'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.

Cubs vs. Brewers

Well, the Cubs survived the weekend invasion of the Fish, winning Sunday 9-6 to split the four-game series. Good thing -- the Milwaukee Brewers had actually moved into a tie for first with the Cubs on Saturday, but lost to the Astros on Sunday to give the Cubs a one-game lead in the NL Central.

Next up? A four-game series starting tonight in Milwaukee between the top two teams in the National League. CC Sabathia (how silly does he seem for dropping the periods?) faces Ted Lilly tonight in a battle of lefties. Tomorrow night's game features Carlos Zambrano against Ben Sheets. Now that should a game to watch.

The Cubs' offense seemed to be in a bit of a funk until yesterday, but Alfonso Soriano, Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez seem to be coming out of it at just the right time. And how about that catch Jim Edmonds made to the end the game yesterday, giving Jeff Samardzija his first major league save? Not to mention mighty-mite Mike Fontenot winning the game with a three-run double.

Speaking of Samardzija, what a debut for the Notre Dame guy who gave up a football career to play with the Cubs. And with Kerry Wood still fighting that blister, Samardzija has been nothing short of a Godsend.

So, it's on to Wrigley North. Miller Park in Milwaukee is going to be rocking for the next four nights. Man, I wish I was going to be there...

Sister Sue update

Had quite a lengthy conversation with Sue and Cheryl yesterday. While we were on the phone, Sue got on the scales and was happier than flies on sh*t.

I didn't know she had gotten down to 69 pounds, so when she said she was up to 75 and was "woo-hooing" we thought she was just happy because she hadn't lost anymore. Little did we know, right?

Anyway, a gain of six pounds for Sue is enormous. Keep up the good work...

Estelle Getty 1923-2008

This Golden Girl will definitely be missed.

She found her niche when she landed the role of the sarcastic Sophia, mother to Bea Arthur, Betty White and Rue McClanahan. Now that's a quartet.

I know it's cliche, but Thank You for Being a Friend.

Read more about this great woman's life here.

Photo clockwise from left: Getty, McClanahan, White, Arthur

Best movie of the year

The Dark Knight is easily the best movie I've seen this year. So good that I've already seen it twice, and it just started on Friday.

All the hype about Heath Ledger's performance as The Joker was right on. He is so good that you don't even realize it's him under all that makeup and purple suit. That, to me, is indicative of a great acting performance -- I hope Oscar is listening. Ledger definitely deserves a nomination with the best comic book villain to come along in a long time, if ever.

It's all good. Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman. Michael Caine as Alfred. Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent. I could go on and on. Is it for kids? No -- that PG13 rating was pretty generous I think. But if you are looking for 2 1/2 hours of escapism, with lots of action, then this movie is definitely for you.

It's just too bad Heath Ledger won't be around for a possible third Batman go-round. But then director Christopher Nolan and Bale didn't sign on for a third one either. Maybe they knew something.

One thing to watch out for in the previews: Bale as John Connor in the next wave of Terminator movies. He's signed on for three of them and vows to treat them much the way he treated his two turns as Batman.

Summer '09 can't come soon enough.

They're killing me ...

It's only a few games after the All-Star Break, but the Cubs bats are pretty much dead. I think they left them at Wrigley Field before the break. Or somebody switched them with the Washington Nationals bats.

Anyway, they still have a 2-game lead over the Cardinals and Brewers, and Alfonso Soriano is due back any day now from his broken hand. They really miss him, having to tread water at 17-17 since he went on the disabled list. Pitching definitely hasn't been a problem. New guy Rich Harden had himself a game last night -- and lost. He gave up one hit in seven innings, but it was a homer and the Cubs lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks 2-0.

Oh well. Today's another day, another chance to throw some distance between the Cubs, Cardinals and Brewers. Remember, the Cubs and Brewers end the month of July with four games at Miller Park. That series could go a long way toward deciding the NL Central and wild-card races.

I just have to keep telling myself that there's no reason to panic -- yet.

Soriano photo courtesy Getty Images

Big Brother 10

So far, so good.

This season, they've gone back to their roots and it shows. I just think it's more fun when nobody knows anybody.

Muscle boy Jessie and Renny survived the first week's nominations, watching too-big-for-his britches Brian go walking out the door. Now Jessie is Head of Household, and he nominated Brian's BFF Dan and gay boy rodeo star Steven. Personally, I hope it's Dan that leaves this week. It's all going to come down to the Power of Veto competition tonight, followed by the eviction tomorrow.

All the boys this season are cute -- I just don't think the elevators go to the top floor.

And remember what I said about Renny. She's so annoying, and she, too, survived the opening week nominations. Mark my words, she's going to be there until the end. You have to have somebody you love to hate, right? Well, she's it.

Thank God for Showtime. I can get my Big Brother fix on Big Brother After Dark, which is on every night on Showtime2 from midnight-3 a.m. ET.

