4th of July: You're Doing it Wrong, Progressives

Restored fire truck carries VFW Members in Aloha, OR 4th of July Parade- Oregonian photo

I mentioned this earlier (altho some of you might've been distracted by the pics of Prinecess Eugenie at the beach), there isn't much else out there that brings as much joy to my heart as seeing the main street of a small town adorned with American flags or red white and blue bunting. Apparently a recent ivy-league study claims that my conservative political leanings play a role in that.

According to a recent Harvard study, 4th of July celebrations energize only Republicans, help boost Republican turnout on election day and are likely to turn young spectators into Republicans.

Democratic political candidates can skip this weekend's July 4th parades. A new Harvard University study finds that July 4th parades energize only Republicans, turn kids into Republicans, and help to boost the GOP turnout of adults on Election Day.

"Fourth of July celebrations in the United States shape the nation's political landscape by forming beliefs and increasing participation, primarily in favor of the Republican Party," said the report from Harvard.

"The political right has been more successful in appropriating American patriotism and its symbols during the 20th century. Survey evidence also confirms that Republicans consider themselves more patriotic than Democrats. According to this interpretation, there is a political congruence between the patriotism promoted on Fourth of July and the values associated with the Republican party. Fourth of July celebrations in Republican dominated counties may thus be more politically biased events that socialize children into Republicans," write Harvard Kennedy School Assistant Professor David Yanagizawa-Drott and Bocconi University Assistant Professor Andreas Madestam.

I'm sorry- was I supposed to throw up my hands and recoil in horror at the last part? Was the end result of this study supposed to be me wringing my hands over how politicized independence day has become? I really don't recall Independence Day parades featuring veterans riding on fire trucks or high school marching bands as having an inherently political bias- but then again, these guys are super-smart and from Harvard, so I could've just as easily missed something I suppose.

For all their faults, the GOP has not been out there in recent weeks attempting to circulate the meme that the Constitution is obsolete and needs to be replaced with an open-source document via social networking outlets like Twitter or Facebook. In fact, the same people attempting to advance that argument have been sharply critical of the GOP- particularly the incoming crop of freshman supported by the Tea Party last year- going so far as to claim reading the founding document aloud was some sort of perverse fetish.

Or is yearning to be even more like a sparesly populated, bankrupt Scandinavian nation the new definition patriotism now?

Nor is the GOP attempting to stop 4th of July fireworks displays through the use of nuisance lawsuits or attempting to limit the number of times a city council meeting can say the pledge of allegiance. In fact, given the open contempt that the media elites have demonstrated they hold for the flyover states and small town America, I would venture a guess that many of the progressives that make up so much of the voting bloc of today's Democrat party would be downright uncomfortable at one of these functions, however non-partisan they may actually be.

Where Are You David Eckstein?

In 2011 David Eckstein is not playing baseball but he is working for his wife actress Ashley Drane. Eckstein was a prototypical Cardinal player that had spirit and played hard. Its hard for me to believe he is not playing for any team. He had mentioned that a team was interested in him but he turned it down, it was for a minor league deal. At this point I would think the Cardinals may be calling for his services. His numbers have dropped but he still has grit and speed.

Funny how the actual MLB teams don’t seem to have quite the same appreciation for that “value” as reporters do. Eckstein made just $850,000 in 2009 and $1 million last season, hitting .263 with a .652 OPS in 252 total games for the Padres. DiGiovanna says “it appeared several teams focused on Eckstein’s statistics, which are not overwhelming.” Imagine that.

Officially Eckstein is not retired and plans for a comeback in 2012.

Source: NBC Sports

                                                                 Ashley Drane-Eckstein             

Currently Ashley is doing voice overs for animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

Assad Regime Crackdown Continues Amid Reports of Syrian Troops Defecting; Syrian Army Masses at Turkish Border

As troops loyal to the Bashr al-Assad regime continued their crackdown of anti government protesters, media reports claim that defecting soldiers and policemen are among the thousands of Syrian refugees streaming into southwestern Turkey.

Unwilling to open fire on demonstrators who have taken to the streets chanting the revolutionary slogans of uprisings across the Arab world, some Syrian troops have chosen to lay down their arms and flee to neighboring countries like Turkey.

It is difficult to estimate how many have done so, partly because they are afraid to speak out and partly due to severe restrictions on foreign media reporting in Syria, which makes it hard to corroborate accounts inside the country.

But Internet videos have begun increasingly to surface in recent weeks of men displaying military insignia and identification cards who say they have left an army that has used tanks and guns to suppress protesters calling for freedom.

Assad has relied on the armed forces, whose commanders are mostly from his minority Alawite sect, to crack down on protesters, who are mostly from the majority Sunni population.

Syrian troops have been massing along the Turkish border, occupying positions in border villages and attempting to block the flow of refugees to Turkey during the Assad regime's crackdown. The deteriorating situation within Syria has caused Turkish forces to be on aert and raised tensions across tge region.

Womens South Carolina College World Series T-Shirt,Ladies, Hat

Women's South Carolina College World Series T-Shirts, and Hats

Officially Licensed NCAA Ladies Apparel

The South Carolina alumni is fiercely loyal to the Gamecocks and after winning back to back College World Series in 2010, and 2011 they sure do have reason to celebrate and show their team pride.  These championship t-shirts and hats will be great to wear around campus, at home, or while your out on the town. These officially licensed NCAA CWS championship t-shirts, and strap fit adjustable hats are a must have for any dedicated South Carolina Gamecocks fan.

Pink Women's Back To Back South Carolina Champions Hat

Back to Back NCAA National Champions Black Hoodie Sweatshirt

There is a large collection of South Carolina Back to Back Championship Hats, and Merchandise available for purchase as well. Celebrate back to back magical Gamecock seasons in style. Memories that will last a lifetime for all the passionate fans of South Carolina.

South Carolina College World Series Championship Hat, CWS Apparel

South Carolina College World Series Championship Hat

Officially Licensed CWS Apparel

The South Carolina Gamecocks are on top of the NCAA college baseball world after winning their second consecutive CWS Championship. Check out these 2011 College World Series Championship hats.

This beautiful commemorative 2011 CWS Championship hat features an adjustable strap closure to ensure a perfect fit on nearly any size head.  Show your Gamecock pride and team spirit with these unique one of a kind hats.

South Carolina Back To Back 2011 College World Series Championship Hats

Not only did they do it once, they did it twice in back to back years!  They overcame all obstacles to become the 2011 Champs! show your team pride commemorating back to back Championship CWS seasons.

All of these hats have an adjustable hat closure, so you can be assured that they will fit. These make great gifts for any fan of the South Carolina Gamecocks and will capture the memories of back to back College World Series Championships for a lifetime!  There are also South Carolina College World Series T-Shirts available as well.

Goodbye Ryan Franklin

Well it finally happened. I saw it coming. I feel bad for Franklin but he had a good career. He went from being a starter to bullpen and then blossomed as a reliever. The four years he spent here he accomplished 84 saves and a All Star appearance in 2009.

Here's the rest of the story:
Tony La Russa and the Cardinals did whatever they could to keep Ryan Franklin around despite the former closer’s struggles this season, using him in the lowest of low-leverage situations and often avoiding bringing him into home games so the St. Louis crowd couldn’t shower him with boos.

