What a wonderful present... this morning's WSJ.
Smart. Common sense. Non-partisan. Easy to understand. Simple to explain.
Enough already... mandatory reading:


QOTD

"... embrace the cheaper, smarter path of innovation"
- Bjorn Lomborg

Is it still possible to give President Obama's POS "Cap and Trade" tax hike bill the burlap sack treatment?
Hope so.
peace... yow, bill

Labels: globalwarming, myphoto, qotd

The Death Curve (tm)... "age-based priority for receiving scarce medical" care:

"Death Curve" - So, I have the trademark and the copyright. I'm on the blower to China about t-shirts, and the website is coming soon. I should be on Regis and Whoever-the-hell-does-that-show-now in a matter of weeks. This may impact the frequency of my blog posts, but I'm all about the $$$, baby.

The Death Curve comes from Obama health reform Czar (capitalize that shit, bub)... Rahmmie's brother, Dr. Zeke Emanuel. Well, Zeke wrote a cool paper on the ethics of allocating medical resources... Jan 2009, it looks like. Principals for allocations of scarce medical interventions

Let's parse this Death Curve, shall we:

• Newborns don't get as much care as teenagers because, well, they're new.
• Teenagers get the most care because, um, well, um... because they're really annoying? OK, this one has me stumped a bit.
• Your worthiness for health care appears to peak in your mid-late 20's... I could insert a joke about male potency or female appearance here, but my middle name is restraint.
  
• Needless to say, as a 47 year old (white) guy, my worthiness drops every day.
• At 55, you go to the back of the line and slowly fade away. Very nice.
  

Dr. Zeke says the feds should decide this stuff because the market is so "bad".
OK.

Let's see... Death Curve coffee mugs, Death Curve women's workout wear, and oh yeah... Death Curve Park at Wrigley Field!
death curve... yow, bill

PS - Ryan. Then Blago. And now Quinn. What is it with IL governors? This Quinn guy could outdo them all! Quinn Backs Down on Firing 2 U of I Trustees

PPS - How could I forget... Death Curve bikinis!

Labels: politics, qotd

QOTD

"For the first time in his career, he's unconditionally happy"
- WSJ on Nomar riding the bench at Oakland

Excellent article on Nomah in the WSJ today: Whatever Happened to Nomar?

One of my favorite ESPN-esque sports replays of all-time is Nomar's return to Boston, 5 years after being traded. This video captures some of that intensity: Nomar Gets a Hero's Welcome.

And Nomar talks about the experience in this MLB video afterward: Nomar Makes Return to Fenway with A's.

I saw Nomar play in Fenway once... a hundred years ago. We had tickets down the first base line. Nomar went deep into the hole and fired across the diamond for the out at first. It was a chill then and now.

I guess the deeper (?) take on Nomar is pretty obvious: winning isn't everything. He didn't get his World Series ring with the Red Sock, but he has put that into perspective and found more. Well, that and the zillions and the fame, hot wife and a couple-a kids.

OK, maybe my "take" wasn't so deep. Never mind.
Here's the money: Nomar and Mia Hamm and twin daughters:
nomah.. yow, bill

Labels: qotd, sports

QOTD

"It's big crunchy letter Q's with added vitamins and iron to give you the power of an earthquake."
- Quake commercial

I was a Quake guy back in the day. Quisp was too mushy.

Why does Quisp have its own web site (www.quisp.com) and Wikipedia page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quisp)?


And Quake don't got diddly?
Well, actually, Mr. Breakfast has a nice Quake page:

Mr. B has some fun, old Quake/Quisp commercials too:

Mr. Breakfast. He he.

And my weak-ass punch line... now I like "the crack"... Cracklin' Oat Bran. Old man. Dop.
the crack... yow, bill

Labels: fun, qotd

Click for the (cool) biggun picture:


Three good ones today... any connection?

