Team Horseshoe Up Their Asses

I hate to admit it, but I am now cheering for the Frat Boys, Team Dandrew, to win The Amazing Race 13.

Lord knows they are the luckiest team ever to participate in TAR. They are in the final three with Nick/Starr and Ken/Tina. And they have done it by finishing either last or next to last in nearly every episode. They were only saved by a non-elimination in last week's episode.

Nick and Starr have won just about every leg -- and won't that be creepy when they have to take all those "romantic" trips when the race is over? But I digress -- and Ken and Tina have been near the top most of the race too.

I don't know. None of these people are particulary likeable, though Ken seems like a pretty cool dude. And you have to give him props for having to put up with Tina, who sometimes comes across as a beotch.

But the Frat Boys have overcome just about everything, including themselves, to finish in the final three. And they can thank my favorites before they were eliminated last night, mom/son duo Toni and Dallas. Dallas lost all of his team's money and passport while trying to complete a Roadblock in Moscow, and that pretty much sealed their fate.

So now we head into the season's final episode next Sunday. I can't believe it's almost over. I just hope they don't wait until next September to show The Amazing Race 14, which may have already completed filming.

That's just too long to wait.

Andrew and Dan photo courtesy CBS

I'm back from Turkey Day in the Rock

(Update: To anybody who might be reading this for the first time, or for the first time in a while, my sister Sue lost her valiant battle with cancer in March 2009. She is missed now and forever. The following was written well before that.)

... I guess it has been a while since I've blogged. I guess it just takes getting back in the mood.

Anyway, just got back from a whirlwind trip to Little Rock to spend Thanksgiving with the family. Everybody was there, though Ed spent the weekend with his family in New York and Val stayed in Iowa celebrating there with friends/family and snow.

As for the big day itself, it was probably like 90% of every other Thanksgiving in America -- lots of turkey, lots of stuffing and lots of sweets. Oh, and the occasional bickering and picking that occurs when family members who don't get to see each other very often suddnely have to spend 10 hours in the same room together.

It was a good time regardless. And Sue looked really good. After getting down to about 68 pounds at her worst, she's now up to 95. And man did she stuff her face on Thanksgiving. That was good to see. She looks so much better than the last time I saw her, as this picture shows (she's in the pink). She's now suffering from horrible headaches because of the cancer in her brain, but she's fighting as hard as she can.

And you know what I think has saved her life to this point? Activia yogurt. The stuff with probiotics. After she went through chemo and then stopped it, it was very hard for Sue to have a good bowel movement. Doctors gave her everything, all kinds of drugs and potions that would make her go to the bathroom. But nothing worked, and it was killing her in front of our eyes. But one day she tried Activia, and the next day she was a new person. Now she eats about 10 of those little cups a day (I might be exaggerating, but maybe not). The rest is history.

All in all a good trip, made even more exciting by the Arkansas Razorbacks' 31-30 come-from-behind football victory over LSU. It was fun leaving town and seeing all the long faces on all the Tigers fans that made the trip to Little Rock to see their team lose to the Hogs for the second year in a row.

But it was a long trip. Josh and I took two days to get there, stayed Thursday and Friday, and then drove 17 hours straight back to Virginia, a lot of it in the rain, arriving home at 2:30 a.m. Sunday. Then it was back to work for the both of us on Sunday night.

We'll probably head back in the spring. But I doubt we'll do the 17-hour straight thing again. That was rough.

Nut job

Thanks to Thunder Matt's Saloon for letting the world know that sometimes actor Gary Busey is a little out there.

Watch at Screen Junkies.com.

And definitely enjoy.

Happy birthday Dexter!

The doodles turned 4 years old yesterday. He's grown into a fine young man, as you can see here. No, he's not spoiled.

Sue's 52nd birthday is coming up on Nov. 11. I think we'll celebrate that at Thanksgiving. Then we are done with birthdays for the year, starting over with Zoe in January and Bailey in February.

Bailey is going to be 9! Hard to believe. But the queen of the house is still going strong.

Kyle Orton is the man

People scoffed, even laughed at me when I said the Chicago Bears should give Kyle Orton a chance at quarterback. And of course the Florida fans at work are still scoffing, giving me the "when Orton leads you guys to a Super Bowl, then he'll be as good as Rex Grossman" crap.

Well, Orton may yet have the last laugh. Orton has the Bears on top of the NFC North. They are only 4-3, but could easily be 7-0 -- and you can blame the vaunted defense for the three losses.

Orton's come a long way. From a guy who managed the offense while starting 15 games in 2005 -- for an injured Grossman, no less -- leading them to the playoffs. He didn't play much in 2006 or '07, biding his time until he got his opportunity. And boy is he taking advantage. He has a passer rating of 91.4 and has thrown 10 touchdown passes with only four interceptions.

The boy also loves to party, as this picture of Orton at an Iowa City bar (borrowed from Deadspin a couple of years ago illustrates. But that just adds to the charm.

So take that Gator fans. See you in the playoffs.

It's probably time to move on ...

Talk about an exclamation point ...

... Borrowed from The Onion ... I think this just about says it all about the Cubs 2008 season.

Tampa Bay Rays: "Fuck You, Cubs"

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — On the eve of their very first World Series appearance in a short 11-year team history, the Tampa Bay Rays took time Tuesday to acknowledge the Chicago Cubs' decades-long absence from the Fall Classic.

"Hey, fuck you, you losers, you had every chance," the announcement read in part. "Great regular season, wasn't it? But you've been losing so long it's gotten good to you, hasn't it? And without losing in the playoffs, you just don't have much of a team identity, do you? Pathetic. Well, wish us luck — no, wait, we don't believe in luck, good or bad, because we went out and earned a place in the World Series."

Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig is expected to officially censure Rays management for the vulgar and undiplomatic nature of the announcement, but acknowledged Wednesday morning that "Christ, you've got to admit they have a point."