Last night’s ugly outing was apparently the final straw, however, as Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post Dispatch reports that the Cardinals have released Franklin.
During his first four Cardinals seasons Franklin saved 83 games with a 3.04 ERA while allowing just 262 hits in 285 innings. This season he was 1-for-5 converting saves with an 8.46 ERA and .367 opponents’ batting average, serving up a remarkable nine home runs in just 27 innings.
Franklin allowed 11 runs in his final six appearances and at age 38 will almost surely have to settle for a minor-league deal if he wants to continue pitching.

NBC Sports

Giants Sweep Double Header in Chicago

Well, just like the Giants, we're doing a Double-Post today, but I'm going to keep this one really short cause the Giants did all the talking on the field today.

If you were fortunate enough to watch or listen to the ballgames today, you know exactly what I mean. It felt good to be a Giants fan today, starting off with the offensive out-poor in game one, followed by Barry Zito's triumphant return in the night cap. The unsung hero of the night has to go to Mr. Brandon Crawford, who I admit, I've been particularly hard on at this site in recent weeks, but the kid showed big league ability in that game 2, and that defensive save deep in the hole off taking a hit away from Aramis Ramirez was just as important as any hit of any one's bat today. Who knows what would have happened had that ball gotten through and another run crossed the plate to give the Cubbies a 3-1 lead and keep the inning alive. Zito did what he was supposed to do, pitching brilliantly after that spotty 3rd inning, locating the change-up and fastball throughout the night for 7 strong innings. It was a nice rest for the bullpen after Ryan Vogelsong could only get through 5 innings in game one, thanks largely in-part to some horrendous defense, but he'll be the first to tell you he didn't have his A-stuff today.

Offensively, Cody Ross (4-9, with 2 doubles and 2 runs scored), Nate Schierholtz (4-5, 3 RBI), Brandon Crawford (2-4, 2B, 2 RBI), Miguel Tejada and Pat Burrel (each with 3 hits and a home run) all were standouts throughout the day, but everyone on the team from Aaron Rowand to Manny Burris got in on the action as well. The bullpen pitched great in both games too, and though the defense was in-sufficient in game 1, they had their A-Defense out there at night and it showed. Now they get 2 more in Chicago which is feeling like home away from home right about now, and they get another couple of starters who have seen better days, starting with Ryan Dempster going up against Timmy tomorrow night. As far as the lineup, it should be interesting, after all the players who played so well today, to see how Bochy fills out the card for Wednesday's game when they'll enter play a season high 12 games above .500 and 2.5 up on the D-Backs in the West!

Today's Train of Thought- Different Shades of Blue, June 28 2010

Today's train of thought takes us to the former textile mill town of Lawrence in northeastern Massachusetts. Although a shadow of its former self, Lawrence remains something of a transportation hub- even if most of the people are just passing through- with I-93 and I-495 meeting just outside the city while the old Boston & Maine line through town sees daily MBTA commuter trains and more recently, Amtrak's Downeaster service between Boston's North Station and Portland, ME (although the latter doesn't stop in Lawrence).

To accommodate regular passenger service, the track and signaling on the former B&M Freight Main were upgraded considerably to accommodate higher speeds and more frequent trains (up to 5 daily Boston-Portland round trips for the Downeaster alone).

With that in mind, the Pan-Am Freight Main between Portland and Lawrence serves as a conduit for inbound cement, pulp, clay products and chemicals and outbound paper from the state of Maine. While the improvements to the Boston-Portland line were made nearly a decade ago, more recent improvements to the old B&M West end underwritten by Norfolk Southern (in exchange for access to markets in Boston and elsewhere in New England) over the past couple of years has helped expedite freight into and out of New England.

Here, railpictures.net contributor Matt Rooks caught Pan Am Rail SD40-2s #609 and 607 leaning into a curve as it heads southbound- westbound as far as the railway is concerned- with symbol freight WAED (WAterville, ME to East Deerfield, MA) in early May 2010. Both units are former TFM (Transportes Ferrovias Mexicano) with the #607 still wearing the two-tone blue with red trim of the Mexican national railways.

Nanny State Cheerleader Bloomberg Using Al Qaeda Video to Try and Sell More Gun Control in America

Obligatory gun show image

New York City Mayor (as well as anti-gun and anti-salt crusader) Micheal Bloomberg and an organization called Mayors Against Illegal Guns has launched a new video featuring quotations from a fugitive American member of Al Qaeda, claiming that terrorists will take advantage of a so-called 'gun show loophole'.

Frankly, I would be more concerned about firearms falling into the hands of thieves and convicted felons like Mayors Against Illegal Guns alumni Kwame Kilpatrick, Eddie Perez, Rod Blagojevich or Sheila Dixon.

An ominous television ad commissioned by Mayor Bloomberg will soon blanket the airwaves - warning that Al Qaeda could exploit the so-called "gunshow loophole."

This is a golden opportunity," said Al-Amriki. "America is absolutely awash with easily obtainable firearms."

"You can go down to a gun show and come away with a fully-automatic assault rifle without a background check," Al-Amriki said on the terror tape. "So what are you waiting for?"

Bloomberg and his coalition - dubbed "Mayors Against Illegal Guns" - have long urged for the repeal of the gunshow loophole, which allows unlicensed sellers to peddle weapons without running a background check of the buyer.

"Criminals already know how to take advantage of gaps in our gun laws, and now Al Qaeda knows too," said Bloomberg about the new commercial.

"Weak gun laws aren't just a crime problem, they're a national security threat," Bloomberg said, "and this ad should be a wake-up call to Congress."

The Mayor's Against Illegal Guns ad makes reference to a video made by "American Al Qaeda" Adam Gadhan that was released earlier this month calling for "lone wolf" style attacks against high profile targets and institutions. Gadhan is thought to be in hiding on the Arabian peninsula, most likely Yemen.

He said: 'America is absolutely awash with easily obtainable firearms.
'You can go down to a gun show at the local convention centre and come away with a fully automatic assault rifle, without a background check, and most likely without having to show an identification card.

Seriously- is it just me, or does it sound like Gadhan and Mayors Against Illegal Guns get their talking points from the exact same place? Perhaps this is an attempt by Bloomberg, other MAIG members and other gun control advocates to deflect attention away from the Congressional hearings into the ATF's Operation Fast & Furious with damning testimony from field agents who were ordered to allow weapons sold to straw purchasers in the USA to be illegally exported to Mexican drug cartels where they would be recovered from crime scenes on both sides of the border.

You'll have to excuse me if I call Mayor Bloomberg's counterterrorism expertise into question, given not only how the latest Mayors Against Illegal Guns video tidily overlaps with a number of long-standing gun control memes but his assessment of the attempted Times Square bombing last year. I find it very curious that the Mayor was reluctant to come right out and mention the possibility that a radical islamist was behind the botched Times Square bombing last year, but seems more than willing to invoke that same threat to try and sell the public on the notion of more gun control.

[Cross Posted at Pundit Press]

Blue State Graft Watch Update- State of Michigan Grants Kwame Kilpatrick Parole

The jailed former mayor of Detroit is likely to start his 24-month parole starting next month, a Michigan parole board ruled last week.

After another month behind bars, Kwame Kilpatrick is likely off to Texas to start his 24-month parole.

The ex-mayor of Detroit, who kept his nose and record clean while in state custody after violating probation, was approved for parole Friday with release set for sometime after July 24. A move to Texas to reunite with his wife and three sons was part of the plan submitted at his parole hearing, said his lawyer, James Thomas.

Officials added two special requirements to his parole: that he pay his outstanding restitution to the City of Detroit and that he establish and maintain a payment schedule with his parole officer.

