Southside Hall of Fame

In a fit of bordem, I tried to come up with a list of famous southsiders. And while just about all 78 Nobel laurates from U of C probably should be included, I've only chosen the sexy, heavy-hitter household names. The list is heavy on the Sox, for obvious reasons.

So, here it is - easyw's unoffical Southside Hall of Fame (feel free to add to the list):

Science:
Enrico Fermi
Subramanyan "Black Hole" Chandrasekhar

College Football:
Amos Alonzo Stagg
Jay Berwanger
Walter Eckersall

Economics:
Milton Freidman

Entertainment:
Steve Allen

Baseball:
Minnie Minoso
Harold Baines
Double Duty Radcliffe
Ron Kittle
Carlton Fisk
Bill Veeck
Luis Aparcio
Nellie Fox
Bill Melton
Luke Appling
Ted Lyons
Billy Pierce
Eddie Collins
Red Faber
Al Lopez
Charles Comiskey
Chico Carrasquel
Ozzie Guillen
Buck Weaver
Joe Jackson

Pro football:
Dick Butkus
Chris Zorich
Marv Levy
Charles Bidwell
Paddy Driscoll
Charles Trippi

Literature:
James T Farrell
Richard Wright
Saul Bellow
Carl Sandburg
Gwendolyn Brooks
Langston Hughes

Music:
Herbie Hancock
Quincy Jones
Mel Torme
Lou Rawls
Pop Staples
Buddy Guy
Muddy Waters
Gerri Oliver

Religion:
Elijah Muhamad
Louis Farraken

Painting:
Herman Menzel

Politics:
Jesse Jackson
Mayor Richard Daley the 1st
Mayor Richard Daley the 2nd
Harold Washington
Caroyn Mosely Braun
James "Genial Jim" Knight

Not that I've achieved much in life, unlike those listed above, but I did get laid last night! Enrico Fermi would be proud of the dynamic physics performed! I've spiced up the bedroom a bit by adding a red light and silk sheets. Kinda trashy, but kinda sexy as well. Last night began like the last few - a long massage, this time with the added lubricant of warming massage oil on a chill night. I advertised it to my MILF as a "no strings attached" session, but after 20 minutes, I slowly peeled away her panites, flipped her over and said, "That part about 'no-string attached'? That was a lie". She figured as much and welcomed my advances with open legs...

Tavern review: Schaller's Pump

Welcome to the second installment of Southside Adventure's Tavern Review. Previously, we had the positive experience of enjoying some fine ale and atmoshpere amingst the brainy noble prize winners and socially awkward U of C students at Jimmy's Woodlawn Tap on 57th in Hyde Park.

Today, I'll give my delayed two cents worth on another southside institution - Schaller's Pump at 3700 South Halsted St.

My first and last experience at Schaller's came on a saturday night last summer after one of the Sox-Twins games. I didn't go to the game, but made plans to meet my pal who works for the Twins after the game for some drinks. I brought along some arm candy, and here's how it went -

The best thing about Schaller's is the front door - a gorgeous old rounded thing with all kinds of intricate detail. Unfortnatuly that's not where you enter the joint. You have to go around the side, by the parking lot and enter thru what looks like a trailer. Once inside, the first timer is confronted by a choice - go right or go left. There is nothing to point anyone in the right direction to where cold drinks are being served. I guessed correctly and went left.

The good news was that place was packed and jumpin to music. the bad news is that the music was a Mel Torme lounge singer, and the crowd was in their 50s. No open spots at the bar, so we made our way to the only open table, which was at the far end of the back of the bar. The waitress gave us some menus, and plently of cross looks. The table seated 6, but we were only two, going to be three, and not ordering food. So we ordered two beers, and moved to stand near the jukebox.

We quickly finished our beers, and waited outside for my friend. When he arrived, we got in the car and went to a better place - Jak's Tap on West Jackson, which has amazing food and great drinks, but I won't review, since its on the west side, not the south.

So, Schaller's Pump. It is what it is, and it ain't for me.

Full Moon Fever In the Land of the Rising Sun

Its a done deal. the Sox have signed Iguchi. Amazing. The guy's stats in the Japanese league speak for volumes. Like a lot players coming over from the land of the Rising Sun, he might have some problems adjusting to life in George W. Bush's "McJesusland, Inc.", but once he's acclimated, look out. Even if he's only half as good as Matusi, this signing is a success for the Sox. The AL West is a done deal. Bring on the Yankess, the Red Sox, the Cubs, the Cards, the 'stros. There is going to be some be baseball on Chicago's southside this year. And in 2005 there is going to be a new World Series champion. And the name of that championship team is the Chicago White Sox!