Funny. You gotta love The Onion.

But whatever Mary. You lost Game 1 last night to the frickin' Phillies. Go Phillies. In four.

(Bitter, party of millions. Bitter)

Sister Sue update

No news is good news I guess, which is why I haven't posted about her in a while. She's hanging in there, but is having a few more headaches than she's used to having. And while she's still around 80 pounds, she's found something she really likes -- Activia, the yogurt with probiotics. It has helped her in ways you can't imagine and in ways I won't explain here.

The family is all going to get together at her house for Thanksgiving. I think she'll really like that. But ugh. Josh and I are driving -- 17 hours each way. We'll be there Thursday and Friday and leave early Saturday so that both of us can be back at work Sunday.

That's OK. She'd do the same for me ...

The Amazing Survivor Race

Good news on both fronts: GC is gone from Survivor: Gabon and the blondes are gone from The Amazing Race.

GC deserved to go. And it tells you how much his tribe mates wanted him gone when they could have voted out Sugar, who has the immunity idol found on Exile Island. They even talked about backdooring Sugar, but in the end, they got rid of a cancer that quit on his team several times.

As for the blondes, Marissa and Brooke: If it's possible, you set the blonde nation back another 20 years. After finding out they were going to Auckland, New Zealand, Marisa wondered if the people there will like blondes as her cohort Brooke noted that they probably already have blondes in that country, since they’re not, like, rare or anything. As Saturday Night Live Weekend Update anchors Seth and Amy would say, "Really!"

But the best line of the night came from Dallas, when he was talking about his mom Toni having to deal with the natives during a Roadblock on Mount Eden. One team member had to choose an image of a tattoo worn by Maori warriors and match it to the face of an actual warrior. Dallas said he hoped the Maori don’t “eat his mom.” Now that's funny.

In the end, Ken and Tina took one of two Fast Forwards this season: Go directly to the Auckland Skytower, the tallest building in the Southern hemisphere at 1,076 feet, climb to the top and “pick up a friend," which happened to be a Travelocity Roaming Gnome! The gnome got them a trip to Rio. Bitches.

A bonus: With Phil on the mat in his native New Zealand was his dad, John!

Next week: Sarah's Terence (what a wuss) gets pulled over by the cops -- a traffic violation or hair crimes? Also, Kelly and Christy get nasty, making fun of Dallas’ hair and calling him Teen Wolf. Now there's an '80s reference we didn't need.

Philliminated Marisa and Brooke photo courtesy CBS

Gymnast tries his hand at diving

If you speak German, then this video will make complete sense to you. Otherwise, just enjoy the eye candy.

Thanks to Outsports.com.

Holy crap!

Brad Sciullo, 21, took down this 20-pound cheeseburger this week in under five hours.

The 5-11, 180-pound western Pennsylvania chef is the first person to eat a monstrosity called the Beer Barrel Belly Bruiser: a 15-pound burger with toppings and a bun that brought the total weight to 20.2 pounds.

The mountain of beef is the product of Denny's Beer Barrel Pub, about 100 miles northeast of Pittsburgh in Clearfield. "About three hours into it, things got tough," he said. Ya think?

The burger included a bun, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, onions, mild banana peppers and a cup each of mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard and relish, pub owner Dennis Liegey said.

All he got for it was $400, three T-shirts and a certificate.

And I'll bet a nice seat in front of and on his toilet.

Photo and text courtesy AP

Baseball playoffs

I still can't believe the Cubs were ousted in three games again. Which means I could really give a rat's ass about the rest of the postseason.

I was, however, happy to see the Philadelphia Phillies eliminate the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games and advance to their first World Series since 1993. I became a Dodger hater when a couple of guys at work started giving attitude even before the Dodgers played the Cubs in the Division Series. I was told at work last night that one of the guys was taking the Dodgers' ouster pretty hard. Poor baby. I have no sympathy for him or the other guy. Take a lesson from a Cubs fan dude and then you'll know misery. Maybe if you hadn't been so arrogant, I might -- I might -- have felt badly for you. But in this case, you got what's coming to you.

As for the American League, looks like the Tampa Bay Rays (???) are going to move on. If they beat the defending champion Boston Red Sox tonight, they'll host the first two games next week at the Tropicana Dome in St. Petersburg.

Who do I want to win? Who cares? But if I had to choose ...

Go Phillies.

The Amazing Survivor Race

Why don't people read clues? Geez, with $1 million on the line, I'm reading everything, letter-by-letter.

Leave it to the nerds on The Amazing Race, a couple of guys who I thought were a lot smarter than that, to not read a very important clue -- use your legs not a cab -- and were eliminated in last week's episode that was filmed mostly in Bolivia. Maybe they really do live in the basement of the science building.

So who do I root for now? The Frat Boys? They don't seem to have an elevator that goes to the top floor either. I guess mother and son Toni and Dallas, who finished second, are the ones to root for now. I can't stand the blondes, Terrence & Sarah or Ken & Tina.

It's definite a very good season, despite my early disappointments with the eliminations. Can't wait for Sunday.

As for Survivor, the teams were redrawn and Jacquie ended up being voted out. Charlie, Marcus and Matty are my favorites -- it doesn't hurt that they are easy on the eyes -- and Randy is so obnoxious as to be likeable. But only to a point. He's a smart one and shouldn't be underestimated.

Tonight's episode looks interesting -- somebody disappears before a challenge. Hopefully it's GC. I don't want him hurt, just out of the competition.

Until next time ...

Nerds (Mark & Bill) photo courtesy CBS

Marcia, Marcia, Marcia -- We hardly knew ye ...

... My what a little vixen you were.

I loved the Brady Bunch as a kid, though I never had a thing for you. I was more a Peter (Christopher Knight) fan. I guess I should have known I was gay then, right?

Ed's 40th birthday ...

