Playoff Perspective

I hate to bring it up but here it is.

Maybe it's not over but it sure looks like it from where I sit.

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On the subject of the playoffs; isn't it interesting the complexion of the teams that are winning thus far.

It seems to me that the teams enjoying success thus far have developed a lot of their key talent and have been patient in developing rosters and pitching.

To me, if the last few years have showed anything, it has been that the Yankee model doesn't work, at least not right now. Spending extravagant amounts of money for free agents, you end up with huge payrolls, good players in non-pressure situations, i.e. regular season and then disappointment in the postseason, which Cubs fans, is the only thing that really matters.

And I'm not trying to patronize. I feel for you. I root against you but I feel for you.

The fact is that the Cubs, and to a lesser extent only regarding what seems to be one and done trades, the Brewers and Angels, have superstar laden teams which have performed during the regular year.

I saw it coming in May, as Cubs fans for the millionth time, drank the Kool-Aid and patted themselves on the back, again, watching a team with a $100 million+ lead-off hitter, that doesn't play good defense, is oft-injured and whose strikeout to walk ration is 103-43. In my model of a baseball team, lead off hitters are supposed to get on base, not be free swingers. And for the record, for all of you that bought Fukodome shirts early in the year; he sucks.

The Brewers sold their souls to get CC Sabathia, and why not this is their only year as they have a chunk of free agents leaving, namely Ben Sheets, Mike Cameron, Gabe Kapler, Jason Kendall, Salomon Torres, Russel Branyan and said Sabathia. WOW. Hello Pittsburgh and a race for fifth place.

Angels are done and for the life of me I couldn't figure out why forever and now I know. Look at their division race.
Gm. back

Los Angeles	100	62	.617	-
Texas	79	83	.488	21.0
Oakland	75	86	.466	24.5
Seattle	61	101	.377	39.0

They didn't play anyone good. They're done.

ON WHAT IS GOOD: Tampa Bay Rays, L.A. Dodgers and Boston Red Sox.

Tampa Bay with a payroll similar to our local McDonald's franchise, has developed players, i.e. B.J. Upton, James Shields, Scott Kazmir, Carl Crawford, and the enigmatic Evan Longoria. They are good, at a cheap price, real good.

L.A. has developed players like Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Chad Billingsley, Johnathon Broxton. And unlike other teams who signed flashy superstars, lowercased emphasized, they stick with players who know how to win, i.e. Derek Lowe, Rafael Furcal and Manny Ramirez.

And you know the Red Sox, they spend money but they get it done with players like Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis and Jacoby Ellsbury. All young, all cheap and all good.

And once again, its not over. But with Manny being Manny I have my doubts.

I'm a Celebrity!

I might be a semi-celebrity. This evening I was alerted on the fact that My face is on the Ball State Web site; deep, deep in the Web site, but there.

You can look at it here: http://cms.bsu.edu/Academics/CollegesandDepartments/Journalism/ContactUs.aspx

Markets, Procrastinating, Playoffs

IN the midst of this madness Thomas Friedman delivers an excellent piece about the market meltdown. You should read it here.

I just can't seem to get anything done. I have pushed myself to the limit, just as the credit is choking up the system in the financial markets, so procrastination is clogging up everything I have to do and I just don't have the motivation to do anything.

I think about stuff I need to do and I know that I'll feel better if I just do it, but can't. Oh well.

The baseball playoffs start tonight and I honestly don't care who wins just as long as its not the Cubs. And hear me out on this one.

When you think of the Cubs you think of 100 years of futility and fun. Disaster and disappointments juxtaposed to jubilation and positivity.

Well you won't be able to think that if they win.

It's fundamental: Some teams win and some teams lose. No one fits the bill more than the Cubs, to the latter.

It would hurt baseball, it wouldn't be right and it would change who the Cubs are.

Goodbye Loveable Losers; So long to 'there's always next year.'

'Cause next year would be this year and that will be a hard reality to take. The Cubs winners, it just won't fit.

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Uhh, I got nothing.

Our supposed leaders

As the financial sector is sent into oblivion and the second Great Depression seems to be upon us, is it true, could it be true; are we really just a banana republic with nukes?

This idea has been tossed against the wall by NY Times columnist Paul Krugman and I think it works perfectly if you read the WIKI definition of a banana republic. In the case that we are, isn't it sad how far this country has sunk. But, we already have acknowledged that.

The bill to end all bills went to the house today, unscathed and invincible and was shot down like a duck with a gimpy wing.

And as talk-radio talks from both angles it is IMPERATIVE to listen and realize it is not just the Republican's fault or just the Democrats fault. IT IS BOTH OF THEIR FAULT.

As the lumbering pachyderms blame the jackasses for the semi-regulation of the markets that has 'led to a financial meltdown' because of a lack of free market principals; the jackasses blame the circus-trained elephants for no regulation which has led to limitless CEO pay, bad mortgages and god knows what else.

What we need to realize is that both are wrong and that if there is no compromise, there will be no economy and there will be no America, as we know it, in the long term.

George Washington, weary of what political parties were becoming in Washington warned in his farewell adress that a two-party system would be bad for the United States. He warned that party alliances and geographical distinctions would head down a bridge to nowhere (pardon the pun).

AND what you have now is partisanship that has led to the most fundamental bill in history not be passed because of a witch of a speaker show blatant partisanship just prior to the vote and a Republican group of representatives in angst and revolt stop said bill due to said comments of said witch.

STUPID, STUPID, STUPID.

And so as the economy fails, REAL and honest people lose their money and the PARTISAN POLITICIANS in washington (lower cased 'w' on purpose) squabble because of their monkey-trained political attitudes, the disgrace this country has become now makes itself more apparent than anything we ever thought possible.

The sad thing is that John McCain was right if he really meant the blue-collar workers and REAL people were what make the 'fundamentals of the economy strong'.

But even with as strong as the REAL people are, they might not be strong enough to pick up the mess the people we elected created, in what has now truly shown itself as failed leadership in Washington.

Paul Newman

Paul Newman was one of my favorite actors. And I thought this piece about him was an excellent tribute to him.

News 485 Project

Click here to see Jeff, Brittney and my News 485 project.


Click here for great travel information!

News, League, News

News comes to us from all areas but now, more than ever, news with economic ties seems to just to the front pages of newspapers, web sites and broadcasts.

Today, the BSU Daily News did a short but extremely helpful Q&A with a very common interviewee of mine, Dr. Cecil Bohanon. Dr. Bohanon is a economics professor at Ball State and one of the most delightful professors I've had in college.

The interview can be read here, and should be read by anyone with five minutes and any inkling of why is the market in a panic.

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My fantasy baseball league has been in the process of a transition, as we have a new web site to commentate on each others problems, and 'luck' as well as check out what our teams are doing. Our league is unlike other leagues most are familiar with.

We use a system known as Stra-O-Matic, which involves the players in a simulation per se, based on last years stats. We play well over 162 games each year and MOST times the statistics are reflective of the previous year.