QOTD1

"Online, people can't see the yawn"
- On boring Facebook posts, How Facebook Ruins Friendships

The WSJ goes overboard about crappy Facebook. Don't get me wrong, Facebook is crappy and boring, but the motivation isn't narcissism or something "bad" per se. It's just new and dumb and whatever. Sort of like this blog. He he.

QOTD2

"President Obama's decision to allow the Justice Department to investigate and possibly prosecute CIA personnel, and his decision to remove authority for interrogation from the CIA to the White House, serves as a reminder, if any were needed, of why so many Americans have doubts about this Administration's ability to be responsible for our nation's security."
- Cheney, Reuters source

I'll admit. I heart Cheney.
At this point, I heart nearly any public person who actually says what's on their mind and not some crap.

As for Cheney's assertion... hey, President Obama isn't good or bad; he's a politician. Period.
Of course, if you consider pretty much all politicians "bad", then well... OK, taking over health care isn't working out too hot, so let's dig up some old CIA shenanigans. What a faker, tourist.

QOTD3

"The breaking point came when my 6-year-old, Holly, got $5 from the tooth fairy and offered some of her stash to my 9-year-old, Charlotte. Charlotte said, "That's okay Holly, you should save your money." Holly literally glazed over and responded: "Save money. Live better. Wal-Mart.""
- Advice chick Laura Rowley on dumping Comcast cable TV at home, Why I Canned Cable

Ms. Rowley has a cool URL: www.moneyandhappiness.com

The article for that QOTD is dead on... self-control is more important than IQ. Self-control is extrapolated to mean digging deep, planning, having goals, caring, etc. Amen, sister.

Rowley stumbles on a nice side-effect... she had prohibited TV during the school week, and she found that her kids jumped in front of the set like rabid dogs during the weekend, feasting on the worst crap they could find. So, banning the boob tube made it all the more alluring to the kids ultimately. I don't know the answer, except maybe moderation. A little homework, a little TV, and maybe even a little unstructured play time outside (gasp!).

Speaking of playtime... I'm going running.
smile... yow, bill

Labels: fun, politics, qotd

Everyone wants a Daddy. Why? It's so weird to me.

Daddy #1 - Roger Goodell

QOTD

"Michael Vick would stand a better chance of renewal if he had simply beaten his wife or abandoned his children."
- Mary Carter, WSJ letter to the Ed today

Lots of NFL player shenanigans:

• Michael Vick - couple a years in the pokey and bankrupt for dog fighting.
• Plaxico Burress - couple a years in jail for carrying a registered gun.
• Donte Stallworth - 30 days in jail and a civil $$$ settlement for killing a guy while driving drunks... I guess the guy he hit wasn't in the best shape either and ran out into the road or something.

The other thing these guys share, after paying their due to society, is an extra punishment doled out by NFL commish Goodell. For example, Goodell has suspended Stallworth for the entire season! So, Stallworth satisfied the courts and the family of the victim, but that's not enough for Goodell. WTF? Why is there a separate court system for the NFL that begins and ends at Roger Goodell's desk?

Daddy #2 - IDOT

IDOT.
IDIOT.
The Illinois Dept of Transportation is running commercials that literally brand people who get a DUI as a "loser". Here's a grab from one of their spots:


Of course the real losers are the people paying for these ads (and requisite dinners and strip club visits that are part of the sales process for these projects/$$$)... you and me.

In some tasty synchronicity, the WSJ has an article today on a woman who will be caned in some backward-ass country for drinking a beer. Maybe they could bring her to Illinois and brand her too... for the children.

Daddy #3 The feds

Oh, forget it.

