(image courtesy Cameron Brenchley via Flickr)

Here it is, my next installment of a series that will probably generate more hits than any ten diaries about politics. The sacrifices I make for this site ...

I have to mention one incident that I experienced recently. Several weeks ago my family and I were in Hawaii, and noticed that there was a Costco. Since we're members, we popped in to see if there was anything worth picking up. What I saw could make a grown man cry (and I nearly did) - 1.75 liter bottles of fine scotch and bourbon for the same price (or less) than I pay for 750 ml bottles in Washington State. It just ain't fair.

and many, many thanks to Desidiosus and tomsyl, who hosted me and my family in grand style while we were on vacation in Honolulu. Michael and his lovely wife joined us for dinner at the Harbor Pub, which is not coincidentally owned by Tom's lovely cousin Rita. Tom was also ridiculously generous with a gift of genuine Absinthe from Switzerland (strange stuff, very bitter aftertaste. I didn't see any fairies, but it does put a strange edge on being drunk). The pizza was excellent, the company even better.

I recently stopped by the liquor store and saw a large assortment of sample bottles on display. I've never been a connoisseur of fine liquor - I drink hard liquor, but usually in shots or a mixed drink - so I decided to pick up a selection of several different liquors and do a little taste testing.

(disclaimer: I like Seattle and the New York Giants, I dislike New England, I hate Denver and Dallas, and I'm pretty much neutral on the rest.)

Two great games that were much closer than the previous playoff games this year - and now we know that Super Bowl XLIV will feature the New Orleans Saints vs. the Indianapolis Colts. A better match-up than most years, and it looks to be an offensive free for all.

BTW, I will not discuss the Pro Bowl. I think it's one of the stupidest things the NFL ever did, and to hold it a week before the Super Bowl only makes it even stupider.

(disclaimer: I like Seattle and the New York Giants, I dislike New England, I hate Denver and Dallas, and I'm pretty much neutral on the rest.)

A great weekend, not quite the blowouts of last weekend although most of the games this week did turn out to be one-sided by the end. Still, most of them weren't really decided until the 4th quarter and the Jets-Chargers game was in the balance right up to the last few minutes.

(disclaimer: I like Seattle and the New York Giants, I dislike New England, I hate Denver and Dallas, and I'm pretty much neutral on the rest.)

Roger Lowenstein penned an excellent article today in the Times entitled "Walk Away From Your Mortgage!" It describes the heads-I-win-tails-you-lose method of moral manipulation that business has used for years to convince Americans that they have to suffer for their financial mistakes while businesses merrily skip away from theirs.

(disclaimer: I like Seattle and the New York Giants, I dislike New England, I hate Denver and Dallas, and I'm pretty much neutral on the rest.)

And so we say farewell to the 2009 regular season, one that was a happy season for the fans of the 12 playoff teams and varying from apathy to acceptance to bitter disillusionment for the fans of the non-playoff teams. We now say hello to the playoffs, the best three weeks of football for fans of the game. Great games that are televised for all to see and are always full of upsets and surprises.

We'll be electing new moderators this weekend, please put forward your nominees. Let's see some new faces, I'm still waiting for someone to shake things up around here.