This year, I...

I'm not much on holidays. In fact, I can't think of one, including my birthday if that counts, that I care about. To me, they're all just another day.

Regardless, I think the time around the New Year is as good as any to take inventory on life and set realistic goals for the future. I've never really done this in the past, but this year, I'm going to commit some stuff in writing in an effort to get to the next level.

2004 was a year. Not good, not bad, it just was what it was. There were a lot of positives for me, and a lot of negatives. I kept my job and avoided a financial meltdown by robbing Peter to pay Paul. All smoke n mirrors kept me afloat. And while I'm still employed, with a bigger office and a nice raise, this is the first time in many years that I really feel that my job took an emotional and physical toll on me. Reversal of that trend is key to my happiness.

So, for 2005:

I resolve to be more healthy. I'm already a vegetarian, and my weight has been a consistent 155 lbs for over a decade, but I need to do more to get back into shape. I need to go back to drinking a smoothie every morning (recipe below) and eating more fresh veggies, less processed food. I almost never eat out, but when I do, I've got to avoid fried foods. I also gave up drinking hard alcohol nearly 10 years ago, but I still drink beer and wine. I average probably 2 drinks a day, usually cheap beer. So I think I'll cut back on the beer but continue with the red wine. I also want to do another cleansing fast to rid my body of the toxins built up over the past few years. I've done cleansing fasts before, for 7-, 5- and 3-day periods. This year, I'd like to do at least two long ones. And I need to work out more. I started running and lifting again last fall, but when the cold weather came, I stopped. I need to invest the $200 in some free weights and a bench and get back at it. I've got lean muscles now, I just need to define them more. And no coffee. Kicking this junk habit will suck for a few days, but I got to lay off the stuff. I discovered yerbe mate in 2004, so I'll try to substitute that...

I need to finish all my home remodeling projects. I've been here a few years and I need to stop living in a house that's half done and get down to enjoying it.

I need to find a new job.

Musically, I need to finish downloading all my CDs to iTunes. Then I need to sell those CDs for some cool cash. I also need to transfer all my cassette tapes to digital. Video too.

I need to learn more Spanish.

Sexually, I need to get laid more often and in more creative ways. I got back on my feet this year, and over the past 6 weeks, I had three mind blowing sessions with porn star model material and that needs to continue. I need to get back into threesomes - MFM, and maybe my first FMF. That would be nice. I need to work on my massage skills, especially foot massages, which I used to be great at... I need to wear more sexy underwear (or none at all). Like my fraternity pal turned NY actor says - "Never white. When a girl's goin down on you, and she sees those yellow spots, that's not a sign to slow down, that's a sign to stop. You can do stuff to black underwear that would make a billy goat puke."

Not sure if this counts, but I need to keep playing softball. Last year was my first full season in 8 years and I loved it. I surprised myself by hitting the cover off the ball. And while I've always had a good glove, I disappointed myself by making a few bad plays in the field. I'm used to playing outfield, not shortstop, so I'm sure that had something to do with it. Did I mention I'm left handed? When was the last time you saw a lefty playing short? The fact that the manager saw fit to put me at the most important position on the field in spite of that handicap speaks volumes to my ability as a player. I'm ready to get back on those fields in Lincoln Park right now.

NO DEBT. Do a budget and stick to it, every month.

Write more. That is what this blog is all about - an exercise to get me back in the habit of writing daily. It doesn't matter what I write about. I've got a box full of binders full of ideas for everything from short stories and flash fiction to screenplays. And I've got contacts in the business a lot of people would kill for. I've got to take advantage of this, get my stuff out there, get some cash, buy an island and flip you hillbillies the bird as I sail off into the sunset with my harem. I've got to keep at it, a little bit every day.

Even though my life is not ideal, its still pretty great, and I resolve to be thankful for every moment.

SMOOTHIE:
combine in a blender
1 fresh banana
3 frozen strawberries
2-3 frozen mango pieces
2-3 pieces canned pineapple
1/4 cup frozen blueberries
8 oz calicum enriched orange juice
4 oz soy milk
2 table spoons reduced fat peanut butter
2 table spoons wheat germ
squirt of Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate syrup
BLEND, dummy!