Kilpatrick resigned as mayor in September 2008 after pleading guilty to two felony counts of perjury and obstruction of justice. Last year, the Democrat former mayor was sentenced to 5 years prison for violating the terms of his probation that was part of his 2008 plea arrangement.

The two term mayor is also facing federal charges of tax evasion, wire fraud, extortion and obstruction of justice- some of the charges carry a prison term of up to 20 years each.

Luxury Hotel Attacked by Suicide Bombers and Gunmen in Afghan Capital

Suicide bombers and gunmen launched a coordinated attack on the Intercontinental hotel in Kabul Tuesday night. Afghan sources say that 10 people were killed in the attack so far, but that number was unable to be verified independently.

An Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman says initial reports indicate three or four suicide bombers and at least two gunmen attacked the hotel. Multiple explosions have been heard on the property.

Sediq Sediqqi said Tuesday that all the bombers either blew themselves up or were killed. Two gunmen continue to fire from the roof of the hotel, he said.

"There are foreign and Afghan guests staying at the hotel," Sediqqi said. "We have reports that they are safe in their rooms, but still there is shooting."

Azizullah, an Afghan police officer who uses only one name, told The Associated Press at the scene that at least one bomber entered the hotel Tuesday night and detonated a vest of explosives.

Afghan police were battling the assailants with machine-gun fire and rocket-propelled grenades as tracer rounds went up over the blacked out building. The police have secured the area around the hotel, which is one of Kabul's most heavily guarded.

Jawid, a guest at the hotel, says the attack occurred as many people were having dinner in the hotel restaurant. He says he heard gunfire throughout the several story building.

"I was running with my family," he said. "There was shooting. The restaurant was full with guests."

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, saying that their operatives killed some of the hotel's guards in the initial attack and entered the property from there. Afghan police say that there are at least two gunmen firing from the roof.

The attack comes less than a week after President Obama announced the withdrawal of 10,000 US troops from Afghanistan within the year.

June Minor League Report

Well, as I type this, the Giants are in the midst of beating up on the Cubs in the first game of a doubleheader, as Pat Burrell's bat has come alive and Chris Stewart has quietly started to heat up. We'll have more on both games upon completion, but in this particular post, I wanted to take a look down on the farm and see just who may be on the horizon as far as the next in line of Giants' call-ups.

The only guy in Salem playing right now worth really talking about is first rounder Joe Panik, who I'm ecstatic about after he signed so darn quickly. Panik's already gotten in 9 games at low-A Augusta and is tearing the cover off the ball to the tune of .378 Avg./3 HR/7 RBI and a 1.101 OPS. The rest of the rookie bunch won't likely start until rookie ball later this summer. Panik looks almost certain to be a San Jose Giant in due time though, and as far as his pace of advancement, really anything is possible with this youngster due to all his experience already, especially with the wood bat in the CCBL. We'll talk more about him and the rest of the Giants' draft with Amateur/NCAA baseball guru Brian Foley in a few days, but with all the baseball this kid has played in the Cape Cod league and his 3 dominant years at St. Johns, I'd say we're looking at the same type route to the bigs as Buster Posey took. The first-rounder could also keep Giants management from pursuing a longer-term option in a shortstop-heavy market this winter, with guys like Jose Reyes, J.J. Hardy and Bay Area native Jimmy Rollins hitting the open market.

Up just a level at high-A San Jose, it's been all about '09 and '10 first rounders, SP Zach Wheeler and CF Gary Brown. They're the lone-standing top-10 prospects in San Jose after the likes of Chris Dominguez, Francisco Peguero and Hector Sanchez have all been promoted. It shouldn't be long before the speedy, .320 hitting Brown joins them, but Wheeler is still just 19 years old and may be in San Jose a while longer, despite a nice 6-3 record, 3.84 era and better than a K per inning. Another arm I'm keeping an eye on in is 22 year-old righty Michael Main, the prize of the Bengie Molina trade, who's looked good in his 4 outings, limited due to injury, but looks healthy now, going 3 2/3 shutout innings with 8 K's in 2 outings since his return June 17th. He should be back in the rotation for his next start and should be able to throw 90 pitches.

Up in Richmond, there are a few fresh call-ups, guys I mentioned above, who have arrived on fire. Chris Dominguez is actually hitting the ball better in the Eastern League right now than he was in San Jose, and he was leading the team in HR and RBI with a near .300 average upon his call-up. Though they've had far less at-bats then the rest of the members of the team, Dominguez is hitting .333 with 2 HR and 15 RBI in 46 at-bats and Peguero, in a much smaller sample size, is hitting .350 in 20 at-bats. After that, it's a huge fall-off to the .262 hitting Roger Kieschnick who also leads the team with 8 HR and 41 RBI. As far as pitching goes, the minor league starter and releiver who are each having the best year of all in the organization have been 23 year-old left-handed starter Eric Surkamp, and 21 year-old releiver/closer Heath Hembree. Each are quite possibly the most overlooked Giants' prospects out there too. Surkamp has done for Richmond what Ryan "The V" has done for the Giants this year but even better, going 5-3 with a 1.74 era and 87 K's in 77 innings (I don't care where your pitching, an era and strikeout rate like that is straight dealing). I don't believe it will be much longer before we see Surkamp in Fresno, possibly after the AA All-Star game. Closer Heath Hembree (5th rounder from 2010 draft) has 23 saves in 30 minor league games, starting out with a 0.74 era and 44 K's and 16 hits in 24 innings in San Jose. He's since been called up to Richmond and has just a few outings there, already though with 2 saves and 6 strikeouts in just 3 innings.

Up in Fresno, there are two bright young prospects getting a lot of playing time, and could be prepping for playing time in San Francisco this season. Those two players are The Panda 2.0, I mean the switch hitting, 5'10", 250 pound power-hitting catcher, Hector Sanchez (remind you of anyone?), and one of their top outfield prospects, Thomas Neal. Both have held their own quite well too. In 160 at-bats, Neal's hitting .313 with 2 homers and 22 RBI for the Grizzlies, and if I were to bet, I'd guess the 23 year old right-handed slugger will be the next in line as far as Giants' outfielders. The 21 year-old Sanchez started out the year in San Jose and tore it up like Sandoval did in '08. He hit .301 with 8 homers and a whopping 46 RBI in just 176 at-bats. Putting him on pace for a 135 RBI season had he stayed put in San Jose. However, once Buster Posey went down, I think the Giants felt some urgency to try and speed him along, possibly with the thought in mind to use him just as they did Sandoval in that 2008 season, as a late season, offensive charge call-up. The Giants have 2 defensive minded catchers up at the big league level right now, and I'm sure at some point, they'll want an option back there who can hit a little bit, right now that would be Sanchez. Either way, I'll be watching the group mentioned in this post (Dominguez, Peguero, Wheeler, Sanchez, Neal, Surkamp, Hembree, Main, Panik and Brown) under a microscope for the rest of the season, because they're the next wave of big league talent in this organization.

Injury Report: As we all know by now, Buster Posey's out for 2011, and Freddy Sanchez is out until at least September, so gone are the Giants #2 and #4 hitters from opening day. One guy they will get back soon though is Brandon Belt, the teams #1 prospect heading into 2011, who's been lost on the DL for the last month after just regaining his stroke in Fresno and carrying that with him to San Francisco before taking a heater off the wrist. His rehab is still going along slowly, but the Giants believe he'll be back around the time they return from the All-Star break. When he does return (assuming no major trades are made), I'd like to see him starting in left field almost daily and battling it out with Nate Schierholtz for the outfield at bats vs. right-handers, with Burrell getting the nod vs. lefties. I'd expect about the same time return for Jonathan Sanchez, who I don't think is really injured, but certainly needs to work some kinks out over these next few weeks in order to get his rotation spot back.