We play as a 'real' team, mine is the New York Yankees but will soon be the Oakland Athletics as I'm moving my 'franchise'.

The league was started a long time before I knew much about baseball, in 1994 by Erick Noland and his high school friends, many of whom are still in the league. I got involved nearly 3 years ago as I was working with Erick at Reid Hospital.

The league has been incredibly fun and is highly competitive, with no monetary involved in any aspect of the game.

I will touch more on the league later.

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I heard an incredible story this morning on the BBC's program 'Outlook' about a deathr0w prisoner and a friendship that was created between him and a British artist. You can listen to the story here and I assure you it is good. The title of the story is 'Simone Sandelson' and it is about half way down.

AND, if you're counting on a gut-busting season of Guinness Premier League action and want to read the preview of how your Rugby Union team is looking, click here.

A day in the life

Yesterday I awoke to the smell of coffee and the chill of the sub-60s temperature outside, seeping through my bedroom windows.

I left for Muncie about 8:45 a.m., coffee in hand and realizing as I left, I had forgot to study for my photo quiz. However it was OK because I got all but one on the quiz anyway.

BBC on XM had a story on the way to Muncie about Hari Puttar, a Bollywood film coming out this week that was sued by Warner Brothers due to their feeling that the title was too close to the boy wizard Harry Potter. WB's case was shot down as the producers of 'Puttar' say the movie is nothing like 'Potter' and more like Home Alone.

After arriving in Muncie I walked from my new parking spot, no more parking at Walmart.

(as i write, i'm wondering why I thought it was a wild day)

Anyhow, I won my fantasy football match this week and am excited about that as I walk across Bethel on my way to campus. I took pictures of buses, bikes, walkers and commuters for my commuter story.

Just prior to class I read in the DN, Carole King was to make an appearance at Vera Mae's Bistro in downtown Muncie this afternoon. Ahh, the 'Locomotion' lady.

Any how we had class, and that's all i remember that I walked in and listened for 50 minutes. After class I sat here in the lab, checked email, headlines, ESPN and of course my Facebook.

After my news class I left campus and realized my stomach was rumbling, so I headed to the Heorot, again, for pizza, again.

After pizza and writing my name on a note card, listing all the beers I have had there and realizing how much money I've spent in the dingy place that resembles something from 'Beowulf', I left bid Brenda adieu and soon realized the crowd next door at Vera Mae's.

I squeezed in said Hey! to comrades from the Star Press and made my way up to get an autograph and handshake from the lady, rallying for Barack Obama, who I knew all of one song from her career. I said hello asked for an autograph before she said to me:

"This is why we are doing this," in some politically charged exhale, I was not intersted in the least bit about."This is for you, you are the future."

WOW, I couldn't have cared less for that 700 club-esque brigade of verbiage that did not apply to me at all.

I left, drove to Andi's had SOS and helped her with a busy-work assignment before heading home.

Upon entering Spring Grove I could smell burned popcorn and what seemed to be Clinique grotesquely attempting to cover the smell. Bad idea.

I stepped out of my car and realized the popcorn had been cooked inproperly and left on the doorstep, awaiting me as Forrest Gump does for little Forrest when he is to be coming home from school.

I was instantly disgusted with the smell, my cousin had created. I don't understand the attempt to cover the smell that only made it worse. Two things that don't mix among others, are burned popcorn and men's cologne.

I watched the rest of the Reds game before hitting the hay and realized I would need a shower in the morning to clean the stench from my hair.

My procrastinating heart

The interesting thing is, I didn't even seen it coming when I chose the two topics I was to write about for my first two assignments this semester.

First, I'm in J280 magazine writing, J230 intro to photo-journalism and News 485 Advanced News reporting (or something like that).

My first assignment in J280 had to be a 'calendar content' story upon a topic of our choice about an anniversary or celebratory week or month coming up. For my choice I stumbled upon the the second week in March which is known as 'National Procrastination Week'.

It caught my interest as National Pet Affection day would for my dog-obsessed girlfriends sister.

Switching directions, in my News 485 class I chose to do a story about commuters and gas prices at Ball State. Interestingly, that is me.

What I didn't realize was I am a chronic procrastinator, perhaps the reason the topic caught my interest. I began my research, read stories about psychological analysis of procrastinators, called sources mentioned in stories and read specific analysis research published by the foremost expert on procrastination.

In this essay completed by a Bryn Mawr College student debating whether procrastination is a habit or disorder, Jenny Maryasis writes:

"Chronic procrastinators avoid revealing information about their abilities, prefer menial tasks, make poor time estimates, tend to focus on the past and do not act on their intentions. These characteristics have been related to low self-esteem, perfectionism, non-competitiveness, self-deception, self-control, self-confidence, depression and anxiety."

Even more interesting is. . . THAT IS ALL ME!

Now, on to figure out how to fix it.

Thank You AC/DC

Thanks a lot AC/DC. All I wanted was one more tour and I got it but I can't pay nearly $100 dollars for a ticket.

The show set for Conseco Fieldhouse on the night of Nov. 3 has one price for tickets: $91.50.

I enjoy them but not for that.

Thanks a lot. I won't be listening to your station for a week or so out of rebellion.

News Desk

APPARENTLY, thousands of people discovered they did not get their government stimulus check in the mail as a 'deadbeat' result of their status. People everywhere are discovering the check W. promised them was witheld by the government for back child-support.


ARTHROSCOPIC knee surgery may not be as effective as once thought. According to the Canada Globe and Mail, the surgery that has been relied up by thousands of Americans every year may be not as effective and "doesn't provide significant benefits for osteoarthritis patients."

In a couple of plans a new regional pollution plan starts next week that will be enforced in 233 utility plants across the country.

An interesting take on urban trees vs. power lines. Several people hate the loss of trees that have been used as shade for hundreds of years. You know of that big old tree that provides shade to hundreds of cubic feet. Well those trees don't exist well with power lines but it is important to remember we seldom see winds of Hurrican Ike's capability in this part of the country.

In sport, the Ryder cup starts today. The American's are huge underdogs. Here is an interesting way to cover the event, with live bloggers at the course right now.

Eddie Vedder, the disillusioned lead singer of Pearl Jam has written a song for the Cubs that begins with 'all the way'. Hmm. . .Ok

Could they really be trading Prince? According to the Sacramento Bee there could be a trade in the works that sends Prince Fielder and J.J. Hardy to San Fran for Matt Cain? Hmm. . .we'll see. Seems like a lot for Matt Cain, but they've sold their souls already, why not?

MSNBC News Quiz

I awoke and took MSNBC's weekly news quiz. You can do so here.

I got 80 percent, not any pressure but see what you can do and comment to show your results. And no cheating.

Pictures, poems and youth hostels

Where do I go with a blog when everyone is wanting to hear about different things?