Why is society tilting these days to such an authoritarian, centralized structure.
I don't know, but I do know... they ain't no Daddy.
peace... yow, bill

Labels: politics, qotd, sports

QOTD

"No offense guys and girls, but I think WE are the sheep getting slaughtered."
- Blog reader comment to this post Sheep Gets Slaughtered

That blog post comes from xTrends, a mega-bearish investing blog. This mega-bear blog phenomenon, as you might well have guessed, is very popular these days. There are usually two premises:

1. The world (more specifically, the US) is going to hell in a handbasket, and
   
2. Anyone who hints at disagreement with this opinion is an idiot... "bull-tard" is the unflattering term that is often used
   

Another of these perma-bears is Slope of Hope, though it's slightly less grating than xTrends.

I'm a newbie active investor or trader, but one thing I've learned... gol dang, don't dig in. If the market says you're wrong, then you're wrong. Wait to live another day. If the market wants to go up, get long, baby! If the market wants to go down, then short the sucker and roll with it.

The best investing blog I've come across is MarketSci at marketsci.wordpress.com. Michael Stokes has a brilliant, independently-verified record, and his posts are fun and analytical. MarketSci doesn't care whether we're heading down to a watery, deflationary grave or heading as to a nirvana-inducing high... Michael just wants to make money, either direction. I pay cash money to get MarketSci's daily trading signal on a couple of algorithms.... and I'm happy as a clam!

My goal is to someday be as good as Michael, or almost. We shall see. At this point, at least my studies have led me to his blog and (excellent) investing service... and beyond!
buy low... yow, bill

PS - a little parting art shot...

Labels: fun, investing, qotd

Cocoon man!


Yeah, I got this catalog (Grandinroad), and they're shilling a bunch of Halloween stuff. And there he is... Cocoon Man. WTF?!?

Cocoon Man is 5' tall and costs $50. The spider larvae are extra. Pretty intense sitting out on the front porch, eh.

That's a change over my 47 years... people spend so much time and $$$ on each and every holiday these days. Halloweens get bigger every year with Cocoon man and colored lights and flags and blah blah. It's weird. Not into it, I must confess. The Christmas lights go up and down each year, and I'm done. There seems to be correlation between excessive holiday preparations and manically edging your lawn. Definitely not into that.

Or, maybe you'd like a 12' spider web, complete with 19" spiders... Spooky Spiders:


Good lord.
later... yow, bill

PS - Nice qotd, snarfed from my Stock Trader's Almanac and relevant to investing/trading...

QOTD

"Most people can stay excited for two or three months. A few people can stay excited for two or three years. But a winner will stay excited for 20 to 30 years - or as long as it takes to win."
- A.L. Williams

PPS - Nice paradigm for your significant-other relationships as well.

Labels: fun, qotd

JUDY BIGGERT IS A LIAR.

QOTD

"As much as I love this job, as hard as I work at it, as much as my team and I could contribute in a third term, I believe that a governor should limit himself to two terms."
- Jim Doyle, WI guv

The governor of Wisconsin is not going to seek reelection after two terms. Why? Because he doesn't think it's right. www.620wtmj.com/news/local/53420982.html

I think this Doyle guy's a lefty, but I salute his character. I hope he leaves office and makes tons of dough... just not as a lobbyist of the new state federales. He he.

I vote Dem every election... against my repub Congress-person, Judy Biggert. She was voted in as part of Newt's bunch in 1994, an advocate of term limits. Well, she got to DC and she's stayed... too important to leave, don't you know.

JUDY BIGGERT IS A LIAR.

Movie Review
Movie: "District 9"
Review: 4 bill-stars (out of 5)... outstanding!
Web site: www.d-9.com

This movie has the big two: different and good. Maybe the weirdest thing about "D9" is that it can't be pigeonholed. It's funny and serious, an action movie, dramatic, goofy, sci-fi, and so on. It's nice to see something that's not formulaic... and still really interesting and exciting (re. "good"). I was dreading that the movie would lay some heavy racism message on my noggin, but they were subtle enough.

D9 is a rock-solid 4 bill-star movie.