Another guy who should help this team immediately upon his return and is getting closer to full health is infielder Mike Fontenot. He'll give the Giants another option at 2nd and short and will likely be a near-everyday player for Bochy when he gets back with the struggles this team has encountered up the middle since Sanchez's injury. Crawford had a nice debut and does have a shot to be a starting SS in the bigs, but his bat isn't ready, so I would have him down in Fresno working daily on his hitting rather than splitting time with Miggy, who's quietly heating up as we approach July. After a home run and 3-hit game in game in game one of the double header in Chicago on Tuesday, the shortstop has gone 6 for 16 with 4 runs scored and 2 RBI over his last 4 starts and appears to be heading in the right direction offensively (his quality of at-bats have improved a lot).

Curt Flood Documentary on HBO

The game of baseball wouldn't be what it is today without the efforts of one man -- Curt Flood. In October 1969, Flood was named in a 7-player trade with the Phillies. He refused, challenging baseball's "reserve clause" stating the team has the power over the players after their contract expires.
Eventually the clause was removed. But the fight destroyed Flood's personal life and baseball career, but it lead to free agency as we know it today. Now HBO is chronicling the "Curious Case of Curt Flood" in a new documentary to air on July 13. Curt's youngest son Scott Flood is also working on a documentary on his dad for the past ten years. His daughter Shelly is also fighting to get her dad into the Hall of Fame. Curt Flood appeared as a All-Star in 64', 66' and 68'. Seven time gold glover. That's Hall of Fame worthy.

                                                                             

Cardinals and Padres to make a deal.

This morning SI.com reporting that the Cardinals are trying to land Heath Bell and Jason Bartlett. Bell has been a name that's been popping up on my blog several times. This trade may include our minor league players in order to land both of these players. I imagine the Cards would move Theriot to second base to have Bartlett at second. Bartlett is currently hitting .249 with 1 HR and 21 RBI. Has a great defensive glove but he is having a sub par offensive year.Would love to have both of these players but I don't want to give up the farm to do so. This may be a development to keep your eyes on.

Summertime Sports Chowdah Update for June 27- Miller Repels Marauding Pirates; Dodgers Go For (Chapter) 11; Tim Thomas- More Hardware Than True Value

RED SOX: Well, aside from that 10-run inning against San Diego last week it's been a pretty forgettable week for the Red Sox. Heading into Sunday afternoon's game against the Pirates, the Sox had managed to drop 4 in a row- the last two against San Diego at Fenway and the first two in the weekend series against Pittsburgh at PNC Park.

It was not the stuff of legends, and the Sox were helped out considerably by 4 errors from the Pirates in Sunday's game. PawSox callup Andy Miller went 6 innings, giving up five scattered hits and two runs while walking two and striking out four in what was actually his second start for Boston (he had no decision in last week's 14-5 romp over the San Diego Padres).

Jonathan Papelbon pitched the bottom of the 9th for his 14th save in 15 opportunities while Dustin Pedroia extended his hitting streak to 11 games, Adrian Gonzalez (still at 1B) raised his batting average to a league-best .361 and Miller is now 1-0 with a 3.09 ERA in the 4-2 win. Interestingly, all of Boston's runs came on either outs or errors on Sunday- another PawSox callup, LF Josh Reddick, had two sac flies, one of which resulted in an RBI.

Interestingly, the Pirates are now one game over .500- this is probably the latest in the season that they've had a record of .500 or better in recent years and just 4 games behind the NL-Central leading Brewers.

The Red Sox travel to the city of Brotherly Love for a 3-game series against the NL leading Philadelphia Phillies starting Tuesday night, with Josh Beckett (6-2; 1.84 ERA) getting the start against Cliff Lee (8-5; 2.87 ERA). First pitch will get underway at 7:05 PM ET and the game will be televised on NESN.

ELSEWHERE IN MLB: The Los Angeles Dodgers filed for Chapter 11 bankrupcy on Monday. The move came after MLB rejected a lucrative contract extension between the club and FOX sports and while the owner is close to finalizing a nasty and protracted divorce.

Two of the Dodgers largest unsecured creditors include the now-retired Manny Ramierez ($21 million) and Andruw Jones ($11.1 million). The Chapter 11 filing at a bankruptcy court in Delaware lists anywhere between $500 million and $1 billion in assets and $100 million to $500 billion in liabilities.

Owner Frank McCourt said the filing was to ensure that the team could continue to meet payroll, sign players and continue paying vendors and stadium personnel while preventing MLB from taking full control of the club.


BOSTON BRUINS: To hardly anybody's surprise, Bruins goalie Tim Thomas was named the Vezina trophy winner (NHL's Goalie of the Year) at the NHL awards last week. The former Vermont Catamount also won the Vezina in 2009, making this the second time he has garnered the award. Thomas was first on 26 of 30 ballots among votes submitted by NHL general managers.

Thomas conceded that his goaltending was far from perfect, even with an NHL-leading .938 save percentage.

"I don't think that my style's the perfect style -- that's for sure," Thomas said. "But it works for me.

"I'm kind of like the redneck of goaltending that duct-tapes everything together to fix it."

Thomas also won the Conn Smythe trophy (above) for the most valuable player in the Stanley Cup finals in the 7 game series against Vancouver.

Blue State Graft Watch: Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich Guilty on 17 of 20 Corruption Charges in Second Trial

Former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich was found guilty on 17 of 20 counts of corruption at the Federal Courthouse in Chicago Monday afternoon.

This was the former governor's second trial. In 2010, Blagojevich was found not guilty on 23 of 24 charges faced, with the jury finding that the former Land of Lincoln governor guilty of lying to the FBI.

CHICAGO—A federal jury on Monday found former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich guilty of 17 counts of corruption, including trying to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President Barack Obama.

The jury found Mr. Blagojevich not guilty on one of 20 corruption counts in his second trial and deadlocked on two other counts. The verdicts came more than two years after Mr. Blagojevich, 54 years old, was arrested by federal agents.

The verdict was a victory for U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, who initiated "Operation Board Games" just a few months after Mr. Blagojevich took office. In the hours after the then-governor's arrest, Mr. Fitzgerald said he had "interrupted a political corruption crime spree" and that Mr. Blagojevich had "put a for-sale sign on the naming of a United States Senator."

Mr. Blagojevich is the second consecutive Illinois governor to be convicted of corruption. Gov. George Ryan is currently serving a 6½-year sentence.

Unlike his first trial, in which the former Chicago congressman escaped conviction on 20 of 21 counts, Mr. Blagojevich testified for seven days at his second trial. He said his intent was to use the seat as leverage to pass legislation that would have benefited the residents of Illinois.

Blagojevich appointed Roland Burris to fill President Obama's then vacant senate seat in late 2008- an appointment that came after federal investigators recorded a call between the two where Burris was offering to raise funds for the governor in exchange for the Senate seat.

