Courtesy of BBTF: A's upgrade training equipment:

Among the gadgets the A's purchased at the behest of new head trainer Steve Sayles are a shockwave machine, a cold laser machine and a SABA explosive pulley system, which, for instance, third baseman Eric Chavez uses for rehab after back and shoulder surgeries.

Dear God. And: Kendall to bat ninth? Due to his OBP skillz supposedly. haha.

Today (wow, crazy light font) Slusser gives another version of the Duke as starter story:

"Duke is going to gain a lot of weight this year," Oakland closer Huston Street said with a chuckle. "No more third-, fifth- and seventh-inning trips to the bathroom. But it's not because he's nervous, it's because he takes it so seriously. Justin shows up at 2 p.m. and he's thinking about pitching all day." Duchscherer has consulted a gastroenterologist who told him, the pitcher said, "There's a big connection between the brain and the gut," which - for an intense personality such as Duchscherer - can translate into some painful gastrointestinal issues. So pitching once every five days should help that and Duchscherer believes it will ensure greater health, period.

Remember, Duke, you could always be Dan Johnson. On the other hand, the only thing I know about gastroenterologists is that Larry David had to pay one a visit, and his condition was Gereitis, so.... Forgot we had Todd Linden? So did I. According to the notes headline, he "likes the blue collar team":

I'm really excited because I think this side will be better. Over here, you get your hands dirty, it's a little more blue collar and I like the style of play. There's a little more youth compared to the other side

Presumably he means "the other side of Arizona" or something along those lines, as I don't think he'll be spending much time in the beautiful east bay. For the h8rs: M. Kuiper has your back. On the Giants:

"From a standpoint of a team trying to rebuild, it gives us a chance to see some young players,” he said. “It gives us a chance to see what these kids can do. Although rebuilding is probably not the right word, it’s retooling."

Well put, sir. The preview is a popup? Seriously?

It's a trade so craaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazy that it nearly satisfies the character requirement for diaries by itself.

The Phoenix Suns have acquired Shaquille O'Neal in a stunning, blockbuster deal that sends four-time All-Star Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks to the Miami Heat.

Good news for the Warriors.

re: Warriors
Webber to return

But this brief proclamation to confirm that he's returning to the team and city where he began his NBA career in 1993 -- and where he lasted only one season because of a fast-crumbling relationship with Nelson -- will be sufficiently stunning to longtime Warriors fans who believe that the breakdown of the initial Webber-Nelson partnership doomed Golden State to more than a decade of despair.

Ratto wrote an article about it, but I didn't read it.
What is my reaction you wonder?
I have two comments:

1. The gigantic sign they used to have on Arco that said "C-Web's House" was really irritating.

2. The Warriors could use some rebounding.

Poll

Happy About Webber?

6%

Kings fan

10 votes

30%

I love Monta

44 votes

26%

Yes

38 votes

6%

No

10 votes

29%

Don't Care

43 votes

145 votes | Poll has closed

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While we all peck away at our typewriters speculating about the Oakland A's, science marches forward.

Dude who looks like Bill Gates, Two Other Guys Develop Alzheimers Helmet

This story about creating artificial life describes someone as "controversial celebrity U.S. scientist Craig Venter." I would like to be thought of as a controversial celebrity linker.

Poll

In the Future

28%

There will be a fragile yet ultimately stable Chimp/Robot/Human Detente

15 votes

28%

The A's will sign Bonds

15 votes

32%

Technology will destroy us all

17 votes

11%

Technology will create heaven on earth

6 votes

53 votes | Poll has closed

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So I found a good link from Colorado Fan over in Zonis's diary, and we need a DLD, so here it is; our man Farhan gushes about all the prospects.
Turns out Sweeney is awesome:

It's easy to forget that just a year ago this guy was ranked as the White Sox' top prospect and as one of the top prospects in all of baseball.  His numbers went backwards this year, but he was fighting through wrist issues for a good part of the season.  The knock on him is his power, but he played last year at just 22 and still has time to mature as a hitter.  On top of that, he has actually shown good power vs. right-handed pitching -- .294/.361/.481 with 22 HR in 572 AB over the last 2 years in AAA.

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There's some A's news (or maybe "news") today, which doesn't happen every day. Even though it's already been linked, I'm going to try to milk this article for all it's worth. It's hilariously headlined "A's are hoping for a healthy meeting." Yes, that would be nice.

When the A's convene today in Phoenix, the topic will be health. If he gets very good news on that front, Oakland general manager Billy Beane might decide to decline offers for starters Dan Haren and, perhaps, Joe Blanton, and go for it in 2008. Less positive info, and Haren and Blanton might be heading elsewhere.

Hmmm, are they actually serious about this evaluating the health and deciding where to go thing?

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This interview by Jeff is great. Very funny. You should read it.

Uh oh: Leaky valves.

However, the gunk was sticking to the tires and spreading onto secondary roads in the region. He added that the grease caused a "really funky" odor.

Poll

My favorite thing is:

43%

The Oakland A's

44 votes

7%

Brian Boitano

8 votes

4%

"The Canterbury Tales"

5 votes

2%

The "House Party" Series

3 votes

6%

Mustard

7 votes

6%

action36.com

7 votes

7%

Gary Busey

8 votes

7%

Treasure

8 votes

3%

Traffic Circles

4 votes

7%

Ron Paul

8 votes

102 votes | Poll has closed

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I went to the city to see "No Country for Old Men" this afternoon. It was extremely violent and suspenseful (in a good way), and the violence was still reverberating as we left.

So, I got out to the sidewalk and walked for half a block when an unmarked police car with sirens on top sped around a corner onto the sidewalk right in front of me, so that I had to step back. Three guys rapidly jumped out of the car, they all drew their guns (at me! given the angle), screamed FREEZE!, and then ran by me, guns still drawn, and tackled some guy in the middle of the street, yelling "YOU THINK WE'RE FUCKING AROUND?!!" From what I gathered, someone had gotten shot at the metreon (not the theater where I was), as there were ambulences and 30+ police cars, and they taped off the entrance. The guy they arrested struck me as being under 20 years old. Let me tell you: when a car screeches up in front of you, and several guys with guns drawn rush towards you, even though that was a 2-second experience, it is damn creepy.

Left me shaken for awhile. Scary and sad.

I think a quickie is in order.

Fight between George Clooney and Fabio, wherein Fabio tells Clooney to "stop being a diva."
haha.

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