... is next June 11. He wants to go to Disney World. I've never been to the Magic Kingdom -- Ed took me to Epcot Center about 10 years ago.

Does anybody have any advice on package deals? Resort information? How to go on the relatively cheap? We'll probably go with his parents and maybe his brother/wife and two small boys. I'm told the best time to go is the week after Easter until early June to avoid crowds and possible heat.

Seriously, he's like the kid in the TV commercial the night before his first trip to Disney, which I've mentioned before: "I'm too excited to sleep."

And then while stumbling, I found the picture below. Something to look forward to next year, I think ...

The Amazing Survivor Race

TV is another good release for Cubs depression. The Amazing Race, my favorite, was on last night and we said goodbye to Anthony and Stephanie. It's not a good sign when you aren't in the TV spotlight much anyway. I know it's only been two shows, but you can already see who the dominant teams are and these two weren't in that group.

Ex-NFLer Ken and bitchy wife Tina got through the Roadblock and Detour first, ending up at the pitstop in Brazil first. All my favorites are still alive, including the Nerds and the Frat Boys. If I were a betting man, and I am, I'd say the Southern Belles (seriously, the epitome of dumb blondes) are next to go.

And poor Sarah, having to put up with the ego that is Terrence. I hope she realizes what a dope this guy is before it's too late. Dude, who wears the pants in that relationship? Brother and sister combo Nick and Starr ain't the brightest bulbs either (though he is a cutie).

I love this show, and I think everybody knows that (in fact, if there is a 15th version of the show -- No. 14 airs in the spring -- Josh and I are going to enter). Seriously, though, how stupid are some of these people? They don't pay attention and they don't read the clues, then they wonder why they performed so badly or were eliminated. I just don't get it. Get me on this show and I'll show you how it's done.

As for Survivor: Gabon, we said bye bye to Paloma, another person who we really didn't get to know all too well. Sugar found the immunity idol on Exile Island, so unless she's an idiot, she should go far, taking bald boy Ace right with her. Watching this week's previews, there's apparently going to be some kind of Tribal shakeup, so it will be interesting to see how that shakes out.

Frat boys Andrew and Dan photo courtesy CBS

Thank God for Da Bears

Seriously, if I didn't have my Chicago Bears to help me take my mind off the disappointment of the Cubs, I'd probably go crazy. I still can't believe the baseball season is over.

But my Bears are 3-2 (they could easily be 5-0) after yesterday's 34-7 win over the Detroit Lions. My boy Kyle Orton had the best game of his career, the defense is again a monster and rookie running back Matt Forte has been a fantasy football find. Are they Super Bowl-worthy like they were a couple of years ago? Maybe not this year -- I think the NFC road to Tampa is going to end up going through the NFC East (God, please don't let it be the Redskins). But the Bears lead the NFC North, which ain't the strongest division in the NFL. Check out the new Bears widget I've installed at right.

And could there be a funnier commercial than Brian Urlacher ad (at top) for Old Spice Swagger?

The NHL season also begins this weekend (in America anyway) with my Blackhawks in town to face the Washington Capitals. The Capitals are all the rage this year in D.C., so getting a ticket or two to Saturday's game is going to be almost impossible, unless I want to pay like $150 a ticket, which ain't happening. I love hockey and the Blackhawks, but these days I barely have enough money for a six-pack of beer let alone hockey tickets.

So it's a new day and two new sports. The Cubs? Dead to me until the tease begins again in February ...

Another picture worth 1,000 words ...

Zombie humor

I really have nothing to say ...

... The Normal Rockwell painting above should explain just about everything you need to know about the Cubs' 10-3 loss to the Dodgers last night, which means the Cubs have to win three in a row to advance to the NLCS.

Hey, it was fun while it lasted. I've even taken my Cubs wheel cover off the spare tire of my Jeep Liberty and replaced it with my Bears wheel cover. And I just know they are going to continue to tease me ...

I pushed that panic button below last night about 10 ...

Oooops ...

No matter what any Cubs fan says, panic has already set in. Ryan Dempster had nothing last night except free passes to first base, and they eventually came back to bite him in the ass in a 7-2 loss to the Dodgers.

So now it's up to Carlos Zambrano, he of the no-hitter and he of the unpredictable personality, to get the Cubs even tonight in a must-win game. If the Cubs lose tonight, they are all but dead heading to Los Angeles.

That's really all I have to say about this. If you'd like to read a good analysis, go to bleedcubbieblue.com.

Am I worried? You bet your ass I am...

And so it begins ...

Just 11 more victories, and this will be one glorious season for the Chicago Cubs. Time to erase the bitter memories of 2003 and 100 years of futility.

The National League Division Series begins tonight at Wrigley Field against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Closer turned starter Ryan Dempster (left), he of the 17-6 record this year, goes up against Derek Lowe. Expect a low-scoring affair, even if the wind is blowing out.

The Cubs were 5-2 against the Dodgers this year, sweeping at home and splitting at Dodger Stadium. But that was before the Dodgers traded for Manny Ramirez and Casey Blake. That offense got a huge upgrade, with Manny putting up MVP-type numbers since he got there.

But the Cubs had the highest-scoring offense in the NL this year, and their pitching more than matches up with the Dodgers. If we get a good Carlos Zambrano, followed by Rich Harden and Ted Lilly if we need him, I see no reason why the Cubs won't be playing in the National League Championship Series late next week.

Against who you ask? Either the Philadelphia Phillies or the Milwaukee Brewers (thanks Mets, for choking so bad that even the Brewers, king of the chokers, were able to get in). It should be a good series, but I think the Phillies pitching is better than Milwaukee's, which is CC Sabathia and who?

Could you imagine, however, if the Brewers made it? That 90-mile stretch from Chicago to Milwaukee would be one crazy scene for a possible seven games.

