The Saddest Thing About Old Ballplayers is....they die!

I have interviewed 36 retired baseball players since 2002, and one thing they all have in common is that they're very old (average age probably 75). So, I am always depressed when I hear that one of them has died. Last night, my good friend Rod Nelson from SABR (www.sabr.org) sent me this e-mail. I interviewed Bill Wight in 2003 in Sacramento and I remember that he was just a very sweet and gentle man. We talked for over an hour at an Applebee's restaurant and he ate his favorite thing -- a big juicy cheeseburger with avocado!

Bill Wight, 85, scouting great & former major-league pitcher dies

He discovered and signed some of baseball brightest starsBill Wight, a well-respected major-league pitcher and scout and an influential figure on Sacramento baseball, died Thursday morning from a heart attack in Mount Shasta. He was 85.

Wight, a resident of Carmichael since 1969, was vacationing with his wife of 60 years, Janice. In addition to his wife, Wight is survived by his son Larry Wight, a professor at Sierra College, granddaughter Susan Walters of Seattle and grandson Bill Wight of Orange County.

Funeral services are pending.As a left-handed pitcher in the American League, Wight played from 1946 through 1958 for the New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians.In 1953, he battled for a spot in the Indians rotation that featured future Hall of Famers Bob Lemon, Bob Feller and Early Wynn. In 1958 with an aching arm, he wound up in the National League with the Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals. His career major-league pitching record was 77-99 with a 3.95 earned-run average.Wight debuted with the Yankees in 1946. His best year was 1949 with the White Sox, when he was 15-13 with a 3.31 ERA.Born in Rio Vista, Wight grew up in Oakland. He was signed to as contract with the Yankees by Joe Devine in 1941, according to a story published by The Bee in 1984. He broke in at Idaho Falls of the Pioneer League, pitched the next year for Binghamton, and in 1942, he entered the Navy at St. Mary's Pre-flight School where his manager-coach was future Hall of Famer Charlie Gehringer.After the war he made the Yankees' big-league roster as a reliever.
He had one of the best pick-off moves in the game, catching dozens of off-guard base runners during his career. Even as a young pro, he was so proficient with his move, he was asked to work with Yankees pitchers and base runners before the 1941 World Series."He had the best move I've ever seen," said longtime friend Ronnie King, who scouted for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies.
Wight played with Hall of Famers Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams and Yogi Berra. He met Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig."He always kicked himself for not getting their autographs," said Bill Wight, his grandson.Wight sold real estate after his playing career ended before becoming a professional scout with the Houston Astros in 1962.Wight spent the next 37 year peering through backstops and filling out scouting reports, with the Astros for five years and with the Braves for the remainder of his scouting career.With the Astros, he signed Hall of Famer Joe Morgan and as the person overseeing regional scouts for the Braves, he signed two-time N.L. MVP Dale Murphy. He also signed Bob Horner and Sacramento-products Dusty Baker, Jeff Blauser, Rowland Office, Taylor Duncan and Andy Finlay.
Throughout his scouting career, he expended a lot of bonus money. "It has to be in the millions," he told Bee columnist Bill Conlin in 1984. "I've spent it in about every state in the Union."Conlin wrote: "When you spend that much of the bosses' money, you have to enjoy their confidence, which Bill plainly does."Wight was named Scout of the Year in 1992 and in 2005 was inducted into the San Diego Padres Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame. His plaque is next to Ted Williams at Petco Park in San Diego."Bill is one of the nicest guys I've ever met in the game," King said.
"He was some scout, too." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------By Mark McDermott - BEE SPORTS STAFF
Published 2:49 pm PDT Friday, May 18, 2007

The SABR Scouts Committee credits Bill Wight with this list of player signings:
1962 Houston Astros Ernie Fazio

1962 Houston Astros Joe Morgan

1963 Houston Astros Larry Howard

1963 Milwaukee Braves Walt Williams

1965 Houston Astros Keith Lampard

1967 Atlanta Braves Dusty Baker

1970 Atlanta Braves Taylor Duncan

1970 Atlanta Braves Rowland Office

1970 Atlanta Braves Jack Pierce

1974 Atlanta Braves Dale Murphy

1975 Atlanta Braves Glenn Hubbard

1977 Atlanta Braves Bob Porter

1978 Atlanta Braves Bob Horner

1980 Atlanta Braves Ken Dayley

1980 Atlanta Braves Brian Fisher

1984 Atlanta Braves Jeff Blauser

1984 Atlanta Braves Drew Denson

1985 Atlanta Braves Tommy Greene

1985 Atlanta Braves David Justice

1986 Atlanta Braves Kevin Brown

1986 Atlanta Braves Kent Mercker

*SABR member Ed Attanacio did an oral history interview with Bill on 9/11/2003 and I'll post a link to that later this weekend.