I'm not going to give any plot away; I was lucky enough to go into the theater pretty clueless about the movie, so hopefully, you can do likewise (don't watch the crappy trailer at the website). D9 does bear some resemblance to "Starship Troopers", but without the over-the-top camp/kitsch factor. It's definitely a guy movie. I saw it on IMDB, and it had the highest rating (9/10) of any movie I've ever see there.
prawns rule... yow, bill

Labels: 4stars, movies, politics, qotd

Picture's from 2000... one born in 1999, the other in 1909.
Smile.


QOTD

"Tomorrow's just an excuse away"
- Billy Corgan, Punkins

peace... yow, bill

PS - My fantasy football team this year: Naperville Punkins... en homage, not to Billy Corgan, but to the rabid, mutant punkin patch growing my back yard. Awesome pow-ah!

Labels: fun, qotd

Australia voted down a carbon tax scheme thingie. Two links:

• The AP story: Australian Senate votes down emission trading scheme
  
• And the (cranky) greenie perspective: Climate skeptics and believers unite
  

Senator Penny Wong. Australia's climate change minister. I'll bet she's fun at parties.
This Miss Australia contestant (re. not Penny Wong) is hard at work on the global warming problem:

Defeat for global warming in Australia... socialized health care on the ropes here at home... what the F? I don't know, but I'm smiling.
peace... yow, bill

PS - OK, there's Penny Wong (wikipedia). Seems like a nice enough lady. Couldn't find a bikini shot of her though.
Try harder, Penny!
He he.

PPS - Late addition... silly stats from the WSJ bad-mouthing (get ready for it) Ichiro Suzuki. Are Ichiro's Stats All Smoke and Mirrors?

First, the good/interesting stats:

• Ichiro doesn't have a monster OBP because he doesn't walk much.
• 81% of Ichiro's hits are singles. I gotta admit... I'm not sure I even believe that one. Hold on a sec... yup, it looks right: sports.yahoo.com/mlb/players/6615
  
• Nearly 25% of his singles never leave the infield. Again, hard to believe, but OK.
  

So then they hit us with a funky new stat... "batting wins". Ichiro only produces 2 extra wins for the Mariner with his 200+ hits and .333 lifetime batting average. The stat is self-indicting as Albert Pujols is credited with 6 batting wins. Whatever.

I like Ichiro more than some of the other "singles hitters" like Rod Carew because he does more... SB, fielding, etc. Plus, nobody in baseball is more fun to watch.

WSJ be danged... 5 years after Ichiro retires, you can ink him into the HOF. Easy.

Labels: globalwarming, politics

1. Medicare for all!
Simple, logical argument in this WSJ article: Medicare for All Isn't the Answer

If this health care thing dies on the vine... what a victory for the good, ole US of A and her people.

How much do you contribute to Medicare/Medicaid?
How much to social security?
Man, this is a pet peeve of mine... this guy too: Tax Withholding is Bad for Democracy

I understand that any new taxes for health care will be implemented as withholding taxes. Keep that shit under the covers, baby. Opaque is good. Transparent is bad.

If people knew the money they were putting into these systems...
If people had the choice to allocate their funds where they wanted...
Dot, dot dot.

2. Book Review
Book: "That Old Cape Magic" by Richard Russo
Review: 4 bill-stars (out of 5)... really good

I really enjoy Richard Russo... Holly's anti-author. I didn't enjoy the WSJ basically calling him "fiction for middle-aged men" (Here it is: The Bard of the Middle-Aged). Dop. It's hard to argue against them though.

"That Old Cape Magic" is a fun read. Super fast. The characters are pretty fun and interesting. I like a (pretty) happy ending. I love books that just deal with real life stuff... relationships, work, travel, family, etc. The main character is a middle-aged guy going questioning pretty much the whole deal: career, marriage, parents dying, etc. I enjoyed the light-hearted digs at academia scattered throughout. And the guy traipsing around with his parents in his trunk was hilarious.

