Give it up for funny pictures:

It's hard to believe that it's been three years already since the terrorist attacks of the World Trade Center.  Wow, it seems like just yesterday.

See, About A Boy is a good movie.  I just watched it, so I would know. ;)  The kid is really dorky, but the movie's so funny.

Ah, I have so much reading to do for my quiz tomorrow, and I'm tired and I don't want to do it!  Not a good combination!  I gotta wake up some more.

Here's my buddy John.  He's in the class, maybe he did some of the reading.  I can ask him.

Meeting my brother Brandon for lunch today, which will be cool.  I can't believe he's in college now.  That is so weird.  Not sure where we're gonna go eat.  I'll let him pick.

Don't have class til 3, but I'm gonna go work out, shower, and do some reading.

Two more classes, then I'm done for the day.  Sweet!!  Planning on working out tonight after class.

Got some new shoes

"I am rebelling against the idea that the world is the way the world is, and there's not a damned thing I can do about it." -- my man Bono

Heading over to Savor the Flavor to get my coffee fix.  Gonna bring some books and do some studying.  Maybe I can get all my math done.

Listening to Alicia Keyes/Usher singing "If I Ain't Got You."  Good song. 

It's starting to get cold and wintery, and I want to get away to some place warm and sunny.

I love this picture.  It makes me happy.

Look at my dorm room:

I gave blood yesterday. :)  I feel special.  Tonight I went to a lecture called "A Second Chance Apologia: The Redemptive Efforts of Pete Rose."  It was pretty interesting. 

Only two more days of classes, then I get next week off for Fall Break/Thanksgiving!  Yeah!  I'm going home; it'll be nice to see the fam, and some of my friends I haven't seen in awhile.   

Yep, you got it...I'm at home!  Fall Break is great...I have all of next week off.  :)  My brother Brandon is home too, so we'll spend some quality time together.

I'm also going to spend time with some of my friends who are going to be around.

Lots of fun things to do to distract me from studying!  Muwahaha. 

In all actuallity, though, I do have some studying that I'll have to do while I'm home.  Some reading...ok, quite a bit of reading...and an ethics paper.

I'm going to do a bit of reading, then go to bed.

Jason Kendall is now on the Athletics.  The Pirates get left-handed pitchers Mark Redman and Arthur Rhodes.

Details are available here.

Time for Mike to get some food.  Going to Aurelio's with some of the Macomb peeps.  I shall return after I am sufficiently stuffed.

Spending the day going to classes and working on physics, then I've got volleyball tonight.  I'm so glad this semester is almost over!

Here's a picture from earlier in the year.

Being chased by Guido the killer pimp.

One more class that I have to go to, and then I get to spend the week cramming for finals.  I'll be home December 16th and I don't have to be back here until January 14th.  This means lots of time to hang out with my Chicago friends and see my family.

I think I'm going to the band concert tonight.  It'll be a nice break for me, since most of this reason I'll be prisoner to my room.

I watched Scooby Doo the other day.  I haven't seen that show in so many years!  It was cool.  It made me feel like a little kid again.  That used to be one of my favorite shows.

Doing a lot of reading today.

I watched High Fidelity this afternoon between classes.  I borrowed it from Tim.  Pretty good movie!  I want a music store like the one they have.  And hey, it takes place in Chicago.  :)

Will Mike Piazza of the New York mets retire after the upcoming season? Sounds like a distinct possibility.

Today has been awesome.  Went to classes, went over to Todd's to play Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, dragged myself away from the game and went to class again, came back to get some food, and then going back to Todd's for a night of Grand Theft Auto.  Awesome!

Here's Todd, the most awesome guy in the world with the best game ever!

This is definitely gonna be a long night.  I've got a paper due tomorrow for my ethics class and I've only got one page written.  I think I need to be taking caffeine through an IV right now!

This really isn't something I can just B.S.  I want it to be ground in truth, and to really reflect what I think.  Coffee will be my hero.

Dana and Adam back in August:

"They told us they've exhausted all current technologies for identifications," Diane Horning, who lost her 26-year-old son, Matthew, said Wednesday.

Horning said the medical examiner's office called her Tuesday morning.

The forensic effort failed to identify any remains of more than 1,100 victims, or almost half of the 2,749 who died there.

Since the attacks 3 1/2 years ago, the medical examiner's office identified nearly 1,600 victims, although progress had slowed considerably in recent months. Since September, only eight victims have been identified. A few inconclusive tests are still pending that could yield a couple of more identifications, they told families.

The medical examiner's office will contact all victims' families who had asked to be notified when the forensic effort ended.

Robert Shaler, director of forensic biology for the medical examiner, has said that the DNA effort could be reopened if new scientific processes were developed.

"If three years from now somebody comes up with something ... that really looks like it's going to work, then we're going to be poised to go after it," he told The Associated Press in 2003.

Some identifications were made quickly in the weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, attack. To identify smaller remains, the medical examiner had to rely on DNA matching, drawing results from shreds of bone and tissue. But tests were often not possible because the DNA was too damaged by heat, humidity, and the passage of time.

"I'm still driven by the families," Shaler said in 2003. "When I see these people, they look at me with eyes that say, 'Did you find her yet?' But when you're only turning out a couple a week or four, five a month, it's hard."

In most cases, victims whose remains were not identified have been legally declared dead by the court anyway, based on documentation that they were at the trade center or on the hijacked airplanes.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Saying Major League Baseball "can't be trusted," Sen. John McCain warned Sunday that legislation might be needed to force the sport to change its steroids policy.

The Arizona Republican joined the chorus of congressmen expressing disappointment with baseball's drug-testing plan after testimony from commissioner Bud Selig and union head Donald Fehr at the House Government Reform Committee hearing on steroids Thursday.

"It just seems to me they can't be trusted," McCain told ABC's This Week.

"What do we need to do? It seems to me that we ought to seriously consider ... a law that says all professional sports have a minimum level of performance-enhancing drug testing," McCain said.

Committee chairman Tom Davis, R-Va., said on CBS' Face the Nation that he agreed with McCain's suggestion that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency could be called in to govern baseball's testing. The independent agency oversees drug testing and discipline for U.S. Olympic athletes.

Davis, whose committee subpoenaed current and former stars and baseball executives to testify Thursday, said he's willing to wait and see how Major League Baseball handles drug testing and punishment in 2005.

"They've got this season. We'll see how they respond when they find someone testing positive," Davis told CBS.

Asked about possible government intervention, baseball's executive vice president for labor relations, Rob Manfred, told CBS, "Commissioner Selig said unequivocally in the hearing that if Congress decides that federal legislation is appropriate, that he would be supportive."

In March 2004, McCain's Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing on steroids in baseball, pressure that helped lead to the drug-testing plan that owners and players agreed to in January.

Several lawmakers were particularly critical of two provisions in that agreement: one that allows players to be fined instead of suspended for failing a drug test, and another that calls for testing to be suspended if there's a government investigation.

"I was a little dubious about the necessity of having hearings because I had been told that baseball had installed a weak, but legitimate, regimen," McCain said. "I now applaud my colleagues in the House because what this highlighted was the absolute insensitivity of both the owners and the players to the American people."

He also offered advice to Mark McGwire, the retired slugger who repeatedly evaded questions about his and others' steroid use.

"The first thing Mark McGwire should do is get himself a new lawyer," McCain said. "I was saddened by what he had to say, and it's unfortunate because he's one of America's heroes."

I can't believe Jason and Neil went all the way to New York for opening day.  Geez, talk about Yankee fans.

I decided that I'm going to do the Relay for Life for the American Cancer society next week.  It's on Friday, and right here on campus.  Awesome.  I've never done it before, but it sounds pretty cool, and it's for a great cause. 

Went out for ice cream yesterday with Jeff and Matt.  Look how big the ice cream was!  I'm very proud to say that we ate all of it. :)

By Stan McNeal, The Sporting News

A longtime wearer of contacts, Roberts needed no persuading afterward to keep the new lenses, even if they make him look like some wild-eyed creature from a science fiction film. After a monster start — he entered the week hitting .444 with five homers — they might have to be pried away from him.

Plenty has been said about performance-enhancing drugs this spring. Well, get ready for a new wave of performance enhancers, only these do not cause side effects and are not subject to suspensions. Known as performance-enhancing contact lenses, they were designed to help hitters pick up the seams on the ball better and to protect the eyes from the sun.

"They're almost like wearing sunglasses without wearing sunglasses," Roberts says. "I could tell such a huge difference right away that I was willing to give them a shot." Seven years in the making by Nike and Bausch & Lomb, the lenses — which will be known in the retail world as MaxSight — are so new they have made their way only into a few major league clubhouses so far.

Roberts, the Orioles' leadoff hitter and second baseman, is the only player the Sporting News could confirm is wearing them in games. Reds center fielder Ken Griffey has tried them in batting practice and plans to break them out for real once he becomes more comfortable with them. Reds closer Danny Graves also is wearing them during pregame work. Red Sox pitchers Bronson Arroyo and Mike Timlin and Twins catcher Joe Mauer have been fitted.

Tennis player Roger Federer and several D.C. United soccer players have agreed to try them. The University of Miami has 20 athletes on its football, baseball, tennis and track teams wearing them. The lenses also come in gray-green for golfers, and a set for night use is in the final stages of development.

But for now, the version that's part orange and yellow with a hint of red — amber, to be precise — remains mainly in the testing stages for the pros.

Roberts doesn't wear them all of the time, so don't credit his hot start solely to his high-tech eyewear. His amber set is of no use at night, when he plays most of his games. But none of the dozen or so players who had been fitted by last week has turned them back in.

"It helps your eyes relax instead of squinting all the time," Graves says, "and that helps relax the rest of your body."

Roberts and Graves have worn contact lenses for years, so their adjustment is not the same as it is for someone who never has worn glasses or contacts, such as Griffey.

"It took me about 15 minutes to put them in the first time," Griffey says. "I'm still getting used to having something on my eyes."

Even though Griffey has been a bit slow testing the amber lenses, he was counting the days until a Reds off day so he could try his gray-green set on the golf course. The gray-greens — used in stationary sports; the ambers are geared for speed sports — allow golfers to better differentiate the shades of green on a course.

Golfer Justin Leonard has a pair of sunglasses with gray-green lenses, and he told Nike he is able to separate out every blade of grass. For baseball players, because amber blocks out blue light, "visual noise" to vision experts, red colors, such as a baseball's seams, are accentuated.

There are medical advantages as well to wearing the lenses, which basically are soft contacts with a tint that has been scientifically developed. While light can leak through sunglasses, through the opening between the frame and the eyes, performance-enhancing contacts sit on the pupils and better protect them from the sun.

Because baseball players are exposed to so much sunlight, some of them — Timlin, for one — develop a condition called pterygium that, essentially, causes a callus-type film to form on the cornea, leading to dryness in the eyes.

"Most important, we want our athletes to continue to see their sport better and better for longer and longer," says Tony Chipote, a marketing field manager for Nike. "As soon as you start to lose your eyesight, the rest of your body will start to suffer. When you have those guys whose reflexes are cat-quick, they're that way based first on what they're seeing."

When MaxSight hits the market this summer, the sets will be sold at vision care centers, not sporting goods stores. They will be available in prescription and nonprescription lenses and will cost about the same as regular contact lenses. They have a life of about three to four weeks, depending on how often they are worn.

They're not for everyone. When Cardinals left fielder Reggie Sanders was told of their attributes, he rolled his eyes. "OK, sure," he said in a "What will they think of next?" tone.

Shortstop David Eckstein says he is unlikely to try them simply because he can't stand the idea of putting something directly on his eyes. Slugger Albert Pujols turned down an invitation to try them.

But plenty of others are excited at the prospects. When Nike made its spring training stop in Fort Myers, Fla., it found Twins outfielders Torii Hunter and Jacque Jones were "superexcited" about trying them. But before they could get checked out by a vision specialist, manager Ron Gardenhire was shooing the Nike reps out of the clubhouse because the team was almost ready to take the field for an exhibition.

"We'll get back to them," says Chipote, who spent spring training visiting the clubs that train in Florida.

While it seems hitters would gain a bigger advantage from the lenses, there's an edge or two that can be gained by pitchers. For one, pitchers can't wear sunglasses on the mound, so the performance-enhancing contacts give them a way to fight the sun's glare. Just as important, there can be an intimidation factor: Imagine looking out at a pitcher and seeing two bright amber eyes staring back.

"They make you look kind of evil," Graves says. "Hitters might look at you like you're possessed."

Until the night lenses are available, anyway. Those are expected to be lighter and a little less menacing-looking. Roberts, for one, also expects them to be much more popular.

"Because so many games are played at night, I'm not sure if these will take off," he says of the amber version. "But the most popular ones would be the ones in the works for night games. There won't be a phenomenon until then."

That will be a sight to see, through any colored lenses.

This is such a cool photo!

Tomorrow is my last day of classes EVER! :)  Ha!  Then I've got finals next week, and then I graduate on the 14th and I become a college graduate.  That's pretty crazy.

I think I will celebrate by watching "The Graduate." ;)  Seems only appropriate.

One of my favorite baseball players...Chipper Jones

Sorry, but Sammy Sosa just doesn't look right to me in an Orioles uniform.

I can't believe the Yankees got swept by the Royals!  Amazing!

I was pretty surprised with last night's basketball game...I thought Detroit was the better team.  Oh well, shows you what I know.

I'm not sure if Duncan should have been the MVP....I think Ginobli may have been the better pick.  Duncan had a good game tonight, and he did play well the entire series, but he missed some big shots throughout the series.

Just my two cents though.

Whoever was setting off fireworks last night at one in the morning...you are a moron, and you woke me up. :( 

Ahhh!  Alien!

I was playing Sega today.  I felt so old school. :)

Look at Trot Nixon.  He is the prototypical ballplayer.  This guy is awesome.

Life, the ultimate stage
Learning to act from a very early age
Nothing is wrong 'cause nothing is right
Living your life, that's the ultimate fight now
-- Rockers Hi-Fi

Are you straight, gay, or bisexual?: Straight

How many people have you kissed in your life?: Romantically?  3

Have you ever made out with a member of the same sex?: No

How many sexual partners have you had?: Two

How many people have you dated this past year?: No one 

Where are your favorite places to be kissed?:Mouth, chest

Do you kiss on the first date?: Yes

Would you ever pay someone for sex?: I'm not desperate

Would you ever let someone pay you for sex?: Well, I wouldn't turn down their money if they were giving it to me

Do you keep your eyes open when you kiss?: closed

Do you think you've met the person you'll spend the rest of your life with? No

Have you ever regretted a hook-up?: No

Would you date or marry someone if your parents or friends didn't accept them?: Probably not

Would you kiss someone if you didn't love them?: Not a passionate kiss, but maybe a quick kiss

Are you always horny?: Pretty much.  What guy isn't?

Do you prefer to chase or be chased?: Be chased :)

What is your kissing pet peeve?: People who stick their tongues down each others' throat in public

Have you ever given anyone a bath?: No

Have you ever had a hard time getting over someone?: Yes

What do you notice first about guys or girls?: Eyes, breasts, mouth, hair

Are you friends with your ex?: We talk

Have you ever cheated on someone?: No

Have you ever been cheated on?: No

What's the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for you?: Nothing, really

What do you look for in your ideal mate?: Pretty, funny, kind, romantic

Biggest Turn-ons: Looks, personality

Turn-offs: Bitchy, dumb

Do you get jealous of your boyfriends/girlfriends other exes?: I have at times

Morals/Beliefs
What religion are you?: Methodist

Do you got to church regularly?: Yes

Do you believe in God?: Yes

Angels?: Yes

Heaven?: Yes

Are you a virgin?: No

What do you think of abortion?: I don't think it's a good idea to kill babies

Suicide? Sad, I don't like it

War?: Sometimes it is necessary, but it should only be done when there is no alternative

Pop music?: Some of it's good.


Currently
What are you wearing?: Khaki shorts, red t-shirt, blue boxers

Who are you talking to?: No one right now

How is the weather?: Hot

What are you listening to?: Nothing

What/Who are you thinking about?: I need to get back to work

What are you eating/drinking?: Water

What are you looking forward to?: Lunch

What are you dreading?: Getting my credit card bill.  I think it's gonna be high

How are you feeling?: Sleepy

How is your hair?: Good

What time is it?: 9:24 a.m.

What are you annoyed by?: Mean people

When Was The Last Time You...
Burped?: Last night

Kissed: Kissed my mom last night :)

Had sex?: Way too long

Went to the movies? A couple days ago

Went out to eat?: A couple days ago

Cried?: I can't remember.  It's been a long time


Got dumped?: Two years ago

Dumped someone?: High school

Threw up?: Back in December when I had the flu

Went skiing/snowboarding?: A couple years ago

Went for a walk?: Yesterday

Ate ice cream?: Yesterday

Got into a fight?: It's been a long time since I've fought with anyone

Are You
insecure?: Sometimes

interesting: Some people think so

random?: Sometimes.  If I don't know what to say

hungry?: in a couple hours I will be

moody?: only if I'm tired 

hardworking?: usually

organized?: definitely not

healthy?: semi-healthy

attractive?: relatively

responsible?: for the most part

obsessed?: No

angry?: no

sad?: no

happy?: generally

hyper?: not usually

talkative?: no

Who do you want to
Kill?: no one
Kiss?: every gorgeous woman in the world
Slap?: no one
Look like?: I'm happy looking like me.  I wouldn't mind a more muscular body though ;)
Talk to offline?: Pam Anderson ;) 
Talk to online? Pam Anderson ;)

Random Questions
Coke or Pepsi?: They taste the same to me

What do you collect?: baseball cards

Number of cds you own?: 50 ish

Number of scars on my body?: none

What are your bad habits?: procrastinating

I woke up feeling pretty blah today.  I have a bad headache, and I'm really tired.  Stayed up a little too late last night I guess.

I can't believe how quickly this week went by!  Wasn't it just Monday?  Damn, that was awesome. :)

Not much going on here.  Gotta get through the day, and then it's birthday party time for my friends Brad and Jake.  My buddy Dave is coming in from Indiana (he went to school there and hasn't come back) and I'm really stoked to be seeing him again.  He's gotta move back here!

Four decades after they once dreamed of baseball greatness, Boggs and Sandberg were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday to the raucous cheers of thousands of Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cub fans.

"There were many stops along the way," said Boggs, who began playing minor-league baseball in Elmira, N.Y., in 1976. "But today that train has pulled into Cooperstown, and I've found this family here at the Hall of Fame. My wife and I believe this is the beginning of another baseball journey."

