World Baseball Classic

The weather the last few days has been unseasonably warm (YAY!) and with that comes thoughts of Spring -- and baseball.

I spent the day shredding old bills and watching one game after another in the World Baseball Classic. I missed most of the first round last week (I guess it's for the best that I didn't see Panama get owned), but the level of gameplay I saw today was pretty good. Cuba vs. Venezuela lacked intensity, but the relief pitcher, Lazo, was really good. He came in with the bases loaded and no one out and shut Venezuela down. How long before he defects? A lot of clubs would want him.

Next, I watched the U.S. vs Japan. That was good until the U.S. stole the game. Shameful! The score was tied 3-3 in the eighth inning and Japan had a man on third. A fly ball was hit deep and the Japanese player tagged up and scored easily from third. Then the manager for the U.S. complained to the umps and said that the guy had left the bag early -- and they overturned the call! The U.S. went on to score in the bottom of the 9th and "won" the game. CHEATERS!

Right now I'm watching Puerto Rico vs. the Dominican Republic. The crowd is pumped up because Puerto Ricans and Dominicans have a "rivalry" (i.e. they don't like each other). I thought the Dominicans would be running away with this game already, but so far Puerto Rico is ahead, 4-1.

So, the WBC seems pretty good so far. Of course, the minute a major leaguer gets hurt, there will be problems.

BSG: Lay Down Your Burdens, Part 2

It's official. This show is no longer on my "must see" list.

The new season won't start until October, but it won't seem like a long wait because I don't care what happens anymore. I no longer like any of the characters.

--

The attack on Kara's people and Anders' group ends and after about 18 hours the humans come out and discover the Cylons are gone. Brother Cavil (Dean Stockwell) declares it's a miracle. Of course, since we know Cavil is simultaneously on the Galactica, we know he's a Cylon. Tyrol ID's him when Kara's group arrives back on Galactica. Cavil says he has a message -- the Cylons have abandoned Caprica and the Colonies because "the heroes of the Cylon" -- Sharon and Number Six -- have persuaded the race that they were wrong to wipe out humanity. Gee, that was easy!

Laura meets privately with Baltar and urges him to make a joint statement with her tabling the talk of settling on New Caprica until after the election. He refuses and sees it as a sign of desperation on her part. Before he goes she reveals to Baltar that she saw him on Caprica on the day of the attack with "the blond Cylon." He denies it.

The presidential campaign is over and the votes are being counted. Surprise! There's voting fraud, but guess what? It's Laura's people who are behind it. Innocent Gaeta discovers that the ballots from one of the last freighters to be counted were frauds. Amazingly, the conspiracy involved Laura's campaign manager, Col. Tigh, and Dualla -- a very unlikely group. Gaeta, distrusting Tigh, reports the fraud directly to Adama, and Adama comes to Laura with the news. She admits that she knew her campaign manager was going to try something if the votes got too tight. She tells him about Baltar and his connection to the Cylons, and urges him to help her go ahead with the fraudulent election. He talks her out of it and Baltar is contacted to let him know he's now President.

Baltar celebrates by going over to the Rising Star to screw Gina, the Pegasus Number Six. She celebrates by detonating the nuclear bomb he gave her, destroying the Rising Star and killing God knows how many more innocent people.

Suddenly it's a year later.

WTF?

President Baltar, bored but still whoring, is dealing with a union strike. Only a handful of people are still on the Galactica and the Pegasus with the rest now living on New Caprica. Laura is a school teacher again. Callie is pregnant with Tyrol's child. Kara has married Anders, who spends his time playing pickup ballgames in the mud while fighting off pneumonia.

Guess what suddenly happens?

The humans are caught with their pants down once again as Cylon raiders fill the sky. The two battlestars and the rest of the fleet jump away, leaving those on the planet on their own. Some human Cylon models march into Baltar's office and he quickly surrenders on behalf of what's left of humanity.

End of season 2.

Things I Liked

• Nothing.


• Okay, I liked the fact that Laura didn't go through with stealing the election.

Things I Didn't Like

• The flash forward to a year later was bullshit. It's an obvious dream sequence coming from Baltar's mind. I thought the writers of this show were above cheesy sci-fi "twists" like that.