Music I'm listening to today - Massive Attack, Everything But The Girl "Tempramental", "Endtroducing" by DJ Shadow, Bob Marley's "Legend" and Nick Lowe's very fine "Party of One" album... Moby's "Play", which a lot of people hate becuase it got so overplayed, but I love because it always reminds me of the time I spent living in London near Victoria Station....

Beer I'm drinking - Samuel Smith's Imperial Stout, which also reminds me of London and one of my favortie pubs - The Chandos, at the corner of William and St. Martins... though when I'm there I drink the bitter...

Two important questions for Sox fans

Old becomes new again

Hey Sox fans, please help me answer two important questions.

First, I've been thinking a bit about the colorful history of Sox uniforms. I really like the current ones - both home and away - which have been in place since the early 1990s. I think, however, that the black and white makes them look too much like the Yankees, even with the silver added. So here's question number #1 - what do think of the Sox replacing the silver in their current jerseys with the "sunburn red" that was around in 1959?

Second question, with so many new and young players on the Sox, what player - if any - will be the leader in the clubhouse this year?

Lame questions, I know. I blame the combo of TheraFlu, caffiene and cabin fever. But your input is appreciated, and thank you for your support.

Please stay tuned

I haven't posted in a week. The excuses for which are numerous and compounding; I'm swamped at work, sick, snowed in (and digging out) and thus, there have been no adventures on the southside. Sure, I could slum it like any blogger, and drone on about how I picked up my dry cleaning, ate mac n cheese and watched some lame movie (like "The Village"), but I'm not going to sink to that level...yet.

I have some topics I've been saving for a rainy day... I'll haul those out this week, if only to keep the interest of any daily readers out there (both of them!).

The 2005 Jose Cuervo Games of Winter

And the Gold Medal for drunken bikini-clad sombereo-wearing hot-bodied dancing/stripping/gyrating goes to - some slut from Michigan!

During those years inbetween Winter Olympics, I occuipy myself with the usual activities one assoicates with Feburary on Chicago's Southside, including, but not limited to, various forms of hibernation such as eating in, reading, examining AL Central depth charts, and watching a lot of movies on DVD, hopefully in the company of a warm female body. Occassionally, just to mix things up, I watch hockey, But with the NHL on strike this year, that is not an option.

Enter tequila, my savior.

For many years, I have heard rumors of a wild weekend of drinking games that takes place every Feburary at Snowshoe Mountain Ski Resort in West Virgina. I've been to Snowshoe before, but it was during the autumn months, for mountain biking not skiing, at a time when the hills explode into color resembling a huge bowl of Fruity Pebbles cereal. Well this year the "Jose Cuervo Games of Winter" falls the weekend of Feb 4, which is also Super Bowl weekend. Not ones to miss a marketing opportunity, the folks at Snowshoe are promoting the hell out of this wtih deals on 4-day packages. I went to school in southern Ohio, about a 30-minute drive from the border with WV. However, even from that close location, I was still a 7-hour drive to Snowshoe. My point is that this place is a long way from anywhere. You might as will be on the moon, so it probably has that "anything goes" attitude. Desperate housewives take note "what happens in Snowshoe, stays in showshoe", or some such nonesense.

It sounds like a fun time, and could be some bizarre sort of "The Dukes of Hazzard" meets "Hot Dog; The Movie." The only real good pictures I can find on line that documents the alleged madness of past events comes from an extremely strange website run by a bunch of 20-somehting white guys from suburban Detriot, who apparently think they are inner city gangstas.

Take a look here: http://www.tanddentertainment.com/tanddent_pages/page_main.htm

Then click on "PIXXX" in the left margin.

Beats the hell out of me what "T&D Entertainment" really does, but they better hope the IRS isn't watching - it looks fishy to me.

The Punishment of Knowledge Seekers

Short man, big book

This bio I'm reading on Napoleon is about 1/2 the size of a cinder block and nearly as heavy. I'll be happy when I'm done with it, and don't have to haul it around with me, especially as I commute to and fro on the train each day.

