The Summer of AJ

Posted 8:47 PM by Andrew
Well thatĀ’s a rap. The Summer of AJ is over. As we move into the Autumn of AJ or as many think the Fall of AJ, I am looking back on what has been a truly memorable summer. Now while all of it did not take place in the summer it effectively was MY summer. It all started on December 14th when my job of six years was terminated. Yeah thatĀ’s right I got the push. It was a shock at the time but I thought to make the best of it. And so it started Ā– The Summer of AJ.

First it was Rio, only days after I got canned. Nothing but fun in the sun here. We frequented HELP, Copacabana beaches, good food, good friends, pretty ladies and good times.

Then off to Europe, well London and Dublin to be exact. I think I broke some personal records in pint consumption. I flew for free. I had 2 flats to stay at. And I and I still blew through 700 pounds sterling and more than a few Euros. Ouch.

After that it was New Orleans and Mardi Gras. Complete mayhem. Hurricanes, spinning bars, stolen wallets, dirty strip clubs and it goes on. Lest we not forget Teddy and all of his exploits.

After that Cannon, Dave-o, and I took a plane to Puerto Rico. Drinking 151 all day on the PR sun is enough to kill most mortal men but not us. But being very near to death is an uncomfortable feeling.

Then as if I had not learned my lesson I went back to New Orleans. Jazz Fest, the Garden District, car crashes and of course that bitch AMY. She was a whore that almost killed Sal and me.

In June we set sail to Traverse City. 10 days on a boat with 6 guys. The Odyssey was capped of with strippers, frozen rum drinks, Belarus babies, storms at sea, and good potatoes.

July was just plain old Chicago but is there a better place to be in July. Block parties, Cubs games, Long Island Ice Tea and dehydration.

August was Europe again. But this time Munich, Budapest, and the better half of Croatia. All three filled with stories already that have been told here.

One week later I was wondering around the Black Rock Desert with various devices of pleasure floating around in my blood stream. Hangiwithiht Sal, Chief and the Skeeter Man. We saw thing, experienced things and participated in things thno oneone who has never been can not even be explained. The Burning Man is my second home if for only one long weekend every year.

So physically I have been well traveled but mentally I have come much further. It has been a personal renaissance for me. I have rediscovered myself in many ways that I have long forgotten existed inside me. A passion for writing emerged but not like before. When the experiences mount up like they have the typing started to flow. Experiences such as fear, hope, love and loss added to my character and I think that I am better for it. The old me Ā– a rat in a maze Ā– is gone now. Well as long as the money holds out anyway. And now on to the Fall with the Cubs still playing ball and a big grin on my face as I sit in the press box to report the fact to you in Streetwise.

It has truly been the greatest Summer I have ever had. Thanks for reading.

Oh and visit my other website Planet-Fest.com and help to contribute.

Posted 1:03 PM by Andrew
Streetwise Column:

So here we are late in August and BOTH of the Chicago baseball squads are battling for fist place position in their respective divisions. With about 30 games to go for each team there is going to be a lot of gut checking, between the lines and in the stands. At deadline the White Sox are in first place by the most slender of leads – one half game and the Cubs are still chasing the Houston Astros and trail by one and a half games. Both teams are in a three team race that promises to make every game from here imperative and crescendoing to critical as the regular season draws to a close. The White Sox and the Cubs have not been in first place together this late in the season - well since 1907. Yikes talk about baseball futility. The last time I remember, and mind you my memory is good, was August 6, 1977. I can still see the sports section front page with caricatures of Harry Caray and Jack Brickhouse floating in hot air balloons saying “Holy Cow” and “Hey, Hey” respectively. Yeah those were the days. Jimmy Carter was President; Michael Jordan was in grade school; and having a dollar in your pocket meant you were rich.

But I digress; both teams faded that year and missed the play-offs by wide margins. But here we are on the brink of Labor Day and there is Joy in Mudville. Suddenly baseball tickets in September may be in demand. Especially if you consider the alternative – Your Chicago Bears, but that is a different column.

The executive of each team this year have made shrewd move before and after the trade deadline. The White Sox General Manage Ken Williams made deals for Robby Alomar and Carl Everett to add punch to an offense that on paper was nothing less than intimidating. With these additions it seems the sleeping giants of Frank Thomas and Mags Ordonez have started to wake and they are scoring runs in bunches. The starting pitching for the Sox was supposed to be the class of the team coming out of spring training but now Colon, Buehrle, and Garland need only to keep their team in the game and wait for the run explosion. Oh and did I mention Loaiza? This off season acquisition has 16 wins verses only 6 losses with a 2.61 earned run average. The Twins and the Royals are just as hungry as the Sox and it promises to by and exciting finish.

Jim Hendry on the North Side of town has made some deals himself that have many talking about, depending on the outcome of the season of course, naming him Executive of the Year. Not since Dallas Green have we heard talk like this about a Cubs executive. Acquiring a needed third baseman, shoring up the bullpen, luring Dusty Baker to manage and plugging holes in a ship that seemed destined to sink with the plethora of injuries and suspensions have kept the Cubs in the race. Late season trades to obtain the services of Tony Womack, Randell Simon, Aramis Ramirez, and Kenny Lofton can only help the team and add confidence to the players already here. Setting an attitude from the front office and the dugout that this year is the year. And trading Todd Hundley for Eric Karros and Mark Grudzielanek might be the best trade since George Bell for Sammy Sosa. The Cubs do have their work cut out for them as they will battle the Cardinals and Astros until the end but if they make the play-offs I will take my chances with the arms of Carlos Zambrano, Mark Prior and Kerry Wood in a short series. This “Dead Ball Era” trio at times this year has been dominate.

So strap your seatbelts on friends and getting ready for a roller coaster ride in September and with any luck another one in October.

Posted 5:36 AM by Andrew
Well so the 4 hour bus trip to Dubrovnik was at worse really crowded and hot. At best we met some interesting people as we all lost 5 lbs of water from sweating so much. The salt could be seen on Clark's shirt after a time. We ran into a Canadien that spent every summer here in Croatia/Yugoslovia for many years now. Her advice about things to do was rather welcome becase the further away from Zagreb we got the more difficult it was to get along and find are way.

Then it was the Aussies on a 2 year walk about who also complained to us about the lack of respect that english speakers were getting. Fucked up because it seems that 77% of the GDP is tourism. Go figure.

Then the French and they were rather funny considering we picked them up in the middle of Croatia and nowwhere and all they had was Euros. That seemed a bit odd but as I was turning into a puddle we only talked of light things.

Once we arrived in Dubrovnik is really was quite and amazing sight and old fort from Empire Days but more than a fort but a whole city right on the Adriatic Sea. We blew through the tour by walking the wall around the city and had a few breathtaking views. Making the 4 hour trip in a hot bus worth it. Until....

