Terri Schiavo passed away this morning. That has not stopped her parents from filing another appeal to restore the feeding tube. (OK, now I’m REALLY going to hell.)

So much for the Axis of Evil. Relations between Iran and North Korea became frayed yesterday as a result of... a soccer match. A World Cup qualifying match between Iran and North Korea in the capital of Pyongyang erupted into a melee when fans were enraged after referees failed to call a penalty against one of the visiting players. Bottles and rocks were thrown on the field, and masses of North Koreans surrounded the Iranian team's bus after the match — a rarely seen display of public violence in the authoritarian country. North Korea lost, 2-0.

Patrick Kennedy, Teddy’s son, will not be running for the U.S. Senate against Rhode Island Republican Lincoln Chafee. Too bad. Although Chafee is one of the more liberal Republicans, it could have been a big pickup for the Dems.

But hey, it’s reassuring to know that even with a Republican-controlled House, Senate and White House, they are still unable to have their way. For example, Bush’s Social Security proposals. Failing miserably. Between widespread public opposition to the private accounts and widespread public opposition to the government getting involved in the Schiavo case, could the 2006 midterm elections be a positive one for the Democrats? It’d be about time.

If I believed in hell I would SO be going there after linking to this.

Baseball season begins this Sunday night with the Yankees playing the Red Sox. Randy Johnson vs. David Wells. Should be a hell of a game. (Not that I'll be watching... WrestleMania 21 is the same night) But now I will offer my official predictions as to how the teams will finish this year. Keep in mind that last year I picked 4 of the 8 playoff teams, and said that the Red Sox would beat the Yankees in the ALCS. (Although I then said that they'd lose the World Series to the Cubs)

NL East
1. Braves
2. Marlins (Wild Card)
3. Mets
4. Phillies
5. Nationals

NL Central
1. Cardinals
2. Cubs
3. Astros
4. Reds
5. Brewers
6. Pirates

NL West
1. Padres
2. Dodgers
3. D-Backs
4. Giants
5. Rockies

AL East
1. Yankees
2. Red Sox (Wild Card)
3. Orioles
4. Devil Rays
5. Blue Jays

AL Central
1. Indians
2. White Sox
3. Twins
4. Tigers
5. Royals

AL West
1. Angels
2. Mariners
3. Rangers
4. A's

Playoffs
Braves d. Padres
Cardinals d. Marlins
Angels d. Red Sox
Yankees d. Indians

Cardinals d. Braves
Angels d. Yankees

Cardinals d. Angels

This posting has to do with baseball. If you are not interested in baseball, you probably will not be interested in this posting.

Baseball season starts on Sunday night and so does my Fantasy League. I play in a keeper league where we keep the same players, year after year, along with making trades and free agent pickups. Last year I came in 4th place out of 12 teams. I'm hoping to improve with the following lineup. Or at least stop Bartow from winning for the 3rd or 4th year in a row.

Jason Kendall (catcher), Todd Helton (1st base), Marcus Giles (2nd base), Jimmy Rollins (shortstop), Mike Lowell (3rd base), Carl Crawford (outfield), Jim Edmonds (outfield), Luis Gonzalez (outfield), Shawn Green (utility), Carlos Lee (utility) and Jack Wilson (utility). My starting pitchers include Livan Hernandez, Kirk Reuter, John Thomson, Kenny Rogers, Brian Lawrence, Horacio Ramirez, Mark Redman, Ramon Ortiz, John Lackey, Glendon Rusch and Steve Traschel (DL). My bullpen is Shingo Takatsu, Guillermo Mota, Latroy Hawkins and Tim Worrell. Let's keep our fingers crossed!

Later this week I'll make my picks as to how the MLB teams will finish.

Things I’ve bought (or have been bought for me) for the new apartment : area rugs, sofa, love seat, entertainment unit, computer desk, mini-blinds, kitchen supplies, bathroom supplies. Next on the list to get is an armoire and living room tables. Anticipated move-in date : April 10 or 11. Two weeks!

You’ve got to feel bad for the Pope. One of his religion’s holiest days of the year and he’s physically unable to participate in the ceremonies. The pictures of his anguish at not being able to speak are sad.

The hypocrisy of the Right continues. Tom DeLay, who tried to fight the removal of Terri Schiavo’s feeding tube, is now revealed to have instructed doctors not to take extraordinary measures to keep his own father alive. When his then-65 year old father became severely injured in an accident and his organs began failing, DeLay and his family decided not to connect him to life support. I wonder how DeLay would have felt if the government tried to interfere with that decision.

