CC Sabathia- 9-0 since being traded from Cleveland to Milwaukee, the defending American League Cy Young Award winner is sure to be one of the most sought after free agents on the market. It is doubtful the Brewers have the money to sign the ace, so he will most likely be testing the waters. Already making $11,000,000 in 2008, Sabathia will surely get a raise for 2009. The Yankees have expressed interest.

Derek Lowe- The Dodgers right hander is in the final year of his contract with Los Angeles. 12-11 thus far in 2008, Lowe is 8th in the National League in WHIP (1.17), and 7th in Innings Pitched (188.2). He made $9.5 million in 2007, and $10 million in 2008. It is doubtful he will be able to pull in that kind of scratch again, but two straight shutouts of first place Arizona may mean Lowe is turning it up for the stretch run.

AJ Burnett- The oft-injured Arkansas native will almost surely opt out of his current deal with the Toronto Blue Jays. Before a 2-1 loss to the Yankees on August 29, Burnett had won his last six decisions. He currently sits at 16-10, but he has tremendous stuff. He leads the AL in strikeouts with 201, and is third in walks allowed with just 78.

Francisco Rodriguez- K-Rod will surely set the single season saves record this season, and it would be hard to see the Angels just letting him walk. They have shown they have the spending power to ink big name free agents to deals (Torii Hunter, Gary Matthews Jr, traded for Mark Texeira), and K-Rod is the anchor for one of the best bullpens in baseball. He has been the best closer in the game this year (by a lot), look for him to cash in after the season.

Mark Texeira- Another LA Angel, Texeira was traded to the club from Atlanta for Casey Kotchman at the deadline. It looks like a two-month rental for the club, as Big Tex (well, Boras) has stated that they are looking for a $100 million deal. While it is doubtful that will happen, it's hard to see the Angels being able to re-sign him, as long as Vlad Guerrero and K-Rod need to be taken care of as well.
Other big name Free Agents include OF Manny Ramirez (Los Angeles), OF Milton Bradley (Texas), OF Bobby Abreu (New York), OF Carl Crawford (Tampa Bay), OF Pat Burrell (Philadelphia), OF Adam Dunn (Arizona), SS Orlando Cabrera (Chicago), and SP Ben Sheets (Milwaukee).

O seminário vai contar a presença do presidente da Federação Nacional dos Engenheiros (FNE), Murilo Campos Pinheiro, da presidente do Senge-MA, Odinéa Ribeiro, do arquiteto Frederico Lago Burnett, do cientista político João Guilherme Vargas Netto e do secretário de Estado do Planejamento e Orçamento e economista Abdelaziz Aboud Santos.

O seminário "Região Metropolitana da Grande São Luís" vai acontecer no anfiteatro do jornal O Imparcial (Rua Assis Chateaubriand, Renascença II - São Luís/MA), das 8h30 às 13h. Mais informações sobre o evento e inscrições podem ser feitas pelos telefones (98) 3232-1208 e (98) 3231-8022, ou pelo e-mail senge_ma@ig.com.br

Confira a programação do evento

A abertura do evento vai contar com a presença o presidente da Federação Nacional dos Engenheiros (FNE), Murilo Campos Pinheiro, e a presidente do Senge-MA, Odinéa Ribeiro. O seminário também conta com a participação do arquiteto Frederico Lago Burnett, do cientista político João Guilherme Vargas Netto e do secretário de Estado do Planejamento e Orçamento e economista Abdelaziz Aboud Santos.

O seminário "Região Metropolitana da Grande São Luís" vai acontecer no anfiteatro do jornal O Imparcial (Rua Assis Chateaubriand, Renascença II - São Luís/MA), das 8h30 às 13h. Mais informações sobre o evento e inscrições podem ser feitas pelos telefones (98) 3232-1208 e (98) 3231-8022, ou pelo e-mail senge_ma@ig.com.br

Confira a programação do evento

08h30 – Composição da Mesa dos Trabalhos

08h40 – Presidente da Federação Nacional dos Engenheiros – FNE - Eng. Murilo Celso de Campos Pinheiro

08h50 – Presidente do Sindicato dos Engenheiros no Estado do Maranhão – SENGE/Ma. – Engª. Maria Odinéa Melo Santos Ribeiro

09h – A Importância da Metropolização: Abordagem de Experiências Bem Sucedidas no Brasil – Cientista Político João Guilherme Vargas Netto

09h30 – O Processo de Metropolização da Grande São Luís: Conceituação e Contextualização – Arq. Frederico Lago Burnett

10h – Região Metropolitana da Grande São Luís: Conhecendo o Projeto e as Dificuldades Para a Sua Implantação – Dep. Estadual Alberto Franco

10h30 – Coffee Break

10h45 - Vantagens e Desvantagens – Secretário de Estado do Planejamento e Orçamento - Economista Abdelaziz Aboud Santos

11h15 – Depoimento de Liderança Comunitária Residente em Área de Sombreamento Intermunicipal – Simão Cirineu – Pres. da Associação de Moradores do Jd. São José

11h30 – Manifestação dos Candidatos a Prefeito dos Municípios que integram a Região Metropolitana

13h – Encerramento

Of course, Pavano couldn't have done it on his own. The Yankees delivered some key hits and were able to scratch out their runs against the seemingly always nasty Burnett. Despite getting a lead, the team did have some trouble protecting it as Jose Veras faltered. Veras' command will let you know what he has on a given day and it was immediately apparent that it was going to be trouble for the righty. While he has struggled this month, he will get some help upon Joba's impending arrival. Edwar Ramirez picked up the pieces a bit and then Mariano Rivera, the greatest closer of all time, came in and nailed down the 5-out save. It would be interesting to see where the Yankees would be if they could all perform at the level that Mariano Rivera brings to the mound, every single day. Simply put, he has been the most reliable cog in a rather expensive Yankee machine.

With a Red Sox win (and a Twins win) the Yankees need to win today's game (obviously). They'll face John Parrish and it'll be a lot easier to see Roy Halladay in the final game of the series if they can stick it to the mediocre lefty.

Thom Andersen's Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003)

Andersen's idiosyncratic love letter to Los Angeles, its ransacking by Hollywood, its architecture, and, when one least expects it, an incisive foray into social criticism, like a Mike Davis book brought to the big screen.

Charles Burnett's Killer of Sheep (1977)

I'd seen the excellent To Sleep with Anger before, but little from it prepared me for the gritty neo-Realist poetry of the deeply moving Killer of Sheep, about the existential longings of a slaughterhouse worker in South Central, circa the early '70s. (Plus it features the best use of an Earth, Wind & Fire song in a film, period.)