But I just don't see that happening. My predictions:

Cubs over Dodgers in four.
Phillies over Brewers in four.
Tampa Bay Rays over White Sux in five (and thanks to the Minnesota Twins, too. See Mets above).
Los Angeles Angels over Boston Red Sox in five.

In the NLCS I like the Cubs over the Phillies in six and the Angels over the Red Sox in seven.

World Series: Cubs over Angels in seven.

Jayson Stark of ESPN has a great analysis of the playoffs and picks the Cubs to win the World Series over the Red Sox.

One caveat: Heaven help me if it's the Cubs and White Sox in the World Series. Possibly losing the ultimate grudge match would be too much to bear. It wouldn't be pretty. And it'd be almost as bad if the Brewers were to make the Series instead of the Cubs.

You know Fox is hoping for either a Cubs-Red Sox or Cubs-Angels World Series. Fox would probably throw up if it was something like Rays-Brewers or White Sox-Brewers. How boring.

Stay tuned ladies and gentleman. The wild ride is about to begin.

Top photo courtesy AP

The Amazing Survivor Race

And so they return, two of my favorite reality TV shows, Survivor and The Amazing Race.

First Survivor, which for the first time is being filmed in HD. Africa never looked so beautiful. Remember that on this show attitude, smarts and athleticism will get you everywhere. Which is why we said goodbye to Michelle (bad attitude) and Gillian (no athleticism at all) on opening night.

My favorites? Gay-boy Charlie of course, and his BFF Marcus. Physics teacher Bob seems to be quite a hoot, and though Randy is depressing, he knows how to to play the game. None of the chicks really float my boat, but you have to admit that anybody named Sugar has to be kind of fun. And I think she is and will be.

As for the best show on TV, The Amazing Race: Beekeepers/hippies Anita and Arthur we heardly knew ye. From Los Angeles to Brazil was as far as they made it, faltering at the Detour.

Their choices: Hard Way Up or Soft Way Down. Teams could either climb a stone staircase on their hands and knees (ouch) and be asked a mystery question at the top, or teams can choose to climb down a cargo net attached to a building that’s 240 feet down. Every team chooses the cargo net but the frats, Andrew and Dan. They preferred to wreck their knees by climbing the stairs, and they got the question at the top wrong: how many stairs were there? Back to the bottom, where they have to reclimb.

So back to the beehives with ye Anita and Arthur after taking a looooong time to climb the Soft Way Down.

My favorites here? The frat boys and the nerds, Mark and Bill. I can already tell I'm not going to like the Southern Belles (Marissa and Brooke -- why do we have to have dumb blondes on every TAR? But I digress). The Tina half of Ken and Tina is already annoying, too. And the brother/sister duo of Nick and Starr are just a little too touchy-feely for me.

So away we go. See you next week.

Anita and Arthur photo courtesy CBS

Paul Newman 1925-2008

One of the coolest dudes to ever walk the planet. A star of three of my favorite films of all time: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting and Slap Shot.

USA TODAY did a series of wonderful pieces on his passing.

Man, will you be missed. RIP

Geez Astros, get over it already

Apparently the Houston Astros are still complaining about having to play the Cubs at Miller Park after Hurricane Ike, blaming everybody but themselves for the two losses they suffered in Milwaukee.

Check out Thunder Matt's Saloon for a summary of what really took place.

Ten Commandments for dog owners

Dexter thought you might want to read this. Borrowed from Ed's blog.

1. My life is likely to last 10 to 15 years. Any separation from you will be very painful.

2. Give me time to understand what you want from me. Do not break my spirit with your temper, though I will always forgive you. Your patience and understanding will teach me more quickly those things you want me to learn.

3. Treat me kindly, my beloved friend, for no heart in all the world is more grateful for your kindness than mine. Don't be angry with me for long, and don't lock me up as punishment. After all, you have your job, your friends, your entertainment. I have only you.

4. Speak to me often. Even if I don't understand all your words, I understand your voice when it's speaking to me. Your voice is the sweetest sound I ever hear, as you must know by my enthusiastic excitement when your footsteps fall upon my waiting ear.

5. Please take me inside when it's cold and wet. I'm a domestic animal and no longer am accustomed to the bitter elements. I ask for little more than your gentle hands petting me.

6. Keep my bowl filled with clean water; I cannot tell you when I'm thirsty. Feed me good food so that I may stay well, to romp and play and do your bidding, to be by your side, and stand ready, willing and able to share with you my life, for that is what I live for. However you treat me, I'll never forget it.

7. Don't hit me. Remember, I have teeth that could easily crush the bones in your hand, but I choose not to bite you.

8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I am not getting the right food, I've been out in the sun too long, or my heart is getting old and weak.

9. Take care of me when I get old. You will grow old, too.

10. When I am very old, when I no longer enjoy good health, please do not make heroic efforts to keep me going. I am not having fun. Just see to it that my trusting life is taken gently. And be with me on that difficult journey when it is time to say "goodbye". Never say, "I can't bear to watch." Everything is easier for me when you are there. I will leave this earth knowing with my last breath that my fate was always safest in your hands. Remember -- I love you.

-- Author Unknown

The Lou Piniella song

Check out this song written from Sweet Lou's days with the Seattle Mariners. I think it's high time it was rewritten with Cubs references.

This is some funny sh*t.

Piniella photo courtesy AP

Go Cubs Go!

More pictures of the Cubs' NL Central clincher can be found here, and a complete recap can be found at the Cubs' website here.

And just for good measure, here's the song of the year (Eddie Vedder's tribute can be found in a blog below).

With thanks and appreciation to Steve Goodman, who wrote the original Go Cubs Go!

Enjoy.

Photo courtesy AP

This picture is worth a thousand words ...

... Need I say more??

The magic number is 2 ...

After today's stirring, improbable 7-6, 12-inning victory over the Brewers, I thought it was appropriate to post this tribute to the Cubs from none other than Pearl Jam's own Eddie Vedder, who is a huge Cubs fan.

