here's something for all to read, whenever you guys decide to drop in. i dont claim to know much about professional sports, but i believe i was able to somewhat appreciate the subtle humor behind this ;)
---
Help FEED the players!! Please help!! Every Penny Counts!

Since September 11, 2001, Americans have come together as never before
in our generation. We have banded together to overcome tremendous
adversity.

We have weathered direct attacks on our own soil, wars overseas,
corporate scandal, layoffs, unemployment, stock price plunges, droughts, fires, and a myriad of economic and physical disasters both great and small. But now, we must come together once again to overcome our greatest challenge yet.

Hundreds of Major League Baseball players in our very own nation are
living at, just below, or in most cases far above the seven-figure salary
level. And as if that weren't bad enough they could be deprived of their
life-giving pay for several months, possibly longer, as a result of the
upcoming strike situation. But you can help!

For only $20,835 a month, about $694.50 a day (that's less than the
cost of a large screen projection TV) you can help a MLB player remain
economically viable during his time of need. This contribution by no means solves the problem as it barely covers the annual minimum salary, but it's a start, and every little bit will help!

Although $700 may not seem like a lot of money to you, to a baseball
player it could mean the difference between spending the strike golfing in
Florida or on a Mediterranean cruise. For you, seven hundred dollars is nothing more than a month's rent, half a mortgage payment, two unemployment checks, or a month of medical insurance with COBRA, but to a baseball player, $700 will partially replace his daily salary.

Your commitment of less than $700 a day will enable a player to buy
that home entertainment center, trade in the year-old Lexus for a new
Ferrari, or enjoy a weekend in Rio.

HOW WILL I KNOW I'M HELPING?

Each month, you will receive a complete financial report on the player
you sponsor. Detailed information about his stocks, bonds, 401(k), real
estate, and other investment holdings will be mailed to your home. Plus, upon signing up for this program, you will receive an unsigned photo of the player lounging during the strike on a beach somewhere in the Caribbean (for a signed photo, please include an additional $150). Put the photo on your refrigerator to remind you of other peoples' suffering.

HOW WILL HE KNOW I'M HELPING?

Your MLB player will be told that he has a SPECIAL FRIEND who just
wants to help in a time of need. Although the player won't know your name, he will be able to make collect calls to your home via a special operator in case additional funds are needed for unforeseen expenses.

YES, I WANT TO HELP!

I would like to sponsor a striking MLB player. My preference is checked
below:
[ ] Infielder
[ ] Outfielder
[ ] Starting Pitcher
[ ] Ace Pitcher
[ ] Entire team (Please call our 900 number to ask for the cost of a
specific team - $10 per minute)
[ ] Alex Rodriguez (Higher cost: $60,000 per day)

Please charge the account listed below $694.50 per day for the player
for the duration of the strike. Please send me a picture of the player I
have sponsored, along with an Alex Rodriguez 2001 Income Statement and my
very own Donald Fehr MLB Players Union pin to wear proudly on my hat
(include $80 for hat).
Your Name: _______________________

Telephone Number: ____________________

Account Number: _____________________

Exp.Date:_______

[ ] MasterCard [ ] Visa [ ] American Express [ ] Discover

Signature: _______________________

Alternate card (when the primary card exceeds its credit limit):

Account Number: _____________________Exp.Date:_______

[ ] MasterCard [ ] Visa [ ] American Express [ ] Discover

Signature: _______________________

Mail completed form to MLB Players Union or call 1-900-SCREW-THE-FANS
now to enroll by phone ($10 per minute).

Disclaimer: Sponsors are not permitted to contact the player they have
sponsored, either in person or by other means including, but not
limited to, telephone calls, letters, e-mail, or third parties. Contributions are not tax-deductible.
---
posted by yodaslap at 10:39 AM

china pics finally up. some captions will be updated later. enjoy.

http://daniello.tripod.com/china/china1.htm
posted by yodaslap at 1:30 AM

Dan, find me online. I think you're being really silly by only coming up for the weekend, especially when flight tickets are $$$.

I know that taking that much time off work totally sucks. And under normal circumstances, I'd agree (you're talking to someone who didn't have ANY vacation time for 3 yrs. Pretend to be sick didn't count.); but in this case, I am REALLY pushing for you to stay longer. Please consider as I've not seen you in 10 yrs, literally. Maybe more??

Please reconsider, for my sake.
posted by asiliat at 2:14 PM

Well Eric, not much to read lately anyways.

Glad China was great for Dan. I'm still here in Maine whiling away the last bits of class. I'm not anywhere near thinking of getting a digital camera, but maybe in a year or two. Ok, out again. Dug.
posted by Larry at 9:03 PM

yeah, the out of focus pic was just somethign I wanted to snap quickly. I didn't really care about the quality. :P

No I don't read this much, but I should. Lack of time you understand.
posted by asiliat at 2:24 PM

ok, a bit more now that i read the review. yeah, my player has a similar security feature too, where i cant simply upload/dump mp3 files. well, listenable ones, that is. likewise i can use the 128mb memory stick to store whatever i want, but then i dont want it to end up being a $300 stick reader. as for the EQ settings, i think the usual config is jazz has high bass and treble with midrange close or at zero, classical is very similar but either treble or bass isnt as high, and rock is sort of the opposite. normal is probably flat, and i dont remember what pop was. hope that kinda helps. the civic i drive doesnt have that great of a sound system, so i never have problems with the treble being too high pitched/brassy-sounding (player-->cassette adaptor-->tape deck). my player only has 2 levels of "bass boost", and no EQ settings. it sounds fine as is, so i guess not having EQ settings is ok with me.

ok this is just a tangent. for pics such as this one, i believe your camera should have some kind of button or setting that has a little flower marking. thats for taking closeups, so itll focus at a much shorter distance. my dud of a camera has it, so im sure yours has something similar. you probably knew that already for all i know, and was just in a rush to snap a quick pic. oh well, thought id point it out anyway. thats it for now.
posted by yodaslap at 2:22 AM

duh!!! well anyway, just got back from china earlier today, but im still in LA. i just finished catching up reading Eric's blog (btw Eric, do you still read this?). so anyhow, as long as he shared about his new toy, heres mine. well, its not so new anymore, but still relatively so. anyhow, here it is below:



not quite as cool and novel as Eric's, but its small and does the job. i got it so i could listen to something when i go running, so size was my number one factor. oh well, thats it for now then.
posted by yodaslap at 10:10 PM

Blogging from Maine! Arrrrrr.
posted by Larry at 8:37 PM

welp, heading out to LA tomorrow, then china on friday. have fun fools, catch you all when i get back. boooooooooooo
posted by yodaslap at 12:59 AM

i posted a picture and some comments on it on my blog [8.3.2002 post]. let me know what you think.
posted by yodaslap at 1:12 AM

duh.

i guess we can try for sunday then. when will you be home (as in reachable). oh well, i guess i can just try calling your cell phone. boooooooooooo.

i went to DC cuz one of my friends live out there, so he was home for the summer. normally he drives back with his mom and then she flies back home, so this time they invited a friend (turned out to be me) to fly out there and drive back with him. they paid for my ticket, of course, and i got a 2 day vacation out of it. woohoo!

well, email me the link, or post it again, if you can.

out.
posted by yodaslap at 2:14 PM