Ye lives easy and denies yerself o’ nothin’ yer heart desires. Sleep soft and eat dainty, as the sayin’ goes. Aye! but ‘twarn’t brought on by sheer luck. Nay, matey, ’tis yer clever ways that has kept yer cruise in the bravest spirits… like the enchanted cruise what sails ’round the Small World in the [...]

Ye lives easy and denies yerself o’ nothin’ yer heart desires. Sleep soft and eat dainty, as the sayin’ goes. Aye! but ‘twarn’t brought on by sheer luck. Nay, matey, ’tis yer clever ways that has kept yer cruise in the bravest spirits… like the enchanted cruise what sails ’round the Small World in the Magic Kingdom. Caution, matey, there be indolent swaps bent on settin’ ye on a course charted on speculation and gaming. Avoid them as ye would the fever. Mark well me words: Chance be like a glass, it glitters most when it breaks.
© The Walt Disney Company

I’ll grant that things have gotten rather “easier” in the past several years, but I don’t agree with “denies yerself o’ nothin’”. It’s true that this hasn’t been sheer luck, though luck has played a part. I’m more interested in the fortune portion: who could these “indolent swabs” be, and what course of “speculation and gaming” could they be charting? I suppose it could be a reference to our upcoming May cruise, and specifically the onboard casino. If that’s the case, no worries; I know exactly how bad of a gambler I am, and make it a point to avoid shipboard (and all other) casinos.

Study: Women’s Hands Cleaner Than Men’s Men are dirtier than women. So scientists confirmed by spying in public restrooms, watching as one-quarter of men left without washing their hands. The worst offenders were at an Atlanta Braves game. In contrast, 90 percent of the women did wash up. This is why I use the paper [...]

Study: Women’s Hands Cleaner Than Men’s

Men are dirtier than women. So scientists confirmed by spying in public restrooms, watching as one-quarter of men left without washing their hands.

The worst offenders were at an Atlanta Braves game.

In contrast, 90 percent of the women did wash up.

This is why I use the paper towel I’ve just dried my hands with to open the door. I don’t want to touch the door handle with my bare hands!

Wish I could be at this Cardinals-Braves game where ex-Athletics Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder will face each other for the first time since being traded at the end of last season. Since they’re now in the National League, they also hit. They say that sets up the most intriguing — and potentially hilarious — [...]

Wish I could be at this Cardinals-Braves game where ex-Athletics Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder will face each other for the first time since being traded at the end of last season.

Since they’re now in the National League, they also hit. They say that sets up the most intriguing — and potentially hilarious — part of the matchup.

The two talked on the phone Monday.

“We laughed about it and said how this figures,” Mulder said. “Who’s going to be able to keep a straight face? That might be the hardest part. I know I’m going to start laughing. What are you going to do?”

Does TBS still show Braves games? Not that it matters; we’ll be on the road tonight.

Steve Kroner has another quick rundown of Division Series playoff baseball on TV over the next few days at the end of his entertaining piece on broadcasters Jon Miller and Joe Morgan. KTVU (Channel 2) has three games (Giants-Marlins, Braves-Cubs and A’s-Red Sox) on Saturday. If one game is still in progress while another is [...]

Steve Kroner has another quick rundown of Division Series playoff baseball on TV over the next few days at the end of his entertaining piece on broadcasters Jon Miller and Joe Morgan.

KTVU (Channel 2) has three games (Giants-Marlins, Braves-Cubs and A’s-Red Sox) on Saturday. If one game is still in progress while another is getting under way, KICU (Channel 36) will carry the beginning of the later game while KTVU completes the earlier telecast. On Sunday, with KTVU committed to Fox football coverage, KICU and ESPN will carry the A’s-Red Sox matchup at 10 a.m., should a Game 4 be necessary. If the Giants and Marlins go to a Game 5, KICU and ESPN or ESPN2 will carry it at 1 p.m.

SF Chron sportswriter Ray Ratto has an insightful column today about the Bay Area teams’ division series. The Giants (NL West) will play the Marlins (NL Wild Card) while the Athletics (AL West) will face the Red Sox (AL Wild Card). The last time the Oakland A’s had a reason to grouse about the Boston [...]

SF Chron sportswriter Ray Ratto has an insightful column today about the Bay Area teams’ division series. The Giants (NL West) will play the Marlins (NL Wild Card) while the Athletics (AL West) will face the Red Sox (AL Wild Card).

The last time the Oakland A’s had a reason to grouse about the Boston Red Sox, it was because they were waving the kind of money at Billy Beane that the A’s wouldn’t think to wave at Miguel Tejada.

…

The last time the San Francisco Giants had any kind of mad-on for the Florida Marlins, it was because the Marlins speed-bagged them through the 1997 playoffs. The Giants won the NL West, and what it got them was Kevin Brown, Robb Nen, Devon White, Gary Sheffield, Moises Alou, Livan Hernandez, Edgar Renteria and a three-and-out they still haven’t figured out six years later.

I haven’t been able to find out the A’s-Red Sox or Giants-Marlins season records on MLB’s damnable Web site, so if you can find a link let me know.

Of the other two matchups, I’m happy to see that the Athletics won’t meet the Yankees (AL East) or Twins (AL Central) until the second round, considering their recent post-season record against both teams. The Braves walked away with the NL East again, as usual, and as of tonight the NL Central is still a tossup between the Cubs and Astros. I have to hope for the Astros, ’cause if Houston beats Atlanta then the Giants can continue their total ownage of Minute Maid Park (nee Enron Field).

Note the absence of any Southern California teams in the above discussion. That’s as it should be.