Lav Diaz's Ebolusyon ng Isang Pamilyang Pilipino (Evolution of a Filipino Family) (2004)

More details here -- speaking of neo-Realism (though I'm probably misusing the term), here it is stretched to the grandest possible scale. My humble wish is to see it at least one more time.

Marco Tullio Giordana's La Meglio Gioventù (The Best of Youth) (2003)

I'm not as thrilled with the way in which all the members of the extended family end up, supposedly coincidentally, representing the pillars of the modern state and other constitutive elements (medicine, industry, law enforcement, economics, art, the judiciary, etc.). But no matter: it's a modern-day epic on four tumultuous decades of Italian history, both intimate and sweeping.

The Yankees are always rumored to be involved in trades, whether they're blockbusters or minor deals, the team is always linked to a variety of pitchers and hitters. All that means is that Brian Cashman is doing his job and is exploring his options (while driving the prices up for competing ball clubs like the Red Sox or the Rays). For fun, here's a list of players that the Yankees have been linked to as the trade deadline approaches, along with a quick description.

1. Xavier Nady: Could happen, but the price will have to drop
2. Jason Bay: Probably won't happen, but he'd be a great addition
3. Damaso Marte: Currently closing for the Bucs; doubtful but possible
4. John Grabow: A decent lefty that could be had on the cheap from the Pirates
5. Matt Holliday: No chance here; the Phillies were close, but unless the Yankees are willing to part with Joba or Phil Hughes, this is a pretty unrealistic option
6. Brian Fuentes: The Rockies have reportedly been scouting Humberto Sanchez; could happen but he's not necessary and therefore the Yankees won't be willing to part with too much, making Grabow and Marte more attractive options
7. A.J. Burnett: I don't think it will happen; his contract is scary and his performance is erratic; let's not forget about his health and that he plays for the Jays
8. Bronson Arroyo: K rate is up, but his performance has been poor; if the Reds are looking to dump his salary then he could be an option that won't cost much talent in return
9. Adam Dunn: Jon Heyman thinks he'd be a good fit since he won't cost much outside of money (like fellow teammate, Bronson Arroyo); however, a lot of people are weary about his love for the game and there hasn't been much on the Dunn front beyond Heyman's mention
10. Jarrod Washburn: J-Dub looks like the guy the Yankees are shooting for, but there have been conflicting reports about the actual interest as well as Washburn's desire to play for NY; If the Mariners try to pass Vidro in a Washburn deal to the Yanks, I think the team would pass
11. Derek Lowe: No chance; The Dodgers want a bat and the Yankees don't have any to spare; plus, the Dodgers are right at the top of the standings and they won't part with solid pitching for nothing
12. Paul Byrd: There have been brief mentions about Byrd since he is available, but right now, I doubt the Yankees are seriously looking at him since he doesn't offer all that much
13. Freddy Garcia: Ozzie Guillen, one of Freddy's better friends in the game, doesn't even think Garcia will be ready to contribute to a team, so why should the Yankees?
14. Casey Blake: Heyman also noted that the Yankees may pursue Cleveland's versatile player, although there hasn't been much beyond his rumor; he would offer some much needed versatility though, which would provide Damon, Giambi, A-Rod and others ample opportunities to DH (and rest)
15. Gerald Laird: He's a solid catcher but the Rangers aren't ready to let Salty take over, especially when you consider how he is behind the plate (is he a catcher or a 1B?)
16. Miguel Olivo: Why bother?
17. Paul Lo Duca: See Miguel Olivo's description x2

These are some of the names we've heard. I tried to get all of them, but if I missed any, please feel free to discuss them in the comments section. I've also suggested Raul Ibanez on this blog, but I haven't seen much interest expressed in any mainstream media outlets. The team's top officials will convene tomorrow in order to discuss possible trade scenarios along with their internal options (Alfredo Aceves?). In a few days, one or more of these guys could be on the team.

Consider that our Director of Media, Narkis Erlichman comes to us having worked at Burnett in Chicago, at McCann in New York and at Optimedia in Seattle.

Laura Rodriguez worked at DDB Needham and McCann in Los Angeles. Our pr folks, Steve Johnstone (winner of the Dorothy Thomas Black Award last year) and Susie Falk both have extensive backgrounds in their category. As does our president Tom Thiede and partner Bill Sheahan.

And if you get past all that, I spent twenty years at Leo Burnett and then some more at EuroRSCG Tatham.

One would hope that all that firepower would be invaluable in terms of strategic thinking about your brand. And you would be right.

But it also comes in handy when you have a quick turnaround situation on your hands. Like our good client Wal-Mart. They are partnering with the Milwaukee Wave soccer team to develop an abandoned piece of property in Cudahy. Naturally, things get contentious and we wanted to make sure that the supporters of the project were well represented at the planning commission meeting.

So Steve Johnstone comes to Bob Welke and together they come up with a direct mailer that is both an invitation and a way to visibly show support at the meeting. The copy is written on a Friday afternoon and by the following Wednesday, it’s been approved, printed and mailed.

And hundreds, yes–hundreds, of people show up at the meeting, cards in hand to support the project.

This was a low-cost, short-turnaround and creative answer to a difficult situation. And while it took two meetings to do it, Wal-Mart finally got the green light.

That’s what “hands on help from experienced people” actually means. It means you get answers that work. As we say in our mission, our job is not to make ourselves look good. Our job is to make our clients look good. So we don’t have to do TV commercials when postcards will work, especially postcards that double as on-site signage.

Our thanks to our good friends at Wal-Mart for giving us this opportunity.

Digg it?

ฮิ้วๆๆ ในที่สุดก็หมดวันพีคๆ ที่งดเหล้าสำหรับสัปดาห์นี้ หุหุหุ

วันนี้ ไปทำงานมา นั่งทำกล้องรับบริจาคให้แซน เนื่องจาก มีหมาข้างทางแถวบ้าน โดนรถชนเป็นแผลเหวอะหวะ น่าสงสารแล้วไม่มีใครพาไปรักษา แล้วมานอนแอ้งแม้งอยู่หน้าบ้าน แซน แล้วก็พอดีแซนเป็นคนใจบุญมากคนนึง เรยได้พามันไปหาหมอ แล้วค่ารักษาแพงเกินกว่าจะรับได้สำหรับหมาข้างถนน เลยต้องทำกล่องรับบริจาค มารับบริจาคเงินเพื่อไปช่วย น้องหมา มีข้อความบนกล่องดังนี้

