Somethinaboutlaura Runs Again This Saturday

Now, looky here, Jerry Hollendorfer. It seems to me that, when Somethinaboutlaura won her million bucks, you said the owners would sell her to be a broodmare after one final race she'd already been pointed at in the Sunshine Millions. It turned out she bombed in that race. Then y'all ran her again at Santa Anita a couple weeks ago, and she came in (if memory serves) third after setting the pace and then dueling to keep it. So now here you folks are, running her at Bay Meadows this weekend in the Foster City Handicap. Will you stop after this one? She's six years old, and I'm thinking enough's enough. If your owners are too greedy, can't you use your powers of persuasion to convince them now's the time to sell before she gets hurt?

Of course, I'm bound to put money on her anyway, because she's such a great mare. And perhaps it makes sense for "Da Dorf" to run her one last time at Bay Meadows because she's never lost a race at this track. It would be good to see her go out with a win. But her usual jockey, Russell "the Muscle" Baze, will be down south riding in the Santa Anita Handicap. Will that make a difference? Maybe not; I'm guessing Hollendorder will put Frank Alvarado aboard, and he's been doing very well for 'Dorf lately.

But please, after this one, will y'all let her retire from racing?

Especially since there was one helluva nasty breakdown (and crash) at Bay Meadows on Monday when the track was muddy. And another one the day before. Gawd. That day (Sunday), a groom of the horse that was put down was crying in the Paddock Bar about it. She wasn't drinking; she'd just come in from the barn. It was hard to watch.

Ya Gotta Love The Onion

Diebold Accidentally Leaks Results Of 2008 Election Early

Toddler in Diapers Channels The Beatles

I'm so bummed by yet ANOTHER school shooting I figured we could all use some cheering up. This ought to do the trick.

Happy Valetine's Day!

Spread the love.

Marines Out of Berkeley? Pshaw!

"We don't hate the Marines. We love the Marines. We love them so much we just want them to come home and be safe, where they belong."

That's the head of Code Pink speaking in Berkeley, where presently the battle continues to rage over the Marine Recruiting Center on Shattuck Avenue. Code Pink, along with other citizens of Berkeley, wants the City Council to toss the Marines out of the city. Others find that idea offensive, and now there is some question about federal funding to the city being cut off if the City Council does vote to evict the Marine Recruiting Center. (At least, this is how I understand the issue at hand.)

Well, here in the Bay Area, we don't joke about its being "The People's Republic of Berkeley" for nuffin'.

This fight is, of course, insane. Folks, you may be against the war in Iraq (I know I am), but I'm also all for the values and virtues of the American Constitution. In other words, I'm all for freedom, as long as someone else's freedom isn't smacking into mine. There is no reason I can find that the Marine Recruiting Center doesn't have the right to be where it is. They pay their rent. The Center is also not discriminating against anyone, since anyone may enter or choose to not enter. It's not hurting anyone (Code Pink disingeniusly argues it is: it encourages young men and women to join the military, go to Iraq, and get killed.) But seriously. That is a big leap in logic. Anyone entering can listen and still choose to not enlist. Besides, that whole way of thinking reminds me of "The Grand Inquisitor"--let him save you from yourself. Give up your freedom of choice. If we remove the temptation, you won't be tempted. Leave it to him to make up your mind for you.)

That way of thinking is unamerican, as I see it.

Maybe it would take a 45 year-old lesbian to see through this nonsense. To me it's simple. All I have to do is substitute the words "the gays" for "the Marines" in the first sentence of this post, and add "to God" after the word "home." Having done so, you, too, will hear the condescending self-righteousness of every religious fundamentalist who keeps trying to shape the world to his or her own comfort--in total disregard for how I, or many others, may feel.

It's my hope that one day the extreme Right and the extreme Left will stop playing the "I'm right and no one else is" game and learn that nobody is "RIGHT." We all just need to make room for each other and give each other the respect we all deserve. This battle in Berkeley is an embarrassment to liberals and is a total waste of time, when we should be talking about so many other important matters.

Kentucky Derby Futures Bets

This weekend was the first pool, so I did three $2 bets on the Derby and two $2 bets on the Oaks. The Oaks was easy; I bet Indian Blessing and then any other filly not listed. My significant other didn't even bother with the Oaks! For the Derby, I bet War Pass since the morning line odds of 12-1 weren't bad; I guess people are thinking Street Sense was a fluke and the chances of another Breeder's Cup Juvey winner taking the Derby the next year are too slim. Still, he got bet down to 6-1. Fine. I'll take dem odds! I also bet Monba (16-1), just based on an article I read a week ago in Blood Horse, and Pyro, because ... well, because it's Steve Asmussen training him, and I liked how he won the Risen Star at Fairgrounds this past weekend. Apparently everybody else did too, because he got bet down to 5-1 in this pool. C'est la vie. Usually I'll toss in at least a California horse, but I'm reluctant to do that this year because they've been running on synthetic track, and who knows how they'll take to the dirt at Churchill Downs? But I may reconsider in the 2nd or 3rd pools.

My value seeking partner went with Court Vision (15-1) and Crown of Thorns (18-1). I did admit I may have bet horses who have already peaked. But ya never know.

Speaking of this past weekend at Fairgrounds, what a letdown. I did a $16 Pick 4, but I might as well have done a straight $1 bet. D'oh! Talk about chalk times four. I got it, but it's not worth getting excited about since it paid a mere $40. I wish some of my deeper horses had shown up.

Oh, well. Still better than losing, any day.

Since It's Super Tuesday ...

Here's a brilliant, simply brilliant, blogpost on the sexism Hillary Clinton has, and is, enduring in her campaign, most alarmingly from so-called "progressive" men on the Left. You don't have to support her candidacy for President, but if you call yourself a feminist, you really ought to be alarmed. Click here.

Super Bowl XLII Shaq Vitamin Water

Of course you'd know this one would be one of my favorites. The best part is the jockey smacking Shaq on the butt at the end.

Haha, New Joke

My good friend Evan passed this one along:

A Southern lady and a Northern lady found themselves sitting together in first class. The Southern lady, always mindful of her manners, turned to the Northern lady and asked politely, "So, where are y'all from?"

The Northern lady looked down her nose at the Southern lady and responded icily, "I'm from a place where we are all educated enough to know to not end a sentence with a preposition."

The Southern lady pondered this for a moment, then nodded and asked, "So, where are y'all from, bitch?"