Steven photo courtesy CBS

Sister Sue update

Again, not much to report, which I consider a good thing. She's still fighting quite a bit of nausea, but she says she's eating and doing everything she's supposed to. Pretty much have to take her at her word about that.

If she can get past the nausea and just gain a little weight, I think she'd feel a lot better.

More as I know it ...

Now that's funny ...

'The Dark Knight'

Check out the latest poster for the next Batman movie, The Dark Knight, which opens Friday.

I love this poster. Has more of a Joker-like feel to it, doesn't it? I think this Batman is going to be the biggest and best yet. The late Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker is already being mentioned as a possible Oscar winner.

Man, I still can't believe he's gone. But what a great way to go out -- with the performance of a lifetime.

Even though it opens Friday, I'll have to wait until Saturday or Sunday to see it because Ed works Friday, and he'd kill me if I went without him.

I'll be like that little boy in the Disney commercial: "I'm too excited to sleep."

Big Brother 10

The Chen-bot is back. Thank God.

Julie Chen introduced this season's cast of Big Brother 10 last night, and it looks like it's going to be a fun season. It's supposed to be a season like the first two, with everybody who walked into the house total strangers.

I already have people I like and hate -- please vote Renny off this week and keep muscle-boy Jessie. Jessie might not be very smart -- giving up a chance to win a car, though to his credit, he had no idea there was a car involved, then getting into an argument with the aforementioned Renny, who has already annoyed pretty much everybody in the house. She's overbearing and not very friendly.

They already have an HOH, 75-year-old Jerry, who had to nominate two people within 24 hours of moving in. He was elected HOH before anybody walked in the house. People had to look at a board and just choose. Jerry's a nice guy who's pretty smart about the game. I hope his age doesn't get in the way.

I also like gay rodeo star Steven, who has not told anybody about how much he likes guys. That should be interesting when that little secret pops out of the closet, especially with the house leaning, I think, a bit toward the conservative side.

About three months of guilty pleasure, until The Amazing Race and Survivor return. Then it'll be time for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

And we start all over again ...

Julie Chen photo courtesy CBS

All-Star break

So the official first half of the season ended Sunday. The Cubs have a 57-38 record (.600) and a 4 1/2-game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central; they are tied with the Los Angeles Angels for the best record in baseball.

If you'd have told me that at the beginning of the season the Cubs would be sitting this pretty -- and doing a lot of the damage without Alfonso Soriano -- I'd have thought you were nuts.

Now, when he returns, probably next weekend, it'll be like the Cubs just pulled off another big trade. Keep him and new pitcher Rich Harden healthy and the Cubs could run away with the division title.

My biggest fear? They get to the World Series and have to face the White Sux. Lord, please, any team but that one. I don't think I could take it if the Cubs actually lost the ultimate grudge match.

After 100 years, God wouldn't do that to us. Would he?

First things first -- win the All-Star game tomorrow night at Yankee Stadium so the National League gets home-field advantage in the World Series. That would be huge for the Cubs -- with eight total players named to the team -- who have the best home record in baseball.

Oh, and while I understand the historical significance and all, is anybody tired of hearing about Yankee Stadium? And if you think it's bad now, wait until the final weekend of the season ...

Sister Sue update

Nothing new to report -- which is good news -- except that I talked to her Thursday and she sounded like the Sue of old...

Chicago's top dog

A dalmatian, Frisco, has been named Chicago's top dog. Read all about him here in the Chicago Sun-Times.

Big whoop

So the Brewers trade for C.C. Sabathia, who since he's gotten so big for his britches now wants to be known as CC, sans the periods.

Who cares? The Cubs one-upped the Brewers the next day, trading for A's pitcher Rich Harden, arguably the best pitcher in the American League at the time, even better than Sabathia.

What's nice is that Harden is under the Cubs control through the '09 season while Sabathia has said he's going to test the free-agent market after this season. I hope Brewers fans don't get too caught up in "CC mania." Ah, what the heck -- go ahead. It won't do any good anyway.

The Cubs got rid of a couple of turds in the process -- Matt Murton and Eric Patterson (Corey's brother). They also traded pitcher Sean Gallagher, the key to the trade for the A's. Can't blame them. I think Gallagher's going to be something special within a couple of years.

But if Harden leads the Cubs to the promised land, Gallagher will just be an afterthought when all is said and done. And the Brewers will be lamenting the guy that got away, promising young slugger Matt LaPorta.

Wouldn't want it any other way.

Harden photo courtesy Getty Images

Sister Sue update

Sue had a stent put in her arm today and is expected to go home later in the day. They were going to put a port in her chest, but decided the arm would be a better place for her to get all her medicines.

Not really sure if the cancer has spread, but the last time I talked to her she thought it had. But she soldiers on, with hubby Sammy right there at her side.