The positive side of having the stomach flu

A few days before Xmas, I caught some nasty bug that upset my stomach. I wasn't throwing up, but for a period of 36 hours, all I consumed was three chocolate oatmeal cookies, a smoothie, and two cokes. Normally, I don't drink soda, but there is something in the carmalized carbonation of cola that settles my stomach. So I didn't have a drop of alcohol for four days... that's the positive side...

Conversely, the negative side of Xmas is that I drink all day. Not a "drunk", but a few glasses of champagne while opening presents, one of those presents is usually a big beer, which I drink with lunch, and some wine with dinner. By the end of the day, I felt right again, albeit guilty.

I hope all my many readers - both of them -had a happy holiday and got every material possession their lil selfish heart desired. Being financially challenged, I only spent a few hondo this year, and gave more of myself thru things like decorating and spending time with people. Sadly, that didn't include the opportunity to munch on some lucky lady for a few hours. Luckily, no one spent a lot on me to make me feel guilty. I did get a few nice things. Notably, a cousin gave me the John Stewart Daily Show book on America. I had seen this on the best seller list but had dismissed it as another Al Franken Michael Moore style rant. And while I'm super liberal and love those guys, I've kinda had enough. The America book is nothing like that. Its apathetic genius, formatted like a high school history book. Hilarious. One of my lady friends gave me some White Sox gift certificates, which can be used just like real money any where at New Comiskey. I'll probably use it for tickets, though I'd rather use it for a 1959 fitted hat, or beer. Billy Pierce's picture was on this alternative currency - bet he never thought he'd receive such a high honor. My Starbucks boycott has been maintained, but since I got a $10 gift card, I've been forced to go. I guess I have no problem paying $1.61 for a cup of coffee if its somebody else's money. Since Cousins raised their prices, now I don't even have an alternative, so I guess I'm going to give up coffee. Probably for the best. I can't afford it, financially and don't need it physically.

I saw a few movies over the weekend. "Polar Express" was OK, until Aerosmith showed up. I went into "The Incredibles" thinking I'd dislike it, and walked away extremely satisfied. Man, Pixar has yet to make a bad film. They're so funny and creative. You have watch their movies 5 or 10 times to get all of it. I swear, "Toy Story 2" is not only one my all times favorites, I think its one of the best films ever made, period. There's a lot in there...

On tuesday I comingled with the hillbillies from DeKalb and the Cavepeople from Iowa at the Art Institute to stare at them pretty pictures on the walls. I was there for one purpose- to see the "Unbuilt Chicago" exhibit before in closed next month. I was hoping to see all kinds of wacked out designs, but walked away disappointed. Most of the unbuilt structures were undistinguished office buildings, or random row houses. Snooze. There were a few things on the Columbian Expo of 1893, and a few others that concentrated on redesigning the lakefront, but nothing on Armour Square Field.

My company is matching donations for the tital wave victims dollar-for-dollar. So I'm collecting money from family and friends whose companies aren't doing that, as well as making my own donation, and then having the corporation double it.

happy holidays

happy holidays.

Here's hoping my holidays wishes cum true.

Sox get a tangerine..or a lump of coal

The Miami Herald is reporting that the Sox are close to signing Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez from the Yankees. El D spent all of 2003 on the bench with an arm injury. It appears he's bounced back a bit - his 2004 numbers are respectable: 8-2, 3.30 ERA in 15 starts, he struck out 84 in 84 IP. Reports vary on his age, but he's almost certainly pushing 40... Youn ever know with these Cubans. So you have to again wonder what KW is thinking. Can El D give the Sox 25-30 starts and pitch 200 innings? Will both he and fellow countryman Contreas elevate each others' performance?

Planco has re-signed with Philadelphia. So it looks like the Sox may go after either Alex Cora or David Eckstein as a platoon infielder. the Cheat (link at right) has a good piece about it from a few days back. Looks like Eckstein has some speed, which the Sox need...