We misread the ferry schedule and got stranded in the city with no place to stay. None - other than a park bench. Lucky enough we had beer and a pen and pad and started work on a screenplay. It sounds funny so far but then we were getting drunk.

The 5 AM bus back to Split and here I sit writing this on no sleep other than the few winks I got on the bus that was taking the same route back as we we down with. The vistas on this route are truly amazing. It reminded me of PCH b/w LA and SF but with villages built in to mountains and islands off the shore. A camera will not do it justice.

When you go between Split and Dubruvnik a little piece of Bosnia jets toward the sea and it is here where I was awaked by a Bosnian Passport Control guy. Tough way to wake up actually. Some one got kicked off the bus for being illegal and I am unsure what happened to her but I was glad all my "papers" were in order.

I one hour we leave for Hvak. A little island off the coast of Split and hope to get some sleep on the 2 hour ferry. But thenwe will have to seach for a hotel again. With better luck than last night I hope.

Posted 6:39 AM by Andrew
Well Croatia is not very internet friendly so sorry for the delay in posts. It seem that our last night in Hungrey was a smash. We enjoyed the company of porn stars, writers and directors. Seriously. We met them all at Moni's B-Day party. I almost got into a fight protecting the honor of the birthday girl. Fucking Hungarians were relentless in thier pursuit of her.

Thursday was a trip to Zagreb (on 4 hours sleep) and really laid back as our bodies has deteriated imune systems. It seems that even though one can drink for 8 days staight it is not recomemned. I still had to have at least a few to stop the DTs.

Friday was the marrathon 8 hour train ride to Split. Very long ride but in our sitch it was a needed break from bars and cafes. Checked in to the hotel at around 11 PM and proceeded to walk the Adriatic hitting every cafe along the way until we got to the discos. The outdoor parties here are truely OOC. Think Ibiza but not gay at all. Infact more girls than guys if I recall. We stumbled into a bar called Go-Go and it was litteraly saturated with Super Models. Friendly enough they were but only to a point if you follow.

Now it is Saturday and Clark is waiting patiantly for me to finish this. Dubrevnik is the port of call tomorrow and then an overnight ferry toward the north. We have not decided where yet. But north is the way. Pag or Hvak seem logical.

As fun as the coast is I really can't wait to get back to Budapest, I had such a blast there I can't seem to shake the memories. I will try to create some more tonight as the Super Model bar is on the adgenda. We are going to try for a table to night!!!

Posted 4:38 AM by Andrew
Not much to report today other than we had more great food and great company. Outdoor cafes for caprahinas and then back the rocking beer garden on the river. We met some Hungarian/American women who seemed very interested but it was not mutual and our time is short here. Much more mellow this time. Not the bar but us. Old bones are starting to get brittle. One more day here and then off to Zagreb.

Oh and my Peruvian girl sent me a message but we are having a bit of a language barrier at this point. Speaking Spanish is a bit easier than reading it for me and her English is surely the same. I will need to have it translated properly but I think it ends with a "hugs and kisses" A good sign, right? No matter - we will never see each other again until I return to Munich and maybe not even then. But hope is a wonderful thing and I won't give up. Maybe for the 2006 World Cup. Wow now that is a reach even for me!

The adventure contines.......

Posted 12:20 PM by Andrew
The wave pool we cooled down at today was a welcome relief to the heat that sticks to you like cigarette cellophane. The coolness of the water brought the temp of my brain back to normal and memories from last night I failed to mention earlier can rushing back to the surface of my medula.

There was a man who turned out to be a cop with a signed drum skin from the guitar player in Slayer. One million flaren was not enough money pry that prize from him. He showed us his badge to make sure we understood he meant buisness.

There was a ladder game that Clark and I failed at miserably.

There appears to be no shortage of pretty youg things here in Budapest but cracking into the click has been a bit of a task. As evidenced at the bar last night when offers of shots was met with a sneer and then walking away. I am not sure if it was the USA blood or the USA blood alcohol level that jinxed us but the effort is on going and will be tested again tonight.

Posted 6:57 AM by Andrew
What I said about soft livers is all bullshit. Mine has turned to mohagoney (sp?). All day watching the bellas in Pest and drinking Guiness does nothing for your health. But what does when you are touring Central Europe? No seriously what does? Send advice pronto.

Ok so a recap:
We did the Castle, the Church and the Fisherman's bit and our culture was finished. All beautiful sights with views that could not be explained properly in a novel let alone this stupid ass blog. The river. The bridges. Each just a little different. Think postcard and then close your eyes. Can you see it? I still can. Forever burned in to my mind.

So moving on we threw a few back and wathced the afternoon go by at the Anna Cafe. A fantasitc lunch and a movie back at the crib would allow us to recharge the battery. Dr Richter's 15 minutes really is a proper perscription for these times.

And then...

The Pepsi Fest. Who does not like Hungarian Heavy Metal? Slayer? I thout they were dead but no, they still rock aand the crowd was to say in the hundreds of thousands. Camped out like Woodstock or just there for the day like us.

That is where I met Oolga a Austrian that spoke french and seemed to have interest in the author.

Are you married?

"Yes but we are very, how you say liberal."

What does that mean?

"Liberal?"

No. To what extent are you liberal? Do you want to have sex in the bushes to the acid rythems of Slayer?

"Yes!"

Yes? Whaaat?

"I just need to tell my husband first. He is here some where let me go find him."

Oh shit I thought but just as I thought that, our party decided to move on to a Hungarian jam band tent. Much better. More beer and a jamming flute - yes flute.

After that we ended the night at a bar by the river that for a Monday had to be the best bar - Rudash Ronkert. But that story will have to wait because Clarke is pulling my out of here to go for swim.

Maleho.

Posted 2:48 AM by Andrew
In Buda now. Munich in our wake and livers are starting to soften again. The Hofbrau Haus was the last stop in Munich on Sunday and with hesitation becasue of the potential for American tourits. They were there and we managed to poke fun at them. The liters of beer were not as tasty as they were in privious days but in order to avid the shakes and trembles we forced them down.

Now we are off to see the sights at this otherwise un godly hour. But time is not a currency that we have plenty of. Push on - move out - keep the pace. Only 14 more days to go (oh god) and we still have plenty to see.

As we traveled thru the Munich airport at 5 AM today I noticed a man enjoying a beer and a zigaretten before the flight. In a normal state of mind I would have gringed at the site but somehow I thought "Why not?"

A scary proposition but I still feel that way now. So off to the Pub with us just to cure the ills of the day and set us proper. KJ lives next to a Hofbrau Haus. Coincidence or fate?

Posted 9:12 AM by Andrew
Yeah - I am back and still alive. A rather pleasant suprise considering my partner's and my explöits. So lets see....

We did start Saturday sober that is true but how we ended up at a Nazi bar with skin heads takes a little explaining or maybe alot. The truth will never be told not because I won't tell but because the details of the events have already been exponged from my memory. The longer it takes to write this the less I am sure to remember. So as Perry Ferral might say - Here we go!

