Update

Star has been released from the hospital today. She'll be staying with my brother and his family until her house in Lake Charles is repaired. The house was severely damaged by Hurricane Rita.

Still here

I'm still here. I just haven't really had the desire to write about anything over the last few days.

gaaackkk

gaaackkk....thud

World Series, Game 4 tonight

Waiting in the wings with her ham sandwich.

From the Apple website

Why is this news?

Once again, the ugly spectre of political correctness is rearing its head in sports. In this case, people are whining about the apparently lack of diversity in the Houston Astros lineup. It seems the impetus of this whining is that there are no blacks currently on the Astros roster.

What a bunch of horseshit. I'd like to see someone try to tell Jose Vizcaino, Orlando Palmiero, Wandy Rodriguez, Zeke Astacio, et al. that they are not contributing sufficiently to the diversity of the team, and that they need to be replaced with Affirmative Action players in order to broaden the team's diversity. An ambulance will be standing by to take such a person to the nearest ER at which a baseball bat can be removed from a certain bodily orifice.

---

Tuesday, October 25, 2005 · Last updated 11:55 p.m. PT
Astros roster has no black players

By BEN WALKER
AP BASEBALL WRITER

HOUSTON -- Joe Morgan worries about the face of baseball. Watching the World Series, the Hall of Famer is troubled by what he sees.

His old team, the Houston Astros, is down 3-0 to the Chicago White Sox, but it's not their lineup that concerns Morgan. It's their makeup.

The Astros are the first World Series team in more than a half-century with a roster that doesn't include a single black player.

"Of course I noticed it. How could you not?" Morgan said while the Astros took batting practice before the opener in Chicago. "But they're not the only ones. There are two or three teams that didn't have any African-American players this year."

Morgan said it's a predicament and a challenge for Major League Baseball. While more players from around the world are making it to the majors - Japan, Korea, for example - the number of blacks is declining.

"It's a daunting task to get African-American kids into baseball, and I don't see the trend changing," he said.

The last World Series team without a black player was the 1953 New York Yankees. It wasn't until 1955 - eight years after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947 - that Elston Howard became the first black in Yankee pinstripes.

Black players accounted for just about 9 percent of big league rosters this season.

"We know that we have to work to do," Commissioner Bud Selig said Tuesday. "We'll continue to intensify our efforts. I'm very aware, I'm extremely sensitive about it, and I feel badly about it. But we need to get to work to change things."

Astros general manager Tim Purpura agrees.

"I think it's a huge, huge problem for baseball," he said. "The pool of African-American players just isn't there. And as baseball becomes more college-oriented in its draft, there aren't a lot of players to pick.

"The African-American athletes are going into other sports," he said.

The most recent survey by the NCAA, taken during the 2003-04 season, showed that only 6 percent of Division I baseball players were black. Half of the men's basketball players were black, as were 44 percent of football players.

Houston has a half-dozen Hispanic players - it was the first team to open a baseball academy in Venezuela, about a dozen years ago. Bench coach Cecil Cooper is black.

Outfielders Charles Gipson and Charlton Jimerson, both black, played for the Astros during the regular season.

The White Sox have three black players on their Series roster: Jermaine Dye, Carl Everett and Willie Harris, along with coaches Tim Raines and Harold Baines.

They also have eight Hispanic players and Japanese second baseman Tadahito Iguchi.

"We're diverse because we're looking for the best in talent and character," general manager Ken Williams said before the Series started. "It just happened that way. I could care less what the makeup of the club is as long as it works as a whole."

Williams is the only black general manager in the majors. A former big league outfielder, he joined the White Sox in 1992 as a scout, confident he could find players in the inner cities. After a year of trying, Williams felt as if he'd failed.

Morgan is disturbed by what he's found, too.

A two-time NL MVP, Morgan helped Cincinnati win two straight championships. In 1976, along with fellow black teammates Ken Griffey, George Foster and Dan Driessen, the Big Red Machine swept a Yankees team that had 10 black players on its roster.

Just 10 years ago, Atlanta and Cleveland each had five black players when they met in the World Series.