So if the Sox sign both El D and Eckstein, that should put them right at about $70 mil...

Press releases are all over the Sox official site. the most exciting of them details the new green seats being installed over the next 2 seasons at new Comiskey... It does make the park look sharp(er).

Words and music - more holiday ideas

I generally reject the entire notion of buying into most manufactured holidays and the hyper-consumerism that along with them, especially this one. But I'm big on words and music. So I'll throw some ideas out there for that "hard-to-buy-for" person, as I believe books make especially great gifts. I'm not giving any music ideas, because I believe that the best route is for people to simply take the music they like for free off the internet - ahh the magic of technology. But just in case, here's few ideas:
-The Exotic Sounds of Martin Denny
-the Best of Rosa Passos
-Ted Leo & The Pharmacists "Shake the Sheets"
-Cucho Valdes "New Conceptions"

Some books I purchased for others this holiday are "Angela's Ashes", which I also want to read after seeing the film. Apparently, it won a Pulitzer. A close college friend is heading down under, so I'm picking up a copy of Lonely Planet's guide to Eastern Australia for him. And "The Polar Express" for a kid I know with train on the brain...

Here's some of my favorites over the past few years that are readily available at cheap prices online or at your local bookstore. Based on this blog, their oriented more towards sports and sex.
-Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand
-Dark Star Safari by Paul Threoux
-The Easy Hour by Leslie Stella
-Manhole Covers by Mimi and Robert Melnick
-Ty Cobb by Charles Alexander
-Papa Bear by Jeff Davis
-Best American Erotica 2004
-Three Way; Erotic Stories by Alison Tyler
-the Complete Peanuts 1953-54

I just finished up "The Best American Short Stories of 2003". I've read the annual collection every year since 1992, and while there are always a few really goond ones, there are always a lot of stories that I don't like. This year was different and about 75% of the stories are ones that I really enjoyed. Must be the editing of Walter Mosley. I can't explain it...

Not sure what I'll start in on after the holidays. I'll probably quickly finish up both Dickens "Hard Times" and Old D's "Crime and Punishment." I have a biography of Napoleon that's been sitting on my bedside stand for a year, but its so big its scary. I usually plow thru bios pretty fast, so maybe I'll take that on before I hit James Farrell's "Studs Lonigan" trilogy this spring...

Friday night I didn't get sex, but I did help bake some ooey gooey chocolate chip cookies.

Big weekend planned with family coming into town. We'll be doing the hillbilly thing, as I'm being forced to chaperone their rural asses down to North Michigan Ave to see the pretty lights. Ugh!

SOX NEWS:
I see the Sox signed Clement. Those Sox being the ones that are Red. I'm not happy about it, I really thought we'd see him on the southside for sure in 05. The Lee/Pods trade made some sense to me until today, when the Sox resigned Timo Perez while letting Clement get away. Check out today's Cheat's blog (link below or at right) as he says it better than I ever could.

The Sox also have picked up Bobby Jenks (RHP) off waivers from Anaheim.
"Jenks, 23, battled arm problems in 2004, going 0-2 with a 10.71 ERA (23 ER/19.1 IP) in five starts at three different stops, including Class AAA Salt Lake. He underwent elbow surgery on July 20. Jenks was a fifth-round pick by the Angels in 2000 and was ranked as Anaheim's fifth-best prospect by Baseball America in 2004."

Music I listened to today - Big Country, High Llamas, Brian Eno, Hooverphonic (great sex music)...

Sex Fool in the City

I've removed the link to the "Sex and Moxie" blog (at right, or below). After reading this blog for a few months I'm fully convinced that the author - "Moxie" - is probably some fat 50 year old bald guy. Even if that's not the case, the erotic fiction blog is nothing more than a promotional tool for a dating service. There are tons of great sex blogs out there, and I'll post a great one as soon as I find it.