Lunch to start and then off to the English Garden. Many many naked Germans but not the proper sex.

"Look at all the Mushrooms," Clark would say.

And lets just leave it at that. Litres of Augustiener would be the only medicine to cure me of the visions of the 'field of broken dreams' and three we had.

One fifteen minute nap on a park bench later and it was off to the block party in the central of Munich. But much like the block parties of Chicago I was too busy dinking in a pub to notice much of it. German bands - eh? But old friends were abound (not mine but friends anyway) and the beer was being forced upon me.

With the party closing we ended up at Gunther Murphy's were I decided to start with Guiness and request AC/DC songs from the more than willing DJ. Just a really good old fashion drunk.

But wait there is more...

At this point I should have know better but then when do ever act on what I actually think? If we all did that what would be the point of beer in the first place?

Ok so I an standing next to some new friends and trying to aquire others of the fairer sex and I forgot that I was holding a brand new frothing Guiness in my hand. I say forgot but maybe it was just my hands memory. Either way, crash it went to the floor and I could see it in slow motion explode when it hit the floor. Shards of glass, black and white liquid bouncing upward and women scattering. It was pretty cool. Except for the shards of glass bit. But with my teammates we made quick work of the mess and then ordered anew.

Ok so now we are drunk and in a taxi heading home, but it seem that we are just a bit UNDER served and a warmdown drink is in order. Let me tell you something about late night shady bars next to the train station in Munich. Bring your Swastika. No not that bad but fuck pretty bad and we were almost recruited. Jesus how do you avoid an argument in a bar with a Nazi? Lots of nodding and a few ya vols.

But we drank for hours there until we finally had our fill - friends all. Yikes.

OK I gotta go now. It is Sunday and that means Hoff Brau House (speaking of Nazis, Hitler, et al). But that is in the past and the Hoff Brau is I am sure a much different place than it was back in 39. But I will have to tell you that tale AFTER it happens.

See you tommorow.............

Posted 5:30 AM by Andrew
Ah yes we are still alive but my time is short maybe shorter than I would like and if this German keyboard sucked any more I would have to pay it 20 euros. Where do they think the Y is supposed to be anyway?

OK getting down to the nitty. We made Munich and with the help of my Chemist we were well rested! Cheers Chrisy.

We did this and that but if that was drinking we did more of that than this. In some sort of twist of fate I had a whole school or flock or gaggle of Peruvian bonitas in stiches last night. I seems that the demise of my Spanish has been greatly exagerated. They were starving for another Latino to hablar with and I had to fill the bill. I was so happy not to speak Geramn (as if I could) that we danced and talked all night.

Ahora, Clark is still out from last night so I stole some time from the schedule to put this to paper (web).

But to wrap up - We met Eddie, Clark´s old Munich lad and got loaded at a club with a Brasialin band in Munich with girls from Peru.

Oh and the veal was great too.

More tomorrow when I have a full day and hopefully am more inspired.

Ha the line for this computer has vanished so I can go on. I just need to avoid word that use - y.

Words like kraut, schnitzle etc dont use y so .......

I digress as always (damn y) but we are rummored to be off tothe English Garden today where all the Super Models of Munich are naked in the Sun.

I could talk more about last night but my thoughts are toward the future as I see visions of naked germans dancing in my head and arguments about Peru verses Brasil in my future. "Pele, Ronaldo, Rivaldo," I will say.

"Machu Picchu," will be the response and who can argue. The virtues of each are of great national pride. But Brasil will still kick there ass in football!

Asta manyana o asta pronto. Qui sais!

Posted 12:36 PM by Andrew
Right the job. It would seem that by now I would be looking for such. Enjoying life is one thing but in polite society one is expected to work. I can remember last year when I was contemplating my eventual demise at the meat grinder at a Holiday Party.

“What will you do?” I was asked.

Of course you know my response was nothing. After all why would I ever want to work again?

“You will get bored,” was his response.

Bull shit. I have been out of work now for a while and boredom is hardly become an issue. I suppose that by me writing this and other things; or reading the classics; or even just enjoying time with friends has kept me from this predicted boredom. So its not boredom that keeps me from the rat race, there is a new feeling that I get once in a while now – guilt.

Yeah that old fucker is gnawing at my gut. The irony is that it is the emotion that I often find the most easily to suppress. I hope that it will pass or a least be re-suppressed. It will have to be because I am not getting a job any time soon unless is bussing tables at a Hungarian night club. I visited a night club once in Milan and I have always thought that it would be nice to work in one. But I digress. Guilt or not job be damned. There is still too much to do and so much to see. The trabajo will have to wait.

But what about the girl? Will my Funemployment be considered a faulty attribute? Or maybe my lack of motivation toward obtaining society’s hand-cuffs is worse. I mean what woman would want a starving artisan. Stay-at-home dads are surly hard to come by but are they in demand? I suppose that it could be fiscally responsible with today’s women. I already know of a few examples but few is the operative word. Economic and social class often goes hand in hand but it is not the rule. So while a woman can support a man economically, is that practice considered proper socially?

I will tackle that and more when I return.

PS I still have that boat trip story to finish so don't let me off the hook yet.

Posted 6:32 PM by Andrew
Boy have I had time to think. Without work for so long now introspection becomes a way of life. Although all change seems to occur slowly if you pick a point in the past that you remember about yourself and compare it to your present, inevitably you will find change. For good or ill, change is constant.

There is a word – ill. That is what I was 7 months ago. I had let myself evolve into a character that played a part not congenial with my spirit. I see now how it can happen and will continue to look for signs of a relapse. My tale started years ago and was driven entirely on money.

“Money so they say, is the root of all evil today,” Rodger Waters once try to explain to me. But blinded by ambition, I could not see the trees to through the forest. My rut had become so deep that I knew nothing else but to keep moving forward – to what end was irrelevant. Forward was my conditioned duty. Money and Options at one point were my incentives but after six years I even lost sight of that.

Like Sisyphus condemned in Tartarus to an eternity of rolling a boulder uphill then watching it roll back down again, I too had a boulder – a Boeing 757 that left for some distant city every Monday morning. People who say that air travel is glamorous haven’t been on the 6 AM to Oakland for 45 Mondays in a row.

If the travel was bad then the job was a meat grinder - a grinder that chewed up so many before me. Get out they would say. There are other jobs out there. But I had sipped from the Kool-Aid. I never became intoxicated by it but, I had become a loyal servant to King and Company. It was a vicious circle, do the JOB and move on. Seattle, San Francisco, LA, OC, San Diego, Dallas, Atlanta, Boston, New York, Madison but never in Chicago. Friends were for weekends and strangers in smoke-free bars were for the weekdays.