Boggs, who batted left-handed, was a scrawny kid who didn't attract much attention even though he finished his senior year at Plant High in Tampa, Fla., on a 26-for-33 tear. He was drafted in the seventh round by the Red Sox and then spent five-plus seasons in the minors before finally forcing the Red Sox to promote him in 1981 after he led the International League in batting.

"Life is about obstacles," said Boggs, who also played for the Yankees and Tampa Bay. "Our lives are not determined by what happens to us, but how we react to what happens. Baseball is just a game. You should always play the game with passion, play the game with heart, and play the game you love, and possibly one day your dreams can come true just like mine did."

Boggs learned the trademark inside-out swing that produced 3,010 hits from his father, Winfield, a fast-pitch softball star. He learned well, going on to hit .300 or higher 15 times and finishing with a .328 career average. He was the only player in the 20th century with seven straight 200-hit seasons.

And when it came time to pay tribute to his 80-year-old father, Boggs broke down as his dad, too, brushed away tears.

"Daddy, I wouldn't be up here without you, my mentor, my idol," Boggs said. "Anyone can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad. That's why I call you dad, because you are so special to me. You taught me the game, and you taught me how to play it right. Without you, I wouldn't be here. Thank you, dad."

The tears continued when Boggs remembered his deceased mother, Susan.

"She couldn't be here today, but she's here in spirit," Boggs, only the 41st player elected on his first try, said as he glanced skyward. "She was the rock of the family. She had to wear two hats, my father being in the Air Force. Mom, I love you. I miss you. I wish you were here."

Sandberg, a darling of Cubs fans because he excelled in every facet of the game as a star second baseman who shunned the spotlight, said he became a Hall of Famer because he respected the game. And the 48 Hall of Famers sitting behind seemed to nod in unison.

"A lot of people say this honor validates my career," said Sandberg, who wasn't picked until the 20th round of the 1978 amateur draft by the Philadelphia Phillies. "But I didn't work hard for validation. I didn't play the game right because I saw a reward at the end of the tunnel. I played it right because that's what you're supposed to do - play it right and with respect. Turning two is more important than knowing where to find the little red light on the dugout camera."

Although the 6-foot-2 Sandberg began at short, he eventually was switched to second and blossomed in 1984, two years after the Phils traded him to the Cubs.

The trade gave Sandberg a chance to play every day, and he quickly quieted the skeptics who thought he was too tall to play second. He won the first of nine consecutive Gold Gloves, establishing a major league record of 123 consecutive errorless games over two seasons.

Sandberg won MVP honors in 1984, hitting a career-high .314 with 19 homers, 84 RBIs, 114 runs, 32 stolen bases, and made only six errors in 156 games.

"Baseball wasn't easy for me. I struggled many times," said Sandberg, who was elected in his third year of eligibility. "I had to work hard every day, and I didn't leave many scraps for the writers. I hope you also understand why I would not campaign for this or help to sell this. It's the best award in all of sports, and I think if I had expected anything, if I was thinking about it too much or crunching the numbers, it would have taken away from the prestige of this incredible honor."

Also enshrined were longtime San Diego Padres announcer Jerry Coleman, winner of the Ford C. Frick Award presented annually for major contributions to baseball broadcasting, and veteran sportswriter and broadcaster Peter Gammons, recipient of the J.G. Taylor Spink Award, presented annually for meritorious contributions to baseball writing,

Coleman's playing career was interrupted twice because of military service as a Marine pilot during World War II and Korea. He flew 120 missions, received two distinguished flying crosses, 13 Air Medals and three Navy citations, while earning the rank of lieutenant colonel.

And for that he received a standing ovation.

"This is the highest honor of my life," said Coleman, a star second baseman for the Yankees and 1950 World Series MVP. "I'm here because my peers put me here. The journey has been incredible. I feel finally, finally I've come home."

Pete Rose, ineligible for the Hall of Fame because of his lifetime ban from baseball for gambling, originally was scheduled to appear at Pete Rose Ballpark Collectibles to sign autographs. However, within the last week the sign above the front of the store, located a little over a block away from the Hall of Fame on Main Street, was taken down and Rose never appeared.

Andrew Vilacky, owner of the store and a close friend and business associate of Rose, has pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of felony tax fraud for his part in a scheme that authorities said bilked the U.S. and New York state governments of nearly $3 million in fraudulent tax refunds between 1997 and 2001. Vilacky is scheduled to be sentenced in October and could face up to five years in prison.

New standard for Hall of Fame

Forget the numbers, forget the 3,000 hits and 500 home runs. Forget the players who may have some kind of cloud of suspicion hanging over their heads. It's time to put worthy candidates into the Hall — players like Dale Murphy and Andre Dawson, Bert Blyleven and Jim Rice. Players like Gil Hodges and Ron Santo, who may have not have reached the 500 or 3000 mark, or set a record for something at their position.

The hall and baseball need to lower the bar so to speak and raise the level of excellence for players entering the Hall of Fame in the future. If MLB and the Players Union can't return the game to it's rightful place maybe the Hall can.

Somewhere along the road we lost our way, somewhere players thought they had to use other means as a way to be the best. Players should be put back on the right path. The path that was paved by hard work and dedication, not injection or swallowing a magic pill.

The game is bigger then a few bad apples, and should be a place of honor and sportsmanship, not deception and greed. If it takes setting a new standard for reaching the game's most hallowed place, so be it. Baseball should be looked up to, as a great game, not a job or a paycheck. We need to EVEN the playing field. Now! Before it's too late.

I know it's only the first game of the pre-season, and that pre-season games mean absolutely nothing and can't necessarily even give an accurate assessment of how a team will do in the regular season, but the Chicago Bears beat the Miami Dolphins last night 27-24. :)

I came across this picture yesterday of some girls that I went to college with.  But I only know one of the girls...who is everyone else?

Glen played the part so well...

Rader initially will only get five hours a week outside cell

EL DORADO, Kan. - Dennis Rader began serving a life sentence Friday for the BTK sex-murders that terrorized Wichita for 17 years. He was led into a maximum security prison a day after relatives of his 10 victims finally got a chance to vent their anger on what one called “this social sewage.”

Rader, wearing an orange prison jumpsuit and with his arms and legs shackled, entered the prison doors at 7:28 a.m., after arriving in a three-vehicle caravan with seven state troopers. He was to be fingerprinted and photographed and then undergo an initial screening to determine whether he’ll serve his entire sentence in El Dorado or be transferred.

“Public safety is our primary mission,” said Ray Roberts, warden of the El Dorado Correctional Facility.

Prison Capt. Dale Call said it is likely Rader will serve his entire sentence in El Dorado, unless it is determined that his life would be at risk or he is a threat to others.

There was little drama upon his arrival, save for the hordes of media gathered outside the gates. A lone helicopter hovered overhead.

Rader, at least initially, will be allowed five one-hour periods per week out of the cell and brief showers. During that limited free time, he’ll be escorted to a 10-by-10-foot enclosed outdoor area and will be kept in restraints the entire time.

In his 80-square-foot cell, Rader will have no television and likely will have limited access to reading materials, except for legal documents. His meals will be delivered to him through his cell door.

No death penalty at time
District Judge Gregory Waller handed Rader a sentence Thursday that was the stiffest possible; Kansas had no death penalty at the times of the murders. He is to serve 10 consecutive life terms with no chance of parole for 175 years.

The two-day sentencing hearing featured testimony from detectives who graphically detailed the 10 killings and tearful relatives of the victims who likened Rader to a “monster.” It culminated with rambling testimony from Rader, who said he had been dishonest to his family and victims and at times wiped his eyes.

Rader offered Biblical quotes, thanks to police and an apology to victims’ relatives before Waller sentenced him.

“A dark side is there, but now I think light is beginning to shine,” Rader said. “Hopefully someday God will accept me.”

Rader, 60, a former church congregation president and Boy Scout leader, led a double life, calling himself BTK for “bind, torture and kill.” He was arrested in February and pleaded guilty in June to the 10 murders from 1974 to 1991.

Deep, abiding pain
Earlier in Thursday’s hearing, relatives of the victims testified about the indescribable pain the killings cause them.

“Nancy’s death is a like a deep wound that will never, ever heal,” Beverly Plapp, sister of victim Nancy Fox, testified. “As far as I’m concerned, Dennis Rader does not deserve to live. I want him to suffer as much as he made his victims suffer.”

“This man needs to be thrown in a deep, dark hole and left to rot,” she said. “He should never, ever see the light of day.”

"No remorse, no compassion -- he had no mercy," said Kevin Bright, the brother of victim Kathryn Bright, who himself was shot but managed to flee. "I think that's what he ought to receive."

Rader's voice choked as he made his half-hour address to the courtroom, saying he had been dishonest to his family and victims and selfish.

"I know the victim's families will never be able to forgive me. I hope somewhere deep down, eventually that will happen," he said. He also admitted he tracked his victims "like a predator."

Investigators testified that Rader kept hundreds of pictures from magazines and circulars mounted on index cards, with details of the warped sexual fantasies he dreamed of carrying out.

Lt. Ken Landwehr, who coordinated the Wichita police department’s investigation into BTK, said the index cards were some of the evidence of Rader’s long history of terror that was found at the defendant’s office, camper and small suburban home.

Call for restrictions in prison
Landwehr said the cutouts ranged from a little girl posing in a swimsuit to actress Meg Ryan.

Even up to Thursday, prosecutors remained concerned about Rader’s fantasies, urging the judge to issue an order denying Rader access to crayons and markers that might be used to draw human or animal forms and further Rader’s sexual fantasies.

“We believe that these sentences ought to be box-carred one after the other until there is no light at the end of the tunnel. The reason is that individuals who are predators, pedophiles, anti-social, who are individuals who have detachment disorder, psychological problems, who lead lives built around sexual perversions, just are not built like the rest of us,” Sedgwick County District Attorney Nola Foulston told the judge.

Rader’s files also included copies of nearly all his messages to police and the media, documents Landwehr said the killer had planned to eventually scan and digitally store, Landwehr said.

Containers kept in a closet and elsewhere at his home also held what Rader called “hit kits”—bags with rubber gloves, rope, tape, handcuffs and bandanas.

Chilling details
Rader, sitting through his second day of a sentencing hearing, appeared angry and mumbled at one point during Landwehr’s testimony, although Rader’s words couldn’t be heard.

Earlier Thursday morning, Capt. Sam Houston of the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office testified about Rader’s last known killing -- the strangulation of 63-year-old Dolores Davis in 1991. Rader, who handcuffed Davis and tied her with pantyhose, told police it took two or three minutes for her to die and that fueled his torturous fantasies for years.

“It was this moment that victim was tied and bound,” Rader wrote in a journal, according to testimony Thursday morning by Houston. “He could live in that moment for years.”

After Davis was dead, Rader tossed her body under a bridge where it decomposed and apparently was fed on by animals. The defendant returned later to take Polaroid photographs of her wearing a feminine mask Rader himself had worn for his own bondage fantasies.

Prosecutors showed various photographs of Rader that he took of himself — hanging from a tree; lying in a grave; tied to a chair while wearing the mask and a woman’s blond wig; bound and wearing a dress he had taken from Davis’ house.

A double life
Earlier testimony outlined Rader’s fascination with bondage, his desire to strengthen his hand muscles when he found it hard to choke victims, and a terrifying conversation he had with an 11-year-old girl before he killed her.

Detective Clint Snyder testified that Rader told investigators he used a squeeze ball to strengthen his grip after finding his hands numbed during strangulations.

In describing one killing, Rader told Snyder: “I’m sorry. I know this is a human being, but I’m a monster.”

According to testimony, Rader, a former church congregation president and Boy Scout leader, at times used his connections to scouting and local churches to facilitate his crimes and provide him an alibi.

For the killing of Davis on Jan. 13, 1991, Rader left a Scout camp under the guise of going home for something he forgot, Houston testified Wednesday. Instead, Rader went to his parents’ home to change out of his scouting uniform and into his dark “hit clothes.”

He took the body of another of his victims, Marine Hedge, to the church he attended in Wichita, where he put black plastic over the windows to give him privacy while he took bondage pictures for his sexual satisfaction.

Rader, referring to the last two murders near the Park City home where he lived, told police: “This is not really good serial killer business, this is right at my back door. I started getting lazy, the last few years.”

"The problem is, he doesn't know how to deal with African-American people," Bradley said. "I think that's what's causing everything. It's a pattern of things that have been said - things said off the cuff that I don't interpret as funny. It may be funny to him, but it's not funny to Milton Bradley. But I don't take offense to that because we all joke about race in here. Race is an issue with everything we do in here.

Me being an African-American is the most important thing to me - more important than baseball," said the 27-year-old center fielder, whose voice never went beyond his normal speaking level. "White people never want to see race - with anything. But there's race involved in baseball. That's why there's less than 9 percent African-American representation in the game. I'm one of the few African-Americans that starts here."

Bradley did not like what Kent said to him after Bradley failed to score from first base on a double in Saturday's victory over the Marlins. Bradley initiated a 25-minute closed-door meeting with manager Jim Tracy after that game.

"I was told in spring training I was the team leader by Paul DePodesta. By Jim Tracy. By Frank McCourt," Bradley said of the Dodgers' general manager, manager and owner. "Growing up in LA, I know how to deal with all types of people, and I do it on an everyday basis. But some people don't deal with all different types of people every day, and therefore don't know how to handle situations when they arise."

Bradley accused the media of coming to his locker first Tuesday because he is black. Kent had not yet arrived at his locker.

"At no time am I going to let somebody question my hustle, my injury or question my motivation for playing," Bradley said. "I watch him on the field, and I follow in his footsteps and the things he does on the field. As far as off the field, he has no clue about leadership.

"If you're going to be the leader of the team, then the need to mingle with the team and associate with the team. I mean, you can't have your locker in the corner, put your headphones in and sit in the corner reading a motocross magazine. He's in his own world. Everybody else is in this world."

Kent, a former NL MVP who feuded with Barry Bonds in San Francisco, defended himself following Bradley's accusations.

"He can go ahead and say those types of things, and it comes from an incident that he still doesn't get. And that's a shame," Kent said. "If you think that I've got a problem with African-Americans, then go talk to Dusty Baker. Go talk to Dave Winfield, who took me under his wing. Go talk to Joe Carter - all the guys that I idolized in this game and all the veteran players who taught me how to play this game.

"That's a shame, and I take offense to that. That's just absolutely pathetic if it comes from his mouth."

By Dayn Perry, Fox Sports

This season's most overrated players

1. Scott Podsednik, LF, White Sox

To hear many in the media tell it, Podsednik is the catalyst for the best team in the American League. To hear the numbers tell it, Podsednik is a below-average performer by left-fielder standards. He has his merits — good defense, solid on-base skills, speed on the bases — but his failings are more critical. To wit, he can't hit for power. At all. Podsednik's .337 slugging percentage is appalling for a corner outfielder playing half his games in one of the best power parks around. A left fielder with no home runs this late in the season isn't doing his job, no matter how many bases he steals.

2. Carlos Beltran, CF, Mets

Beltran was overrated before his disappointing season in 2005. Beltran, of course, ramped up his market value with a hot stretch drive and stunning postseason with the Astros last year, but consider the preponderance of the evidence. He was a good player with admirable defensive skills, exceptional base-stealing abilities and a solid bat made to look better by a succession of hitter-friendly parks.

However, the Mets gave this good player "great player" money. A nagging hamstring injury and the run-suppressing environs of Shea have exacted a toll on Beltran this season. He's a better player than his 2005 numbers, but he's a substantially worse player than that $119 million contract.

3. Hank Blalock, 3B, Rangers

Blalock has loads of ability, but his levels of offensive production are illusory. That's because Ameriquest Field is drastically inflating his numbers.

Consider his career batting line on the road: .241 AVG/.300 OBP/.401 SLG. Now contrast that with his work at home: .316 AVG/.386 OBP/.566 SLG. Until he learns to hit away from Arlington, Blalock won't be the All-Star he's passed off as.

4. Kevin Millar, 1B, Red Sox

Folksy and likeable? Sure. Idiot, Cowboy Up and all that stuff? Sure. Productive? Nope. This season, Millar is putting up a batting line of .270 AVG/.357 OBP/.367 SLG, which isn't adequate for a defensively challenged first baseman. He's had a couple of very good seasons in his career (both as a Marlin), but he's been unable to produce at all on the road in recent seasons (Fenway is a haven for right-handed batters). Regardless of clubhouse chops, he needs to be benched for road games and cut loose altogether after this season.

5. Victor Zambrano, SP, Mets

The Mets cut bait on Scott Kazmir, perhaps the best young lefty in the game, to get Zambrano, mostly because then new pitching Rick Peterson thought he could fix him. Zambrano has a career 4.40 ERA and is already 30 years old. At first glance you might think Zambrano has made nominal improvement, what with his 4.13 ERA. However, consider that Shea is a pitcher's park, run scoring is down this season, and Zambrano has out only 88 strikeouts against 66 walks. Kazmir is the better pitcher now, and he'll most assuredly be the better pitcher in years to come. A terrible, terrible trade for the Mets.

6. C.C. Sabathia, SP, Indians

In some circles, Sabathia is regarded as an ace. He's not. In only one season has Sabathia worked at least 200 innings while maintaining an ERA better than the league average. This season, his ERA has risen to a career-worst 4.75. Sabathia's still only 25, but the time has come to realize his promise.

7. Zack Greinke, SP, Royals

Fits and starts for a pitcher this young are to be expected, but a 6.28 ERA? Greinke was once hailed as the best pitching prospect in baseball, but it's not likely he'll ever live up to those expectations. Why?

Greinke posts low strikeout rates in tandem with fly-ball tendencies. That's a dangerous mix. No matter how good a pitcher's command might be, if he's allowing a lot of balls in play and a lot of those balls are in the air ... well, that's bad. Press clippings aside, don't expect future greatness from Greinke.

8. Ichiro Suzuki, RF, Mariners

Ichiro is a cultural luminary, an important figure in baseball history and a thoroughly likeable and engaging athlete. He also hits for average, runs the bases well and plays an exceptional right field.

However, Ichiro lacks secondary hitting skills. That means he doesn't draw walks and doesn't hit for power.

Because of these deficiencies, he's a player who needs to hit .330 or higher to be effective. Some seasons, he does that, and some seasons he doesn't. When you consider all Ichiro signifies and his global popularity, he's worth the attention he gets. However, through the prism of on-field performance, he's not.