UPDATE: This may not be a dream sequence. Read more here.

Texting for Help, Part 2

The story today is that the girl met this 19-year-old guy on myspace.com and she's gone to see him at Newport Centre mall several times. She voluntarily met him on the street on Monday, cut school and went to his house.

Though the guy may end up being charged with statutory rape, the case is very different than what was first reported.

Texting for Help

Another weird case today in the New York/New Jersey area. A family whose daughter never made it to school on Monday contacted the media yesterday to tell them that she (or someone) has been sending mysterious text messages indicating that she was being held against her will. The family insisted that the girl, Natasha Browne, wasn't the sort to be involved in a hoax and that she must really be in trouble.

On the news at noon today it was reported that the girl turned up in Brooklyn and she's been reunited with her parents.

I think it's great that the girl's back home safe and sound, but the whole thing sounds so bogus to me. What are the odds that someone would abduct you, hold you for days, molest you, but not take away your cell phone? And how come she could send text messages but not call? Is this simply a case of a girl who stayed out past her curfew and decided to come up with an elaborate explanation so that she wouldn't get in trouble?

Read more...

St. Guillen Murder

A murder has been consuming the New York media for the last two weeks. On February 25 a young woman originally from Boston was in a bar with some friends. Her friends wanted to call it a night, but she didn't. They left her and she stayed in the bar until the wee hours of the morning.

Imette St. Guillen never made it home. An anonymous phone call tipped off the cops as to where her body was hours later. Evidence shows she was raped. The body was wrapped in a sheet, there was duct tape on her, a sock was stuffed down her throat, etc.

The latest update on the case is that a bouncer at the club is the prime suspect. He was on parole and, with a 9 p.m. curfew, he was never supposed to be working at a bar at 4 a.m. anyway. It looks like they may have the guy.

But my thing is this:

• Did she really need to get her drink on so bad that she just had to stay out all night by herself? That's just not safe.

• She had some shitty friends. How could you leave your drunk female friend alone in a bar?

Read more...

What Kind of Soul Are You?

Stolen from Barriss Offee's Meme Blog:

You Are a Prophet Soul

You are a gentle soul, with good intentions toward everyone. Selfless and kind, you have great faith in people. Sometimes this faith can lead to disappoinment in the long run. No matter what, you deal with everything in a calm and balanced way. You are a good interpreter, very sensitive, intuitive, caring, and gentle. Concerned about the world, you are good at predicting people's feelings. A seeker of wisdom, you are a life long learner looking for purpose and meaning. You are a great thinker and communicator, but not necessarily a doer. Souls you are most compatible with: Bright Star Soul and Dreaming Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

I must've messed up somewhere. This doesn't go with being an evil princess.

R.I.P. Kirby Puckett

Nooooo!

How can Kirby be dead? :(

Baseball Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett, who helped lead the Minnesota Twins to World Series titles in 1987 and 1991, died Monday after suffering a stroke over the weekend, the team announced. He was 45.

Puckett was in a Phoenix, Arizona, hospital after suffering a stroke Sunday at his Scottsdale home and undergoing neurosurgery.

He "was given last rites and passed away this afternoon," said a statement issued by his family. "Kirby's family and friends thank his fans for their thoughts and prayers."

Read more...

Taxes

I did my taxes yesterday. I used Turbo Tax, as I have for the last seven years or so. I kept better records this year, but it still took about four hours to enter all of the deductions. I'm getting a decent-sized refund which will probably get blown away quickly when the medical bills come and I have to buy disposable things for the baby -- food, diapers, etc.

The only unfortunate thing, tax-wise, is that this pregnancy spans two tax years. I was just short of the amount of medical expenses needed to deduct them on my 2005 taxes. I'll probably incur enough medical bills to deduct them in 2006, however. And then there's the Child and Dependent Care Credit. I think I can claim to be "head of household" as well? Not sure.

Last Day

I made it through my last day of work yesterday.

It really wasn't too bad. The day went by fairly quickly and I was able to finish documenting the things I'd set out to do and leaving things in a state where others can pick up (hopefully) without too much trouble.

There was a shower thing at the end of the day which was less stressful that I'd imagined it might be. I couldn't really eat much of the cookies, pecan pie and cupcakes, 'cause I'm not much of a dessert person, so I took those home. Mom has more of a sweet tooth than me.