Sleepless nights far away hotels; bags under my eyes; teeth grinding from stress; constantly being ON as the front man for a company that in the end had very little loyalty to me. 9/11 changed all that – not so much for me but for the economy. The indirect actions of those crazy blood thirty terrorists eventually led to my termination in December of 2002. I still remember the sting of that day – like finding out that your girl has found a new man it hit me to the core.

Since that day I a have been trying to find myself. I have looked everywhere. London, Dublin, Rio, New Orleans, San Juan, and others but I needed only look into the mirror. With out the albatross around my neck I have discovered something that truly amazes me – a smile.

Never have I been happier. I find myself singing out loud, enjoying good books, experiencing life in a way I had all but forgotten existed. So now as the bills start to pile up, the rent is due and my unemployment is about to run out I walk around with my head held high and spring in my step.

I know I will have to work again one day but that job will be one that I will not depend on to define my soul.

Posted 11:54 AM by Andrew
StreetWise Column
The Chicago White Sox hosted the Major League All-Star game this month at U.S. Cellular Field. It was an exciting weekend with a highly contested Home Run Derby on Monday followed by a thrilling game on Tuesday. Hank Blaylock’s two run home run in the 8th gave the American League the win in the Mid-Summer’s Classic and by way of a new All-Star Game rule, home field advantage for the American League in this year’s World Series. It is unclear whether or not that the new rule, designed to give the managers and players incentive to win, added to the competitiveness of the game but the game was just that. The question now Chicago baseball fans on either side of Madison Avenue are asking – Is that it? Has Chicago baseball reached its baseball climax?

Entering the second half of the season both teams have left themselves still in contention in the race for the play-offs. Not so much because they are dominating but because they are treading water with their division rivals. The White Sox are 4 games under .500 and yet only 7 games off the pace of surprising Kansas City Royals, and the Cubs are at .500 and only three games off the pace set by the Houston Astros.

Each team is in a division that is winnable thanks to the weak competition in each. So what now? What can put these teams over the top and separate them for the pack? Let me offer some free advice to both teams. Well not free, after all StreetWise does cost a dollar.

Starting with the White Sox –
• Get the bullpen in order. Not an easy task to be sure but Billy Koch the closer that the Sox traded for in the off season needs to some how find his velocity again. The flame throwing reliever is relying too much on his curve ball and he is getting hurt and hence the Sox are losing games late in the game that they thought that should be winning.
• Find the offense. Just taking a look at the Sox lineup, one would think that they would be murdering other teams offensively. But this is hardly the case. The late additions of Roberto Alomar and Carl Everett should add to an already potent line up but until Paul Konerko and Jose Valentin play to their potential the offensive will continue to sputter.
• Beat Kansas City. With 13 games left against the division leader the Sox still can control their own fate. Getting up for big games against the Cubs seems to be easy for the Sox but that intensity needs to carry over for teams in their own division as well.

And for the Cubs –
• Get an offensive third baseman. Obvious right? The platoon of Jose Hernandez and Lenny Harris is a disaster. Each player bats less than .200 and Hernandez leads the league in strikeouts and is on pace to break the all time record. Neither player plays defense terribly well, so and upgrade is desperately needed here. A defense player who can’t hit or an offensive player that can’t field would both sadly be upgrades for the Cubs.
• Find a 5th starter. The Cubs’ strength is their pitching and they have a deep farm system for of young arms. Todd Wellemeyer and Juan Cruz should be given a chance to succeed in this role both are highly touted players with big league futures but maybe their future is now. Shawn Estes the current 5th started is a bust for every good game he has he gets clobbered three times. With their anemic offense the Cubs need to out pitch teams and Estes rarely pulls his weight.
• Don’t panic about center field. Tom Goodwin has done a good job at the top of the order since Corey Patterson went down with a knee injury. Patterson will be back next year and to see the Cubs trade prospects for a temporary fix will hurt the team in the long run. After a slow start Goodwin has become the lead-off hitter that the Cubs have been looking for – at least for this year.

Both North and South Siders have the second half of the season to look forward to but the road will not be easy for either side. The reality is that if either or both teams make the play-offs the starting pitches on each team can dominate in a 5 or 7 game series. Who knows? Maybe the All-Star game was just the beginning of exciting baseball here in Chicago.

Posted 11:14 PM by Andrew
It has been a while hasn’t it? Much has happened since last we spoke and until now much of it has gone undocumented. The reasons for this lapse are many but first and foremost are the lack of time to do the story properly. Since the last installment I have been on a true Summer of AJ binge that surely will not end soon. At least I see no light at the end of the tunnel. It all started on Flag Day a rather mundane holiday but one that coincided with the Old Town Art Fair. This of course means only one thing: Party at AJ’s. This year it was 5 ½ kegs and it would have been more if the keg men had showed up on schedule. Their tardiness caused the party to fizzle. With out any beer parties tend to do just that. A party that was red hot at 6 o’clock was nothing but a get together at 8 added to this proof. When the Coppers showed up at midnight it was officially over. “Clean up this God Damn mess right now,” they said.

Yeah sure just don’t mind the bong on the table, I thought. It all should have ended then. I was a sign as bright as the neon of Las Vegas but to my eyes as dark as this smoky Traverse City bar. That’s right Traverse City. Sitting here writing this I am waiting for the models we met last night. But let us not jump around.

I left only days before. It took 60 hours to sail here but it felt like 60 days. 10 cases of beer, 10 handles of booze, half rum and the other vodka, and a plethora of the usual recreationals. 6 guys in a 34 foot sailboat cruisin and boozin and smokin and tokin.

But let me finish this later all this talk about - I just had an idea. Stay tuned

Posted 5:29 PM by Andrew
StreetWise Column
So the NBA draft has come to pass again and the Bulls not surprisingly had a relatively high draft pick. A pick that surely would allow them to continue to build this fledgling franchise. Looking at last years team and the strengths and weakness of it, you would assume that the emergence of Eddy Curry and Tyson Chandler at Center and Power Forward respectively would preclude the Bulls from making a high selection in these two positions. Curry led the league in Field Goal percentage and Chandler's rebounding and shot blocking has slowly started to impress. It seems that they are both on the verge of having break out years.

Shaquille O'Neal has indicated that Curry is the toughest Center he has played against last year. High praises from one of the best Centers to ever play the game. And many teams including the Minnesota Timberwolves have inquired as to the availability of Chandler.

Jalen Rose the Small Forward is a team leader and while he does not shoot the ball particularly well he does have the shooters mentality that every team needs during crunch time in close games. His experience can not be replaced easily but his skills at that position could be upgraded. Especially with a young protégé to follow in his foot steps in one or two years.

At shooting guard they have, well, uh. Well they have no one. The guys that play there now are solid contributors on defense and rebound well but lets face it they have not Iverson, Bryant, Jordan type of player that separates them from other teams. The scoring from this position, a scoring position, is dreadful.