9. 3. Sean Casey, 1B, Reds

Casey's had a handful of good seasons in his career, but he's horribly inconsistent and isn't worth the $7.8 million he's making this season. He's slugging only .440, which isn't impressive for a first baseman playing half his games in Cincinnati. Stat geeks generally overstate Casey's weaknesses, but he's overpaid and overvalued by the organization.

Considering the Reds' outfield/first base bottleneck, they badly need to pass on Casey's 2006 option. He's a useful player, but these days he's best deployed in a reserve/platoon role.

10. Ryan Klesko, LF, Padres

Bad defense? Yep. Bad defense no matter where you stick him? Yep. Hasn't hit for power since 2001? Yep.

Klesko still has good plate discipline, but he does little else to help his team. He was once an excellent player, but his time has passed.

This season's most underrated players

1. Brian Giles, OF, Padres

How underappreciated is Brian Giles? His career OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) of .956 is in the top 20 all-time for players with at least 5,000 career plate appearances. Why is he so underappreciated? For years he toiled in Pittsburgh on baseball's rural route, and now he is playing half his games in Petco Park, a brutal environment for hitters.

Giles has the best plate discipline in baseball this side of a healthy Barry Bonds, and his substantial power is masked by Petco. For instance, this season, he's hitting .327 AVG/.456 OBP/.562 on the road. If Giles had been given a regular job in the majors when he deserved one — instead of at age 28 — he'd be cobbling together a Hall of Fame career.

2. Jason Bay, LF, Pirates

Sure, Bay's the reigning NL Rookie of the Year, but he's still not getting the recognition he merits. He boasts a career batting line of .291 AVG/.380 OBP/.548 SLG, he runs the bases well, plays a slick left field and can even man center on occasion. This season, Bay ranks 10th in the NL in SLG and 10th in OBP. Not bad for a 22nd-round draft pick on his fourth organization.

3. Jhonny Peralta, SS, Indians

The best shortstop in baseball on a per-plate-appearance basis? Yep, it's Peralta. If his SLG of .541 holds up, it could be one of the top 20 ever by an AL shortstop. His minor-league dossier suggests he's over-performing, but there's no ignoring his excellence in 2005. If Peralta maintains this level of performance and continues playing strong defense, he's a legitimate MVP candidate this season.

4. Julio Lugo, SS, Devil Rays

Lugo isn't an elite ballplayer, but he's the quintessence of a quality major league shortstop — exceptional with the glove, above average with the bat. Why there hasn't been feverish trade interest in Lugo over the last couple of seasons is a mystery. For his career, Lugo is hitting .296 AVG/.358 OBP/.389 SLG, which is strong production for a shortstop who can flat-out pick it. It's easy to be overlooked when you're biding your time with the awful D-Rays, but it's about time Lugo got his due as one of the best shortstops in baseball not named Tejada or Jeter.

5. Travis Hafner, DH, Indians

Hafner's a DH, so he has no defensive value, but at the plate he rakes like few others. Stolen from the Rangers in exchange for Ryan Drese and Einar Diaz, Hafner has emerged as one of the best hitters in the AL. This season, Hafner ranks third in the AL in OBP and fourth in SLG, and he was just as good last season. He's the best hitter on the team that's taking the league by storm in the second half. There's simply no excuse for Shea Hillenbrand being named to this year's AL All-Star team over Hafner.

6. Roy Oswalt, SP, Astros

Oswalt's career numbers: 934.2 innings, 3.07 ERA, 802 strikeouts, 217 walks. That's a better career ERA than Roger Clemens', and that's a better career strikeout-to-walk ratio than Randy Johnson's. In terms of park- and league-adjusted ERA, Oswalt ranks in the top 10 all-time among hurlers with at least 900 career innings. This season, he's being overshadowed by teammates Clemens and Andy Pettitte, but few pitchers are as consistently excellent as Oswalt.

7. Ben Sheets, SP, Brewers

Sheets doesn't get the credit he deserves for helping put the Brewers on the path to the wild card this season (even before his likely season-ending injury). Last season, Sheets quietly put together one of the great seasons in recent memory. In fact, Sheets' 2004 strikeout-to-walk ratio of 8.25 was the sixth-best mark since 1900. He's possessed of tremendous stuff and a staggering record of performance in recent seasons. Sheets will be the ace of what should be a strong line of Brewers teams over the next few seasons.

8. Morgan Ensberg, 3B, Astros

Ensberg is in the midst of a tremendous breakout season. Coming into 2005, Ensberg boasted a solid career batting line of .277 AVG/.352 OBP/.457 SLG.

However, erstwhile manager Jimy Williams was reluctant to grant him regular playing time. Since Phil Garner arrived, things have been different. Ensberg's rewarded that faith this season by hitting .281 AVG/.384 OBP/.569 SLG, which makes him the most productive third baseman in the NL. The Astros are in the throes of a pennant race, and Ensberg has carried the offense this season.

9. Vernon Wells, CF, Blue Jays

Wells blends outstanding raw power with exceptional defense at a key position. In 2003, Wells tallied 87 extra-base hits, which is the ninth-highest total ever by a center fielder. This year, he's on pace for another 70 extra-base knocks. A slow start in 2005 has dragged down Wells' numbers, but he's hitting .290 AVG/.320 OBP/.503 since the break. At age 26, he has even better days ahead.

10. Dan Wheeler, RP, Astros

In Wheeler's five major-league seasons before his current one, he had a 4.95 ERA. In 2005, however, he's worked 56.0 innings, struck out 58 and posted a 1.77 ERA. In fact, he's been a different pitcher since arriving in Houston in late August of 2004. Other Astros pitchers are getting more ink this season, but Wheeler has been the team's best reliever in '05. Yes, even better than Brad Lidge.

Late chief justice to be buried in historic Washington cathedral

WASHINGTON - In a historic cathedral, President Bush and Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor are leading final tributes to William H. Rehnquist, the long-serving chief justice of the United States who charted the court’s path toward conservatism.

Services for Rehnquist, who died Saturday night after a yearlong illness from thyroid cancer, are being conducted Wednesday in St. Matthew’s Cathedral. The funeral for President Kennedy took place there, and Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass at St. Matthew’s in 1979.

The family of Rehnquist, a Lutheran, requested St. Matthew’s primarily because of the space the Roman Catholic church provides. Vice President Dick Cheney is among other government officials attending.

The nation’s 16th chief justice is being buried at Arlington National Cemetery, where his wife is interred.

'A person who liked being anonymous'
It has been an emotional two days for Rehnquist’s family and his friends, especially his former law clerks, many of whom recalled on Tuesday his devotion to duty and their love for his lack of pretense.

“In some ways, he may be looking down at all of this, and be amused by it all; he was a person who liked being anonymous,” said Joseph Hoffmann, a former Rehnquist clerk who teaches law at Indiana University.

“There was a profound love for him,” said New York attorney Robert Giuffra Jr., another former Rehnquist clerk. “He was a very approachable, decent person.”

It has been an emotional time as well for O’Connor, who cried Tuesday as Rehnquist’s casket was carried up the marble steps to the court.

John Roberts, the former Rehnquist clerk named to succeed his old boss, was among the pallbearers carrying the flag-draped casket into the Great Hall.

Bush, his head bowed, and first lady Laura Bush spent about a minute standing near the casket and a short time looking at the portrait of Rehnquist on a stand nearby. Justice Antonin Scalia escorted the couple.

Bush initially nominated Roberts, a federal appellate judge, to replace O’Connor, who announced in July that she would step down.

The president said Monday that he would nominate Roberts to be the nation’s 17th chief justice instead and that the list of possible nominees for O’Connor’s seat was now “wide open.”

Bush and Senate Republicans are pushing to confirm Roberts before the new court session that begins Oct. 3. Democrats cautioned against a rush to judgment now that Roberts is a candidate for chief justice and at age 50, could shape the court for decades.

Long line of mourners
On Tuesday evening at the Supreme Court, a line of hundreds of mourners snaked across the court plaza and several hundred yards down a sidewalk, a mix of tourists and office workers at the end of a long day turning out for the chief justice.

People laid long-stem red roses and other flowers on the steps leading to the Supreme Court plaza.

Flags, including the one above the court, were at half-staff in honor of Rehnquist, a President Nixon appointee who served on the court for 33 years and was elevated to chief justice in 1986 by President Reagan.

Rehnquist’s burial is listed as the last event of the day Wednesday on the Web site at Arlington National Cemetery.

Despite the slim postseason chances, everybody around the Giants seems to think Bonds' mere presence will make a huge difference for morale.

The slugger looked upbeat and relaxed Sunday as he prepared to come off the 60-day disabled list and play for the first time this year.

Bonds is expected to start in left field and bat cleanup when he makes his long-awaited season debut as the Giants open a three-game series against the NL West-leading San Diego Padres at SBC Park.

Bonds took batting practice and shagged fly balls in the outfield Sunday. He joked around with Cubs star Nomar Garciaparra and former teammate Jerome Williams, traded to Chicago earlier this season.

He even shook hands with a baby.

"Right now, I'm just trying to keep my mind clear, that's it," Bonds said while quietly gripping his bats in his black recliner in the corner of the clubhouse.

Bonds, coming back from three operations on his right knee since Jan. 31, has been eager for months to resume his quest of Hank Aaron's home run record. He received medical clearance to play Saturday from Dr. Lewis Yocum, the Angels' team orthopedist who worked with Bonds for more than two months in Los Angeles until the slugger rejoined his teammates last week at Dodger Stadium.

Bonds has 703 homers, trailing only Babe Ruth (714) and Aaron (755) on the career list.

"He will hit a home run," said 6-year-old Darren Baker, son of Cubs manager Dusty Baker. "That will be 704."

Just like little Darren, manager Felipe Alou is sure Bonds will pick up right where he left off, despite going nearly a year without facing major league pitching.

"I expect a lot with the bat," Alou said. "What I see in BP is the same BP I've seen before. ... I wonder what's going to happen tomorrow in his at-bat, the reception."

The 70-year-old Alou, fighting a cold, met briefly with Bonds on the field and they determined he would start in left field and bat in the No. 4 hole. Bonds won't be limited to a certain number of innings, Alou said.

Bonds waved to fans who swarmed around the San Francisco dugout, then visited with a family on the field - greeting a baby and signing several baseballs. He caught up with Dusty Baker behind the batting cage.

"Barry, please!" hollered one boy hoping for a signature.

For now, Bonds refuses to think much about anything beyond making a solid comeback this season and staying healthy.

The seven-time NL MVP hasn't considered whether he would play for the United States in baseball's first World Cup-style tournament next spring, to be called the World Baseball Classic.

"I don't know," he said. "I'll bridge that when we get there. I haven't thought about it. I don't think about baseball. I've had three surgeries on my knee."

The Giants are expecting a lot of last-minute media requests for credentials for Monday's game.

Other players are interested in how Bonds performs, too.

"This is his job," Cubs pitcher Mark Prior said. "I respect the fact he wants to come back for the last two or three weeks of the season. He's worked hard to come back. Anything is possible. If he comes to the plate three or four times a game, he's going to have an impact on the game."

If you have seen 70 or more of the movies on this list, you are a movie whore. :)

1. (x) Napoleon Dynamite
2. ( ) Saw
3. ( ) White Noise
4. ( ) White Oleander
5. (x) Anger Management
6. (x) 50 First Dates
7. ( ) Jason X
8. (x) Scream
9. (x) Scream 2
10. (x) Scream 3
11. (x) Scary Movie
12. (x) Scary Movie 2
13. (x) Scary Movie 3
14. (x) American Pie
15. (x) American Pie 2
16. (x) American Wedding
17. (x) Harry Potter
18. (x) Harry Potter 2
19. (x) Harry Potter 3
20. (  ) Resident Evil I
21. (  ) Resident Evil 2
22. (x) The Wedding Singer
23. ( ) Little Black Book
24. (  ) The Village
25. (x) Donnie Darko
26. (x) Lilo and Stitch
27. (x) Finding Nemo
28. (x) Finding Neverland
29. ( ) 13 Ghosts
30. ( ) Signs
31. (x) The Grinch
32. (x) Texas Chainsaw Massacre
33. ( ) White Chicks
34. (x) Butterfly Effect
35. ( ) Thirteen Going On 30
36. (x) I, Robot
37. (x) Dodgeball
38. (  ) Universal Soldier
39. ( ) A Series Of Unfortunate Events
40. (x) Along Came A Spider
41. (x) Deep Impact
42. ( ) KingPin
43. ( ) Never Been Kissed
44. (x) Meet The Parents
45. (x) Meet The Fockers
46. (x) Eight Crazy Nights
47. ( ) A Cinderella Story
48. (x) The Terminal
49. ( ) The Lizzie McGuire Movie
50. (  ) Passport to Paris
51. (x) Dumb and Dumber
52. (x) Dumb and Dumberer
53. (  ) Final Destination
54. (  ) Final Destination 2
55. (x) Halloween
56. (x) The Ring
57. (x) The Ring 2
58. ( ) Harold and Kumar go to White Castle
59. (  ) Practical Magic
60. (x) Chicago
61. (  ) Ghost Ship
62. (  ) From Hell
63. (  ) Hellboy
64. ( ) Secret Window
65. (x) I Am Sam
66. (x) The Whole Nine Yards
67. (x) The Whole Ten Yards
68. (x) The Day After Tomorrow
69. (  ) Child's Play
70. (  ) Bride of Chucky
71. ( ) Ten Things I Hate About You
72. (x) Just Married
73. (x) Gothika
74. (x) A Nightmare on Elm Street
75. ( ) Sixteen Candles
76. (x) Bad Boys
77. (x) Bad Boys 2
78. (x) Joy Ride
79. (x) Seven
80. (x) Ocean's Eleven
81. (x) Ocean's Twelve
82. ( ) Identity
83. ( ) Lone Star state of mind
84. ( ) Bedazzled
85. (  ) Predator I
86. (  ) Predator II
87. (x) Independence Day
88. (  ) Cujo
89. (  ) A Bronx Tale
90. ( ) Darkness Falls
91. (  ) Christine
92. (  ) SLC Punk
93. ( ) Children of the Corn
94. (x) My Boss' Daughter
95. ( ) Maid in Manhattan
96. (  ) Frailty
97. (  ) Best Bet
98. ( ) How to Lose a Guy In 10 Days
99. (x) She's All That
100. ( ) Calendar Girls
101. (  ) Sideways
102. (  ) Mars Attacks
103. (  ) Event Horizon
104. ( ) Ever After
105. (x) Forrest Gump
106. (  ) Big Trouble in Little China
107. (x) X-men 1
108. (x) X-men 2
109. (x) Jeepers Creepers
110. (  ) Jeepers Creepers 2
111. (x) Catch Me If You Can
112. ( ) The Others
113. (x) Freaky Friday
114. (  ) Reign of Fire
115. (x) Cruel Intentions
116. (  ) PI
117. ( ) Swimfan
118. (x) Miracle
119. (x) Old School
120. (x) Ray
121. ( ) The Notebook
122. (x) K-Pax
123. (x) Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
124. (x) Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
125. (x) Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
126. ( ) A Walk to Remember
127. (  ) Boogeyman
128. (x) Hitch
129. (  ) Back Door Sluts 9 
130. ( ) South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut
131. ( ) The Fifth Element
132. (x) Star Wars Episode I
133. (x) Star Wars Episode II
134. (x) Star Wars Episode III
135. (x) Star Wars Episode IV
136. (x) Star Wars Episode V
137. (x) Star Wars Episode VI
138. ( ) Troop Beverly Hills
139. (  ) Swimming with Sharks
140. (x) Trainspotting
141. (  ) People Under the Stairs
142. (  ) Blue Velvet
143. (x) Sound of Music
144. (x) Parent Trap
145. (  ) The Burbs
146. (x) Meet Joe Black
147. (  ) Wild Girls
148. (  ) A Clockwork Orange
149. ( ) The Order
150. (x) Spiderman
151. (x) Spiderman 2
152. (  ) Amelie
153. ( ) Mean Girls
154. (x) Shrek
155. (x) Shrek 2
156. (x) The Incredibles
157. (x) Collateral
158. (x) The Fast and The Furious
159. (x) 2 Fast 2 Furious
160. (  ) Sky Captain and The World of Tomorrow
161. ( ) Closer
162. (x) The Sixth Sense
163. (x) Artificial intelligence
164. ( ) Love Actually
165. (  ) Shutter
166. (  ) Ella Enchanted
167. ( ) Princess Diaries
168. (  ) Princess Diaries 2
169. ( ) Constantine
170. (x) Million Dollar Baby
171. (  ) Life of David Gale
172. (x) 25th Hour
173. (x) Vanilla Sky
174. (x) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
175. (  ) Boogie Nights
176. (x) Braveheart
177. (  ) The Anarchist Cook Book
178. (  ) My House In Umbria
179. (x) Double Jeopardy
180. (x) Monsters, Inc
181. (x) Kill Bill Vol. 1
182. (x) Kill Bill Vol. 2
183. (  ) Eight Legged Freaks
184. (x) The Exorcist I
185. (  ) The Exorcist II
186. (  ) The Exorcist III
187. (x) Titanic
188. ( ) Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
189. ( ) Underworld
190. (x) Cast Away
192. (  ) Waterworld
193. (x) Wizard Of Oz
194. ( ) Super Troopers
195. (x) The Breakfast Club
196. (x) Robin Hood: Men in Tights
197. (x) Billy Madison
198. (x) Philadelphia
199. (x) Pirates of the Carribbean
200. (x) Edward Scissorhands

I'm definitely a movie whore.

This looks like a cool book.  I got it out of the library yesterday.  Hopefully I'll enjoy the read.  I'll let you know.

"I've got one more start here, and that's all that matters," Burnett said of his apparent plans for free agency.

Burnett complained about a lack of positive reinforcement - seemingly from manager Jack McKeon and the Marlins' coaching staff.

"It's depressing around here," he said. "There's nothing positive around here. There's nothing positive on the staff now.

"You give up one home run, and it's a funeral. ... A positive pat on the back is better than anything. I haven't seen a pat on the back since April."

Asked who he was targeting with his criticism, Burnett said, "I'm not naming names."

Unable to hold a 3-0 lead Sunday, Burnett fell to 12-12 with his sixth straight loss.

Despite his skid, Burnett has a 3.44 ERA and ranks among the NL leaders with 198 strikeouts - including eight Sunday - and four complete games.

As one of the top power pitchers in the game, Burnett would rank among the most attractive free agents this winter.

