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The Patriots traded QB Matt Cassel and veteran LB Mike Vrabel yesterday to the Kansas City Chiefs for … the 34th overall pick in the 2009 draft. That’s it. A lot of fans think the Patriots got robbed, and in a way they did. But this actually was a pretty decent trade which worked out well for everyone involved on the New England side of the fence.

Consider the following:

1. If the Patriots hadn’t franchised Cassel they would have gotten nothing for him. He would have walked away as a free agent.
2. Had they not franchised Cassel, his next team would have gotten him for a lot less than the franchise salary. So

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I’ve moved Gonzoville to Media Temple this week. At the same time I’ve upgarded the system to WordPress 2.7 and will be swapping out some older plugins for newer stuff.

Some things may temporarily break, but it’ll be sorted out within a week. I think the Aces High Fighter Comparison site is OK, but I’m not sure about the file hosting and what-not.

Construction/Presentation:

The Vintage is a nice looking, quality cigar. Solidly built, there were no soft spots and it featured the classic RyJ band. There were very few veins in the wrapper and a sweet, almost compost-like smell was present upon removing the cellophane cover. The draw wasn’t too loose, a little pull was required but it was not what one would call “tight” either.

Performance:

This cigar had a perfectly even burn, held a couple of inches of ash without problem, and it produced billows of beautiful grey smoke. The Vintage has a nice kick about a third of the way in that sneaks up on you. If you’re used to feeling it …

One would think that a 41-7 victory over the Denver Broncos would be a cause for celebration. And normally it would be. But on this nite the New England Patriots lost one of their captains. Not just for the season, but likely for good.

At age 35, and with injuries highlighting his last few season, it is unlikely that Rodney Harrison will be back on the football field again. For the Patriots, they lose the man who set the tone for the secondary - he gave it teeth. He also kept the players grounded and accountable for their jobs. On the field, he was the general for the safeties and corners - …

Construction/Presentation:

The body (5.5″ x 55 box-press)  was somewhat soft, but pliant. A nice looking cigar with an impressive looking wrapper and good overall construction. The Maduro is almost picth-black with very few veins. Pretty much a perfect draw. I’ve gone though about 20 difference 5 Vegas cigars in the last couple of months and have yet to find a dud in the bunch of the “Fifty-Five” shape.

Performance:

This cigar had a fairly even burn and responded well to touch-ups. This cigar produced a good volume of smoke and held over an inch of solid ash. The Series A had a nice little kick about half-way down the stick, but its not overpowering.

Overture:

The cigar starts out …

Now, before I get rolling, let me say that I really used to like John McCain. He was on the Daily Show quite often and his interviews were always refreshing, honest, and up-beat. That was until Bush couldn’t run for another term and the GOP decided that McCain was their guy.

Since then, he’s become more and more Bush-esque - right down to the verbal incoherence. After watching McCain present himself eloquently and with charm for years he now looks confused, uncomfortable, and rehearsed.

I was kind of disappointed that a guy who looked like an answer to partisan politics a year ago was now looking as corrupt and inept as any other political (which is to say: a lot).

But then …

Well, this Sunday we’ll get to see what the Patriots are made of. Sure, it’s not the greatest team they’re facing - but the 49′ers aren’t “bad” either. Not that it mattered a week ago when last season’s worst team destroyed the Pats … at home.

So, will Cassel finally learn to read a blitz and will McDaniels finally allow him to throw deep to Moss? Will they actually use all their running backs? Will they remember that they have two solid tight ends who can run and block, and should be doing one or the other on each play?

Will the defense wake up and remember that it’s their job to get to the quarterback? Will they remember that they too …