Last year the Bulls had a glut at Point Guard with Jay Williams and Jamal Crawford both at times playing well but both after bad games blaming the lack of playing time on their dismal efforts. They used to playing a lot as most Point Guards tend to do and to share the time on the court was to infringe on their game. An easy excuse to be sure to one with some merit. Talks of trading one of them often came up. A bizarre situation because both are so young that you would expect that they be allowed to grow and prosper. The Bulls invested heavily into these guys and it would seem that they would so reciprocity and give the same effort back. If nothing else the Bulls should have learned from this lesson.

An off season motorcycle accident by Jay Williams gave Crawford the job at point and many believe that he can handle the job. He is slowly but surly gaining experience and when he finds his jumper he is all but unstoppable.

So who do the Bulls draft? Kirk Hinrich? The Point Guard from Kansas is a good player but at what position will he play. If Jay Williams comes back from injury are we in for a three way battle at Point Guard? It seems hard to believe that the Bulls would select at this position but it seems that they will not learn from past mistakes. Even if Williams career is over after the accident the fact the two point guards on the same team just does not work.

With the number seven pick in the draft the Bulls should be improving the team but I am afraid that they have only started more bickering, feuding, and dissention that will ultimately end the coaching career of Bill Cartwright.

Posted 1:06 PM by Andrew
StreetWise Column

So this is what it is like. Cubs’ fans, at least Cubs fans born before 1940, have never experienced this before. Sure there were playoff experiences in 1984, 1989, and 1998 but early departures from those playoff series left Cubs faithful wanting more. The futility of the Cubs is well known around here but not this year. As the Cubs geared up to play the Yankees both teams were in first place. A coincidence? Or was it foreshadowing in the fanatic story that is becoming larger than life on the corner of Clark and Addison.

It was only days after the whole world was shocked by Sammy Sosa after it was discovered that he used cork in his bat in order to gain an advantage. Why he resorted to cheating is up for debate but the frenzy created by it was like being witness to a shark attack. Sammy’s reputation was bleeding into the water and every shark or reporter wanted a bite.

After the Cubs lost the first game of the series it became apparent that the Saturday game between Kerry Wood and Roger Clemens would be a game that the Cubs had to win. It was also a game the Clemens had to win. After trying to win his 300th game three times already, Clemens was facing a pitcher in Wood that grew up idolizing him.

Roger Clemens going for his 300th victory; Kerry Wood pitching against Clemens; the Yankees at Wrigley Field for the first time since 1938; the Cubs and the Yankees trying to maintain their perch in first place.

It was a circus and all that was missing was the clowns. Well Ronny Woo-Woo was there so maybe the clowns were not even missing.

The game went as expected with both pitchers effectively shutting down the other team’s offense until the 5th inning when Japanese slugger Matsui blasted a Wood mistake over the left field wall to give the Yankees a one run lead. A feat that did not go unnoticed by the throngs of media from the Far-East, as the let out a cheer unique to any press box.

The Yankees and Clemens maintained that lead until the 7th when Eric Karros, who came in for the injured Hee Seop Choi, blasted a first pitch three run homer off the screen to give the Cubs a 3-1 lead. Wrigley Field has never been louder. Karros a lifetime Los Angles Dodger until coming over to the Cubs with Mark Grudzielanek in the Todd Hundley trade this winter officially became a Cub. His clutch Homer Run that beat the New York Yankees will go down in Cubs history as one of the greatest plays of all time. A rather short list.

The World Series is still a long way off for both of these teams but the feeling in the air was as if everyone knew they would meet again in October. It is a habit for the Yankee fans but uncharted territory for the Cubs’ faithful. Uncharted or not it seems that the rest of the league is starting to notice that these Cubs are not going away. They will battle in every phase of the game but it is the starting rotation that has to be scaring the others.

The Cubs will go as far as the starters will take them and if this weekend is any indication, that will be far.

Posted 1:01 PM by Andrew
Sorry - That last thing I wrote was completely drug induced. Please ignore. I am currently seeking help for this and all my other afflictions. These "afflictions" only casue the voices in my head to yell louder and yet ironically with less clarity. But might I be lonely without these voices? Perhaps. But then again no.

Damn voices! They're back. Again please ignore last post. Go here instead. It will distract you from this gibberish if only for a momment. It might be you only chance. It's too late for me.

Posted 6:43 AM by Andrew
It’s the beginning of the end - A cliché that has been used throughout time and often during Underdog’s adventures with Penelope Purebred. It seems that it might apply to me this time. Life has always fascinated me in ways that only the first person can understand. I guess in this case I am trying to explain it to you. Whether you learn from it is not important but what is, is that you understand it. A few short months ago I was living high. I was being paid well. My job was my routine. A safe place I could always fall back to. It had structure. Do this and then this will happen – a cause and effect scenario that offered comfort. Traveling around the globe to do the job left me with no time to reflect on it. Sure I was comfortable but was I happy?

Define happiness, you might say. And I would have no answer for you. Much like the hamster that wants to be free but is happy to settle for a run in the tread wheel, I was happy. The difference here is that the hamster does not know any better. But he does not know any worse either. He knows where his food is; he knows where his water is; and he knows where his tread wheel is. The environmental variables that fill up the slots in his mind tell him these things, while his genetic programming tells him WHAT he needs. The hamster’s environs is all he knows but why does that make him different? After all what more besides OUR environs do we know?

Isn’t the El Train just a giant hamster toy filled with instead people? More later.

Posted 3:29 PM by Andrew
Excepts from an email:
You found it? How? Where did you look? I have been looking for years. Even though I am a professional writer and this email could contain long and deep thoughts about the hopes, dreams and fears of said writer, it won't.

Or maybe it should. Why not anyway start and intend to finish later? A promise that I might not keep. So who has the introspective to be able to talk about these things with any semblance? Me? Well maybe more than most but I am afraid that no matter what prose flows through my fingertips would only be scratching the surface of what some would call my soul. But who knows if a soul even exists? Are we the sum of our experiences or are we on a path set forth by divine intervention? But that lead you to believe that I am a believer in Existentialism. Something that I am unsure of myself but isn't that the point?

Who Knows these things? Darwin and Niche had ideas but they were just that - Ideas. They knew no more than me but they acted like they did. A dangerous concept for the Dark Ages where people believed what they were told and Not what they knew. Religion was spawned from this and then rather than believe that their god was not the Right One, conflicts were started to rationalize the beliefs they were forced to believe in the first place. How can your god be better than mine? How indeed? But killing the "non-believer?" Isn't that what god would tell us Not to do?

And then there is Love. What is that all about? Love the Cubs. Love the flowers. Love the city. But screw thy neighbor? None of it makes sense.

Kinda like this email.