McKeon said Burnett was speaking out of frustration Sunday.

"Everybody gets frustrated at times," McKeon said. "I think sometimes you've got to look in the mirror. He's just frustrated. We certainly don't play. None of the coaches pitch or hit."

Added McKeon: "This is a tough job playing in the big leagues. You're on a stage, everybody's on a stage. Everybody has to be held accountable."

Burnett was asked if something happened during Sunday's loss - which dropped Florida five games behind Houston with six to play - to spark his strong words.

"Not today, the season," Burnett said. "It's a waste. ... Kids are out there busting their butts, and there's still nothing but negativity."

McKeon said he couldn't explain Burnett's losing streak.

"He was still throwing 98 miles per hour," McKeon said. "This guy can pitch a no-hitter any day. But you can't walk leadoff batters."

Burnett also ranks among the NL leaders with 79 walks, including four Sunday. He walked Chipper Jones to open the fourth inning and pinch-hitter Kelly Johnson to open the seventh, when the Braves took the lead. Both runners scored.

As a big Chicago Cubs fan, I've got to say that this season was a bit disappointing.  Maybe their recent playoff experience spoiled me, but I expected them to make the playoffs again this year.  Mathematically, however, that is not an option. 

They did beat the Houston Astros in Houston last night, which was pretty awesome.  The Astros have a chance of making the playoffs as a wild card team, but the Cubs slowed that down a bit, which was pretty cool.

As for me and the Cubs, we'll have to wait till next year.

"If we had won 10 in a row to get a one-game lead right now, I'd be happy as all get out," Astros manager Phil Garner said. "No, I don't like the way that game turned out, but we still control our destiny."

The Cubs, who won the series opener Thursday night, started the ninth with three straight hits off Lidge (4-4), who had converted 24 straight save chances since June 11. After Matt Murton and Jeromy Burnitz hit consecutive singles, Michael Barrett doubled off the top of the left-field wall to tie the game at 3-all.

"They did a good job hitting mistakes. Obviously, it's a big disappointment," said Lidge, who has 40 saves. "I felt good, but I couldn't get on top of my slider. I don't know if it was my mechanics or not. There's no excuse. I just made bad pitches."

Corey Patterson hit a hard chopper to first, and Berkman gathered the ball and threw home for the first out. But pinch-hitter Todd Walker, playing for the first time since hurting his knee Sept. 23, got a grounder by Berkman for a single that sent home Barrett with the go-ahead run.

"It's surprising, but he only gave up one decent hit," Garner said. "The others just rolled through the infield."

Philadelphia (86-74) won 4-3 at Washington and is just behind Houston (87-73) in the wild-card race.

Roger Clemens (12-8), who skipped his previous turn because of a sore left hamstring, is the scheduled starter for the Astros on Saturday, and Roy Oswalt (19-12) is set to go Sunday. If the Astros and Phillies finish Sunday tied, they would meet in a one-game playoff Monday at Philadelphia.

Lidge got into trouble at about the same time his predecessor, Billy Wagner, was closing Philadelphia's victory.

"It was shocking, but again, he's human," said Astros starter Andy Pettitte, who allowed one run in seven innings.

Ryan Dempster worked the ninth for Chicago and allowed a leadoff walk to Brad Ausmus. Charles Gipson sacrificed pinch-runner Chris Burke to second, and Craig Biggio's grounder moved Burke to third.

Dempster retired pinch-hitter Orlando Palmeiro on a flyout to right for his 33rd save in 35 chances, his 19th in a row. The Cubs would finish at 81-81 if they win the final two games.

"It doesn't matter if we're in the playoffs or not, we're trying to get to .500," Cubs manager Dusty Baker said. "We've got something to play for. Guys are still trying to get hits and get wins."

Berkman's 24th homer - and 11th in September - came with one out but wasn't enough to keep the Astros from wasting another impressive start by Pettitte.

After Pettitte was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the seventh with the game tied, the Cubs took a 2-1 lead in the eighth off Chad Qualls. Neifi Perez had a two-out infield single, and shortstop Adam Everett bobbled Derrek Lee's grounder for an error.

Nomar Garciaparra doubled to put the Cubs ahead. Lee was thrown out trying to score after center fielder Willy Taveras, who had bobbled the ball, threw to Everett for the relay to Ausmus, who tagged out the sliding Lee.

Taveras led off the Astros eighth with a single off Roberto Novoa (4-5) and, after Morgan Ensberg fouled out, Berkman hit an opposite-field shot into the left-field stands. His 11 September homers tied the team record set by Richard Hidalgo in 2000.

Pettitte, who missed the Astros postseason run last season because of a torn tendon in left elbow, made his second start in a row against the Cubs in which he allowed just one run without a decision. Both were one-run losses. The left-hander had won seven straight starts before then.

Carlos Zambrano allowed a run and four hits over seven innings, but missed out on his 15th victory.

The Astros failed to score after Zambrano loaded the bases with consecutive walks to Ensberg, Berkman and Mike Lamb in the sixth. Jason Lane swung at the first two pitches, then grounded to Perez at shortstop.

Lamb, in the starting lineup against the left-hander, put the Astros ahead 1-0 in the second with his 12th homer.

Chicago tied the game in the sixth when rookie Ryan Theriot, making his second major league start, doubled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Lee, who got his 107th RBI.

Amid the champagne celebration in the clubhouse after clinching the NL wild card with a 6-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs, the Astros announced a contract extension for Biggio through 2006, which will be his 19th season - all in Houston.

"It's a good day. It's a nice feeling, something else I don't have to worry about," Biggio said. "Hopefully, we'll play another month and really enjoy it."

Biggio hit .264 with a career-high 26 home runs and 69 RBIs this season. On Saturday, he hit the first pitch for his NL-record 44th leadoff homer, and on Sunday he hit Greg Maddux's second pitch for a double.

Biggio would like to end his career in Houston, but isn't saying if 2006 - when he will be 40 years old - will be his last season.

"I don't know. We'll keep going out there and playing," Biggio said. "We'll focus on next year whenever that gets here."

Houston made the playoffs for the ninth time, and this will be Biggio's sixth trip to the postseason. He was a first-round draft pick in 1987 and made his major league debut the following year.

Biggio began his career as a catcher and was an All-Star in 1991 before switching to second base in '92 and earning six All-Star selections there. He has been in the Astros' opening day lineup a team-record 17 straight seasons, at catcher (1989-91), second base (1992-2002, 2005), center field (2003) and left field (2004).

"It's a lot of years," Biggio said. "Not many guys get the opportunity to play their whole career with one organization, and I'm very happy."

Hart, whose teams won six division titles and twice went to the World Series in his last seven years in Cleveland ending in 2001, will be replaced by Daniels, who at 28 years, 41 days, is about 10 months younger than Theo Epstein was when he became Boston's GM on Nov. 25, 2002. Daniels was promoted from assistant GM and Hart will remain a team consultant.

"He's got a truly brilliant mind, he's a walking baseball encyclopedia," Texas owner Tom Hicks said of Daniels. "I think his youth is an asset to us. ... I did my first leveraged buyout when I was about that age. Young people can kind of do things in this life."

Daniels joined the Rangers operations department in 2002 and was promoted to assistant general manager two years later. A Cornell University graduate, he worked under GM Dan O'Dowd in Colorado in 2001.

"The last four years have just been a whirlwind learning curve for me, and John has made it a lot easier," said Daniels, who as a kid read transactions before looking at the box scores in the newspaper. "It didn't take me long to realize my future wasn't going to be on the field. So this is what I have aspired to for quite a while."

Hart's biggest move with the Rangers was the trade of Alex Rodriguez to the New York Yankees for Alfonso Soriano just before the start of spring training in 2004. Without Rodriguez, the Rangers' offense surged behind the new core of the team - young infielders Michael Young, Hank Blalock and Mark Teixeira. All were acquired before Hart's arrival, though he signed Young and Blalock to contract extensions.

The Rangers contended just once during Hart's tenure, finishing 89-73, third in the AL West but just three games out of first in 2004.

"I feel, no question, it's on the right track. I also feel that there's a disappointment that it didn't work out," Hart said. "It's a disappointment I have to carry with me."

Hart's stint with the Rangers started slowly. Less than two months into the job, he signed free agent pitcher Chan Ho Park to a five-year, $65 million contract, and Park became one of the biggest busts in franchise history. Park was traded to San Diego this season after making just 68 starts over 3 1/2 injury-plagued seasons.

The signing of Park symbolized the difficulty Hart had building a pitching staff in Texas. Although the Rangers rode a surprising bullpen to their best team ERA in more than a decade last year, the pitching staff struggled again in 2005.

One of his last official acts as GM was notifying Kenny Rogers that the team would not bring the 40-year-old left-hander back next season.

Hart also brought in manager Buck Showalter, the AL manager of the year last season.

Hicks was adamant that Hart decided to retire, and wasn't pushed out.

With Showalter's help, Hicks last year had persuaded Hart to stay through 2005, a year past his original contract. But when they started talking about the future again midway through this season, it was obvious to Hicks that Hart was ready to step back.

"This is something that has been openly talked about on a very planned basis. John Hart did resign, period," Hicks said. "I'm in a lot of businesses with lots of people and I know when they're ready to change. I told John this All-Star break that I wasn't going to fight him this time."

Hicks said he never really looked outside the Rangers organization for Hart's replacement. Daniels was targeted last year as the likely successor, and someone who could keep the team's organizational structure intact.

Hicks said everyone on the team's baseball side would report to Daniels, including Showalter.

"He's the man. I'm going to listen to his advice. He'll make the recommendations and the tough calls on the players we draft, players we sign," Hicks said.

Daniels said he's glad there will be a continuity in personnel, philosophy and staff, but that doesn't mean he won't do some things differently.

"I will have some different ideas from how we've done things in the past. I will have some creative ways that we will look at things," Daniels said. "But we are not going to stray from the good things we've built here."

Showalter was the youngest manager when at he took over the New York Yankees at age 35 in October 1991. Daniels has already earned his trust after many late-night conversations they've had about the team over the past year.

"He's a special young man. He's sharp and has great people skills," Showalter said. "He's a quick learner. J.D. will make the decisions, and most of the time he's been right."

Daniels becomes the fourth current GM to work under Hart. The others are Cleveland's Mark Shapiro, Paul DePodesta of the Los Angeles Dodgers and O'Dowd.

"I never caught one in a game before," said Dean, 25, of Porter.

Berkman's eighth-inning homer was toward Dean, who was sitting in the second row of the boxes above the left-field wall at Minute Maid Park.

"It came right at me," he said in a story in Monday's online edition of the Houston Chronicle. "I just reached over and caught it."

The second catch, which came about three hours later, was a little bit harder to make. He said the ball "came more toward my father-in-law, and he just leaned over and I reached down and caught it."

Dean, comptroller at Joslin Construction, said he probably would give Burke's home run ball to the player because it made history.

Dean said that as he left the park, people were congratulating him.

"I had several people say I should buy a lottery ticket or go to Vegas," he said.

Body Shots is a pretty good movie.

"A woman has an orgasm, it's like a fuckin' earthquake, right? I was doing this one Bertha once, I swear to God it was like a 7.5. It's like, I'm lookin' at my dick, going, 'Jesus Christ, why can't you do that?' "

Heredia became the 11th major league player suspended for steroids. The announcement was on Tuesday.

Traded from the Yankees to the Mets during the offseason, Heredia appeared in only three games before going on the disabled list in April with a strained left thumb. Doctors then found an aneurysm in the Dominican's left shoulder after he began having circulation problems and he missed the rest of the season following surgery.

Heredia is 28-19 with six saves in 511 career games — all but two in relief.

MIAMI (AP) - New York Yankees bench coach Joe Girardi was hired Wednesday as manager of the Florida Marlins, agreeing to a three-year contract. Girardi, who also interviewed for the Tampa Bay job, spent 15 years as a major league catcher, then went into broadcasting in 2004 and came out of the booth to join the Yankees' staff this season. He'll be introduced by the Marlins at a news conference Thursday, the team said.

"I am extremely pleased to have Joe in our organization, and I look forward to his input as we start focusing on next year," owner Jeffrey Loria said in a statement. "Joe was known as an intelligent player with great leadership skills, and he will bring those traits to his new position. "He is the right man to lead our team, and I'm proud that he will start what will be a long, successful managerial career here in South Florida."

Girardi was apparently Loria's first choice from the outset and was the first candidate to interview with the Marlins owner. A follow-up interview took place Oct. 12 in New York with Loria and general manager Larry Beinfest.

"This is an exciting day for the Marlins organization," general manager Larry Beinfest said. "After several discussions with him, it became clear that not only was Joe ready to manage, but he is the right guy to manage the Florida Marlins. Joe has a tremendous reputation throughout the game and I am eager to start working with him."

The 41-year-old Girardi will succeed Jack McKeon, who led the Marlins to the World Series title in 2003 but resigned after the team finished a disappointing 83-79 this year. Girardi was a member of three World Series championship teams with the Yankees. He caught two no-hitters with the Yankees and also played for the Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies and St. Louis Cardinals before retiring as a player in 2003.

Among other candidates interviewed by the Marlins were Atlanta Braves bench coach Fredi Gonzalez, Oakland Athletics third-base coach Ron Washington and Tampa Bay coaches Billy Hatcher and Tom Foley. Girardi interviewed twice for the Devil Rays job vacated by Lou Piniella.

An Illinois native with an engineering degree from Northwestern, Girardi also weighed the option of turning down the Marlins to remain with the Yankees until the Cubs' job becomes available. He spent seven seasons with the Cubs.

Girardi takes over a Marlins team facing a likely roster shake-up. Spending cuts are possible after Loria approved a franchise-record $60 million payroll this season and was rewarded with a late-season meltdown, the second-lowest attendance in the National League and a stalemate in his bid for a new ballpark. Still, the Marlins have a strong young core with 22-game winner Dontrelle Willis and slugger Miguel Cabrera.

McKeon led the Marlins to three of the four winning seasons in franchise history, but there was a consensus within the organization that a managerial change was in order. Players complained that the 74-year-old McKeon was too abrasive, and clubhouse tension mounted as the season soured.

Girardi becomes the seventh manager for the Marlins, who played their first game in 1993.

Rivera got eight first-place votes, while 2004 winner Johan Santana of the Minnesota Twins received three and finished third.

Dean Chance was the only other Cy Young Award winner in the Angels' 45-season history, winning in 1964.

Though Colon (21-8) was the league's only 20-game winner, this year's Cy Young race was thought to be close. His 3.48 ERA and 157 strikeouts ranked eighth, while Rivera racked up 43 saves and a career-best 1.38 ERA.

Santana went 16-7 with a 2.87 ERA and led the majors with 238 strikeouts.

Both Colon and Rivera pitched for division champions, but the voters ultimately gave more weight to the starter: Colon threw 222 2-3 innings to Rivera's 78 1-3.

Unfortunately for Los Angeles, Colon wasn't much help in the playoffs. He lost Game 1 to the Yankees in the first round, then left Game 5 of that series after only 23 pitches because of inflammation in his right shoulder.

The injured ace was left off the roster for the AL championship series against Chicago, and the Angels were eliminated in five games by the White Sox, who went on to a World Series sweep of Houston.

Voting for all BBWAA awards takes place at the end of the regular season and excludes postseason performance.

Cleveland Indians left-hander Cliff Lee came in fourth with eight points, and Mark Buehrle of the White Sox was fifth with five.

Colon gets a $500,000 bonus for winning the award - more than the entire salary of Lee, who made $345,000. Buehrle receives $60,000 for finishing fifth.

Congratulations to Albert Pujols for winning his first National League MVP award.  With the statistics he's put up the past couple years, he's earned it!

The Florida Marlins are close to trading pitcher Josh Beckett and third baseman Mike Lowell to the Texas Rangers for third baseman Hank Blalock and a top pitching prospect, the Palm Beach Post reported Saturday. 

The Post said the deal, characterized as "well in the works," has been brokered in the past couple of days between Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria and Rangers owner Tom Hicks, an American League source said.

However, two sources told the newspaper the deal could fall apart because the Rangers are reluctant to part with one of their coveted pitching prospects.

The Post said the Marlins are asking for either left-hander John Danks, Texas' first-round pick in 2003, or right-hander Thomas Diamond, the team's first-round pick in 2004.

Beckett told the newspaper he had heard rumors the past couple of months that he might be traded but he was not aware of the Rangers deal until he was told by a reporter late Friday.

"It hasn't happened yet,'' Beckett told The Post. "I think I'd rather reserve my comments until there's some validity to it.''

Beckett, a hero in the 2003 World Series, was the second overall pick of the June 1999 draft, but has struggled since then with injuries.

Beckett had his best season in 2005, going 15-8 with a 3.38 ERA in 29 starts. If Beckett is traded, left-hander Dontrelle Willis would be the only returning veteran to Florida's rotation in 2006.

Blalock, who turns 25 on Monday, hit 25 home runs with 92 RBI in 2005 while batting.263. He has averaged just under 29 home runs in each of his past three seasons.

The Post said Lowell is owed $9 million each in 2006 and 2007, and Beckett, who made $2.4 million in 2005, could make at least $4 million next season.

The Post said the Marlins also are pushing hard to trade center fielder Juan Pierre, and the Colorado Rockies have expressed an interest in catcher Paul Lo Duca. The team is trying to cut payroll because of financial problems exacerbated by a stalled stadium effort.

"Manny is living through a difficult situation (in Boston) that only he and his family know and he no longer wants to play there," said Ortiz after arriving early Monday in the Dominican Republic.

Ramirez has asked for a trade in each of his five seasons with the Red Sox, but apparently this one is definite.

"I spoke with him last week before he left for Brazil and he told me that he wants to go to a team in the West," Ortiz, the Red Sox's designated hitter, said.

Ramirez has three years left on his $160 million contract. Because of his status as a player with 10 seasons in the major leagues and five with the same team, he is allowed to approve any trade.

"I found out that that they are doing everything possible to trade him," Ortiz said.

The Los Angeles Angeles of Anaheim have been named as a possible destination for Ramirez, as well as the New York Mets.