FROM THE BALLPLAYERS - BASEBALLLIBRARY.COM
Wight, an unproven youngster in 1948, was halfway from California to the Yankees' spring training camp in Florida when he heard he had been traded to the White Sox. Chicago trained in Pasadena, CA; Wight had to turn his car around and head west. He became manager Ted Lyons's number-one starter but went 9-20 for the last-place club, walking a league-high 135 batters. He rebounded for his best season in 1949, going 15-13. In 1950, he went 0-for-61 at bat, an AL record for futility. Traded to Boston after the season, he pitched for six teams in the next seven years, never again winning more than nine. (RL)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY» February 24, 1948: In a key trade for New York, Ed Lopat goes to the Yankees from the White Sox in exchange for C Aaron Robinson, Bill Wight, and Fred Bradley. Lopat will star for seven seasons in pinstripes, winning 21 in 1951 and going 16–4 in 1953. Robinson's main value to the Sox will come at the end of the season when he's swapped for another lefty pitcher, Billy Pierce.

» August 20, 1948: The Indians draw record 78,382 for the largest crowd to attend a night game. The Indians go on to beat the Chicago White Sox, 1–0, at Memorial Stadium as Satchel Paige blanks the opposition on three hits for the 4th consecutive shutout by Cleveland hurlers. Bill Wight is the hard-luck loser. Besides Paige, Gene Bearden, Sam Zoldak, and Bob Lemon fired shutouts.

» May 15, 1949: White Sox hurler Bill Wight coasts to a 10–0 win over the Indians, and Al Gettel follows with a 2–0 whitewash of the Tribe.

» April 17, 1951: Rain cancels yesterday's presidential opener in Washington, washing out the debut of rookie Tom Morgan. Morgan would have been the first Yankee rookie ever to start an opener. Clad in an army uniform, Whitey Ford tosses out the first pitch today at Yankee Stadium, and Vic Raschi scatters six singles to shut out the Red Sox, 5–0. Bill Wight gives up all the Yankee runs, including a two-run homer to Jackie Jensen in the 3rd inning. Mickey Mantle, making his debut before 44,860, has one hit and scores a run. Also debuting is public address announcer Bob Sheppard.

» May 30, 1951: In a doubleheader loss with Boston, Yankee slugger Mickey Mantle strikes out three times in the opener, and twice more to start the 2nd game: Casey Stengel lifts the slugger in the middle of the game for Cliff Mapes. In the opener, Ted Williams scores from 2B on a sacrifice bunt, and then ties the game with a home run. Vern Stephens 15th inning homer off Spec Shea wins it for Boston, 11–10. Williams then ties the nitecap with a double and Stephens' single drives him home with the game winner as Boston triumphs, 9–4. Ray Scarborough and Bill Wight are today's winners. The loss drops the Yanks into 2nd place, where they'll stay for a month.

» September 7, 1951: The A's split a pair with the Red Sox, losing 8–5 to Bill Wight, before winning, 11–4. Billy Hitchcock has two triples and double in game two good for five RBIs. Bosox reliever Ellis Kinder makes his 54th appearance in the opener, breaking Wilcy Moore's club record set in 1931. Boston slips in the American League race to four games back.

» June 3, 1952: In a blockbuster trade between Detroit and Boston, the Red Sox send Walt Dropo, Don Lenhardt, Johnny Pesky, Fred Hatfield, and Bill Wight to the Tigers for 3B George Kell, Hoot Evers, Dizzy Trout, and Johnny Lipon.

» May 5, 1953: Pitcher Bob Porterfield of the Senators hits his first ML homer, a 4th inning grand slam off Bill Wight of Detroit, and the Nats add six more in the 8th to roll to a 14–4 win.