Has the Religious Right finally alienated mainstream America? Recent polls indicate that most Americans agree that Schiavo’s feeding tube should be removed and that most Americans do not want the government interfering in these kind of matters. Heck, even MEMBERS of the Religious Right aren’t buying into the "Terri is being murdered" story. A new Time magazine poll shows that 53% of evangelical Christians approve of the tube’s removal.

Finally, here’s a shitty way to die... (from Reuters) A Czech tractor driver died under eight tons of manure in a bizarre accident that has baffled his employers, local media reported.
The 34-year old man, identified only as Martin T, suffocated after the load fell on him while he was dumping it in a field near the western Czech city of Karlovy Vary, news Web Site www.novinky.cz reported Sunday. "It absolutely beats me how this could happen," said Vladimir Erps, chief of the company employing the victim. "The truck is operated from the tractor cabin, using hydraulics. There was nothing for him to do under the truck, but it's tough to blame him now that he is dead," the news site quoted him as saying.
Police are investigating the death as a work-related accident.

This blog is back from its brief hiatus (that turned out to be briefer than I thought it would be) to tackle some important issues. And what is on the mind of Americans more these days than Terri Schiavo?

How did an unassuming middle-aged woman become a household name in the center of a 'right to die' debate? Surely the circumstances are geared toward the public's attention. A feuding family. A conflux of medicine, religion and politics. It's got something for everyone.

But it will all end soon. Because with the Supreme Court's latest refusal to consider the case, Terri will surely expire before long. Is this a tragedy? Of course. But the tragedy is not the removal of her feeding tube. The tragedy was the affliction that left her a vegetable 15 years ago. That is no way to exist and I surely would not want to exist in such a manner. Maybe some people would and that is their prerogative - hence it is important to establish living wills, where we express our wishes in such worst-case scenarios (as morbid as they may sound). If it were me, I would not want to be kept alive in that state and neither does Terri. So we should honor her wishes and let her go.

How do we know that Terri would feel that way? That's the crux of the debate as, after all, she has no living will. However, I don't believe that her husband - her legal guardian - would be fighting this hard for her right-to-die if Terri hadn't expressly told him how she felt about the subject. I sympathize with her parents but once she got married, they forfeited all of their legal rights to speak for her.

Then you have the Right-to-Lifers who vehemently protest the removal of Terri's feeding tube because of their religious convictions. There is a certain blog that I've recently visited that often espouses a Pro Life philosophy. The poster and most of the commenters feel that any life, even the life of a vegetable, is worth preserving. And if you dare disagree with them, they answer with Biblical quotations and warnings that America is evolving into the Fourth Reich. Sigh. I'm secular. I can't have a public policy discussion when Biblical passages are the basis of an argument. I personally believe that organized religion is a mythology passed on through the ages and while I respect people individual beliefs, I don't want them enforced on me or anyone else who doesn't subscribe to their philosophy. Yet religious institutions are encroaching more and more on our public policies and we must be very weary of that trend.

And finally there's the politics of this matter. Historically, the Republicans have respected the rights of the states to decide matters themselves with minimal federal interference. But I suppose that's only if the states don't conflict with their ideology. First President Bush attempts to pass an amendment banning gay marriage. Now he and the Congress tried to take a case out of the state's hands and put it in a federal court's hands. Thank goodness we still have an independent judiciary. Let's hope it remains that way amidst the anger that the Religious Right will display as a result of this outcome.

So those are some of my thoughts on this matter. Rest in peace, Terri. It's 15 years coming.

This blog is temporarily going on hiatus. See ya.

So much for Mark McGwire being a hero and role model. His reputation is shot after his pitiful testimony before Congress yesterday. Refusing to confirm or deny anything about his past, even the disbelievers must now acknowledge that his magical 1998 season was thanks to steroid enhancement. Interestingly Sammy Sosa flatly denied ever using steroids. Either he was lying (which runs the risk of perjury) or he can now be considered the true single-season home run king (since Bonds is an obvious juicer). Then again Sosa corked his bats so it's hard to believe what he says. Ultimately, does it matter? The entire era will be known as baseball's steroid era. Whether or not their new testing policy will have any teeth is yet to be seen.

For those interested in learning more about the Rwandan genocide, there is going to be an excellent film shown on HBO this Saturday night. Titled "Sometimes in April", it further explores the atrocities depicted in "Hotel Rwanda." Set your VCRs or TiVOs or stay tuned for one of its many repeat airings.

