Baseball season, almost

The boys of summer are about to begin playing. I can't help but think about the proposed Twins Stadium that's now passed the first hurdle in the state Legislature. Besides the obvious problem of corporate welfare, these people are discussing an outdoor stadium. Hello? It's less than a week before opening day and I still have OVER A FOOT OF SNOW in my backyard! Damn, what are they thinking? I'm thinking that maybe Major League Baseball doesn't belong here. Dome baseball is dumb; it needs to be outdoors. Outdoor baseball in April is a bad bet for the Twin Cities due to weather (who wants a Snowout?), so either make a retractable roof or let the damn Twins go to a warm venue that wants them.

While I'm on the baseball kick, here's an article critical of ESPN's Peter Gammon. His sources are poor, his defenses are weak, and he's basically washed up and dumb, says the author. He's had critics write about this before. In this last link, from 1997, Gammons is criticized for dishing back out the corporate line of the Marlins fed to the public about them losing money. And thus the bloggage comes back to greedy owners and corporate welfare. (First link via Drat fink)

Oh, and did you hear what our president has decided to do with the White House backyard? That's right, he's building a baseball diamond at the official residence of our chief executive. Well, at least he's not in charge of the rosters:

During his presidential campaign, Texas governor and former Rangers owner George W. Bush called this trade his biggest mistake of his adulthood. On 29 July 1989, the Rangers acquired infielder Fred Manrique and DH Harold Baines from the White Sox for shortstop Scott Fletcher, future All-Star pitcher Wilson Alvarez and a 20 year old rookie outfielder -- some guy named Sammy Sosa.

(Source)

Odds 'n' ends

The Leaky Cauldron is a Harry Potter blog. I've now read all four of these books, and they're all good. Each has been better than the last, although there are some pretty easy criticisms to make. Who cares, though? I like them just for the neat little details. Personally, I'd love some Floo powder so I could instantly go visit my mom.

Update on Psycho Ex Girlfriend (.com): Newstrolls alleges it's an elaborate hoax. I really don't know enough about the technical issues to take a stance.

Finally, why flouride treatments for water may be the straw to break the Salmon's back. To explain; research indicates that flouridated water is an intoxicant for the Pink Fish. While all stoned on small levels of flouride, they are unable to traverse dams' fish ladders and other portions of their migration. A bill is currently pending before the Oregon legislature to mandate such treatments to water statewide.