In 2003, Derek Jeter and the Yankees lost to Florida. Jeter's father is black and his mother is white; the All-Star shortstop has said he considers himself both black and white.

"There's a perception among African-American kids that they're not welcome here, that baseball is not for inner-city kids," Morgan said. "It's not true, and I hate that the perception is out there."

---

Astros 0-3 in World Series

WTF was Astacio doing on the mound, anyway? Send him back to the Minors. Or, better yet, the Little League.

Rosa Parks, RIP

Her simple act of defiance sparked a reform of racial equality in the US.

RIP, Ms. Parks.

added in edit:

LaShawn Barber has more.

World Series

Astros are 0-2 so far in the World Series.

Are we witnessing a world-class choking, or will they be able to pull out of it?

"Drunk" Dialing

I'm tempted to have the hospital take Star's phone away from her when they dope her up on pain meds. I just got off the phone with her. She was lucid when the call started, but deteriorated into incoherency rather quickly.

Astros move up...

...to their first-ever World Series after winning against the Cardinals in a 5-1 game.

Can they take Chicago in the Series?

Win or lose, the Astros have done a hell of a job so far.

Update on Star

Recently, Star was moved to Abilene, Tx., in order to stay with my brother and his family while her house in Lake Charles is repaired. The house was severely damaged by Hurricane Rita.

When she got to Abilene, my sister-in-law Tammy took her to the hospital for an evaulation. Star had been without any form of medical care for more than a week, so Tammy - who's a nurse - thought Star needed to be checked out. The doctors at the hospital took one look at Star and admitted her into the Oncology ward. Her doctor is reportedly the best oncologist in the region.

Dr. Hurst ordered a full body scan for Star to see the extent of the situation. Several more lesions were discovered on her liver, new lesions were found in the lungs, in several more bones, in her shoulder, and a tumor was found in her neck against the spinal column. The neck tumor is putting pressure on the spinal cord, which is causing her to lose feeling in her arms.

The doctor stopped several medicinal treatments that had proven to be ineffectual, and started a very aggressive regimen of chemo and radiation. He said that we should start to see the results of the treatment sometime within the next week. So far, though, the only treatment that has produced any results is the radiation.

According to the doctor, she is very bad off. If the tumors do not react to the chemo, then any further treatments would be a lost cause. When I asked if there was a time frame if treatment failed, he was very hesitant to say. I pushed him for it and he said if treatment failed, then Star had three months - on the outside.

Astros 3-2 in the NLCS

And they're once again within one win of going to their first-ever World Series.

Can they do it or will they choke like they did last year?

And the young man learns...

...that Uncle Vic is always right.

A couple of weeks ago, I had mentioned that my nephew had been beaten up by his grandfather, and that I was going to be moving him into my home in order to get him out of that environment. I had also advised my nephew to file charges against his grandfather, and to not tell his grandparents that he was going to be leaving town. The reason I did this is because I knew the grandparents would cause trouble.

As it turns out, Dustin listens to me about as often as his mother used to listen to me - which is practically never.

Dustin got into a verbal confrontation with his grandmother earlier this week. When she started to demand that he never see his mother again, Dustin blurted out to Muriel what she could do with herself and that he was moving down to Houston to stay with his uncle. After the confrontation, Muriel called Dustin's probation officer and told her that Dustin was had been breaking his curfew by not coming home for days on end, and that Dustin had attacked his grandfather.

Needless to say, Muriel never told the P.O. that she and her husband have been kicking Dustin out of the house since he was 15.

On Wednesday, Dustin went to see his P.O. to ask if he could transfer down to Houston so that he could move in with me. The P.O. had cops there and took Dustin into custody. He was then given an option of going to jail for 5 years, or of going into a halfway house for 6 months. Naturally, Dustin chose the halfway house.

So, Dustin isn't here, as was planned. And the lesson he learned through all this is that Uncle Vic is always right.

Merrily, Merrily, Merrily...WTF?

Hat tip: NewsBusters via Malkin.

