What a World

-Sad to hear about the passing of Dennis Spellmann...the visionary leader of Lindenwood University. He died today at age 70 after a long fight with stomach cancer. I was only able to know Mr. Spellmann briefly. But, it was easy for me to understand how he took a school on the verge of financial collapse a decade, or so, ago, and created a thriving university. He was a brilliant man who is one of those people that exudes and instills confidence... and therefore attracts people to his vision. He is almost solely responsible for most of the Lindenwood advances over the last number of years. And the City of Belleville should be forever grateful to him for envisioning and creating a new LU campus at the old Belleville West high school. Many great things already have, and soon will be, happening there because of his "Metro-East dream". It will be nearly impossible for someone else to come in and lead as he did. Rest well sir.

-So where has the Mark Mulder gone that the Cardinals traded for? This Mulder couldn't have gotten anybody out at the recently concluded Little League World Series. Too bad. The Birds should be careful about giving up on him though. That's what the Blue Jays did with Chris Carpenter. And their patience with Matt Morris's arm troubles was rewarded a few years ago too. Of course, Mulder is a free agent at season's end.

-Should we take David Wells off the Red Sox hands for the rest of the season? Depends on the price.

-How about them Grizzlies? All of a sudden...now that they've been officially eliminated from the Frontier League playoffs...they've won 5 in a row. Last night Mike Breyman (the first-baseman named '06 MVP earlier in the evening) hit a 3-run, walk-off shot to complete a sweep of the rival River City Rascals. A strange season on the field for skipper Danny Cox's bunch. Six more games...3 in Florence, KY...3 against Rockford in Sauget.

-I believe I wrote something a few days back about John Mark Karr not being the guy. Something about a wacko projecting his fantasies into the JonBenet story. Whoa! This somewhat human being has some issues. I don't think even Dr. I-have-all-the-answers Phil has an explanation of this twisted brain.

-Apparently, our Ernesto prayers were answered. Speaking of hurricanes, I saw a terrific re-creative-documentary on the History Channel about the 1900 hurricane that destroyed Galveston, TX. I wasn't as familiar with the story as I probably should be. But, this disaster was unbelievable. Over 6,000 of Galveston's 36,000+ residents at the time were killed....most from drowning in the storm surge that covered the barrier island town in 15 feet of water. (The highest point on the island at the time was 8 feet above sea level) The weather official in charge at the time warned everybody too late to evacuate. Galveston was thought to be evolving into the New York City-of-the-South. It never recovered. Houston and Dallas have, of course, since become the boom-towns of Texas.

-I've been taking an aspirin a day to help with heart health for years. Today, a study says an aspirin a day also may help guard against prostate enlargement. Woo-Hoo! Who knew?

-Jessica Simpson and John Mayer? Hmmm... I wonder if he has sung Your Baaaaadee is a Wunduhlaaaaand to her?