First off I took this picture of my cousin Alizah last night, and messed with it in photoshop a bit. However panning to get focus on the subject in an image is a hard thing to do and I was lucky enough to get her face. As my teach said today, "Even a blind squirrel finds a nut sometimes."

In the spirit of the markets down turn I think of Don Kings hairdo, which was similar to my grandmothers the other night. I have no idea why that is relevant or how it makes sense but whatever.

The Reds finally lost tonight and how fitting that it was off the bat of one Albert Pujols. He was 0-8 prior to tonight in the series and like that squirrel, well I guess Pujols would not be a blind squirrel; more likely an intensely muscular squirrel with a Dominican accent.

I wrote a poem in the spirit of, well, just read it.

Dish soap and a t-shirt

I awake to see stars
flies without buzzes in my room.
A ghost in the hall way
deer outside my chamber window.

I drive and see gypsy's
kamikaze's darting toward me
little girls in the middle of the road
wolves under my dash

I walk to class and see comets in the sky
escaped psycho's charging with knives
Terrorists with blank faces, dynamite strapped to their chests

and then, I realize it is probably time to wash my glasses.

And then there were pumpkins.

Standing at the bus stop in Muncie today (i.e. WalMart, all one word now) I noticed the arrange of hundreds of pumpkins at $4.38 a piece.

I couldn't contain myself as I talked to them as if they were old friends. I discussed the state of the union, travels to England and what temperature meatloaf should be cooked at.

After getting no where with the orange-squash lookalikes, I made my way onto the bus which by the way was 5 minutes late.

Randomly I started thinking about the hostels I stayed in, in Europe and here they are:

Plus Alba D'Oro Camping in Venice, Italy
Emerald Fields in Florence, Italy
Ivanhoe Hostel in Rome, Italy
John's Cozy Little Backpacker hostel in Berlin, Germany
Ashfield House in Dublin, Ireland
Barnacles Temple Bar House in Dublin, Ireland
Nomad in Cardiff, Wales
Pagration Youth Hostel in Athens, Greece

and that is it for now. . .

I just saw a mouse run across the floor. How ironic as I talk about youth hostels.

John McCain Endorsed by. . .his jailer?

According to this story in the Daily Telegraph, London the man who was in charge of jailing McCain when he was in the Vietnam war.

According to the story:

Tran Trong Duyet, the commandant of Hao Lo prison in Hanoi from 1968-73, recalls Mr McCain "as a typical child of a traditional military family. He was conservative and faithful to his country's policy of the Vietnam war".

"In a talk between men we shared many things about girls and love and so on," said Mr Duyet, who claims Mr McCain helped teach him English.

"I think John McCain is a very smart man."

NO-NO for Big Z

Carlos Zambrano pitched 9 innings of 10K 1 Walk and NO-HIT ball last night.

I had the opportunity to listen to the last few innings and it was incredible. Although the advantage was opportune in Milwaukee, the Cubs and Zambrano enjoyed their first no-no in 36 years.

Excellent work big man.

Basketball Season is Just Around . . .

This is the worst team I've ever seen.

I could not have lead with anything more to the point. As a rookie QB Joe Flacco dismantled the Bengals last week, a rookie RB Chris Johnson and backup QB destroyed them this week. And speaking of the Ravens only Hurricane IKE stopped them this week.

Fans began leaving, as I'm told, early in the third quarter. I was lucky enough to lose my power, so I didn't have to see the game.

I don't even want to talk about them anymore. Simply put, the Bungals are back.

Greenspan says it, he must mean it

According to the AP, former secretary of the treasury Alan Greenspan said, the United States cannot sustain spending offsets and more importantly tax cuts that McCain plans to continue.

According to the story, Greenspan responded to a question regarding the tax cuts and whether the United States can sustain itself if they continue:

"Unless we cut spending, no," Greenspan said Friday when asked about the proposed tax cuts, estimated at $3.3 trillion.

"I'm not in favor of financing tax cuts with borrowed money," Greenspan said during an interview with Bloomberg Television. "I always have tied tax cuts to spending."

Read the entire story above.

Rosey Red On Channel 12

The season is over but this is worth watching. It was posted on RedLegNation yesterday.

My Car is Fixed

I got my car window fixed after years of it falling at inopportune times and allowing my seat to be wet every early morning I had to drive after a thunderstorm.

I also figured out how to stop the annoying beeping of my seatbelt light. To clarify on dashboard between the RPM meter and the speedometer there is a light that stays on if you do not have your seat belt plugged in. It will beep when you get in the car to remind you. However on Tuesday it decided to beep every 2 seconds. I searched online and found this which led me to unplug an unknown plug from a Grey box under the dash. And VOICI, the beeping stopped!

AC/DC ON TOUR!

With the arrival of their new album 'Black Ice' Ac/Dc will be touring for the first time since 2001.

Dates are as follows:

October 28 Wilkes-Barre, PA Wachovia Arena
October 30 Chicago, IL Allstate Arena
November 3 Indianapolis. IN Conseco Fieldhouse
November 5 Auburn Hills, MI Palace of Auburn Hills
November 7 Toronto Rogers Centre
November 9 Boston, MA TD Banknorth Garden
November 12-13 New York, NY Madison Square Garden
November 15 Washington, DC Verizon Center
November 17 Philadelphia, PA Wachovia Center
November 19 East Rutherford, NJ IZOD Center
November 21 Columbus, OH Schottenstein Center
November 23 Minneapolis, MN Xcel Energy Center
November 25 Denver, CO Pepsi Center
November 28 Vancouver General Motors Place
November 29 Seattle, WA KeyArena
November 30 Tacoma, WA Tacoma Dome
December 2 Oakland, CA Oracle Arena
December 6 Los Angeles, CA The Forum
December 10 Phoenix, AZ US Airways Center
December 12 San Antonio, TX AT&T Center
December 14 Houston, TX Toyota Center
December 16 Atlanta, GA Philips Arena
December 18 Charlotte, NC Time Warner Cable Arena

Gone With The Wind

Maybe we can't claim it to be our national pastime anymore. According to reports in London, a diary was discovered of a late lawyer, dated 1755, referencing 'Base Ball'. That would the description of the game in context nearly 50 years prior to our first reference of the game being played in the Elysian Fields of New Jersey.

In other news Hurricane Ike is doing its best to see that the people of South-eastern Texas have a bad day. Experts are predicting waves as tall as 50 feet and more than 10-inches of rain for the coastal areas which include Galveston and parts of Houston.

I watche Gone With The Wind in its entirety last night. Yes, all 233 minutes. I had seen parts but never the entire movie from start to finish. Although I was quite impressed with everything in the film, ESPECIALLY that the two main characters (i.e. Clark Gable, Vivian Leigh) do NOT end up together. Too many movies end on notes with false-happy kisses and the prospect of perfect love. Anyhow, the movie was good and I'm glad I watched it, however it is still not as good as Wizard Of Oz. 