Last night my neighbor calls me out of the blue at 8 pm and tells me come right over and "Bring a wine glass." He's a guy who can be a bit of a wine snob, the same way I used to be a bit of a music snob, but he's mellowed just in the few years I've known him. I have some basic wine knowledge, and I've been to Napa three times in the past few years, plusFrance and Italy, but I don't spend on wine - I just don't have that kind of disposable income. For the past year or so, the only red I've bought is a gallon jug of Carlos Rossi Paisano, every month. I did find a cool Porteguese white at Trader Joe's that I like during the summer, and whenever I go camping I bring along a huge bottle of "Rhine" that mixes well with my cheap beer. So it was a treat last night to enjoy the super smooth, rich flavor of a good wine, maybe the best I've ever had. It was a Markham 96 Cab. When he bought it in 98 or 99, it probably cost him $20, but man has it aged well. I knew cabs were good in 98 and 99, and I've downed my share of those, but for my money, this was better.

So much for not drinking when I'm sick.

Go Go Sox, No Go Sox Fest

The good ol days

Probably a good thing I didn't bother to go to the autograph show that disguises itself as "SoxFest" over the weekend. While I"m sure it was a good time, and I'm sorry I missed the friday night gathering of all the Sox Bloggers and the regulars over at http://www.soxtalk.com/, if I would have spent the $300 on the package to go, it would have been a waste. Reason being - I got sick. There is some nasty bug goin around. Everybody I know, has it. Friends, family, co-workers...

And one of the worst things about being sick is not being able to enjoy a drink after work with dinner (or with lunch on the weekend). Probably a blessing in disguise. Plus, even though I got paid today, that money is long gone... "Take 15 tons..."

Two bits of Sox news:

The Sox resigned outfielder Aaron Rowand for 2 years, with some options. Great news. He's just coming into his prime...

Also, the Sox released the schedule of spring training games that will be televised. The last two of those games are exhibitons at Miller Park where they'll take on their former AL West rivals, the Milwaukee Brewers. April Fools Day in Milwaukee sounds nice, and at $5 a ticket, I'm tempted, but I think I'll pass.

2005 Chicago White Sox Spring Training Comcast SportsNet Schedule
Mon, March 7 vs. San Francisco 2 p.m. Tucson, AZ
Wed, March 9 at San Diego 2 p.m. Peoria, AZ
Thu, March 10 at Texas 2 p.m.* Surprise, AZ
Sun, March 13 vs. Colorado 2 p.m.* Tucson, AZ
Tue, March 15 vs. Angels 2 p.m. Tucson, AZ
Wed, March 16 at Kansas City 2 p.m. Surprise, AZ
Sat, March 19 vs. Kansas City 2 p.m.* Tucson, AZ
Sun, March 20 at Angels 2 p.m.* Tempe, AZ
Mon, March 21 vs. Arizona 2 p.m. Tucson, AZ
Tue, March 22 vs. Seattle 2 p.m.* Tucson, AZ
Wed, March 23 at Milwaukee 2 p.m. Maryvale, AZ
Thu, March 24 at San Francisco 2 p.m.* Scottsdale, AZ
Fri, March 25 vs. Milwaukee 2 p.m.* Tucson, AZ
Sat, March 26 vs. Texas 2 p.m.* Tucson, AZ
Mon, March 28 vs. Oakland 2 p.m. Tucson, AZ
Tue, March 29 at Colorado 2 p.m.* Tucson, AZ
Wed, March 30 vs. Arizona 2 p.m. Tucson, AZ
Thu, March 31 vs. Colorado 1 p.m. Tucson, AZ
Fri, April 1 at Milwaukee 7 p.m. Milwaukee, WI
Sat, April 2 at Milwaukee 1 p.m.* Milwaukee, WI
* -- Game replayed at 7 p.m.
All times Central time; Schedule subject to change

Chicago is currently in a deep, icy freeze, but I'm thinking warm thoughts, listening to a lot of Brazilian jazz, and watching "Rick Bayless; Mexico One Plate At A Time - the 3rd Season" on PBS. So, I think as soon as I'm feeling better, there is a Mexican feast in my future.

For the first time in decades, I find myself having some bizarre feelings of "baseball withdrawal."

Wet

Christ, could it be any wetter in Chicago. A foot of snow melts and then we get pounded with rain - all in the same day. What's next? Locusts?