It is ... so ... cold ... in my office. Everyone is sitting in our winter coats. I tell ya, either the heat is blasting or there’s no heat at all. No happy mediums. Plus an awards ceremony is being held in our building on Wednesday so they’re repainting the lobby and the paint fumes are a bitch. Anyway, enough complaining.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to whoever celebrates it! I know of one Irishman who won’t be in a celebratory mood today. Mark McGwire. Congress is holding its hearings on steroids in baseball and McGwire, Jose Canseco, Sammy Sosa and others will all be appearing. Most likely, they’ll all invoke the Fifth Amendment. It’s telling when the players strenuously deny ever using steroids to the media but once they’re forced to testify under oath, they clam up. Look it’s no shock to anyone that steroid use was rampant in baseball for the past 10-15 years. Just by looking at guys like McGwire, Sosa, Giambi and Bonds, and seeing their sudden increases in power production, it is obvious that more than just weight training was going on. The Congressional hearings won’t accomplish anything as baseball has already adopted a new steroid policy, but it should be entertaining to watch these guys sweating the hearings out.

I got the keys. It’s mine – all mine!

Exactly one year ago on this blog I wrote :

There was an old "Peanuts" cartoon where Lucy bemoans, "Another holiday season has come and gone and as usual I didn’t get what I really wanted." Charlie Brown asks her, "What’s that?" Lucy’s reply : "Real estate!"

It was a part of a posting where I talked about my desire for a new place. Well one year later, I’m happy to officially have one. And now to begin doing all the little things necessary to move in. First step – changing the locks.

Last night I commuted from my new apartment in Bay Ridge to the Village for Tuesday Night Trivia. Total time of the trip? A half-hour. Not bad! My team, which consisted of T.A.B. and Sam, didn’t do that great but at least I won a VHS copy of "Raging Bull."

I signed the lease. Yay. I don’t have the keys yet. Boo. I’m picking up the keys this afternoon. Yay. Provided that they’re actually finished cleaning the apartment. Boo. Yeah, nothing ever goes as smoothly as you’d hope. I hoped that all the work would be done last week so I could start moving things in right away. But when I dropped by yesterday, the super was still doing work in the bathroom and he still had to clean the wood floors. I’m told that it will be all set by today but we’ll see.

Beware the Ides of March. Which reminds me, Denzel Washington is going to play Brutus in a new stage production of "Julius Caesar." An intriguing choice of casting.

What's going on in the news these days? Baseball steroid scandal, Michael Jackson trial... I feel so out of it.

Today I sign my lease. And write some very large checks.

I finally got around to seeing "Hotel Rwanda" over the weekend. Excellent film. I remember that in the spring of 1994, the Holocaust Remembrance Museum opened in Washington D.C. I went down there with a group from my high school on an all-day trip. It was incredibly moving and the message of "Never Again" resonated. Unfortunately, at that very same time, a horrible genocide was occuring in Rwanda. Not that most Americans knew much about it – our media was too busy feeding us stories on Tonya Harding and O.J. Simpson. The ethnic cleansing of Tutsis by Hutus was horrible and the film does a fine job in depicting the ordeals of Don Cheadle’s character – a hotel manager who (like Oskar Schindler) uses his hotel as a refuge for those escaping the slaughter while bribing and using his influence to save their lives. The saddest part was the refusal of the U.N. to intervene, as white foreign nationals were transported to safety while the Africans were left behind to meet their fate. I’d like to say "Never Again" but who are we kidding. Look what happened in Sudan earlier this year. The world has a long way to go before genocide and similar atrocities are eliminated.

Goodbye Blogger comments... Hello Haloscan!

Due to the unreliability of Blogger's comment feature (which prevented some people who wanted to comment on my new apartment!), I've jumped aboard the Haloscan bandwagon. (Which I'm sure will make Tamara very happy) Not that I'm a comment whore or anything but now that it's so easy to post a comment, I'm expecting more of them!!! Not necessarily on the level of The Anonymous Blogger though.

So whoever you are... if you're visiting this site, say hi!

And now for more information on my new apartment!

After looking at it on Monday and liking what I saw, I brought my parents by yesterday and they also loved it. It just went on the market, with the previous occupant moving out last week. They’re still in the process of repainting, polishing the floors, etc., and I wanted to claim it before anyone else would. So we went back to the realty office, I put a deposit down and met with the woman from the management company who just happened to be there. She assured me that I’d be approved which means that I can get a lease that would be effective on March 15... the Ides of March! My plan is then to spend a month getting the place ready by moving small things over and buying furniture, with a total move-in goal of mid-April.

The building itself is in Bay Ridge, on Ovington Avenue (the equivalent of 70th Street) between 4th Avenue and 5th Avenue. It is one street block away from the R-Train stop on Bay Ridge Avenue. It’s also steps away from major shopping hubs on 3rd Avenue and 5th Avenue, which both afford a nice view of the Verrazzano Bridge as you walk down them. The building is pre-war, rent-stabilized, with an elevator and laundry facilities in the basement. My apartment is on the 3rd floor and there are 6 floors in the building. It has a very large living room, a large bedroom, a kitchen with plenty of cabinet and counter space, a nice-size eating area, a decent size bathroom, and a foyer with multiple closets. I had to slightly increase my desired price range by $50 a month but considering what I’m getting, it’s very worth it.