Oh and by the way, a bit of trivia, the reason I compare the two is A. Both classic films came out in 1939 B. Victor Fleming directed both and C. Heather Blewett is irrationally stuck on Gone with The Wind, thinking it better than Wizard of Oz.

Travelling from Richmond to Muncie everyday allows me to sit back, listen to left-wing-talk radio, and think about things I need to do and things I want to do. I come up with get-rich schemes that after I begin on, I lose interest. I think about how I'm going to get my car moved and sold, how I can make money writing at home and how I would love to be a reporter that travels around with a laptop and camera and writes stories about people across the world. 

Fish: "Stop the inner tubing"

This is hilarious. Check out the full story here.

According to MSNBC.com

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas - A teenager's jaw was broken when a fish flew from the lake where he was riding in an inner tube and smacked him in the face.

Seth Russell, 15, was cruising Lake Chicot in Arkansas on a large inner tube towed by a boat when a Silver Asian carp leaped from the water and hit him in the face. Seth was knocked unconscious.

"He doesn't remember anything at all," the boy's mother, Linda Russell, said last week. "He was laughing, and the next thing he remembers, he is waking in a hospital."

Bengals Lose/Suck

A very colorful letter (post) on one of my favorite blogs:

Dear Cincinnati Bengals,

Today I changed my diet and I will no longer be consuming orange and black kool-aid.
I have just completed my witness of what you would have me believe was a professional football game vs the Baltimore Ravens. Since the fall of 1968 there have been very few games that you have played that I have not seen or heard. I didn’t think it was possible but you have finally convinced me to turn off the NFL. Like many fans, I look forward to and make preparations every Sunday to be entertained by outstanding athletes. But no more, I refuse to invest my time and sanity in an organization that only takes and rarely gives. The ownership of your team is just as arrogant as the few players that make a bad name for the game. You put a lousy product out there for consumers and I for one refuse to accept it any longer. I am leaving the NFL because I cannot bring myself to cheer for any other city but my home city. I am willing to take the risk that this is an impulse decision and your successful season will prove me wrong. I’m sure you will not miss me and yet I will be the greater for having broken this habit. I have reclaimed my weekends and in doing so I have ensured myself of quality time with my family, better health and additional savings because I can cancel that anger management course. Thank you for giving me my life back.

Graduate of the Fool me 18 Seasons 12 step Program.

I could not have said it better if I could say that. An awful football team which should cause me to have an awful day. However I'm not going to let it.

Spring Grovians stunned by attempted murder

Residents of the small Indiana town awoke to find one of their newest members stabbed and left for dead.

The perpetrator was spotted around 5 a.m. attempting to flee the scene. However by 9 a.m. the suspect had not been able to escape the carnage.

Exhibit A. (The apparent stab wound)

The perpetrator was taken down around 9 a.m. and was held for questioning.

It is unclear what Spring Grove Police will do, although crimes of attempted murder usually carry capital punishment; death by chain saw.

The perpetrator.

Gobbly Gook

I feel as if theres nothing to write about but here are a few things that have been of interest in recent days.

Upon the election coverage, I am about as sick as anyone can be with it yet I continue to watch. If it weren't such a 'pivotal' time in U.S. history I could care less. However as much as it seems, I haven't put my support behind any one candidate yet. I do have an idea on the entire thing however. Why don't we go back to the way presidential elections used to be. The runner-up, Democrate, Republican. . whatever was the vice president. It would have been like W being president and Al Gore vice president. Wouldn't that be interesting.

But anyhow, here is a true way to track what each senator has done while in office. This site has a record of every vote that has come up and how each senator has voted. You can now see how Barack Obama voted during his tenure in the U.S. Sentate. Or how John McCain voted.

In other entertainment news. . .

Ghostbusters III has been announced by aintitcoolnews.com. Yes, with the original cast. But I'm more excited about this and this.

Oh, and its Bob Newhart's birthday. I love Rescuers and Rescuers Down Under. The golden eage with a 40-foot wingspan is a bit comical however. It's also this his, his, and his birthday.

The first NFL game was last night and it was delightful. However my lone running back did not score. :(

I have been discussing 'minced oaths' a lot lately and for more go here. Trust me on this one, it is worth it. It is rather interesting and it makes me want to say 'Gadzooks' more.

I will touch more on that later.

In other news McCain delivered a heart warming speech last night but it didn't carry the weight of Obama's or Sarah Palin's speech, which was downright entertaining. And with the discovery that she has a degree in journalism from the University of Idaho, I became more of a fan of her last night. Oh and that school is located in Moscow, no this Moscow.

And one last thing, check out Twitter if you get a chance.

Ball State plays host to Navy tonight and it's on ESPN at 8 p.m. Check it out.

Barack Obama

Say what you like about Barack Obama in regards to policy and experience but at no time can you challenge his ability to rivet an audience, both on television and live, as he did tonight.

In regards to the now Democratic candidate, his speech not only was riveting but also answered questions his critics have been asking for months. Laying out plans and policy for his presumptive presidency was not only brilliant but perfectly delivered. Rationalization and understanding will sweep away naivety upon how he will carry out the plans.

I think of myself as an intependent and attempt with all of my ability to not attach myself in any way to the two major parties. I despise the ridiculousness of partisan politics in America and believe that it is the single biggest reason we, as Americans, see very little getting done in Washington and in our respective regions.

I hope for an election where we don't have to play a game, voting for someone who for all intensive purposes, is only out to win the election. I hate the direction the parties have taken this country in and hope for it change.

In Obama I do see a difference. But I am not naive in realizing that he is a Democrat, with a capital 'D'. Obama is a politician but has not had the 'pedigree' of a politician, as he said tonight. I respect his upbringing, his background and the initiative he has taken in his life to serve rather than gain from people.

I am a fan of John McCain, as an American and as a war hero. I am eager for a debate between these two contrasting characters. I have no idea who the protagonist is, let alone the antagonist if there is one.

I am only addressing Obama tonight because of the eloquent and dazzling speach he gave tonight. It was a speech that was planned but at the same time carried out with heart toward the American people, whom I felt he truly cares about. I saw a difference in him tonight from the others that have graced the stages in the past few years. I saw someone who has a plan, is ready to carry it out and is grateful to be in the position he is. He was a breath of fresh air for non-partisan politics and I can't wait to hear more.

How to tie a turban

Ocho Funny-o

Some choice quotes from Chad Johnson courtesy of my friend C. Trent Rosecran's blog.

I especially like the one in bold.

Thanks again Trent for the great stuff. Well, I guess I should thank Chad.

Quotes from the open locker room:

Chad Johnson was asked if he was concenred, he said no and was asked if it's just because it's preseason:

"Because it’s preseason and we don’t have all the key factors in there right now."

How long will that take?

"For us? With the factors we have? Two or three days. It’s like riding a bike, once you get on you figure it out real fast."

