I'm doing way more crossword than game-watching during this fairly boring All-Star Game. I finally got the big answer: "DYINGQUIETLYINMYSLEEP / LIKEMYGRANDFATHER / NOT / SCREAMINGINTERROR / LIKETHEPEOPLEINHISCAR." Other than that, I've got the rest of it, except for trouble spots in the top left and bottom left, and some other little spots. It took me so long to get that long answer. I had "screaming in terror" but nothing else for a while. When I finally figured out that the second one was "like my grandfather," the I from "like" allowed me to figure out that the answer to "not exactly" was QUASI, and using that Q, I got "quietly," and that led me to getting the whole thing.... if you didn't do this puzzle you have no idea what I'm talking about.

2-0 NL in the sixth. Dustin got a walk for us, but that's about it for Sox highlights. Tek's catching now. Joe Buck said Jeter's done nothing but win since he was called up. I'd like to add an "and lose" to that. The Cheater promptly Jeter'd one toward right, but the hit was weak, even for him, and went to the second baseman. Who promptly misplayed the ball. This very easy botched chance was instantly labeled a hit by Buck.

When I started this blog over four years ago, the main thing I wanted to get across was the fact that the media basically lies. I was in the NY-area at the time, so I mainly reported on the NY media and how some of them (others of them clearly hate the Yanks, which is great) purposely misled people about the Yanks and Red Sox. cough *Michael Kay* cough. And I wasn't going to mention today's Daily News article. (I commented about it at 1:37 PM on Red Sox Chick, so it's not like I'm just finding out about this.) But it's funny how it's come full circle with the ultimate lie. It would be like if Obama won the election and the next day's headline read "McCain Wins." You know the story by now--Pap says Mo should close, Daily News says the opposite. And like I said, I was just gonna let the idiocy go, but during the parade, Papelbon's wife was threatened, and he basically said he didn't give a shit about the game anymore. Now, of course he'd get booed by Yankee fans--I wouldn't have it any other way. But in this case, the media splashed his pic on the paper, telling a blatant lie about him--and that's what led to the over-the-top, "we actually want to hurt you and your family" behavior. So, screw the Daily News--who also claimed after the 2004 World Series that the Red Sox wouldn't win again until 2090. You know, because they're about as stupid as the average cretin Yankee fan.

[Edit from the 12th inning of this not so "Shortz" game: It wasn't "DYING," it was "TO DIE." I told you I was having trouble with that top left. That was why. I think I've got it now.]