Finally things can get back to normal

Well the softball and baseball season is finally all wrapped up around the Kahuna's household for this year. No longer do I need to hear girls saying,"it's too hot to be a catcher" or "I'm missing a pool party ya know" or "can I just sit in the dugout cause I don't want to over tan myself." So far this past week alone I've already ran into two of my players and they both told me: "you made practices fun Tim and we miss that." I was happy to see them and I was glad to hear that they were both having a pleasant summer. I couldn't help it but as I was walking away from them I began tofeel a little tear forming in my eye.........because yeah...... I missed it too. There's next year to look forward to I guess!

As for the Mini-Me Kahuna......I was very proud of my boy and how his team ended up in second place in the playoffs. You see this team started out playing like the Bad News Bears (minus Billy Bob Thorton) and halfway through the season the team (Belleville Tigers) somehow found the divine Holy Mother of Baseball sparks and started playing better than the Major League level teams and most of the other teams in the minor league level as well. These kids were tearing up the score board 19-1, 18-6, 17-2. They were knocking off the top teams and went from last place to third place in the league. Well the playoffs started and in the first round they ended up blowing out their first round opponents 17-6. They advanced into the second round of the playoffs and they ended up knocking off the 2nd place team as well 18-7. Then it came time for the Championship game against the number one team (Longfellow Cubs) in the league who less than two weeks ago was undefeated and lost to these "Bad News Bears" just prior to the playoffs starting. This Championship game was going to be a fun filled ride and needless to say it was a back and fourth game. 4-0 and then 4-5 and then 5-7 and then 7-7 and then 7-9 and then 9-9. Finally after 6 innings of back and fourth "base stealing while scoring as the balls are flying everywhere while the parents are freaking out in the stands while some parents blame the umpires for their kids getting called out while other parents complain about the umpire being blind" baseball the final score was...... 11-10 and the winners were the Longfellow Cubs. The Belleville Tigers had played their hearts out and just could not muster up a last inning hit. Lady luck seemed to have sided with Longfellow.....even when the ball was caught by the right fielder who has not caught a ball all year long as we were told by one of the coaches after the game. He missed two fly balls earlier in the game and everyone thought it was gonna be a guaranteed hit when the ball popped out towards his direction again. I guess the kid finally learned to catch a ball and it couldn't have come at a better time for him. The Belleville Tigers players played their hearts out, they were energized the whole entire game, and they never quit. No matter what happened they never quit and kept playing. I tip my hat to the coaches, the players, and to the 5 tons of sunflowers seeds this team has ingested.

As for the Stockholders in Exxon/Mobil and Citgo......I apologize but your profits will drop for a little bit as my children have no summer sports and nothing till soccer in the fall.

Giants Keep Winning, Despite Injuries

Well, were inching in on the All-Star break, at which time you can usually tell which teams are for real, and which aren't. A lot of people expected the Giants to fade by now, after losing their best player as well as their #2 hitter for the season (though Sanchez may return in September) but even when they look like they may start faltering, they right themselves and return to doing what won them the World Series last November.

Saturday's game was a beautiful example of how the Giants season has gone, in a nutshell. Matt Cain was brilliant, once again, throwing 7 shutout innings, allowing just a handful of base runners and striking out 6. He most likely solidified his spot on the NL All-Star team with the victory, if he hadn't already. But again, the Giants offense failed to show up for the right-hander and didn't drive in a single run as a team. The only run of the game came on a bases-loaded balk by Todd Sipp, and that's all the scoring the Giants pitching staff would need on that particular day. They've won a lot of ballgames just like that, though not on bases-loaded balks, but by taking advantage of other teams mistakes and errors, which is something they do as well or better than any team in baseball. It's the reason why they could move up 1 1/2 games on the 2nd place D-Backs with a win tonight as they throw out tough luck lefty Madison Bumgarner vs. one of the most hittable pitchers in baseball, Fausto Carmona. If the Giants can't get their bats going tonight, I don't know when they will. The Indian's opening day starter has allowed 105 hits in his 96 innings of work this year and is sporting an era just .02 points shy of 6 (5.98). One thing is certain though, Nate Schieholtz needs to be playing daily, especially vs. righties, and I would like to see Bill Hall get some more time at 2nd base. Thomas Neal is the next guy in line in Fresno I'd like to see get a look as well, and I wouldn't mind seeing them throw catcher Hector Sanchez into the mix (more on those fellas in the Minor League Report next post) if they aren't going to add another backstop. Manny Burris is a nice young player, but he's not an everyday guy, and isn't a very good hitter from the left-side. Not saying Hall is going to be infinitely better, but he would bring pop to a lineup that badly needs it.

The other big thing in the news regarding the Giants this weekend has been switch from Jonathan Sanchez back to Barry Zito. Sanchez was struggling badly over his last few starts, not getting hit by the other team but having a hard time finding the strike zone with regularity. The Giants say he officially has tendinitis in his biceps, but I think it's more of a move to give Sanchez a break and Zito back into the mix. Zito has been throwing quite well in his rehab assignment and is certainly ready for big league action again, but if he doesn't pitch well in his next 3-4 starts and Sanchez rehabs well in Fresno, we'll be back in the same spot. I know a lot of people have wanted to deal Sanchez for a hitter, but his stock is at an all-time low right now. However, if he throws well when he returns, and Zito's pitching well too, they could re-visit that option. I'm not sure what type of players the Twins are looking for, but there are a few guys on that roster I wouldn't mind plucking away in Michael Cuddyer and Alexi Cassilla. Cuddyer could move right into left field and Cassilla could man shortstop or 2nd base. Another team that will be looking to deal is the Chicago Cubs, who have a bunch of guys the Giants could use too. Even though it's not been discussed, I'd be very intrigued by a possible Alfonso Soriano/Barry Zito swap. Both have identical contracts and the Cubs need pitching while the Giants need hitting. Zito would immediately become their #2 starter behind Zambrano, while Soriano would be a nice fit in LF for SF. I know Soriano has his doubters and haters, but he's still a threat at the plate and a dangerous, all-star caliber hitter who's good for a .275/30/80 line when healthy. I think it would be great if the Giants could get that kind of player, a power threat they really haven't had since Barry left!

Even though Posey and Sanchez are out, I just can't see Brian Sabean sitting on his hands thinking of 2012. The Giants, even without Posey and Sanchez, look to me like the 2nd best team in the NL right now, behind only the Phillies. The Albert Pujols-less Cardinals don't scare me, and I'm pretty sure the Giants can handle the Brewers and D-Backs. Even if Buster was out there, the Giants still could use another bat, so they should definitely be proactive. That said, Sabean should only deal for players who he feels have a good chance staying in San Francisco beyond this season. Meaning no trading away the farm for a rental like Jose Reyes or Carlos Beltran (as much as I'd like to have them in San Fran) unless those guys agree to an extension before hand.

Hugo Chavez Reportedly in Critical Condition in Cuban Hospital

Miami's Spanish-language El Nuevo Herald is reporting that Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez remains hospitalized in critical condition at a Cuban hospital and may be suffering from prostate cancer.

according to the report in El Nuevo Herald, Chávez finds himself in "critical condition, not grave, but critical, in a complicated situation."

The Miami newspaper cited U.S. intelligence officials who wished to remain anonymous.

Chávez silence has led to chatter and speculation in Venezuela that the socialist leader is actually suffering from prostate cancer. Intelligence officials could not confirm a diagnosis of prostate cancer but Chávez family did go to Cuba in the last 72 hours, according to wire service EFE.

Chávez daughter Rosinés and his mother Marisabel Rodríguez "urgently" left the country and headed to Cuba in a Venezuelan air force plane.