It was noted that the three hadn't been together on the field since the end of last season:

"That’s no different than Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie off filming a movie and they’re apart that long and when they get together they’re having kids. It’s the same when we get back on the field together, we’re going to produce."

As for his shoulder:

"It’s good. There’s nothing wrong with me. I need surgery. But there’s still nothing wrong with me."

You need surgery, you’ll have it when?

"I’m not going to have it. For what?"

You need it but you’re not going to have it?

"For what? I’ve got a season to play."

He joked that he was back to full strength because of steroids and HGH.

Johnson was also in a protective harness.

"Precaution. It makes me look sexy. I like it. I have to. I’ve talked to a lot of people who have played with this injury. Kellen Winslow, Dante Stallworth, Westbrook, maybe about 10 guys I’ve talked to, they didn’t get surgery, they played and had a successful season. So I’ll be fine."

On his challenge with Michael Phelps:

"I was playing around and he took it on himself to call me back out, which was not very smart. I’m sure we’ll have something in the works after the season ends. It’s not set. I have other things to focus on besides Phelps, like Baltimore."

He said he wanted to play Thursday:

"I asked Marvin to play Thursday, just to not to prove a point, but to show that I’m ready to go and he told me no. There’s no need. I already got hurt in one preseason game, there’s no reason for another. I will be ready for the opener and it’s going to be exciting. It’s going to be a good Ocho day."

And asked if he could re-injure his shoulder:

"The risk of it happening again isn’t much." And as he said that, he knocked on his wooden locker.

Oklahoma! songs and bad football teams

This song will not get out of my head for some reason or another.

And speaking of Oklahoma!, the performance at RCT was excellent and I can't get the music out of my head. I had only seen parts of the movie and was pleased with the performance of the actors of which all are amateur, of course. The young man playing Curly, a recent graduate of Guilford College with a degree in vocal performance, was the highlight and I'm sure he will be doing much bigger things one day soon.

In other news, I have had both my fantasy football drafts. Neither of which are any good, like last year, which should leave me to repeat my underdog performance of last year when I made the playoffs with a team highlighted by Kenny Watson and Kevin Curtis.

Speaking of football, the Cincinnati Bengals are building up to the opener and unlike everyone else, I am reserving judgment of the defense and, well offense. Bad performances are abound in the pre-season every where, even from this team, I mean this team, sorry.

The Olympics are over and although they were quite exciting highlighted by Michael Phelps, I was growing tired of the Chinese divers and their 14-year-old tumbling counterparts.

Borgman says it better than I ever could

Adam Dunn: Home Run King?

Pouring over stats and noticing the progression of Adam Dunn's career I can't help but wonder if he might have a chance at that record that in my opinion is still held by our friend Henry.

Now I know what you are saying, there is no way Adam Dunn could break the all time home run record. But I beg you to look at many factors attributing to Dunn's ever-building pile of homers.

First Dunn is only 27 years old, soon to be 28 in November. As it stands right now he has 272 HR's and will probably close the year with close to 280.

Second Dunn is working on his fifth year in a row of at least 150 games and has had only one trip to the DL at the end of last year.

Third of all the players in baseball, Dunn is one who can be predicted in Lindy's guide perfectly before every season. Dunn posts 40 HR, 100 RBI, 100 runs every year at least and you can count on him doing that for another 8 years at least.

So say in eight years Dunn's HR total will be at least 600. And he will only be 35. Now guessing from his size and how much of a liability he is on defense now, he may deteriorate faster than a smaller player. But he may not and it is not out of the question for Dunn to have over 600 HR 8 years from today.

And assuming he is a Jim Thome-DH type by then Dunn should seemingly play for a much longer time and with the way players are playing later and later into their lives (ex. Jamie Moyer) who's to say Dunn can't play into his 40's.

To think the Reds traded him now makes me a little sick if they expected him to be something he wasn't. He is without a doubt due for a big pay day and coupled with the let down of Dunn's 'attitude' the Reds were destined to not keep him.

But think about how reliable Dunn has been and yet again how consistent he has been. Consider that within a couple weeks the Reds may have traded two of the top five HR sluggers of all time.

Flapping Fish and More choice photos

Dear Fans: We Suck, Sorry

Just because everyone else on these blogs has written about it, I guess I will. Look at more here, here, here, and here.

If you didn't know, a letter was issued by Reds owner Bob Castellini and Walt Jocketty apologizing for the season of Cincinnati Reds baseball that has been like last year, and the year before and the year before, etc.

The letter screams of absurdity to me and my comrades and whats worse is the snide little comments the owner and his pawn put in the letter asking for continued support and 'patience'.

Below is said letter:

Dear Fans,

Thank you for your loyalty and support of the Cincinnati Reds. You are extremely vital to the success of the Reds, and it is important we share with you the thinking behind our recent personnel decisions.

Since taking ownership of this franchise, we have aggressively tried to improve our Major League roster for the purpose of restoring championship baseball to Cincinnati. We have sought and signed proven players. We have extended the contracts of select current players. We added Dusty Baker, a proven winning manager. And, we have capitalized on our burgeoning younger players like Joey Votto, Jay Bruce and Johnny Cueto.

We had high expectations for the 2008 season. Unfortunately the team has not played up to our expectations and we have sustained injuries to key players within our starting lineup and rotation.

We opted to trade Ken Griffey Jr. and Adam Dunn at this time because we believe it provided the best outcome for the long-term success of the organization. By executing these inevitable changes now, we secured more players as part of our focus towards building a deeper, stronger inventory of young talent.

We are pleased that the trades allow Griffey and Dunn the opportunity to play for teams in tight division races. Both Ken and Adam made significant contributions to the Reds and we are extremely proud and grateful they wore the Reds uniform.

While the run production generated by these two veterans will not be quickly replaced, we chose to endure the short-term ramifications for the sake of building a strong, competitive team for 2009 and many seasons to come.

The vast majority of our 50 draft picks were signed, culminating last week with first-rounder Yonder Alonso and a pair of talented pitchers. Our expanded scouting operations also signed
Juan Duran from the Dominican Republic and Yorman Rodriguez from Venezuela, who are arguably the best amateur free agent position players from their respective countries.

As we near September, we will continue to provide valuable playing time to our young players and new acquisitions who we feel can become significant contributors at the Major League level. We ask your continued trust and patience as we build the roster that will get us back on top. We appreciate your support and look forward to seeing you at the ballpark.

Sincerely,

Bob Castellini
President & CEO

Walt Jocketty
President of Baseball Operations & GM

Patience. Hell, if I have had patience, people that have cared longer than me must have had something much more than patience.

As much faith as I had going into this season, I soon realized that even though I wasn't happy with Griffey and Dunn, my faith was built on them. And the reason I now recognize this is that after they traded both, even though the team was under-performing already, I soon realized I had no hope for this season. Or next year, or the year after that.

Getting young players can only do so much, if they perform. And most times they do not.