I received two gifts -- a gift card for Buy Buy Baby (I'll use that to get the breast pump) and a preemie-sized gift clothing set from Marlon, one of my many cousins.

The only thing weird about the shower thing was this guy that I've never spoken to who showed up. We had a pleasant conversation about baby names and he complimented my choices and I HAVE NO IDEA WHO THAT GUY IS.

I assume he wasn't a figment of my imagination (someone would've said something if I was talking to myself for fifteen minutes), but that was just weird. I guess he came for the cookies and iced tea.

BSG: Lay Down Your Burdens, Part 1

The Colonials have inexplicably decided that now's a good time to act on Kara's information about the resistance on Caprica. A volunteer group of pilots is briefed by Starbuck and they plan a series of jumps to take them back to their homeworld.

Meanwhile, the presidential candidates engage in a series of debates. With Baltar trailing in the polls, he needs to latch onto an idea that will propel him past Laura. His chance comes when one of the raptors in Kara's group jumps to the wrong coordinates and accidentally finds a habitable planet. Baltar, at the urging of Six in his mind and Zarek in real life, advocates that the fleet should settle here and give up the search for Earth.

On Caprica, Kara finds her lover Anders' group with ease, but moments after their reunion, a Cylon ambush erupts.

Things I Liked:

• The priest (Dean Stockwell) counseling Tyrol seems interesting. His no-nonsense approach was refreshing. Maybe he'll become a recurring character.


• No Lee and Dualla scenes, thank God.

Things I Didn't Like:

• The violence against Callie was truly senseless. That didn't advance the storyline at all.


• There needed to be an episode before this showing how the crew of the Pegasus has reacted to three commanders being killed and having the son of the Galactica's commander being put in charge. They can't be pleased.

Fears:

• I hate to say it, but this series is starting to get tired. What's going on here isn't compelling enough for me. Next week's 90-minute season finale has to do a LOT to impress me.

Pediatrician Interview

After work today I had an appointment to interview a prospective pediatrician for the baby. This is something that the maternity books say you have to do prior to the baby's birth, since the pediatrician will assess the baby within 24 hours after its birth.

Who knew!

I came prepared with a list of questions that I pulled off the babcenter.com website and the doctor was generally cool about answering them. The location of the practice is great -- it's in the same building on the same floor as my OB/GYN. It's easy to get to and there's a parking garage. The doctor and the receptionists were friendly.

Only one thing bothered me -- the waiting room and the carpets were dirty! There were Cheetos on the chairs!

Did I catch them on a bad day? Is that typical of what most pediatrician's offices will look like at the end of a long day with lots of kids coming in and out? :(

Anna Nicole Smith

I think she's going to win her case. There isn't any law against throwing away one's money. If the old man wanted her to have his fortune, hey. Maybe his son was a bastard and he wanted to teach him a lesson.

Read more...

Toy Mobile Phones Recalled for Choking Hazard

"My First Mobile phone is a red and blue flip style mobile phone with a yellow bear on the cover and a yellow hard plastic antenna. Inside the flip phone are five round orange numeric buttons, as well as a sun button. The phone sounds with various ring tones when the buttons are depressed. On the inside top cover on the phone is a mirror and a spinning star with a lady bug button. “Made in China” is printed on the back of the battery cover."

Hazard: The toy phone’s yellow antenna can detach, posing a choking hazard to young children. No injuries have been reported.

I bought this phone for my baby cousin for Christmas!!

Oh my God!

Luckily Amazon.com contacted me. I also received notice of the recall through the Consumer Product Safety Commission's email list.

BSG: Downloaded

In a change of pace, this episode was told from the point of view of the Cylons. We really don't learn more about their society or their religion, but we do get to see what happens when they reincarnate.

The Sharon who was shot by Callie and the Number Six who was with Baltar during the attack on Caprica are brought together by the Lucy Lawless Cylon, last seen on the Galactica as the reporter D'Anna Biers. Sharon and Number Six, though both seen as heroes to the Cylons, are having trouble adjusting to being reincarnated. D'Anna feels that Six can help Sharon, but ultimately Sharon makes Six question what it means to be a Cylon.