Speaking of sex, I got laid last night. What is it about thursday nights and women needing me between their legs? I guess I shouldn't ask, huh? Like the last two times, it started with a long, slow, relaxing massage... But unlike the last two times, this was not a marathon session of hard core porn star pound fucking that tested my limits. Instead, it was a slow, sensous session, with lots of long, deep, wet thrusts... the kind where you can really feel every little thing. About 15 minutes was all I could take before I unloaded deep inside her...

Can't wait for the weekend. I hope there's more where that came from....

Ole Ole oh shut up...

CONCACAF 2006 World Cup qualifying enters its final round next year. Games for the US team have just been released, though the locations of the home games are TBA...

Feb. 9 USA @ Trinidad
Mar. 26/27 USA @ Mexico
Mar. 30 Guatemala @ USA
Jun. 4 Costa Rica @ USA
Jun. 8 USA @ Panama
Aug. 17 Trinidad @ USA
Sept. 3/4 Mexico @ USA
Sept. 7 USA @ Guatemala
Oct. 8/9 USA @ Costa Rica
Oct. 12 Panama @ USA

This is bad for the US. I was at the game vs Mexico in Columbus, Ohio in Feburary 2001 (Or was it 02?) and the only reason they won was due to the frigid weather conditions. The dates do not favor this type of creative scheduling this time round.... Nevertheless, the US will still be in the hunt, and my CNN buddy with the ticket hook up will make the trip north for any games in Cowtown... The US also doesn't play well in the heat, which likely means a loss at Mazatanango in Sept...

Thank God for eBay. Made a quick $600 in the past few weeks, which will go a long way towards Xmas presents. Sold my frequesnt flyer miles...

The way it looks now, I'll be getting laid tonight... Details tomorrow...

Holiday gift giving list

I'm a little jealous of the Sox blogger over at MVN (http://whitesox.mostvaluablenetwork.com/). He gets to laze about in the Puerto Rican sun watching the winter league, and today he flashes his 2005 Sox tickets that just arrived the mail. Ah, the joys of being single, employed and in your mid-30s.

Still, it got me thinkin about some gift ideas for the coming holiday mess. Since most of my readers - if there is anyone actually reading this - are Sox fans, or at the very least, baseball fans, here's a few ideas to fit all budgets:

1) a book from STATS, Inc. The nerds up north crunch numbers better than anyone. And yeah, that includes the Baseball Prospectus people. At the recommendation of a great baseball mind, I picked up BP for the first time this year and was very disappointed. Reading it now its so funny it should be filed in the humor section of your local bookstore - their editorial scouting reports are so far off, you'll piss yourself laughing. STATS is the way to go. www.amazon.com
2) White Sox gift certificates. They can be used for tickets, I'm not sure what else. Buy off the link at www.soxtalk.com.
3) something Sox related off eBay. Lots of cool vintage, unique and cheap stuff out there. I know this because I just sold some... www.ebay.com
4) vintage item from Stall & Dean. Pricey, yes, but they have a warehouse sale every March, so maybe just get a gift certificate if you've got that kind of money. www.stallanddean.com

Rule 5, Part 2:
from the Sox official press release:
"The Chicago White Sox selected right-handed pitcher Ryan Warpinski and outfielder Sean Smith this morning in the minor-league phase of the Rule 5 draft.
Warpinski, 23, was selected from the Florida Marlins. The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder went a combined 5-4 with a 3.61 ERA (28 ER/62.1 IP) and 48 strikeouts in 16 relief appearances last season at Class A Jupiter and Class A Greensboro. Warpinski missed the entire 2003 season with a right shoulder injury and is 7-8 with a 3.18 ERA (49 ER/138.2 IP) in 31 games (15 starts) over two seasons in the Marlins organization.
Smith, 22, was taken from the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 5-foot-10, 180-pound righty batted .250 (72-288) with four home runs and 33 RBI in 87 total games between Class A Lynchburg, Class A Hickory and Advanced Rookie Williamsport. Smith, a 2000 graduate of Joliet Central High School, has hit .246 (167-678) with 10 home runs and 77 RBI in 210 games spanning five minor-league seasons."

Also, pitchers and catchers report to Tucson on Feb 16. All the rest on the 21st.