» July 13, 1955: The Orioles deal OF Hoot Evers to the Indians in exchange for P Bill Wight.

» August 31, 1955: Lefty Bill Wight of the Orioles gives up five runs in the first and then no-hits his former Indian teammates for eight innings. He loses 5-1.

Rollie Stiles: The Oldest Living Baseball Player

At 100, Rollie Stiles is the oldest living former major league player. He is one of only five people left on the planet who either played with or against Babe Ruth. He pitched for Oklahoma State University and played for almost 14 years in the minors and majors. He was a middle reliever, a spot starter and an occasional closer for the St. Louis Browns in ’30, ’31 and ’33. His career won-loss record was 9-14. He completed 9 games, threw one shutout and gave up 16 home runs (including one controversial HR to the mighty Babe that he says may not have happened, although he can’t be sure.) His lifetime ERA was 5.92 and he wasn’t a bad hitter, batting .270 in 1930. In 1931, Stiles finished 15 games for the Browns, which ranked 8th in the AL for that season. At 100, his long-term memory is excellent, although he does have problems recalling things that happened within the last few years. When I asked him about a speech he gave last November to around 300 people at a St. Louis Browns reunion, it came as a surprise to him. He has no recollection of the event.

Pitching to Lou Gehrig: "He was the best hitter I ever faced. That’s what I thought about it. I couldn’t throw a ball anywhere where he wouldn’t hit it. He was just happy to see me go in there. I think he could hit anything I threw. If he could reach it, he could hit it."

Managed by Rogers Hornsby: "Yeah, that has to be the darkest part of my career. He was a great ball player -- I’ll say that for him. He was a great second baseman. He was a good hitter. But, his personality was altogether different. I don’t really want to say anything more on that subject. I can’t ever remember anyone being happy that they played for Rogers Hornsby."

Playing against Babe Ruth: "I am proud to say that I got the chance to pitch against the man. They say he hit a home run off of me, but I don’t remember it. Well, now wait a minute. I know one of the games when I was pitching against the Yankees, he hit a ball right down the right field line, and, of course, the right field bleachers was pavilion-like and there was a screen that there was there to protect the right fielder that went about halfway down over that pavilion. So, he hit a high fly ball and I believe it hit the foul pole and bounced down on the roof of that pavilion. I know this happened. Now, whether that was a home run or not, I don’t remember. But, I know he did that and it could have been a home run. I don’t remember how it was scored."

Pitching against the good teams: "Well, it just seemed to me like every time I went in to pitch, either Ruth, Gehrig or some of those players from the Athletics was up at the plate. At that time, the Athletics had the best ball team baseball. When you went in to pitch to those fellas, you had to struggle all the time. And it wasn’t just the good hitters with the Athletics, it was their infielders too – the second baseman, third baseman, like that. When those guys got on a good team they became great hitters. That’s the way it was with everybody on that team, the Athletics. They had Simmons, Foxx, Cochrane, Dykes – you had to struggle with everybody on that club. You couldn’t look at any one hitter and say I’m gonna get this dood out. If you wasn’t careful, he’d slam one out between the outfielders somewhere, and you’d be in big trouble. It was murder having to go out and pitch to the Athletics."

Throwing illegal pitches: "I have an idea that back then some pitchers did things to the ball that they weren’t supposed to be doing. I wouldn’t be surprised if at that time there were more spitball pitchers than there ever were before. Now, I could throw a pretty good knuckleball, and sometimes I’d throw that. But, that was a legitimate pitch. But, I know there was cheating going on back then, with the spitball and things like that. There weren’t that many complaints about it. Once in a while somebody would squawk, you know, but officially there were never any complaints. At least not that I knew about."

When informed that he’s the oldest living major league baseball player: "Am I really the oldest? Are you sure about that? You’re kidding? I didn’t know that."

Why he thinks he lived so long: "Hell, I don’t know. I was sick all the time when I was going to school. I would miss at least a week of school every term with the flu, or something like that every year. I had nearly every disease you could have as a kid. I was always sick. I always drank a little bit and I smoked cigarettes during my whole baseball career. So, I can’t tell you why I’ve lived so long."

BayWolf in Oakland: Food to Howl About!