I heart Geovany Soto, soon to be the NL Rookie of the Year.

For my nephew Josh ...

... Who's not a big fan of clowns. So imagine if a zombie took a bite out of a clown ...

I told you so ...

... So Dan, the 24-year-old Catholic school teacher, becomes the first winner in Big Brother history to win with a unanimous vote (Memphis never stood a chance, especially after the Q&A session). And he deserved it.

The jury members finally got off their high horses and realized they were beaten by the best player in the game. It took a while, but good for them.

And hey, how about the greeting 75-year-old Jerry got when he showed up at the Jury House? They may have been in California, but it sure looked like they were in northern Canada. In the middle of a winter blizzard.

So another season of Big Brother is over. If The Amazing Race and Survivor weren't starting next week, I'm sure I'd be going into reality TV withdrawal.

While it's well known how much I'd love to be on TAR, BB would be my second choice. I love Survivor, and all the contestants on that show deserve a pat on the back. I just couldn't handle the bugs.

Or the lack of a fan. I'd never sleep.

Magic number is 4

The Cubs continue to roll while panic mode has settled in in Milwaukee.

The Cubs beat CC Sabathia and the Brewers 5-4 last night, dropping the magic number to clinch to 4 games, and moving the Cubs 9 games ahead of the Brewers in the NL Central.

The game was the first for new Brewers manager Dale Sveum, who replaced Ned Yost. Seriously, how worried must the Brewers be if they fire their manager when the team is leading the wild-card playoff race? And now they don't even lead the wild card. Better them than us, that's for sure.

Closer-turned-starter Ryan Dempster won his career-high 16th game, following up another masterpiece by Ted Lilly, who one-hit the Astros on Monday after Carlos Zambrano no-hit the Astros on Sunday. I heart me some Ted Lilly and Ryan Dempster.

The game ended with a nasty bender of a slider by closer Kerry Wood (photo courtesy AP) to strike out Prince Fielder, who had already homered twice in the game.

A sweep of the Brewers and the Cubs can start planning for the postseason. The sooner the better I say. But if not the Brewers, the Cubs should be able to clinch at home this weekend against the Cardinals.

That would be just as sweet.

Also, Ron Santo, Joe Torre and and Luis Tiant are among 10 players on the latest Hall of Fame ballot for Veterans Committee voters.

It's time to vote Santo, my all-time favorite Cub, into the Hall of Fame. It's ridiculous that he's not in already. His stats are much better and more deserving than about half the players already in the Hall. He also played with diabetes, which nobody knew at the time. And he has since paid the price, having lost both of his legs.

Vote him in guys, while he has a chance and the time to enjoy it. Check out this video below.

A magical season

Who would have thunk it?

A no-hitter from Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano, who hadn't pitched since Sept. 2 because of shoulder tendinitis. Against the red-hot Houston Astros, who are about to overtake the fading Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central and wild-card. At Milwaukee's Miller Park because the series was moved out of Houston because of Hurricane Ike.

Who would have thunk it?

Big Z was superb last night, allowing only a walk at a hit batter while striking out 10 in the Cubs' 5-0 victory. He was truly unhittable, throwing the first no-no by a Cub since Milt Pappas in 1972. The crowd, which was 99% Cubs fans (it is only a 90-mile drive from Chicago to Milwaukee), roared its approval on almost every pitch.

More importantly, it gave the Cubs a 7 1/2-game lead over the Brewers, who lost a doubleheader yesterday and were swept in four games at Philadelphia. The Cubs magic number to clinch either a playoff berth or the NL Central title is down to seven (any combination of seven Cubs victories or Brewers losses).

And as for the whining Astros, who complained about the series being moved to Milwaukee? Get over it. I'm sure other venues were scouted for this series, but I'm sure the dome over Miller Park had a lot to do with the series being moved where it was. I feel badly for the people of south Texas, but the Astros just need to shut up and play ball. They're getting paid millions to do what many of us can only dream about.

Onward and upward. This season is going places most of us never thought possible. Let's hope Ted Lilly can complete the "Wrigley North" sweep today.

Big Z no-hitter photo courtesy AP

Rumor central

Do you like rumors? Do you like baseball trade rumors? Then check out my widget on the right below the Cubs widget. The guy who runs this site has turned it into a full-time job. Lucky b*stard.

You can also check out the website here.

No lipstick on these pigs ...

My favorite college football team, the Arkansas Razorbacks (what did you think I was going to talk about?) is getting the weekend off because of Hurricane Ike, but it's just postponing the inevitable.

Arkansas was supposed to lose to Texas today. The game at Austin was moved to Sept. 27 because they didn't want anybody to get killed when Ike roared through. Very good move.

The Hogs are 2-0, but they had to pull both victories -- against Western Illinois and Louisiana-Monroe, no less -- out of their asses with late fourth-quarter comebacks.

Now I'm all for new coach Bobby Petrino (we're not going to get into his nasty exit from the NFL's Atlanta Falcons) and am willing to give him some time installing his program. But the schedule after Alabama next week and then Texas is a killer: Florida, at Auburn, at Kentucky, home against Ole Miss and former Arkansas coach Houston Nutt. Nutt did a fine job in Fayetteville, but it was time for a change. Should be an interesting homecoming.

Arkansas closes with its traditional day-after-Thanksgiving game against LSU.

Ideally, I think the best this team can do is 7-5 and a fringe bowl game; 9-3 could happen, 5-7 is more likely.

Boy would I love to be proved wrong.

I heart Nelson ...

I wish I could make the "HA HA!" sound just like Nelson Muntz of The Simpsons.

The only reason I'm posting this is because I was stumbling around and found this. Ed and Josh and I are always making the "HA HA!" noise. I chuckle and snort just about every time I hear it.

Here's a sample. It just never gets old ...

Dan and Memphis

So Big Brother is down to the final two, Dan and Memphis. Not that I told you so, but I told you so. Dan won the final Head of Household competition and voted out 75-year-old Jerry, who had quite the run.