In religious terms the Reds have been in purgatory for the last 13 years. They are now in Hell and are a long way from crossing the river Styx.

Once again I now see no hope for anytime soon. The team is so poorly constructed, there isn't a team in the National League I wouldn't trade straight up for, aside from Washington.

The other night, Paul Daughtery, columnist for the Cincinnati Enquirer compared the Reds starting lineup to the Cubs and noted only one player in the Reds starting lineup would start in the Cubs lineup. Brandon Phillips would start over Mark DeRosa. But no one else.

That got me thinking and thinking. I thought about how in even my biased mind, I wouldn't take anyone but BP over the Cubs starters. It's sad, really sad, because even when the Cubs were bad a few years ago, they still had players to build around and money to work with.

NOW, the Reds have neither.

On Golden Pond

Is this guy unreal or what?

Six events, six gold medals and six world records.

At this point with one individual event (100 butterfly) left I don't see anything stopping him from taking home what he sought out to get.

At this point I'm in awe every time they talk about Phelps and as his name fills up talk radio across the country I know I'm not the only one who is watching. Heck even Ocho Cinco is watching but he thinks he can beat Mr. Phelps.

In other news, baseball season is over. Oh, it is still going on, well I forgot after that baseball team in Western Ohio decided to cash in their chips at Argosy before August even started.

But from death there is life and with the prospect of football on the horizon, I can rest assured the Bengals won't let me down as much as the Reds did. You expect it from them.

Fantasy Football Preview

It's football season again and more importantly its fantasy football time.

I've taken the time to pour over stats and projections, sleepers and can't miss rookies and I think I have some advice that might be beneficial to your draft no matter what type of league you are in.

The running back world has been taken over by LaDainian Tomlinson for the past few years but with an influx of talent the gap is diminishing between some of the top level backs. With the emergence of Adrian Peterson and this years version Darren McFadden along with others including Steven Jackson (Rams), Joseph Addai (Colts), Brian Westbrook (Eagles) and others, this will be an interesting year with the RB field being plentiful.

Even more plentiful may be WR with Randy Moss again leading the pack after a 23 TD year last year. Don't expect a repeat performance but with a little luck he could get near 17 again. Last year Braylon Edwards (Browns) lived up to his no. 3 overall selection out of Michigan and caught 16 TD and looks to be dangerous enough to perhaps catch 20.

Targets like Larry Fitzgerald (Cardinals), Terrel Owens (Cowboys) and Reggie Wayne (Colts) are almost guaranteed studs, while Andre Johnson (Texans), Marques Colston (Saints) andBrandon Marshall (Broncos) to move up to the next level of elite receiver status.

Even the TE field is deeper than previous years with different projections coming from all over the place. The largest consensus is that Antonio Gates (Chargers) is still the top of the heap but with guys like Jason Whitten (Cowboys), Tony Gonzalez (Chiefs) and Kellen Winslow (Browns) there are more options than in previous years.

Quarterbacks remain about the same with a few exceptions including the emergence of the potent Cleveland offense and the surprise arrival of Derek Anderson, which many will pay a lot for. But with plenty of targets including newly signed Donte Stallworth the Cleveland offense has the potential to be the best in the NFL.

Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are the only elite QB at this point with Carson Palmer (Bengals), Drew Brees (Saints) and Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers) being very viable options.

As far as kickers go none should be better than Stepen Gostkowski (Patriots) but Nick Folk (Cowboys) should get plenty of opportunities.

Sleepers

A few guys to keep your eyes on and perhaps pay a round higher than you would normally think are below.

RB

Ronnie Brown (Dolphins) has the potential for huge numbers but can't stay healthy. Is healthy now and poised for a big year despite lackluster team. (watch for Ricky Williams as well)

Julius Jones (Seahawks) Will probably become premier back after leaving Marion Barber III's shadow in big D. Will battle through the remainder of training camp with Maurice Morris.

Michael Turner (Falcons) Finally out of LT's shadown Turner has poster very high numbers in yards per carry forever and should be watched very closely. Could be a superstar.

Ryan Grant (Packers)
Earnest Graham (Buccaneers)
Thomas Jones (Jets)
Brandon Jackson (Packers)
Chris Perry (Bengals)

WR

Bernard Berrian (Vikings)
Nate Burrleson (Seahawks)
Anthony Gonzalez (Colts)
D.J. Hackett (Panthers)
Jabar Gaffney (Patriots)
Jerry Porter (Jaguars)
Donte Stallworth (Browns)


Can't Miss Rookies

With all the hoopla surrounding Darren McFadden he is set up for failure even if he plays moderately well. However, there may be some sleeper options in terms of rookies and many think that McFadden might NOT even be the best rookie rusher.

Darren McFadden (Raiders) -- the backfield in Oakland will be crowded but McFadden seems to be the next heir to the bulk of carries but watch out as there are many options for the Raiders.

Johnathon Stewart (Panthers)-- Perhaps the best rookie rusher and someone that will get a large bulk of carries with the under-acheiving DeAngelo Williams alongside. Stewart is a power back and will get a lot of goal line carries.

Kevin Smith (Lions) -- Even though he went to a small school is stats were impressive (2,567 yds 30 TD, last year) and has the tools to be a rookie-of-the-year candidate.

Matt Forte (Bears) -- has the inside line at the starting job and averaged 200 yds per game last year in college.

Rashard Mendenhall (Steelers) Could be the heir apparent to a declining Willie Parker in Pittsburgh. Was a stud at Illinois last year in big games and had 19 TD.

Felix Jones (Cowboys)
Chris Johnson (Titans)
Ray Rice (Ravens)

I'm Back

So, after a long break, I'm back and ready to report.

Just wanted to let you know that I didn't forget about this.

Watch the Olympics tonight, not the Cubs game.

Phelps goes for Gold no. 2.

More to come. . .

Week(s) at Camp

Seemingly away from civilization for the past week, I have thought of many things to write about and upon but have not been able to take the time.

For those not in the know I have been working at Isanogel Camp outside of Muncie. I have accompanied a man by the name of Steve, who has downs syndrome.

The camp is a branch of Hillcroft Services, a mental health organization that I have had the luck to stumble upon.

The experience is more than can be put into words but helping people with what we consider as everyday functions; eat, bathe, etc. is very enlightening and leaves you with a melancholy feeling that cannot be described.

There is much more to say, I can say, but I will write in much more clear detail about the experience.

Dark Knight's hilarity

Last night I had the privilege, as my mother has said, to attend the Reds game with my comrades and counterparts from the FCBL.

The game was exciting thoroughly until the disappointment that ends most every Cincinnati sports event. I had a good time, got no trades done and made it out of GAPB without giving the organization any more money.

Today I am planning on seeing The Dark Knight, which has gotten rave reviews throughout the land and should be the choice view of the summer.

I am also working on a few things for the Star Press including one blog entry that details the changes at the fair, which WOULD include this statement, but I do not have the grit to send it in.