BayWolf Restaurant in Oakland is why I personally eat out. Inventive, creative and very different food is the only reason, I believe, to go to restaurants. Without sounding snobby, I can honestly say that my fiancée and I are fairly decent cooks. If we want to eat something that we know how to make, we can stay home and cook it.

We’re not wealthy, so cooking and eating at home is attractive to both our palates and our wallets. We have a lot of high-end (and high-priced) grocery stores in San Francisco, so we can get anything we want to take home and prepare. Even if we go to Whole Paycheck, it’s still more affordable than going to a restaurant. Sure, you have to wash the dishes when you eat at home, but you also don’t have to tip anybody.

So, when we do decide to go out and eat, we want to try something distinctive that we can’t get at home. We want to sample new foods, flavors or textures. We want to experience unique and different cooking techniques and taste combinations.

That’s why BayWolf is very high on our list. It’s one of the most imaginative places in the Bay Area. Founding Owner Michael Wild says that “little things make a large difference in a small restaurant. We agonize over small details and play with them endlessly, tweaking as we go, discussing the niceties of the particulars inherent in getting it right.”

Wild’s main inspiration is Elizabeth David. “Her books are pressed on every one of our kitchen staff. We expect them to embrace her injunction to cook with care and skill, regard for the quality of the materials, without extravagance and pretension.” I think that says it all. The people at BayWolf make food to impress themselves and no one else. They aren’t trying to show off tricks they learned in culinary school. And the end result is pure magnificence.

Wild (who is also the executive chef) and Chef de Cuisine Louis de Gassic offer a new menu with a different theme every month, celebrating the season’s prime ingredients and regional cuisines of the Mediterranean. For instance, May is “andiamo in Italia” month, featuring primarily Italian dishes; and June is “Back to Burgundy” month.

One thing that’s always on the menu is the famous BayWolf locally raised duck. This place does things with duck that no other restaurant can. They know duck! When we ate at BayWolf recently, we had the Liberty Ranch Duck Breast with grilled asparagus and a balsamic vinegar glaze ($25). Duck is a tricky bird to make right, and this breast was so right it made me cry (privately.) Moist inside with crispy skin, the glaze accentuated the deep, rich flavors of the duck in a way I’d not experienced before. This little quacker did not die in vain. We also had a Duck Liver Flan with pickled onions, cornichons and olives ($12.50) that was incredible.

Other items we sampled included the Seared Tuna-Stuffed Calamari with curly cress and pimenton vinaigrette ($11.25); and a Grilled Adriatic Ling Cod with duck fat fries, roasted green beans and salsa verde ($22). Who does ling cod anymore? Unbelievable.
Signature side dishes are also well-known at BayWolf. Other than the duck fat fries, I can also heartily recommend the lemon mashed potatoes and the garlic spinach.

One dessert that really stood out was Rose-scented Parfait – a rice pudding with mango confit and candied pistachios ($8.50).

BayWolf is located at 3853 Piedmont Avenue in Oakland. The place is hopping, so reservations are always suggested. Their phone number is: (510 655-6004.

Go to BayWolf once and you’ll be howling for more even before you hit the door.

What Gas Boycott?

Supposedly there was a big nationwide gas boycott yesterday. The only problem is that no one noticed. If people need gas, they will buy it. Some dumb boycott is not going to do anything. If folks really care, they'll get out of their cars and start walking, riding bicycles and/or using public transportation. When will that happen? Not any time soon!

Haters on the Highway: Road Rage in the U.S.

I have always thought that San Francisco must be one of the worst road rage cities in the U.S., but I guess this study proves it’s no worse than a lot of other places. Drivers in SF are some of the biggest a-holes I’ve seen anywhere and the overall attitude is one of total hatred for the individual in the other vehicle. Obviously road rage is a MAJOR problem in this country, primarily because people only care about themselves. We live in a very selfish “Me! Me!” society and road rage is a byproduct of that.

