Matthew

Henry David Thoreau: Journals Vol. 1. The cool thing here is that the very first entry is dated October 22 1837, which is my birthday (the October 22, that is). The main cool thing though is Thoreau himself, who is such a unique character, and saw the world with such depth, that it is amazing. Enjoying this so much that I ordered volume two, and heaven's above, we're on a street called love, are they expensive at $79.00 a pop! Don't know how I'm going afford to keep getting them, but I have to find a way.

Watching a boatload of Buckethead Youtube videos,

I feel warm and fuzzy whenever I watch this.

See where Mannyworld re-upped for another year for a cool $20,000,000.... like anyone else was going to pay that kind of ca$h. Ken Griffey is about to make up his mind whether he wants to come back with the Mariners or not. It would be great if he came back, but I think the smart decision is to call it a career, what for the Hall of Fame call up, and just enjoy being one of the greatest players ever; without a doubt, the Kingdom Griffey was the greatest player I ever saw, even better than Bonds.

As I say good bye to the 2009 baseball season, first of all -- THANK YOU to the Seattle Mariners for a great and enjoyable season, it was a fun ride. So here's to the Mariners: To the World Champions New York Yankees: Each and every day of my life, until the end, when I'm hooked up to every tube that I can think of, with each weaker and weaker breath, with no regret, with all the passion I can muster, for ever and always: On to the Hot Stove thread!

Happy Birthday!!

On a happier note: 150 days until Opening Day for the Mariners.

Thank the Lord for small favors: I had meetings all Wednesday night, so I was not able to watch one pitch of the game won by the Best Team Money Can Buy. What a crappy, hollow, way to win a World Series. And yes, I am just another bitter Yankee hater...

YES!!! Good win for the Phillies tonight. I would experience great and tremendous joy over a Yankee collapse in this World Series.

Phew, Thank goodness for little dp's!

I don't know whether to laugh or be disgusted at this, but as a Clipper fan, I understand.

Wait a minute, it seems as if Thomas is still alive, I was just looking him up. Sorry Darrel, MY BAD!

Plus Coleman is a 100% American Hero in my book. Classy guy, war veteran, never bad mouthed anyone. I feel lucky to have grown up listening to him broadcast all those truly terrible Padre games. Tucker Asford, now that is really a name from the past, next you'll be mentioning Ivan Murrell. Here's an interesting piece on Ivan Murrell. Were you aware that he passed away in 2006? Up over and out. Yeah, I found that out when I googled his name to make sure I spelled it right. All those players that I saw as a kid are passing, sad in many ways. The one guy I felt really sad when he died was Darrel Thomas, who was a very feisty player for the Padres and Dodgers, among others. That was one of the things I loved about 1970s baseball, there were a lot of very interesting African-American players who were just cool to me as a kid and teenager. That side of the game seems to be gone right now.

Plus Coleman is a 100% American Hero in my book. Classy guy, war veteran, never bad mouthed anyone. I feel lucky to have grown up listening to him broadcast all those truly terrible Padre games. Tucker Asford, now that is really a name from the past, next you'll be mentioning Ivan Murrell.

OH. HECK. YEAH!!! Utley is the man!

I'm torn. If the Yankees are going to win, I'd rather they win tonight so I don't have to endure a Yankee Stadium love fest, though any Yankee loss is a joy to my soul. What, of course would be best, is the Phillies winning the next three games.

He, he, he. I'll be buying this one soon...

Agree w/you BB; I'm sure not writing the Phillies off for dead. Never mind 2004, teams have definitely come back from 3-1 deficits in the WS before...and as I posted above, I share your concerns about Pettitte in Game 6. On the brighter side, I was glad to see Joba pitch so well last night, even though he did give up that game-tying HR to Feliz. That felt like an aberration, whereas with Hughes an out feels like an aberration right now (what is his WS E.R.A. now..81.00 or something? I'm not exaggerating! I just hope he can recover from this and get it together next season...a scout yesterday was quoted as saying that "Hughes doesn't look like the same pitcher right now...he looks frightened.") I just want to say re: "best team money can buy"--the Core 4 are still powering NY to a large extent, and they are all farm-grown--Jeter, Pettitte, Rivera and Posada. A-Rod came to the Yankees in a trade. Of the Big 3 free agents that came to NY this past year, Tex has been MIA for just about all of the postseason, save a hit here or there, and CC has lost one game and given up 3 runs in a no-decision in the WS so far. I'm not denying the power or positives of NY's high payroll, but they're not just a collection of bought players. In the 35 years that I've been following NY (good Lord!), I think the only time NY might have "bought" a championship successfully was with Reggie Jackson in 1977...even then that team was so much more than Jackson. I wouldn't deny that Steinbrenner's tried to do it, but he failed miserably for years! And the legendary late-1990s team was built almost exclusively on farm players and shrewd trades (as has been said before, in large part because the Boss was out of commission for a couple of years and Jeter/Pettitte/River et al weren't traded away for aging stars past their prime). How's that Yankee Kool-Aid tasting? Facts: 1. A-Rod opted out of his contract and was signed as a free agent in 2007. Signed to a contract that no one else would ever possibly imagine offering. 2. Damon, the hero of last night's rally, was signed as a free agent when the Yankees outbid the Red Sox. Signed as a CF, he couldn't handle the position for four years and had to move to LF - but that extra 20 million offered makes up for it when he makes a heads up play like that one (not to mention the AB ending with the single). 3. Burnett signed to a ridiculous fifth year (when he's 37) to keep him from Atlanta. 4. And that "core" player, Jeter, will get his 25 million a year contract til he's 42 or whatever, too. The Yankees are the best team that money can buy, and there's no denying that fact. End of story.

Because of the position I have in my non-organissimo life.

It's bad enough when you receive one of these, now I have the "good fortune" to have one sent in my name! This weekend, I was getting panic emails from all over the world about this one, (even from Rome). In the letter, the country is changed each time -- this copy is what Argentina wound up getting. What a world we live in. Dear Provincial. I send greetings to you and to all the Fathers in Buenos Aires. You are always in our Prayers. I am writing on behalf of Sr Stella Maria Rosaleen the Provincial Bursar of the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word. She has told me Sr Maria Agnes O'Reilly working with their Mission Hospital in Africa is currently stranded in Argentina after she over used the limit of her Visa card. And because she does not have a bank account of her own in Argentina the Sisters her do not have a quick safe means of sending the amount of Money she urgently require. Sr Stella Maria Rosaleen has given me a check of US$200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Dollars) which she told me is equivalent to Seven Hundred Sixty Thousand Pesos (ARS$760,000). I request you to proceed and give Sr Maria Agnes O'Reilly AR$760,000, and then you will let me know how I can wire the US$200,000 to your bank account in Buenos Aires. You can contact Sr Stella Maria at [ ] or Sr Maria Agnes O'Reilly at [ ] and I will also ask Sr Stella Maria inform Sr Maria Agnes to contact you. Your assistance to the Sisters is highly appreciated. Amazing, but sad also.

Dang, but do I ever hate watching the Yankees win games like that.

Talk about a mismatch -- Phillies bring in Lidge. Yankees bring in Mariano Rivera. That says everything. CRAP!!!!

Complete breakdown by the Phillies. CRAP!!!!

HECK YEAH!!! Pedro for president!!

You see, Ghosty, pitching inside has shut ARod down completely.