Posted 11:11 PM by Andrew
If you surf the web, and I assume that you do if you are reading this, then you have seen these IQ tests that are offered for 'free'. Friday night deep in the recesses of my dank cave I get to answer a barrage of questions designed to test me on my mathematical, visual-spatial, linguistic and logical skills. The IQ is not about knowledge. It does not matter that you know that in 1492 - Columbus sailed the ocean blue. What matters is your ability to solve problems and to think rationally - a scary thought if you truly know me. So what the hell right? Anything to pass the time for a while in between days. With no rendez-vous avec ma nouvelle petite amie, and by her advice, I am resting tonight. If it seems strange that I am taking advice from a woman...well that is another story. So after a long tube and a few mental laps to get warmed up I dive right in.

The questions all involved word play, pattern matching with numbers and shapes and parallelism between statements. There are 40 of them and I finish in about 20 minutes. Rather quickly I thought but confidence has never truly eluded me. I won't tell you my score because you would think that I was either a braggart or a dumb ass and I would rather you just think of me as AJ.

I will however share this interesting bit of data that the computer spit out after my test was over: "We compared your answers with others who have taken the test, and according to the sorts of questions you got correct, we can tell your Intellectual Type is an Insightful Linguist. The first thing we can tell you about that is you have the natural fluency of a writer and the visual and spatial strengths of an artist. Those skills contribute to your creative and expressive mind."

Insightful Linguist? Strange days. I would have never guessed the result. Although I am a writer now - mostly out of lack of a 'real job,' my skills have always been in the realm of math and science. Fuck I have Chemistry and Finance degrees to illustrate my point. But now I question my devotion to these things. Certainly understanding the universe and how to handle money are valuable skills and I would not trade back my education for a rerun but I have to wonder if my life's path was followed.

There have been many forks in the road and many decisions have been in my past and now I am here writing for StreetWise and this Blog. So maybe I have found myself, maybe my calling has finally been realized, maybe content and happiness are right around the corner.

Or maybe the test was just a bunch of crap and I believe just what I want to believe.

Posted 10:02 PM by Andrew
I was gonna talk about that but...

Sammy Sosa was caught with a corked bat Tuesday night at Wrigley Field. This of course to all that don't know is CHEATING. The process of corking a bat involves stuffing the inside of a bat with cork or other light weight material in order to make it lighter. The lighter bat is easier to swing through the strike zone and with this increased bat speed the batter can wait a little longer before having to commit to the pitch. This extra time offers the hitter and edge on the pitcher.

So will a corked bat help? Answer is probably no; players nowadays are using light bats anyway which means that the percentage gain that the player would get is hardly worth the risk in getting caught. And the breakage risk goes up with a corked bat as the structurally integrity degrades giving more chance to forever be labeled as "that guy." The last slugger to get caught was Cleveland's Albert on July 15, 1994. Belle was given a 10-day “vacation” for his trouble, but it was later lowered to seven. A fate that surely awaits Sosa.

So why would Senior Sammy stoop so low as to risk tarnishing his image with a bush league stunt like this? The reputation that he has worked so hard to protect for many years is potentially all gone with the shattered splinters of his bat.

Sammy contends that it was a mistake. "I'm just trying to go and get ready for the game, and I picked the wrong bat," Sosa proclaimed.

As a Chicagoan, you want to believe him. All those home runs that last few years cleared the fences by plenty and a corked bat would not have made a difference either way, you tell yourself.

Dusty Baker the Cubs Manager and Sosa backer said, “"I believe him. You can only believe a man until he's proven wrong. In our society, you're supposed to be innocent until proven guilty.” And he is right but Sosa was proven guilty. All those splinters and cork was the evidence and he was caught. But how deep does the guilt go? Can we discount all of Sosa’s accomplishments based on this single incident?

Probably not. But considering that since Sosa came of the disabled list for problems with his big toe - he has been nothing but a strike out machine including five times last Saturday before his game winning hit late in the game. Is it unreasonable to think that Sammy would resort to the corked bat? While it is proven that the corked bat with less weight will reduce the distance generated by contact, it is also known that a the lighter bat will afford more bat speed and allow the batter to wait just a bit longer before he has to swing. With Sosa’s lack of contact recently, it would seem that maybe he was desperate to get back to form and desperate people resort to despite measures.

So the conclusions we must draw here is that Sosa is guilty for using a corked bat and should pay the price for his actions. He pays the price not for cheating but for getting caught cheating. But unless someone has proof of other misgivings the verdict of his actions previous to the infamous event can only be returned as Not Guilty. Remember we are all innocent until ….. well you know the rest.

Posted 12:26 PM by Andrew
"War is over, if you want it." - John Lennon

Wiser words I have never heard spoken. The trouble is - no one is listening and the messenger is dead.

Posted 10:29 PM by Andrew
Well I bet you thought that you were done with me for the day. But that is not the case, I had to offer more, something else had to be said. Why you ask? Reason number one is THE DAMN CABLE WENT OUT. There is no reason two - doesn't have to be. But what topic can get my juices going at this hour? We already covered the cable bit. The Young Guns were tripping on Peyote when the white noise showed up. Maybe we can pick up where they left off.

I once took a handful of mescaline in the middle of the Black Rock Desert in Northern Navada during the Burning Man Festival. Dr Thompson once said that mescaline enhances reality while acid by contrast distorts it. I won't argue this and to say that it changed my life would be a misjustice to the complexity of my soul. BUT it did change my afternoon.

Walking around a desert in nothing but a sarong trying to find the Answers, can casue a man to even doubt that they exist. Every answer that can be located is always attached to more questions until you look around and there are giant fire breathing snakes coming out of the blood soaked walls and some guy named Ricky is passing out nitrus balloons in your direction.

Your pain is eased when you realize that 45,000 other lost souls are in the desert with you. Most looking for the same. So you carefully avoid the snakes and make the pilgrimage with your brothers. Some are more lost than you, some are further down the road. Helping those in need and getting help from those that can give. A symbiotic ecosystem that has existed for years but has been forgotten by most. Take care of each other - take care of the planet - jam to the beat. Seems simple.

No I think the key is not to Look for the answers. It seems that they run from you when you want them. But if you ignore them they always seem to be around the corner or under the bed. Just like cats.

When I look back on that day and that week, I don’t remember the blazing hot days or the cool nights but what I will never forget was the people. The realization that finding the answers is a futile battle when you go it alone but great things can happen when you can get a little help from your friends.

Oh and stay away from those damn snakes – once they get under your skin it is up to you. No one can wage a Psychic War in a foreign battlefield. Even with the best of intentions.

Adeus

Posted 2:06 PM by Andrew
So it’s Monday - again. Seems like it comes every week around this time. The symptoms are always the same. Sleepiness, 3-day beard, coughing and hacking. It is truly a great thing that I do not have a job. Other than writing that is. It is the only job that fits my lifestyle. Hemmingway, Thompson, Poe. These guys had the right idea years before I came around. Pioneers I would call them. So now the long road back from my weekend of depravity begins. Gatorade and cigarettes never seem to help but it is the only cure that I know about other than time. And I am flush with time. So here I sit watching William Wallace hand it to Longshanks, with my Gatorade, Marlboros, and keyboard, knowing all along how the story goes but playing it out till the end.