Dear Today,
When exagerating a news story about how bad the flooding is, don't let someone wade in between the camera and the reporters, especially if the water's only ankle deep.

QotD

Hat tip: The Cassandra Page.

We are fast approaching the stage of the ultimate inversion: the stage where the government is free to do anything it pleases, while the citizens may act only by permission; which is the stage of the darkest periods of human history, the stage of rule by brute force.

Ayn Rand

American Wookiee

Chewbacca Actor to Become an American

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

WASHINGTON — A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, a Wookiee named Chewbacca (search) growled and howled his way through "Star Wars" (search) movies. On Monday, the actor who played him will take the oath to become an American citizen.

British-born Peter Mayhew (search) will be among 441 people from 77 countries who will become naturalized Americans in a ceremony in Arlington, Texas.

Mayhew, 60, played the fur-covered warrior Chewgrant must be a legal permanent resident for five years before becoming a citizen. The wait is three years if the person marries a U.S. citizen. He also must pass history, English and civics exams.

"I've always been interested in the cowboys and the history of the West and the history of America, so it wasn't so bad," Mayhew said in a telephone interview Wednesday. He was being driven by his wife to buy a suit for the occasion. It will be the conventional type — not the brown, furry sort.

"I am feeling very happy about it," Mayhew said. "Whatever people say about America, it is still one of the most wonderful countries in the world, despite the politics, religion and everything else that goes on."

"I know that I have the best of both worlds with the dual nationality," he said.

When he takes his oath to become an American, Mayhew said he'll recite what he can remember and "it will be a Chewie growl for the other parts."

Five years ago...

...terrorists bombed the USS Cole while in port in Yemen.

Stars and Stripes has this article as a rememberance.

Vulture 6 and I served with one of the sailors killed on the Cole. EN2 Mark Ian Nieto was merely an FN just out of boot camp when we served with him on the USS Constellation.

Hatemongering disrupted by motorcycles

Fred Phelps and his band of Merry Morons continue to make asses of themselves by protesting the funerals of fallen American soldiers. This time, however, a group of motorcycle enthusiasts have taken it upon themselves to prevent these assclowns from disrupting the funeral.

Motorcycles Drown Out Effort To Disrupt Funeral

CHELSEA, Okla. -- An effort by members of a Kansas church to protest at the funeral of an Oklahoma soldier Tuesday was drowned out by the roar of motorcycles.

About 70 members of the American Legion Riders group from Oklahoma and Kansas revved their engines as five protesters from Westboro Baptist Church held inflammatory signs. The protesters say American soldiers are being killed because of homosexuality in the United States.

The protest took place as family members of Army Staff Sgt. John Doles gathered just down the street at a church for Doles' funeral. Doles, 29, of Chelsea, was killed Sept. 30 in an ambush in Afghanistan.

American Legion Riders' member Cregg Hanson said Doles' family asked the group to rev their motorcycle engines when the Kansas church group arrived.

The riders also formed a barrier and waved American flags to block the view of the protest.

About 40 police officers were also on hand and Chelsea residents joined the motorcycle riders in waving American flags.

Vote "No" to HJR6

HJR6 is the proposed amendment to the Texas Constitution prohibiting same-sex marriages, a measure I strongly urge voters to reject.

Do I do this because I support same-sex marriage? Nope. Not at all. In fact, I oppose the concept of same-sex marriages.

(This is the place where the reactionaries on both sides normally would have stopped reading.)

I oppose same government recognition of sex marriages on the same basis that I oppose government recognition of opposite-sex marriage. The government should have absolutely no say in what two consenting, non-related adults choose to do with their lives. None. Zip. Zero.

I can hear the reactionaries out there screeching "But that's a slippery slope! It'll pave the way to pedophilia, beastiality and polygamy!"

Please. I get tired of hearing this nonsensical rhetoric and obvious logical fallacy.

Children cannot give informed consent. Nor can animals. For the matter of polygamy, I can only say this: anyone who wants more than one spouse deserves what he/she gets - more in-laws.

