Spanning The Globe

Random mid-week stream of conscience:

• Bob Costas is the commencement speaker for Loyola's Class of 2006. That's two big-time Yankee fans in a row. I knew I loved that school. Jason and I are thinking of going to graduation just to hear his commencement address. I like Bob Costas ... I don't however, like the bad suits he was rocking during NBC's Olympic coverage this year.
• How dumb do you have to be to fail the NFL-issued drug test three times, know that if you fail it a fourth time, the league will suspend you for a year, and then continue to take drugs and fail the fourth test anyway? Ricky Williams is getting exactly what he deserves.
• I read a headline the other day that said, "Tiger takes 440 foot fall in stride". Now, that, my friends, is a great headline. Because my first thought was "holy crap -- what the hell happened to Tiger Woods?!" Yeah, turns out he was bungee-jumping in New Zealand. Which brings me to my next point. If you're Tiger Woods and your entire livelihood depends on your physical well-being, would you throw yourself off a 440-foot cliff?
• When I got to the gym on Monday afternoon, there were two girls sitting on the edge of the hot-tub in the aquatic center in string bikinis. That really just raises the stereotype of the "Loyola Girl" to a new level. It's a gym, not a beach, ladies. Put some clothes on.
• Where is it written that if you live in Maryland, you have to like Cream of Crab soup? I like crab. I'm all about the crabcake. I just don't like the soup. Yet, you say that to people from Maryland and it's like you just cursed the legend of Cal Ripken, Jr. Chill people, it's soup.
• The price of regular gas at the gas station on the way to the gym jumped 12 cents a gallon from yesterday morning. That's crazy. I don't know what Bush is going to do -- this plan of his doesn't really sound like it's going to help much -- but he better do something.
• I love Derek Jeter. I know you all know this, but I just really do. He's off to an amazing start: he has had hits in 16 of 18 games and has a .391 batting average and 18 RBI. Um, yeah and he's the #2 hitter. As Jeter goes, so go the Yankees, which is encouraging for how this season will go (now if only I could watch them! grr ...)
• Rumor has it Britney Spears is pregnant again. Some people should not be allowed to procreate. Like Tom Cruise.
• I'm glad Brett Favre is returning to the Packers. Some things just belong together: Bert and Ernie, Peanut Butter & Jelly, Brett Favre and Green Bay
• Yay for the Giants signing Lavar Arrington
• Forbes released its list of the Top 500 most expensive zip codes yesterday. Of course, Darien made it's annual appearance at #71, with a median income of $160,766 and a median home price of $1,167,000. Riight. Just another confirmation that I will never be able to afford to live in the town I grew up in. By contrast, Baltimore's median income is $32,196 and the median home price is $90,000. Are you kidding me?
• This is the ten-year anniversary of the notorious (especially in Baltimore) Jeffrey Maier debacle where he reached over the right field wall and snatched Derek Jeter's "homerun," paving the way for the Yankees to win the 1996 World Series. Jeffrey Maier, I salute you, as to Yankee fans everywhere.
• Guilty pleasures of the moment: chocolate chip muffins, American Idol and MySpace.com
• Keith Hernandez should brush up on Title IX and keep his mouth shut about women in baseball.
• The NBA and NFL playoffs take more time than it does for a snail to crawl across the Grand Canyon.
• I want to go to the beach, and I'm not really a big fan of the fact that the closest one (the Eastern Shore) is 2 hours and a whole lot of traffic jams away.
• Yay for the Tulip Garden being in bloom.

Alright, that's all I got. Happy Wednesday, everyone. Here's to the week being half over.