Monday Monday

Summerland is heading down the stretch.

Chris Carpenter dominated this month in major league baseball with a .90 ERA and a 3-1 record. Pujols leads the league in runs. The Cardinals are off tonight.

My condolences to Senator Joseph Lieberman and his family on the death of his mother, Marcia Lieberman. Marcia Lieberman was 90 years old and suffered from congesstive heart failure. It should be noted that both he and VP Gore have seen their mothers die in the past year. Hadassah Lieberman lost her mom within the past year. It's been a sad year for the Lieberman family and I wish them the best as they go through the mourning process.

Marcia Lieberman loved sharing stories from her Stamford home, but she did her best work on the campaign trail.

"Whatever he does I will support him," she told reporters back in December of 2002.

She was a proud mother and seemed to know her son Joe would take a political path. "Even when he was high school president I was proud," she told us.

Health problems meant she needed the assistance of a wheelchair, yet in 2000 she was in Los Angelos seeing her son accept the Democratic nomination for vice-president.

"Thanks mom, I Love you," the senator said when he made his acceptance speech.

Mrs. Lieberman did hit the national campaign trail, but admitted to us since her son was then the first Jew to run for vice-president she knew it brought risks.

"I just worry about his safety."

Marcia Lieberman didn't worry about herself in 2004 when the senator decided to run for president and took part in the New Hampshire primary. His then 89-year old mother braved the cold to campaign.

Senator Lieberman would often touch base with his mother when it came to issues affecting senior citizens. The Lieberman's grew up with modest means, and Marcia Lieberman never let her son forget where he came from, though she could hardly believe how far he got.

Another in the series about The Blues Brothers. Scratch that.

I am against burning the flag. I support an amendment to protect it from being burnt. Fort Wayne article dealing with the amendment.

Sen. Richard Lugar is a consistent supporter of the amendment, a spokesman said. Sen. Evan Bayh, on the other hand, expressed his ambivalence in an e-mail Friday: " support giving the flag special protections because it’s the symbol of our country. However, the flag amendment has often been used as a political wedge issue to divide people and question their patriotism, and that’s not right."

I also highly agree with Congressman Nadler and his recent speech of how Congress should value the freedom the flag represents.

Philly Live 8 performers and presenters. Natalie Portman is on the list. I hope that the concerts are released on DVD or CD. I'd buy them in an instant!

With the new artists announced today, artists scheduled to perform at the Live 8 concerts around the world include:

-- Philadelphia - Alicia Keys, Black Eyed Peas, Bon Jovi, Dave Matthews Band, Destiny's Child, Jars of Clay, Jay-Z, Kaiser Chiefs, Josh Groban, Keith Urban, Linkin Park, Maroon 5, Rob Thomas, Sarah McLachlan, Stevie Wonder, Toby Keith, Will Smith;

-- London - Annie Lennox, Coldplay, Dido, Elton John, Joss Stone, Keane, Madonna, Mariah Carey, Ms. Dynamite, Paul McCartney, Pink Floyd, Razorlight, REM, Robbie Williams, Scissor Sisters, Snoop Dogg, Snow Patrol, Stereophonics, Sting, Travis, U2, UB40, Velvet Revolver, The Who, Youssou N'Dour;

-- Paris - Andrea Bocelli, Axelle Red, Calogero, Cerrone, Craig David, The Cure, Diam's Dido, Disiz Lapeste, Faudel, Florent Pagny, James Brown, Jamiroquai, Johnny Hallyday, Kool Shen, Kyo, Louise Bertignac, Manu Chao, Muse, Nile Rodgers, Pascal Obispo, Placebo, Raphael, Renaud, Youssou N'Dour, Yannick Noah, Shakira, Sheryl Crowe, Tina Arena, Zucchero;

-- Berlin - A-ha, Audioslave, Bap, Brian Wilson, Chris De Burgh, Die Toten, Hosen, Green Day, Herbert Gronemeyer, Joana Zimmer, Juan Diego Florez, Juli,Katherine Jenkins, Renee Olstead, Sasha, Silbermond, Sohne Mannheims, Wir Sind Helden, Reamonn, Roxy Music;

-- Rome - Claudio Baglioni, Faith Hill, Irene Grandi, Jovanotti, Laura Pausini, Nek, Tim McGraw, Articolo 31, Gemelli Diversi, Le Vibrazioni, Max Pezzali, Negramaro, Tiromancino, Negrita, Libague;

-- Tokyo - Bjork, Def Tech, Dreams Come True, McFly, Good Charlotte, Rize;

-- Cornwall/England - Ayub Ogada (Kenya), Shikisha (South Africa), Thomas Mapfumo & The Blacks Unlimited (Zimbabwe), Angelique Kidjo (Benin), Tinariwen (Mali), Daara J (Senegal), Modou Diouf & O Fogum (Senegal), Marian Mursal (Somalia), Akim El Sikameya (Algeria), Chartwell Dutiro (Zimbabwe), Geoffrey Oryema (Uganda), Siyaya (Zimbabwe), Coco Mbassi (Cameroon);

-- Toronto - African Guitar Summit, Barenaked Ladies, Blue Rodeo, Bruce Cockburn, Bryan Adams, The Bachman Cummings Band, Celine Dion, Deep Purple, Doba Caracol Featuring Kna'an, Gordon Lightfoot, Great Big Sea, Jann Arden, Jet, Les Trois Accords, Motley Crue, Our Lady Peace, Sam Roberts, Simple Plan, Tom Cochrane, The Tragically Hip;

-- Johannesburg - 4Peace Ensemble, Jabu Khanyile and Bayete, Lindiwe, Lucky Dube, Mahotella Queens, Malaika, Orchestre Baobab, Oumou Sangare and Zola.

Now, that is an all-star lineup.

Evan Bayh backs changes to the energy bill.

Bayh, along with Senators Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) and Ken Salazar (D-CO), offered the plan to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil and to encourage further development of new fuels and technologies.
"America’s dependence on foreign oil is one of the gravest threats to our economy and national security. We cannot confront the challenges of the future without a real strategy to reduce our dependence on foreign oil," Senator Bayh said. "This amendment will give us a realistic goal for gradually reducing our oil consumption while giving Americans more choices in alternative fuels such as ethanol to power their cars."
Bayh’s amendment establishes a coordinated system to plan and monitor America’s oil savings, allowing the nation to move toward oil reduction efficiently and systematically.

Newsday obituary for Marcia Lieberman.

The Red Sox play Cleveland tonight. They have a 7 game winning streak.