Live in Chicago, but I’m sooooooooo pissed I didn’t make arrangements to somehow snag a Prince umbrella:

The recent 17-0, 16-0 wins helped eat away at some of that I’m guessing.

Rosario particularly has been a nice surprise. After hacking away for a few years, his recent plate discipline has vastly improved his game (see: last night’s walk-off AB).

a meager run differential of +8.

The Twins have been holding down the second Wild Card spot for a good while now, but are STILL absent from ESPN’s Hunt For October.

Based on history, you sure don’t want the them to have to face the Twins in the playoffs because there’s absolutely no way you can—

Okay, I kept that up as long as I could.

Gomez for Hardy was a good, sound trade though. Not like they were just casting him off.

Of course, what they later got back for Hardy... yeesh.

His defense alone was worth keeping him on the team. Not a difficult choice.

Why are there giant ketchup and mustard bottles outside the stadium? Is that why they want a new one?

WHY IS A CATCHER NOT WEARING A CUP!?!?!

If you want to get real specific, it’s actually “The xx”.

I’ve seen “It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Night” from this video before and it’s AMAZING! Sheila E and Prince switch off drums and vocals mid-song.

I’ve been to the Hiroshima Peace Monument. They’ve got everything about the who, the what, the when, the where, and how, but nothing about “why”.

Twins fan as well (let’s commiserate sometime). I think some teams may be flat out don’t-want-to-plays, but some teams are for increased leverage. If he’s in the last year of his contract and, say, the Cubs want him, he can push them into signing an extension before waiving his no-trade clause. Perhaps he’s fine…

Errgh, It should have been a 10 episode series on HBO or something (same with The Stand). The book is just too big to be (properly) condensed into a movie or two.

Also, I’m worried about them doing a kid movie and an adult movie. One of the best features of the book is how jumping in between the two periods informs…

jumping over the money shot? yeah, mine too.

Really random, I was hanging out with friends near Tokyo, and we were at a “carbonated onsen”. It wasn’t, like, La Croix level carbonated, but it was an interesting sensation.

Eh. It’s no Death Canoe 5 (the canoe is actually the hero in that one).

Looks like Patterson’s stylists are a bunch of crazies.