The Super Bowl

The heart wants a Patriots' win.  What the eyes see is that the Giants are really overpowering right now, and Eli is really in a good rhythm.  This is the key:  Brady must execute perfectly in order to score enough points for a victory. 

"Izquierdista estupido"

What Ozzie Guillen, noted manager and no fool (apparently) as a political analyst, says about Sean Penn's support of the president of Guillen's native Venezuela.  Not only that, but "payaso."

The '09 Astros

To all outward appearances, this would seem to be a team heading nowhere, and doing that in the most discouraging possible fashion. However, if they could get healthy in the next 10 days to two weeks and not suffer too much slippage in their inept division's standings in the meanwhile, there is always the hope that a good winning stretch in their last 30 games or so will slide them very close to the division lead.

I know, it's a dream.

The team we're supposed to see

Today's 6-4 victory displayed the Astros team we're supposed to see: contributions from hitters up and down, good selectivity by the hitters, getting men on base (Matsui in the 2-spot helps a lot), competitive pitching, and the closer, Val Verde, in something resembling closer form.

Do that again.

Two ugly losses for the Astros

Scores: 10-2 and 11-5. Just when you think something might come together for the local nine, it gets murky. Backe and Sampson looked like they were serving batting practice, and the fielders looked like they were taking fielding practice. It's not hopeless yet, but the team has to maintain focus.

The Astros' New Beginning...

...again.

Pleasant surprises:
**Tejada's fielding;
**Wandy's good game tonight;
**The starting pitching overall;
**Towles' fielding and hitting;
**Bourn's fielding, speed and savvy.

Concerns:
**Chemistry with Coop;
**Roy O.--what's wrong?
**Relief pitching.

"Nothing is happening as planned."

The words of Olympian Stephane Diagana, one of the torchbearers for the 2008 Olympic torch as it was carried through the streets of Paris. It was apparently more of a daylong scuffle, as protesters of China's violent abuse of freedom-minded Tibetans impeded the progress of the parade and tried to make the point that China's hypocrisy in this matter merited a serious re-thinking of how the world's nations will approach their participation in this summer's Games. Now we're beginning to hear Olympic movement officials speak about their hesitations--at least those concerning the long procession of the Torch around the world. All of this encourages the Tibetans and confounds and embarrasses the Chinese tyrants.

Andy and Roger

Madame observed that if Roger had taken Andy's tone of voice, admitted some participation in taking the illicit chemicals, and moved on, Roger might be having a little less negative attention paid to him. She might be right. Is Roger's intransigence and seeming venality due to a profound arrogance or is it that he has truly been wronged by a lying, extortion-seeking former associate? Can the Congressional inquiry or investigative reporting get down to the facts on this? More to come, I guess.