It's so cold here, I'm really looking forward to leaving it behind tomorrow, and spending a week at my favorite health spa in California. I'm just about done packing.

This likely will be my last post until I return. While I'm bringing my laptop, I'm hoping not to turn it on much. (I'll probably check the comments from time to time, but leave it at that.) They keep us pretty busy from 6 am to 10 pm, there are no TV's, only a morning paper -- which on past trips, I never had time to read.

As I haven't gone a week without blogging since 2002, I'm not sure whether I'll miss it or feel liberated. Thanks to BTD who will be posting when he's available and has something to say, and (I hope) putting up some open threads when he's not.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

Will he play? That's the question of the day in college football - will Florida QB Tim Tebow play when the Gators travel to Death Valley to face LSU. My view remains that even if the doctors clear him, he should sit. Concussions are a very serious thing. Even with Tebow, winning in Death Valley at night is almost impossible. Florida is a 7 point favorite over LSU. I can not imagine LSU getting beat by 7 at home. In any event, Go Gators!

My first selection pick (I'm 15-10 (.600) on the season) is Iowa (-8) over Michigan. I have never been a believer in Michigan and Iowa's offense has improved. Iowa should win easily. More . .

BTD is at the Bruce Springsteen concert tonight. I've been offline all day and not seen the news. What have we missed?

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

From farce to the most important event in the history of the Republic - Saturday night's Florida-LSU game.

Tebow remains a game time decision but I get the feeling he is going to play. I think he should sit. Easy for me to say.

This is an Open Thread.

The big story of the week remains 'will Tim Tebow play?' in Florida's game at Baton Rouge on Saturday night. Florida coach Urban Meyer says it will be a game time decision. I think Tebow should sit this one out myself, but that's easy for me to say.

On a related note, excessive celebration penalties have been rampant in the SEC. The rule is ridiculous - something about not calling attention to yourself. Absurd. That said, coaches must have been briefed on the fact that this penalty would be called. Tebow, the most excessive celebrator in all of college football certainly has toned it down this year. So apparently he got the memo. This is a coaching issue as well as a ridiculous rule issue.

This is an Open Thread.

The Yankees play the Twins tonight (6:07 ET) in the Bronx. I think the 5 game series format is awful. Baseball, where GREAT teams lose 1 out of 3 games, should not shorten the test period. In football, the best team wins 3 out of 4 at least. In the playoffs, it is 4 out of 5. All MLB playoff series should be 4 out of 7.

In the big news of the day, Tim Tebow practiced again today, but Florida coach Urban Meyer said Tebow's participation in Saturday night's game at Baton Rouge will be a gametime decision. I won't lie to you, I'm nervous about this one. More on Saturday about Florida-LSU, Bama-Ole Miss and all the big games this weekend in the Saturday Football Thread.

This is an Open Thread.

Busy day ahead.

What's going on?

This is an Open Thread.

Tom DeLay's rump-shaking days are over on DWTS -- with stress fractures in both feet, he calls it quits tonight. I actually enjoyed watching him.

Also on, The Biggest Loser, a very depressing season so far. The Good Wife....I really dislike the show and all the characters. It's unoriginal and boring.

What's on your agenda tonight, TV or otherwise? This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

I just got back from court. Anything interesting going on?

BREAKING!! Tebow Practices.

This is an Open Thread.

So the Brett Favre led Vikings face Favre's old team the Packers tonight in Minneapolis. This should be fun. But how much of the result will depend on Favre?

Last week Favre threw a game winning touchdown with 2 seconds left so it is never wise to underestimate his importance. But let's face it, if the Pack can't stop Adrian Peterson (here's saying they can't, he's gone for over 100 yards in 3 of 4 against the Pack), then Favre is somewhat incidental to the Viking offense. The real question will be can Aaron Rodgers do damage to the Viking defense? I think not enough. I like the Vikes tonight (with Percy Harvin scoring a TD.)

This is an Open Thread.

The FTC has changed its rules for the first time since 1980. Indpeendent bloggers who fail to disclose paid reviews or freebies will be fined up to $11,000.

From the FTC press release today:

"The revised Guides also add new examples to illustrate the long standing principle that 'material connections' (sometimes payments or free products) between advertisers and endorsers--connections that consumers would not expect--must be disclosed. These examples address what constitutes an endorsement when the message is conveyed by bloggers or other 'word-of-mouth' marketers.

[More...]

UPDATE: Tebow misses Mon. practice, still not cleared to play. I guarantee you this is the biggest story in Florida this week.

Could Max Baucus look any more like a bumbling fool? Apparently, yes:

The Senate Finance Committee was supposed to convene for a vote on its controversial health care bill tomorrow. Now, that's looking doubtful.

A cynic might think Baucus' overlords, the insurance industry, do not like the way this is going. I am more a believer in the "Baucus is an idiot" theory. YMMV.

This is an Open Thread.