... it's gonna be the Yankees that the Phillies have to put in their place to take the World Series again. Be there, starting Wednesday night ... as two ex-Cleveland aces go up against each other in their new(er) uniforms. That's CC vs. Cliff Lee. Let's go, Phillies, you can do it!

And I love hearing that George Will has gone after Dick for his "dithering" comment noting that a little "dithering" by the Bushies might have been helpful before invading Iraq.

This is not the sort of morning that I'd relish watching a soccer game ... but two of my intrepid housemates (applesrisp in hand) will be heading to Lewiston momentarily to watch the Bobcats tangle with the Panthers. Would be so nice if Bates could defeat Middlebury ... and while it's probably in the unlikely category, what I love about sports is that "it could happen.

Oh, and loved this article by Jayson Stark, sent by a friend ... worth a reprint here. Onward!

By Jayson Stark
ESPN.com

PHILADELPHIA The magic is in the moment.

The frozen moment when a baseball soars through the night and your mind begins to understand what's unfolding before your eyeballs.

Wow what a game! The Dodgers set a record for hits ... but left 10 runners on. Ruiz and Ibanez each had a 3-run homer. Lidge and Madson scared us but got it done. Ryan Howard hit another clutch double.

I love it AND I'd love to see a much bigger lead in Game 2, guys, okay? Today it'll be Pedro for the Phillies after lots of rest.

Of course, I was a Phillies lover before, but after last night's top-of-the-9th heroics, how can you not love that team? Bring on the Dodgers ... and let's have a repeat of last year! I went to sleep thinking of my Dad, and how excited he'd have been (gave him a congratulatory phone call, in my mind).

First off here's a nice interview with Pia Sundhage about her focus in coaching, and her preparation with the USWNT for facing Germany on 10/29/09.

On the Fantasy Football front, Flying Pigs and Sir Hits Alot are tied heading into tonight's game ... where Flying Pigs still have a player left.

Running late, but wanted to weigh in on the defense of marriage.

Yup, I'm with John Marcotte if we're going to defend traditional marriage, lets defend it all the way. No more half measures ... after all, this is a sacred institution.

'Til death do us part ... hear that?

Oh, and while we're at it (totally unrelated) the Breakers lost a couple of stalwarts in the expansion draft.

I'm working from my "basement office" today because our floors are being buffed and poly-urethaned. An adventure. Ruby is with me, under house arrest, as she has already helped herself to part of one of the guys' lunches (a feat she accomplished while Willie and I were walking down the driveway to get the paper).

Obama was just great last night, IMHO clear, inspiring, presidential. I am still amazed to hear complex thoughts uttered from that bully pulpit, having (unfortunately) gotten used to the smirking chimp.

Joe Wilson, meanwhile, is an embarrassment. Between Joe and the antics of their Guv, South Carolina definitely needs to hire a PR firm.

... that the Euros were pretty much all there is that's newsworthy in the world, if you limited yourself to JordanCornblog. It's just that with healthcare denial the apparent top priority of Congress, and Obama dangerously on the prowl, accosting schoolchildren with his socialist ideas ... I'm basically too discouraged and/or angry to write about anything other than England's history-making run on the soccer pitch.

So happy that England won yesterday (and it was even available on line)!

Stay tuned today it's Germany v. Norway ... same link as yesterday for the webcast (and same time, too ... I'm thinking).

If Norway could knock off the Germans ... how cool would that be??!!

Check out Justin.tv for the live feed on NOW!

I don't know what to say. Van Jones has been picked off ... and Glenn Beck is maniacally happy, wherever he is. He is probably thinking that this indicates that he's in some way right. He ain't but nothing would convince him of that anyway. So, we move on, I guess.

Reading about Van Jones this morning, I find that I agree with him on many things .

What is it with people? The flap about Obama speaking to students has me wondering if we, as a nation, can survive. It is so discouraging. I tried writing a letter to the editor about it ... but there's no arguing with delusion. There is no application of logic that will get through.

Need to let it go .

First off apologies to HollyCornblog ... who I offended by describing September as JBD's birthday month. It is HollyCornblog's birthday month, too ... and that fact should be duly celebrated by everyone ... most especially everyone who likes a nice hoppy beer from time to time!

Second .

The Stars beat the Lynx in OT yesterday, gaining ground in the WNBA play-off hunt. Anybody else find the WNBA site kinda frustrating? I have a hard time getting to the articles ... but maybe it's just me.

But on the basketball front, here's a heartwarming article about a Tennessee girls' high school basketball team 50 years later!

Today would have been my parents' 58th or 59th wedding anniversary ... an interesting thought. Maybe scary, too.

RPE heads back to school this morning, and the rhythm of life shifts ... and will settle again, after some adjusting. Hope it's a great year!

England has made it through to the quarterfinals with a draw vs Sweden (good job)!

It's a bittersweet, end-of-summer day here in NH. The leaves are still (mostly) green but there's a clarity and cleanness to the air that bespeaks September. Every once in awhile, the scent of woodsmoke wafts by. The crickets and cicadas are singing their heads off, and the sky sometimes seems awash in dragonflies.