Like I said before, if she would just eat and gain some weight, I think a lot of her problems would go away, at least for awhile. We've tried to get her to drink Ensure, but she says she just can't stand the smell.

I've had Ensure, and yes, it does get old after awhile, but boy it beats the alternative.

More later as I know it ...

Why men shouldn't own action figures

From Todd, a good friend of mine back in Arkansas. Toooo funny!

See? I told you ...

Reality TV returns ...

... I know. It never went away. But some of my favorites are about to be back, or will be shortly.

*Big Brother returns next Sunday, July 13.
*My all-time favorite, The Amazing Race, is back on Sept. 28 with its 13th edition.
*And Survivor kicks off the fall TV season on Sept. 22 with its latest edition in Gabon, Africa.

Can't wait for The Amazing Race especially, but September is still a ways away. Big Brother will do just fine holding down the fort until then...

But seriously ...

All-Star Cubbies

It's been a great season so far for my first-place Cubs, who took two out of three over the weekend from the Cardinals (it would have been a sweep but for a rare Kerry Wood meltdown, but I digress).

Seven Cubs -- Alfonso Soriano, Kosuke Fukudome, Geovany Soto, Aramis Ramirez, Ryan Dempster, Carlos Zambrano and Wood -- were named to the All-Star team Sunday, the most in the NL and the most-ever for the Cubs. That doesn't include manager Lou Piniella, who was named one of the coaches for the final All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium.

And the All-Star Game has a lot of added meaning now since the winner of the game gets home-field advantage in the World Series. If ever there was a season when that was important it's this one, with the Cubs having the best home record in the NL. Time to break the AL's 10-game win streak (not counting the tie in Milwaukee in 2002.

The Cubs now lead the Cardinals by 3 1/2 games. But the team I think they should worry about even more is the Milwaukee Brewers, who today traded for C.C. Sabathia of the Cleveland Indians, the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner. The Brewers are only 3 1/2 behind, too. The Cubs and Brewers end July with a four-game series in Milwaukee that could go a long way toward deciding the NL Central.

Catch up on all the Cubs news with the widget at right...

Oriole Park at Camden Yards

Josh and I went to Baltimore to celebrate Independence Day (Ed had to work) and had a great time. Josh had never been to Baltimore, a city Ed and considered moving to at one time. But the commute to the D.C. area was just too much so we settled in Lorton.

Anyway, we went up early and walked around the Inner Harbor for a while before settling in at the ESPNZone for a couple of beers. We then headed down toward the ballpark and had a couple of beers outside Pickles Pub. The whole area around Oriole Park is perfect for just meandering and having a good time.

Then it was time to head into the ballpark. We entered through Eutaw Street. The way Eutaw Street -- and the entire park for that matter -- is laid out you don't even have sit in your seat to have a good time. You can walk around and not miss any action.

It was Josh's second visit to a major league ballpark, with Nationals Park his first. One of these days we'll have to get him to Chicago to see THE BEST park in the world, Wrigley Field.

I've been to many ballparks around the majors, but to me, after Wrigley Field, Oriole Park at Camden Yards is the second-best place to watch a game in all of baseball. It had been a couple of years since I had been back. Gonna have to change that -- especially if the Nationals keep playing as badly as they have.

Fickle fans? Nah. The Cubs are still No. 1. But I could be swayed to change my No. 2 ...

Sister Sue update

I haven't posted about Sue in quite some time. But last night she went back into the hospital in Arkansas. She's really been having a problem with nausea, and when you are trying to add weight to a 70-75 pound frame, nausea's not a good thing.

Hopefully they can get this under control and her hospital stay will be short and sweet. Her husband Sammy is a mess right now, understandably so. Don't know how Sue would have gotten through any of this if he hadn't been by her side. "Soul mates" is what they always call each other.

In any case, this is probably not a good sign. More to come as I know it...

UPDATE: Sue got some sleep over night, but is in a very agitated state. Doctors are going to put a port in her chest so she won't have to take a bunch of pills, and they also inserted a catheter after she fell and injured a hip last night. Luckily she wasn't hurt badly in the fall. But at this point, the less movement the better.

And I'm glad they are putting a port in. All those pills on an empty stomach may have been one pretty good reason why she was fighting so much nausea. At least in theory.

Hopefully we'll have another update later today ...

You can never be too prepared ...

Wanted

Went and saw the Angelina Jolie/Morgan Freeman movie Wanted yesterday. And of the three movies I've seen this summer -- Ironman and Indiana Jones being the other two -- Wanted is by far the best of the bunch.

Looking for lots of action and great special effects? Like movies about assassins? Like lots of blood? Then this is the movie for you. Have a gander at the trailer below.

George Carlin 1937-2008, Tim Russert 1950-2008

It's a little late, but I have to say goodbye to comedian George Carlin, who died of heart failure last week. He'll always be remembered for his "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television," but I'll remember him for his role as the mystical Rufus in the Bill & Ted movies.