Meanwhile, back on Galactica, the other Sharon's baby is being delivered prematurely.

Things I Liked

• It was interesting to see an episode where the Cylons were interacting with each other.


• Caprica Sharon really loathes herself. Her deep cover programming was so complete, she still feels human and still feels used she was by the Cylons when she shot Adama.


• Baltar is in Six's head the way Six is in Baltar's head back on Galactica. An amusing touch.


• The Cylons are rebuilding Caprica, planting trees and opening up cafes. They hate humans but they can't think of anything else to do but imitate them. Sad.


• The decision to hide Sharon's super baby with an unsuspecting foster mother is interesting, since it's something that happens in a lot of fairy tales and myths. It's one of those things that happen in a Hero's Journey tale, but the baby almost never is a girl.


• No Apollo or Dualla in this episode.

Things I Didn't Like

• D'Anna obviously doesn't like or trust Sharon or Six, so why go through the farce of trying to rehabilitate them? Why didn't she immediately "box" them (retrieve their memories and trash their bodies) instead of toying with them?


• I wish the reincarnation had been more interesting. They just wake up in a vat of goo.


• That Doc Cottle sure is offensive. He shows his typical crass bedside manner to Sharon in the birthing room when he says, "You people went to all the trouble of imitating us -- you should've upgraded the plumbing." This is in response to the fact that Sharon has a detached placenta. That's nice.


• Anders' commandos decide to blow up the Cylon café. It's basically a useless gesture, designed mostly so that the writers can have Six and Sharon come across Starbuck's dogtags on him when they meet.


• I'm assuming that they drugged the baby to fool the parents, but I'm surprised that Sharon couldn't tell that the baby wasn't really dead.

R.I.P. Darren McGavin

Actor Darren McGavin passed away yesterday at the age of 83. To 40-year-old geeks like me, he’ll always be known as Carl Kolchak of The Night Stalker -- the precursor to The X-Files.

Four-oh

I’m forty years old today. I’m having a birthday party/baby shower today, which should be interesting. I can’t remember the last birthday party I had. It may have been my twenty-first birthday, which was at Windows on the World in the World Trade Center, which, of course is no more. If I can find pictures of that I’ll post them. I had a jerri curl. It was very shiny. ;)

I was unhappy about turning thirty, but this fortieth birthday wasn’t a big deal. Fifty may be sobering, however.

Buttons

I'm coming across all kinds of strange things while preparing the baby's room. I had forgotten that in college I used to collect buttons. Above are some of samples from my button collection.

I need to throw things out, but it's hard. ;)

Five Days and a Wakeup

Next Friday is my last day of work. After that I’ll be using vacation days to bridge the gap until my real maternity leave starts.

Man, I’m tired. I’m bringing things to a close at work, cleaning up my hard drive and taking home personal items.

I’m hoping the last few days at work will be uneventful, but I’m sure there’ll be some huge problem.

Counting the days.

Bush Unaware of Ports Deal Before Approval

From Netscape News/CNN:

President Bush was unaware of the pending sale of shipping operations at six major U.S. seaports to a state-owned business in the United Arab Emirates until the deal already had been approved by his administration, the White House said Wednesday.

Nice.

Read more...

Winter Olympics

Yeah, I’m watching it.

February is a weird sportless limbo most of the time for me. Football season is over (not that I’m really into that, but it’s something to watch on Sunday), spring training hasn’t really started and I don’t care for basketball.

So, I’m watching.

Mostly I find myself watching to catch someone busting their ass. Busting one’s ass seems to be a possibility in nearly every event, unlike in the summer Olympics which features a lot of events where there’s no possibility of someone getting a concussion (swimming, badminton, shooting, etc.) . There have been some spectacular wipeouts in the skiing events and the falls in the ice dancing on Sunday made me wince.

But so far the most painful thing I’ve seen in these games was the opening ceremonies. For some unknown reason as the countries made their entrances they were accompanied by a disco medley straight out of a Friday night mix in ’80 on WKTU. It was unreal. They played Le Freak, I’m Your Boogie Man, Hot Stuff, Spank, I Will Survive, some stuff by the Village People and on and on and...

What in the world was that all about? They’re in Italy, for God’s sake.

Celebrate your own culture.