All HJR6 does is give the government more power over personal relationships. If your relationship is so weak that you feel the need to have third-party validation of that relationship, then by all means vote for this measure. We all know that the government would never try to take more authority than it's been given, right? Right?

If you don't want the government in your home, telling you with whom you can and cannot be in a relationship, vote against this measure.

About Smurfing Time.

Smurf those Smurfing Smurfs.

Video of Smurfs dying horribly.

It's happening already

We're barely out of the first week of October, and the sheep are starting to come out.

Yesterday, Oct. 9, 2005, three full weeks before Halloween, I noticed that some places are already starting to put up Christmas decorations. Whatever happened to people waiting until after Thanksgiving before littering the landscape with Rudolph droppings?

More Post-Kelo Shenanigans

Hat tip: Vulture's Row. Cross-posted by Nicki at Constitution Death Pool.

In recent years, there has not been a more disasterous ruling handed down by the US Supreme Court than Kelo v. New London. In Kelo, the Supreme Court ruled that local governments had carte blance authority to steal acquire private land from landowners by rewriting the definition of "public use." From the very beginning, local governments have been using their new-found powers of theft eminent domain to seize private land for corporate gain.

The latest effort by government to use its new authority is in Washington, D.C. Several landowners say the government's offer to buy was not adequate, so the city of Washington, D.C. is filing claim to use eminent domain to steal acquire land for a new ball park.

Landowners must yield to ballpark

By Tim Lemke
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
October 6, 2005

The District will begin using eminent domain to acquire parcels of land at the site of the Washington Nationals' ballpark by the end of this month, after unsuccessful negotiations with nearly half of the landowners.

City officials said they expect to file court documents to take over at least some of the 21-acre site in the coming weeks and have $97 million set aside to buy the properties and help landowners relocate.

The city made offers to all 23 landowners on the site last month but received no response from 10.

"We think there are some that we'll have good-faith negotiations with," said Steve Green, director of development in the office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. "There are some we haven't heard from at all."

Many property owners on the site said the city's offers are inadequate. Others are suing the city on the grounds that it has no right to use eminent domain to acquire land at the site, despite a Supreme Court ruling affirming the right of municipal governments to take private property for the purpose of economic development.

In April, the city notified property owners on the site that they would be required to move out by Dec. 31.

City officials said the District is on target to have title on all of the land by that date, but they don't expect to have full possession of the site until early next year, with construction on the $535 million stadium to begin in March. That would give the construction team, led by Clark Construction Group of Bethesda, about two years to build the ballpark in time for Opening Day of 2008.

Officials said that timetable remains realistic. Clark built the 80,000-seat FedEx Field, home of the Washington Redskins, in less time.

"Twenty-four months is not bad," Mr. Green said. "There's always the possibility of doing it in 22 or 23 months."

Meanwhile, the D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission has been sparring with the new Anacostia Waterfront Corp. (AWC) on the location of ballpark parking.

The AWC, which the city created to promote development along the Anacostia River waterfront, said it prefers an underground parking garage beneath 600,000 to 800,000 square feet of office and retail development.

The commission said that would run up too many costs and take too long to build.

"We're not going to do it," said Mark Tuohey, chairman of the sports commission. "We don't care what they say. There's no money."

In order for parking to be built above ground, the commission must change a zoning requirement. A hearing before the zoning board on the issue is scheduled for Oct. 17, but could delay the process further. If the commission is denied a zoning change, it would have to turn to the D.C. Council for legislative permission or take the case to an appeals court.

"If we lose and it goes to the court of appeals, that takes years," said commission board member Linda Greenan. "That's not a good strategy."

Any discrepancy over development of the stadium site could affect ballpark financing negotiations, which have reached a sensitive stage.

"It could cause confusion on Wall Street, which is exactly where we don't want it right now," said John Ross, a special adviser for the city's chief financial officer and a commission board member.

City officials insist on below-ground parking because it would fit with plans for a retail and entertainment district near the ballpark. They are considering removing parking entirely from the cost of the stadium and paying for it separately, using tax-increment financing or other revenue streams.