Cuba's state media website, Cubadebate, released photos on June 17 that showed Chávez posing with Fidel and Raul Castro in his hospital room. Chávez smiled for the camera in a track suit, while a frail-looking Fidel clutched Chávez arm.

Before the report that Chávez was in critical condition, his brother sought to reassure Venezuela that he was recovering well.

The questions over Chavez's long term health have led to speculation about possible successors to the presidency and criticism from opposition groups over the Chavez junta governing from abroad.

A notoriously long-winded public speaker, Chavez had been remarkably quiet this month. Chavez hadn't been seen in public since June 9th and was last heard from in a phone interview with Venezuela's state TV on June 12th. A regular user of Twitter, Chavez's account was dormant for 19 days before activity resumed.

Chavez considers Cuban dictator Fidel Castro the ideological predecessor to his regional 'Bolivar revolution' and counts Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega, Bolivia's Evo Morales and Ecuador's Rafael Correa among his leftist allies in the region.

Borderline Psychosis- Calderon Meets with Critics; Mexican Army Finds Cartel's Homemade 'Tanks', La Familia Unravels

MEXICO CITY: Mexican president Felipe Calderon took the unusual step of meeting with peace activists and victims of Mexico's drug violence in a televised meeting called 'Dialogue for Peace', but defended his hard-line strategy of using the military to crack down against the drug cartels.

[Poet-activist Javier] Sicilia demanded Calderon apologize for carnage that has left an estimated 40,000 dead, and demanded a change in the government's anti-crime strategy. But Calderon, flanked by Cabinet officials, repeated once more that it would be wrong to alter the basic thrust — a military-led campaign against the country's powerful cartels.

Calderon also said he would like to be remembered for other things he has done during his administration, such as building hospitals, fortifying education and legal institutions, and his environmental initiatives. But the conservative president admitted he will "probably be remembered for [the drug war], and probably with much injustice."

The meeting, at Chapultepec Castle in Mexico City, was televised live and attended by other relatives of victims of drug-related violence.

May not be too often I get to say this, but Calderon is absolutely correct. The problem of corruption and emboldened narcocriminals killing with impunity simply does not go away if the president orders the troops to the barracks, and state and local police have often demonstrated that they are unwilling to take on the cartels- or even operate in concert with them.


TAMAULIPAS: Members of the Mexican military on patrol on the northwestern state last month discovered a pair of homemade 'tanks' reportedly belonging to Los Zetas.

The patrol came across the warehouse when they clashed with a group of armed men in the town of Ciudad Camargo, in the far northeastern state of Tamaulipas. Two of the gunmen were killed in a firefight, while two hid inside the warehouse.

"We found two home-made armored trucks in the warehouse, which belongs to the Gulf Cartel," the military source told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The trucks were covered in steel plates one inch (2.5 centimeters) thick, strong enough to "resist the caliber of personal weapons the soldiers use," said the source.

The air-conditioned armored vehicles were equipped with portholes where snipers could open fire from and remain protected.

The home-made tanks are used in clashes with other drug cartels as well as to protect drug shipments.

In recent years, soldiers deployed in the northeastern Mexican border region have confiscated 109 home-made armored vehicles -- including one dubbed the "Popemobile" because it carried an armored cabin similar to that used to protect Pope Benedict XVI in foreign trips.

In May, police in the western state of Jalisco carrying out a sweep against the Los Zetas drug cartel discovered an armored vehicle large enough to carry 20 armed men and also equipped with weapons portholes.

The soldiers also found more than 20 big rigs in the warehouse that were apparently waiting to be up-armoured.

Over the last couple of years, the Mexican military has seized over 100 of these home made armoured vehicles- sometimes dubbed 'El Monstruo' by locals- designed to either attack rival gangs or protect high value shipments. The vehicles often cobbled together from dump trucks, garbage trucks or even heavy duty work trucks with inch-thick steel plating welded on. While the plating and strategically placed bulletproof glass make the vehicles nearly impervious to small-arms fire, they also are exceptionally slow and cumbersome, thus largely offsetting whatever advantage they'd provide in an assault with having to move it from point A to point B while maintaining the element of surprise.

ELSEWHERE IN TAMAULIPAS: The Houston Chronicle published a report earlier this month citing an unnamed cartel operative who claimed that Los Zetas had kidnapped passengers from buses running along Mexican National highway 101 through Tamaulipas and forced some of the abducted passengers into death matches with each other while raping and killing others.

In one of the most chilling revelations yet about the violence in Mexico, a drug cartel-connected trafficker claims fellow gangsters have kidnapped highway bus passengers and forced them into gladiator like fights to groom fresh assassins.

Members of the Zetas cartel, he says, have pushed passengers into an ancient Rome-like blood sport with a modern Mexico twist that they call, "Who is going to be the next hit man?"

"They cut guys to pieces," he said.

The victims are likely among the hundreds of people found in mass graves in recent months, he said.

Many are believed to have been dragged off buses traveling through Mexico, but little has been said about the circumstances of their deaths.

The trafficker said those who survive are taken captive and eventually given suicide missions, such as riding into a town controlled by rivals and shooting up the place.

The trafficker said he did not see the clashes, but his fellow criminals have boasted to him of their exploits.

Former and current federal law-enforcement officers in the U.S. said that while they knew Mexican bus passengers had been targeted for violence, they'd never before heard of forcing passengers into death matches.

But given the level of violence in Mexico — nearly 40,000 killed in gangland warfare over the past several years — they didn't find it tough to believe.

Borderland Beat, a blog specializing in drug cartels, reported an account in April of bus passengers brutalized by Zeta thugs and taunted into fighting.

"The stuff you would not think possible a few years ago is now commonplace," said Peter Hanna, a retired FBI agent who built his career focusing on Mexico's cartels. "It used to be you'd find dead bodies in drums with acid; now there are beheadings."

Even so, Hanna noted, killing people this way would be time-consuming and inefficient. "It would be more for amusement," he suggested. "I don't see it as intimidation or a successful way to recruit people."

While an outlandish anonymously-sourced story from an individual with a criminal background, the tale of forcing bus passengers into death matches would be consistent with autopsy findings that most of the 183 people pulled from the graves were killed by blunt force trauma, not gunshot wounds.

Earlier this month, Federal prosecutors in Mexico have charged 73 people in the mass killings, including at least seven police officers in the town of San Fernando.

MICHOACAN: Jose de Jesus Mendez Vargas- aka "El Chango" (the monkey)- was arrested by Mexican federal police at a checkpoint in the state of Aguascalientes without incident this week. Vargas, who was the de-facto head of the cult-like La Familia Michoacana cartel after military raids resulted in the killing or capture of top members back in December, started out as a hitman for the Gulf cartel, but cast his lot with the quasi-evangelical La Familia cartel when they asserted themselves along Mexico's western coast and in their namesake state in recent years.

La Familia was reportedly financially struggling to the point where they couldn't afford to pay hitmen, while Vargas was soliciting help and manpower from one-time rivals Los Zetas. After La Familia shot down a Mexican Army helicopter in May. Acting on documents obtained in the raid where the helicopter was downed, Police raided a meeting in nearby Jalisco. Information from one of the suspects arrested in that meeting led to the arrest of Vargas. While Vargas' capture may very well be the death knell for La Familia, other organizations including one made up of former La Familia members displaced after the December army raids continue to operate openly in the state.