He also was the very first host of Saturday Night Live. NBC replayed that show recently to honor Carlin.

I would also be remiss if I didn't say goodbye to Meet the Press moderator Tim Russert, who died in his NBC office of a massive heart attack shortly before Carlin. He had a way of making politics easier for the every man to understand. Coverage of this fall's Presidential election between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain just won't be the same.

RIP guys. Like all the others, you'll be missed.

I heart Mark DeRosa

Finally, a victory.

I was pretty depressed/pissed off after the Cubs looked so bad over the weekend in losing three in a row to the White Sux. At least now they can put that fiasco behind.

I guess all it took was a trip to San Francisco, where Mark DeRosa hit two homers, one a grand slam, and had six RBI in a 9-2 victory last night. Ted Lilly was superb too, pitching into the ninth inning (though he did strike out five times during the game). It broke a four-game losing streak, the team's longest in a year. Thank God. And they did it without Aramis Ramirez, who had to go home to the Dominican Republic to tend to family matters. He won't be back until Thursday.

By then, Reed Johnson will be back, and on Friday Carlos Zambrano is back to pitch against the somehow-we're-still-in-second-place Cardinals. And Alfonso Soriano will be back before the All-Star break.

But back to DeRosa. He's been a favorite of mine since the Cubs signed him before last season. He plays anywhere you ask him, bats anywhere you ask him, and never complains. I think he gets it, and knows just how lucky he is. If only every baseball player --every athlete (are you listening, guys like Chad Johnson and Barry Bonds?) -- played like DeRosa, sports would be much more enjoyable.

I'll get off my soapbox now. Let's hope Jason Marquis can keep the momemtum going tonight.

DeRosa photo courtesy AP

Cool Cubs posters

Nuveen has done a great job of capturing the essence of being a Cubs fan. The outdoor ads are appearing only inside Wrigley Field, at least for now. See a bunch more here.

A double whammy

Well, my work softball team did not make the playoffs/tournament, the first time in about 10 years that I'll be sitting home instead of playing at Cabin John in the middle of July.

Oh well, it was a good run. We won back-to-back titles, and three of the last five. Despite two convincing victories in our season finales -- 16-0 over Discovery Channel and 14-9 over AOL -- we lost out on a tiebreaker to Team Video, which beat us on opening day. And a 7-7 finish is much nicer than 5-9 or 6-8. We'll be back for another run next year, in what could be my softball swan song. We'll see.

Check out the Media League website here.

And another OUCH. The White Sux beat the Cubs again yesterday 6-5, and will now pull their own brooms in hopes of sweeping. Tonight's game is on ESPN, which is shocking. Hard to believe they're passing up the Yankees-Mets. Uggh.

At least if the Cubs lose again, they'll still be in first place in the NL Central as they head for San Francisco and then St. Louis. Big stretch of games coming up before the All-Star break.

Gotta keep the momentum going ...

Ouch

Thought this was appropriate.

Painful, but funny ...

Have those brooms at the ready

So it's weekend No. 2 of the Cubs-White Sux series, this time on the South Side. Hopefully, the results will be much the same as last week, when the Cubs pretty much put the Sux in their place with a three-game sweep at Wrigley.

The Cubs are coming off their first series loss at home since early May as the Baltimore Orioles took 2-of-3 from the boys in blue. That's OK. The Cubs still have the best record in baseball. And I still have a fondness in my heart for the Orioles. When I first moved to the D.C. area they were the only team to cheer for. And Camden Yards is probably the second-nicest baseball park I've ever been too, behind Wrigley Field of course.

But when the Nationals moved from Montreal to here, I quickly became a favorite. And trust me, it ain't all for the brand of baseball they've been playing. But it's closer than driving to Baltimore, and more National League teams come in, which means I know I'll get to see the Cubs at least once a year. And Nationals Park is pretty sweet, too.

So, onward and upward. Let's put socks in the mouths of Ozzie Guillen, Kenny Williams and Hawk Harrelson. Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of guys (please note the sacrasm)...

Is it my birthday?

Already? I had no idea.

Like my dad used to say, it's just another day, except people sometimes like to give you cards and presents. Kind of like Christmas.

How old you ask? I'm 48, which is a milestone in my family, seeing as how mom didn't make it past 47. The old 5-0 is right around the corner. Ed better have a big party planned for that one I tell ya.

He's already on me about his 40th, which is next year. Now THAT should be interesting. Says he wants to go back to Disney World. I've only been once, and that was when Ed took me to Epcot Center about 10 years ago.

I've got a year. I guess I should start talking to his parents ...

Zombies have nutritional needs too ...

... Though I never want to find out in person ...

The frustration mounts ...

My work softball team is driving me nuts. We're the two-time defending champions of the MMSL, but you'd never know it by the way we've played lately.

