I know.. it’s an amazing survival story that we all hope will have a happy ending.  Apparently one of the 33 trapped miners in Chile has done a lot of thinking during the more than three weeks he’s spent a half-mile underground.  For Esteban Rojas, that means he’s announced that he wants to re-marry his wife. Though they’ve been together for 25 years, they’re now looking forward to a big church wedding.  We’re told Esteban had two questions… “Will you marry me?”… and “What’s wrong with Tim Lincecum?”

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Thanks to a fantastic group of Eagle Listeners who joined us for our Thank a Bration party yesterday at Logan’s Roadhouse on Sunrise.  Our guests couldn’t have been more gracious… it was a pleasure getting to know you all.   And as for Logan’s…. the servers, the food and the ambiance were absolutely first class, and we look forward to our next visit.  Someone suggested we should do this every week!  I’m okay with that.  Sometimes I feel the more connected we seem to be these days…. the less time we have to actually “hang out.”  This just in… human contact is still pretty cool.  Please check out Ken Berling’s photos on our Facebook Fan Page…..

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A  TV blackout for the Raider-49ers game?  Please.  Since the Raiders didn’t sellout the Coliseum for tomorrow night’s game, Bay Area fans won’t be seeing the game on live TV.  Yes, sold-out, rockin’ stadiums are nice… I get it.  But come on… doesn’t this hurt the people most likely to be Raider and 49er partisans?  And this just in….with no TV exposure, people tend to find something else to do.  From what I can gather, the Sacramento Faithful will get the game live on Channel 13.  Thank you.

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I guess you could say we’re spoiled.  One of the best broadcasters in the business… and 49ers play-by-play man Ted Robinson came out for a visit today.  Derek Moore and I chatted with him about the state of the team, new expectations, the rookie linemen…. all the stuff that 49er geeks like to obsess over.  You’ll see it soon in the Jackson Rancheria Video Vault. Then we joined Ted and 49ers marketing guru Bob Sargent for a scrumptious catered lunch in the Entercom conference room.  Not a bad way to spend a work day.  And by the way, there isn’t a better guy to get to know than Ted Robinson…  he’s gracious, funny, incredibly well-informed and humble to a fault.  Catch all the 49ers action this year on ESPN 1320.

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What are you guys trying to pull?  We were this close to oblivion… then you pummel the Big Red Machine (well, I still call them that) for 27 runs in two days.  I know it’s a long shot, but the Giants refuse to die. Oh yeah, the division leading Padres seem to always be at home, while playing a bunch of stiffs… and never seem to get scored upon.  Meanwhile, the Giants have to deal with red-hot division leaders who like to blow our starters out by the 3^rd inning.  There is that.  This just in…. everybody’s tired.  Suck it up.  Welcome to playoff  baseball… torture.

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I love a cool vending machine.  With new, sophisticated  technology, you can get just about anything from these friendly little contraptions.  In Japan, you can score lobster, octopus, hot stew…. even lingerie from a machine.  But my favorite one might be from the Land Down Under.  In Australia, one of their most popular vending machines…serves up Hot Fresh Fries. That’s right…a secret, hi-tech process produces a perfectly cooked, single order of crisp, Hot Fries with a touch of a button.  It’s fast, convenient, saves space… with no pesky human interaction.   How much fun would that be for break-time?  “I think I’ll get a Pepsi…. and some FRIES!”

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It can be a challenge to keep up with Real Sports on HBO…. new episodes are on about once a month.   But for my money, it’s not only the best investigative sports show on the air… it may be one of the best shows on television.  The current episode examines what could be a link between brain trauma among athletes… and the deadly disease ALS, commonly called Lou Gehrig’s disease.  A number of football players and boxers have fallen victim to this killer at an early age, including at least  three former San Francisco 49ers (Matt Hazeltine, Gary Lewis and Bobby Waters).  What about the fact that Lou Gehrig was a baseball player?  This report reveals that the Hall of Famer suffered at least six documented cases of severe head trauma during his baseball career… at times being unconscious on the field.  Yet of course,  he’s known for having never taken a day off.  That’s right, his legendary durability may have contributed to his death.  I hope you’ll find this episode and share it… and spread the word that the Sacramento Walk to Defeat ALS is October 2^nd at Raley Field.

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You may have heard about the coffee commotion in New York recently.   An English professor claims she was ejected from an Upper West Side Starbucks for refusing to order according to the coffee chain’s rules.  Lynne Rosenthal says she asked for a toasted multigrain bagel – then blew her top when the staffer behind the counter asked her if she wanted butter or cheese on top.  “I just wanted a multi-grain bagel,” Rosenthal told a reporter.  “I refused to say ‘without butter or cheese.’  When you go to Burger King, you don’t have to list the six things you don’t want.  Linguistically, it’s stupid, and I’m a stickler for correct English.”   Ms. Rosenthal, whose grudge against Starbucks also extends to refusing to order by the trademark “tall” and “venti” sizes, next began yelling profanities at the staffer until the manager called the cops.  Sounds to me like you were creating a needless scene.  How about a simple “No thank you?”  And since you  seem to be annoyed by anything Starbucks, why don’t you go somewhere else?

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Maybe Alex Smith is just not cut out to be an NFL quarterback.  After struggling with the first-team offense yesterday, he’s facing plenty of criticism, as usual.  He should have hit Vernon, .. he missed Delanie Walker… on and on.  Of course, it was only the first preseason game, eventually won by the 49er scrubs, 37-17.  Can you imagine the howls if the Niners had lost 37-17?  And do you get the feeling no one wants any part of tackling rookie Anthony Dixon?  And how about that TV broadcast?  “FYI, I can’t hear myself.”  Torture.

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They weren’t kidding.  The Giants were interested in Jose Guillen all along, and have completed a trade for the controversial Kansas City outfielder.  Yeah, he’s been in more locker rooms than Madonna. And I actually thought “clubhouse cancer” was part of his name.  Will he destroy the chemistry the Giants have in this stretch run?  We’ll see.  I’d like to give him the benefit of the doubt.  And should he get a bases-loaded triple against the Padres, I could learn to like him a lot.