WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU CAN'T EVEN ENJOY A LAKERS LOSS?: Because that game looked like the Lakers were thinking, maybe we kinda want to win tonight but we're not real sure, let's see what happens--oh, wait, we did lose. Darn. Well, next time then.

Coaches always tend to not give the opposition credit, saying stuff like, "We just didn't execute tonight." And tonight the Lakers just didn't play hard and they were still a few seconds away from winning, given a few more Wally misses at the line. So I can't quite figure out a way to enjoy this loss, because the Lakers will just turn it on again in Game 6 or 7.

Don't you think Magic must have been the one asking to be on TNT? Because I can't imagine they sought him out. He has no chemistry with the other three--everything he says is an interjection in between the EJ-Kenny-Chuck banter. (This is not a man with much of an ability for self-deprecation.) He detracts from the broadcast, there's no way around it.

Things were done today:

--Books were returned. I would like to thank the lady at the post office for making sure several times that the package I was sending media mail was, in fact, a book. I'm glad there was that ind of trusting rapport between us.

--Crystal Palace actually did play their way into the Premiership--holy moley. This was actually a much bigger deal than I imagined, I who am not the most obsessive of Palace fans, shall we say. The broadcasters were saying that in December Palace was flirting with relegation, and then Ian Dowie took over and they went on this crazy run. Apparently an earlier West Ham victory allowed Palace into the playoffs, and then West Ham gets knocked out of the Premiership today by Palace. Palace's run was just really improbable.

As for the game itself--it wasn't a great game, but Palace played great. West Ham didn't do what they needed to do and Palace did. And after the first and only goal they really looked lost. So Palace wins 1-0 and is promoted. Which means I will actually get to see the English soccer squad I have pledged allegiance to next season. Huh.

I think I must've set some sort of record for repetition of the word "palace" in the above. They have another name--the Eagles--but I am unwilling to embrace soccer snobbery, since I really have no clue about soccer.

--Overtime was worked. The check was built up. The money goes back to normal once school starts Tuesday.

The New Yorker is really kicking everybody else's butt with the Iraq scoops, aren't they? Here's your really great Chalabi summary article. Via Laura Rozen--of course. I wonder if we're getting Chalabi love or Chalabi hate on tomorrow's talking head reviews.

Oh, and hey, Budweiser: Miller is kicking your ass in the creativity department. So what do you do? You send out your two lizards, who derivative of your crappy frogs, to basically go out and assert that the Miller presidential candidate guy is not funny. That's it. The lizards don't even try to outfunny the Miller ads, they just state that the guy isn't funny. They should've just spent thirty seconds saying, "We....we really have no comeback. Buy Budweiser." Because, really, bringing back the lizards just reeks of desperation. Advantage: Miller. Again.

Tomorrow: the long journey into barbecue. I hope there's not too many cicadas in backwoods Virginia.