Went out to dinner with the MILF last night. What is it about Asian fusion restaurants that is so sexy? The dim lighting? The simple clean decor? Whatever - I was happy to have enough pad thai leftover for lunch...

Start of the new year, so I have 25 vacation days to burn, plus 9 fixed holidays. I'm off every day the markets are closed. So last year, thanks to Reagan's death, we got an extra day. Can someone point the Grim Reaper in the direction of Gerald Ford's place? He counts, right? I mean, he was president, albeit, not an elected one... Maybe we'll only get a half day when he dies.

I have no vacation plans for this year. Maybe a trip or two to see relatives, a long camping weekend up in Wisconsin. thanks to my pal who works for the Minnesota Twins, I have an open invite to spring training. If the Sox were still in Sarasota, I'd be there. I would be a cheap vacation, after I burned some frequent flyer miles, all I'd have to pay for is food and beer. Probably wouldn't even have to rent a car. Nah...

If the hit counter on this blog is indeed accurate, about 50 people a day visit this page (though almost no one leaves a comment). That's way more than I ever expected. So it is probably a good time to restate the purpose of this blog...

Its nothing more than an exercise to get me back into the habit of writing everyday. So, I chose to write about baseball, since it happens nearly everyday for most of the year. Sure, there is a certain amount of vanity to blogs- I love seeing my words on the screen as much as anyone - but I've tried to keep the rhetoric focused on subjects other than myself and my life. No one wants to read the daily details of my boring situation - stuff like getting the oil changed in the car, taking out the trash, how I hate my job... blah blah blah. At least I haven't had to resort to fiction, though I might in the future. Speaking of fiction, if you're bored with your copy of the Communist Manifesto and need some bedtime stories to assist you in falling fast asleep, check out Moxie's lame ass, sad-sack, pity fest here: http://sexandmoxie.blogspot.com/.

I've tried to keep the subject matter on this blog interesting during the offseason by adding personal stuff about my sex life (which allows me to really stretch out and use lots of creative verbs and adjectives), some pop culture commentary, and an occassional rant on literature, music or politics.

When I began this blog 6 months ago, my idea was to examine some cultural, historical and current events on Chicago's character-rich, diverse and complex southside. And while I haven't really accomplished that - yet - I'll inject more about the area as the weather turns favorable and I get out more... and the crowds will return to 35th and Shields to watch baseball, as they have for over 100 years. So, hopefully, when viewed as an overall body of work, I will colorfully portray observations of local institutions from my unique perspective. And someone somewhere might find it enjoyable to read. Or not...

I'll try to post an (auto) biography of myself soon. But I have to be careful not to reveal too much about myself. I think I saw a co-worker reading my blog today.

Sox update

There is some Sox news these days on Chicago's cold and gray southside.

Single game tickets for the 2005 season go on sale friday at 10 am at the usual locations.

SoxFest is this weekend at the Hyatt on Wacker. I'm not going, but I think it might be cool to meet some of the other Sox bloggers. Maybe another time.

The Sox have acquired Travis Hinton (1B) from Milwaukee to complete the Lee-Pods trade. According to the official Sox press release:

"Hinton, 24, led Class A High Desert (California League) in virtually every offensive category in 2004, batting .302 (162-536) with 36 doubles, 22 home runs, 88 RBI and 80 runs scored in 137 games.

Hinton, a 6-foot-1, 200-pounder who bats and throws left-handed, ranked third in the CL in hits and fourth in home runs. He represented High Desert at the Carolina League/California League All-Star Game, where he won the Home Run Derby before going 3-4 with two RBI to win Star of the Game honors.

In four minor-league seasons, all in the Brewers system, Hinton has batted .270 (381-1,412) with 42 home runs and 210 RBI in 385 games."

Looks like the guy can hit, though the California League is known for inflated numbers. He's got a poor glove, is slow, has a bad eye at the plate, and strikes out... a lot. At 24, he's already got 4 seasons of minor league ball under his belt. Its possible he'll start the 2005 season at Birmingham (AA). And the 2006 season at Arbys.

Over before it started

15 minutes, 14, 13, ...

Photo courtsey of www.howardstern.com

Trash-talkin', one-dimentional, soon-to-be-forgotten, Met wife (with a heart of gold, of course) Anna Benson is about to have her 15 minutes of fame. According www.cnnsi.com , she's in discussions with VH1 to host a reality show. I don't particularily care, but any news on Anna is a good excuse to post a picture of her. She's super hot but remember, "the pretty ones are always insane."