ผมนอนข้างๆถนน และหากินตามข้างถนนเหมือนหมาทั่วไป แต่วันนี้ผมทำแบบนั้นไม่ได้อีกแล้ว ผมถูกรถชน ผมลุกไม่ได้ แม้กระทั่งตอน อึ๊ ตอนชิ้งฉ่อง ผมก็ต้องนอนเฉยๆ ตอนนี้ตัว

ผมเป็นรู เพราะแผลที่ไม่ได้รักษาทันทีหลังจากถูกชน แต่ข่าวดี ผมกำลังจะได้ไปหาหมอ คุณช่วยผมได้มั้ยครับ
ผมอาจจะไม่หล่อเหลา เหมือนหมาตามบ้านทั่วไป แต่สิ่งที่ผมทำได้เพื่อให้ตัวเองน่ารักที่สุดตอนนี้ คือ นอนนิ่งๆ ไม่เห่าให้คุณรำคาญ แถมมีขี้ตาเยิ้มๆ ให้คุณสงสารผมมากขึ้นเท่านั้น

น้องบูญมา หมาจรจัด

สอบถามอาการ ติดตามผลการช่วยเหลือ/ช่วยเหลือ เพิ่มเติม ติดต่อ เบอร์ 086-328-9905

ใครอยากบริจาคก็โทรไปละกัน นะ
กูเลยต้องนั่งทำกล่องตอนเช้าวันนี้....
อ่อ เล่าหน่อย ที่ไม่ได้ทำเมื่อคืนเพราะ เมื่อวานไปกินกุ้งอบวุ่นเส้นมา อร่อยมากกกกกก กุ้งตัวใหญ่ดี มี ตั้ง 4 ตัวแหนะ ไปกะ ปิง กะ นะ แฟนเก่า x มา ก็ไปกิน ตอนแรกว่าจาไป ทุ่มนีง

แต่เหี้ยปิงแม่งติดประชุมไรซักอย่าง เลยต้องออกประมาณ 2 ทุ่มครึ่ง แล้วก็ไปถึงไป ข้ามสะพานสาทร ลงมาเลี้ยวซ้าย ตรงๆมา เลี้ยวซ้ายอีกที ตรงๆไป จอด ถึงเลย ชื่อร้านปูอบ แต่กุ้ง

อบวุ่นเส้นอร่อยกว่า เข้าไปสั่งหอยแครงมากิน อร่อยมาก สดสุดๆ ยังมีกลิ่นเลือดอยู่เลย หลายคนจะคิดว่าหอยมันคงคาว แต่ร้านนี้ไม่คาว อาจเพราะว่า เค้าต้มในน้ำเกลือ แล้วหอยมัน

คงมีความสุข ที่เหมือนจะได้กลับลงน้ำทะเล มันเลยดีใจ เวลาตาย มันเลยตายอย่างมีความสุข มันเลยไม่ตายโหง แล้วก็ไม่เหม็นคาว เลยอร่อยมาก

ต่อมากุ้งอบวุ่นเส้นมาแล้ว อร่อยสุดๆ ไปลองกินซะ ไม่รุ้จะอธิบายยังงัย กุ้งตัวใหญ่มาก วุ่นเส้นกลมกล่อม เค็มเล็กน้อย ผสมกับเครื่องเทศ เช่นกระเทียม ผักชี มันหมู น้ำมันงา ฯลฯ

รวมมาเป็นกุ้งอบวุ่นเส้นที่ กินเข้าไป เนื้อกุ้งสด เหมือนกัดแขนตัวเอง หนึบๆ น้ำจิ้มอร่อยมาก เค็มๆ เปรี้ยวๆนิดๆ

จบแล้ว ไปให้ได้นะ 555+

ต่อๆๆ กลับบ้านประมาณ 5 ทุ่ม เลยเหนื่อยมาก เลยว่าจาทำ ad ไป present พุ่งนี้เช้า ก็ทำไม่ไหว แล้วทำกล่องบริจาคก็ทำไม่ไหวเหมือนกัน เลยไว้ตื่นมาทำตอนเข้า

ตื่นมา ไวเหมือนโกหก ลืมปิดคอมด้วย แล้วก็เลยมานั่งทำ นานมากกกกกก เส็ดประมาณ 10 โมง อาบน้ำแต่งตัว ไปถึงนั่นประมาณ 11 โมง ตายห่า อีกชั่วโมงเดียวก็แดกข้าวแล้ว

พอดีวันนี้มีประชุม creative เป็นการระดมความคิดชื่องาน good morning idea ก็ใครมีไอเดียเหี้ยไรก็เอามาประชันกัน เสนอให้ผู้บริหารทำไรเจ๋งๆ ส่งประกวด เป็นเกียรติเป็นศรีแก่บริษัท จิงๆก็อยากเอามาเล่านะ แต่กูว่าเค้าคงอยากเก็บไว้เป็นความลับ 555+ แล้วก็จบ ก็ไม่มีไร

วันนี้ทั้งวันก็นั่งคิดงาน แซนแม่งบอกว่าจะมาเยี่ยมตอนบ่ายๆ....

สรุปมา 5 โมงครึ่ง ตอนกรูเลิกงานพอดี

มาแล้วไปกินข้าวกะพี่เต้ย ที่กิ๊กๆกะเค้าอยู่อีก เหอๆๆ

แล้วกลับมาชวนกูไป lomography ที่สยามดิสอีก งานเหี้ยไรไม่รู้ ก็เลยไปกะเพื่อนที่ทำงานด้วยอีก 2 คน
แนวสุดๆ มีแต่คนประหลาด เค้าก็ทำของขึ้นมา ประกวดกัน จากรูปที่ได้จากกล้องโลโม่ ไรเงี้ย แล้วก็ไม่มีไร ก็กลับ หึหึหึ

อ่อ แล้วก็มีอีกงานเหมือนกัน วันก่อน ประมาณวันพุธ 11 มิ.ย. 2008 มั้ง ตอนเยนๆ ว่าจาไปกินกุ้งอบวุ่นเส้น แต่ นะ แฟนเก่าเอ๊กแม่งเมนมาเยอะ ไปไม่ไหว เลยอดกินเลย
แต่ก็ได้ไปงาน cannes lions awards prediction 2008 by leo burnett ที่ house rama rca

ก็ดีนะงาน เจ๋งดี ดู createๆ ทั้งงาน ดูสวยงาม กว่างานอื่นๆที่เคยเจอมาทั่วไป ไรเงี้ย แล้วแม่งแจกเบียร์ แจกสเมอนอฟฟรี สุดยอดด ฮิ้ววว
กินไป 2 ขวดเอง เพราะแม่งวันก่อนหน้านั้น ท้องเสียอยู่บ้านทั้งวันเรย เลยไม่มีอารมณ์กินเยอะ เหอๆๆๆ

ก็เข้าไป นัดประมาณ 6.30 แม่งเข้าจริง ประมาณ 4 ทุ่ม เลิก 5 ทุ่ม ........