Hot stove league heats up

Where to begin...

Winter meetings:
The Sox end the winter meetings by pulling off a huge deal - trading Carlos Lee to Milwaukee for Podsednik and Luis Vizcaino. I'm not going to bother quoting a lot of stats for Lee or Pods. Suffice to say the Sox cup has runeth over with power, which made Lee (or Konerko) expendable. Lee had also worn out welcome on the southside. So Pods, 2003 NL Rookie of the year, takes over somewhere in the outfield. He had a sophmore slump last year, attributed to a change in hitting style, but still led the majors in stolen bases. He'll bat lead off, hopefully increase his OBP, steal a lot of bases and score some runs. At age 29, he's a paitent hitter, but will need to increase his BA and OPB in 2005- it could be vital to Sox success. His numbers in the minors make 2003 look like a fluke season. I'll guess we'll find out the hard way.

Vizcaino is a right-handed set up man. He has apparently recovered from a mysterous shoulder injury in 2003. He can pitch into the 90s with good control. He strikes out a lot more than he walks, so his ERA could be a product of the Brewers lack of offense. We'll see how he fits into an incresingly crowded bullpen.

Getting rid of Lee does free up some cash, presumely to obtain a quality starting pitcher. If that happens, if Dye is healthy, if Pods improves over 2004... you see where I'm going with this - that's a lot of "ifs."

I'm not going to sit back and rip this trade to pieces. To paraphrase the great Sammy Hagar, only time will tell if (this trade) stands the test of time. However, I think the Sox could've got more for Lee, like a #1 starting pitcher. Ben Sheets must be locked up tight, because his name never even came up... But even getting a starter like Sheets, the Sox still would've had a few mil left over to go after Planco. So, I don't get the Vizcaino part of the trade either...because, even with all these moves in the past week, the Sox still failed to address their two biggest gaps - a back-up/challenger for Harris/Crede with a high average and OPB (Polanco?), and, more importantly, a #1 starting pitcher...

RULE 5:
The Sox select two players in the Rule 5 minor league draft. Ryan Warpinski and Sean Smith. Neither generates much excitement on paper. Smith is an outfielder with some speed. Look for them down on the farm in 2005. Conversely, the Sox lose the undistinguished Jhonny Rivera (Great Falls) to Tampa.

The Sox also released Dan Wright, who was in the Sox 2004 starting rotation when the team came north. He promptly went 0-4 with an ERA above 8. As bad as that was, things got worse after he was sent to Charlotte in early May, where he lost the only two games he pitched, giving up 17 ER in just over 5 innings for a whopping 28.69 ERA. Not sure why he fell so hard so fast, and I can't find any info why he stopped pitching after July 28.

2005 tickets on sale January 14:
- for all games except the Cubs...

Spring training report dates announced:
But not posted...

FOX Sports World suggestion box

I love the medium of television. Even though I don't watch it that much, having access to information and entertainment on hundreds of channels 24/7 still amazes me. During my rare downtime, I'm much more likely to pick up a book than watch tv. But recently, especially since I've increased the size of my set from 20 inches to 36, I'm watching a bit more. Seems like there is always something interesting on...

I probably watch a lot less sports than the average, 30ish male. But I probably watch more international sports - such as Aussie Rules Football and soccer. So I was thrilled a year or two back when I finally got access to FOX Sports World. I had this notion in my head that I would get a wide variety of interesting sports programming from across the globe - day long cricket matches, hurling, chariot races... However, almost all of their programming seems to be soccer, and almost exclusively English Premier League. Now, don't get me wrong, I like watching Liverpool play to a 0-0 draw twice a week as much as the next hooligan. But all this talk of the winter league baseball got me thinkin...

I think there is a base of hard core baseball nuts who would love to see Winter League ball- live or taped delayed - from the likes of Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Venezeula, and Mexico. Certainly more than care about a match up between Santos and Corinthinas in the Brazilian futbol league. Probably even more than care for the NFL Europe. It would be like watching spring training year round.

