DBAHO

Sounds like one of my economics lectures.

Yep that would be her.

Steff's coming to visit me!

I've actually been to the Great Wall before, easily one of the most memorable experiences in my life, it's a 2 hour drive out of Beijing, and there's about 1000 steps that you must climb up and then back down, which is what we had to do, or u can take the chair lift.

Thanx to da plane, we are all ALIVE!

That's why there's a very good possibility I think a trade might go down say the Benson for Rauch and Stewart deal. Anyways we're all pulling for ya Bull to hav a great season, so best of luck to ya.

LOL, man I haven't even had dinner yet.

We need sum1 to break da tiebreaker.

Isn't there a Mark Sweeney who's related to Mike?

From da Cubune, TUCSON, Ariz. -- It is only spring training, but White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen has raised the level of expectations he has for Esteban Loaiza and Monday issued a gentle but firm challenge to his ace right-hander. Loaiza threw 80 pitches in four innings of a 5-4 loss to the San Diego Padres last Thursday, a day on which Guillen blasted a lack of enthusiasm in his team. Loaiza yielded three runs on six hits and two walks, and Guillen expects better than that. Right now, in fact. "I want to see the Loaiza of last year," Guillen said. "I haven't seen it yet. " Maybe Loaiza was afflicted with what Guillen seemed to characterize as something akin to lethargy last week. In any case, "he's going to have to be more aggressive than he was the last outing," Guillen said. "The last outing, he had too many pitches in the count. [Tuesday] it's going to be a big game for him." … Grilli a battler Jason Grilli would never blame his manager for his control problems Monday against the Colorado Rockies, but Guillen may have jinxed the young right-hander with a case of famous last words. "He throws strikes with command and isn't afraid to throw the ball," Guillen said Sunday. Oops. Grilli, with a good jump on earning a roster spot to this point, threw 75 pitches in five innings Monday, and only 35 were in the strike zone. Some of the pitches that did find the zone were rocked, in particular a home run by Todd Helton and a 400-foot double by Jeromy Burnitz in the first inning. But in his third start, Grilli allowed only Helton's run. "When you can get results on a day when you're off, that's the bottom line," Grilli said. "I got out of some tough jams." "This kid is a battler," Guillen said. "He's going to give you the best stuff he has. I don't think he was dynamite, but he had good enough stuff to get people out, and that's what we want." … Jon Rauch gave himself a boost with four scoreless innings and one hit allowed in a "B" game against Colorado. … The Sox reduced their roster to 44. They optioned pitchers Arnie Munoz and Enemencio Pacheco to Triple-A Charlotte; optioned pitchers Ryan Meaux and Ryan Wing and infielder Ruddy Yan to Double-A Birmingham; and reassigned pitcher Francisco Campos to minor-league camp.

What type of chocolate? :headshake

I'm pretty confident Munoz will hav a good year in Charlotte. He was really overworked last offseason in the Winter League, and I think he's a lot fresher now.

I know it's hard Murcie, hopefully he'll wind up on another NBA team so we can continue to sledge him.

Blackhawks Tickets, HAHAHA, Ahhh that's a good 1.

Correct me if I'm wrong but Benson's 6.3 million salary comes off the books at the end of this season. U lose Koch, Benson and Maggs, that's a combined 25 million which would allow KW much more payroll flexibility to go afta free agents or to possibly resign Maggs. That's the only way I can see KW's logic for this possible deal. Although if we only have to pay 3 mill, since Pittsburgh pays the rest, I'm all for it. Coops could do sumthin with him like he did with Loaiza I think.

Part of a Borchard article, Article ROSTER PLANS: With three weeks until Opening Day, the Sox' roster is close to being complete. The starting pitchers are likely to be Mark Buehrle, Esteban Loaiza, Jon Garland, Scott Schoeneweis and Dan Wright. The bullpen is expected to include Billy Koch, Damaso Marte, Shingo Takatsu, Cliff Politte, Kelly Wunsch, Mike Jackson and Jason Grilli. The starting position players will be catcher Miguel Olivo, first baseman Paul Konerko, second baseman Willie Harris, shortstop Jose Valentin, third baseman Joe Crede, left fielder Carlos Lee, center fielder Aaron Rowand and Ordonez. Designated hitter Frank Thomas and catcher Sandy Alomar Jr. have secured spots, while Ross Gload and Juan Uribe will be utility players. The favorite to grab the final spot is Jamie Burke, who can catch as well as play third base and outfield.

