Chapter 65.300: Way to Go Tommy G.

Congratulations to Tom Glavine for his 300th career regular season victory. While he's the fourth pitcher who wore a Mets uniform to accomplish the feat (Spahn, Seaver, Ryan, Glavine), he's the first to do it in a Mets uniform. As a lifelong Mets fan, I'm pretty pleased and happy for him. I wish him all the best. He'll go into the Hall of Fame as a Brave, but he's been a good Met.

Chapter 64.5: Hard Day at the Office

I know a lot of people enjoy watching The Office, but I just can't get into it. Sure, it's funny to watch the jokes people play on each other, but I find it impossible to believe that such a group of people could exist. If they did, why should I care? I couldn't picture a boss like Michael Scott actually keeping his job (though the episode in which we learn that his salary is minuscule would help support why he doesn't get fired). I cringe whenever he does almost anything. The only characters with any redeeming qualities seem to be Jim and Pam, and I can tolerate some of Dwight's insane traits because Rainn Wilson is brilliant (loved him in Six Feet Under). But call me crazy, I wouldn't have stayed in that job more than a week.

Chapter 64.3: Trading Deadline Woes

All right, I’m starting to get annoyed with Omar. I realize he wasn’t going to be able to block the Braves from obtaining Mark Teixeira from the Rangers when they were willing to trade away budding star Jarrod Saltalamacchia and a highly touted minor leaguer or two, but to let the Braves get Octavio Dotel for Kyle Davies is reprehensible!

Surely the Mets had somebody more valuable than Davies that the Royals would have liked in order to bring Dotel back to where he began his major league career. At least Davies won’t be around to kick the Mets around anymore –- just about the only team that Davies could beat consistently. If the Mets don't improve their pitching -- especially their tired bullpen -- they could get caught by the Braves or possibly the streaky Phillies.

I'm pleased with the Mets' acquisition of Luis Castillo, though I believe he's too expensive for what he contributes -- it's still better than what they would have gotten from Ruben Gotay over the next two-plus months. But will Castillo be enough?

Chapter 64.25: Life and Chaos and the Fun They Both Create

The other day, in the random way that makes the Web so interesting, I discovered a speech by an advertising executive. In his somewhat crude way, he spoke about the appeal of chaos and how it leads to creativity. "Chaos is the only thing that honestly wants you to grow," wrote Dan Wieden (who I don't know anything about, other than this particular speech). Personally, I don't think "chaos" has any thought in the matter at all, but I've been in the publishing field long enough to know not to expect literal truth or honesty from an ad man, for whom the "perception of reality" is what matters. Yet, the statement is intriguing, nonetheless. Growth can come from chaos. Leaders emerge from chaos, just as victims are left for dead from chaos.

I don't agree with everything the man said. For instance, he states that the priorities of his agencies: the work, the client/agency relationship, yourself. My work is important to me; I believe that the stories I am writing and will write will last and help other people in ways I'll never know. But even if my work could touch and bring joy to millions of people, if I were to fail my wife or my family, I'd have a tough time looking at myself in the mirror. Still, I know where this guy's coming from; my work is part of myself. I can see it no other way.

While reading the speech, I was reminded of one of John Lennon's last songs, in which he sang "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." My wife and I are busy making plans for the future -- things I won't go into on a Web site that gets visitors from all over the world (thanks, Google Analytics, for showing the reach of my random thoughts!). And Life is happening. To achieve what we hope to achieve, we'll have to work even harder than we already are working.

So as the second half of 2007 unfolds, I raise my coffee cup to chaos. Right back at-cha, dude.