I note that both Flash and Foot have made their picks of my games, and there are two games that can potentially swing. So it could be we wake up Monday and find LF with a slim two game lead, or that Flash will be picking some real upsets to overcome a six-game bulge. One note: it was 2002 when the Patriots last lost two games in a row.

Strom needs to sue LF for trademark infringement. That picture with the cigar has to be the new campaign picture, right?

The hardest thing today was trying to watch the game with the sound off, and keeping my mouth shut through three freakin popups with the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth. From then on I paid more attention to the workshop. I will be here tomorrow cheering the Angels in a local bar, as I still have one team to root for: whoever is playing the Yankees.

Sat to dinner with four of the smartest people I know. Only one of us really knew all of the other four; two of them were near strangers to me, but moved to the head of the smart list in a damned hurry. Debates over the Civil War/War of Northern Aggression, student visa policy, and what country has the most corrupt cops were three topics (another friend joined in the latter two).

And someone else paid the bill. Life gets no better than that.