I found this study to be very interesting:

In The Driver's Seat Road Rage Survey, commissioned by AutoVantage, a leading national auto club, found that the least courteous city in the country is Miami, followed by Phoenix and New York. The other two cities in the bottom five were Los Angeles and Boston. The most courteous city is Minneapolis, followed closely by Nashville, Tenn., St. Louis, Seattle and Atlanta.
The In The Driver's Seat 2006 AutoVantage Road Rage Survey was conducted to determine the driving habits and attitudes of commuters across the U.S. and to learn more about consumer views on the topic of Road Rage.
"Road rage has unfortunately too often become a way of life, both on and off the track," said NASCAR driving legend and AutoVantage spokesman Bobby Hamilton. "More and more, in cities across America, people are acting out their frustrations with dangerous results. It's bad for professional and everyday drivers alike.
"Our new Road Rage survey shines the light on emerging driving trends, and there are some very interesting results."
The survey's best and worst are:

Least Courteous Cities (Worst Road Rage):
-- Miami
-- Phoenix
-- New York
-- Los Angeles
-- Boston

Most Courteous Cities (Least Road Rage):
-- Minneapolis
-- Nashville
-- St. Louis
-- Seattle
-- Atlanta
Other cities surveyed include Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Philadelphia, San Diego, San Francisco and Washington/Baltimore.
"This new study focuses on important attitudes and habits of drivers on the open road nationwide," said Brad Eggleston, vice president of AutoVantage. "This groundbreaking research is an important tool to help educate and influence safer driving habits throughout the United States."
When asked the major causes of road rage in the survey, the most frequent theme was people being in a hurry, running late, being impatient and/or speeding.
-- "They are in a rush to get somewhere"
-- "People leaving too late and being in a hurry"
-- "People not going by the speed limit"
American drivers also feel that stress, frustration, bad moods, and being generally aggressive contribute to the widespread phenomenon of road rage.
-- "People being stressed out"
-- "People cut you off and do not signal"
-- "They think the road belongs to them"
Behaviors by other drivers that cause stress for commuters, and which can lead to road rage, include:
-- Driving too fast (57 percent observe this happening every day)
-- Tailgating (50 percent see this every day)
-- Cutting over without notice (44 percent see this every day)

Commuters also reported that other drivers frequently:
-- Talk on their cell phones (98 percent observe this at least once a
week)
-- Run red lights (59 percent observe this at least once a week)
-- Slam on the brakes (54 percent see this happening at least once a week)
As a reaction to rude or bad driving by others, people surveyed reported that they:
-- Honked their horn at the offending driver (40 percent)
-- Cursed at the other driver (32 percent)
-- Waved their fist or arms (9 percent)
-- Made an obscene gesture (8 percent)
-- Called the police to report the driver (5 percent)
About one in one hundred (1 percent) said that they actually slammed into the car in front of them, although not always intentionally. "One time someone plowed into me, so I plowed into the back of another car," said one respondent.
Other key findings of the study:
-- Younger drivers, and those who have the farthest commutes are most
likely to react to an aggressive or rude driver.
-- There is no real difference between men and women when it comes to road
rage.
-- Besides talking on the cell phone while driving, the one thing that
drivers in this survey were most likely to have done is drive too fast
(64 percent admit that they do this at least some of the time).
-- Tailgating. Drivers in Miami are most likely to see this behavior daily
(63 percent), while drivers in St. Louis are the least like to see this
(41 percent).
-- Slamming on the brakes. Drivers in Los Angeles (33 percent) and Miami
(33 percent) are most likely to witness this behavior daily, while
drivers in Minneapolis are least likely (14 percent).
-- Stealing parking spots. One-half (51 percent) witness this behavior
once in a while. Drivers in Miami (8 percent) are more likely to see
someone "stealing" their parking space than drivers in Dallas/Ft.
Worth, Washington/Baltimore and Cleveland.
-- Running red lights. One-fourth (24 percent) said they see drivers every
day who run through red lights.
-- Driving too fast. Drivers in Dallas/Ft. Worth (68 percent) are more
likely to see drivers driving too fast than those in Minneapolis (47
percent) and Cleveland (47 percent).
-- Talking on Cell Phone. Eighty percent say they see drivers every day
talking on their cell phone. A full 91 percent of Dallas/Ft. Worth
drivers said they see this behavior daily.
Overall, 30 percent said they see drivers doing other things like putting on makeup, shaving or reading while driving. Los Angeles (43 percent) emerged as the city where this is most likely to be seen, while Seattle (18 percent) emerged as the place where this behavior is least likely to happen.

What's the Story with Robert Horry?

The Phoenix Suns' 12-1 run to end Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals gave them a 104-98 victory Monday night that evened the series with the San Antonio Spurs. But, the big news of the evening was what Robert Horry did late in the fourth quarter.

As Steve Nash started to bring the ball up the court after Manu Ginobili missed the Spurs' fourth straight shot, San Antonio's Robert Horry hit him with a forearm that knocked him into the scorers' table and had players from both teams rushing to the scene.

Phoenix's Raja Bell tried to get at Horry, as did Nash after he jumped to his feet.

Horry was given a flagrant foul and was ejected. Bell was given a technical foul. A free throw by each team made it 101-98. The Suns kept possession and Nash added another free throw with 16 seconds to go.

The Suns, who trailed by as many as 11 points, had taken the lead for the first time in the second half on consecutive behind-the-back feeds from Steve Nash to Amare Stoudemire that made it 100-97 with 32 seconds to play.

"He just body-checked me out of bounds," Nash said. "I understand he's frustrated, it happens but he did body-check me."

Shawn Marion added two free throws with 7.4 seconds to go.

The cheap shot that Robert Horry laid on Steve Nash last night is a disgrace. Horry should be suspended for the rest of the playoffs.

It was a classless move intended to injure Nash.

There’s no other explanation for it. Horry was frustrated because his team blew the game, so he decided to level Nash as retribution. Whenever I see this type of goon mentality, it makes me ill, because it goes against everything that’s good and still unadulterated in sports – like sportsmanship and fair play. What kind of message does this send to kids who happened to be watching the game?

Shame on you, Robert Horry. As a veteran of the league, you should know better. You pulled a punk move and deserve whatever punishment the NBA decides to give you. If I were the Phoenix Suns, I’d be eagerly anticipating your return. I don’t condone violence in any way, but payback’s a bitch!

Whitney and Binny? Who Knew?

Bobby Brown’s drug-addled brain has finally short circuited. The R&B one-hit wonder claims that he’s on Osama bin Laden’s hit list. It turns out that the terrorist leader has his eye on Brown’s former wife, singer Whitney Houston.

“Bin Laden wanted to have me killed because he was in love with Whitney,” Brown claims on an upcoming ITV show, “24 Hours With Bobby Brown.” “Osama wanted to marry Whitney and make her one of his wives.”

“I feared for my life,” Brown said. “I’m still on my guard. The most wanted man in the world wants me dead.”

Brown has obviously completely lost it. Why would Bin Laden want all of the problems associated with Whitney, anyway? From what I’ve heard, he has enough problems getting his kids to obey him (They refuse to do their religious studies and drink Coca-Cola against his wishes.)

After researching this subject further, I realize that maybe Brown isn’t crazy. This article appeared on the Web site for the British newspaper, The Daily Mail:

“Terror mastermind Osama bin Laden is so obsessed with singer Whitney Houston he thought about killing her husband, Bobby Brown, it was claimed last night.

The suggestion is made by Sudanese poet and novelist Kola Boof, who claims she was bin Laden's sex slave for four months 10 years ago.

In her autobiography, Diary of a Lost Girl, she writes: "He told me Whitney Houston was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen."

Boof, 37, who claims bin Laden raped her and held her prisoner in a Moroccan hotel, says he could not stop talking about the songbird, even though he disapproved of music.

"Osama kept coming back to Whitney Houston," she says in the book, excerpted in the magazine Harpers' Bazaar. "He asked if I knew her personally when I lived in America. I told him I didn't.
"

He said that he had a paramount desire for Whitney Houston, and although he claimed music was evil he spoke of someday spending vast amounts of money to go to America and try to arrange a meeting with the superstar.

"It didn't seem impossible to me. He said he wanted to give Whitney Houston a mansion that he owned in a suburb of Khartoum.

"He explained to me that to possess Whitney he would be willing to break his colour rule and make her one of his wives.

"Whitney Houston's name was the one that would be mention constantly.
"How beautiful she was, what a nice smile she has, how truly Islamic she is but is just brainwashed by American culture and by her husband Bobby Brown, whom Osama talked about having killed, as if it were normal to have women's husbands killed."

Boof, who once claimed she had to take her son out of a Los Angeles school after rumours surfaced that bin Laden was his father, also claims the Al Qaeda mastermind read more than the Koran.

"In his briefcase I would come across photographs of the Star magazine, as well as copies of Playboy," she writes.

