I have had good experiences with EExpo in the past and they had a really nice sale going on.  Regular $499.99 on sale for $252.51.  So after going through the song and dance with the sales guy about how it’s really $499.99 and the web price couldn’t be right I am finally able to buy the thing.

When I first opened the box an alarm bell should have been going off.  The packing foam was ripped up, the bottom of the box had the leavings of some stripped wires and the unit itself had one of those big display stickers on it thta just don’t come off. 

I went ahead and tore apart the A/V rack anyway….  except when I turned the thing on it blipped on for a second then went flashing red.  So ..I unplug everything and it has the same behavior – great it’s DOA.

But wait….there is more :  The serial number on the box and the number on the unit don’t match – fantastic! According to the receipt EExpo can refuse to return it – which I am guessing I can argue since I have no way of knowing whats on the unit until I open and unpack the unit.

So I spent the night without a working TV – my basement a disaster and just being generally annoyed.  I wonder how this return will go tomorrow…..

“When you threaten Poland, you perhaps forget that it is not 1988,” Rice said. “It’s 2008 and the United States has a … firm treaty guarantee to defend Poland’s territory as if it was the territory of the United States. So it’s probably not wise to throw these threats around.”

Russia really appears to just be lashing out in all directions and my guess is that their little invasion of Georgia didn’t play out exactly as they had hoped in both the media and with foreign governments. I don’t really know where they are going to go from here. Their old client or e states are either in NATO or have treaties with the EU/US for trade and protection.

The Russian incursion into Georgia exposed just how behind their millitary is. Their ‘smart’ bombs missed alot of the time, their planes were being shot down and it generally just looked bad.

Russian tanks deciding to roll towards Warsaw wouldn’t end very well for anyone involved but if it came down to an actual military engagement NATO has the upper hand by far.

[From Russia warns of response to US missile shield]

[From Some on left target McCain's war record - Ben Smith - Politico.com]

We (the government) should own the refineries. Then we can control how much gets out into the market.

Lets just stick a stake in the heart of capitalism here – has there ever been ANYTHING owned by the government that works well? Do these nimrods not realize how the oil industry works?

Go read the rest – it’s maddening. There is zero good reason not to drill off shore – ZERO

[From FOXNews.com - Critics Demand Resignation of U.N. Official Who Wants Probe of 9/11 'Inside Job' Theories - International News | News of the World | Middle East News | Europe News]