Git Yer Hot Dogs Here!

MSN has one man's opinions on the seven best hot dog places in the country. I cannot vouch for any of them, but any time we can talk about hot dogs is a good time here at dcat. Indeed, we had a great conversation on this topic when I raised a similar issue, listing some of my own favorites, at the late great Rebunk.

Bound to a Toddlin' Town

I am bound for Chicago to attend an "Energy Freedom Summit" being held by the organization Set America Free, which is affiliated with the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, with which I was a fellow a few years back. I will be representing UTPB, which is developing an Energy Studies program, in hopes of bringing back some ideas. In between sessions -- and the list of participants is impressive; I'll be taking lots of notes, I'm sure -- I imagine there will be time for deep dish pizza, brats, hot dogs with vegetables on them, and other heart-healthy-living options. I will post as I can.

Take Me Out to the . . . Concession Stands

If you've been looking for a culinary assessment of the offerings at every Major League ballpark (and you know you have) look no further. The New York Times has yor back, with an interactive map with pics. Mmmm, hot dogs . . .

The Incredible Lightness of Blogging . . .

. . . of late has been the consequence of my being on the road for the past week. I drove overnight from Arlington after the third game of the Sox-Rangers series, and had less than an hour-and-a-half of turnaround time to get to the airport for a trip to the Washington, DC, area, where I had a conference.

The Sox have begun nicely -- they are now 5-1 after sweeping the Orioles and taking two of three from the Rangers. The pitching staff has been fine, and while the lineup is srtill getting a feel for things, they are putting up enough runs to win. I do not for one second think that the Yankees 2-4 start is anything other than a brief hiccup that we will all soon forget (I would suspect that most teams in baseball this year will be lucky to take two of six in Anaheim and Oakland this year) as the American League East race heats up. Meanwhile, starting tomorrow, we will get our first glimpse at the re-tooled Blue Jays.

Seeing the Sox live in Sellout Field at Arlington was extraordinary. For the last two games I had spectacular seats (as soon as I learn how to download pictures from my new digital camera I will post some) and was able to assess the Sox from up-close. Obviously Schilling has started out spectacularly, and Beckett has provided a hint of what is yet to come. For the time being wunderkinder Jonathan Papelbon (We'll call him "Big Pappy" to go with David Ortiz's "Big Papi") is our closer, and he has gone three for three in closing opportunities. Coco (who is now injured and may miss up to a month) is a sparkplug, and we will miss him, but this will give Adam Stern (he of Canadian heroics in the World Baseball Classic) and Wily Mo Pena a chance to get some at-bats and show that they can contribute. This is a differently constructed team from the Dirt Dogs -Idiots of the last three seasons, but is one that will continue to gel and that will compete well into the fall.

A few other baseball observations: One of Detroit or Milwaukee will compete this year. I would suspect that it will be Milwaukee, which plays in a weaker division in a weaker league. Obviously a 5-0 start in baseball means little, though I would bet that teams that begin the season with an undefeated streak tend on the whole to end up doing rather well. Last year at this time, who would have envisioned the White Sox as a serious contender? Someone will be a dark horse this year. I can think of no reason why it won't be the Brew Crew.

Travis Haffner is a force. A physically unattractive force, but a force nonetheless. His hot start has gotten the Indians off on the right foot in a division that will likely come down to the last day. They have already named a candy bar after him in Cleveland, a concoction called "Pronk," after Haffner's nicknbame, which blends "Project" and "Donkey."

Much like the Yankees, the White Sox will sraighten things out, but it is never a good idea to fgall behind by 3-4 games in the first week of the season. They all count the same, and losses in April can be as damning as losses in October.

I hate off days.