Mr. Green said the debate over parking is not delaying completion of a lease agreement for the stadium, which Major League Baseball says must be finalized before it announces the Nationals' new owner.

"There's no real holdup," Mr. Green said. "It's just a very complicated document."

Background

Here's a little more background. My sister's mother-in-law has always hated Star. Always.

Back in 1994, my sister was severely injured, and was not able to properly take care of the kids. As a result of this, she gave temporary custody of the kids to her in-laws. The in-laws then used unethical - but entirely legal - legal trickery to gain permanent custody of the kids. Basically, they filed a legal claim stating that Star abandoned her children, and the claim was upheld in court; and custody was given to the in-laws. The judge that ruled on the case just so happened to be a friend of theirs.

After they had custody, they approached Star with adoption papers, and told her she would get visitation rights if she signed the adoption papers. The implied threat was that, if Star didn't sign the papers, she'd never be able to visit her children. Naturally, Star signed the papers.

The in-laws then proceeded to deny her any visitation, claiming "prior engagements." It was always "Dustin has soccer practice," or "Jessica has a band recital" or some other lame excuse.

To add insult to injury, the in-laws have spent the last 10 years telling the kids that their mother abandoned them because she didn't want them anymore.

Dustin didn't fall for the story, but Jessica bought it hook, line, and sinker. This has always been a point of contention between Dustin and his grandparents. So, now that Dustin has openly defied his grandparents and went to visit Star, they're treating him like they treat his mother. They won't allow him to stay in the house, and they won't let him speak to his sister.

I have advised Dustin to file assault charges against his grandfather, but I don't expect anything to come of it. John Sr. is on good terms with many of judges in the area. The most I can do at this point is to get Dustin out of that environment.

I know this sounds a bit one-sided, but, unfortunately, it's the truth.

Family Matters

This weekend, a major victory was scored on the homefront. Unfortunately, that victory has consequences.

On Saturday, my sister-in-law went to the house where my sister's kids live with their grandparents. Tammy's intent was to inform everyone that Star has been moved to Abilene - where the kids reside - and was going to inquire about letting the kids see their mother. Now, I use the word kids, but frankly, they're not really children anymore. Dustin will be 20 in November, and Jessica is 15.

Anyway, on her way over to the kids' house, Tammy came across Dustin, who's been staying with a friend for a few days. Apparently, his grandparents have kicked him out of the house...again. Jessica wasn't available, so Tammy took Dustin to see his mother. Anyone who's been paying attention to the family drama knows I've been trying to make arrangements for the kids to see Star.

When Tammy and Dustin got to the hospital, Dustin's grandmother - Star's mother-in-law - was already there visiting. Since the mother-in-law has been doing everything in her power to keep the kids away from their mother for the last decade, she's not pleased about Dustin being at the hospital. And since Dustin is over the age of 18, legally, there isn't a damn thing Muriel could do about it. Star, on the other hand, was elated to see her son.

We thought the drama was pretty much over, at that point. Yesterday, Muriel told Dustin he could come to the house, rest, do laundry, or whatever. Today, Star called me and told me that Dustin's grandfather beat him up yesterday.

This is where "Uncle Vic" comes into play. Fifteen years ago, just after Jessica was born, Star's husband John gave Dustin - who was 4 at the time - a beer, then he punched Star when she protested.

Star, never one to take that kind of abuse from anyone, took a tire iron after John. After working him over a little, she got really nasty; she called me.

As he was being admitted to the ER, John told the cops he'd been assaulted by six men.

Now, John's father (John, Sr.) has put himself into his son's place. Unfortunately, I have a problem with kicking the shit out of a 70-year-old man, so I'm going to do something else.

If the plans work out like they should, Dustin will be moving in with me with this weekend or next weekend. He'll be staying with me until he has a job and can afford to get his own place.

Happy Anniversary, OJ.

Hat tip: Tammy Bruce.

Today is the 10th anniversary of OJ's acquittal.

Congratulations, OJ. Any luck on finding the killer, or are you still not looking in the mirror?