I would vote Dan the winner because he's been playing the GAME since day 1. (Take note of my previous post.) But I think most of the jury will vote for Memphis because most of them aren't as bitter about Memphis as they are about Dan.

Memphis makes it to the final without ever winning HOH, while Dan won it three times. That would suck to make it that far with absolutely no news at all from home.

But hey, he could win $500,000. I'd take that any day.

The season finale is Tuesday, which would suck if Survivor and The Amazing Race weren't right around the corner.

Memphis photo courtesy CBS

Close, but I'll take it

So the Cubs are back on track after taking the final two games of the three-game series against the Cardinals, winning 4-3 Wednesday and 3-2 last night.

Rich Harden's return could not have come at a better time. CC Sabathia? Please. I'll take my man Rich Harden, who has pitched as well if not better than the Brewers rental who is going to skip town after the season anyway.

But could we not do it with so much drama? Kerry Wood had danced around danger in his past three or four appearances, but he came through again last night -- thanks to some bad baserunning by the Cardinals.

And kudos to Alfonso Soriano and Kosuke Fukudome, who pretty much saved the game with two outstanding defensive plays in the eighth inning.

Now it's time to sit and wait. Hurricane Ike has its eye set on Houston, so the Cubs flew back to Chicago to wait out the storm. Eventually these games with the red-hot Astros will have to be played though. They've talked about alternate sights -- wouldn't it be great to fill up Nationals Park with 40,000 Cubs fans?

But the Astros say this series will be played in Houston. Smart for them -- if they play this series anyplace else, and Milwaukee, St. Louis and Atlanta have been mentioned, it won't matter that the Astros are the home team. Cubs fans will cheer them into submission.

In any case, the Cubs have a 5 1/2-game lead on the Brewers, who are desperately trying to hold on to at least the wild card. They need to start worrying about the Astros approaching in their rearview mirror.

Go Phillies.

Harden photo courtesy US Presswire

Should I be worried?

Maybe.

About what you ask? What else is there? The Chicago Cubs and whether or not they can hold on to win the National League Central or at least get the wild card.

They've lost eight of their last nine, including six in a row at one point. And all this after a seven-game winning streak. Thank God the equally inept Milwaukee Brewers have been losing, too, or the Cubs might be looking up at the Brew Crew instead of continuing to hold a 4 1/2-game lead.

I knew they'd have to have a bit of a funk at some point this season, but it's starting to get old now. On Sunday, the Cubs led Cincinnati 3-1 going into the bottom of the ninth. Closer Kerry Wood then proceeded to give up three runs and the Reds won 4-3. On Tuesday, the Cubs led the also inept St. Louis Cardinals 3-0 before Albert Fricking Pujols tied it with a three-run homer. Carlos Marmol then lost it in the ninth.

It's even starting to get to manager Lou Piniella a bit. Apparently, he blew his top a bit after last night's loss.

Maybe that's what they need. When Lou had his famous meltdown last year, the then-last place Cubs responded by making a run all the way to the playoffs.

Hopefully, Lou's latest outburst -- and the return to the mound of Carlos Zambrano and Rich Harden, who were both out with tired arms -- will be just the tonic this team needs.

Seriously, I don't think I could take it if I had to endure another collapse. And I'm not going to get really worried until the lead is gone. The magic number to clinch is 14.

Oh. And beware the Houston Astros.

Click here for the latest Cubs news and what has turned out to be a calming voice of reason. And check out the new Cubs widget I've posted on the right side of this page.

Piniella meltdown photo from 2007 courtesy AP

The Amazing Race 13

Kind of like the kid in the Disney commercial: "I'm too excited to sleep."

That's how I feel about the season premiere of the 13th installment of The Amazing Race, set for Sept. 28.

To me, this is the best show on television. You get to see the raw emotions of people racing around the world trying to win $1 million. Ed and I entered four times, with no success. I also entered one time with my sister Cheryl, but again we were spurned. I would do just about anything to get on this show, so if you are reading/listening CBS, I'm your guy.

The cast looks like the usual assortment of crazies (you have to be a little crazy to do this show I think). But the couple that looks like it will provide the most entertainment are the 60-year-old hippies, Anita and Arthur.

I can't wait. For a preview of this season's contestants/cast, click here.

Anita and Arthur photo courtesy CBS

Big Brother 10

So we're down to the final three -- Dan, Memphis and Jerry. My pick to win since early on has been Dan, and I still think he'll walk away with the $500,000. But watch out for Memphis.

You have to give props to the old man, Jerry, though. He's survived a lot longer than anybody ever thought he would. Not bad for a 75-year-old man.

And now my bitch of the moment: Dan deserves to win. He's done everything you are supposed to do in this game, whether it be lying, cheating, stealing, being America's Player, etc. So for all the evicted house guests to moan and complain about friendships, trust and the like, I say "TOO FRICKING BAD!" It's a game people. It's kind of like Survivor: Outwit, Outplay, Outlast.

So, to all of you on the jury -- get over it. You live, you learn, you move on. Now's a good time to start.

Dan photo courtesy CBS

Sister Sue update

Well, my latest trip to Little Rock was a good one. Sue keeps plugging along, though she is a bit thinner and weaker than on my last trip. And she tends to doze off a lot, though her little cat naps don't last very long. If she could get 8 hours of straight sleep and put some weight on (hello, Ensure anybody?) I think she'd feel much stronger and not worry Sammy and the rest of the family so much.

My next trip is planned for Thanksgiving. I'll have to drive on that one I'm afraid. 17 hours straight through to Little Rock. Ugh. But it'll be well worth it...

Back to blogging ...

... I know it's been a while. Sorry about that. But there's just been too much going on ...

The youth of today ...

... Only in Arkansas ...

I shall return!

Because of the Olympics, my work schedule got all screwed up, so that's why I haven't been blogging.