ก็เข้าไปดูโฆษณา เจ๋งๆทั้งนั้นเลย มีของไทยด้วยอันนึง ของ Jeh united ทำโฆษณา sylvania แบบเป็นครอบครัวไปปิคนิค แล้วก็เจอผีมากมาย ก็อธิบายชิลๆไปเรื่อยๆ แล้วแม่งก็

ปิดไฟ ก็วี๊ดว๊ายกันทั้งครอบครัว ก็จบ แล้วบอกประมาณว่า ถ้าสว่างจริงก็ไม่ต้องไปกลัวผี ไรเงี้ย จำไม่ได้แล้ว เหอๆๆ

แล้วก็มีอีก เป็นของ brazil มั้ง เป็นเด็ก เดินเล่นอยู่แล้วถ่ายเป็น home video กำลังหัดเดิน ถ่ายง่อยๆหน่อย แล้วเดินไปหน้าบ้าน ใส่รองเท้า แล้ววิ่งออกไปเลย พ่อแม่งก็ตะโกนเรียก

ก็งงทั้งโรงเรยเว้ย ทีนี้ แม่งก็กลับมาถ่ายใหม่ เป็นเด็กวิ่งไปไกลแล้ว

แล้วขึ้นว่า FILA born to run...

โหหยยย สุดยอด โคตรเท่อ่า อันนี้ แต่ไม่รู้จะได้รางวัลป่าว 5555+

มีอีกหลายอันเลย แต่ขี้เกียจพิมแล้ว เข้าไปหาๆดูเอาละกัน อิอิ

จบจิงๆ แล้ว หุหุหุ

From imdb.com:

Lanky, popular TV comedy veteran with a flair for broad comic characterizations, who shone for a decade as leading man and second banana par excellence on "The Carol Burnett Show"(1967) but failed to find much success in his own projects. A persistent TV presence since the early 1960s, Korman's first big break was a stint as a featured performer on "The Danny Kaye Show"(1963), a lively musical variety series. Here Korman began working in the format which he would soon master--providing sturdy support to a multi-talented star in a wide variety of comedy sketches. Boasting large, expressive features and a wonderfully mutable voice, Korman could play a wide assortment of characters. Perhaps his first classic characterization was provided for "The Flintstones"(1960) wherein he was the distinctively snooty voice of The Great Gazoo, a little helmeted space man from the future consigned to the Earth's past in punishment for his crimes. Korman garnered four Emmys for his work with Carol Burnettover the years. Her show never recovered from his departure in 1977 to pursue other projects. Ironically Korman would never again find such a successful showcase for his talents though he certainly tried, appearing in several busted pilots and short-lived sitcoms. Like 'Dan Aykroyd', a later somewhat comparable talent, he fared best in sketch comedy. Almost exclusively a comic actor, he stretched a bit to play straight man Bud Abbott opposite Buddy Hackett's Lou Costello in the disappointing TV biopic Bud and Lou(1978 ) (TV). Korman also directed and/or produced sitcom episodes and TV comedy specials. An occasional actor in films, Korman made his feature debut with a supporting role in The Last of the Secret Agents? (1966). Several film roles followed until he gained his widest exposure with a major supporting role in 'Mel Brooks''s classic Western spoof Blazing Saddles(1974). Korman also fared well in Brooks' High Anxiety (1977) and History of the World: Part I(1981). Korman acted in two 1994 features: the blockbuster live-action version of The Flintstones(1994) (providing the voice of the Dictabird) and the poorly received but lavishly produced Radioland Murders (1994).

They say that dying is easy. Comedy is hard. For us, the death of a comic legend is truly the hardest.

Harvey Kormen passed away last week, and I felt I should post something to express a little of my fondness over the years for him. But far from getting depressing about how "he was one of the last," or "there will never be another," I thought I'd post a scene from my favorite Korman film, "High Anxiety." He  played the evil Dr. Montaque, and he was just about as brilliantly funny as any human being should be allowed! Korman had such a knack for playing just along the edges of ludicrous, while making it totally believable. In "High Anxiety," he was cruel and greedy yet,  Korman still had such a cartoon kind of villainy that makes him one of the most likable parts of the movie.  Here's one priceless scene with Brooks:

Of course, we will all love him for his years on "The Carol Burnett Show." The Lovely way they would crack up, they're laughter contagious, and we call caught what they had. Here's Harvey losing it in The Dentist sketch:

Thank you, Mr. Korman. We love you, and we'll miss you....

By: Ivy Compton Burnett

During the 1920s, this author was well known and was admired for her darkly comic and deeply subversive novels. Writing almost entirely in dialogue, she stage a series of conversational duels in which the destructive inter action of power, desire and domesticity are dramatized. Here too , one of the most unsparing of her novels , Duncan is a tyrannical patter families who cannot stop remarrying, while his daughters cannot get married at all and his nephew cannot stop fooling around. Soon the family’s conflicting interests sets off a series of increasingly appalling actions made al the more terrifying by the ease with which in the end the survivors accept the results.

At the "let's give Hillary the shaft" meeting Saturday, Democratic Party officials came to a decision concerning what to do about the votes in Michigan and Florida that had been disqualified. They have agreed to seat all of the delegates, but they will only get half a vote. This was done to insure that Obama retains the lead in the delegate count insuring Clinton lags behind. Obama says he's happy, Clinton says she will appeal. No surprise there. Apparently the Democratic Party REALLY wants Obama for their candidate. "How can you call yourselves Democrats if you don't count the vote?" one man in the audience shouted before being escorted out by security. "This is not the Democratic Party!" The committee also ruled that Obama should receive some of the Michigan delegates, though he chose not to have his name on the ballot there. This effectively slaps Clinton in the face from her own party. It's not nice to hit a lady. But then, there's been nothing nice about this controversy from the start.  Proponents of full seating continuously interrupted the committee members as they explained their support of the compromise, then supporters of the deal shouted back. "Shut up!" one woman shouted at another. "You shut up!" the second woman shouted back. Jim Roosevelt, co-chair of the committee, tried repeatedly to gavel it to order. "You are dishonoring your candidate when you disrupt the speakers," he scolded. Well it looks like unity in this party has gone right down the drain. If nothing else, it's going to make for interesting watching on the television. In the meantime, I'm sure the lawyers will take over and more idiocy will ensue. Party unity? Not with this election.