There are, however, some challenges to providing this. While these fine 2nd world nations all have electricity and television, I'd imagine the logistics and expense would make this venture risky - I'm not sure FSW would be willing to take that chance. Second, after reading the "Exile in Wrigleyville" posts on games in PR, it sounds like the culture of the countires means the games may not always start on time. In fact, they could be rather late. Maybe a tape delay could work this out.

Anyways, its a thought... and one I haven't heard before.

South of the Border

With only about two weeks left to go, I figured now would be a good time to provide my many readers with an update on how some Sox prospects are performing in the winter leagues. I'll provide another update when the seasons end - in early Janurary. So here's the latest from the Banana Republics:

Puerto Rican League: Jose Santiago (P - Carolina Giants) is 2-1 with a 3.14 ERA in just over 28 IP. He's given up 24 hits and struck out 13 while walking just 5. Andres Torres (OF - Mayaguez Indians) has played every game and is batting .222, with a homer, 6 RBI and 2 stolen bases. However, he's struck out 19 times in 72 plate appearances. Andy Gonzalez (SS - Ponce) is batting .258 with 2 homers and amd 5 RBI, but he's also got 7 errors. I'm not giving updates on Valentin or R. Alomar, since they're gone.

Dominican Republic League: Felix Diaz (Tigres Del Licey) has a 5.91 ERA in 10 and 2/3rds IP, giving up 17 hits and 7 earned runs while striking out only 2 and walking 4. Arnie Munoz (P - Aguilas Del Cibao) is having a great winter league season in a relief role- 1-0 with an ERA of 0 and get this - 5 games, 5 IP, he's given up only 5 hits and struck out 7.

Venezuelan League: Eduardo Villacis (P - Caracas Leones) is 1-1 with a 2.92 ERA, walked 8 and struck out 14. Josh Fields (P - Occidente Pastora) is 0-2 with a horrific 10.38 ERA in 4 relief apperances. He's only pitched 4 innings, but he's given up 5 earned runs on 9 hits... yikes!

Mexican League: Frank Campos, 32, (P - Mazatlan Deer, though he's misidentified in an MLB.com article I read as being with Campeche) is 4-2, with a 4.41 ERA in 49 IP, he's started 10 games, walked 17, struck out 51 and given up 4 homers. Tetsu Yofu, 31, (P -Guasave Cottoners) is 5-3, 4.22 ERA. He's started 10 games and given up 49 hits and 8 homers in 53 IP. He's stuck out 45 and walked 33.

I got laid last night - first time since my session three weeks ago. She looked a lot like Anna Benson, oddly enough... It wasn't as hot or sweaty, but still very passionate. After a long foreplay of massage and touching, I flipped her over, removed her tight red panites, and slowly entered her. Long, deep kisses and lots of hand work... Missionary style the entire time, but we were locked in a pretty tight embrace and rolled around quite a bit... Lots of licking and neck biting. After about 15 minutes, I asked "Are you ready for me?" "Yeah," she replied, "Put it on my belly." Mission accomplished. Cleaned up and slept like a baby... Hopefully more tonight...

Loose ends

Two other minor, notable moves for the Sox:

On Nov. 24, they signed Kevin Walker, a 28 year old LHP who spent most of 2004 toiling away at Class AAA Fresno for the San Francisco Giants organization, going 1-3 with a 4.26 ERA in 69 2/3IP. In the bigs in '04, he pitched just 1 and 2/3rds in 5 relief appearances for the Giants, and managed to rack up a 16.20 ERA. He's a bit better than that horrific stat suggests - in five major-league seasons, Walker has gone 7-2 with a 4.45 ERA, 95.0 IP, in 113 games, with all 7 of those wins coming 4 years ago with San Diego. Looks like he'll be added, along with Hermanson, to the glut of middle relievers competiting in spring training to start the season in Chicago. More likely, he'll wind up in Charlotte, and we'll see him in september, 2005.

Kelly Wunsch was lost to the LA Dodgers, though I can't find an offical news release on this.

