For the Bills, because they do not know.

1. Hire a good coach, and stick with him, even when he has a bad year. If a player won't play for him, said player goes--not the coach. (See: Noll, Cowher, Tomlin)

2. Build your team through the draft. Free agent signings should be rare, but when you make one, they should be for undervalued players, with more career ahead of them (See Bettis, Farrior).

3. Wide Receivers can be found at all levels, and should never be gone after in Free agency. Ditto Running backs. WRs are successful because of good QBs, and RBs because of good lines. (See: Ward, Parker, Washington)

4. Defense wins championships, and should always be the top priority. (See: the Steelers--always)

5. Character counts. Never invite the troublemaker, and don't be afraid to let him go, even if he is talented (See: Plexico Burress).

6. Coaching counts. Even the pros can still learn, if they are willing. Sign the guys that are willing to listen (See: Polamalu)

7. Another acceptable free agent signing is for depth--i.e. back-ups (see: Batch, Leftwich)

8. Even if a guy is great, let him go if and when he is old and wants a giant contract (see: Porter, Webster)

9. Stay in town. If your team has a city name in it, you better stay in said city. Don't go to the suburbs, and don't even think about relocating internationally.

10. Focus on fundamentals. Trickery will only go so far if you can't block or tackle.

For (e:jason)

So next year, quite a few military personnel will, if all goes according to plan, be returning from Iraq.

This could be bad news, or good news.

Of course, it is always good news if there is peace and safety, but the possibility of bad news is this: an economy that already has high unemployment will have a glut of new workers--workers that have spent at least a year outside of our culture (more for most), and who's skills may not have an equivalent in our economy.

To make matters worse, quite a few have suffered trauma. Historically, re-adjustment to civilian life has not been easy.

Here's the good news. Many of these service people will be flush with combat pay. They will want new homes and new cars and furniture and clothes without camo and all sorts of things.

As long as we are throwing around all sorts of cash, I think we should make an investment in this area. In addition to regular veterans benefits, I would provide an additional bonus for veterans to take a class on starting a business. Another bonus for attending a support group. We should pay them to rehab houses and give them affordable mortgages to buy them. I would also love a bonus paid to veterans who stayed drug and/or alcohol free, or pledged not to own a gun.

So much can go wrong when veterans return. More Vietnam veterans have died of self-inflicted wounds than died in the conflict. This, however, is not only preventable, but by making the right choices, the end of our current war can be an integral part of the economy's jump start.

Tomorrow is the day that we remember our mortality. Not so pleasant, but good to do once in a while. When I put ashes on a person's head, I will tell them (and it is particularly hard with sick people, who know it all too well) "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you will return."










Lent is hard to get without experiencing it. But it really can go well.

I'll still be on media where I know people, so blogs, twitter, and facebook are all good, but I am taking a break from videos and mindless websites in the hope that "old media" will change me in some positive ways.

So, starting Wednesday, limited internet, no tv, and no partisan talk radio. Until Easter (but maybe longer if it is as good for me as I think it will be)