PRINCESS BEATRICE GETS SOME TABLOID ATTENTION

Being a public figure must be real pain in the butt. You can't even go swimming without some idiot criticizing you. In this case it's Princess Bea in a bikini. Sarah Ferguson, otherwise nicknamed Fergie, her mother is up in arms, no doubt over the fact that she was raked over the coals for being overweight a few years back. Now it's her daughter and she's yelling leave my kids alone. Well, they're public figures and this is bound to happen. The picture below is reprinted along with the cover of the rag that printed it on an obvious slow news day with nothing else to report.  Well, there's nothing like a few Bea stinging remarks to sell papers. This was snapped when she was out for some R&R with her boyfriend Dave Clark. I wonder if he calls her "Honey Bea?" She was supposedly out looking for a new home while she was attending college, the "Bea Hive." Her parents weren't thinking when they named her this were they? That's what you call a royal brain fart. If she would have been wearing a hat she could have been the Bea in a bonnet. She is in line for the throne which would, of course make her Queen Bea. Yea I went there. If she has kids are they drones or workers? Only time will tell.

THE LEANING TOWER OF PISA FIXED?

The Italians have stabilized one of their most visited tourist attractions, the leaning tower of Pisa. This building which was built on not-so-solid ground has been leaning further and further every year, which would of course eventually reach a point of toppling. Then it would would be the fallen, crumbled, rubble of the Tower of Pisa, Or it would be the Tower formerly known as Leaning. the tower has been closed to tourists,  since 1990 and work to stablize the building has been ongoing.  The workers even managed to straighten the building 1 1/2 feet of it's previous lean. Now it's the not quite so leaning tower of Pisa. The engineers estimate that they have given the tower another 300 years of leaning. The Tower of Pisa, leaning for the future.

HARVEY KORMAN

Here's a quick remembrance of Harvey Korman who passed away last week. We'll remember him the way he would want us to, making us laugh.

The odd thing is that The Carol Burnett Show, for which he is best known, is not one of my favourite things that he did. And it's not because of him (though he and Tim Conway really should have kept it together; their laughing jags are no more tolerable than Jimmy Fallon's), and indeed not because of anybody who was on the show: I love Korman, love Carol Burnett, like Tim Conway despite his inability to keep a straight face, even like Vicki Lawrence despite the whole Mama's Family spinoff thing. But not only is The Carol Burnett Show a show I don't particularly care for, I can't remember a time when I liked it very much. Even as a kid, when I basically liked any sketch comedy with funny costumes. Maybe it would come off better if we had complete DVDs of the original episodes to look at -- music rights have prevented any kind of comprehensive DVD release so far.

But every time I see it, it just comes off as an uncomfortable mid-point between two schools of comedy-variety shows: the goofier, broader sketch comedy shows that dominated in the '60s and early '70s (Dean Martin, Flip Wilson) and the deadpan style, influenced by Second City and National Lampoon, that we'd see with Saturday Night Live and SCTV. The Carol Burnett Show's style was always smack in the middle: it was not as corny as other sketch shows, but it was doing types of sketches that really needed more corny/broad humour to work. It had, and still has, a reputation as a "classy" show and I think it deserves that reputation, but I find it more classy than funny. That's just me, though.

Tonight, John Lester accomplished one of the most sought-after feats for a pitcher: he threw a no-hitter. When it was mentioned that Lester is only 24 years old, I got to thinking about other young studs who have burst onto the Major League scene with no-hitters early in their careers.

Unfortunately for Lester, the list isn't pretty.

Here are all of the pitchers in the last 10 years to throw a no-hitter at the age of 25 or younger, accompanied by their career statistics. *WARNING* If your name is John Lester, you might not want to read any further.

Jose Jimenez: Threw a no-hitter for the Cardinals on June 25, 1999 at the age of 25 (although he is Dominican, so it's possible he was 35). His career was shaky at best after that, adopting the closer's role with the Colorado Rockies for four years. He saved 41 games in 2002, but still managed to lose 10 games.

Bottom Line: career record of 24-44, 4.92 ERA in 7 years.

Eric Milton: Threw his no-hitter at the age of 24 for the Minnesota Twins on September 11, 1999 to beat the Angels. He notched double-digit victories in four of the next five seasons, with a high of 15 wins in 2001.  His career steadily declined after signing for big money with the Reds, and now when you mention his name people say "Who? Oh yeah, him. Wait...oh ok yeah yeah I remember. What happened to him?"

Bottom Line: career record of 87-84, 4.69 ERA in 10 years.

A.J. Burnett: No-hit the Padres at the age of 24 while pitching for the Marlins on May 12, 2001. Burnett has gotten a lot of money since then in exchange for being one of the most inconsistent pitchers in baseball. He'll look unhittalbe one game and then give up 10 runs the next. Needless to say his dedication and heart have been questioned.

Bottom Line: career record of 73-70, 3.81 ERA in 10 years. Not terrible, but nowhere near expectations.

Bud Smith: Oh boy. This is pretty much the name I was thinking of when I came up with this list. The youngest pitcher (21 years old) on the list, he tossed a no-no on September 3, 2001 to beat the Padres. There's just no way to make this guy's career look good. He went 6-3 that year for the Cards and 1-5 in 2002 before he went to the minors, never to return. The Good News is he did pitch with me in the Golden Baseball League in the summer of 2006. So he's got that going for him. Which is nice.

Bottom Line: career record of 7-8, 4.95 ERA in two seasons. Sad, but hey, he can always say he threw a no-hitter in the Major Leagues.

Anibal Sanchez: Came to the Marlins along with Hanley Ramirez in exchange for Mike Lowell and Josh Beckett before the 2006 season. He made the move look good afer throwing a no-hitter on September 6, 2006 to beat the Diamondbacks at the ripe age of 22. He finished that season strong, going 10-3, but ran into arm trouble shortly thereafter. He started only 6 games in 2007 before scheduling his date with the operating table, and has yet to appear in a game since.

Bottom Line: career record of 12-4, 3.24 ERA in 1+ seasons. Promising start, but will he ever pitch again?

Justin Verlander: If Lester has a ray of sunshine, it's Verlander. After a Rookie of the Year 2006 campaign, he threw his no-hitter on June 12, 2007 at the age of 24 in the midst of another stellar season. He finished 5th in the AL Cy Young Award voting that year, but 2008 has been a different story. This season he is just 1-7 with a robust 6.05 ERA. Is it possible he peaked a little early? Time will tell, I suppose.

