Double Jeopardy

Jason Giambi used steroids back in the day. He admitted it. His 2oo3 grand jury testimony leaked out, in which Giambi admitted to a grand jury that he used steroids between 2001-2003. He addressed the Yankee fans and media with a sincere apology for the fiasco. Although he never used the word steroids in his public apology, he made it clear that he was guilty of using, and he was sorry. Done. Americans are all about giving second chances, and Giambi got one (which is not easy with NY fans). Time to play baseball.

Here's the kicker: in May 2007, Giambi said that steroid use is wrong and that he should have never used them back in the day, and urges the young players not to....In comes the Bill Gates look-a-like, Bud Selig, 'Ah-ha!, Jason Giambi just admitted to doing steroids in the early 2000's." MLB must take action and wreak havoc on Giambi because he said the 'S' word in public. What!? I love baseball as much as anybody, but why does the MLB insist on making a debauchery of itself and the greatest pastime we have. Giambi does not deserve the ridicule and distraction (again) for doing the right thing and being man enough to admit he was wrong. MLB is determined to use anybody to spread the word that they are tough on steroids at anyone's expense. What can they possibly gain by tarnishing Giambi for something he has already paid for? Last I checked, the law still protects citizens from being charged for the same crime twice.

No-No

I always give credit when credit is due. So, congrats to Justin Verlander, the 24-year old phenom from the Tigers, pitched a no hitter tonight against the brew-crew from Milwaukee. Verlander (7-2) struck out 12 batters in Detroit's 4-0 win over the Brewers. Verlander was the second to throw a no-hitter in the MLB this year, as Mark Buerhle from the ChiSox did it back in April. With today's dominant hitters (for example, he faced the red-hot Prince Fielder tonight), this is no easy feat. Well done Justin.

Lost , But Not Forgotten

Harold Reynolds is back. Deadspin announced that MLB has hired the ex-ESPN Baseball Tonight broadcaster. Reynolds was released by ESPN a year ago because of sexual harassment complaints. The whole controversy seemed to get swept under the rug, and Harold just seemed to disappear from the spotlight. See the MLB press release here, and apparently Reynolds will commenting day games 5 days a week. I do not know what really happened at ESPN, but since his departure Baseball Tonight has gotten pretty lame in my opinion. I have voiced my thoughts on how terrible I think Joe Morgan is, and I am happy to see the return of a quality sportscaster, who knows baseball. Congrats Harold, and remember, Confucious say: Hands in pocket...

Keynote

Steve Jobs' keynote at the WWDC is this morning, and for many, Santa Claus has nothing on Jobs. What will He give us today that we will not stop talking about until 4 weeks before the next keynote address in January? The power is just unbelievable to me that people cannot wait to hear what surprises are in store. Steve Jobs could tell the world today that his Golden Retriever just had puppies and a new photo album, created in iPhoto of course, is now on the Apple site for the world to see, and it would not matter. He has created a captivated world who understands that Apple will provide useful and fun products that add to the computing experience for all. The developers and high-end folks understand the beauty behind the OS-X, particularly with the new Leopard, which will be showcased and released to developers-only today. The public understands that a new iMac, or iPod, or iAnything, will be the next best thing on the market. Apple has taken marketing to a new life form, and CEO's around the world can be nothing short of envious. Has any company created such buzz in history? The only fault I see to the marketing craze is that consumers often hold out waiting for the next best thing. Should I buy my new Mac now, or wait for Leopard? Should a buy that cool iMac or wait for the brushed metal iMac said to be on the horizon? The cycle of anticipation never ends.

My guess for the next big release: Touch/wide-screen iPods with huge hard drive for the video rental service speculated for the fall. Apple Insider details the negotiations Apple is having with Hollywood for $2.99/month movie rentals on iTunes. The 80GB small screen will not seal the deal for many. We shall find out soon.

Better Gmail

I must give some props to two of my favorite internet things in celebration of my re-entering the blog-world. First is Gmail, and second, Lifehacker, a great productivity site.

Gmail is by far the handiest email program out there, but many of its cool features are hidden and not so obvious to the average user (particularly those who think Hotmail is still awesome). Thanks to Lifehacker, they are continuously informing their readers of all the tricks, hacks, and tidbits to get the most out of Gmail. For a good starting point of Gmail tricks and tools, start with the monster roundup here.

For Firefox Users (isn't everyone?): Lifehacker has helped develop a great Firefox extension called Better Gmail that has a whole bunch of great Gmail features. It is packed with stuff, so it is easy to get overwhelmed. Adam from Lifehacker made a good video tutorial on supercharging Gmail that I thought was well done.

Get the most out of Gmail, it has a lot to offer.

Firefox 3 on the Horizon

Firefox 3 is in Alpha mode, which means nothing to average folks like me, however, it does mean that a newer version is on the horizon. Ars Technica has an in-depth review of some of the new features of Firefox 3.0, or Gran Paradiso, and speculates that the beta version (for folks like me) could be out in late summer or September.

I think Firefox is an amazing browser and find new tricks and tools everyday that just make me smile. While over half of internet users still think that the stupid blue e is the only way to get to the internet, Firefox is creeping up in numbers. Microsoft is at 79%, FF 15%, Safari 5%...That may seem like MS is dominating but I think Internet Explorer was in the high 90% not too long ago. Safari will continue to grow because all the old people trying Macs will use Safari like the little blue e. What amazes me is the buzz and excitement that abounds when Apple releases a product (s), or the anticipation for Firefox 3.0. When is the last time anybody gave a rat's arse when a new version of IE came out? Great, IE7 is here and I can't download it because I failed 1 of the 37 verification and validation tests. Yippee.

Do you think Firefox will ever catch up to Internet Explorer? Or, could Safari? Leave a comment and tell me your vote.

Slowly But Surely

Mark my words: the turnaround has begun. After an impressive sweep of the struggling White Sox, the Yankee bats are starting to come alive and Wang and Mussina put on a clinic in Chicago. So did the offense in the late innings of Thursday's 10-3 rout, with A-Rod casually hitting yet another grand slam in the 8th to seal the deal. Despite a near no-no from my least favorite pitcher in baseball, Curt Schilling, the Red Sox have lost 4 out of 5 and will graciously allow the Yanks to start getting in position by the All-Star break. Did I mention that the Rocket will be back on Saturday against the Pirates?

By the way, congratulations to Torre on his 2,000th victory. Also, my final message to sports writers and commentators: the should George fire Torre? speculation must officially stop.