Just like always

PS Look Ally no spelling errors

Posted 5:56 PM by Andrew
In the Press Box again. Free baseball and I get the call from Coach. He tells me that we need to go to the pen. The pen being Yak-see's. So thats IT. I am gone unlees the Cubs can score. No wait I am gone.

Adeus.

Posted 5:15 PM by Andrew
So back at the press box again. The Cubs can't score again. Free lunch again. Just another day during the Summer of AJ. Did I say summer? It is frickin freezin here at Beautiful Wrigley Field (Sorry was that too much Chip Carey there). Well at least the Astros can't score either. Speaking of guys that can't score...well never mind. I could go all day about that one. But why would I? That sorta stuff is really just for me anyway.

Now back to the game - bases juiced, 2 outs, tie game, this is where Zambrano needs to make his money. 110 mph line drive but everybodies fav Korean snags it and we go to the bottom of the 8th.

Cubs get second and third one out and fail to score - sound familar?

Posted 4:27 PM by Andrew
Jody Davis just sang the 7th inning - I am going to pack up shake his hand and get the fuck outta here.

Posted 3:32 PM by Andrew
Beth called me in the booth here at Wrigley and discussed Rio for NEXT Carnival - she has her shit together. I don't know where I will be at 7 PM tonight but her Feb plans are set. :)

Well I think that brings everyone up to speed here. The press box is starting to ask each other about the ability of the Cubs to withstand the division and that is never a good sign. 6-0 in the 5th and here comes Juan Cruz - oh brother. Tomorrow is a must win all of the sudden. I hate Must Wins.

Stay tuned for more updates to the Summer Of AJ.

Posted 3:26 PM by Andrew
StreetWise Column

Well we are finally here. The New York Yankees are in town for a three game series this weekend starting this Friday. The last time the Bronx Bombers visited the Friendly Confines was during the World Series in 1938. On their way through Chicago like Sherman through Atlanta they swept the Cubs four games to none. The anomaly is not because the Yankees have failed to make the World Series since then, they have done it 29 times. And of course it is a well-known fact around here that the Cubbies have been the “lovable losers” without a Fall Classic appearance since 1945.

The Cubs postseason futility has made these games 65 years in the making. Even with this lack of recent history, one of the most famous events in baseball happened between these two clubs. On October 1, 1932 Yankee Babe Ruth hit his alleged "called shot" off Charlie Root in Game 3 of World Series. The Babe had two strikes on him as the story goes and in an effort to show up the Cubs hurler pointed to the Center Field fence. He then promptly deposited the next pitch over the wall in the direction he pointed. The Yankees went on to win the World Series.

But with the invention of inter-league play where American League teams can play National League teams during the regular season has offered the opportunity for this match up without the necessity of a World Series. When this game was announced back in the cold winter months, excitement was abound. Cubs’ fans thought of this as a novelty. A nice little distraction that would keep their minds off the traditional June Swoon, the beginning of the end for the Cubs every year. This was evidenced by the immediate popularity of this three game set. At press time the tickets prices through scalpers are $225 for bleachers and $500 for Box seats. Quite a mark up over retail and even the normal gouging that occurs on the corner of Sheffield and Waveland.

But while this is all going on, Manager Dusty Baker is trying to convince us all that none of this history matters. These games are about the present not about the past he would say. And in an ironic twist both teams are competing for their division titles, turning this series into more than just a distraction. While most of the Cub faithful is still not convinced that this is the year and local reporters keep reminding the players that they eventually be doomed by some curse, Dusty has the boys playing meaningful games in June against the Yankees.

This is all a big change for Cubs’ fans. The starting pitchers have won 22 games so far including Matt Clement who has only two victories but has the stuff to turn it around. The Cubs bullpen with only a few exceptions has been exemplary. Moises Alou, Mark Grudzielanek, Cory Patterson, Alex Gonzalez and the combination of Hee Seop Choi and Eric Karros have all played big so far this year. But without a third baseman, a healthy Sammy Sosa, a little more offensive help from the catchers, and a trade or two; the meaningful games may not extrapolate into September and October.

Playing the Yankees in June will be exciting and historical but playing the Yankees in October would be EXCITING and HISTORICAL.

Posted 3:25 PM by Andrew
I got back to Chicago and believe it or not met Shannon at the bar on the way to the Wrigley Press Box for a 7 PM game. Hits and Houch nand awsy we went. I got back and then crashed until Thursday. Then of course $1 Buds at McGee's. The rest is history

Posted 3:23 PM by Andrew
Sunday I did not know whether to toss cooks or drink. Some gambling but mostly people watching as the Club Rubber was having a party ($100 cover - 100 yard long line). Lots and lots of half naked women. Lots!

Oh sit as I type this Estes is getting rocked four thru four. Bum.

Now back to Vegas: Spent the rest of the night grieving at a BJ table AND losing. The drinks would not go down and the ones that made it did not work anymore. I had to retire at around midnight or so. Club Rubber was having the party OUTSIDE our window until 4 AM. Fuckin Christ. Booom. Booom. Booom. Booom. Booom. Booom. Booom. Booom. Booom. Booom. Booom. All night long till 4 AM

Hold on Sosa is up - Strikeout

Sem and boys left at 6 AM and I stayed anohter day by the pool. Then I booked a flight to come home earlier. I had too. I was done

Posted 2:58 PM by Andrew
Friday it was Vegas. Tuesday was the return and all in the middle is one big blur. We stayed a The Palms. Went to Rain - that was so so. At least that is how I remember it. Next thing I do remember was waking up around noon and going to the pool. But confirmed sources say that I was at the OG. Not good not to remember that. Then it was gamble day Saturday BJ at the Palms, and then Craps at the Hard Rock were we all desperatly looked for Beth's friend Darlene from SF. Never happened but as we waited and looked I won a ton on craps - go figure. The back to the Palms and more winnng Balck Jack. I could not go wrong. Even my mistakes were paying out. Seven AM and off to the OG again - why do I go there. I just give all my money back.

Posted 2:48 PM by Andrew
Well I am back. It has been a while I know. I had no idea people actually read this shit until my boy BA asked what the fuck was going on with the summer of aj. Well lets get everyone up to speed.

Clark's birthday party was last Thurs. After some good afternoon drinking I arrived at the Fireplace with some drinkin buddies, Cannon and Chief. After dinner and many drinks, North Park Tap was the nexy logical destination. Lots more drinks there and then Fleck, Lennes, Chief and Teps twisted my arm for hits back at my crib. It was a bad idea becase it put me over the edge. I just did not know it. Then it was on to the Ale House but with a much smaller crew. Hagen, Beth, Lisa, me and I am sure there were others but memory does not serve.

Off to bed at 3 - very late Thurs

Posted 8:38 PM by Andrew
The Cubs just lost. 5-2. They had bases loaded non out in the 9th. K. Double Play. Ballgame.