Bottom Line: career record of 36-24, 4.02 ERA in 2+ seasons. Displayed Hall of Fame stuff, but throwing 104 miles per hour every pitch for 60+ starts takes a toll on the old elbow.

Clay Bucholz: It was scary how much Lester's no-no resembled his teammate's from less than a year ago. Bucholz baffled the Orioles on September 1, 2007 with a mid-90s fastball and a knee-buckling 12 to 6 curveball. The Sox were careful with Bucholz, and limited his innings for the rest of their championship 2007 season. He secured a spot in the starting rotation this season, but has struggled thus far (2-3, 5.53 ERA) and is in danger of getting sent back down if he doesn't straighten out.

Bottom Line: career record of 4-5, 4.15 ERA in the middle of his first full season. There's still hope for him, but history dictates a long, mediocre career.

As you can see, the history of youngsters throwing no-hitters does not bode well for Jon Lester's career. Whether it's injuries or inconsistency, bad things seem to happen to people who throw no-hitters under the age of 25.

If there's anyone who knows how to stay humble, it's Lester, who survived cancer to even be able to throw his no-hitter. Everybody's rooting for you to buck the trend, Jon, and I hope you do.

Shakespeare’s poetry does not rhyme, and its meaning is not always evident.  To me sometimes it sounds forced.  And his plays do not interest me.  Literature class forced Romeo and Juliet upon me, and in respect for a friend I read Tweflth Night.  So I don’t have a lot of exposure to his plays, and I have never seen them acted.  If I had, their interpretation might have more hold on my heart.  Most of all I find that Shakespeare is overrated. 

Perhaps, however, he is under-read.  The one thing that tempts me to scorn my own opinion of Shakespeare is that whenever a true fan of his work, someone who has invested the thought to understand his themes, has described to me a play or a couplet, I have enjoyed the metaphor.  The Danish prince on Prince and Me aids the American farmgirl in her literature class by directing her penetration of Shakespeare’s sonnets.  My immediate reaction is that any poetry that requires so much thinking is not romantic, though it masquerades as such.  Maybe the metaphors were more common, or the objects of comparison an everyday thought.  But I must praise the ability to say more with words than the words themselves, to do something with choice of words and order, rhythm and association, pattern and emphasis that has, even to those unaware, layers of influence and meaning.  My friend who convinced me to read Twelfth Night explained the statement Merchant of Venice is on Jewish philosophy.  I greatly enjoyed that.  When Chesterton critiques A Midsummer Night’s Dream, I feel let in on the secret.  And occasionally when I catch radio host Hugh Hewitt interviewing David Allen White, a literature lecturer, about a piece of Shakespeare, I am delighted by the events and ideas Shakespeare addressed.  How he did it from a cottage in the country I’ll never know. 

Dickens always ought to be musical.  Because Jo March and her sisters liked him, I always felt guilty for despising his work.  I wanted story, and Dickens talked about issues, the dark, depressing issues of London which one hopes have been reformed since his creative efforts to address them.  I feel very much as though I was being told what to do, a list of morals told in story form.  Again, whoever makes the selections for literature books is sadly out of touch with students.  I read a shadowy scene of Pip visits Miss Havisham from Great Expectations, and found myself very bored.  If Oliver had not been set to music, I would have been turned off by the immorality and violence of the tale.  But don’t you see that to make it musical, someone had to understand the story and love it enough to adorn it for the world to enjoy?  A radio interview and Chesterton again are responsible for the majority of the interest I have in Charles Dickens.  The former described the magic of the words the classic author used, how each word added to the tone of the novel. 

Elizabeth Gaskell wrote to Dickens, and shared his concern for their country’s social issues.  Through her stories I feel as though I receive commentary on Dickens, both a defense and a rebuttal of his work.  Her novels are more realistic, more on the border of the issues to enable her readers, themselves well outside the slums, to look in at a window, gently led like Mr. Scrooge by the ghost to look at the needs of others.  Her heroes have compassion held as an example to the readers.  They learn and love just like the rest of us.  Even her villains are not completely bad.  Each has a story that, while it cannot justify their rebellion, is a justification for kindness shown to them. 

To move my heart a story must be near enough my own experience.  Few people today have family feuds preventing childhood romance.  No one I know was beaten in an orphanage.  Maybe in some parts of the world or my city these things are the case, but my life is without them.  Jane Austen appeals to me because she writes about families with normal problems and interests.  Tolkien intrigues me because, though he sets it in a fantastic world of elves, goblins, and dragons, his epic deals with the basic cases of right and wrong, sacrifice and friendship, and the choices everyday to turn back.  More grown up than when I took literature class, I appreciate biographies for mapping the way individuals of the past navigated the questions of life.  New genres are opening to me; maybe soon I will love the classics on my own. 

Last summer I hosted a literature party in which each girl or lady was invited to bring a passage from her favorite children’s book.  There was Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan, Little House on the Prairie, Where the Sidewalk Ends, Alexander, and more.  I liked best loving those books through the eyes of my friends, to have them share with me what is so relevant or poetic or sentimental about the stories. 

So many people talk about classic authors.  I wonder if they do not derive some of their potency and meaning from being a matter of commentary and interpretation.  Is Shakespeare truly better when discussed?  Dickens wrote for the very purpose of stirring thought and inspiring movement in his society.  And what writer does not write to be read and to matter? 

To God be all glory,

Lisa of Longbourn

Lavaughn Towell

April 24th, 2008

Jack the Ripper's London

Joseph Barnett: Suspect No. 1

From August to November of 1888 London's east end was terrorized by a ruthless murderer who killed without emotion. The most horrifying thing about these murders was the manner in which they were committed; brutal, ruthless, and vicious murders the likes of which the world had never seen. Female prostitutes, their throats slashed deeply, many of which had their bowels removed and placed about their dismembered bodies. What is equally frightening is that the perpetrator of these crimes was never brought to justice for his crimes. This man is known by the world as Jack the Ripper and it may never be possible to completely find out who he is for sure. What is possible is to construct the most likely suspect; the person who fills in the gaps of the Ripper mystery. With the help of modern profiling and theory it is possible to narrow down a likely suspect.

There are an incredible number of suspects in the Ripper killings. With so many suspects involved in the case how does one go about narrowing down the one who is most likely? One way is to use eyewitness accounts. On many different nights there are witnesses who stated that they saw a mustached man, between thirty to forty years in age, around 5'5" to 5'7" tall, wearing a hat and overcoat.