The remnants of La Familia had been fighting with another faction that had broken off to form another cartel called the Knights Templar, which like La Familia, portrays themselves as Robin Hood-esque figures protecting the people of Michoacan from the invasive designs of the police, military or rival drug gangs.

CHIHUAHUA: A CBS investigative report has discovered that an AK47-variant rifle allowed to cross the Mexican border from the USA as part of the ATF's disastrous Operation Fast & Furious was involved in the abduction and slaying of Mario Gonzalez Rodgriguez- the brother of Chihuahua's then-state attorney general Patricia Gonzalez Rodriguez. In a video filmed shortly before he was killed in 2010, Mario appears in handcuffs and flanked by masked gunmen while being forced to read a statement that his sister was working on behalf of La Linea cartel.

Police later arrested 8 members of the Sinaloa cartel, confiscated their weapons and found Gonzalez Rodriguez's body buried under a home under construction in Chihuahua.

ELSEWHERE IN CHIHUAHUA: The police chief for the embattled border city of Ciudad Juarez survived an assassination attempt on Thursday in downtown Juarez.

City officials said two men opened fire on Leyzaola and his motorcade while they patrolled La Chaveña neighborhood near downtown Juárez, an area known for crime.

Leyzaola's bodyguards returned fire and wounded one of the attackers, identified as Roberto López Valles, 24, officials said. The other attacker fled.

Authorities detained López Valles in connection with the ambush and seized a gun and a weapon's magazine at the scene.

A retired Mexican army officer, Police Chief Julian Leyzaola was sworn in as the city's police chief in March and vowed to crack down on organized crime operating in the city and purge corrupt officers from the Juarez police department.

TEXAS: Officers from the Texas Rangers and other law enforcement agencies were involved in a cross-border shootout outside the town of Abram, TX earlier this month.

The incident began about 6:30 a.m. Thursday, when U.S. Border Patrol agents spotted a Dodge Durango near the lightly populated border town of Abram, Texas, said Steve McGraw, director of the Department of Public Safety Director. He joined officials from Border Patrol and Texas Fish and Wildlife for a news conference Friday in Weslaco, roughly 250 miles south of San Antonio and just north of the river separating Mexico and the U.S.

Agents who gave chase found the truck abandoned on the banks of the Rio Grande, and a group of people on the Mexican shore unloading bundles of marijuana from rubber rafts, according to the Department of Public Safety.

Border Patrol agents say Mexican smugglers often use small, high-quality rafts to float drugs into U.S. territory, where they load them onto waiting vehicles to be taken farther north. Of late, however, smugglers wait with the rafts in American territory in case the vehicles are spotted and have to flee back to the river. There, they quickly put the drugs back onto the rafts and head back to Mexico to keep U.S. authorities from seizing the load.

The group threw rocks and shot "at least six" rounds at American agents, who responded by flooding the area with gunfire, the Department of Public Safety said. A U.S. Border Patrol boat was the first to arrive on the scene, followed by boats from Texas Parks and Wildlife and one belonging to the Texas Rangers, it said.

Authorities said they are still looking into how many Americans fired shots and what agencies they were from.

Three suspects on the Mexican side of the river were believed injured or killed, although authorities in that country were still working to confirm that. Two U.S. game wardens were treated for cuts and abrasions after being struck with rocks.

A video shot from a Department of Public Safety helicopter shows a blue raft with bundles of marijuana packed in plastic and burlap. Smoke is seen pouring from a small structure nearby, although what caused the fire is unclear.

U.S. authorities seized the Durango but found no drugs in it. They contacted authorities in Mexico, who seized about 400 pounds of marijuana on that side of the river and destroyed a raft left behind. No arrests were made.

The Texas Department of Public Safety, whose Rangers were involved in the shootout, said such an overwhelming response was standard given the United States' zero tolerance policy when guns are pointed at its authorities. Department officials previously said the Americans were under "heavy fire," but they've since backed away from that.

Delicia Lopez- Valley Monitor

ELSEWHERE IN TEXAS: Police in San Juan, TX discovered more than 1700 rounds of .50 cal BMG machine gun ammunition concealed in cases after attempting to pull over a truck driven by two illegal aliens earlier this month.

Police found more than 1,700 rounds of military-grade ammunition, commonly used by U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, during a Monday evening traffic stop.

Investigators believe the load was headed to Mexico.

San Juan police stopped the driver of a Ford F-150 pickup near the intersection of “I” Road and Business 83 about 7:30 p.m. after an officer noticed the vehicle had a broken tail light, Sgt. Rolando Garcia said.

The driver, later identified in a federal court document as 34-year-old Miguel Angel Avendano-Reyna, drove into the parking lot of an H-E-B near the area before he and his passenger tried to flee on foot, police said. But two officers at the scene, including Garcia, were able to apprehend both of them after a short pursuit.

A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of 16 boxes and a black duffle bag under the truck’s back seat, Garcia said. Each container was filled with at least 100 rounds of .50-caliber ammunition.

The suspects had apparently picked up the load from an undisclosed residence in San Juan, and they had agreed to drop it off to an unidentified person in Hidalgo County for a payment of $250, officials said.

“This is something different for us. We usually get marijuana or other narcotics, but this type of seizure is big, especially with this type of ammunition,” Garcia said. The bullets were attached to a belt used for automatic weapons. “These have had confirmed kills in the military from as far as 3 miles away and it’s very destructive. It’s a very deadly round.”

The bullets are so powerful that they will go through bullet-proof vests and even armored vehicles and tanks, Garcia said.

San Juan police teamed up with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to continue investigating, Garcia said.

Avendano-Reyna and his passenger Jose Resendez-Olivares, 37, both are illegal immigrants who previously were deported a few months ago, according to federal court documents.

Avendano-Reyna, who admitted to authorities he knowingly possessed the rounds, was deported in September, while Resendez-Olivares, who claimed he helped load the boxes but didn’t know what was in them, was removed from the U.S. in November, documents show.

CENTRAL AMERICA: El Salvador's defense minister has asserted that Mexican drug traffickers are continuing to try and acquire high-powered weaponry through police and military forces in Central America.

Mexican officials have long said the most of the guns used by the cartels are smuggled in from the United States.

But Gen. David Munguia warns that the gangs have expanded into Central America are also trying to buy weapons there.

Munguia said Tuesday "there is a real threat," just days after his army arrested two noncommissioned officers and four soldiers accused of trying to steal 1,812 grenades.

The soldiers were allegedly trying to sell the grenades to gang members and drug traffickers in neighboring Guatemala, where Mexico's Zetas cartel has been active.

Earlier this month, Salvadoran military intelligence agents arrested a junior officer who deserted in December 2010 and was attempting to sell three M-16 rifles as well as uniforms to a civilian through to be an intermediary for drug traffickers.

At Least 3 Killed as Amtrak Train Collides With Dump Truck in Rural Nevada

Ron Almgren photo courtesey of Reno Gazette-Journal

Amtrak's Westbound California Zephyr was struck at a crossing by a gravel truck in Churchill County, NV on Friday morning at a grade corssing on the Union Pacific mainline northeast of Reno, NV, killing at least three people.

So far 104 passengers have been transported from the scene of a train and tractor-trailer crash in north Churchill County, authorities said.

Both Care Flight and a U.S. Navy helicopter have landed at Renown Regional Medical Center and dropped off patients.

Other passengers have been taken to a Fernley elementary school.