BY PHYLLIS FURMAN DAILY NEWS BUSINESS WRITER

Want to watch "C.S.I." on the subway? How about some "American Idol" while you're riding the bus? All you need is a video iPod and TiVo. In the latest big effort to bring entertainment to fans anywhere, anytime, TiVo announced a new technology yesterday that will let its subscribers transfer TV shows they record at home to their iPods or to their Sony PlayStation portable devices. TiVo's moves follow ABC's recent decision to offer several Disney shows, including two ABC hit series, "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives," for $1.99 an episode, through Apple's iTunes music store. Unlike that deal, TiVo - whose digital video recorders let viewers skip commercials - will make any show on TV available to anyone who is a TiVo subscriber. It will begin testing the feature in a matter of weeks and start offering it to all of its customers at the beginning of next year. "This makes it very convenient for people to manage how they watch TV," TiVo CEO Tom Rogers told the Daily News. The news gave TiVo shares a lift yesterday, closing at $5.50, up 23 cents for a 4.4% gain. The company is struggling to boost its subscriber base at a time when cable and satellite companies are bypassing TiVo and offering their own digital video recorders. Folks who want this new on-the-go entertainment will have to pay a one-time fee of $15, as well as $30 to buy software that will allow them to transfer shows from their PCs to their iPods or to their Sony PlayStation portable devices. That's on top of TiVo's monthly subscription cost of $12.95. TiVo already offeris portable TV shows. Since the beginning of this year it has been selling a feature called TiVoToGo, which lets subscribers transfer TV shows to their laptops. To discourage piracy, TiVo plans to use watermark technologies to track where any show originated.

Rumors have been surrounding the New York Yankees that either short stop Derek Jeter or third-baseman Alex Rodriguez will be moved to center field.

If Jeter moves to center, Rodriguez will go back to his original position at short stop. 

However, those rumors are being denied by Yankees' General Manager Brian Cashman.

DuPuy repeatedly cited the deadline, when a lease is to be completed, Washington is to be in control of the ballpark site and the funding for the ballpark is to be available.

The D.C. Council has been scrutinizing the deal it approved last year that allowed the Montreal Expos to move to Washington and become the Nationals. The council narrowly approved the plan to borrow $535 million to pay for the stadium last year, but three new members who are opposed to a publicly financed ballpark have replaced stadium supporters since then. Members have been seeking ways to cover cost overruns.

While city officials urged the council to follow through on the original deal, councilman Jim Graham, one of six members who voted against it last year, said at a hearing Monday that the original site is "pretty much dead" without concessions from baseball.

DuPuy's letter points out the importance of meeting the deadline or risk "disillusionment of baseball fans in your community."

Mientkiewicz, who clutched the ball in his glove and joined teammates in celebration, later put the ball in a safe deposit box and claimed ownership when the Red Sox asked for it.

In January, days after he was traded to the New York Mets, he agreed to lend the ball to the Red Sox for one year. He would get it back "unless the ultimate issue of ownership has been otherwise resolved," the agreement said.

That clause, The Boston Globe reported, led team lawyers to Suffolk Superior Court on Wednesday. The suit asks the court to place the ball in a "secure location" until ownership is decided.

The team's lawyers argue that Mientkiewicz gained possession of the ball only because he was a Red Sox employee, and that the ball is team property.

"From our perspective, it is very important that an artifact with this much history — it was 86 years in the making — be part of the club archive and be available for fans to experience," Lucinda Treat, the team's chief legal officer, told the newspaper.

The Red Sox made quite a splash once they got the ball on Feb. 3, when it was driven to Fenway Park in a Brinks truck. The ball joined the World Series trophy on a tour of Massachusetts cities and towns.

Neither Mientkiewicz nor the players' association were reached for comment, the Globe reported.

When he agreed to lend the ball to the team, Mientkiewicz said: "I want the fans to see it, and that's what both the Red Sox and I agreed on."

At that time, he said it was "very cordial, and we worked something out." He also said he "probably" would get the ball back after a year.

Their agreement said proceeds directly derived from exhibiting the ball would be donated to the Red Sox Foundation, the team's charity organization.

The New York Yankees lost between $50 million and $85 million for the 2005 season, the New York Daily News reported Sunday.

Despite drawing more than four million fans, a payroll of $200 million plus an additional $110 million in revenue sharing and luxury taxes has left the Yankees in the red, according to the paper.

"Yes, even George has his limits," one source told the Daily News.

The paper also reports that the Yankees might have to open up their checkbooks even further if a consultant hired by MLB decides the team undervalued their television rights.

The Yankees currently charge the YES Network about $60 million a year to broadcast games, but if it's found to be undervalued, the Yankees will have to make up the difference put more money into the revenue-sharing fund, the paper reported.

"They're going to owe us money," one MLB source predicted to the paper.

The final numbers won't be crunched for a few months, but it's believed the final number will be roughly $80 million when all is tallied. According to Forbes magazine, the Yankees lost $37.1 million in 2004.

Tomorrow's gonna be lots of fun.  Me, Tim, Caleb, Billy and Brad are all going to the basketball game at Loyola.  Tim and I will be rooting for Western Illinois, and Caleb, Billy and Brad are rooting for Loyola.  Hopefully we'll have something to rub in their faces, but I'm not so sure.  We're 2-3, and they're 4-1...the odds aren't so great.  But I'm hopeful. 

Go Leathernecks!! 

Start at 50 and add or substract points as stated for each statement that applies to you...

Above 50 means you are closer to a virgin than a slut, conversely, below 50 means you are closer to a slut than a virgin.

Add 10 if you are a virgin
Subtract 5 if You have had sex before
Subtract 5 more if you have had sex with more then 5 people.
Add 5 If you have never had oral sex
Subtract 5 if you have had or performed oral sex.
Subtract 2 if you have had sex in a public place
Subtract 3 if you have done 69
Add 5 If you have never had an Orgasm
Add 5 If you cant name 3 types/brands of condoms
Subtract 2 if you have masturbated
Subtract 3 if you have fingered/ given a handjob to someone else.
Subtract 5 if You have used someone for sex(one night stand)
Add 5 if You have never seen someone of the opposite sex naked
Add 5 if you havent kissed more then 3 people(unrelated)
Add 3 if you havent been kissed in the past month
Add 2 if You have never masturbated
Add 5 if You have never seen or watched porn
Subtract 5 if you have made your own porn
Subtract 3 if you have participated in anal sex
Subtract 2 if you have used lube duiring sex
Add 5 If you cant remember your last perverted thought
Subtract 5 if you have used sex toys
Subtract 3 if you have had a perverted thought in the past hour
Subtract 2 If you have kissed someone of the same sex

Yikes, if I did this right, I'm only a 45.

"I've been with the Orioles for two years and things haven't gone in the direction that we were expecting, so I think the best thing will be a change of scenery," Tejada told The Associated Press in a phone interview in his native Dominican Republic.

Tejada signed a six-year $72 million contract with the Orioles before the 2004 season.

He hit .304 with 26 home runs and 98 RBIs this year, but the team still finished 21 games out of first place in the American League Eastern Division.

"I've done many things with this team and I haven't seen results, and the other teams are getting stronger while the Orioles have not made any signings to strengthen the club," Tejada added.

Tejada's comments came as the Orioles and free agent catcher Ramon Hernandez and the Orioles agreed to a $27.5 million, four-year contract.

Hernandez's deal is contingent on a physical, a baseball official familiar with the negotiations said Thursday, speaking on condition of anonymity. The agreement, which includes a club option for 2010, probably will not be finalized until next week, the official said.

The 29-year-old Venezuelan batted .290 last season with the San Diego Padres. He had 12 home runs and 58 RBIs, but his main value is behind the plate, where he has a reputation for calling a smart game and capably handling a pitching staff.

The addition of Hernandez will mean less time behind the plate for Orioles catcher Javy Lopez, who complained of sore knees toward the end of last season. Lopez is eager to spend more time as a designated hitter and at first base.

Baltimore also might trade the Puerto Rican for a starting pitcher, one of the team's biggest needs.

A source close to Tejada, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Tejada would like to be traded to a team on the East Coast, and mentioned the Boston Red Sox as a possible destination.

Tejada would not mention any specific team.

The Red Sox on Thursday traded shortstop Edgar Renteria to the Atlanta Braves for Dominican prospect Andy Marte.

Tejada came to Baltimore after playing seven years with the Oakland Athletics.

The competition for Garciaparra is intense, but two factors could weigh in the Astros' favor: Minute Maid Park would be conducive to Garciaparra's right-handed power. And Garciaparra's wife, Mia Hamm, is from Austin, Texas.

Another option for the Astros would be to sign free-agent outfielder Rondell White and platoon him with Luke Scott in left. The Astros prefer the free-agent route because they would need to give up pitching to acquire a hitter in a trade.

The Rangers, for example, are interested in Astros right-handed starter Brandon Backe and closer Brad Lidge. But the Astros are reluctant to trade Backe, knowing they might lose Roger Clemens, and place even greater value on Lidge.

The Braves, Yankees, Blue Jays, Indians, Dodgers and Orioles are among the other clubs interested in Garciaparra.

Rodriguez told the newspaper Thursday he elected not to play in the March international event because he did not want to dishonor his native United States or the Dominican Repbublic, where his parents are from.

A-Rod was born in New York and raised in Miami. But because of his parent Dominican ties, he was eligible to play for either country.

Earlier this week he said he was leaning towards playing for the Dominican Republic.

"After thoughtful deliberations with my family, I am announcing my decision to withdraw from the World Baseball Classic," A-Rod told The Post from Miami. "When faced with the decision to choose between my country, the United States of America, and my Dominican heritage, I decided I will not dishonor either."

Rodriguez, according to The Post, has been saying since July what a tough decision it would be. And it seems obvious that choice has not become too much easier.

"I am proud to be an American citizen and to have a Dominican legacy. My commitment to baseball is secondary to honoring my patriotic duties to my country and my ancestors," A-Rod said.

"Sports participation should only include the admiration and respect an athlete has for a nation and family. I intend to play baseball only when I am dedicated to both."

LOS ANGELES -- Free agent infielder Nomar Garciaparra has agreed to terms to join the Dodgers, according to reports by ESPN and the New York Post.

A club official on Sunday would not confirm the report.

Garciaparra, 32, is expected to be the No. 5 hitter and first baseman in a dramatically rebuilt infield. New general manager Ned Colletti previously signed Garciaparra's former Boston Red Sox teammate, Bill Mueller, to play third base and former Atlanta Brave Rafael Furcal to bat leadoff and play shortstop, joining holdover All-Star second baseman and cleanup hitter Jeff Kent.

The Dodgers aggressively pursued Garciaparra for his bat, not his glove. The most critical current need, in the view of Colletti, is a fifth hitter to bat behind Kent, their only consistent run producer in 2005. Garciaparra, a five-time All-Star, is considered by Colletti to be the best available candidate.

According to the reports, Garciaparra agreed to a one-year contract worth a base salary of $6 million with incentives that could increase its value to $8 million. He earned $8.25 million in 2005 with the Chicago Cubs. The deal is contingent on Garciaparra passing a physical and, according to the ESPN report, finalizing "contract details."

For a Dodgers club that was decimated by injuries in 2005, Garciaparra would come at some medical risk. He was limited to 81 games in 2004 and 62 in 2005 because of Achilles tendon and groin muscle injuries, respectively, after playing in only 21 games in 2001 because of a wrist injury. But he's also won batting titles in 1999 and 2000 and driven in more than 95 runs in six different seasons.

Garciaparra has made three postseason appearances with the Red Sox and was the American League Rookie of the Year in 1997, when he won the Silver Slugger Award as the best-hitting shortstop in a league that included Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter. He was traded to the Chicago Cubs on July 31, 2004, missing out on Boston's World Series championship three months later.

Garciaparra would be reunited with new Dodgers manager Grady Little, his Boston manager in 2002 and 2003, and former Red Sox teammates Mueller and Derek Lowe. He might also contribute to a bottleneck of infielders if and when Cesar Izturis returns from major elbow surgery, estimated around midseason, so playing the outfield is a possibility.

In addition to the Dodgers, Garciaparra was pursued by the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians and Houston Astros.

The Dodgers also are in pursuit of outfielders Kenny Lofton and Reggie Sanders to round out a renovated lineup.

ROME - Doping will remain a criminal offense during the Turin Olympics, allowing for possible police raids on the athletes’ village.

No changes were made to Italy’s tough drug laws after weeks of dialogue ended Monday between Italian authorities and the International Olympic Committee.

“The IOC is not above the law and has never expected or requested to be,” IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davies told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. “From the IOC perspective, that has not been where our focus was for the whole process.”

Italian law calls for criminal prosecution of sports doping offenders. Under IOC rules, athletes can be disqualified and stripped of their medals, but not be charged with a crime.

“Raids in the village could happen for a number of issues. The IOC certainly respects that,” said Davies, who stressed that the issue of raids is being treated as “hypothetical” and is not expected.

Mario Pescante, Italy’s government supervisor for the games, had sought unsuccessfully to get the Italian parliament to suspend the law during the Feb. 10-26 Winter Olympics.

“I don’t see the necessity for raids, since positive tests will be announced and everything will be done in the light of day,” Pescante said.

The IOC never intended to try to soften doping rules, and there will be a 71 percent increase in drug tests in Turin compared to past games, Davies said.

The IOC was concerned about three other doping issues, which have been resolved.

—The IOC will be in charge of testing and will delegate the procedures to Turin organizers and the World Anti-Doping Agency.

—The 2006 WADA list of banned substances will be used, ending worries that the 2005 list would still be in effect.

—Hyperbaric chambers, banned under Italian law but not specified in the World Anti-doping Code, will be prohibited in the Olympic village.

Hyperbaric chambers simulate high altitude conditions and help boost endurance. Davies said the chambers were banned at previous Olympics.

The IOC will send letters Tuesday to all national Olympic committees taking part in the Turin Games to explain the anti-doping situation, Davies said.

“We want clarity on anti-doping issues for athletes and teams,” she said.

Officials will carry out 1,200 drug tests in all — using 838 urine samples and 362 blood specimens.

“With an ex-surgeon as president, you can have no doubt how strongly the IOC feels about a fight on doping in sport,” Davies said, referring to IOC president Jacques Rogge.

The deal, first reported by the Dallas Morning News, is contingent on each of the players passing physicals. It completes the Rangers' quest to land Eaton, which began at the general managers' meetings in November. In exchange for Eaton's experience, the Rangers are giving up Young's future. Eaton, 28, is a free agent after next season. Young, 26, will be under the Padres' control for the next five years.

Otsuka, 33, likely will be the setup man for Rangers closer Francisco Cordero; he became available after the Padres re-signed closer Trevor Hoffman and signed free-agent reliever Doug Brocail. The Rangers' bullpen, first in the American League in ERA in 2004, fell to 12th last season, in part due to injuries.

Gonzalez, 23, is a slick fielder with a line-drive stroke who was stuck behind Mark Teixeria with the Rangers; he projects as the Padres' first baseman of the future with Ryan Klesko's contract expiring after next season.

Sledge, 28, lasted less than three weeks with the Rangers after arriving in the Alfonso Soriano trade; he's the type of athletic outfielder that the Padres need in Petco Park, and should fit nicely as a reserve behind Brian Giles, Mike Cameron and Dave Roberts.

NEW YORK (AP) - Johnny Damon gives the Yankees their first big-time leadoff hitter since Chuck Knoblauch was at the top of the order a half-decade ago — an era when New York won three straight World Series titles and four consecutive AL pennants.

Damon's decision to bolt Boston and accept a $52 million, four-year contract from the Yankees on Tuesday night also provides New York with a center fielder who covers a large amount of ground.

Details of the deal were still being negotiated and Damon must pass a physical, a baseball official said on condition of anonymity because negotiations were not yet final. The physical could take place Thursday, allowing the deal to be completed this week.

Moving from Fenway Park to Yankee Stadium will mean a change of style and scenery for the long-haired, bearded Damon — a fan favorite in Boston for his scrappy play and scruffy look. A razor is in his future because New York owner George Steinbrenner bans beards and long hair.

"Sad to say bye to some of the greatest fans in the world. Unfortunately they had to see this day, but it's time for me to move forward," Damon told WBZ television in Boston. "They were coming after me aggressively. We know George Steinbrenner's reputation.

"He always wants to have the best players, and I think he showed that tonight. He and Brian Cashman came after me hard," he said, referring to New York's general manager.

Damon will hit at the top of a potent lineup that includes Derek Jeter, Gary Sheffield, AL MVP Alex Rodriguez, Hideki Matsui and Jason Giambi. The bottom of the order has Jorge Posada, Robinson Cano and the designated hitter (or the first baseman spelling Giambi).

Bernie Williams' defense declined significantly over the past four seasons, although he is expected to remain with the Yankees as a reserve in a deal where only the performance bonuses remain to be negotiated. And while Damon's arm is not much better, the two-time All-Star will get to a lot more balls in the gaps.

Agent Scott Boras had been seeking a seven-year contract for Damon. The offer Damon accepted was the same as the deal Matsui agreed to with the Yankees last month — $13 million annually.

Damon said Boston did not attempt to match New York's offer. Red Sox owner John Henry said in an e-mail to The Associated Press that Damon did not go back to the team to give it a chance to top the Yankees' offer.

"A good leadoff hitter is tough to find, and I think that New York just found the best leadoff hitter in the game," he told WBZ.

Damon is the first star player to switch sides in the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry over the past few years, although role players such as John Olerud, Alan Embree, Ramiro Mendoza and Mike Myers have done it.

"We were notified at 11:55 tonight that Damon had accepted an offer from the Yankees," Red Sox president Larry Lucchino said in an e-mail to The Associated Press.

New York, baseball's first team with a $200 million payroll last season, had a relatively quiet offseason until now. The Yankees, eliminated by the Los Angeles Angels in the first round of the AL playoffs, were overshadowed by the splashy Mets, who acquired slugging first baseman Carlos Delgado from the Florida Marlins and signed free-agent closer Billy Wagner to a $43 million, four-year contract.

Damon, who turned 32 last month, led Boston with a .316 batting average. He had 197 hits and scored 117 runs.

When Myers finalized his contract with the Yankees last week, he gushed about the prospect of having Damon in New York's lineup.

"I would put the over/under on Damon scoring 125, and I'd take the over any day of the week," Myers said. "I think the fans would absolutely love him there, just his hustle and his passion for the game, the way he goes about his business. I think he'd fit in great in the clubhouse, even though I don't know what the clubhouse is."

Earlier in the day, the Yankees reached a preliminary agreement on a $2 million, one-year contract with reliever Octavio Dotel, who is recovering from elbow surgery.

"I feel very happy with this contract," Dotel said. "This team has a lot of tradition, and it pleases me to know that they want me to pitch for them."

Dotel would get a $250,000 bonus if added to the 25-man active roster and could earn $3 million more in performance bonuses based on games. His deal contains an additional $2.5 million in bonuses based on games finished, in case he is traded to another team.