Now there could be many men in London in 1888 who perfectly fill the witnesses' descriptions, however, a man by the name of Joseph Barnett matches the description rather well. Barnett was a fish porter and would have been gutting and boning fish all day for many years. This job would have made him proficient and quick with a knife. Along with knife skills he would have a good alibi if he had blood anywhere on him. Physically, Barnett was thirty years old and had a medium body size, as well as a mustache. It may be concluded from this that he does match the physical attributes of the Ripper from what the eyewitnesses say and has a background that would be useful as the Ripper. It should be understood that it is naive to assume that Barnett is the Ripper based solely on these accounts. Indeed, merely being seen with a victim, even all the victims, does not make you Jack the Ripper, all that means is that you were with them, not that you killed them necessarily. Barnett matches a physical description which alone cannot be used, but together may be a coordinating detail in pinning him as the best suspect.

Profiling is needed to properly suspect Joseph Barnett as the Ripper. It can first be reasoned that Jack was a male due to research which figures males to be more likely to kill by knife or strangulation rather than a woman who, by a large margin, normally kills by poisoning. A male would also be able to operate more easily at night in Whitechapel without arousing suspicion by police. A woman walking alone at night in the Victorian Era, or any era for that matter, especially in the slums, is going to be suspicious and warrant the concern of police.

Along with the Ripper being a male it can be reasoned that he was a Caucasian. This theory is upheld by research which states that, "...the data tells us that Caucasian male serial killers kill Caucasian victims. The same holds true for African-Americans; they usually murder African-American victims" (Serial Killers 6). All of the Ripper's victims were Caucasian women. The backing of this theory with scientific data, as well as the socio-political aspects of the Victorian Era, makes Jack the Ripper most definitely Caucasian.

The relationship between the killer and his victims must be figured next. Again the research states that, "...results from this hypothesis test support the widely believed idea that [male] serial killers

mostly attack strangers" (Serial Killers 7). Based on these statistics it can be deemed more likely for the Ripper to have no relationship with his victims, however, do not blindly accept theory. The important part of projecting is to remember that these studies are inferences and statistics and are not infallible. Simply because there is a chain of thought does not mean that it is not broken.

Reasoning would lead one to believe that in 1880's London slums would be rather difficult to navigate if one did not have a knowledge of the area. Whitechapel was filled with narrow corridors, backyards, and side doors to dilapidated buildings which would enable a killer to quickly and quietly leave the scene with no one having knowledge of his whereabouts. Joseph Barnett was, "born in 1858 and raised in 4 Hairbrain Court, less than a mile from the heart of Whitechapel." This means that Barnett would have had an incredible knowledge of the area, something that Jack the Ripper would undoubtedly have as well in order to go undetected.

The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation uses a complex profiling system known as the Holmes Typology to organize the traits of serial killers. It is with this system that serial killers are deemed either disorganized and social or organized and nonsocial in their modus operandi. With this system it is possible to pick out parts of an a crime that match with an individual's personality.

The F.B.I. case file and psychological profile on Jack the Ripper matches some parts of Joseph Burnett's characteristics. The F.B.I. profile states that Jack the Ripper would be a:

White male, aged 28 to 36, living or working in the Whitechapel area. In childhood, there was an absent or passive father figure. The killer probably had a profession in which he could legally experience his destructive tendencies. Jack the Ripper probably ceased his killing because he was either arrested for some other crime, or felt himself close to being discovered as the killer. The killer probably had some sort of physical defect which was the source of a great deal of frustration or anger. (Casebook: Jack the Ripper)

Burnett was 30 at the time of the murders. He was also left at age six when his father died; a trait that would be a major influence for Jack the Ripper. Along with this his profession as a fish porter would allow him to vent his frustration on a daily basis. In relation to being caught or arrested Burnett was, "...interviewed for four hours after the Kelly murder. The police seemed satisfied with his testimony and they don't appear to have suspected him further," (Casebook: Jack the Ripper). As for physical problems Burnett was stricken with echolalia, a disease which makes its victim repeat the words of others. This disease would possibly be a source of anger for Burnett.

Jack the Ripper was an organized killer, according to the typology of serial killers. His habits fit most of the traits which are known. The known traits are that he left a controlled crime scene, that he left little physically evidence, and dismembers the bodies. It is possible that he killed at another site and dumped the corpses (mutilating them on site), as well as followed the news of his murders, and attacked by seducing his victims, more traits of an organized killer, however, these things are almost impossible to know definitively. There is evidence of strangulation in some victims, which would support the theory of an off-site killing, but the physical evidence alone is not sufficient to support this idea. Along with the off-site theory it would have been almost impossible to work alone in such a large endeavor, something that the Ripper most likely did. It would have been easier for the Ripper to kill by seduction, especially after the initial murders had stirred up such a media frenzy, however, no one knowns of this for sure. Burnett was known to date Mary Kelly, the last of the canonical Ripper victims, another trait of an organized serial killer.

In the Ripper murders there are some things which are inconsistent with the Ripper being organized, things which should not be overlooked . Disorganized killers have nocturnal habits, a definite trait of the Ripper. They are usually uneducated and Burnett was a mere fish porter, hardly the job of a well-educated man. Disorganized killers also live or work close to the crime scene and Burnett definitely lived very close to the murder sites, he even lived at one of the sites, at 13 Miller's Court, with Mary Kelly. This evidence in and of itself results in another conflict of interest. The door to 13 Miller's Court was locked from the inside when the police got there, something that would only be possible if the killer had reached through the window to lock it or if he had a key. It is very possible that Burnett kept his key to Miller's Court for a convenient time.

Even after 120 years of contemplation and fascination, discussion and dissertation, there is no resolution in Jack's case. The fact of the matter is that while Burnett does match the physically description, had an unstable family life, a physical impediment, was a fish gutter with a proficiency in knives, lived with Mary Kelly, and knew the Whitechapel area, there are still too many loose ends in the Ripper murders to formally announce him as the killer. It is not fair to make him the Ripper due to these inconsistencies, however, what is possible is to name Joseph Burnett the most likely suspect in the murders. By making Burnett the primary suspect one is able to present the known facts while still entertaining the possibility of others being the perpetrator.

Works Cited

Bethany , Harris. "Serial Killers: An Analysis of Their Patterns." World View of Mathematics and Data Analysis 14 July 2007 24 April 2008.

Casebook: Jack the Ripper <http://www.casebook.org>.

Holmes, R. "The Holmes Typology (Part1)." Psychology. 1996. 22 Apr. 2008 <http://psychology.concordia.ca/fac/Laurence/forensic/holmes1.pdf>.