Yes, the scene is a bit more quiet now, the animals and their overseers have disappeared and I’m left with the fair’s more modern pieces of Americana; the midway, the shake-up stands and the teenage stroller pushers.

I mean seriously does that offend you? It sends a shot of adrenaline into my blood stream, fashioned from its hilarity and whit.

A few choice photos

OH MY JOSH!

Last night was one of the greatest scenes of athleticism I have ever seen.

Josh Hamilton offers came through my phone from my fellow FCBL owners as fast Hamilton placed balls 500 feet from the plate.

I sat in awe, mouth gaping open watching the heroic feat as it unfolded in front of me. To think that someone could hit 28 HR in one round would be only a dream, one that Hamilton himself claims to have had.

The night did not end as it seemed it would, as Hamilton was all tuckered out at the end allowing Justin Morneau the opportunity to win, even though Hamilton will be the one remembered from this night for years to come.

"Oh My Josh," ESPN had as its headline last night after the first round echoing the same reaction as the fans that sat watching what seemed to be the second coming for a few minutes.

Today I am going back to the fair before checking in for the night to watch the All Star game I have been complaining about.

One thing is for sure however, Hamilton won't be hitting 28 HR tonight. :(


Oh and read my blog.

Served Fresh Daily: my first fair blog post

First day at the fair and here is the inaugural post from the Delaware County Fairgrounds.

I hope to get a feed or a way of automatically getting my posts up as soon as I can on here.

Enjoy!

I'm officialy ready for the disapointment of football

Simply put, the Reds are done again before the All-Star break.

I will not watch anymore, I will not watch anymore. . . .

Fair weather fan

Tomorrow marks my first day of covering the fair from one angle or another.

Taking the plunge into something that is new to me should be fun but yet I hope it will be an entertaining project that showcases how much I enjoy just mingling and learning stories that I can in turn put on paper, so to speak.

I will place a link on this site to my fair blog, which at the present time is still unnamed but not without a significant effort my myself and my colleagues.

AND now on to the fair. Well, dinner then sleep then the fair.

Cheers!

Brennaman vs. Cubs

According to Hal McCoy Marty Brennaman the voice of the Cincinnati Reds will have added security tonight in Chicago and throughout the week. This comes as a result of the fallout from Cubs fans in regards to Brennaman's comments calling Cubs fans "the most obnoxious in all of baseball" after they threw a dozen baseballs on the field following an Adam Dunn home run April 17.

(Hal also scooped ESPN by about 10 minutes on the Cubs trade; they acquired Rich Harden from A's)

This comes in a long line of conflict between Cubs fans and the outspoken-long-time broadcaster. According this site some 'people' took it upon themselves to edit Brennaman's Wikipedia page adding a fake death that took place on this date, the opening game of the Reds series against the Cubs.

Lifting my opinion from this matter, the fact that there has to be more security for Brennaman shows a lack of confidence in the actions of Cubs fans. I would have to say that their fans tend to be more raucous and outspoken. I don't specifically see this reflect in loyalty as I consider fans from baseball cities like St. Louis and New York to be much more loyal and knowledgeable in terms of baseball and have had a much better history of winning.

This should make for an interesting series to say the least.

Fair Froth

On my mind today is not what is on my plate as the Reds open a 3-game series against that one team, for the life of me I can’t say because of hatred that continues to mount.

And also I am having difficulty getting a hold of sources for a story I should have finished. But in essence it is a timeless piece and can run at any time.

Also on my mind is the Delaware County Fair, which will fill me with activities to enjoy as well as report upon. I will have my own blog and will post something at least once per day next week and will get started as soon as tomorrow.

Apparently the editors were happy with my stories last week. One was about underage drinking and another about thrift stores and consignment shops.

I have to come up with a name for my fair blog, if there are any ideas floating out there feel free to let me know. (who am I kidding no one reads this thing anymore).

I have some great ideas to go with for next week especially but there are many more that I hope to stumble upon whilst at the DC fairgrounds.

All Star Snubs

I know, i know more baseball news but it has to be said.

The MLB All Star game went to a fan voting process a few years ago to give YOU and I more say in the process. In that time the All-Star balloting has become a popularity contest with the largest markets putting their players on the teams, while leaving out the best players at certain key positions.

This year brought the idiocy and hypocrisy to the forefront. NY, Chicago and Boston teams fill up the lineups yet only the Cubs are in first place. And while the Cubs are in first place their fans decided to vote for two of their outfielders that: A. are blatantly not the best at their positions in terms of hitting and B. not good defensively. Teamed with Ryan "I don't know what position I'm playing" Braun in LF, this should make for a 3 stooges episode reincarnation of an National League outfield.

And while we're on the topic of the CUBS it is interesting how the bias stretched to perhaps the most important position in baseball, seeing that Geovanny Soto will start over Atlanta's Brian McCann, the best catcher in the NL, and heads and shoulders better defensively than Soto. Amazing.

And in light of another blown save by Kerry Wood, what does Clint Hurdle do? He invites Wood to the All-Star game, and why not all his buddies are their including Aramis Ramirez, another knuckle-headed defensive baseball player who in his time would struggle to get weak grounders to first with a fish net and rocket launcher.

But again the Cubs sit in a large market, are in first place (for the time being), are shown on ESPN every week when the BoSox aren't on, and have A LOT of knuckle-headed fans pulling for them; ones that dismiss 100 years of history to act like buffoons at on the road any ballpark they see fit whenever their beloved-overpriced-early-season-wonder-of-a-team rolls in, only to have their brains beat out most of the time. (i.e. 20-26 on the road)

I will not rant about the American league because I don't care if they win. But for the most part they got at least their OF right. And they have better players to choose from and they actually have most of them starting at their respective positions.

NL lineup for 2008 All-Star Game

C	Geovany Soto, CHC
1B	Lance Berkman, HOU	S/L
2B	Chase Utley, PHI	L/R
SS	Hanley Ramirez, FLA	R/R
3B	Chipper Jones, ATL	S/R
OF	Ryan Braun, MIL	R/R
OF	Kosuke Fukudome, CHC	L/R
OF	Alfonso Soriano, CHC	R/R

My Lineup would be:

C	Brian McCann, ATL	S/R
1B	Lance Berkman, HOU	S/L
2B	Chase Utley, PHI	L/R
SS	Hanley Ramirez, FLA	R/R
3B	Chipper Jones, ATL	S/R
OF	Ryan Braun, MIL	R/R
OF	Ryan Ludwick, St.L	L/R
OF	Matt Holiday, COL.	R/R

The subs are a joke as well but I don't even want to get into it because I'm fed up with it. All Star voting should not be in the hands of the fans.

And before you say it, I am not mad that only one Red made it to the All-Star team, I could care less. However Brandon Phillips is much better than at least 5 of the 2b's who received more votes in the NL, including Mark DeRosa. You've got to be kidding me.