I ding this book somewhat because it does contain a lot of whining and complaining about parents. You know, as in, "my parents screwed me up", and I therefore blame them for my behavior from here forward. It's tough to do that and not sound, well, whiny and complain-y.

QOTD

"How, he couldn't help wondering, did you get to be this woman's age and still believe, as she apparently did, that everything meant something? She was obviously one of those people who just soldiered on, determined to believe whatever gave them comfort in the face of all contrary evidence. And maybe that wasn't so dumb."

Middle-aged fiction, indeed!
he he... yow, bill

Labels: 4stars, books, healthcare, politics, qotd

Marching Illini
I'm an alum of the University of Illinois Marching Illini: www.illinoisalumniband.org.
The real/current Marching Illini are at: http://bands.illinois.edu/MI/

What a great time and great memories... here are two of my fave photos of me and Gram from 1980, click to see a nice "big" 3x5 photo from back in the day:

...
These last two, 1980 again, are the band running out of the tunnel to start our pregame, and then our "UI" formation at the end of pregame.

...

Funny how my college photos look like some archival restoration project from the history channel or something. NOT! He he.

QOTD

"Ungawa!"
- Marching Illini at attention

Healthy Bribes
A better health care idea: rewarding people for healthy behaviors. Forbes has a nice story.


Of course, with nabobs at the wheel, this so quickly gets flipped into punishing and controlling people... it's tough to design a solution when the administrators of said solution are so, well, lame.

As for following the European, socialist model...

QOTD

"I like Europe as well as anyone - as a place to drink delicious coffee and loaf around."
- Rich Karlgaard, Forbes op-ed

China Plays
Following the Forbes motif here, a nice, short story on investing in China, China Rocks.
ETF plays related, directly and indirectly, to China:

• CUT - Global Timber index, betting on China's continued demand for paper/wood resources.
• TAO - China real estate
• FXI - the most popular direct China play... the author doesn't like this one because of its 50% reliance on financials
• PGJ - another China play that hold US stock that derive the majority of their revenue from China... the author likes these better than FXI
• PCY - emerging market bonds
  

ungawa... yow, bill

Labels: fun, healthcare, investing, qotd

Book Review
Book: "Carrie" by Stephen King
Review: 4 bill-stars (out of 5)... very good!

"Carrie" is a great read. The book is a little better than the movie. My last King book, "The Shining" was a better read and much better than its movie than "Carrie".

• Carrie in the book is a lot more aware of her powers and getting revenge. Sissy Spacek was portrayed as a total victim.
  
• Carrie in the movie has a lot better and more fun ending. At the very end, when that hand reaches out form the grave... I don't recall jumping higher out of my seat from any moment at the movies.
  

Stephen King is a fun, easy read.

Nerd, not geek
Back in the day (yawn), "geek" was derogatory and "nerd" was the preferred nomenclature. I am still stuck in that anachronism because it seems the two words have swapped roles. Oh well.

I received an excellent nerd article, US-mailed from my friend over at Rob's Rants. Oddly, it's some nerd analysis by the pop-shrinks at "Psychology Today":


Now why ole Rob de Rant was perusing Psych Today is a true test for this nerd's addled imagination. I have to assume it was some waiting room material, or worse, bathroom fodder. Even the remote possibility of that latter option prompted me to burn the particulate-infested magazine page.

The article is pretty accurate on much nerd psychology. Some great quotes in there:

• "It's better to be a happy nerd than a popular anorexic"
• "Nerdiness isn't a pathology"
• "Even Einstein occasionally wanted to connect with people and have sex"
• "Nobody is going to respect you for being logical"
  

Ay carumba!

So yeah, I suffer, largely, these nerdy afflictions. I require constant self-reminding that not everyone (hardly anyone) cares about being rational, consistent, logical. And yes, girls are especially troubling in this regard. Plus, I've got a big mouth... hence the blog, right.

But all that said, I get along alright. I bend, but not too much. Being aware of what you are, strengths and weaknesses, is more important than trying to be something that you're not.