He had 36 saves for Houston and Oakland in 2004 but struggled last season with Oakland, going 1-2 with seven saves and a 3.52 ERA before he went on the disabled list May 20. From April 30 to May 11, he blew four saves in five outings.

Dotel had reconstructive elbow surgery June 6 to repair a torn ligament. He hopes to be pitching by midseason.

"What I do know is that it's going to help me to go back to what I like and that is to be a closer," he said.

With the Yankees, Dotel joins several newcomers in the bullpen: right-hander Kyle Farnsworth and left-handers Ron Villone and Myers. New York has struggled to find middle-inning pitchers in recent years, and setup man Tom Gordon left to become the Philadelphia Phillies' closer.

Western Illinois' basketball team is 3-5 right now.  They're last game was an overtime win against Illinois-Springfield.  They've got some time off now, and play again on December 29th in Orlando.  That'll be a nice trip for them.

I'm going to the game on January 21st at Chicago State.  That'll be fun.  Tim, me, Derek, and Tyler are all gonna go.  Tim and I went to Western, Derek and Tyler went to Chicago State.  There will be lots of ribbing going on.  :)

Jim Carrey is happy to be dressing normally again. The comic dressed like an aging diva for his flick “Fun With Dick and Jane” and said wearing woman’s shoes was like being in a torture chamber. “My daughter came to visit me on the set when I was doing the Cher thing and she was like ‘Dad, this is going to cause damage. You are the ugliest woman I have ever seen in my life,”’ Carrey told Australia’s Adviser. “I gained a lot of respect for women and their high heels. It is a torture chamber.”

Taken from The Telegraph...

A student who hoped to graduate without debt by setting up a website offering internet advertising space has made £519,000 in only four months.

Alex Tew, 21, a first-year business management student at Nottingham University, said he hoped to achieve his aim of making a million dollars - £578,000 - early in the New Year.

"I thought I might make a few grand but I've made a fortune," he said. "It's been a crazy adventure."

Milliondollarhomepage.com was launched by Mr Tew in August in an attempt to raise enough money to pay for his three-year degree course.

The website is made up of one page divided into 10,000 boxes, each 100 pixels in size.

Companies can buy one or more boxes for $100 (£54) each and cover it with a logo, which, when clicked on, transports web users to the customers' own site.

Within days of the website being set up the address began appearing on chatrooms and dozens of firms had signed up.

Businesses featuring on the site include an international telephone company, media and holiday companies, and firms offering dating services. Mr Tew's most extravagant purchase has been a black Mini.

"I'm trying to be sensible despite the large amounts of money," he said at the family home in Cricklade, Wilts.

Mr Tew's enterprise has resulted in a speaking tour of the United States where he appeared on television chat shows and featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Vanity Fair.

"Now, I am more upset than when I requested the trade because it's been a month and they haven't done anything," Tejada told The Associated Press on Thursday.

Tejada, who is entering the third year of a $72 million, six-year contract, said three weeks ago that he wanted a "change of scenery."

On Thursday, the disgruntled All-Star said he was upset by the Orioles' failure to make trades that would strengthen the team.

"I don't want to say anything bad that can hurt my teammates, but look at Toronto, they have strengthened themselves and we haven't done anything," said Tejada, who hit .305 last season with 26 homers and 98 RBIs.

The Orioles and free agent outfielder Jeromy Burnitz agreed on a two-year contract Wednesday, pending the results of a physical, a team source told the AP. The team will pay the former Chicago Cubs right fielder between $10 million and $12 million. The 36-year-old Burnitz hit .258 with 24 homers and 87 RBIs with the Cubs last season.

Baltimore also reached a preliminary agreement with free agent Jeff Conine on a $1.7 million, one-year contract. Conine, who played in Baltimore from 1999-03, needs to pass a physical for the deal to be finalized.

Tejada noted that division rivals New York and Toronto made moves to improve. The Yankees acquired outfielder Johnny Damon and the Blue Jays signed closer B.J. Ryan, starting pitcher A.J. Burnett and third baseman Troy Glaus.

"If the Orioles don't do anything, I want them to trade me because I am tired of losing," Tejada said before a winter league game.

If he isn't traded by the Orioles, Tejada said he would "respect the game as I have always done."

"I am not asking for a team of superstars, I only want a good group that helps me to win," he said.

Tejada also responded to comments made by former teammate Rafael Palmeiro, who tested positive for steroids.

Palmeiro has said Tejada gave him vitamin B-12 earlier this year, and suggested it might have been tainted with performance-enhancing drugs.

"Everyone knows that vitamin B-12 doesn't do anything bad," Tejada said. "I am not upset with Palmeiro, but enough speaking about that already," he said.

TAMPA, Fla. - The son of Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy used a belt to hang himself from a ceiling fan, according to the 911 call the teen's girlfriend made when she found him last month.

Antoinette Anderson returned to James Dungy's apartment after a 10-minute walk early Dec. 22 to find him apparently lifeless, according to tapes released Wednesday. The tape is the first public indication how James Dungy, 18, killed himself.

"I think my boyfriend's dead," an anguished Anderson told an emergency dispatcher. "I think he tried to hang himself or something."

She told the dispatcher she had used a knife to cut James Dungy down and that his roommate was asleep in another room.

"Get the roommate up," the dispatcher told Anderson. "You're gonna need some help here, OK?"

Anderson is then heard telling the roommate, whose name has not been released, "I think he's dead, like for real. And I'm on the phone with 911."

The two tell the dispatcher Dungy isn't moving. The dispatcher tells them how to perform CPR as Anderson cried.

"Force two deep breaths of air into the lungs just like you're blowing up a big balloon," the dispatcher said.

"Did you do that?"

"Yes," Anderson said. "I just don't think he's alive."

"Did you feel air going in?" the dispatcher asked.

Anderson replied, "No. No."

A Hillsborough County sheriff's deputy soon arrived and took over the CPR. A paramedic crew took Dungy to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The local medical examiner has called the death an apparent suicide, but has refused to give an exact cause pending results of toxicological tests that should be ready in about a month.

On Oct. 21, James Dungy was treated after overdosing on painkillers. Then, he calmly told a 911 dispatcher he "was just being stupid" and had taken about 18 pills. He was taken to a hospital for treatment.

James Dungy had moved back to the Tampa area from Indianapolis last year to attend college. His father had coached the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1996 to 2001.

Tony Dungy missed one game after his son's death, returning to the Colts' sideline last Sunday. The Colts, the top seed in the AFC, open the playoffs Jan. 15 in Indianapolis.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Fred Hoiberg met with doctors on Friday to discuss his recovery from open-heart surgery, but still is uncertain about trying to become the first man to play in the NBA with a pacemaker.

Hoiberg, who had surgery in the offseason to repair an aneurysm in his aortic root, said Friday night that his heart specialist laid out all the information for him, but stopped short of clearing him to play again in the NBA.

That leaves three possibilities, Hoiberg said. He can return to play this season, take the rest of the season off and try to make a comeback next year, or retire to avoid further health risks.

"The good thing now is I've done all my testing, I've seen all the doctors I need to see," Hoiberg said. "Now it's up to my family and myself to try to make the right decision on what's best for us. It's going to be a very tough decision."

Hoiberg, who led the NBA in 3-point shooting last season, had a CT scan and echocardiogram earlier this week to examine how his heart is progressing. He met with Dr. Barry Maron, a renowned specialist on athletes with heart conditions, on Friday for a final opinion.

"He didn't say yes, he didn't say no," Hoiberg said. "He just threw everything out there in front of us and told us to try and make the right decision."

Hoiberg plans to hold a family meeting next week with his parents, his wife Carol and his children to try to come to a consensus.

If Hoiberg decides to return, he could not play for the Minnesota Timberwolves, the team he has played for the last two seasons.

Owner Glen Taylor waived him under a one-time amnesty provision under the new six-year collective bargaining agreement agreed to in July, both to save money and to keep Hoiberg from trying to return too quickly.

He has served as an adviser and quasi-assistant coach for the Wolves this season, but coach Dwane Casey said he would have no problem if Hoiberg chose to play for another team this season.

"The key is his health, above basketball, above anything else," Casey said. "He's a competitive guy. Don't let that innocent look fool you. He has to weigh those things in the decision."

The 10-year veteran did not set a timetable for the decision and didn't hint that he was leaning one way or the other.

"I'm not going to rush into this," he said. "There's too much to worry about if I do make a rush decision."

Google, facing its biggest public relations battle yet, has more at stake than competitors as it fights a federal government demand for data on how millions of users search the Internet.

The Justice Department asked a federal judge in San Jose on Wednesday for an order to force Google to turn over the records as part of the administration's efforts to revive an online pornography law.

The other major search providers — Yahoo, Microsoft's MSN and Time Warner's America Online — have cooperated with the government. Company representatives all said that they did not turn over data that identified individual users.

Personally, I like Google even more knowing that they didn't roll over and submit to this crap.  I applaud them.

Barry Bonds decided he is unwilling to risk his health in the World Baseball Classic.

If he's going to get hurt, the slugger will do so in a San Francisco uniform.

Bonds, no stranger to changing his mind, withdrew from the 16-nation tournament Monday because he wants to avoid the chance of an injury that might jeopardize what could be his final season with the Giants.

"When my name was first announced for the WBC, my gut reaction was that I wanted to play. After much thought and discussion with my family I have decided to remove myself from the upcoming World Baseball Classic roster," Bonds wrote on his Web site, www.barrybonds.com.

It's ok Barry, we understand.  You're an old man, and especially frail now that you can't take your steroids anymore.  Don't worry, we get it.  No need to explain.

City officials plan to ask a judge to order the Angels to drop Los Angeles from their name despite last week's jury ruling that the team did not breach a contract by calling itself the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, an attorney said Monday.

The Superior Court jury also ruled Thursday that the baseball team did not violate a state law requiring good faith and fair dealing when it changed its name from the Anaheim Angels before last season.

Attorney Michael Rubin said Monday the city's lawyers would make the request at a March 2 hearing before Superior Court Judge Peter Poulos.

Rubin said city officials believe they have a good chance of prevailing based on Poulos' previous rulings concerning language in a stadium lease agreement signed by officials with The Walt Disney Co. when it owned the team. The lease required that the word Anaheim be included in the name.

Team spokesman Tim Mead was traveling to spring training in Tempe, Ariz., on Monday and could not immediately be reached for comment.

Arte Moreno, who bought the team in 2003, said he changed the name from Anaheim Angels to Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim to take advantage of marketing opportunities associated with the larger Los Angeles market.

Rubin said City Council members would be briefed Tuesday on the next steps in the city's litigation.

The Angels began play in 1961 as the Los Angeles Angels, becoming the California Angels when the team moved from Los Angeles to Anaheim in 1966. The name was changed to the Anaheim Angels after The Walt Disney Co. bought the team from founding owner Gene Autry.

Got a Game Boy Advance SP, so now I can entertain myself when I'm away from home.

Mario Kart rules.

Greg Maddux is 39 years old and there's speculation that this might be his last season.  He hasn't said anything yet, probably because he hasn't decided, but I hope he doesn't retire.  I was a huge fan of his long before he came to Chicago, and I was so excited when the Cubs sign him.  I'll have to make sure I go to a lot of Cubs games this year, just in case.

A city commission voted on Wednesday to approve a plan to build a new stadium for the New York Yankees in the Bronx.

The unanimous approval by the City Planning Commission sends the plan for the privately financed $800 million project to the City Council, which must vote on final approval within two months.

"A new facility would be a benefit to both the Yankees and the city," Commission Chair Amanda Burden said. "The commitment by the Yankees to invest $800 million to construct this new stadium immediately north of the existing stadium is representative of the new faith in a resurgent South Bronx."

The new ballpark will be just north of the current stadium, which opened in 1923, and the Yankees have said they hope to break ground this spring.

"This project will create thousands of jobs, new and improved parklands and benefits and opportunities for the residents of the Bronx, the City of New York and visitors alike," Yankees president Randy Levine said after the 12-0 vote.

The current Yankee Stadium is the third-oldest ballpark in the major leagues, trailing only Boston's Fenway Park (1912) and the Chicago Cubs' Wrigley Field (1914).

Last summer the Yankees unveiled a model of the planned ballpark, which on the outside will be treated with limestone and resemble Yankee Stadium before its 1974-75 renovation. The ballpark will seat from 50,800 to 54,000 people; the current ballpark seats about 57,000.

Cubs right-hander Mark Prior could be pitching off a mound by the end of the week, and rehabbing right-handers Kerry Wood and Wade Miller threw well Wednesday in their comebacks from shoulder problems.

Prior has had elbow problems during the past two spring trainings.

"I think we're going to a pretty extensive throwing program Friday and see how he reacts on Saturday, and go from there," pitching coach Larry Rothschild said. "There's a good chance he'll get on the mound Sunday, but if he feels real good, we might venture that on Friday. But we'll see."

Miller and Wood each played catch Wednesday, throwing about 120 feet.

"It's been impressive to where they are up to now," Rothschild said. "They're throwing the ball with pretty good force behind it. It's not so much what they can do today, but can they feel like they can do it again tomorrow? That's the basis we pretty much use to go forward."

Chicago is optimistic Prior can start in one of the first exhibition games in early March. The Cubs hope Wood can be ready to pitch in big league games in April and that Miller can be available in May.

Rothschild said Wood would take Thursday off and resume throwing Friday and that Miller would throw again Thursday.

Wood was on the disabled list from May 3 to June 28 last year because of shoulder problems and again from July 21 to Aug. 5. He ended the season in the bullpen, but the club plans on having him start this year.

Miller's season with Boston last year was cut short by shoulder pain.

Roger Clemens' son took dad deep on the Rocket's first pitch of spring training, crushing a trademark fastball over the left-field fence Monday.

"That was probably one of the harder fastballs I cut loose," Roger Clemens said after throwing to Koby and other Houston Astros minor-leaguers. "He got my attention."

Then the Rocket got Koby's. The next time his oldest son came to the plate, Roger buzzed him high and tight with another fastball. The younger Clemens dodged the pitch, then smiled at his father.

"He was like, 'Sorry about that pitch inside. I was trying to change the view of the ball for you a little bit,"' said Koby, a third baseman who was drafted by Houston last summer. "I said, 'I knew what you were doing."'

Clemens, 43, threw 66 pitches to Astros' minor-leaguers in preparation for the World Baseball Classic, then said he's no closer to deciding his future beyond the event. Baseball officials approved the appearance.

Clemens led the major leagues with a 1.87 ERA last season and became a free agent when the NL champions didn't offer him salary arbitration. He has said he'll decide after the tournament whether he'll play a 23rd season.

"If you asked me today, I'm doing the world baseball deal and (then) I'm going to go watch baseball," Clemens said.

But asked if he was retiring, Clemens shied away.

"I'm not even going to mention that word," Clemens said. "I've been trying to do that for a couple of years now and it's not working."

Clemens can't re-sign with the Astros until May 1. But he could sign with another team before that and Boston, the New York Yankees and Texas have told Clemens they're interested.

Clemens said he might put off a decision until midsummer.

"I don't know what will happen down the road," he said. "I might be sitting around in May, June, July and all of a sudden, I'm looking at three or four teams that came down to talk to me already and gave me their pitch."

Chicago Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood will have minor arthroscopic surgery on his right knee next week, general manager Jim Hendry said Friday.

Wood's surgery will take place Tuesday in Los Angeles.

The 28-year-old Wood had arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder Aug. 31 and was not expected to be ready for the start of this season. He's thrown off the mound a couple of times in spring training, testing his shoulder.

An All-Star in 2003, Wood was 3-4 with a 4.23 ERA in 21 games last year. He was slowed by injuries all season, missing about three months while going on the disabled list three times.

Kirk Rueter retired Monday, ending a 13-year major league career during which he became the winningest left-handed pitcher in San Francisco Giants history.

Rueter finished with a 130-92 record and a 4.27 ERA. He won 105 games after joining the Giants near the end of the 1996 season, surpassing Mike McCormick last year as the winningest lefty in San Francisco history.

Rueter went 2-7 with a 5.95 ERA in 2005 and was designated for assignment on Aug. 14. No team signed him during the offseason.

"I'm officially done," Rueter said Monday during conference call from his Nashville, Ill., home. "I was 99 percent sure, and I made up my mind last week. I'm a full-time husband and a full-time father now."

The 35-year-old Rueter said he attempted to join the St. Louis Cardinals, his favorite team as a boy, because he lives close to St. Louis. When that didn't materialize, he decided to focus on his wife, Karla, and daughters, Hope and Halle.

"It was a great run," he said. "I love baseball. The Giants have been unbelievably good to me. I'm going to miss the fifth day, but I won't miss the road trips and being away from my family."

Rueter entered the majors with the Montreal Expos in 1993, and his 8-0 mark was the best to start a career since Hooks Wiltse of the New York Giants went 12-0 in 1904. Rueter posted seven consecutive winning seasons for San Francisco from 1997-2003.

Affectionately known as "Woody," Rueter was 13-6 with a 3.45 ERA for the NL West champion Giants in 1997. He finished a career-best 16-9 in 1998, and went 13-8 with a 3.23 ERA for the 2002 pennant winners, adding a victory over St. Louis in the NLCS.

"That win and going to the World Series were highlights," Rueter said. "I started Game 4 in San Francisco. As a kid, everyone dreams of that.

"And I remember pitching the first game of a two-game sweep that caught the Dodgers in 1997. The atmosphere was electric at Candlestick Park."

Rueter dismissed his somewhat acrimonious departure from theGiants last year as frustration over a losing season, explaining: "Everybody was going crazy ... down deep, I knew it was coming close to the end."

The Giants have no hard feelings, either. The club is planning a day in Rueter's honor this season, and general manager Brian Sabean thanked the pitcher for his contributions toward the club's 1997-2004 success.

"When he went out to pitch, everyone felt it was a win day," Sabean said. "The guys liked playing behind him. His record is evidence that he had more talent than he was given credit for."

Shuai Li of China has a very unusual delivery.  I think I'd have a tough time hitting off of him.

New York Yankees veteran left-handed pitcher Al Leiter will pitch the 7th inning of Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Cleveland Indians and then announce his retirement, ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney has confirmed.

Leiter pitched for 19 years, amassing a career record of 162-132. Leiter began his career with the Yankees in 1987 before moving on to the Blue Jays, Marlins and Mets before second stints with the Marlins and Yankees.

