forced to buy beer and food. Fun time though, except when I had to buy the $8.50 McNugget meal for my daughter. On the plus side, I'm willing to bet that my 9 day old was the youngest in attendance that day.

Olympics by now are in full swing. Let me see if I have this straight, Women's Wrestling....hmmm. I'll leave that on it's own. Women's beach volleyball, emphatic yes, but wrestling?

Interesting rule in the softball, if the game goes into extra innings, teams begin each at bat with a person on second base. Seems to make sense so that these games don't drag on forever.

Is it a requirement of the teens in the "women's" gymnastics competition that they have glitter in their hair?

How about poor Paul Hamm? By now, you've all seen that there was a scoring error by which he should not have been awarded the gold medal in the men's gymnastics all around, but the protest (or whatever it is called) was not filed in time, etc, etc, etc. The guy trains all his life to win a medal, wins the gold, yet all people want to ask him is if it is "tainted"? Let the man have his moment in the sun and enjoy the medal he was awarded. Geez.

Lastly this time, for personal reasons not having to do with the actual chase, if anyone out there has a picture of the Green Monster scoreboard at Fenway Park from the game on July 24th, email me please at dcoutts@fantasysharks.com. I'm looking to reconstruct the out of town scores that were on the wall that day. Thanks.

Ok, really lastly......ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL!?!?!?!  Six drafts down, three more to go.  And only a couple of weeks until the season opens.  Nice.