The vehicle that hit the train was a bottom-dumping gravel trasport, said Bob Knoll of the Reno Fire Department.
The train caught fire after the truck hit the second or third passenger car, Knoll said. It appeared the contents of the passenger car were what caught fire.

The Union Pacific, which owns the tracks the Zephyr was operating on was assessing whether or not to open up the paralell former Western Pacific mainline to bi-directional traffic while investigators from the NTSB review the accident scene.

The driver of the gravel truck was also killed in the collision.

UPDATE: A spokesman for the Nevada Highway Patrol said that the crossing where the collision occurred had both flashing lights and arms that raised and lowered whenever a train approached.

Lincecum Ends Losing Streak

It was no secret that a big part of the Giants struggles recently have been because of their ace not pitching up to his standard, but Lincecum once again silenced all critics and helped the Giants beat the Twins, 2 out of 3.

Timmy was on his game in all areas Thursday, throwing in the mid-90's with ease and accuracy, and he also had the big curve ball going for him as well. Whenever he's in command of just his fastball, he's a tough assignment, never mind when he's in command of all his pitches. He ended up going 7 strong, allowing 3 hits and 2 walks while striking out 12 batters, leaving the Giants bullpen with a 2-run lead that they held on strong to. Brian Wilson did give up a run in the 9th, then got out of it, but that wasn't the problem. It was the sputtering offense that did nothing much to help out the Giants ace, only mustering up 2 runs and a handful of hits vs. Twins swing-man Brian Duensing, leaving Timmy hardly any room for error, which is a tough way to constantly pitch. Had it been anyone other than Cain or Timmy out there in that ballgame, they may not keep their composure, with the lack of run support and all. And it's not like there is a quick fix on the horizon either. Pablo Sandoval has returned but he's come back down to earth after having a tremendous April, which I think everyone knew would happen eventually, just not so abruptly. If Pablo Sandoval is the 2010 Pablo Sandoval, this team is in trouble, plain and simple. They need him to be a .290+ hitter and run producer.

I don't care how good their pitching is, if their lineup is full of .240 hitters with no pop, and their defense is mediocre at best, they won't be major players the postseason, even if they did manage to sneak in. Now, I'm not saying this team still can't turn some things around, cause they can. Torres can pick up some slack, and I still think Sandoval is going to be a very good player, but without Posey, and with Huff hitting .230, they need those things to happen now, not 2 months down the line in September... As far as my J.J. Hardy watch, the dude continues to put up massive numbers, almost to the point where he's going to start garnering a nice little market for himself, if he hasn't already. He's now up over .300 with 10 homers and 30 RBI in less than 200 at-bats. Oh yeah, and he plays shortstop just as well as Brandon Crawford with a great arm. Even a J.J. Hardy wouldn't be quite enough to help overturn this offense as it sits now though. Unless Torres turns it around in a hurry, they're going to need another leadoff option. Whether they want to give Darren Ford a look, or try Aaron Rowand again, they need a spark at the top, especially now with Freddy Sanchez out of the 2-spot.

Jonathan Sanchez gets the nod Friday night in a nice matchup of youngsters, going against Cleveland righty Carlos Carrasco (7-3, 3.76 era). I'd sure like to see Sanchez stick around in this game, and not be bounced out by the 6th inning cause it seems like any time he gets the ball deep into games, he tends to come out victorious. At the same time, if I were Bochy, I'd have the short hook too. It's a warm June evening and if Sanchez isn't on, he can accumulate base-runners in a hurry... Should be a very interesting weekend series though going up against the best team in the AL Central, providing the Giants with another test to see just where they stand here in late June with all their injuries and slumps!

Two Men of Indeterminate Religous Background Arrested in Plot Against Seattle Military Recruiting Depot

Must be those Christian radicals that Representative Sheila Jackson-Lee warned us about.

Two west coast men in their 30s were arrested by authorities for plotting an assault on a military recruiting center in Seattle after a third man they attempted to recruit for the attack informed a Seattle Police detective of the plot.

Abu Khalid Abdul-Latif, also known as Joseph Anthony Davis, 33, of Seattle, and Walli Mujahidh, aka Frederick Domingue Jr., 32, of Los Angeles were arrested Wednesday and charged in a seven-count complaint unsealed in U.S. District Court in Seattle.

Among the charges were conspiracy to murder U.S. officers, conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction and unlawful possession of firearms.

Both men appeared this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mary Alice Theiler, who ordered them held pending a detention hearing next Wednesday. A preliminary hearing is set for July 7, which will be held only if the men are not indicted by a grand jury before then.

They face a maximum of life in prison, however firearms charges carry mandatory-minimum sentences of 30 years each.

The two suspects had hoped to carry out a Fort Hood-style attack [which if you think back to 2009, emphatically WASN'T a terrorist attack- NANESB!] targeting the facility's security guards first before executing anybody in uniform. According to investigators, they were hoping their attack would inspire other Muslims to launch similar attacks on military facilities in the USA.

Since early June, authorities said they have been monitoring Abdul-Latif, 33, of Seattle, also known as Joseph Anthony Davis, and Mujahidh, 32, of Los Angeles, also known as Frederick Domingue Jr.

The men spoke about gaining access to the facility by driving a "truck that looks like the Titanic" through the "front gate," the complaint says, and Abdul-Latif told the source his objective was to "take out anybody wearing green or a badge."

“Imagine how many young Muslims, if we’re successful, will try to hit these kinds of centers,” said Abdul-Latif, according to the complaint. “Imagine how fearful America will be, and they’ll know they can’t push Muslims around.”

Earlier this month, when Abdul-Latif noticed a security guard at a Seattle military recruiting station, he appeared unconcerned.

“We’ll just kill him right away,” he told an FBI source posing as an accomplice, according to the criminal complaint. “We can kill him first.”

Abdul-Latif, who had been in and out of prison over the last decade, was operating a cleaning service around the Sea-Tac International airport that had recently gone bankrupt.

The arrests came a little over a week after hearings held by Congressman Peter King (R-NY3) into radical Islam and recruitment in American prisons was denounced by some Democrats as discriminatory and 'racist'.

I have to say, one of the few times I tuned into C-SPAN lately, I was hoping to catch some of the Fast & Furious hearings. I missed those, but instead caught a rebroadcast of the Congressman King's hearings in which Democrat after Democrat attempted to sidetrack the hearings by bringing up the national security menace posed by the Aryan Nations or radical Christians.

Frankly, if I knew C-SPAN would be this good, I would've tuned in more often. I'm not neccesarily King's biggest fan in the blogosphere, but after various Democrats attempt to deflect and obfuscate, but King's response was to point out to all the Demcorats crying racism or attempting to change the topic back to neo-nazi gangs or militant christians that if they thought those were the grave national security threats they claimed, they had FOUR YEARS in which they could've established hearings of their own on the matter.

Kyrie Irving Cleveland Cavaliers Jersey, Draft Day Hat

Kyrie Irving Cleveland Cavaliers Jersey

#1 Draft Pick

Kyrie Irving hopes to bring the Cavaliers and the town of Cleveland back into contention. When Lebron James left Cleveland, he took all of their hopes of a Championship. Kyrie Irving is the first piece of the puzzle that will bring the Cavaliers back to the playoffs.

Once his jerseys are made available you can buy them here :

Cleveland Cavaliers Draft Day Hat

This is the hat that Kyrie Irving put on as he was being announced as the #1 draft pick for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Irving gives the team a playmaker that can lead the offense and distribute the ball.