Fool Me Once...

Truth to power? The day we move the clocks forward is one of my favorite days of the year. It wasn't always that way -- in college I remember it being a major pain in the ass. Always falling on a Sunday, the day the clocks moved forward was the day you had to haul yourself over to the liberry that much earlier.

But those halcyon days in the Berkshires are gone, and wouldn't you know, Daylight Savings day just means longer days and, in March, the hope of sunshine, warm weather, and yes, baseball.

Chances are you know what's happening in good old Port St. Lucie. It's raining Mets in the medical ward, but it's good to see Endy and the bag of balls we got for Lastings Milledge back in the lineup.

If I sound annoyed about the Lastings Milledge trade, well, talk of Barry Bonds will do that to me. Didn't we learn anything from the Guillermo Mota curse? Not counting the 2000 Yankees (salt), steroids cheats never win. It's an element I don't want these 2008 Mets to have any part of.

There's so many good vibes around this team. Johan Santana, Petey feeling healthy. I realize the one negative about this team right now is the injuries, but this is one situation where two wrongs don't make a right.

Would the Mets be better with Bonds? On some level, yes. But do we really want to deal with the circus surrounding his indictment? Do we really want to deal with his surliness and his ego? Do we really want to deal with a cheat? Sorry, no sale.

It's like our President once said: "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool m... you can't get fooled again." Word up.

The good news is the Mets seem to get it. For all his talent, Bonds just isn't worth the negative karma (or perhaps more practically, the negative press).

And so I was able to face the day today not with dread but with all the reverence it deserved. It was pretty chilly, yes, but damned if it wasn't light out at 7:00pm.

And as for tonight? Well I've got a massive steak in my belly (thanks, Mom) and I'm about to pop in No Country For Old Men. Eastern Promises was really good, I was actually a bit surprised. My brother and sister-in-law's endorsement not withstanding, the subject matter, Russian gangsters, doesn't exactly have my name written all over it.

But it's a heck of a flick just the same. Viggo Mortensen was terrific, and ladies (i.e., Coop), if you ever wanted to see a little full frontal on old Viggo, Eastern Promises is your chance.

22 days, friends. 22 days.

- A.F.O.M.G.