Leiter was a non-roster invitee to the Yankees camp this season.

Former baseball star Dwight Gooden admitted in court Wednesday that he violated his probation by using cocaine and likely faces prison time when he is sentenced next month.

Dressed in an orange jail uniform and with family members looking on, the 41-year-old former pitcher answered "yes, sir," when state Circuit Judge Anthony K. Black asked him if he had violated his probation. He will remain in jail and faces up to five years in prison after a hearing April 5.

"We are seeking prison," prosecutor Pam Bondi said afterward, but it hasn't been determined how long of a sentence her office will request.

Gooden admitted to a probation officer last week that he had used cocaine. He was serving three years' probation for speeding away from a police officer during a drunken driving traffic stop last year.

In November he had apologized to the court when he pleaded guilty to a felony count of fleeing police, misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and obstruction and to an unrelated charge of hitting his girlfriend.

As part of his probation, Gooden was ordered to stay away from alcohol, drugs and bars, and submit to a minimum of three random urine tests a week. He also spent several months in an inpatient treatment facility for alcohol and drug addiction.

His attorney, Peter Hobson, declined to comment on Gooden's latest trouble.

"We're just going to prepare for the hearing in two weeks," he said. Gooden's family members also left court without commenting.

Gooden was the 1984 Rookie of the Year and 1985 NL Cy Young winner while with the New York Mets.  He went 194-112 with a 3.51 ERA before retiring in 2001. He also pitched for the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Houston Astros and Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Wow, they're making a "Desperate Housewives" video game.

Players take on the role of a new housewife who moves to Wisteria Lane and must interact with her neighbors in order to unlock the dark secrets of the seemingly idyllic neighborhood.

Players can select their housewife's look and attire, before hitting the virtual town to hang out with Susan, Bree, Lynette, Gabrielle and Edie.

The release of the video game will be timed with the start of the show's third season.

The Ted Williams Museum and Hitters Hall of Fame is closing its doors Sunday, a victim of a lack of attendance and interest following the baseball star's death.

The diamond-shaped museum, which opened in 1994, attracted sports legends to its many events and featured a collection that chronicled Williams life, including his exploits as a fighter pilot, Boston Red Sox player and accomplished fisherman.

David Staples, a volunteer who has worked at the museum since its opening, said poor attendance caused in part by its out-of-the-way location in west-central Florida made running the museum too expensive.

Staples has seen prominent figures such as Joe DiMaggio, Muhammad Ali and President George H.W. Bush attend ceremonies at the museum.

Many other sports figures came to visit and share time with Williams, the last hitter to bat .400. And fans would pass by to see if they can get to see Williams, who lived nearby.

But after Williams' death in July 2002, that stopped happening.

The baseball exhibits are being moved to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, and Staples hopes a home can be found for the fishing memorabilia and war exhibits as well.

Jimmy Rollins' hitting streak is over. The Philadelphia Phillies' losing streak keeps going.

Rollins went 0-for-4, ending his 38-game hitting streak that stretched over two seasons, and the Phillies lost 4-2 to the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday.

After finishing with a 36-game hitting streak last year, Rollins kept up his pursuit of Joe DiMaggio's major league record 56-game streak with hits in his first two games this season.

But he was hitless in three tries against Jason Marquis -- he's 3-for-25 against him -- and one at-bat against Josh Hancock. Rollins flied out to right field (first inning), left field (fifth) and center field (seventh), and was retired trying to bunt for a single in the third.

Rollins was the fifth batter due up in the ninth, but Jason Isringhausen retired the side in order, getting Mike Lieberthal to ground out to third base to end the game.

Rollins' season-ending 36-game hitting streak was the ninth-longest over one season in big league history, and the longest in the majors since 1987, when Paul Molitor hit safely in 39 consecutive games.

A three-time All-Star shortstop, Rollins' pursuit of DiMaggio's 65-year-old record had a catch. DiMaggio accomplished his feat in the same season in 1941. The major league marks for longest hitting streak in one season and longest hitting streak spanning two seasons are separate records.

DiMaggio holds both with his 56-game streak, but there is a difference in the NL records: Pete Rose (1978) and Willie Keeler (1897) share the NL mark at 44 games. However, Keeler got a hit in his final game of 1896, so his run of 45 games overall was the first record Rollins could've eclipsed.

The old Phillies franchise record of 31 was set by Ed Delahanty in 1899.

Unbelievable!  Cincinnati Reds pitcher Bronson Arroyo has hit another home run.  And both of his home runs this season have come off of Chicago Cubs pitcher Glendon Rusch.

Arroyo, who hit his first homer since high school off Rusch on April 5 at Great American Ball Park, connected for the Reds' third of the game leading off the third. Arroyo's homer last week was his first hit since 2001.

Lance Armstrong told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he plans to compete in the New York City Marathon on Nov. 5.

"We were looking at the Chicago Marathon, but a conflict arose with the date, and New York seems to fit our schedule better," Armstrong said in a telephone interview. "I've been training some, but I wouldn't call it serious. It's just something to fill a void in my life after I quit competing as a professional cyclist."

Armstrong, who is preparing for his first marathon, retired from cycling after winning an unprecedented seventh straight Tour de France last year.

Before committing to become a full-time cyclist, Armstrong competed in triathlons as a teenager. He indicated he has no plans to run marathons or enter triathlons professionally, at least not at this time.

Todd Helton's stomach problem is a mystery no more.

The Rockies said Tuesday the first baseman has been sidelined with acute terminal ileitis, an inflammation near the end of the small intestine. Team internist Dr. Allen Schreiber said he has prescribed more rest for the five-time All-Star before having Helton begin light exercise.

Helton, 32, was hospitalized Friday with stomach pain and released Monday to rest with his family.

Helton was placed on the disabled list retroactive to April 20 and will not be eligible to return to the active roster until May 5. However, the team said there is no timetable for him to come back.

This season, Helton is hitting .347 with one home run and nine RBI. He went on the DL last year for the first time in his career with a strained calf.

Steve Howe, the relief pitcher whose promising career was derailed by cocaine and alcohol abuse, died Friday when his pickup truck rolled over in Coachella, Calif. He was 48.

Howe was killed at 5:55 a.m. PT, said Dalyn Backes of the Riverside County coroner's office. The accident occurred about 130 miles east of Los Angeles.

Howe was the 1980 NL Rookie of the Year with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and helped them win the World Series the next year.

But for all of Howe's success on the field, the hard-throwing lefty was constantly troubled by addictions -- he was suspended seven times and became a symbol of the rampant cocaine problem that plagued baseball in the 1980s.

"Steve played for me for five years and I thought the world of him," former Dodgers manager Tom Lasorda said. "I am truly sorry to hear about his passing and my deepest sympathies go out to his family."

KENNEWICK, Wash. -- Russ Swan, a left-handed pitcher who spent parts of six seasons with three major league teams, is dead following a fall in which he hit his head, friends and relatives told the Tri-City Herald.

Swan, 42, a Kennewick High graduate who played for the San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners and Cleveland Indians, died Wednesday at University Medical Center in Las Vegas, said his sister, Michelle, and a longtime friend, Leo Price.

Swan's sister said he was taken to the hospital April 17 after being found unconscious at the bottom of a stairwell in Lake Havasu City, Ariz., without his wallet or identification papers.

"He had been doing better," Michelle said. "Last Sunday [April 23], they ran a CAT scan and the data was showing he had been improving. Then [Wednesday afternoon] a code blue was called and he was gone. They thought the cause was a blood clot."

Doctors believed Swan had been stabilized before the sudden change on Wednesday "but they weren't sure of the extent of the head injury," Price said.

A hospital nursing supervisor would not discuss Swan's death, the newspaper reported.

Swan enrolled at Spokane Community College, then Texas A&M and was drafted three times -- in January 1984 by the Houston Astros, that June by the Mariners and in June 1986 by the Giants, with whom he signed.

He made his major league debut with the Giants on Aug. 3, 1989 but the next May was traded to the Mariners. His best season was with Seattle in 1991, when he was 6-2 in 63 appearances with a 3.43 earned run average.

Swan's playing career ended in 1994 when he was released by the Indians after compiling a career 14-22 record in 168 appearances. He later became a pitching coach at Washington State University and in the Colorado Rockies organization.

Survivors include his wife Mellissa, daughter Erin and son Kelly.

The NSA program reaches into homes and businesses across the nation by amassing information about the calls of ordinary Americans — most of whom aren't suspected of any crime. This program does not involve the NSA listening to or recording conversations. But the spy agency is using the data to analyze calling patterns in an effort to detect terrorist activity, sources said in separate interviews.

"It's the largest database ever assembled in the world," said one person, who, like the others who agreed to talk about the NSA's activities, declined to be identified by name or affiliation. The agency's goal is "to create a database of every call ever made" within the nation's borders, this person added.

For the customers of these companies, it means that the government has detailed records of calls they made — across town or across the country — to family members, co-workers, business contacts and others.

The three telecommunications companies are working under contract with the NSA, which launched the program in 2001 shortly after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the sources said. The program is aimed at identifying and tracking suspected terrorists, they said.

Kerry Wood, coming back from arthroscopic shoulder surgery, most likely will make his first start of the season Thursday when the Chicago Cubs play the Washington Nationals.

Wood allowed a run on five hits and struck out three in five innings Friday in a rehab start for Triple-A Iowa.

"I had a couple outings where I had real good stuff," said Wood, who also threw five scoreless innings in a rehab start with Class A Peoria last Sunday. "Last night, I didn't have my best stuff, but I was able to make good pitches and not make a lot of mistakes. I felt good this morning. It's a good sign."

Houston pitcher Russ Springer was suspended for four games Friday after throwing several times at Barry Bonds and eventually hitting the San Francisco star earlier this week.

Astros manager Phil Garner was suspended for one game and fined an undisclosed amount by Major League Baseball.

The strange sequence Tuesday began when Bonds led off the fifth inning of the Giants' 14-3 win. Springer's first pitch went behind the seven-time NL MVP's back, drawing a warning from plate umpire Joe West.

The next three pitches all came inside, including one that hit Bonds' bat handle for strike one. On the fifth pitch of the at-bat, Springer hit Bonds in the right shoulder. Springer and Garner were then ejected, and the Houston crowd gave Springer a standing ovation. Bonds took his base without incident.

"I don't think that Russ was throwing at him," Garner said. "I think that the first couple of pitches were indicative of him trying to get the ball in on him.

"Obviously when you hit a guy in the shoulder it doesn't look good. But he was trying to pitch it in. We hadn't been able to get the balls where we wanted to," he said.

Well what do you know, it's June 6, 2006 and the world is still in existance.  Why were people making such a big deal about it, anyway?  Was anyone actually seriously worried about it?

Got some cologne from Banana Republic yesterday, so now I smell nice. 

I watched the Cubs game yesterday....Carlos Zambrano had a no-hitter going into the 8th inning, but Houston got a hit off of him.  A one-hitter is still pretty good though!  He didn't seem all that upset about it.

In that old battle of the wills between young people and their keepers, the young have found a new weapon that could change the balance of power on the cellphone front: a ring tone that many adults cannot hear.

In settings where cellphone use is forbidden — in class, for example — it is perfect for signaling the arrival of a text message without being detected by an elder of the species.

"When I heard about it I didn't believe it at first," said Donna Lewis, a technology teacher at the Trinity School in Manhattan. "But one of the kids gave me a copy, and I sent it to a colleague. She played it for her first graders. All of them could hear it, and neither she nor I could."

The technology, which relies on the fact that most adults gradually lose the ability to hear high-pitched sounds, was developed in Britain but has only recently spread to America — by Internet, of course.

You gotta feel sorry for St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Rick Ankiel.  He started out his major league career as a pitcher, and a very promising pitcher at that.

Here's his back-story:

Ankiel was drafted in the second round in 1997 and appeared on the verge of becoming one of baseball's best young left-handers when he went 11-7 with a 3.50 ERA and 194 strikeouts in 2000, his rookie season. He earned the start in Game 1 of the playoffs against the Atlanta Braves.

In one painful afternoon, things fell apart.

Pitching with a big lead in the third inning, Ankiel walked four of eight hitters and threw a record five wild pitches, some bouncing off the backstop. In another playoff game that season against the Mets, he threw four more wild pitches in a brief appearance.

He never recovered, going 1-2 in 2002 while trying to work through the wildness. After that, he pitched 10 more innings in the major leagues.

In the spring of 2005, Ankiel threw three strikes among 23 pitches at a spring training scrimmage against Cardinals hitters and decided to walk away from pitching and turn his attention to the outfield. He hit .250 with two homers and nine RBI in his only full season in the major leagues.

He showed promise, with a combined 21 home runs and 75 RBI in 85 games for Class-A Quad Cities and Double-A Springfield in 2005.

But then he hurt his knee in spring training, and wasn't able to play in a single game.  On May 26th, he had knee surgery.

I hate to see a guy with so much potential and willingness to put in so much hard work have to go through something like this. :(

Not a good game for Mark Prior.  The Tigers kicked our asses.

 The Chicago Cubs agreed to a contract Sunday with fifth-round draft pick Jeff Samardzija of Notre Dame, a star wide receiver for the Fighting Irish football team.

Samardzija's deal is for five years and worth up to $7.25 million, a source close to Samardzija told ESPN's Joe Schad.

Once the deal is approved by the commissioner's office, Samardzija will join the Boise Hawks, an advanced rookie club of the Northwest League.

Samardzija will be able to play at Notre Dame this fall. His plan is to play professional baseball and football after graduating Notre Dame and he is a possible first round draft choice in the next NFL draft.

The deal is backloaded and Samrdzija would have to continue to play baseball in order to approach the maximum value of the contract.

The Valparaiso, Ind., native caught a record 15 touchdown passes last fall. He then went 8-2 with a 4.33 ERA in 15 starts for the baseball team.

Derek Lee rejoins the Cubs today!

Somewhat surprising, he only had one rehab game.  But since Tony Womack and Freddy Bynum got injured last night, they're activating Lee a day early.

Hope he's ready to go!  :)

Dusty Baker and some of his coaching staff may have a restless All-Star break after general manager Jim Hendry announced Tuesday he will use the four-day break to decide whether an overhaul is in order.

Hendry declined to go into specifics, but Baker and coaches Gene Clines, Larry Rothschild, Gary Matthews and Juan Lopez could be dismissed as early as next week.

Among the candidates Hendry is expected to put on his short list if he decides to replace Baker are former managers Lou Piniella, Tom Kelly, Jimy Williams and Gene Lamont, along with Braves coach Fredi Gonzalez, who interviewed for the job in '02 before Baker was hired. If Hendry decides to go with an interim manager for the second half, third-base coach Chris Speier and Triple-A Iowa manager Mike Quade are considered strong possibilities.

"I'm evaluating everything," Hendry said. "When you're having this kind of a year … I'm evaluating all situations. When you're 20-plus games below .500 … we certainly want to give us a chance to see if we can make a run here before the break, see if we can do well the rest of the week. I'll spend a lot of time over the break [evaluating], not just the way the [coaching] situation is, but also with your own players.

"You're getting ready to go into a month where you have to evaluate what you have and who you for sure think is going to get better and you want to keep, and in some other cases, maybe move some guys. You want to give everyone a fair chance to succeed."

Hendry hasn't put a timetable on his evaluation period and repeatedly has said he will give Baker every chance to succeed. But there appears to be a new sense of urgency to decide Baker's fate with the Cubs in a prolonged free fall, losing 17 of their last 21 games.

Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood will be out at least four weeks after an exam revealed a partial tear in his right rotator cuff.

Wood underwent an arthrogram at Northwest Memorial Hospital Friday. The team said Saturday the options are conservative treatment or possible arthroscopic surgery on Wood's shoulder. A final decision has not been made yet on treatment.

Wood had undergone an MRI on June 26 in Cincinnati, but that did not include an arthrogram, which is more detailed and provides more information, the Cubs said.

Wood, 29, underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder last Aug. 31.

Wood began the season on the disabled list. After being activated, he went 1-2 with a 4.12 ERA in four starts before going back on the injured list June 7. He was on the DL three times last season, the final time on Aug. 30, one day before his surgery.

Wood had a huge year as a rookie in 1998 as he had a 20-strikeout game in his fifth major league start and won the National League Rookie of the Year Award.

Major League Baseball and USA Baseball announced a 10-year partnership on Tuesday that will enable the grass roots group to focus its attention on developing baseball in the U.S.

Over the course of the agreement, MLB will give USA Baseball $10 million toward that effort, effectively ending the necessity for the non-profit organization to raise money so it can fund its annual commitments.

"MLB is excited about this significant expansion of our relationship with USA Baseball," Commissioner Bud Selig said on Tuesday only hours before the All-Star Game at PNC Park. "By strengthening bonds between the National Governing Body for amateur baseball and MLB, we will be able to better understand both the needs and the opportunities that exist and put initiatives in place to encourage growth of the game at all levels."

The first drug that allows AIDS to be treated by taking one pill a day won federal approval yesterday, a development that government officials said would both simplify and improve treatment of the disease.

The drug, called Atripla, is a combination of three once-a-day drugs that are already on the market — Sustiva from Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Viread and Emtriva from Gilead Sciences.

It marked the first time in nearly three decades a full day of major league games were played without a save recorded.

There were six blown saves in the 15-game schedule, including two each in Pittsburgh's 7-6 victory over Washington, and Cincinnati's 3-2 win against Colorado. The Nationals and Reds both won with ninth-inning rallies.

The last time baseball went a complete day without a save was Sept. 15, 1978, when all 26 teams were in action during a 14-game schedule -- including a doubleheader, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Carmen Electra and Dave Navarro denied the rumors for months that there was trouble in their marriage, but now, they can deny no more. Married since November 2003, Carmen's rep confirmed to US Weekly today that Carmen & Dave "are amicably separating.”

Chicago Cubs third base coach Chris Speier was arrested for drunken driving early Wednesday after he ran a stop sign on a city street, police said.

Before Wednesday night's game against Houston, the Cubs announced that Speier would leave the club for several days to handle personal business. The team did not say how long he would be away.

"I talked to Chris this morning. I can't elaborate on it," manager Dusty Baker said. "Just give him some time to get some things together. I feel badly for him because he's such a great guy and outstanding baseball man."

Speier was pulled over on his motorcycle around 1:40 a.m. and charged with driving under the influence and failure to stop at a stop sign, officer Laura Kubiak said.

The 56-year-old Speier was released early Wednesday and has a traffic court date Aug. 10, Kubiak said.

