EMPTYING MY MIND'S DESK DRAWER

There are times when right hand drawer of my mind's unused and unprocessed information needs to be emptied out in order for new clutter to begin accumulating; when non-sensical, sometimes valueless data impedes the memory bank process.  This is one of those times.  I press DELETE.

JACK KEVORKIAN, Doctor Death, is running for Congress.  What runs through this guy's mind?  What runs through his veins?  Has he no introspective abilities at all?  Also, who are the people who have encouraged his candidacy?  What are they like?  Will anyone actually vote for this convicted murderer?  What would be their political views?  

CONGRESS' approval rating is less than 10%.  It has completed, perhaps, its least efficient session in some 30 years.  Harry Truman had his "Do Nothing" Congress.  What should we term this one?  Maybe the "Do Something, Anything at All" Congress?  I know I plan on voting for the Senate and Congressional challengers this fall.  I don't even care if they're not millionaires!  So what if my state and district lose seniority?  They have little to show from the incumbents anyhow.  I'm going to do my small part in trying to change Washington's political deadlock with the emphasis on dead.  How about you?

I HATE to think of the day when books will all be digitized, and I won't be able to physically turn a page and feel the crisp paper between my thumb and forefinger.  I won't have shelf after shelf of wonderful bindings and colorful dust covers in my library.  I'll just have a "device" on the corner of my desk.  I hate to think that it might end up in the right-hand drawer.

I DON'T have much of a "yen" (sorry) for the upcoming olympic games.  I see China's political agenda powerfully overshadowing all.  Its search for world class respect smothering in smog the world class athletes that will compete in the games.  That's all it seems to be to China is a game - to be used as a vehicle so that it can wear a laurel leaf on the middle stand of the podium of world opinion.

BRETT FAVRE seems to have taken to heart too many of the lauditory editorials written upon the occasion of his retirement.  Mr. Niceguy needs to understand that the Green Bay Packers are not simply going to allow him to unretire and to continue his career where ever he may choose.  He has value as a player, and Green Bay wants compensation for that value.  Favre started this brouhaha with the Packers.  He needs to understand that the situation has passed him by.  If he wants to continue his career, it needs to be elsewhere, out of the conference, and with due compensation for a future Hall of Fame quarterback.

ALEX RODRIGUEZ should be more than thankful that he is a New York Yankee.  The New York City environment can take in stride his off-field antics and still appreciate his considerable baseball abilities.  No other city, except perhaps Washington, would endure this type of public posturing and questionable behavior.  From a distance I don't much care whether he strikes out or scores with Madonna.  Because I do care about the affect of all this on his children, I hope he takes a walk from the current stupidity.

THE TAMPA BAY RAYS are the feel-good story of this baseball season.  From last place to first with no respect for the Red Sox or the Yankees.  Check them out.  They're young, exciting, and they believe in their achievements.  The antithesis of Congress.