And now I'm heading to Little Rock to visit my sister Sue, who is doing OK, considering everything. I was going to wait until Thanksgiving, but thought I should go now, especially since Cheryl and Val are going to be there, along with Sammy's brother Burt. I fly out tomorrow and return late Sunday night.

That also means I won't be going to the Gay World Series in Seattle. Bummed about that, but I can play softball anytime.

So when I return you can look forward to updates on the Cubs, Big Brother 10 (buh-bye Jessie, Libra and April), the new teams of The Amazing Race, and I guess I'll have to mention the Olympics (hello, Michael Phelps? Usain Bolt?)

In the meantime, have a good week and I'll see you all after Labor Day!

I love my iPhone

Granted, it's not the new 3G variety, but it's still a fabulous piece of work.

Since the 3G came out, Apple has provided an Apps Store where you can go and purchase downloads for the phone -- but there are plenty of free ones too. The ones I downloaded and like the best:

*The Star Wars phone saber. Yup. Shake your phone, point it at somebody and you get the sound of the saber from the movie. And it comes in different colors.

*Can you ever really have enough cowbell? Apparently not because I now have it on my phone, complete with my buddy Christopher Walken saying "I gotta have more cowbell!"

*SportsTap. From Major League Baseball to the NFL, NBA and NHL, from the NCAA to the PGA, sports updates are right at your fingertips.

*The Magic 8Ball. Just like the one you had as a kid. Ask a question, turn your phone over, and presto! The answer you've been waiting for. Or not.

*And, last but not least (I actually downloaded several more but these are my favorite), I can learn Spanish right on my phone. I ask the question and it gives it to me in Spanish, complete with a little woman inside the phone giving the correct pronunciation.

Don't have one yet? Then get out there and buy one. You'll be playing with it for hours.

Bye, bye Angie

Well, Jessie lives to see another day on Big Brother 10, but he's on the block again, so his stay could be short.

Angie and muscle boy Jessie were on the block last week, and by an 8-0 vote, Angie was evicted. But when April won HOH this week, she put Jessie back on the block along with Memphis. They are probably the strongest players in the game, but barring a Power of Veto victory, one of these two will be going home Thursday.

Speaking of Jessie: Dude, don't be such an ass. You might not be on the block again if you weren't so intimidating and arrogant. And, might you be hiding something?

A word of advice to Dan, who was selected America's Player: Subtlety works wonders. You were coasting along under the radar, but now that America wants you to do their dirty work, don't be so obvious. Libra and April have already figured out that something's wrong, with both of them wondering if Dan is indeed America's Player.

Should be an interesting week...

Weekend in New York

As I said in the previous post, Ed and I went to New York to visit his family. His grandmother celebrated her 90th birthday, and his grandfather, who has had both legs amputated because of circulation problems, was busted out of the rehab facility for the day on Saturday to celebrate the occasion.

I hope if and when I reach 90 that I'm still plugging along as well as those two are. Since I never really knew any of my grandparents, I consider Stanley and Jeannette my grandparents. They are definitely two peas in a pod, and it was good/fun to see them interact.

Ed's brother, sister-in-law and their two infant boys -- Jack and Sawyer -- came down for the weekend too. Jack is hell on wheels, but boy is he a cutie. He'll be a good big brother to Sawyer, who was just born in May.

We took Bailey along for the ride, leaving Dexter and Zoe behind with Josh to watch for the weekend. Having all three dogs would have been a nightmare, especially with the two youngsters (the dogs) being the crazies that they are. But I think Bailey had a great time, as the picture above shows. She loves to ride in the car and put her head out the window.

All in all, a great weekend.

On a roll

I was out of town visiting Ed's parents and grandparents in New York over the weekend, so I wasn't able to update my blog with the Cubs sweep of the Brew Crew last week in Milwaukee.

It was, in two words, total domination. Ryan Dempster and Rich Harden followed Ted Lilly and Carlos Zambrano in shutting down a potent Brewers offense. After the Cubs beat the Pirates yesterday 8-5 (thank God for Reed Johnson, who broke a 5-5 tie in the eighth with a two-run homer) and the Brewers' 5-0 loss to the Braves, the Cubs now own a 5-game lead on the Brewers and a 6-game lead on the Cardinals.

It's definitely a season to remember. If there ever was a year for the Cubs to win the National League pennant, this is it. The NL East is a crapshoot among the Mets, Phillies and Marlins, and the teams on top in the NL West are barely above .500. But watch out for the Dodgers. If Manny is Manny, he's going to bring a lot to that offense, which was definitely lacking. Ramirez had a huge opening weekend, hitting better than .600.

But we'll worry about that come late September and early October.

Keep up with all the Cubs news with the widget on the right.

Reed Johnson photo courtesy AP

Round 2: Big Z dominates

In the battle in Milwaukee, so far it's Cubs 2, Brewers 0.

Carlos Zambrano did indeed hold his emotions in check last night, save for the bat he broke in two after failing to get down a bunt; he did single in a run later though. Anyway, he was unhittable on the mound, throwing eight shutout innings as the Cubs increased their NL Central lead to three games.

Aramis Ramirez came out of his post-All-Star break funk too, with four hits, including three doubles.

Now it's up to Ryan Dempster tonight and Rich Harden tomorrow afternoon to complete the sweep. And don't think the Brewers aren't worried about just such a scenario. I'm sure they thought they'd be up 2-0 with CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets throwing the first two games. But the Cubs matched the pitch-for-pitch, actually going one better, setting it up for Dempster and Harden.

The trade deadline is tomorrow. Rumors have the Cubs possibly going after some relief pitching, but with the emergence of Jeff Samardzija and the eventual return of Kerry Wood from that nagging blister, they should be OK. There's also talk of going after the Mariners' Raul Ibanez, which would be a great pickup -- though it might mean the end of the Jim Edmonds-Reed Johnson platoon in center.