Contrary to much speculation, Cubs manager Dusty Baker won't be going anywhere.  At least, not for the rest of this season.

Even though the Cubs have the second worst record in the National League, general manager Jim Hendry said that Dusty will remain as Cubs manager for the remainder of the 2006 season.

"I'm glad to see he got a vote of confidence and the coaches will be here and we can go out there just worrying about focusing on playing games and not have to talk about their situation for the rest of they year like we have been talking about all year," closer Ryan Dempster said.

Rob Schneider's adamant: Mel Gibson has been rubbed out of Deuce Bigalow's black book.

"I, Rob Schneider, a 1/2 Jew, pledge from this day forward to never work with Mel Gibson, actor-director-producer and anti-Semite," vowed an open letter baring the comic actor's signature.

The declaration was published as a full-page ad in Variety on Thursday, an otherwise quiet day on the Gibson nuclear-meltdown watch.

The unsaid joke of the letter is that, up until now, Schneider's and Gibson's paths have never been in danger of crossing. Schneider, the Saturday Night Live alum, makes comedies like Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo and Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo. Gibson, the two-time Oscar winner, makes epics like Braveheart and The Passion of the Christ.

Still, Schneider seems to want to head off any chance collaboration with the blockbuster star who reputedly railed against "f--king Jews" during a drunken-driving arrest last week.

"Even if Mr. Gibson offered me the lead role in Passion of the Christ 2, I, like Bernie Brillstein, would have to say 'NO!'," the Schneider letter declares.

Brillstein is the longtime Hollywood manager who told the Los Angeles Times that, if asked, he would not represent Gibson. "I don't like bigots," Brillstein said.

Thanks to ESPN's Pat Forde for these tips...

New Rule: If the scoreboard says you lost, you lost. That's not going to change. Take an hour to vent postgame, then try to regain your sanity. Do not diminish your quality of life -- and the quality of life of those around you -- by spewing for days about the refs who cheated your team, the flagrant league bias against your team or the complete lack of class displayed by the team that beat your team. Your team l-o-s-t. Try to deal.

New Rule: If you know the tailgate lot at the stadium like the back of your hand but wouldn't be able to find the campus library without joining a tour group, reevaluate your priorities.

New Rule: It's August. Refrain from posting on your team's message boards that your coach needs to go. At least let him fall behind by a touchdown in September -- or if you really want to be patient, let him even lose an entire game -- before demanding regime change.

New Rule: Try using your real name on a message board. It might be a liberating feeling to stand behind your words, instead of hiding behind the handle "GatrHatr88," or whatever lame nom de cyberplume you choose.

New Rule: The offensive coordinator has feelings, too. Try to remember that.

New Rule: Nobody else thinks his or her team gets enough respect from the media, either. You're encouraged to come up with a new complaint.

New Rule: If you know the name of the long snapper but don't know the name of the school president, reevaluate your priorities.

New Rule: By all means, have a couple of pregame beers if you want. Try to stop before 12, though.

New Rule: If you didn't stop at 12, remember this: The people sitting around you in the stadium or standing next to you at the urinal don't think you're funny. And they don't want to hold you up when you tip over. Especially at the urinal.

(Aside: colleges might want to study the new Bengals initiative: they have instituted a "jerk" hotline for fans to call to report abusive, profane and intoxicated louts in the stadium to authorities. Then again, considering the arrest record of Marvin Lewis' squad, fans could easily report a bunch of the guys in uniform.)

New Rule: Yes, Notre Dame is different. Get over it. If your school were important enough to get its own NBC contract and thumb its nose at conference affiliation, do you really think it would decline?

New Rule: If you spend more on face paint, clothes in school colors, tailgate accessories and an RV horn that honks the school fight song than you spend on charity, reevaluate your priorities.

New Rule: If you insist on smugly condemning the complete lack of morality and ethics at Rival U when one of its players gets in trouble, prepare a good defense for when one of your team's players screws up the next week. Today's "great kid" could be tomorrow's armed robber.

New Rule: Every other team in America says it had a great summer in the weight room, too. Every other team in America had great attendance at "voluntary" summer workouts, too. Every other team in America says the chemistry and attitude are better than last year, too. So don't get prematurely overconfident based on the usual August rhetoric.

New Rule: When the hotshot freshman quarterback isn't playing yet, rationally consider the possible reasons why. I mean beyond the fact that the coach is an absolute moron. Maybe the kid is an absolute moron who cannot learn the playbook.

New Rule: We know you have a brilliant, unique, surefire plan for an NCAA football playoff. Your barber, your bank teller and the kid working the espresso machine at Starbucks have playoff plans too. And Myles Brand isn't interested in any of them.

New Rule: USC won a share of the 2003 national title, no matter what the BCS says about the LSU-Oklahoma Sugar Bowl being the title game. Quit being greedy, and quit talking about it three years later.

New Rule: If you're on a voice-recognition basis with a call-in show producer or have your own call-in show persona and handle (like "Wolverine Mark"), reevaluate your priorities.

New Rule: An 0-1 start is not the end of the world, especially with a 12-game schedule. Unless you start 0-1 with a buy game against what was supposed to be a guaranteed chump. Then you can pound the panic button.

New Rule: Before your fan message board mounts an e-mail lobbying campaign to poll voters demanding higher rankings for your school, consider: Is it effective or obnoxious to send out 200 e-mails that all parrot the same "talking points"? And how silly is it for football fans to have "talking points"? After careful consideration of those questions, hit the delete button.

New Rule: If you're over the age of, say, 14, beseeching players as they leave the field for a receiving glove is unseemly and best avoided. I mean, who other than Michael Jackson is going to get excited about a single glove?

New Rule: Flying a car flag when your team is 5-0 is easy. Try it when your team is 0-5.

New Rule: It is understandable and acceptable to wonder (out loud) why Temple is still playing Division I-A football.

New Rule: If you turn to a sportswriter for guidance on how to be a college football fan, reevaluate your priorities.

The Chicago Cubs placed Mark Prior on the 15-day disabled list Saturday with shoulder tendinitis, a move that could mean an end to the right-hander's season.

Prior has been on the DL eight times in his four-year career in the majors, including three this season. The latest trip comes after he allowed five earned runs in three innings in an 8-6 loss to Milwaukee on Thursday.

Prior didn't feel anything wrong with the shoulder, but a loss in velocity in the third inning led the team to send him back to Chicago for an MRI on Friday, which showed rotator cuff tendinitis.

Former major leaguers Mike Kinkade and Chad Allen lead the roster for the U.S. national team that will compete in an Olympic qualifying tournament in Havana from Aug. 25 to Sept. 5.

The United States did not qualify for the last Summer Olympics, in Athens in 2004.

The 24-man roster announced Monday consists of professionals that are not in the majors, and will be the eighth time the national team will use MLB-affiliated players.

Aruba, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico and Venezuela will also compete, with the top two finishers advancing to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The third- and fourth-place finishers will advance to a second qualifying event to be held in the spring of 2008.

Former major league manager Davey Johnson will lead the team. He will be assisted by hitting coach Reggie Smith, pitching coach Kirk Champion and bench coach Rick Eckstein.

In addition to infielder Kinkade, who's with the Florida organization, and outfielder Allen (Kansas City), both former Olympians, other players with national team experience are outfielders Billy Butler (Kansas City) and Jarrod Saltalamacchia (St. Louis); infielders Brian LaHair (Seattle), Bobby Hill (San Diego) and Brandon Wood (Los Angeles Angels); and pitchers J.B. Cox (New York Yankees), Zach Segovia (Philadelphia), and Nic Ungs (Florida).

The San Francisco 49ers announced Saturday that Jerry Rice, the NFL's all-time leading receiver, will sign a contract with the club Thursday and retire for good in November as a member of the team with which he spent his first 16 seasons.

Rice retired Sept. 5 with the Denver Broncos. Then 42, he had made the Broncos' 53-man roster but was not projected to be their third receiver, so he elected to call it quits.

"I'm excited to return to San Francisco to retire as a 49er," Rice said. "This was my home for many years and this is where so many memories were made. I thank the entire 49ers organization for the opportunity to stand on the field to say goodbye."

Get ready for a segregated "Survivor." Race will matter on the upcoming season of the CBS show as contestants will be divided into four tribes by ethnicity. That means blacks, whites, Latinos and Asians in separate groups.

The announcement was made on CBS' Early Show. Host Jeff Probst says the idea "actually came from the criticism that 'Survivor' was not ethnically diverse enough." He says the twist fits in perfectly with what "Survivor" does, saying the show is "a social experiment. And this is adding another layer to that experiment." Probst says contestants had mixed reactions to the racial divisions.

This time the new Survivors are stranded on the Cook Islands in the South Pacific. The castaways include a police officer, a heavy metal guitarist, an attorney and a nail salon manager. The new season of Survivor debuts September 14th.

I have a whole new respect for Arizona Diamondbacks' pitcher Brandon Webb, who was able to pitch 7 1/3 innings for three runs on six hits in Arizona's 7-4 victory after learning that his best friend Jon Hooker died on the plane crash in Lexington, Kentucky.

Hooker had just gotten married, and he and his new bride were flying to California for the honeymoon when the plane took off from the wrong runway and crashed.

"I always knew I'd pitch. I had no doubt about it," Webb said. "Knowing Hook, I'm sure he'd want me to do it, too."

I feel so bad for the Cubs' Derek Lee, who recently found out that his three-year-old daughter Jada has an incurable genetic eye disease that can lead to blindness.  He's taken the rest of the season off to be with his family and is now starting a foundation aimed at finding a cure for Leber's Congenital Amaurosis (LCA).

I hope everything is ok for his little girl.

Congratulations to Jim Thome and Nomar Garciaparra for receiving baseball's Comeback Player of the Year award.

Of course, Garciaparra is injured now...

The incoming Senate Judiciary chairman pledged greater scrutiny Friday of computerized government anti-terrorism screening after learning that millions of Americans who travel internationally have been assigned risk assessments over the last four years without their knowledge.

"Data banks like this are overdue for oversight," said Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., who will take over Judiciary in January. "That is going to change in the new Congress."

The Associated Press reported Thursday that millions of Americans and foreigners crossing U.S. borders in the past four years have been assessed by the computerized Automated Targeting System, or ATS, designed to help pick out terrorists or criminals.

The travelers are not allowed to see or directly challenge these risk assessments, which the government intends to keep on file for 40 years. Under specific circumstances, some or all data in the system can be shared with state, local and foreign governments and even some private contractors.

"It is simply incredible that the Bush administration is willing to share this sensitive information with foreign governments and even private employers, while refusing to allow U.S. citizens to see or challenge their own terror scores," Leahy said. This system "highlights the danger of government use of technology to conduct widespread surveillance of our daily lives without proper safeguards for privacy."

After Drew Brees left San Diego at the end of last season, I thought the Chargers were toast.  But I totally under-estimated Philip Rivers et al.  They can dominate!

24-21 win over Buffalo today.  I actually think they should've been able to beat them by more than that, but oh well.  A win's a win.

A Muslim convert who talked about his desire to wage jihad against civilians was charged Friday in a plot to set off hand grenades at a shopping mall during the Christmas rush, authorities said.

Investigators said Derrick Shareef, 22, an American citizen from Rockford, was acting alone and never actually obtained any grenades. He was arrested Wednesday when he met with an undercover agent in a parking lot to trade a set of stereo speakers for four hand grenades and a gun, authorities said.

"He fixed on a day of December 22nd on Friday ... because it was the Friday before Christmas and thought that would be the highest concentration of shoppers that he could kill and injure," said Robert Grant, the agent in charge of the Chicago FBI office.

Authorities said Shareef had been under investigation since September, when he told an acquaintance that "he wanted to commit acts of violent jihad against targets in the United States as well as commit other crimes."

I may not be a HUGE football fan, but I do like the Patriots.  Nice to see them beat the Jets.

Watching Ohio State and Florida right now.  Go Ohio State. :)

Following the Patriots' 24-21 win, Bill Belichick is 13-2 in playoff games. Marty Schottenheimer is 5-13 and has lost six straight postseason games. The uncanny way in which the Patriots rallied from an eight-point deficit in the final 8:35 is why Belichick could be heading to the Pro Football Hall of Fame once he gives up coaching. Despite 200 career victories -- a total that should qualify him for those honors -- Schottenheimer isn't even guaranteed a job with the Chargers next season despite a 14-3 season.

American Idol is apparently quite a hit.  According to preliminary ratings, Tuesday's two-hour audition show drew 37.3 million viewers, making it Fox's highest-rated night of entertainment programming ever and the top show of the season. It beat No. 2, college football's BCS Championship game Jan. 8, by 30%.

Seriously?  Seriously?  Why?  All they do in the audition episodes is make fun of the poor souls who are brave enough to put themselves out there and subject themselves to ridicule, all for a slim chance at going to Hollywood.

And 37.3 million people wanted to watch that?

"I think it's pretty hard to argue you need to beat a child," Lieber said. "Is it OK to whip a 1-year-old or a 6-month-old or a newborn?"

Lieber said her proposal would make spanking, hitting and slapping a child under 4 years old a misdemeanor. Adults could face up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Aides to the assemblywoman said they are still working on a definition for spanking.

The governor said he and his wife, Maria Shriver, did not spank their four children and used alternative methods for discipline. For example, Schwarzenegger said they found it more effective to threaten to take away their children's play time if they didn't do school work.

"They hate that much more than getting spanked," he told reporters Friday in Los Angeles.

In a sign of the growing tension between old-line media and the new Internet behemoths, Viacom, the parent company of MTV and Comedy Central, demanded yesterday that YouTube, the video-sharing Web site owned by Google, remove more than 100,000 clips of its programming.

Viacom, along with other major media companies, including the News Corporation and NBC Universal, has become increasingly frustrated with YouTube as it has amassed a vast library of copyrighted clips, placed on the site by its users.

While such companies regularly ask YouTube to remove their material, Viacom's demand, which it disclosed in a statement circulated by e-mail message, was the most militant and public move of its kind so far.

As it has with the similar request from other companies, Google removed the Viacom clips from the YouTube site yesterday.

The dispute underscored the tense dance that major media companies are doing with Google, which bought YouTube for $1.65 billion last October. Google hopes to strike deals that will give it the rights to mainstream programming and also wipe away its potential liability for any violations of copyright law by YouTube so far.

Despite intense negotiations in recent months, Google has not been able to announce any such deals with media companies. YouTube is supported by advertising, but in most cases it does not share that revenue with copyright holders.

The company that runs the Web site, RCH Networks Inc., said the system was not hacked into because no security breach was detected. Administrators say the girls must have somehow gotten the password. RCH helped the district track down the girls by supplying the identification numbers from computers that accessed the system, which authorities could then track to the girls' homes.

The two girls, ages 16 and 17, were charged in juvenile court on Friday and face expulsion.

• CPU - Intel Core 2 Duo is just now arriving on laptops, and it's the CPU of choice no matter what type of user you are. However there are some great deals to be had on Core Duo machines, most of which were released only a few months ago. Most users will find the original Core Duo plenty fast.
• Memory - As with desktops, get all you can afford. 1GB minimum, especially for Vista.
• Operating System - Same deal as with desktops. If you're planning to go with Vista, wait until 2007 to buy a notebook. Driver issues are far more complex with portables than with desktops, and you don't want to be stuck trying to upgrade only weeks after you bought the machine. See my comments in the desktop shopping story for more detail.
• Hard Drive - 160GB is tops for notebooks right now, but about 80GB is more common and less expensive. That should be plenty for most users for the foreseeable future. If you're a digital movie collector, go with the big one.
• Optical Drive - A few systems are now including HD-DVD drives instead of standard DVD, however I've found all HD-DVD laptop drives slow and very buggy. I'd stick with a DVD-RW drive now, dual layer of course.
• Graphics Card - This varies widely, as manufacturers are still putting year-old graphics cards in laptops in many cases. High end cards like the Nvidia Geforce 7800/7900 series are pricey, but they're absolutely required if you want to have any hope of playing the latest games on your laptop. Remember that graphics cards are generally not upgradeable, so it's important to get the best you can afford right when you make the purchase.
• Screen - A critical decision. Widescreen displays comprise virtually the entire market now, so don't expect to find many 4:3 aspect ratio machines for sale. The big question here is whether you want a 17-inch monster display, a standard 15.4-inch display, or something smaller. The weight of the machine will vary accordingly: Expect to carry 8 pounds and up for a 17-inch system, 6 to 7 pounds with a 15.4-inch machine, and as little as 3 pounds with an ultralight. Laptops aren't going to get much lighter in 2007, so don't hold out for anything that'll be easier to pick up.

"True to the Arts & Crafts and Mission styles, the building's simple, geometric limestone details communicate the beauty of the materials brick and stone, peppered with the flowery ornament associated with the Art Nouveau. Interiors have been restored to highlight the original tile mosaic floors and hand-crafted wood banisters, with the additions of Tiffany and Mission style light fixtures."

The newspaper, citing a high-ranking Major League Baseball official who had spoken with Selig, said the commissioner wants a decision from Giambi by Tuesday. The official was not given permission to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, the paper said.

The players' association said Giambi, currently on the disabled list with a foot injury, would make his decision after consulting with his lawyer and the union. No active players are known to have spoken with Mitchell.

Giambi told a federal grand jury in December 2003 that he used steroids and human growth hormone, the San Francisco Chronicle reported in December 2004. Before the start of spring training in 2005, the 2000 AL MVP made repeated general apologies at a news conference but never used the word "steroids." He told USA Today in comments published May 18: "I was wrong for doing that stuff," comments many interpreted as an admission he used steroids.

Baseball and its union didn't ban steroids until September 2002 and didn't institute penalties for a first offense in most cases until 2005. Michael Weiner, the union's general counsel, said no grounds exist for disciplining Giambi based on the remarks published by USA Today or Giambi's decision about whether to meet with Mitchell.

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Joe Kennedy, a journeyman left-hander who pitched for three major league teams last season, died at his in-laws' home Friday. He was 28.

After going to bed early, Kennedy woke up at about 1:15 a.m. Friday and collapsed as he was leaving a bedroom at the home of his wife's parents, Hillsborough County sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter said. Hillsborough County Fire Rescue took Kennedy to Brandon Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, she said.

"We were terribly shocked," Blue Jays president Paul Godfrey told The Associated Press. "From what we understand he was in Brandon ... to be the best man at a wedding today."

Godfrey didn't have particulars on the cause of death.

"Obviously, when a 28-year-old man dies, ballplayer or not, it's a terrible, terrible thing," he said.