Welcome back Carlos

Ok, so its been awhile.

Part apathy, part travel, and part sporadic internet connection.

The fact of the matter is there is lots to talk/blog about.

1.) The Astros:

The last 14 days have been baseball bliss. The Astros are sun-like hot, with only Billy-B's A's playing anywhere near as inspired. The Cards are still probably the best team in the game, but baseball is a funny sport and anything can happen in the post season.

That being said, the Astros have become a team of chemistry and will probably not make a significant trade before Sundays deadline. The price for Dunn is just way too high, meaning only the Evil Empire or the Bloody Socks can afford the price of making the deal worthwhile. The Astros may make a small deal to bolster their pitching (just in case shit), and will look for another bat, but they aren't gonna be messing with the team chemistry for sake of making a deal.

Tonight the Astros welcome back Carlos Beltran after he jilted them at their 6/yr, 100Million alter. I had hoped that Astros fans would heed Richard Justice's advice and cheer warmly for the memories that he gave the city last autumn; but alas they booed. I can understand their pain, I too am a fan (my roommates would tag that as an understatement). But I also want Houston to grow into a worldclass baseball city, requiring world class fans. St. Louis is by far the best, and they, no doubt, would have cheered Beltran's return. It's like a double fuck-you. (1) We are too classy boo you, unlike the hometown you spurned us for, and (2) We are doing just fine without you. But one small step at a time. Most Astros fans were ready to write this team off at the summers start, but they have really grown (both the fans and the team). I love how appropriately that word describes this team. If this season has any sort of exciting ending, it will go down as one of my favorites of all time ('88 Dodgers top that list).

Finally, David Schoenfield is doing a piece for ESPN2 on active players and the Hall-of-Fame. The first installment list the 20-sure fire Hall-of-Famers that are currently playing. Clemens and Bonds are number one. But Biggio and Bagwell are number 19 and 20 respectively. Now I'm not gonna write about how they were slighted and should have been slotted ahead of Miguel Cabrerra. No. Instead I want to share some of the incredible achievements Schoenfield has chronicled:

Biggio: "...one year he grounded into zero double plays while playing every game."

Bagwell: "He was such an alert, aggressive runner, he once led the majors in frequency of going from first to third on singles."

As I had mentioned earlier, the end of the Bagwell/Biggio era is pathetically hearbreaking. To see ones childhood heroes leave their familar, worn spots on the diamond is the emotionally proportional equivalent of ones grandparents crossing the river Lethe. However, as I had intimated earlier, to watch new young talent blossom under the veteran guidance of Bagwell, Biggio and now Clemens, makes this team all the more exciting and makes the story and backdrop behind the team all the more dramatic. To see young faces like Willy Tavares, Wandy Rodriguez, Lance Berkman, and Morgan Ensberg help carry the team into the dog-days of August signalizes the passing of a torch; a simultaneous sunset and sunrise that is both sad and inspiring. Kinda like Lance Armstrong's retirement.

2.) John Roberts

As Tbagged eloquently put it, this is a "politically skillful" choice. I had posted earlier when handicapping the nomination, Bush's polling numbers were such that he was stuck b/w a rock and a hard place (i.e. moderate/no-filibuster/piss-off-God-lies v. staunch/filibuster/piss-off-country). The choice of Roberts gives him a relatively confirmable nominee who is clearly a Republican (unlike David Souter), but not a member of the wing-tip (like Delay or "Santorium") and thus reasonable and rationale (at least to the extend that rationale is good thing, which, my ex has illustrated, isn't always the best defense).

In terms of the potential nominees (i.e. those Bush would consider) I liked what I knew about Roberts. Wilkinson was probably my favorite, but evidently he didn't do enough cross-training.

The money made from the last second leak of Judith Clement (was that you Karl...*wink*wink*) will pay for my next five meals. The fool who put money on Bobbitt...your man crush is unparallelled.

3.) Terror

The recent attack in London and Egypt were plainly tragic. The more terrifying aspect of the whole thing is the prospect that we can and will let fear deprive us of individual freedoms like privacy. While we no longer call it the "war on terror", "It" and Al's Internet will prove to be the battle ground on which a right like privacy is fought and defined for future generations. Do we want to be the British and have cameras everywhere and have National ID cards? Or do we want to be Americans and live freely, trusting our government and having our government trust us? At the same time, do we want consumer protections to protect against identity theft and keep our lives private? Or do we want to defer to the market so companies can continue to collect information about our habits and trends and have no practical incentive to protect that information?

Already we have seen random baggage checks starting in NY. The GOP will undoubtedly use the attacks as political fuel to push and renew the Patriot Act (what a joke title). While these might be viewed as necessary steps to protect the security of our citizens; they are in reality losses of freedom sold with fear as its sales pitch. Losses of freedom are exactly what Osama, Al-Q, Fidel, and Satan view as a "W"'s.

4.) Potpourri

I got to spend a lot of time with two buddies who will be shipped off to Afghanistan and Iraq. While they are incredibly strong individuals, anytime the topic of war was broached the uncertain fear and anxiety in their eyes was unmistakable. Life is frail, never forget that.

Last ACL Festival I experienced a Ben Harper concert which has altered and shaped my world view. I remember dancing in rhythm and singing in 6-part harmony with 15 friends and strangers during a medley of "Take My Hand" and "My Own Two Hands". I've come to believe that, like Bob Marley, Ben Harper delivers a complete livable philosophy.

Dean Koontz has written a shitload of novels. I read "Velocity" in about 8 hours. Pretty good book, definately easier to read than "Constitutional Fate" or "The Sacred and the Profane". David Foster Wallace has also found his way into my reading list. His vocabulary is Denis Miller like in a purely encyclopedic nature.

The Astros win on a 9th inning walk-off double by Ausmus. They are tied for the wildcard lead. If I can find a job and make some money, this is gonna be one helluva a August.