We are 5-7, with a week to go in the regular season, and believe it or not we still have a shot at the playoffs/tournament. If we can sweep past Discovery Channel and AOL this weekend, and get some help, we could conceivably sneak in.

We lost twice this past Saturday. The first game was the most maddening. We trailed WTTG most of the game, but scored four in the fifth inning to take a 7-6 lead. Going into the bottom of the final inning, we still led 7-6, but Channel 5 had loaded the bases with one out. But we got exactlly what we wanted -- a grounder to short, the force at second and the out at first -- NO, WAIT! SHE DIDN'T JUST DROP THE BALL! PICK IT UP! THE WINNING RUN IS ABOUT TO SCORE!

And it did. Just like that, from instant victory to instant defeat. I can't recall a more frustrating loss. And I knew we'd drop the second game to WRC. The carryover from the first game was just too much to overcome and we lost 8-3. I can't remember the last time we got swept either. Very tough weekend.

Oh well. We have to sweep this weekend. Even if we don't get in the tournament, we can at least go out with a .500 record. As the two-time defending champs, we have to at least do that.

That's me at left ...

Sister Sue update

Not much to report really, which is why I haven't posted about her lately. No news is good news.

She seems to be doing really well. Plugging right along. She still needs to gain some weight, but if she keeps eating steak and baked potato like she did the other night, the pounds will definitely start piling on. ...

If giraffes lived in the USA ...

I found this at www.nextnature.net.

So true. Funny, but true. ...

What, me worry?

I should have known.

Despite three disheartening losses to the Tampa Bay Rays last week -- becoming the last team in the majors to lose three games in a row -- the Cubs came home and took care of business, just like I thought they would.

I was a bit worried, granted, but after throttling the White Sux 4-3, 11-7 and 7-1, we all know who the real baseball team is in Chicago (though I may be singing another tune after the Cubs visit Comiskey (I refuse to call it U.S. Cellular Field) Park next weekend. But for now, Ozzie Guillen and his boys can walk back to the South Side with their tails tucked between their legs.

Aramis Ramirez was a monster, winning the first game with two homers, including a walk-off shot in the ninth, hitting a three-run homer in the Cubs' 9-run fourth inning in Game 2 (my boy Jim Edmonds hit two HRs in that inning), and then hitting another solo shot to back Ryan Dempster last night.

Dempster has won nine in a row at Wrigley -- hard to believe he's the ace now with Carlos Zambrano on the DL. But he's worked his butt off and it's paid big dividends. Overall, the Cubs have won 14 consecutive games at Wrigley, which hasn't happened in more than 70 years. And the Cubs still have the best record in baseball.

Remember all this Cubs fans. This is a special season. One that comes along about every 100 years.

Also, keep up to date on all the Cubs news with the widget at right.

Ramirez/Cubs photo courtesy AP

Chinks in the armor?

Well, the Cubs continue to lead the NL Central by 3 1/2 games, but they've lost two in a row to the Rays. And last night, pitcher Carlos Zambrano left the game with "shoulder discomfort." He's supposed to have an MRI exam today. That would be a huge loss if he's out for an extended period.

Jim Edmonds also came up lame with a sore foot, which some are attributing to the artificial turf in Tampa. He's hitting around .300 since joining the Cubs, so losing him, too, would be a blow.

But I have a feeling GM Jim Hendry won't stand pat for long. There are rumors of a possible trade for the Indians' C.C. Sabathia or even bringing the Padres' Greg Maddux back to town.

We've waited too long Mr. Hendry. The time is ripe to make a move or two -- now.

Zambrano photo courtesy AP

Now THAT'S a hot dog

Rolling, rolling, rolling ...

... Rawhide! Sorry. Had a Blues Brothers moment there.

But you get the picture. My Cubs continue to play very good baseball, taking two of three from the Toronto Blue Jays over the weekend. Now it's a trip to Tampa to take on the upstart Rays. It'll be manager Lou Piniella's first trip back to Tropicana Field since he managed the team from 2003-2005. I'm sure he's getting a kick out of seeing his former team playing so well, knowing that a lot of the guys currently on the field for the Rays he helped bring along.

But I'll also bet he's loving Chicago right about now, too. The Cubs are 20 games above .500, with a 3 1/2-game lead on the St. Louis Cardinals, who continue to hang close despite losing Albert Pujols, Adam Wainright and Yadier Molina to injuries in the past couple of weeks. The Cubs lost Alfonso Soriano to a broken hand, so the injury bug seems to be biting both teams fairly.

This weekend the White Sux come to Wrigley for the first of two crosstown series. Both teams are in first place, so it should be a battle royale.

May the best team (the Cubs of course) win.

Those poor, poor Yankees

So now Hank Steinbrenner -- George's son -- is blaming the National League's lack of a designated hitter for pitcher Chien-Ming Wang hurting his foot while running the bases Sunday in Houston.

