There was a hint of October in the air at Wrigley Field on Tuesday night.
Or maybe December.
Either way, and despite wind chills in the 20s by game’s end, the Cubs stayed hot at home with a 3-1 victory over the Dodgers.
But if you tend to ponder October — and there’s no reason not to if you’re a Cubs fan — you have to wonder where exactly the Cubs are going with their left-handed relievers.
While he’s not likely to admit it very loudly, Cubs manager Lou Piniella has shown a fairly obvious reluctance to pitch Scott Eyre in difficult situations of late.
It caused one odd double-switch in an extra-inning game in Pittsburgh, where Eyre pitched to only one batter, and was clear Tuesday when setup man Carlos Marmol didn’t have his best stuff.
Even with lefty after lefty coming to the plate for Los Angeles, Piniella had righties Bob Howry and Kerry Wood up and throwing in the eighth, and Eyre was nowhere to be found.
Marmol managed to wriggle out of a bases-loaded jam, Howry sat down, and Wood came in to close it down in the ninth.
Said Piniella of Marmol, “I’m going to have to rest him just a little more, and stay away from pitching him 2 innings as much as I can.”
That makes sense, but having no lefty available in crunch time doesn’t.
The eighth inning Tuesday night makes you wonder if the Cubs can get by much longer with Eyre as the only lefty in the pen, and whether the Cubs will take another shot with Neal Cotts, who’s catching fire at Iowa (AAA).
Cotts has saved games in his last 3 outings and has a WHIP of 1.22, with 33 strikeouts and only 10 walks.
It’s too obvious an issue to ignore, and you have to believe someone’s going to be left out.

dailyherald.com

Michael Jackson turned up in a wheelchair to watch the Ultimate Fighting Championship in Las Vegas at the weekend.
The Thriller singer – who rarely makes public appearances – tried to disguise himself by wrapping a coat around his face and wearing sunglasses as he entered the MGM Grand Hotel in the medical aid.
Jackson witnessed Jenna Jameson’s boyfriend Tito Ortiz get beaten by Lyoto Machida during the evening.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is a US-based mixed martial arts (MMA) organisation, which is recognised as the largest MMA promotion in the world.
As well as attending the evening of bouts, Jackson went to Los Angeles’ Peterson Automotive Museum to celebrate the 50th birthday of designer Christian Audigier.
Jackson – dressed in a blue satin military and western-themed shirt - took to the stage to say a few words about his friend.
The pop superstar said: “Christian is the king of fashion.”
Pamela Anderson, Fergie and Britney Spears also attended the bash.

thewest.com.au

GEORGE MICHAEL is set to surprise AMERICAN IDOL fans watching the show’s finale on Wednesday night (21May08) - he’ll reportedly perform live.
The British pop superstar is rumoured to be the big draw for the two-hour finale, when either David Cook or David Archuleta will be crowned the 2008 Idol.
Earlier this week (begs19May08), Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe revealed the “biggest star in the world” was coming to close out the current series of the talent show.
The finale will also feature a performance by Carrie Underwood, who was recently voted the best Idol winner ever.
George’s performance at the American Idol finale was exceptional. Even though the years have aged him, his voice is still as wonderful as it has ever been in the past.Did everyone notice that Paula was crying when George sang?

contactmusic.com

Bachelor of Business Administration
Accounting: Ary R. Akrayi, Elena Korsakova, Darby Layne Beard, Leila M. Bellaire, Jatori Oketha Brunson, Brett Arthur Davidson, Casey Dawn Fennell, Victoria V. Filippova, Mary Jo Fluhart, Khareem Dion Gordon, Robert David Hull, Katherine Claire Kleess, Ashley Marie Mildenberger, Aiah Sumoi Momorie, Caroline Nicole Moody, Josue Ivan Morales, Adelaida Marciala Norris, Justin Joseph Pikulski, Melissa Ann Ramile, Minerva C. Retana, John Sims Rhyne, Jessica Renee Sexton, Amanda Kay Tedeschi, Daniel Eric Watson, Clifton R. Williams, Treska April Zimmermann.
Business Management: Tatiana Monique Pointer, Napoleon Bernard Andrews, Jennifer Lindsay Banks, Katherine Elaine Billingsley, Amanda Faye Blakeney, Lacey Marie Bridges, David Robert Burt, Heather Nicole Cadogan, Marc Joseph Calvin, Steven Jesse Carroll, Erin Kristen Chandler, Muntaha Faiz Chowdhury, James Edward Cody, Jeffrey Joseph Cook, Craig Chastine Creegan, Daniel James Crews, Brandon James Cugini, Lidia Elena DeAngelo, Ashleigh Rebecca Dunnington, Tyler James Eichholz, Kayla Rae Erney, Paola Fabio, Michael Edward Freeman, Nicole Delia Ganley, Jamie Brook Goodroe, Salih Hadzic, Erich Anthony Hahn, Taiba Ahmad Hayat, Lindsey M. Herr, Joanne Elizabeth Hudgins, Jessica Lee Kleid, Carla Nicole Kublbock, Christopher Martin Larson, Emily Marie Lester, Bryan Howard Long, Yuiti Matsuo Lopes, Jaime Lyn Maley, Edjoseph Famy Mateo, Gregory Fuller McCowan, Matthew Mitchell McKenzie, Eric William Montisano, Tyler Alan Morrow, