The spare USB cable for the new Sony camera came while She was gone. It works perfectly for what I intended it--as a longer USB cable for the pocket 40G drive I bought for Her (or did She buy it for Her--these things get so confusing sometimes). Now She can take the pocket drive and doesn't have to scrounge around on the floor, under the desk, and behind the CPU case to plug and unplug the cable. She can unplug from the front of the drive and be on her way, secure in knowing the extra cable is packed in the laptop cable bag (yes, the same one that always raises security questions in Europe. Masses of wires seem to freak them out for some reason--makes perfect sense to me but annoys the daylights out of Her--but She's the traveler).

A pause to discuss the NBA draft. The Spurs did the right thing with their pick--trading him to Arizona. They needed another point guard like they need a rash of knee injuries. All they can use is a center to fill David Robinson's void, and that wasn't likely to materialize in the draft (for some reason, it seemed as if every high school kid and point guard in the world entered in this draft).

I haven't followed the NBA draft much before this year, but I don't really understand the number of high school early entries selected in the first round over reasonably experienced and mature college players. The message I'm picking up is that college no longer defines the entry path to professional basketball. I suspect the other leagues around the world are proving to be a better apprentice path. Perhaps, much like baseball and the minor leagues. Generally speaking, college baseball players appear to be students who love to play baseball. If college basketball becomes this way, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Perhaps we'd have people attending college who want and are capable of using the education instead of being a farm team for professional sports. Professional sports teams have a greater say in how their prospects are developed, and everyone wins--except maybe some of the larger schools who could lose the massive TV rights payouts if the European and South American pro leagues become popular for viewing audiences here in the States. Now, if football would go down this path...

I finally checked out my links for Churchill Polar Bearing at the top of the screen. She's going to be disappointed. She has to be in Winnipeg in September for work, but the trip to Churchill is in October. The Churchill Trip is sponsored by the Smithsonian. The other tour is called the Great Ice Bear Tour and is at the same time as the Smithosonian tour (our course, that's when the bears are there!). Both look pretty interesting. I wonder if anyone I know would be there? And would they talk to a traitor like me? She might eventually decide to do one of these things--but why? She has me right here.