"The National League needs to join the 21st century," Steinbrenner said. "I've got my pitchers running the bases, and one of them gets hurt. That was a rule from the 1800s."

Actually it was 1973 Hank, and I don't think that just because you are ranting and raving the National League is going to suddenly change their rules.

No offense intended to Wang, but maybe if he learned how to run the bases he wouldn't have gotten hurt. The NL seems to have gotten along just fine with their pitchers hitting and running over the past 35 years.

Maybe if you had given the $200 million you are spending on your team this year to the right players you'd be in first place, not languishing behind the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox.

Grow up Hank (seriously, have you ever seen such a dour man?). And take a lesson from daddy. He was much better at hawking his team than you'll ever be.

The Washington Nationals

Ed and I really aren't very happy with this so-called Major League Baseball team. They just completed a horrible 1-6 homestand and seem to have lost their will. They were swept four games by the San Francisco Giants for gosh sakes.

Friday night, we went to Nationals Park to see what we thought was going to be a major league game against the Giants. It was anything but. The Nats had no spark, no energy, and by the bottom of the third inning the Giants already led 8-0. It was at that point that we started getting a little pissed off.

Manager Manny Acta sent pitcher Tim Redding up to pinch-hit for starting pitcher Jason Bergmann, thereby raising the white flag, and it was only the third inning. They had already conceded the game. We left in the fifth inning, along with about half the stadium. Think of the revenue that was lost, and could be lost if this kind of performance continues.

I wrote an email to the Nationals voicing my displeasure, but I'm sure it will fall on deaf ears. I told them that if this is what we can expect, then maybe we won't be renewing our season ticket package next year. We spend good money to go out and have what we hope will be a good time, despite the $7.50 beer, $8 hamburgers and $6 hot dogs -- and now the $4 per gallon gas to get there. I think we just like the atmosphere.

But I can spend a whole lot less money and enjoy the atmosphere at home if this is what we have to look forward too. It'll be interesting to see if I get a response from the Nationals. I'll post if I do ...

Summer movies

Ed and I used to go to the movies all the time, but lately not so much. But we're going to change that.

So far the only two movies I've seen this summer are Ironman and Indiana Jones: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Both were excellent, with lots of action, explosions and humor. Robert Downey Jr. is perfect as Ironman, and Harrison Ford doesn't miss a beat as Indiana Jones, despite the fact it's been about 20 years since he donned the famous hat.

But two movies will be out soon that I'm really looking forward too:
*Wanted, starring Angelina Jolie as an assassin (picture Mr. & Mrs. Smith, only without Brad Pitt).
*And of course Batman: The Dark Knight, starring the late Heath Ledger as The Joker.

In the fall comes the next James Bond movie, Quantam of Solace. Since Sean Connery, has there really ever been a better Bond than Daniel Craig?

I also saw a preview the other day for a Brad Pitt movie that comes out this fall. Burn After Reading also stars George Clooney, John Malkovich and Frances McDormand, and is directed by the Coen Brothers. It looks fricking hilarious. Check out the red-band trailer below (that just means it's a little naughty), from iTunes.

More fun with Christopher Walken

For kids and adults alike! Just click on the face, print it out, have a pair of scissors handy and you too can believe you are Christopher Walken!

We need more cowbell!!

Cubs continue to roll

After last night's 3-1 victory against the Dodgers, my Cubs head home for a quick three-game series against the Braves starting tomorrow.

Sunday's win gave the Cubs their first winning road trip of the season at 4-3, leaving them only two games under .500 on the road. But it's at home where the Cubs are eating up the rest of the National League, going 26-8. The old adage says that as long as you take care of business on the road and play at least .500 ball on the road, you should be a big winner. The Cubs are currently proving that.

Now if they can just keep Carlos Zambrano's emotions in check (check my Cubs widget at right).

The Braves are awful on the road (7-21), and won't be helped by the fact that Larry Jones, aka Chipper, who is currently hitting about .420, will miss one or two games and maybe the whole series with a tear in his quad. No tears will be shed here believe me.

One thing I haven't mentioned is the signing of Jim Edmonds, long a hated member of the St. Louis Cardinals. Seeing him in Cubbie blue was a little jarring at first, but I think it's one of the best moves of the summer. Along with Reed Johnson, Edmonds gives the Cubs a little bit of attitude, something they've lacked in past seasons.

I heart Edmonds and Johnson. And "I'll play anywhere" Mark DeRosa, who had three hits, including a homer, and two RBI last night against the Dodgers.

Keep those wins coming guys.

A great picture site ...

... As you can see I do like to stumble quite a bit.

Came across this photo (and the one of the sting rays below) at what I think might be the best picture site I've ever seen. It's called Pixdaus, God Gave Us Pics! Check it out here.

The entire "Simpsons" cast ...

