Year: 2004

For those interested in seeing a Mars photo that NASA is trying to keep under wraps, go here.

PAD

Like any good Mets fan, even when it seems hopeless– even when we know it’s hopeless, and brain cancer is as hopeless as it gets– you still gotta believe. And we did, right up till the last out.

I haven’t read, obviously, Pete Rose’s discussion of his gambling in his upcoming book. He does say he feels it’s time to admit that he gambled and take responsibility for his actions, and sections of it were quoted in news reports.

I dunno. I’d probably be much more impressed with his responsibility-taking if:

A) He had made the admission in relation to nothing other than feeling the need to clear the air, rather than as the centerpiece of an autobiography which stands to sell more copies as a result.

B) He didn’t make such a point of saying that he hoped his admission would get him back into baseball and a shot at the Hall of Fame.

C) He didn’t seem to blame the organization of baseball so much, stating that he would have received far better treatment if only he’d had a drug or drinking problem or something acceptable like that.

I tend to agree with Kathleen on this: The only way they should lift the ban on Pete Rose is if they lift the ban on Shoeless Joe Jackson and induct him into the Hall of Fame first.

PAD

I took a “Lord of the Rings” character quiz, and it informed me that I was Pippin.

I thought about it and decided that was fair. If I were on a quest, I would have no clue where I was going, I’d constantly be wondering about the next meal, I’d be the one who accidentally knocks armor down a well alerting Orcs and Goblins that we’re in the vicinity, and the Wizard would probably be pìššëd with me all the time.

It certainly makes more sense than the quiz that told me I was Aragorn. I can barely lead a round of Simon Says, much less all of Middle Earth.

Congratulations! You’re Pippin!

Which Lord of the Rings character and personality problem are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Seems that the friendly folks at Objectionable– sorry, Objective Ministries are trying to shut down the website of the Landover Baptist Ministry.

I thought the appropriate response to this sort of thing is to turn the other cheek. Now, where have I heard that before…?

Got a postcard from a magazine called “The Writer.” The postcard reads as follows:

“{The Start of a Great Story}

THE WRITING ADVENTURES OF PETER DAVID

The card you are holding in your hand may be the start of a great story–where you become a successful, published writer! By returning the reply card below, you’ll receive a FREE TRIAL ISSUE of “The Writer,” where you’ll discover advice from well-known writers…contact information for editors interested in your work…and everything you need to get published–and make money from the writing you love!

NOW IT’S UP TO YOU TO WRITE THE ENDING! You can throw away an opportunity of a lifetime…or mail the card below to start your exciting writing career!”

Well, I have to say, this has arrived just in time. With the crap luck I had in 2003, perhaps I need to do something to make things take off. Maybe what I should do is subscribe to “The Writer,” get my pëņìš enlarged, help that poor guy in South Africa transfer his money to the United States, and buy viagra. Who knows what could happen?

PAD