Any bets on how long her takes her to implode?

Listening to: Montefori Cocktail, Bags and Trane.

Apres-ski

This is not the corner of Archer and 107th St.

I took advantage of the snow today. Went sledding in the morning, but we abandon the hill as more and more people began to show up. In the afternoon, I did some cross country skiing out in the Preserve. I thought the snow would be sticky, but it wasn't -- it was perfect. I go there all the time, usually to mountain bike, and I was surprised to see all the parking spots full.

Considering I hadn't been on the trails in a year, I was happy I was able to do 4 miles pretty easily. And even though a lot of people were there, there were not a lot of people on the trail I was on, I saw maybe 6 or 7 in just over an hour.

It was great to get out there, by myself, and just clear my head. I stopped by a snow-covered lake, ringed with huge pine trees, and just enjoyed the natural solitude for a while.

The apres-ski scene is non-existant on the SW side, but I did the best I could. It was dark when I got home, but I still had a beer, some Jarlsberg cheese, smoked trout, olives and (afterwards) chocolate. Still, not the same thing. Not even close.

Music I'm listening to today - lots of Van Morrison, especially "Astral Weeks" (amongst the most sensual music ever made), and the Fruit Bats.

From A to J

Good ol number 5

So the Sox finally signed catcher AJ Pierzynski. From what I'm reading at http://www.soxtalk.com/, the fans seem to like this move. I'm not so sure.

On paper, he looks good. Offensively, AJ puts up resonable stats. Notably, he bats near .300 with some power. But, he's slow on the base paths. One 2004 scouting report says: "Pierzynski grounded into 27 double plays, a major league high and a new (SF Giants) franchise record." Defensively, he's a liability, and threw out only 11 of 62 runners. But he's durable and plays a lot of games.

Already, we've heard about the guy's alleged attitude problem. The Giant pitchers disliked him. Maybe he just got off on the wrong foot with his SF teammates, as he appears to have been OK during the years he spent in Minnesota (unless I'm missing something). Ron Gardenhire stepped up to defend him this week. Maybe he'll be a distraction in the Sox clubhouse, maybe not. But is that a chance the Sox, fragile as they are, can afford to take?

When looking at the AJ signing, here's one thing to think about. Catcher is the single most important position in baseball - the most important position on the field at any time - more so than shortstop, or any pitcher. Here's why: the catcher gives the pitcher the signs - tells him what pitches to throw. The catcher, not the pitcher, controls the flow, the tempo, of the game. The catcher has to be pretty fuckin smart - they need to know how to pitch every hitter, in every situation, as well as controlling the pitcher and the baserunners. The catcher is the quarterback.

That's what made Johnny Bench the greatest position player ever. He had baseball smarts, knew the players and had the all-time best situational knowledge of the game. And he could play both ways - stellar defensively, he could smack the cover off the ball as well. He was the leader, the captian, of those great Reds teams of the mid-1970s that won back-to-back World Series titles. How important was Bench to the Reds? Name one Reds pitcher from those great teams. Can't do it, huh? See, it didn't matter if the guy on the mound had less than stellar stuff, because Bench was so good, he could guide an average pitcher to success thru good pitch calling, creating unlimited potential for his team.

The catcher needs to get along well with the pitchers. I think a bad attitude catcher is more potentially hazardous than at all other positions combined.

I don't know if AJ is going to work out or not. But I know this - he better get along with his Sox teammates, especially the pitchers, and the coaches. I have to wonder if he'll fit in with Sox. I can't really gauge the Sox mentality and clubhouse attitude without being there, but what I can say is that I think the team has a defined persona. It seems to work for them. And its probably pretty good. So I wonder if AJ will fit in with a starting pitching staff that is 3/5ths Hispanic, and Ozzie as manager to boot. You have to wonder how he will affect the team chemistry.

And, you have wonder what KW is thinking... So, I'm not sold on this one. Maybe they could've got another catcher who fits in better. Maybe instead of trading Lee for Posednik, they could've gone after someone like Ramon Hernandez, Victor Martinez, or Bobby Estalella (OK, I'm dreaming here). But maybe AJ will work out. I hope so. But I was more comfortable with the Davis/Burke platoon and having more money to spend... Makes ya wonder why Davis was just resigned for a year at $1mil. These small, questionable signings are adding up. In my opinion, that money could've been better used to give Tadahito Iguchi - or someone like him - more money.