From the Sun-Times, TUCSON, Ariz. -- The anonymity that Jason Grilli thrives on is close to becoming a distant memory as he narrows in on a White Sox roster spot. ''I'm a firm believer in being under the radar screen,'' Grilli said. ''I like being the underdog, and everybody likes rooting for the underdog. Give everybody else the attention. Guys who get the attention, it's nice every once in a while, but if we don't get it, we'll get it in the end.'' Grilli could come a long way toward reaching that end today when he makes his third start of the spring. The 27-year-old right-hander will face the Colorado Rockies at Tucson Electric Park. In a sign Grilli has an excellent chance to make the roster, manager Ozzie Guillen isn't putting too much stock into his outing today. ''He just has to be Grilli,'' Guillen said. ''He can't change anything about him. He just has to go out there and perform how he has in the past and, hopefully, he doesn't put pressure on himself and does what he's supposed to do.'' In two previous starts this spring, Grilli has allowed seven hits and three runs in seven innings. ''He throws strikes with command and isn't afraid to throw the ball,'' Guillen said. Grilli figures there is no more time to be afraid. The fourth overall selection by the San Francisco Giants in the 1998 draft had elbow surgery to remove a bone spur in 2000 and had Tommy John surgery in 2002. The two surgeries came after he had been traded to the Florida Marlins. The Sox picked up Grilli in the offseason when the Marlins -- Guillen's former team -- left the six-year minor-leaguer off their 40-man roster. Grilli has just seven major-league appearances (six starts), all with the Marlins. ''I felt that Ozzie might have had some inside information coming from the Marlins and knowing what I'm capable of doing,'' Grilli said. ''That might have been a factor of me coming over here.'' But it's one thing to be known and another to perform. Though Grilli has heard the talk he is close to landing a roster spot, he refuses to think his journey is complete. ''The only thing I think is, 'Hey, if I don't produce, I don't deserve to be here,''' Grilli said ''But thus far, I think I've shown I belong, and I feel I belong. Where I fit on the staff, that's for the manager and front office to decide. I know I belong here. I want to be here.'' He admitted that while it was nice to see the Marlins win the World Series, there also was some emotional pain involved. After returning from the Tommy John surgery, Grilli went 6-2 with a 3.38 ERA in the high altitude of Class AAA Albuquerque, but never got a call to join the major-league team. ''I was craving action last year, especially watching the Marlins jump all over each other knowing I put myself in a good spot,'' he said. ''I would have liked to have been there, but that's all you can do.'' ''They didn't feel I could help them out then and there, and that's fine. It motivated me even more during this offseason knowing the situation I'm coming into that nothing has been handed to me.'' It hasn't been handed to him yet, anyway. But if and when it is, he plans on bringing his underdog mentality along. ''We have huge marquee players on this team, and I understand that I haven't experienced it yet, but the Cubs get most of the notoriety in Chicago,'' Grilli said. ''I would rather have it that way, and we can sneak up on these guys. Then we'll see how many people jump on the bandwagon at the end.''

A CHINESE acrobat plans to spend 27 days on a tightrope in order to make it into the Guinness Book of Records. Aisikaier, who has only one name, is performing unicycle and balancing tricks to kill time while on the wire, stretched across a dam in southwestern Sichuan province, the Beijing Today newspaper said. The 32-year-old member of China's Turkic-speaking Uighur minority is spending the nights in a makeshift shelter attached to the wire, according to the paper. It did not say when he began his record bid. He reportedly performed a similar stunt last year, living on a tightrope for 26 days, but he failed to have any official witnesses to the feat and it was not recognised, the paper said. If successful this time around, Aisikaier will have beaten the current world record, which is for 25 days on a wire, set by Ahdil, another Chinese Uighu

More name calling afta this, MICHAEL Jackson paraded naked in front of his alleged child-abuse victim, it has been claimed. The singer is also accused of getting the boy drunk, telling him to "keep drinking, it will make you feel better", and showing him pornographic images. The allegations emerged in a leaked confidential report on the teenager by a psychologist. It was the same report that convinced authorities to charge the superstar with child abuse. The alleged victim, 14-year-old Gavin Arvizo, who has cancer, is reported to have told Dr Stan Katz that Jackson had abused him on two separate occasions. In his report, Dr Katz said: "Gavin drank alcohol every night and got buzzed on whiskey, vodka and Bacardi. "Michael said: 'Keep drinking, it will make you feel better.' "Michael showed him pictures of naked women on the computer. He once saw Michael just standing there, naked, for a moment." In another interview with Gavin's brother, Dr Katz reported the star licked Gavin's head while flying in his jet to Miami. "One of Michael's security guards said he would kill us and our parents if we told about the alcohol," the youngster said. "He (Jackson) talked a lot about sex. We would constantly sleep in Michael's room in Michael's bed." The explosive claims, aired on US TV network NBC, will further damage the performer's defence. The network also claimed Dr Katz's report gives details of two incidents of inappropriate sexual touching initiated by Jackson, but does not detail them. Gavin's sister told the psychologist how she saw Jackson "kissing Gavin on the cheek, hugging him and always rubbing him". Dr Katz wrote: "They said Michael's people made them say how Michael was a father figure, and would never do anything bad. "I don't get the feeling the mum is lying about anything ... I really feel the kids were credible." The report was said to have convinced the Santa Barbara authorities to take action against Jackson, despite social workers finding no evidence of abuse in earlier interviews. Jackson, 45, is charged with seven counts of child molestation and two counts of administering an intoxicating substance.

