The Devil and the NYTimes

I've just come from my morning fix of news, weather and sports. In the news it's good to see that Hooters is paying back the $200 for the bottle of champagne they received from the Katrina funds and the weather, from what I can see out my window, is clement. In sports, Clement goes on the disabled list. That would be Matt Clement a Red Sox pitcher. Also in sports, the U.S. soccer team did not lose to the Italians yesterday as I expected for reasons having to do with the game not being scheduled until 3 o,clock... today and, Tiger Woods missed the cut at The U.S. Open. Tiger shot 76 Thursday and 76 again yesterday and missed playing the weekend by three strokes.

I would sell my soul to shoot 76 on a golf course as hard as Winged Foot. (Our Spanish announcers pronounce that, "win-ged phooot") Hell, I'd sell my soul to shoot a 76 at any...wait a minute, some guy just showed up next me. Wants to talk. He's wearing a nice suit. Looks a little like Bush. Looks a lot like Bush. Says he'll take me up on the deal. What deal, I ask him. The soul thing? C'mon, it's just an expression. He says he will up the ante. A 76 or better every time out. Hmm, tempting, but no, I don't have that many rounds left. Says he'll knock off twenty years and put new tires on the beast. He's got my attention. I tell him it's a deal if he throws in world peace for, oh let's say, a thousand years. He says it is out of his hands. I say get out of Panama. Like that, he's gone. Wus. He'd a probably freaked out ayway when we got to that signing in blood part.

Where was I? Oh yeah, Tiger. 'sa shame.

Lots of blogging about the NY Times list of the best books of the last 25 years. Toni Morrison's "Beloved" was the number one pick. There were multiple entries from Philip Roth, Don Delilo and Cormac McCarthy. I've read them all, the authors that is, not all their books, and they are without doubt, damn fine writers. How they could have more than one book on the list while writers like Tom Robbins, Richard Russo, John Irving and well, a slew of others have none is a bit puzzling though. And I wonder what criteria was used for "best." Obviously, most popular was not a consideration or "The DaVinci Code" and other long running best sellers would have made the list. I suppose it was just the favorites from a select group of literati hanging around The Times office looking for free coffee and something to do who got to choose. Why they didn't ask me remains a mystery. If I had been "The Legend of Bagger Vance" and "Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates" would have been high on the list. "Beloved"admittedly, was good and I like that a ghost story was selected number one, but the best of the last 25? Nah, no way. That would be "Jitterbug Perfume." Or "The Cold Six Thousand." Or "The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night." Or...well, you tell me.