And speaking of my big mouth, I'll take the nerd pathology over the shrink pathology.
Physician, heal thyself!
nerds rule... yow, bill

PS - As I send, I only bend a little bit... I got my Tony Flakes Star Trek flash drive/bracelet. "Hey baby, do you have any files you'd like saved?" He he he!!!

Labels: 4stars, books, fun, qotd

Less photo-snarfing in my immediate future. I have some nice vacation photos to post for a while... like the Seattle sunset above. Click on it for the full-sized goodness.
Smile.

QOTD

“I can calculate the motions of heavenly bodies, but never the madness of crowds”
- Sir Isaac Newton

Dang. 100,000 houses built in the US over the past couple years with defective Chinese drywall: The Prisoners of Drywall.

I think back to when we designed and built The Castle. We were so naive about the things that could have gone (horribly) wrong. Fortunately, our architect and builder were both awesome.

Man, that drywall story is real hardship and stress. It's hard to resolve stuff like that with what I read on Facebook. The percentage of negative, whining posts on Facebook seems really high. It's either the weather or the kids or going to work or whatever. I don't get it; it's so hard to relate to.

QOTD2

"You will make a change for the better."
- Fortune cookie from Chinese two nights ago

I've signed up for the Indy Half Marathon: www.indianapolismarathon.com
Man, the half marathon is a sweet roll. It's a wimpy training schedule, especially compared to the marathon (www.halhigdon.com/halfmarathon/index.htm). Plus, you don't have all the marathon shenanigans with eating during the race, and friction woes everywhere and all. I hope to run 13 8's (hour, 45 minutes) and then hit a bar stool to celebrate.
We shall see.

Aug 6.
And I still haven't turned my sprinklers on.
he he... yow, bill

Labels: marathon, politics, qotd

Book Review
Book: Frommers Anywhere
Review: 5 bill-stars (out of 5)... the best!

If you're traveling somewhere, then shell out the 12 bucks for a Frommers and you've got a great base for researching things to do, where to stay, and what to eat. They are well-written and give you all sorts of angles: things for kids, outdoor things, touristy things, etc.

Basketball
Candace Parker is probably Naperville's most famous person these days. She's probably (again) the best women's basketball out there. She was on the news a while back for dunking in high school and then college.

This is a nice story about Candace Parker returning to Naperville where they dedicated a basketball court near her home as "Candace Parker Court": Candace Comes Home

I've actually played basketball with Candace Parker at Edward Health Club. She was pretty unimpressive, actually: ploddingly slow and weak. Of course, she was only in high school then, but girls do suck at basketball.

I also played with her brother, NBA dude Anthony Parker. While Candace is uber-famous, Anthony toils in relative obscurity (and for millions of dollars) in the NBA. He's played for Toronto the last couple years and just signed on with LeBron and the Cavs for next season. This is a great fit for him because he's a great outside shooter with a 41% FG% from the 3-point line. Amazing!

Unlike his sister, Anthony Parker absolutely dominated at Edward. The guy was 6-6 and quicker than anyone out there. I remember one brutal game where guys were just fouling him and playing dirty (moving your foot under the guy during his jump shot). Parker got a little pissed, so he started just shooting from half court to avoid the shenanigans. He made every shot and sent his angry, overweight, white opponents to the sideline.

www.qotd.org
Pretty cool site.

QOTD

"Fate is nothing but the deeds committed in a prior state of existence."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson, www.qotd.org

Old School Politics
How about some fun Michelle Obama trivia:

1. How much was Michelle Obama paid at the U of Chicago hospital?
2. Who took over her position when she left for DC?

Well, #1 Michelle made about $300K.
And #2, her incredibly important position (well, one assumes a $300K salary would indicate some level of import) was filled by, um, no one. She took a part-time salary during the campaign, and then her job was eliminated after the election. (Chicago Trib source, some site source)

I'm not saying. I'm just saying.