I’m very excited about this. There’s so much to do but the big weight of actually finding something has been lifted from my shoulders. Plus, many of you may not realize this, but this will actually be my first "real" apartment. For the past six years, since graduating college, I’d been renting my parents basement. It was a good way to save money for a while but the time had come to make a fresh start and start moving on with life. Can’t wait.

I GOT A NEW APARTMENT!!!

More details forthcoming shortly...

UPDATE : Tonight's apartment visit has been postponed due to the inclement weather. Currently scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.

I heard back from the broker representing the apartment I saw on Sunday that had several flaws. To completely correct all of the conditions would entail a significant increase in the rent. So they can forget it as the place isn’t worth it. I then met with a different broker after work yesterday and I was shown three new apartments. One was terrible, one was OK but not what I was looking for, but the third looks promising. I’m going back there after work today with the parents for a further inspection. (so no trivia for me) I’ll let you know how it goes in tomorrow’s post.

Sorry for the lack of a post on Friday. There was no time as I had to be at the NY Aquarium bright and early for our annual Commissioner’s meeting. It went very well and my boss, as usual, prepared quite the spread for lunch. The meeting was held right next to the walrus tanks so at multiple times during the presentations, the walruses would come up to the glass and show off by blowing bubbles or tapping their fins against the glass. What hams! It made for a very pleasant distraction though.

Then I resumed my apartment hunting over the weekend. I looked at two places. Didn’t care for the first one as the kitchen was too small to hold a table and chairs. The second place I looked at was much nicer in that regard and I was pretty stoked about it. But then I asked my parents to come by and take a look at it and they noticed all of these flaws that I neglected to notice. So the next step is to see if these are flaws that the building will take care of or if I should keep looking. (I’ll do both) Part of the problem is that these buildings are very old and its previous occupants must have lived like pigs. Sigh.

Apartment hunting is stressful! Just as stressful as going on blind dates. Sarah came to the conclusion (and I heartily agree) that the two are very similar since the apartment (or date) is often very different in person than how they portray themselves on paper. For example, you SAY there’s a "eat-in kitchen" but where am I supposed to put a table? Likewise, you SAY you’re low maintenance but why are you fixated on going to the most expensive places? Both tasks require persistence!

I was at the New York Aquarium today preparing for a big meeting tomorrow involving the Parks Commissioner. Every year we try to choose a unique site to hold the meeting. Last years was in the chapel of Green-Wood Cemetary. This years will be in the Aquarium's display area by the walrus tanks. While leaving the Aquarium and entering their parking lot, I saw none other than Uma Thurman. She was with her young daughter (who she had with Ethan Hawke) and I heard her say "So Maya, what kind of animals do you think we're going to see today?" She was dressed very inconspicuously and I wouldn't have even recognized her if my co-worker hadn't pointed her out to me. Good to see a big celebrity enjoying Brooklyn with their family. No doubt she was taking a break from filming the movie musical version of "The Producers" which is also being shot in Brooklyn.

Today I want to call attention to a new site that I've added to my blogroll. It is that of The Wounded Liberal. Although I often make some political commentaries on this blog, they are rarely of the fine caliber displayed by The Wounded Liberal. Putting the Bush Administration and the G.O.P. in their place, while reminding us of the important values behind the Democratic Party, it always makes for a compelling read.

Spring training baseball begins today! Mets vs. Washington Nationals on ESPN. My VCR has been set.

First of all, I want to congratulate Jay Bartow and Lisa Annis on their engagement! Couldn't have happened to two nicer people. Lisa I knew from the dorms at Vassar - she lived next door to me. Jay I knew from our shared interests in politics, baseball, pro wrestling and Jewish stuff. We were the co-founders of the nVo. Although Jay and Lisa both knew each other at Vassar they didn't start dating until they reunited at their 5-year reunion. Best of luck to both of them!

I love reverse-stalking on Sitemeter. The search words that brought people here are always amusing. Some recent ones include "andy roddick, never change bracelets", "burns and smithers run the plant themselves", "spin to win for funny bagels", "david nalbandian jewish tennis", and "glavine no teeth photos." And then there’s the people who google a combination of my name and the word blog. Come on people, don’t be anonymous – leave a comment!

The snow wasn’t nearly as bad as they were predicting. It looks so pretty on the trees. Not so pretty on the ground though.