Okay -- it's day two of running. Haven't gone yet but plan to. The challenges will be days 3, 4 and 5! Right now I am at the stage where I feel so good and so thanksful that my body still works the way it is supposed to. Today will probably go well ... and then, if true to form, I'll start developing a wee bit of hubris.

Somehow it seems appropriate that the funeral for Teddy Kennedy should be in the rain. Late summer rain. A grey day sad and kind of empty-feeling. A pause. The end of a season. And much work, many beginnings ahead.

Speaking of work, I have a full plate of it for the weekend so the rain is a relief in some ways.

... and already it is feeling like September. No complints here (except about the rapid passage of time).

Time.

I came awake this morning with a bit of a start after some of the most vivid dreams of Judy I've had in quite awhile. Came awake to realize that I was dreaming and it's been 10 years and no, I wasn't just sharing a meal with a healthy and vibrant Judy.

HollyCornblog reported to be that yesterday while IMing with her friend Doris, she (Doris) called her (HollyCornblog) "Doltgirl."

I'm of the belief that that is one of the first steps in going viral ... whaddya think? I should add that it is also a clear reflection of Doris' undeniable cleverness which, if it carries over to the fantasy football venue, will have us all in trouble this coming season.

Sun pouring through humid air and drooping birches, beeches and maples, as we head into the final full week of August. Soon RPE will be heading back to school and we'll contemplate fall chores while watching the leaves turn (some have already started) and wondering how much snow there will be this winter.

Here's to you, Sky Blue!

Too bad a red card played into the mix and overall I wish the officiating, all year, in the WPS, had not been quite as 'obtrusive' as it's tended to be but that takes nothing away from the Sky Blue story.

Christie Rampone gets my vote for League MVP. (Oh, and in noodling around on the net last night, I saw that Ian Sawyers and Kelly Lindsey are both working at Julie Foudy's Leadership/Soccer Camp.

As I write I am listening to Jon Stewart's interview with Betsy McCaughey the promulgator of the death panel drivel (although I believe Sarah Palin may actually deserve credit for the term). A dangerous combination there. But watch the interview ... watch the caginess, the pandering to the audience, the lack of substance.

The WPS Championship match-up between the Sol and Sky Blue gets underway tomorrow at 3:30 PM ET on FSN. Sky Blue will be the improbable champ. Why? Because they are just like the Belmont High School girls' basketball team, circa 2006. They've come through fire, as it were, and dug deep. They are now relying on their bond as teammates and on leadership (STRONG leadership) from within their own ranks.

Did I call it or what? ;>)

Sky Blue FC played with passion all through that first half last night (we're talking WPS playoff soccer, in case you were wondering) and beat the Athletica to move into the Final on the strength of defender Keeley Dowling's goal off an assist from Yael Averbuch.

Ready for round 2 of the play-offs? Sky Blue and the Athletica are set to square off in St. Louis 7PM ET tonight on FSC. After rough starts, both teams find themselves in contention to take on the LA Sol this weekend.

On the rough start front, Sky Blue definitely has the upper hand, as is recapped in this article from the NY Times .

Soooo ... Congrats to Sky Blue FC (Beulah will be writing this one up late Tuesday, most likely). Next up the Athletica at 7PM ET on Wednesday on FSC.

Now onward! Grass to mow ... water to drink ... more grass to mow .. more water to drink. A sweaty, zen-like day in the works here! (Oh, and we had a very nice couple of days at the lake, where ChristopherCornblog remains stranded while he waits for his car to be repaired .

Lovely, Chuck ... how much has the insurance industry poured into your campaign coffers? This is cold, cold stuff -- unless you are unimaginably dumb, Senator, which I somehow doubt.

Meanwhile, Cheney is working on his memoirs and waxing slightly more talkative than usual. Watch out, Dubya .

Yup late again! Some tidbits here ...

First ... ChristopherCornblog's car started smoking en route to the lake last night (and I don't mean that it initiated an unhealthy and expensive nicotine habit). Luckily he wasn't far from Rensselaerville when it happened, so he was able to call HollyCornblog for a ride.

No actually, I have not been off-line because I am in mourning for the Breakers although I AM quite bummed that they didn't make the play-offs (AND that their season ended with a terrible bit of officiating).

What happened was that we lost our internet this morning. Turns out it was a modem problem and Fairpoint was actually helpful in getting it resolved.

Damn it's chilly (again) this morning. Bracing. We've got a nice big stack of big old birch logs to start sawing up and splitting, compliments of ChristopherCornblog (and yours truly who stripped and trucked the last load up the hill). And man am I sore now! It felt good but the lesson is that you can't sit at a computer for 6 years and then chop and saw and lift and carry .

I've been reading what I can find about the coaching mess at Sky Blue FC ... and finding little of actual substance on the subject. Overall, the management does itself no favors by dissing Kelly Lindsey in their public comments. They come off looking very small, indeed. Yet, at the same time, her behavior (abruptly quitting her job with only a couple of games left in the season) is puzzling and awfully dramatic and abrupt.