She also says his favourite television shows were The Wonder Years, Miami Vice and MacGyver (Undoubtedly where Binny learned his bomb-making skills.)”

GW said WHAT??

Not since former Vice President Dan Quayle has a top politician made so many misstatements in this country. Yesterday GW Bush stuck his large foot in his bigger mouth when he said this about the Queen of England.

“Queen Elizabeth II helped the United States celebrate its bicentennial in 17, uh, I mean, 1976.”

This actually doesn’t seem so bad when compared to some of the other dumb things GW has said during his presidency. Here are some of my personal favorites:

“We cannot let terrorists and rogue nations hold this nation hostile or hold our allies hostile.”

When asked when a woman first starts to show her pregnancy, Bush replied, “Uh, I don’t know, August?”

“My (critics) misunderestimated me.”

“Fool me once – shame on, shame on you. Fool me twice – you can’t get fooled again.”

“The illiteracy level of or children are appalling. At least that’s what Dick said he read somewhere.”

“(Our enemies) never stop thinking of new ways to harm our country and our people. And neither do we.”

“Too many OB/GYN’s aren’t permitted to their love with women all over this country.”

“It was not always a given that the United States and America would have a good relationship.”

Old Yuppies Make Grateful Dead Auction Expensive

During their heyday, the Grateful Dead promised in their folksy lyrics to "steal your face right off your head."

Dedicated Deadheads probably lost their shirts and a lot more earlier this week in San Francisco when big bidders brought in more than $1.1 million during an auction of memorabilia collected by the group's longtime road manager, Lawrence “Ram Rod” Shurtliff.
Everything from guitars to ticket stubs kept by Lawrence "Ram Rod" Shurtliff during his decades-long stint coordinating the rock band's legendary touring operation were on the auction block.

Other items included drug syringes, groupie’s bras and panties, used patchouli oil, trampled concert blankets, hair clipped from Jerry Garcia’s beard, Bob Weir’s stool samples, Pigpen’s dandruff, Mickey Hart’s toenail clippings and Bill Kreutzmann’s very first toupee.

"He just really loved the band and he didn't want to see any of their equipment or stuff thrown away," said Margaret Barrett, director of entertainment memorabilia for Bonhams & Butterfields Auctioneers, which was staging the sale in San Francisco. "He didn't want their legacy to go away."

“People who want to bid on these items better bring money. Some Deadheads have said that they want to trade beads, used roaches and happy thoughts for items. Don’t even try that crap.”
Auctioneers predicted that doctors, lawyers and entrepreneurs - many of whom wore flowers in their hair to the Dead's early shows - would gladly pay a premium for ordinary items touched by band members, including Jerry Garcia, a founding member who served as lead guitarist and vocalist. Now that these people have sold out to the man, they want to re-capture their pasts.
The auction house expected a 1975 cream-colored electric guitar played by Garcia during some of the Dead's most famous shows to bring between $250,000 and $300,000.

Deadheads bidding by phone and in the crowded auction room bid up prices for band photos, original album artwork, guitars and other musical gear collected by Shurtcliff over decades.

A leather guitar strap worn by Garcia on stage around 1973 sold for $20,400 – four times the estimated selling price. A flight case containing Garcia’s picks, unopened guitar strings and other accessories sold for $16,800.

Entertainment's Capitol is New York, New York!

If you’re headed to New York City this summer (and it seems like half the U.S. population is) you should hire a new york ticket broker to help you get good prices on tickets. There is so much going on in NYC all the time when it comes to concerts, sports and live performances. Las Vegas is small-time compared to all of the amazing things that are happening every single day in the Big Apple. It really is the entertainment capitol of the world. Check out some of these upcoming events. Concerts: Joss Stone, Nelly Furtado, Joey Ramone’s Birthday Party Bash, Linkin Park, Arctic Monkeys, Elvis Costello, Steely Dan, Godsmack and Velvet Revolver. Sports: The Yankees, Mets, boxing, soccer, wrestling, U.S. Open tennis and Monster Trucks. Shows: Jersey Boys, Phantom of the Opera, The Color Purple, Wicked, Turandot, A Chorus line, Inherit the Wind, Hairspray, Les Miserables, The Lion King, Legally Blonde, Rent, Beauty and the Beast, Stomp and the Blue Man Group.