I finally broomed Adelphia for satellite hookup, after years of diminishing service. I put up with a very basic package that once featured CNN and ESPN and E! so the kids wouldn't have "M-TV" available. I didn't want them exposed to that junk. And I didn't miss the extra channels. One by one, however, Adelphia took away the decent cable channels offered on the 22-channel package and replaced them with shopping channels or C-SPAN2 or other boring fare. I guess the powers that be were trying to force me to buy the next-best package. Well, they finally did. But it wasn't with them. Now, I have ESPN, CNN and E! back for a few bucks more. Unfortunately, I have to buy the next best package to get Fox News. The dance begins again.

1. Political 'Toon Fix: Paul Nowak re: the veep debate here, and Wayne Stayskal re. on-line medical checkups here.

2. Humor Fix: Jay D. Dyson offers a Sacred Cow Burger re. John Kerry's latest ratings here.

3. My Way Fix: On the day in history in 2001, Barry Bonds of the S.F. Giants hit his 73rd HR, setting a major league record. This Day in History here, This Day in Music here, and Today's Birthdays here.

4. Top of the News Fix: Saddam worked secretly on WMDs here, Genghis Khan palace site unearthed in Mongolia here, Bush throws down the gauntlet here, U.S. exposes U.N.'s oil-for-food scandal here, and German spy chief says bin Laden is alive here.

5. "Dr. Phil" Fix: David Skinner/The Weekly Standard reviews the appearance of Flipflop and The Teresa on the "Dr. Phil Show" here.

6. Opinion Fix: George Will/Washington Post (D's fear Dubya's domestic agenda), George Marlin/Washington Times (Catholic vote), DeRoy Murdock (Kerry's 1971 testimony), Lowell Ponte/FrontPageMag (Rocking the vote), and Ann Coulter (Veep debate).

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