Driving to work yesterday, I saw the following license plate: GNOCIDE. I take this to mean genocide and was wondering why anyone would put that on their license plate. A co-worker mentioned, maybe it's a band name, but I doubt that. Anyone got any other ideas what it could stand for?

So, I'll admit it, I watch baseball on tv and do enjoy it...and it's not even the playoffs. Wednesday night, I had the yankee/red sox game on while doing stuff around the house. I watched the first inning and saw the red sox take the lead. Eventually I sat down around the seventh inning when the red sox still had the lead only to see the Yankees come back to win it. I was watching amazed as Gary Sheffield's managed to foul something like 11 different balls. A few were even very high and I was wondering why he was hacking at those, why not take the ball? But then he finally got the line drive to score a run. I probably have more interest in watching yankee games, but I've noticed I enjoy watching cub games on WGN as well as some good games on ESPN.

I think what is different this year is that so many teams are in contention, usually around this time we can write off a few teams, but this year it seems like there are fewer teams that we can say that have no chance to make the playoffs. Is parity finally entering the mlb? Obviously, free agency made a difference for Detroit, landing Pudge has made the team a credible major league team. Texas has benefitted with getting Soriano, Houston has been making great trades, getting Hildago is a great asset to take them to the playoffs. At this point in the season, we can say that many teams have a legitimate chance in winning the playoffs. But, I think in the end we will see the same familiar faces in the playoffs, maybe one or two teams that haven't been there in the last few years. I will say this, I think the teams that will come from the NL will be decided in the last week of the regular season.