Foxy Friday, Ron Santo, and Whimpy Dems….

It’s Friday, which means you have survived another week. Celebrate with a strong draft of Update this lovely morning…

After backing down real whimp-like to Republicans earlier in the week, Democrats are now vowing to at least bring their measures of tax cut extensions and lapses to a vote. Aides say that the Democrats are hoping to vote on the middle and richer class tax extensions separately in order to ensure that the cuts for the middle class are extended. Republicans are pushing for all tax cuts to be extended, including those for the richest tax brackets (their friends and cronies) citing that no cuts should be allowed to stop in this economic climate. Reports say that talks are even coming from the White House and top GOP leaders, hoping to find some compromise that will satisfy both parties.

Quick tribute to Chicago Cubs legend and Gentleman Ron Santo, who died of bladder cancer yesterday. He was 70 years of age. Ron is one of the most beloved Cubs among the many legendary players to roam Wrigley field. Santo was an All-Star nine times and holds the dubious distinction of being the best player not in the Hall of Fame. Santo struggled with health issues from most of his life. He was diagnosed with diabetes at 18 and dealt with it for his entire career as a ballplayer, and afterwards, as he worked as a broadcaster for the Cubs beginning in the 1990 season. Santo will always be remembered as that always-smiling, always laughing personality, and he will he in the Hall before too long.

Ron Santo. Manned the hot corner at Wrigley for 13 years…

Jenna Fischer, or, as she is more widely known, Pam from “The Office” is working as a temp in downtown Detroit. Alas, it is but for a short time. Pam is nearly ready to begin filming on “The Giant Mechanical Man”, a movie in which she plays a character who falls in love with some guy who works at a zoo. This film is among many being shot in the Best Peninsula In The Whole World, including projects by Topher Grace (Eric from “That 70’s Show”)  and Bob Odenkirk. Director Sam Levinson’s “The Reasonable One”, filmed in Rochester, is also a contender at the Sundance Film Festival. Detroit is becoming a haven for the film industry…for now.

Well, it is indeed Friday, which means the inevitable announcement of this week’s Fox. The Bohunk is happy to announce Heather Irmiger, already a Bohunk Hall of Fame member, as the Fox of this very week. As one of the best mountain biking women in the world, Heather is the 2009 US National XC Champion, the US National Marathon Champion, the Pro XCT Short Track Champion and the Single Speed World Champion…All in a single year. She lives in Boulder, Colorado with her husband Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski, also a former US National Champion mountain biker. She is also very nice, friendly, and foxy. For her full bio, click your mouse right here.

Heather, in action…and also racing her bike.

In sporting news, LeQueen returned to the Land of the Cleves and put up 38 points while being thoroughly booed, ridiculed and cleverly chanted at. (The best chant was “AK-RON-HATES-YOU *clap-clap-clapclapclap*) The Heat won easily, 118-90, and before long, the few (nameless) players on their team began talking, laughing and smiling with their King James. The home fans were outraged, and poured out their anger well after the game had gotten out of hand. A truly uninspired performance by the Cavs, showing no signs of motivation…One would think LeBron was still actually on their team…

A sad update on the cholera outbreak in Haiti. Over 1,900 people have died of the disease, with untold thousands suffering from it. The very limited health care system in Haiti cannot handle it. One three room clinic in a rural town is treating 120 people, cramming patients in, sometimes simply sitting them on the floor and giving them clean water to drink. The outbreak is now sourced to a UN building that may have flushed its waste into a nearby water supply, contaminating drinking water for thousands in the area. Yes, the UN. However, some doctors say the spread is also a result of rural families making waste in their gardens and then drinking from an unprotected source. One hospital outside Port au Prince is in charge of a population of 60,000 expected to be at very high risk for exposure at the moment with only 2 doctors to treat them.

Happy Birthday, Joseph Conrad. Born in Poland under the really wild-looking name Josezf Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski in 1857, the Polish author and poet went on to be one of the best writers of a generation. He worked as hand on a freighter, travelling primarily to Britain where he would eventually gain citizenship. He worked on a barge that sailed into the Congo in the 1880’s, which would become the basis of his masterpiece, Heart of Darkness. Conrad did not write until the 1890’s, when he penned Almayor’s Folly, Nostromo and The Secret Agent. Conrad was a great writer who explored morality and personality in his characters to superb effect. You can find Heart of Darkness at Barnes and Noble.

That is, as they say, all. Thanks for reading this week, and check out the Top Post tomorrow. Enjoy amateur and professional football this weekend, and the Bohunk will be back on Monday.

Queen James, Tornado Warning, and (More!) Tainted Spanish Meat...

The Cowboys lost. Again. While it ruins my chances at Monday Night Pick'em for the rest of the season, it ends all hope for the 'Pokes; no playoffs, no winning season, no new starlet girlfriend for Romo as his broken collarbone heals in the coming weeks. Romo will be replaced by Jon Kitna, the one time savior of the Lions over a span of roughly 6 games before plummeting to lose the rest of the games that season. Hopefully, he does the same for Dallas.

In weather, a topic rarely breached in the Update, there is a tornado warning effective until Tuesday in Michigan, from Kalamazoo to Mecosta County. As I pedaled into a 20 mph wind yesterday and woke to a 30 mph wind this morning, I wondered what, in deed, was going on. It' 67 degrees in Michigan in October. If you don't believe in climate shift, go suck an egg. That is all...

The NBA opens tomorrow night with Queen James and his Heat taking on the Celtics. After all the hype and annoying sports talk jabber, actual basketball sounds mildly interesting. I watch the play-offs; the regular season seems a bit redundant. James goes into Boston with a new team, a new ad campaign and a new shoe deal in the works with Nike. Expect a round of the glorious boo-birds ringing in his ears as he takes the court. He is a coward for leaving the Cavs, but basketball fans must know; you are forgotten if you don't win rings. They also remember how you got them, LeBron.

In the Case of Contador and the Tainted Spanish Meat (sounds like a book series) the 2 or 3 time Tour de France champion's home town of Pinto, Spain, gathered to create a 3 km human chain in support of the beleagured champion. Really, they were just trying to shield him as he began another drug transfusion behind them. Earlier in the month, the mayor of the small town hung a yellow banner from town hall as a show of support for the rider, who has disappeared since denying use late last month. No decision has been made in his case.

In other cycling news, Contador's one time teammate and one time rival Lance Armstrong announced he will end his international cycling career at the Tour Down Under in January. The Australian stage race was Armstrong's first during his comeback from retirement two years ago thie spring. Armstrong, like Contador, is under investigaton of doping charges and a litany of other offenses. (One day,there will be a story without doping charges, I promise) All this Federal money to investigate a man who pedaled faster than other men in tightly fitting clothing around France. There are homeless people who could use a roof over their heads; let the UCI deal with Lance.

And now, the first ever Poll by the Update; Who is in the World Series? Originally, I had hoped for readers to choose a winner, but it sounds like no one knows who is playing. Leave a comment with the teams and, if you know that, who will win. Hint: It's not the Cubs.

That's all we have time for this morning. Thanks for the read and tell your friends. It will get better before it gets worse; I'm planning to write some reall crappy stuff later in the week. Enjoy "Community" on NBC tonight!