Anyway, onward and upward. The Cubs have won three in a row overall. Let's make it four, then five, and throw some distance between the Cubs and Brewers. And I guess the Cardinals too.

One other interesting note: Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is now reportedly the favorite to end up as the owner of the Cubs when all is said and done. His bid for the team and Wrigley Field? A cool $1.3 billion.

God, please let this happen.

Cuban photo courtesy David Yellen

Sister Sue update

Well, things ain't all that good. Cheryl talks to her almost every day and says she talked to Sammy this morning. They were bringing a nurse's aide in to spend the day with her so Sammy could go to work. Somebody has to be with her when he's not home.

She's really having fits with the nausea, and is quite agitated at times. Cheryl says she may try to take a trip to Little Rock this weekend just to give Sammy a break. If I was just a little bit closer, I'd be there too. But it's a 17-hour drive, and airfare right now is pretty high.

But I'll do what I have to if it comes down to it.

More as I know it ...

Seattle, here I come

Well, it's official: I will be traveling to Seattle to play for Cobalt Big Blue in the 2008 Gay Softball World Series. Reservations are set.

I'll miss one day of round-robin play, but will get there on Tuesday night, Aug. 26 in time to at least play in Wednesday's round-robin games. If not, I wouldn't be eligible for double-elimination, which starts Thursday.

I'm hoping Ed might be able to come too. His brother has a free ticket on JetBlue that he has to use soon -- it would be nice to take a short vacation together, even if it does involve softball (deep down, I think he likes being with all the people, especially those that don't play).

Anyway, I hope I can help Cobalt. I think they asked me because they think I might be able to do just that. Or they just needed a warm body. In any case, I'm getting pumped.

Check out the Seattle World Series site here.

The photo above is from Saturday's CAPS All-Star Game. We -- the A/B Division All-Stars -- beat a spirited C Division 12-10 in eight innings. We actually trailed 5-1 in the fifth inning before getting our butts in gear. And the C team, which included several Cobalt players, didn't give up either, tying the game in the seventh. That's me on the bottom far right.

More to come as the big trip approaches ...

Round 1: Cubs

In one of the best games of the season, the Cubs finally beat the Brewers in a see-saw affair Monday night 6-4. Derrek Lee had three RBI, including the game-winner in the ninth that broke a 4-4 tie.

It was nice to see the Cubs' bats come alive, especially against a guy like CC Sabathia of the Brewers; kudos to making him throw 124 pitches in seven innings. The bats started showing some life in Sunday's 9-6 win over the Marlins, so to see them carry those bats to a rocking Wrigley Field North is a good sign.

Note to Alfonso Soriano: Make sure the ball clears the wall before you start your home run trot. You could have been really embarrassed in the first inning if you hadn't gotten to second base for at least a double. Nice comeback, though, with a homer later in the game.

Round 2 is tonight with possibly the best pitching matchup of the season so far: Carlos Zambrano vs. Ben Sheets. Keep your emotions in check, Carlos, and you'll be just fine.

Oh, and the picture of Lou blowing his top was from Sunday's game when he and first-base coach Matt Sinatro both got tossed for arguing a close call at first. Lou said he got tossed just for asking first base umpire Rob Drake "Why are you so antagonistic?" My question is, why aren't umpires held accountable for their actions (other than the Milton Bradley case from late last season)?

Get all your Cubs news in the widget on the right.

Piniella photo courtesy AP

'Suck it bitches!'

With that, Steven's time on Big Brother 10 was over. By a 9-0 vote last week, our favorite gay rodeo star was voted out. But boy did he go out with a bang, uttering those final words in his plea to stay. But he said he knew he was going home, so he just went for it.

Good for him.

Now what to do with this week's choice for eviction, Angie and Jessie. Keesha rocked the house with these two, though her nominating Angie was kind of a foregone conclusion.

Ah, Jessie. The muscle boy goes from HOH to on the block. A little full of yourself, I'd say. If you don't win POV, and the house is smart, you'll be going home on Wednesday night.

And why do I have a picture of Dan posted here? Because he continues to fly under the radar as the guy who doesn't pose a threat to anybody. He's cute and has a nice personality, but his CBS bio is a little out there.

Watch out housemates. Dan could fly under the radar all the way to the final.

Dan photo courtesy CBS

9 reasons not to date a Tyrannosaurus Rex

I snorted at Nos. 1-4 and 7.

Zombie classifieds

Softball season ends -- maybe

Well, this weekend was the official end of my softball season. Probably. Maybe. Possibly.

My work team's season ended in early July. My gay softball team Nitro ended the season as the B Division champions of the Chesapeake and Potomac Softball league (CAPS), but we're not going to the World Series in Seattle at the end of August. There were too many people who couldn't go, so we just decided to let the Disturbance, which won the B Division at the World Series a couple of years ago, go in our stead.

The season-ending party was held at Nellies Sports Bar in Washington. Ed and I had never been there before, but we had a great time. It's just too bad we live so far away because we'd definitely go there more often if we could.

Anyway, another CAPS team, Cobalt, has asked me to go to Seattle to play with them. Ed and I have talked about it a bit, and while I think he'd rather I didn't go, I think he's OK with it. Who knows how many more World Series I'll be going to? I know next year's Series is in Milwaukee (OK, I like Milwaukee, but how in the world did Milwaukee outbid Chicago???) so there's a chance I could end up going there. So if I can swing the days off and finagle a plane ticket (we have a plan for that too), then I'm off for the Great Northwest.

Ed and I have talked a lot lately about my retirement, which is coming sooner than I'd like to admit. I'll definitely play next year for work and probably a last season with a gay team (Nitro? Capitol Punishment? Cobalt?) before I call it quits. Ed has put up with a lot of softball over the past almost 17 years, and it's time I started giving some of that back to him.

An interesting next few days and weeks are on the way.