No, I'm not having delusions. I realise that Essendon are out of the 2004 AFL premiership after their appalling effort against Geelong on Saturday night.

But as we commemorate the anniversary of 9/11, let's remember that almost as many people are still dying in Darfur every week as died in the World Trade Center attack.
- Nicholas D.Kristof, New York Times, 11 September 2004

It's been three years since the most audacious act of international aggression in the last half century. Now, for the first time, I am putting into writing my views about that day.

WBUR Boston's weekly "Only A Game" radio program is doing a feature on Pro Cricket on Saturday September 11. That should be available to hear live at 7am EST (1100 GMT, 9pm in Sydney) and archived later for listening on-demand.

The audio link is on the WBUR home page, and there is more information on WBUR's Only A Game site.

I think I'm finally coming back to earth following Australia's silver-medal performance in the Olympic baseball. And with Boston @ Seattle in progress on the tele, it's time to catch up on some baseball items over the past fortnight.

Human rights groups in Australia proclaimed Thursday, September 9, 2004 as a National Day of Shame. The following is a press release from Rural Australians for Refugees:

No crime but life imprisonment

Peter Qasim and Eidriess Abdulrahman Al Salih are two of 13 stateless asylum seekers who face indefinite detention in Australia. They are currently in Baxter Detention Centre.

It was quite hilarious to hear John Winston Howard kick off the election campaign last Sunday week by saying that it was "all about trust". Days after more evidence was coming to light that he knew about the "Children Overboard" fraud before the 2001 election, he takes the bold, aggressive step of asking for us trust this time around.

JWH's press release on August 29, announcing the election, is comical for many reasons, but it is the third paragraph that has electioneering Sound Bite dripping all over it:

August 29 was the 225th anniversary of the Battle of Newtown. That's Newtown, New York, and this was part of the American War of Independence. The US beat Britain in this one (as they did eventually in the entire struggle.)

The real losers, however, were the people of the Iroquois confederacy of nations.

I'm sorry. I laughed my head off when I saw this report. I shouldn't, I know.

In short, the Genesis space probe, with its cargo of space particles, crashed to Earth instead of being intercepted by Hollywood stunt choppers on its descent. You see, it's parachute failed to open.

My first season as a born-again Jets fan is over. Newtown missed the eight in the VB Premier League, finishing in tenth spot on 23 points. Conceding 696 points in 24 games is not a good way to do things, but rather better than the club I used to follow in its NRL days, North Sydney, who allowed 1024 points in 24 matches, almost 43 per game.

I got to see Newtown play at Henson Park four times this year: March 27, when they lost 26-14 to St George reserve grade in round three; May 8, when they beat North Sydney 42(right on average)-20 in round nine; June 5, when they beat Balmain 20-12 in round thirteen; and July 31, when they beat the Roosters reserves 22-20 in a thrilling round twenty-one clash.

Poor Derek. He put a sticker on his car with an image of GWB and the text "King George: Off with his head". And the neighbours go and dob him in to the Secret Service!

The Salt Lake Tribune picks up the story.

(Related link: The US Constitution.)