I spent 90,000 miles today on Vegas and then Budapest. Vegas this week end and Hungry in August. Good times.

Posted 6:51 PM by Andrew
As it turns out Bauer kills everyone and rescues the day. Although the next chapter begins as Palmer gets off'ed by some hot chick wearing poison gloves.

Posted 8:35 PM by Andrew
Submited site to Fark. Not sure why. Something to do I guess. Maybe it will drive traffic to my Sports Website.

Also it looks like Jack Bauer is gonna die of a heart attack while Shery gets shot by Kingsly. All this to avert bombing the Middle East - which seems quite ironic.

Posted 6:25 PM by Andrew
Sunday and Monday were days of rest. Sorry about the lack of activity. Just had nothing to say. Saturday was a late one with Shannon and Clark. Little to talk about or little was remembered. Not sure which is more true. Surely the former - I think.

Cubs got rained out today so I spent all my time reseaching Vegas airfare and studying Blackjack odds. I even made flash cards. I just have to get cracking on the study habits. The stack of cards is 4 inches tall so it looks daunting. Still not sure if I am off to Sin City but probably. The only problem is cost (40K miles). Trying to get a last minute deal is my best bet since the USA just went to Orange Alert (whatever that is). It is isure to scare some travedlers off of thier flights and pout me on for cheap!

24 is on tonight. They have a lot of splaining to do seeing how it is the last episode and the Pres is still deposed, Jack is having heart problems, and all of a sudden the sister terrorist is back. Huh? Well that's all for now.

Posted 4:10 PM by Andrew
The long Friday ended with me down $25 at the poker game right outside my room. Too many Jim Beams and I could not see straight so cards was not a good idea. Waking up at the crack of noon to watch the Cubs behind Mark Prior's 3 hits and 7 1/3 one run gem. Belhorn homered in the ninth to give the Cubs a two to one win.

Posted 3:46 PM by Andrew
Well I knocked that column of is short time considering that still have Miller Hi-Life flowing through my viens.

Posted 12:39 PM by Andrew
StreetWise Column:

This week Annika Sorenstam is playing in a Professional Golfers Association tournament. Yes the same PGA that seems to be in the news more for discrimination issues more than for its golfers. The plight of women and their attempt to become members of the Augusta National golf club has been well documented. Hootie and his all male bunch of blowfish must be laughing them selves silly right now after the recent backlash about Annika, a woman, playing on the men’s circuit in the Colonial in Fort Worth, TX.

Vijay Singh, one of the better players on the tour, told The Associated Press that Sorenstam had no business playing in this week's Colonial and said that if he were to get paired up with her he would withdraw from the tournament. Not much of a threat considering that they would never be paired together, but a threat nonetheless.

"I hope she misses the cut. Why? Because she doesn't belong out here," Singh told AP as he left the locker room after the Wachovia Championship in Charlotte, N.C. "If I'm drawn with her, which I won't be, I won't play."

Although Singh later recanted, an obvious spin job, his feelings were out of the barn. According to many associated with tour, he does not stand alone on this issue. Although no official poll has been conducted, as much as ninety percent of the tour feels the same way.

The PGA has no by-laws in their charter that suggest that women cannot play and in fact they specifically allow for women and other minorities to participate in the events. I assume they never thought this would happen. Sponsored exceptions for tournaments happen all the time. Tour events need the publicly of high profile golfers in order to generate interest and of course make money. A few years ago Mark Ripken was granted one of these exemptions in order to help promote the tour event.

His exemption was hardly a blip on the radar and certainly had much less publicity than Annika’s exemption.

"This is a man's tour," Singh said. "There are guys out there trying to make a living. It's not a ladies' tour. If she wants to play, she should -- or any other woman for that matter -- if they want to play the man's tour, they should qualify and play like everybody else."

This reminds me of a joke Bill Murray once told during the Cold War. He said that we should send all of our women to the U.S.S.R. and have them attack the Soviets. If we lost the U.S. could simply say, “Well big deal you beat a bunch of women.” But if we won the tone would be different, “I can’t believe you guys lost to a bunch of women!” Either way the Soviets would be thoroughly embarrassed.

The same principle applies here. If a player beats Sorenstam then he was supposed to. But if he loses to a woman, well that is just plain embarrassing.

Well I say this - get over it guys and let her play. She has about as much chance of winning this tournament as I do with my 25 handicap. If she does fair well and beats some of the tour pros, congratulate her on her effort and move on. Just don’t act like you are afraid of her – it is not very becoming.

Posted 7:20 AM by Andrew
The Cubs won again last night 6-2 and now it is so early that the cocks are still sleeping and I am going to catch a train to Milwaukee to see the heros go for the sweep. Knock on Wood (Kerry Wood). A big win on the way to St Louis is just what the doctor needs.

Posted 9:33 PM by Andrew
Eh. What a waste of time. The 24 this week was bullshit. You might want to blow it off. Kim was rescued. Jack set up a meeting with Kingsley that is sure to go bad. Tony and Michelle get arrested by Division. The nerd is dead. Blah blah blah. Back to the Cubs up 6 - 2 bottom of the 8th.

Posted 8:06 PM by Andrew
Ok so now we gotta switch to 24. Only 2 hours left.

Posted 7:58 PM by Andrew
Sobriety. It is no way to go through life. But today . . . I had to remain so. Bills to pay, letters to send, laundry to wash, groceries to buy, dinner to cook, and liver to dry. All this had to be done between “Twice the Vice” at 1 PM and the 7 PM Cub game. I made it – barely. The Cubs also managed to set me up nicely with a 2-0 lead after 2 innings.

Posted 10:41 PM by Andrew
Ah the Cubs beat the Crew in a shoot out 11-5. 14 game road trip off to a good start. I al still contemplating about going on Thursday - I probably should. What else am I gonna do?

Posted 1:24 PM by Andrew
Well last weekend was a little over the top. Starting with Friday at Wrigley Field and floppy hat day, I ran into Torch, Wad, Chief, Johnny Long Stick, Becks, Mac, Storm, Conrad, and many others that I surely forgot. Like rats in the cage we traveled to Bernies, Toons, Yak-sees, Redmans and down to the BP. The night ended at around 5 AM and set me back for Saturday afternoon.

By Saturday night though it was off top Fireplace to hook up with Joe and Heather, and then the Skipper andf Tothy. Later it was Corigans for more brew and finding Torch again. In bed by midnight as we were all a little dryed up from Friday.

The it was Mothers Day/Dad's B-Day on Sunday at The Laundry Bar with the Cubs in the backround. We watched as the game was rained out but before it was the wind was gusting at about 50 mph. It was quite a scene with pop ups to shortstop flying out of the park and balls hit to left landing in centerfield. They finally called it in the forth when the score was 11-9. After the game is was booze time with my sisters until late. Good thing I have no job after that night!