I also read an article about KW at the winter meetings, where he comes right out and says the Sox just don't any money left to spend, and they'll likely start the season with the team they've got. So don't expect any big news... However, those quotes lead me to believe a trade is in the works for early in the season involving a big name like Lee. With the addition of Dye, that seems more likely than ever.

Speaking of "loose ends"... I'm not a fan of Howard Stern - I'm more of a Steve Dahl guy from way back in the day - but he had an interesting interview with Anna Benson, uber-hot nympho wife of Met pitcher with a girlie name - Kris Benson. Benson is from the frozen shores of Superior, Wisconsin, and was the #1 draft pick in 1996, but hasn't done much in the majors, other than make millions of dollars he doesn't deserve. After the Pirates got fed up with his injury-prone arm, the Mets took a chance and signed him to a one-year contract last year. He gave them 31 starts and 200 IP, but could only amass a Jerry Koosman-like 12-12 record. His ERA was above 4, and he struck out only 134. That was apparently good enough for the Mets to sign him up for a 3-year deal worth, get this - $22.5 million over 3 years. His gold-digging wife, meanwhile, is the headline grabber.

Apparently, from one story I read, she ran away from home at 16, got pregnant at 17, and raised the kid on her own by stripping. Enter Benson, who met her in - surprise- a strip club. They started dating and Anna, wack job that she is, claims they didn't have sex until they were "married." Since that time, she's bragged about their sexual exploits in various major league stadiums. On Stern's show, Dirtbag Anna revealed her brillant strategy for keeping her pro athelete in check - they guys have been known to be, uh, "unfaithful", on occassion ya know. Her strategy? If she catches Kris cheating, she'll bang the entire Met team - including trainers, coaches, grounds crew and the bat boy. I know what you're saying - "What a classy gal"., but I admire her honesty.

I've read some funny posts on www.soxtalk.com about the signs Kris Benson will see from opposing fans. Stuff like "Anna Benson Glory Hole" and "Hey Anna I saw a tape of Paris Hilton with Kris, and I just signed a contract with the Mets". He deserves it. Moron.

I've seen her pics, and yeah, she's hot... but no more than other groupie. Apparently, based on her quotes, she's also a major head case. Poor hillbilly Kris Benson may be in a bit over head. Wanna take bets on how long it takes her to blow Kris' millions on shoes? Her website drones on about some charities she's given to, but that could dry up if she starts shoving Benson's contract money up her nose. We'll see how long it takes...

Music I'm listening to: Theivery Corp, Fourtet, Nightmare on Wax, Bowery Electric...

Sox sign Dye, Hermanson

I've finally got the info on Sox players in Puerto Rico and Venezuela from Jason Gage at Future Sox, but I won't provide an update now, because there is bigger news:

The Sox signed two injury prone mid level names in the past few days - journeyman middle reliever Dustin Hermanson, and outifelder Jermaine Dye.

Hermanson is a part of that highly touted pitching staff that came out Kent State in 1994. He's bounced around a lot in the past decade - 7 teams counting the White Sox. He put in more innings in 2004 than the past 3 seasons combined (counting his time in the minors). His stats suggest he's got good power but has been only mildly effective.

Dye is a power hitting outfielder who hits in streaks. Still, if 2004 is an indication, he's got some potential to put up fair numbers. He hits "all or nothing", but KW apparently felt he needed someone to fill in if Thomas can't come back early in 2005, and if Everett doesn't play well...

The Sox biggest holes - an infielder with a high OBP (and some speed) and a legimate #1 starter - remain. And now they've got less cash... Maybe a trade is a-brewin for Lee?

In lesser news, the Sox failed to offer arbitration to the Alomars, Mags, and Valentin. No surprises here...

To tease you bitches out there before my winter leauge round up, take a look at the latest blog from "Exile In Wrigleyville" - link here: http://whitesox.mostvaluablenetwork.com/. The author is in Puerto Rico taking in some games and filed some great reports, complete with cool pictures. Maybe next year I'll head down to Venezuela and do the same.... I hear the women down there are amazing...

Also, I know my links that used to be at the right are now at the bottom, but I don't know how to fix. I'll try to correct soon...