I finally finished up "Hard Times" - Charles Dickens grey novel about man's futile struggle against forces beyond his control at the height of 19th century industrialization in England's "North Country". I thought it was OK. But reading Dickens is like listening to opera - I can respect the talent, its beauitiful, but I can only take so much. So today I blew thru 30 pages of the 820-page Napoleon biography.This one should keep me warm all winter...

Slowly, steadily, confidently

OOOoooooooooooo

I'm sitting here staring at the blinking prompt wondering what the hell I'm going to write about.

Today was one of those days but still had a happy ending.

Last night, the MILF had some reading to do and fell asleep before we could get it on. She made up for that tonight. Like the last session, this one started after a shower, with warm candlelight, bathing the bedroom pillows in a soft glow... a sensual massage that penetrated deep into her inviting flesh. After about 20 minutes of this foreplay, I was at my boiling point and I couldn't take anymore. I slowly rolled her onto her back, and gently removed her white panites, while kissing her soft legs from top to bottom, playfully tickling her toes, parting her legs and I slowly entered her. A little at first, playing, teasing.. then deeper, more commanding thrusts. Faster... And like last time, it was a passionate session, with lots of kissing on the neck, running fingers thru hair,locked in a tight embrace... Completely focused on each other, and unconsciously moving in time to the downbeat of the chill tunes behind us...

As I reached my point of climax I asked "Where do you want it?"
"Fill me up," she moaned, as I came hard and fast, shooting every ounce deep inside her.

Afterwards, we layed together, still connected, our flesh still hot to the touch... not wanting to move, not wanting it to be over, and communicating on the same level without saying a word. Smiling satisfaction.

In defiance of nature, I somehow stayed erect again for a measurable period after I came. In this case, shorter than before, but still about 10 minutes... no drugs involved... How strange... But she is really really really sexy... After I drink a tall, cool glass of ice water, I'm going to back to the bedroom for round two...

Loose ends, part 2

My my my my my my MILF

I came across this pic while doing one of my favorite things - searching for porn on the internet, and had to do a double take; she is a dead ringer for the lovely lady I've had my recent porn star sessions with. It makes me feel like the luckiest man in the world... I'm seeing her tonight, so I may have a story tomorrow.

Also, I noticed I had 200 hits on this blog in 4 days. What gives?

The Sox signed that catcher AJ. More on him later.

I'm off to clean up and slip into something more comfortable. Like her.

Sandberg: Woman of the corn

corn cobb

So Ryne Sandberg makes it into the baseball hall of fame. Great, he deserves it - he was rock steady at second, and one of the best at his position ever. His election to the hall today gave fans everywhere the opportunity to watch the photo retrospectives of his career on various web sites.

One that resurfaced on http://www.mlb.com/ was a pic of his ex-wife Cindy in that famously ridicilous corn cobb dress she wore to his first retirement press conference in 1994. The horrific memory of Cindy's trampy dress burned into my brain that day, and I thought I had put it behind me. Now, that painful sight has returned to haunt me and other decent well-dressed people. "Oh the humanity!"

Yes, she's a looker. But I can't blame Ryno for giving her the boot - we've all heard the stories of her, uh, adventures. Who knows what the truth is. One thing I do know - the pretty ones are always insane.

Liberal rant

I try to keep politics out of this blog, but I just had to say something.

On most topics, I'm a very liberal guy. And I get my news from a variety of sources. But because of the business I'm in, I read the Wall Street Journal every day. I must admit, their news reporting and stories are very fair and well done. I think they are about the best source for news out there in the mainstream media. Sure, about 85% of the time, their editorials are conservative, but I don't pay attention to those.

Today I saw an example of how an ethnocentric reporter can add a conservative bias to an otherwise neutral, apolitcal story. The article of which I speak is titled "Tourists Return To Damaged Coasts" by Gordon Fairclough and Matt Pottinger (yeah, it took two brains to write this one) on the front page of section D. Basically, it talks about how the tourists have come back to the beaches of Thailand just a week after the tsunami, and stresses the point by showing a picture of some Eurotrash sunbathers on the beach, while the locals clean up a pile of debris. The article gives a few examples of foreigners who are there on vacation and stress differences in their behavior. Among the good members of the foreign legion are - surprise - two girls from Texas with hearts of gold, who had booked a trip to Phuket long before the tidal wave hit, and decide to still go on vacation. And there are legimate good reasons for this - they are pumping desperately needed money into the local economy. The girls spend their days doing something they hadn't planned on - volunteering around the island; cleaning debris, etc... In the afternoon, they relax on beach. Fair enough.