A CACHE of World War II grenades and explosives was found hidden inside the trunk of a tree by a French farmer who was preparing to cut it down, police said. The farmer was using his chainsaw on a dead chestnut tree by the side of the road in village of Chaillac, central France, when it hit a metal box concealed inside. Police experts were called and found two boxes of ammunition, including sticks of explosives and detonators, which they presume were hidden by French resistance members. "If the saw had hit the explosives the whole thing could have gone up," a police officer said.

THREE young Vietnamese children drowned in the family's well after being left home alone while their parents tended the rice fields, police reported. Ha Van Khuong and his wife left their three daughters - a two-year-old and one-year-old twins - at home while they went to work about 100 metres away in Dak Rlap District in Dak Nong province, some 210km north east of Ho Chi Minh City. The parents had returned by mid-afternoon last week, but found all three children dead in the uncovered well, which was about one metre deep. Police dropped an investigation after determining the deaths were accidental.

Now even you can become Toxic! POP princess Britney Spears is getting smelly but fans need not hold their noses - the sexy singer will be giving off all the right odours with the launch of her very own perfume. The 22-year-old star has signed a deal with cosmetics giant Elizabeth Arden to develop and market her own range of beauty products including make-up and skincare products. "I love perfume and cosmetics and am so excited to develop my own line with Elizabeth Arden," Britney said in a press release. Britney, who has often been criticised for her wacky fashion sense and heavy make-up, seems an unusual choice for the traditionally classic company. Last year showbiz watchers feared the In The Zone singer was 'out-of-control' after her wild, alcohol-fuelled lifestyle culminated in a 52-hour marriage and divorce in Las Vegas. Britney's wild image seems a far cry from Elizabeth Arden brands like Red Door and Elizabeth Taylor's perfume, Passion, which have long been favourites with mature ladies-who-lunch rather than young, midriff-baring babes. However the company hopes the star will attract younger consumers to their products. She (Britney) is "a talented, fashionable woman who appeals to a young and international consumer base," Elizabeth Arden president Paul West said. It seems that Britney's wild ways and raunchier look may also be paying off in her music career. Her latest single, Toxic, has already rocketed to No.1 in Australia and Britain. Britney is not the first pop star to sniff out beauty bandwagon. Jenny From The Block singer Jennifer Lopez's first scent, Glow, was so popular she followed up with another, Still Jennifer Lopez, last year. Britney's perfume will hit shelves in America later this year and although there has been no word on what it will be called it's sure to be in-Toxic-ating.

I know ppl like FlaSoxxJim will prob be interested in this, By PAUL ELIAS, AP Biotechnology Writer SAN FRANCISCO - Research showing that bald mice can grow hair after being implanted with a type of stem cell could lead to a cure for baldness, a group of scientists says. The project marks the first time that "blank slate" stem cells were able to induce hair growth, said Dr. George Cotsarelis, a University of Pennsylvania dermatologist and co-author of the study. The study was released Sunday on the Web site of the journal Nature Technology in advance of its April publication date. "We've shown for the first time these cells have the ability to generate hair when taken from one animal and put into another," Cotsarelis said in a telephone interview. "You can envision a process of isolating existing stem cells and re-implanting them in the areas where guys are bald." The study confirms what scientists suspected for years: hair follicles contain "blank slate" stem cells that give most humans a full head of hair for life. Although they are called stem cells, they differ from embryonic stem cells, the research on which has sparked a political debate because embryos are destroyed in the process. Embryonic stem cells are created in the first days after conception and give rise to the human body and its more than 200 different types of cells. Biologists who study hair because of its regenerative qualities said the new study is an important breakthrough. But they cautioned that a baldness cure is still some years away. "Like with any stem cells, the amount of information needed to get us from a stem to a fully developed organ is a lot," said Stanford University biologist Anthony Oro. "It will require a lot of things to go right and we are still along way off." Two drugs now on the market, known commercially as Rogaine and Propecia, were first designed to treat hypertension and enlarged prostates but later were discovered to have hair growth as a side effect. Each drug has about $100 million in sales annually. It's estimated that more than $1 billion is spent each year in the United States combatting baldness, mostly through hair transplants.