I was stumbling today and came upon what I believe to be the entire cast of the Fox TV show The Simpsons.

What a great show. Funny as anything that's ever been on TV. And can you believe a short created for The Tracey Ullman Show was just renewed for a 20th season? That ties it with Gunsmoke as the longest-running entertainment series in primetime history.

Cowabunga dudes.

No, she's not spoiled at all ...

... With Dexter looking on from afar, Ed got this picture of a "lounging" Bailey before he went to work today.

What a baby.

Ed's been very excited the past few days ...

... First there was the hatching of the robin eggs in our back yard. Mama robin has been protecting the flock with vigor -- Ed says she gave him the "eye" when he took this picture a couple of days ago.

Now we just have to make sure the dogs stay away from the nest when it's time for them to learn how to fly. A few years ago, Bailey caught a chick as it fell from a nest. As you could imagine, not a good outcome.

The other thing that has Ed all in a dither is the opening of the giant grocery store Wegman's, which happened yesterday in Woodbridge. It was almost like the Disney commercial, where the little boy tells his parents the night before they go to Disney World "I'm too excited to sleep."

Anyway, we went, we saw, we conquered. A family outing as it were. And it's a good thing we went fairly early. Even though parking was a zoo when we got there, it was nothing like it was when we left, after church let out.

Josh described the whole thing as "Kroger on crack."

What an apt description.

I'm at a loss ...

Well my work softball team in the Metropolitan Media Softball League is driving me nuts. We had a great first game yesterday, an 18-1 victory against post.com, then had one bad inning in a 7-5 loss to the Gazette. A couple of errors, a couple of walks and some timely hitting in the sixth inning plated five runs, proving to be the difference.

I really thought we had turned the corner by our performance in the first game and the way we started the second game. But, here we are 4-4, about halfway through the season. It also didn't help that it was about 98 degrees in the Washington, D.C. area yesterday.

We'll have to suck it up and try again next week. Onward and upward.

My other team, NITRO, isn't playing today, and has decided not to try and qualify for the NAGAAA softball World Series. A bit of discontent has reared its ugly head, I think, and the econony has reared its ugly head. Gas is too expensive airfare too high for people these days. Add the fact that you have to take a week off, and you'll end up spending more than $2,000.

Ah, but it is in Seattle. Oh well. Ed and I will definitely visit there again.

How 'bout them Rays?

This is one of the coolest photos I've ever seen, a school of sting rays migrating near Key West.

Wow...

Sign of the times ...

Ain't it the truth? Thank God we like beer ...

Magic number?

Yes, believe it or not, after the Cubs beat the Padres 9-6 last night for their ninth consecutive win, the "magic number" reared its ugly head on ESPN. I think it might be the earliest I've ever heard that phrase in my life.

I also think they might be getting ahead of themselves -- just a bit -- even though the Cubs do have the best record in baseball.

Oh, for those who were wondering, the "magic number" to clinch a playoff berth is 101.

The latest addition to the Munz family

Here they are, daddy Chris and sons Jack and newborn Sawyer ...

Go Cubs Go! 2008 edition

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

Enjoy.

Maybe the Apocalypse is near ...

OK, so when I first heard Clay Aiken -- or as Kathy Griffin likes to call him, "Gaykin" -- was going to be a dad, I was more than a little bit shocked. But then I calmed down when I heard he had artificially inseminated his 50-year-old "best" friend and record producer Jaymes Foster.

I don't know. Something just doesn't seem right about him being a daddy, but to each his own I guess. It just seems to be one of the strangest celebrity births in a while, if not ever. Reports say Aiken impregnated Jaymes via the turkey baster method -- ewwwww! -- and she will have a little American Idolette running around by August.

Apparently it's a boy. Go figure.

Yikes!

Seriously, should senior citizens be fencing? With walkers???

At least the Cubs haven't let me down ...

... I can't say the same about my work softball team.

I really thought we had a pretty good chance for a three-peat in the Media League, but I'm beginning to have my doubts.

We are 3-3 after our third consecutive split. We could easily be 5-1 or even 6-0, but sporadic hitting and terrible defense have cost us several games.

Oh well. The Cubs won again yesterday, beating the Rockies 5-4, and have now won six consecutive games. The Cubs also own the best record in baseball. In an ironic twist, the last time the Cubs entered June 1 with the best record in baseball was 1908 -- the last year the Cubs won a World Series.

Hmmm. Destiny awaits. I think.

And the Cubs? Another victory today against the Colorado Rockies. That's seven in a row, with a trip to the West Coast up next. Bring it on ...

I swear I'm a human pin cushion ...

... Off to get my allergy shots. Three of them. The nurses are probably going to yell at me because I haven't been in since March. Supposed to go at least every three weeks, if not every two weeks. But at $25 an office visit, I stretch my time between visits as long as I can.

