Post your short news items, issues of interest, links, and so on. All who advance the Cause are welcome.

First?

Man, I thought I had overcome my hatred for the Yankees. I really did. I think they're a likeable bunch as long as the owner stays in the background. But then the old feelings start to resurface in the face of a second loss to the pinstripes and I find myself irritable. Gotta ask, "Is the fix in?"

Good morning chairman & all. I posed this question on another thread, but thought I'd throw it out here. They are finding all these "traces" of anthrax in various post offices, etc. Are the spores visible to the naked eye - and how do they go about finding them? It just seems to me that it is a near impossible task.

When you look at the Yankees individually they're a bunch of pretty good guys, then when you put them all together as the Yankees something changes. George maybe?

'Morning everyone. Chilly but bright here in NC.

SY: What's the situation where you are?

I grew up as an Orioles fan so the Yankee-hating came naturally. They were a lot easier to hate in the 70s. I don't know if there's a dislikeable one in the bunch and Joe Torre makes them positively endearing....if you're not playing them.

Right now, I really, really want the M's to finish this season with a championship. I'm sure that many others won't agree, but somehow I think they've played a great season and somehow kind of deserve it. But I guess if they can't win in October, the rest doesn't matter.

I heard a Yankee fan the other day make mention of "fly-over" country. I hate that. But it just reminds me that whatever blessings the Yankees bring to NY, they still have that stupid kind of Hillary mentality that makes a lot of them (not all) very small people.

I think the difference in attitude happened shortly after George Costanza quit working for Steinbrenner.

I think the difference in attitude happened shortly after George Costanza quit working for Steinbrenner.

Those were always some of the best episodes.

Good afternoon/evening.

"The fix is in?"

No, just the broom.

Boy, I can't stand Yankee fans. ;^)

5.56mm

SY: What's the situation where you are?

Peaceful, as usual. But my wife heard the other day that Vietnam is now considered the safest place in Asia so we're not at the top anymore.

I think the peace is partially a polite peace. Asians are good at that, being cordial and wanting to not start something. But my blood boiled today when I heard a guy on TV, apparently hosting a bunch of young people in a discussion about the world events (including at least one American and probably several local Muslim kids) saying, "Does this give George Bush the right to say 'If you're not for us, you're against us.'" I think that statement has been very misunderstood and I don't blame Bush for that. I don't think he's asking everyone to send troops necessarily. But he expects cooperation in fighting terrorism. And he was clearly talking to Muslim countries who have been at the very least complicit about terrorism.

But don't worry about me. We're fine, but now surrounded by gloomier Singaporeans because of the economy.

It is recommended that you set "pagination" to "100" in your profile "settings" to provide the best balance of length against loading time.

I just went to "my preferences" and didn't see this setting. I only saw settings for how many posts appear on a page (in look up or latest posts or articles) and how many words in a new thread are show. Nothing for number of posts within a thread. Am I looking in the right place? Right now I'm getting 50 and I can certainly live with that, but I didn't choose it. I thought everyone had the same.

Click on settings at the bottom of this page.

I just went to "my preferences" and didn't see this setting.

I think you're looking in the wrong place.

At the bottom of the thread, you'll see a number of links in brackets. One of them says "settings". Click on that. You should then see what I'm talking about.

Off to do The Daily Update. Back in a few.

Thanks for your help. That's what I was missing.

As anybody who hangs around this thread knows, I have NO LOVE for the d*mn Yankees, but when you look at their starting rotation, there's not a better one in baseball. Other teams may have better individual pitchers, ala Pedro or the Unit, but nobody has a 1-4 rotation that can go up against them when the season boils down to a 5 or 7 game series. I don't have the numbers, but opponents just don't score against them in the postseason. Not this year, or three years ago, for that matter.

Clemens is a horse, while Pettite and Mussina kill your Rotisserie team's pitching stats, they have another gear for the postseason(Andy Pettite does not lose in the postseason). El Duque always seems to be injured, except in the postseason, when, all rested up from not having pitched since before the Kentucky Derby, he mows down batters.

The last two years, the A's have been sent home by the Yanks after going in as a heavy favorite because they have a good rotation and a monster offense. Both times, the Yanks starting pitchers have shut them down. Can the M's win? Yes, but it's going to take a whole lot of effort, and a whole lot of luck.

Now let me tell you about my new CD. I got a CD yesterday of "Irish Fiddle Music," but when I went to listen to it, it turned out to be someone singing Simon & Garfunkel songs...and no fiddles at all! I checked the CD and the labeling was "Irish Fiddle Music" so I tried it again. Yep, definitely someone singing S & G songs.

So this afternoon, I went downtown to exchange it, thinking this is going to be simple. First I waited for a while as customers who arrived AFTER me got served BEFORE me. Then when I talked to someone behind the counter and explained the problem, he brings me over to another part of the store to listen with him. I'm smug because I know that he thinks I'm listening wrong and I know that he's going to have no case. He listens to the first song, about 30 seconds, then tries the 2nd, then the 3rd, then the 4th. Then he gets someone else to come and listen and she pulls the CD out, looks at the label and puts it back in. She starts the whole process over again. I finally interrupted her by simply restating what I said in the beginning.

Next they take me over to the manager and explain it to her. She's about to go and listen herself, I think, so I just say, "Wait a minute. I've listened to the whole thing. There's not one song that matches what is on the cover. I've been here for 15 minutes already." That little show of irritation was all it took and within a minute I was out of the store with an exchanged CD. So now my fingers are dancing to the sounds of "Lady Montgomery."

*Prayers* for us ALL that we stay FOCUSED and show patience and are granted wisdom, courage, fortitude, HEALTH, small miracles ... and the ability to recognize same ... comfort, solace and a BUNKER-BUSTING Take No Prisoners ...'tude ~~~ where appropriate, of course.

YOOOOOO-Hoooooo! OneidaM!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TOOTS!!!!!

AND A GOOD, COOL (SWEATER WEATHER) A.M. FROM THE WONDERFUL GULFCOAST OF MISSISSIPPI. Chair, by far this is the best thread anywhere on FR. It gives you the feeling that you are in the kitchen next door drinking coffee and chating at at the local coffee shop with your friends about everything, politics, yankees, braves, Hill-o-ree, you know, just that down home feeling. It makes you feel that it was only yesterday that we were all in school together and now, just chating about everything. We all, I am sure, make that mental picture of what the person we are so busy typing away to looks like, then their picture shows up and either your mind picture was right or, surprised. I for one am grateful that I decided to one day just click on to AMERICA-The Right Way! AND, in times of need, there you all are, that post to lean on. Prayer for our troops and their families. I am sure no one, unless you have been there, can know the feeling on the inside not knowing the condition of your husband, son, sister, grandson. May God protect them all.

You got a great point about the Yankees starting rotation and the post season. It's most noticeable in El Duque who is unbeatable in October. But the guy who impresses me as much as any of them is Rivera. He's gotten something like 22 for 22 in save opportunities in the post-season. And Rob Neyer pointed out that in the last 4 years, only 4 of his saves was 2 innings or more (something he calls "long saves"), but in the post season, 6 of his saves are "long saves" of 2 innings or more. That guy also has an extra gear.

It's true in baseball as in other sports that great teams with a lot of experience at winning can turn things on when it's needed in the playoffs. That lulls others into thinking that they aren't that good, but it's just not true. And these Yankees seem as unbeatable in the post-season as any team in any sport.

If you're into any type of unusual and very entertaining music, besides fiddlin' (which I also love) find "Shakin' Down the Acorns" (don't remember the artist) but it's all instrumental played on the hammered dulcimer. Gets me going every time I listen to it.