Simple Logic
Is simple logic starting to win out? Or at least, be heard and considered?

• Global Warming and the Poor - This article describes the ridiculousness of global warming taxes and controls and their impact on the poor across the globe.
• American Babies are Ruining Everything - This article describes the impact of population (babies) on carbon dioxide production in relation to the bogus "green" efforts that are so widely touted today. For example: a baby adds 40x the amount of carbon dioxide compared to the savings from someone living the most extreme "green" lifestyle.
  
• Um, let's not put everyone on Medicare/Medicaid. I hope I don't need a source to convince you of that. 90% of Americans have health insurance, and polls indicate 70% of us like the health care we receive.

The answer to global warming (if such a thing were to even exist) is innovation and technology, not the feds and taxes.

The answer to health care is innovation and competition, not the feds and taxes.

This is simple logic that makes this nerd smile.
smile... yow, bill

Labels: 5stars, books, politics, qotd, sports

Back from my second annual Ty/Da Baseball Vacation: July 28 - Aug 3 in Seattle and SFO with 3 ballgames in 6 days. Excellent!

• Seattle 3, Toronto 2 (boxscore) - Our game in Seattle coincided with Seattle's hottest day ever; the temp hit 103 (source). My guy Halladay lost, but he pitched OK. Ty's guy Jose Lopez had a solo dinger. Seattle's Safeco Stadium was a beauty, 5 bill-stars. The retractable roof was open for the warm goodness of our game. And for the record, 100 in Seattle feels better than 90 degrees over here in the greater Chicagoland area.
  
• Oakland 8, Toronto 5 (boxscore) - Oakland stadium is a flippin' dump, perfectly set in post-apocalyptic surroundings including warehouses, burned out buildings and acres of weed-jutting asphalt and gravel. Second-worst stadium ever to Shea Stadium. Ty got a couple autographs (Adam Kennedy and some other Athletic) and we snarfed a couple foul balls from our front row seats. Excellent. Ty's guy Andrew Bailey got the save.
  
• SFO 7, Philly 3 (boxscore) - SFO Stadium is very nice... a little mall-y for my taste, but still very nice. We saw the game with Janny and her family and Verb. It was my guy Pablo Sandoval T-shirt day. Too cool.
• In some wonderful kismet, Ty was talking to a guy (Ty's always talking to a guy/girl, he he) on the subway home from the Oakland game, and after a while he told us that he was Blue Jay All-Star Aaron Hill's father. The guy was super-nice and beaming about his son (duh).
• We sat in some version of the front row for all 3 games. Unlike the Cub, however, all tickets cost less than a hundo. You can barely get into the bleachers at Wrigley for that price these days.
  

QOTD

"You're washed up, Junior!"
- Blue Jay fan taunt right before Griffey's game-winning double in the 7th

I looked back at the guy and laughed after Junior's mash. In my younger, more testosterone-filled days, I would have commented on the status of Canada in relation to being "washed up" or irrelevant, but I let it lie.

Book: "The Shining" by Stephen King
Review: 4 bill-stars (out of 5)... excellent!

I was really shocked at how different the book was from the movie; the book is much more interesting. The kid is half the focus of the book, not just a throw-in like the movie. Also, the father's (Jack Nicholson) nuttiness is more gripping in the book because of it's base in reality: abused as a child, alcoholism, career failure, marital strain, etc.

This was a great vacation read, and thanks to Mozy for the pointer.
I'm into "Carrie" now, and it's going better than the movie as well. Stay tuned.
play ball... yow, bill

PS - A quick politics wrap from (super-hot) Sarah Palin.

QOTD2

"Last state twitter. Thank you Alaska! I love you. God bless Alaska. God bless the U.S.A."
- July 26, Sarah Palin's last twitter as gov of AK (twitter link)

Labels: 4stars, books, fun, politics, qotd, sports