Here are the pitching lines from yesterday:

NY Yankees	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Mussina (L, 0-1)	5.2	8	4	3	2	2	1	4.76

Toronto	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Burnett (W, 1-0)	6.0	5	2	2	1	3	1	3.00

This was an episode where our eyes truly lied. Watching the game, you felt as though Mussina was on the brink with every pitch, probably because his fastball was sitting in the mid-80's and any pitcher who relies on "heat" like that could be in for a short night. But, in comparison to Burnett, who had dominating stuff and seemed overwhelming, Moose didn't do poorly at all. Even with his fading fastball he pitched to just one less batter, gave up 3 more hits, 1 more ER, and walked one extra batter (while still striking out 2, one less than Burnett).

Put this in perspective (Mussina's first start of the season) and you have to feel somewhat good about where he should be in his next start. Joe Girardi thinks his velocity will go up as the season progresses, nonetheless I wouldn't expect a large jump. If he can throw 88 mph throughout the season, that should be enough for him to be an effective starter. My only problem with Moose last night was his location, which was great. He pitched to the very corners and was dipping in and out of the strike zone, however, he has to remember that his fastball isn't that fast. For instance, he threw three fastballs on the outter edge of the plate to Eckstein and Hill, both of whom caught up to the pitches as they kept coming and then slapped them the other way (Eckstein's "hit" was Girardi's first inning error). Mussina is going to have to learn to use his fastball less and throw his junk in more. The guys at RAB have the right idea with this nice post and graph about Mussina.

Now, with that said, here are a few other quick notes about the game:

1) Jason Giambi had his first error in the first inning and let's face it, he's not Don Mattingly and he's no defensive whiz. You have him in there for his power, that's it (and because you pay him $22 million), and Mike Puma of the NY Post seems fairly preturbed with Giambi's "gaffes" as he calls them. However, Big G's error in the first was really not his fault. If you watched the game and saw the replays, you could see that Mussina was late in covering the bag. Mussina himself even said that he was late covering it, and it ultimately resulted in a run. Eckstein is a quick guy and, again, I'm not saying Giambi is even solid defensively, but you can't really rail on him for that play.

2) Jorge Posada sat out yesterday with a sore shoulder and he may or may not play in today's finale with the Jays. Posada's shoulder was "stiff" and he's not scheduled for any tests (e.g. MRI's, X-Rays, etc.) as the injury is not considered to be serious. If he's feeling anything at all today, expect the Yankees to sit him again. Jose Molina will do a fine job, especially with Phil Hughes, who is pitching in today's game.

3) Last but not least, in the article I posted right there about Posada's shoulder, there's a nice bit at the end about Joba Chamberlain striking out Vernon Wells and Frank Thomas. Some people were a bit bothered by Joba's emotional display after he struck out Thomas to end the inning but neither Thomas or Wells seem upset about it. I for one think that Frank Thomas is a great guy and has been that way for years. I hope he has a good season (Wells is also a good guy, and he'll rebound after last year's debacle).

I think that Girardi should have pulled Mussina with one out in the 6th

Arod hit a bomb but Giambi is no longer a 5 hitter...(i know its early but i would like to see Posada back there when he is healthy...maybe even Cano

One thing is for certain...the Blue Jays can pitch....Burnett looked real good tonight but his problem has never been his pitching, it has been his health.

Mussina gave a strong effort for 5 innings but he will need to eat up more innings than that this year, especially with the younger pitchers on the team.

YANKEES
Damon LF
Jeter SS
Abreu RF
Rodriguez 3B
Giambi 1B
Cano 2B
Posada C
Matsui DH
Cabrera CF
Mussina RHP

BLUE JAYS
Eckstein SS
Stewart LF
Rios RF
Wells CF
Thomas DH
Overbay 1B
Hill 2B
Scutaro 3B
Barajas C
Burnett RHP

UPDATE, 6:09 p.m.:Posada has been scratched with a stiff right shoulder. He tweaked it making a throw yesterday and with the cold weather today he had trouble getting loose. Matsui will move up in the order and Molina will hit eighth.

Joe Girardi said the injury was minor and that Posada was day-to-day.

Nice move sitting Posada. This is the great thing about Jose Molina. He's more than a serviceable fill in (his game-calling is particularly great). From what I can recall, it seemed as though Mike Mussina actually pitched better with him last year (this is strictly a subjective thought), although I could be wrong. Of course, Girardi could be sitting Posada because of his .083 average against Burnett (12 AB's). Molina has a .333 average against him (3 AB's). Also, keep in mind that Burnett has had an ongoing fingernail issue all spring, causing him to throw very few curve balls, if any, during his outings. He's supposedly healthy, but the Yankees have a nice opportunity to light him up if they see a lot of fastballs early.

Sorry, but no live-blogging today. I have to run out for a bit during the game.

UPDATE (9:02) -- Okay, maybe a few quick comments now that I'm back. From what I can tell, Moose has been pitching fairly well. He had that one unearned run in the first (that play was tough for anybody, not just Giambi) and since then he's only given up 3 ER over 5 2/3. My question is, why throw another fastball on the outside corner to Aaron Hill who can drive the ball, especially after you just threw 2 other fastballs in that exact same spot? Oh well, Girardi just took him out and is signaling for LaTroy Hawkins.

UPDATE (9:06) -- Easy first out for the new Yankee, LaTroy Hawkins. Girardi looks like a genius in the past two games. Everytime he goes out to see a pitcher (Wang yesterday), the next out has come rather quickly. So, over 6 innings the Yankees are down by 4 and they're still facing Burnett, who's thrown a great game thus far, giving up only 3 hits. The 7th will be a big inning for him.

UPDATE (9:53) -- Hmm, I wonder why Girardi didn't pinch hit Duncan or Ensberg before when Giambi was facing the lefty specialist? Giambi looks like he's done, but then again, we're only in game 2. His bat looks pretty slow though and hopefully he'll pick it up. Farnsworth just pitched a scoreless top of the 8th (however it wasn't "clean"). Oh, and how 'bout that Alex Rodriguez folks? We can't leave it all up to him though. We're in the bottom of the 8th and hopefully the Yankees will get something going before the game ends.

UPDATE (10:08) -- Nice inning of work by Ross Ohlendorf (9th). The Yankees have to rally against Jeremy Accardo, the designated closer while BJ Ryan is on the DL. Accardo has a 4.50 era against the Yankees in 16 innings, so it's possible.

FINAL -- Blues Jays win 5-2. It wasn't all bad though, as our bullpen looked solid and Mike Mussina didn't get beat up by a pretty powerful lineup. Jason Giambi and Johnny Damon looked pretty terrible at the plate, but then again, the entire lineup looked that way while facing AJ Burnett, who pitched a great game.