Thank you for giving my son (K.O.) something to do in his remaining free time when he is not agonizing over one of his rotissery sports teams or planning a wedding.

His mother and I both wonder where we failed resulting in two sons - well beyond the legal drinking age - both still up to the minute current in the latest developments in the WWF/NWO etc. etc. - Any chance I can get his article translated into Swedish for the distant relatives across the pond?

Dad O.


ROD RESPONDS: Mr. O, thanks for visiting the G21, and for writing! I'm not so sure you should thank me for convincing KO to consort with this unruly bunch though.

Seriously, KO is a welcome addition to our Sports section, and I see nothing but promise in featuring him here. As a proud father, I'm sure you'll make sure all your friends visit KO's column, as well. We appreciate it.

FROM David F. (We suspect)New York, NY, USA:

Subject: yankee bashing

As a yankee fan and a friend of Kris, I must respond to his Yankee bashing. He have a very selesctive memory when it comes to recent Yankee aquisitions. While I do agree with you that there is an unfair financial balance baseball (which team paid $100 million dollars for a pitcher?) the Bronx Bombers have made some smart moves having nothing to do with money.

Examples

• 1. Chad Curtis for David Weathers. With the opt-injured Bernie Williams, who better to fill in than Mr. Curtis. Weathers is now on the AAA express somewhere in the midwest.
• 2. Speaking of Bernie, what trade did the greatest team in sports history make to aquirre Bernie, Derek, Petitte, Posada. Oh yeah,they were not aquirred via the trade. They are home grown talent. And the closer, what's his name?
• 3. Brosius for the Gambler. A low risk move that has paid big dividends for both teams. A trade benefitting both teams, something Kris knows nothing about.
• 4. The unpopular move a few years back of not signing Mike Stanley (who went on to an memorable catching career in Boston) and acquirring the glue of the team, "Mr Triple" Joltin Joe Giradi.
• 5. Oh yeah, from the archives, was trading Roberto Kelly for Paul O'Neil an economic move?
• 6. I almost forgot the tough but smart decision of signing the durable David Wells instead of the popular broken down Jimmy Key.
• 7. Daryl... Darrryl. They Yankee could have cut this guy five times and no one would of argued, now after much patience, finally paying dividends.

As stated above, I agree that some moves we benefitted from based on economic. But if it were' not for these moves, the Yankee probably would not have won the World Series and would not be where they are today. Look up "Baltimore Orioles."

This was obviously written by an envious Boston fan who has nothing better to do than complain.

Just had to get that off my chest. Thanks for listening.
-David F.


KO RESPONDS: I never said the Yankees didn't do some good things, just that they did some slimy things as well... Jeffrey Dahmer probably made some tasty treats while he was working at the candy factory... it doesn't make him a nice guy..."

And YOU think you get spammed...

HUMANS AREN'T THE ONLY PLAYERS
at This Year's WORLD CUP
Robot Games Form World-Cup Half-time Show

PETERBOROUGH, NH, US -- Between the World Cup semi-finals at the end of June and the finals beginning the second week of July, will be a half-time show of sorts, featuring athletes of a much different build. Measuring in at one foot tall, Pioneer robots are rather shorter of stature than the typical World Cup star. Nevertheless, they'll be playing on teams from Germany, Itally and the US in the 2nd Annual World RobCup Soccer Tournament in Paris.

The Pioneer is accustomed to being in the limelight, having appeared on such shows as "Bill Nye, Science Guy" and "Scientific American Frontiers" with Alan Alda. An early version of the Pioneer has been running almost daily in The Computer Museum of Boston for two years. And the Pioneer swept most competitions last year at the annual AAAI-98 meeting of Artificial Intelligence professionals.

And, believe it or not, it is artificial intelligence professionals who run and participate in the World RoboCup Soccer Tournament. Robot contests have long been a staple event in the AI community. From the annual Firefighter's event -- in which robots have to locate a candle in a model room and extinguish it - to the AAAI cocktail party -- where robot waiters win prizes for most appealing service and demeanor, contests help scientists compare approaches and implementation of AI behaviors in a real-world setting.

The Pioneer robot (who won both the popularity and technical awards at last year's cocktail party with Ullanta Performance Robotics) will be competing on German teams, the Italian National Team and the American Ullanta team. Up to five robots can cooperate on each robot team. Most soccer-playing robots sense their competitors through digital cameras and sonar onboard. Some Pioneer robots have manipulators that could pick up the ball and carry it to the goal. But, like human players, they are not allowed to use their "hands." Last year in Tokyo, at the 1st Annual RoboCup games, the Ullanta players moved the soccer ball by giving it a whack with their tail-ends - a charming move few humans have yet to emulate. (More information about last year's RoboCup games is at http://www.activmedia.com/robots/robocup.html.)

The Pioneer robot is available only from ActivMedia Robotics and its distributors. The Pioneer and its accessories were designed by SRI's Artificial Intelligence Lab, Menlo Park, CA; Real World Interface, Jaffrey, NH; Newton Research Labs, Seattle WA; and ActivMedia Robotics, Peterborough, NH.

A high-resolution photo of the Pioneer robot is available for download at: http://www.activmedia.com/robots/Pictures/PioneerRobot.eps


FROM EuroChannel, Germany:

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

Last year we had organised the 1st International Open Art Contest Online which has being the first ever Online Art contest on the WWW. Over 1500 artworks had being displayed 100 days between the 1-01-98 and 15-04-98 During this period more than 275.000 people visited the contest Pages and more than 8.500 voted as Web Juries.

We shall carry out the 2nd Contest between 01.01.99 and 15-04-99 and have pleasure at this stage to place an open invitation to Institutions and Organisations which might be interested to co-operate with us with the organisation from this new forth coming international event.

Regards
euroARTchannel
http://www.eurochannel.de/art
art@eurochannel.de

The Story That Would Not Die....

FROM April T. [No City Provided], USA:

HI MY NAME IS APRIL T. AND IM 14 YEARS OLD! I HAVE BEEN IN PAGEANTS EVER SINCE I WAS 3 AND I CANT REMEMBER ONE TIME WHEN I WASNT ENJOYING MYSELF SURE YOU FELL BAD IF YOU LOSE BUT THERE ARE HAPPY TIMES WHEN YOU WIN! I THINK PAGEANTS ARE GREAT FOR GIRLS OF ALL AGES IT TEACHES SELF-CINFIDENCE AND GOOD SPORTMANSHIP! MY MOM ALWAYS TOLD ME IF YOU DONT WIN CONGRATULATE THE WINNER AND I ALWAYS DIDz! SOMETIMES I WAS THE CONGRATULATER AND SOMETIMES I WAS THE CONGRATULATED! NOT ONE TIME IN MY LIFE HAVE I EVER REGRETTED BEING IN THE PAGEANTS IV BEEN IN THEY WERE A GREAT EXPERIENCE AND I LOVE BEING IN EVERYONE I CAN!

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