What the Reds are looking at

And here we find the Cincinnati Reds at 39-47, past the halfway point of the year and 11 ½ games out of first. The season is not over as the Cubs continue to falter and in general the National League shows its inferiority to the American League.

The Reds pitching has been a quiet surprise at times, while disappointing also. Aaron Harang leads the charge as the most disappointing starter this side of Bronson Arroyo, who I wasn’t counting on as much anyway. Homer Bailey can be added to this list as well.

Edinson Volquez seems to be the find of a generation even though Josh Hamilton is equally impressive out West. Johnny Cueto seems to be coming around more and more and seems to be a lock in the rotation for the next 10 years.

Relief pitching has been OK. There seems to be more stability with a hammer in middle relief, Jared Burton. And with closer Francisco Cordero the Reds have a nice 1-2 punch. However David Weathers has struggled and aside from the 8 and 9 inning guys the Reds do not have good bullpen by any measure.

On offense, it has been interesting, to say the least. Consistency is something that can attach more to the policies of a Washington decision maker, than to the Reds offense.

Going down the lineup it screams inconsistency and just bad decision making by GMs. Corey Patterson should be gone and should not be on this team. Jeff Keppinger has been the most consistent offensive producer. Junior Griffey has been disappointing as a 3 hitter and seems destined to live in the 3 hole for as long as he is on this team. To me, he is a 7 hitter at this time in his career, on this team. No more, no less; if you can get less.

Dunn is always inconsistent and his lack of contact is hurting the team. He also seems like Pedro Cereno in Major League, as he is afraid to swing the bat for fear of “killing gnats.” Phillips has been ok but is not improving, as he has plenty of improvement room at the plate. He unlike Dunn does not take a pitch and often swings at the first pitch he sees, ruining rallies, killing spirits and slowly adding to a 8th straight losing season.

Encarnacion; more inconsistency from a player that has one of the highest ceilings on the entire roster. Seems lost and uninterested at the plate oftentimes but has the ability to hit game winning homeruns on command. Ross. . .I am getting sick to my stomach as I didn’t realize the poor structure of this roster.

Jerry Hairston Jr. has been times better than the other junior, and has been one of the nicest surprises of the season.

What to do now.

The lineup is full of inconsistent left-handed bats. Acquiring a right-handed hitter would be a goal of mine if I ran this team. Targeting someone like Alex Rios would be something the Reds might have looked into, but might get a better price tag on after a less than stellar season.
You have to wonder if Hairston Jr. can fit the bill as a leadoff hitter, as he has been good this year. His age plays a factor and the fact that he hasn’t been successful with any degree of consistency, hence the journeyman tag. I’d like to see Phillips draw more walks and be more patient, giving him the ability to be a leadoff hitter but it seems at this point in his development he is unable to look at more than 2 balls. But perhaps he can, look at the comparison of what Aramis Ramirez is doing this year.

No. 2
Keppinger is a lock for the two spot. Period.

No. 3

At this point Joey Votto has been the most consistent hitter and he deserves to be the no.3 hitter. However Jay Bruce is a natural born no. 3 hitter and with a bit more maturity, perhaps by this time next year, Bruce will fit this spot just as well as some of the best in the game.

No. 4

If not 3 for Votto, here is the perfect fit. Imagine Bruce then Votto for the next 15 years back to back, it gives me goosebumps.

No. 5

Ideally E. Encarnacion is the No. 5 hitter and has the potential to be the No. 3 as his ceiling has not been reached. I look for him to settle down the rest of the way and hit close to .280/.360/.530 with 28 HR and 75 RBI. He will break out. . . he will break out. . .

No. 6

Encarnacion can fit well here if the Reds do not address their right-handed bat dilemma. Like I said a trade even at the deadline for A. Rios, although the Reds won’t be buyers as much, or

No. 7, 8

Catcher needs to be addressed and I don’t mean signing Bako longterm. I mean by way of trade during the deadline or offseason as there isn’t much on the free agent market and to be honest there isn’t too many catchers out there that are that impressive. I still say the Reds make a move at Jeff Clement in Seattle, C. Iannetta in Colorado or even Gerald Laird in Texas.

I look for the

A lineup like this would be appealing, IF a lot of things happen however.

1. J. Hairston jr.
2. J. Keppinger
3. J. Bruce
4. J. Votto
5. A. Rios – This can happen.
6. B. Phillips
7. E. Encarnacion
8. Catcher
9. Pitcher

News of the weird, Reds Lose

More great news this morning starts in the motherland where one fish may have been so upset with the Euro Cup final that he took his own life.

Jumping back across the pond a woman crashed her car into a now, not-so-convenient store before getting out and buying a six-pack.

Starbucks is closing 600 stores. That’ll teach ‘em for selling $6 cups of coffee. And lastly in the Hoosier state, Lafayette more specifically, a boy suffered burns after he ignited the body of a dead deer.

Last night we and by we I mean Andi, Mike, Kyle and I went to the Heorot, yes, I know again. We hung out for a while before heading back to the apartment to discuss movies, politics, language, Americanism and the size of our apartment.

This morning I awoke with baseball on my mind, as the Redlegs failed in extra innings last night. Tonight is the rubber match of the 3-game set at GABP against the Pirates.

On the mound tonight is Darrell Thompson who I am optimistic about as a good 4 or 5 starter when everything pans out for everyone else.

I think I’ll post about what the Reds need to do, seriously. Stay tuned.

Weird News, Trip I Should Have taken

Moe, a toilet-trained chimp is missing in a Calif. forest, while a man was arrested for walking around in questionable gear.

Some weirdos went skinny dipping in a reservoir and the city is taking action. Some woman had her house destroyed and is suing because it was the wrong house.

The trip I should have done.

Today I was reading a story about the lack of criticism from Sharm El-Sheikh on Robert Mugabe the ‘new’ president of Zimbabwe.

However as I began reading my attention slipped to just focusing on Sharm El-Sheikh, a city on the coast of the Red Sea, near Mount Sinai, in Egypt.

Rewinding back 3 months: There I was running down the escalator to make it to the eastbound Central Line train to Tottenham Court Road, in London.

As I hopped over a suitcase, three kids and a bum with a Tesco bag full of belongings I bended right and just missed the doors as that nice lady chimed: “Please do not obstruct the doors,” in North-London draw.

So I stood watching to train fleet from me as I waited for the next one that, according to the overhead illuminated board, would be here in two minutes.

Then, there it was: an advertisement from EasyJet for £99 roundtrip flight to Sharm El-Sheikh, the jewel of the Red Sea.

I thought how neat it would be to go to Egypt for a weekend or one of my weekend trips, but never thought of flying to Sharm and then taking a train or bus to Cairo, where I really wanted to go.

Gosh, why didn’t I book that as I look at the pictures now and as I discover that in addition to the only $200 flight, there is a bus via Super Jet Bus Co. that costs only £6.

Woulda Shoulda Coulda. Bollocks.