Probably just as well that I'm getting my shots today. Just got done mowing the lawn, so I kicked up a lot of grass and pollen.

And now the biting flies are out. Found that out when I had to spray myself down with Off! twice. Those little buggers are nasty. And the dogs are particularly vulnerable to them. B*stards.

Harvey Korman 1927-2008

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Harvey Korman, the tall, versatile comedian who won four Emmys for his outrageously funny contributions to The Carol Burnett Show and played a conniving politician to hilarious effect in Blazing Saddles, died Thursday. He was 81.

Korman died at UCLA Medical Center after suffering complications from the rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm four months ago, his family said. He had undergone several major operations.

A natural second banana, Korman gained attention on The Danny Kaye Show, appearing in skits with the star. He joined the show in its second season in 1964 and continued until it was canceled in 1967. That same year he became a cast member in the first season of The Carol Burnett Show.

His most memorable film role was as the outlandish Hedley Lamarr (who was endlessly exasperated when people called him Hedy) in Mel Brooks’ 1974 Western satire, Blazing Saddles.

“A world without Harvey Korman — it’s a more serious world,” Brooks told the AP on Thursday. “It was very dangerous for me to work with him because if our eyes met we’d crash to floor in comic ecstasy. It was comedy heaven to make Harvey Korman laugh.”

On television, Burnett and Korman developed into the perfect pair with their burlesques of classic movies such as Gone With the Wind and soap operas like As the World Turns (their version was called As the Stomach Turns).
Burnett was devastated by Korman’s death, said her assistant, Angie Horejsi.
“She loved Harvey very much,” Horejsi said.

In the ’70s, he and Tim Conway, one of his Burnett show co-stars, toured the country with their show Tim Conway and Harvey Korman: Together Again. They did 120 shows a year, sometimes as many as six or eight in a weekend.

RIP Harvey. Say hello to Dick Martin and Sydney Pollack. You will all be missed.

Photo: Korman as Hedley Lamarr in Blazing Saddles

Maybe Hurley is next ...

... Ed's brother Chris and his wife Julie welcomed another boy into their Maine household last week, when Sawyer Phoenix Munz was born.

Their first child is named Jack. And Chris and Julie say they don't watch Lost.

Sure they don't. So with Sawyer up, could Hurley or Kate be next on the agenda?

Check out Chris' blog here.

Go Cubs Go!

Who woulda thought, that on May 29, 2008, that the Chicago Cubs and Tampa Bay Rays would have the best records in baseball? The Cubs maybe, but the Rays?

The Cubs are on a roll after sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers out of Chicago last night with a come-from-behind 2-1, 10-inning victory. The Cubs have always had trouble winning one-run and extra-inning games, but they've been able to do that with a little more regularity this year, not counting last weekend's implosion at Pittsburgh. But I digress.

In any case, they have a great chance to increase their NL Central lead over the surprising Cardinals and Astros with a four-game series against the Colorado Rockies. The defending NL champions look like anything but, with injuries knocking them for a loop. This is a good chance for the Cubs to flex some muscle against a team that could be really down in the dumps.

And while all is well and good at home, they've got to start winning a little more on the road. At least get to .500. They should have swept the Pirates last weekend, as Kerry Wood suffered a blown save in one game and Alfonso Soriano dropped what would have been the last out of the game the next day.

But that's all in the past now. Onward and upward. A special season continues.

Reality rewind

I know it's a little late, but I gotta give my two cents worth:

Survivor: Ugh. How Parvati ended up winning what had been a fairly exciting season is beyond me. No more All-Star stuff. Let's hope this next trip to Africa is a good one.

Big Brother: Ugh again. Adam? ADAM???

American Idol: Well, we knew a David would win. I just wanted it to be Archuleta, not Cook. Though he is good, as was the season.

And now, we're only a couple of months away from the return of The Amazing Race, which rumor has it, just completed filming season 13 in Portland, Ore. Season 14 follows next spring.

Can't wait.

Wow, it has been a while ...

More than a month since my last blog. Sorry about that.

Been pretty busy though. For example:

*Went back to Little Rock to see my sister Sue, pictured, who considering everything, is doing pretty good. She still needs to gain some weight, but all in all, not bad. Doesn't she look cute with that short hair and glasses?

*My sister Brenda graduated from college, which was the main reason for the trip to Little Rock in the first place. She and mom are the only college grads in the family. Congrats!

*Went to Philadelphia last weekend with my Nitro softball team. Not a good weekend. Oh Philly is OK, had a great time while we were there. But we just didn't play all that well. Went 1-2 in round-robin, and actually had a chance to win all three. But we went 2 and out in the double-elimination, scoring a grand total of three runs. In slow-pitch softball. Ouch.

*My work softball team, however, is 2-2. We get back in action this Saturday, weather permitting. We've had two Saturday's rained out in the past month.

So there you have it. I'm back.