But the reporter goes on the cite two examples of Europeans who are apparently behaving differently. One is a German couple who are portraited as callous in their indifference. the same could be said of a Swiss guy in a gold-trimmed Speedo, who gives his Thai watier very speicifc instructions on his drink order. The waiter was, just a week ago, fighting for his life against the waves, and still has nightmares of corpses washing up on the beach.

Conservatives can scream that the news media in this country has a liberal bias, they can point to pointless studies that prop up their incorrect viewpoint, but its simply untrue. Its right wing propaganda. If anything, the mainstream news reporting in this country is way too conservative. As an example, just watch the news in just about any other nation - CBC in Canada, or the BBC in the UK, doesn't matter - and you'll see what I mean. But the tactic the right uses is just to keep hammering away at this so-called liberal bias, thinking that if they say it enough, that people will believe that its true, even though its an outright lie.

Winter League Roundup

Hola amigos

I found a really cool picture of a blond with a massive rack sitting on the bench at a Mexican League game, but can't get it to publish. So, you get this instead...whatever it is...

They play a very different kind of ball game south of the border, where the baseball season is now over, and the fiesta, or the siesta, has begun (or never ended). Here's a wrap up of how Sox players did.

Puerto Rican League:
Jose Santiago (P - Carolina Giants) went 2-3, with a 3.39 ERA in 58 IP, gave up 67 hits and 17 walks while striking out 24.

Andres Torres (OF - Mayaguez Indians) batted .248 in 37 games with a homer, 12 RBI 17 walks, and 11 stolen bases, but he struck out 26 times. Only committed one error.

Andy Gonzalez (SS - Ponce Lions) committed a team-high nine errors. Batted .245 in 37 games with 2 homers, 7 RBI and 6 stolen bases. He sturck out 22 times.

Chris Amador (2B - Atenienses de Marati) got 12 at bats and hit .083.

Ryan Meaux (P - Caguas) pitched 15 games in a relief role, going 0-1 with a 2.29 ERA. In 19 IP, he gave up 1 homer and 8 walks, while striking out 10.

Dominican Republic League:
Felix Diaz ( Tigres Del Licey) was 0-1 with a 4.58 ERA, giving up 25 hits in 17 IP while striking out 7.

Arnie Munoz (P - Aguilas Del Cibao) was 1-1 with a 1.50 ERA in 12 IP. He also recorded 12 Ks.

Venezuelan League:
Eduardo Villacis (P - Caracas Leones) was 1-2 with a 5.08 ERA in 28 IP. He gave up 35 hits and 11 walks, and struck out 19.

Josh Fields (P - Occidente Pastora) didn't get much work the last few weeks of the year. HE finishes up 0-2 with a 10.38 ERA in 4 1/3 IP.

Mexican League:
Frank Campos (P - Mazatlan Deer) was 7-2 in 14 starts posting a 3.29 ERA in 76 2/3 IP, walking only 27 while striking out 77. Good job Frank.

Tetsu Yofu (P -Guasave Cottoners) was 5-3 with a 4.07 ERA in 55 IP, giving up 8 homers and 36 walks while striking out 46.

Travel; Winter '05 hot spots

Travel hot spot

I can't explain it - but desolate landscapes turn me on. Some places I've been, including the Sahara desert, give me a mind blowing sense of comfort, simplicity and organization. A year or two back, I read a travel article by a guy who visited Helsinki, Finland in the dead of winter. No Finalnder could understand why an American would want to see their country at such a desolate time of year. And while I've driven thru Wyoming in Feburary, I've got this burning desire to drive all over North Dakota in the deadest dead of winter. Maybe I should try Palm Springs instead?

Mr. 1000

According to my hit counter, there has now been more than a 1000 hits on my blog since its inception back in August. While only about half a dozen readers have left comments over that time (and half of those only to scorn my refusal to wear condoms), I'm pretty happy that people out there are reading my writing exercises, even if they did stumble upon it by mistake.