Ripped from today's headlines while pondering what ever happened to Zoilo Versalles:

I watched the last hour of the Emmy awards the other night and came to the conclusion that I must watch the wrong shows.  It seemed that I had not watched any of the winners.  I have never watched 24, although I am told I would enjoy it (my 71 year-old mother is hooked on it.)  Of course, I am one of six people in America to never have watched an entire episode of "Seinfeld" or "Friends."

For the record, the shows that I consider to be "must see TV" include "House", "Boston Legal", "Las Vegas" and "American Experience".  During the summer, I don't miss "The Closer", "Rescue Me" and "Stargate SG-1".  (BTW, rumor has it Stargate SG-1 just got cancelled.) Everything else has a ball, puck or fry pan in it or is a movie made at least 30 years ago.  I don't know what this says about me, but I'm sure somewhere there is a shrink chomping at the bit to find out.

If I had to pick the AL comeback player of the year right now, it would be Frank Thomas.  While I am not a big fan of the surly "Big Hurt", you have to admit coming back from the injuries he has had to have the kind of season he has had is just amazing.  Yes, I know Jim Thome is having a big year for the White Sox, but Thomas doesn't have the cast around him Thome does.  The real test for Thomas will be how he does in the playoffs as he has never performed well in post season.

Is it just me or is there less hype this year prior to the start of the NFL season?

Speaking of the NFL, how bad will the Green Bay Packers be this year?  Brett Favre has no offensive line, no big play receivers and the defense is young and untested.  There are people in Wisconsin that think that this team can go 9-7, but I don't think it will be any better than 5-11.  Bottom line here is although Ted Thompson is building a solid nucleus of young players, it will take this team a couple years to mature.  When they do, the quarterback will be named Rodgers not Favre.

P.S. Watch out for the Lions.

Ron Gardenhire  of the Twins is the most underrated manager in baseball.  How this guy can lose big name players every year and still win is beyond my comprehension.  Bobby Cox is the same way but has a much bigger budget.

How would you like to be a fly on the wall while the Prez has breakfast with New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin.  Rumor has it, Jesse Jackson is going to dress up as a waiter and sneak in to make sure he gets in all the photo ops..

Isn't it sad that in our country we have over 11 million illegals and yet politicians are afraid to address the issue so as not to lose points with Hispanic voters?  It seems we refuse to seriously address this issue because the Hispanic voting block has turned out to be such a powerful lobby.  Why is it that we live in a world where you have to show up at the airport three hours before your flight to have your luggage checked, yet everyday hundreds stream undetected across our borders?  It's in vogue to talk about terrorists and how we must fight in the middle east to avenge 9/11, but one of these days, the terrorists will just sneak in though Mexico and we'll never know it.

I've been accused of being a paranoid xenophobe, but seriously, isn't it time that we knew who was coming into this country? We're too sensitive to the feelings of a voter block and a potential marketing group and we are not nearly as sensitive enough to our need for national security and the rule of law we have established in our country.

Fact: The Democrats won't do anything because this reeks of civil rights violations.  The Republicans won't do anything because they think they can woo the Hispanics and because big business thinks that the Hispanic market is a huge, untapped revenue source. 

And finally, from China comes the story of a woman involved in a car accident while teaching her dog to drive.  No word on who got the ticket.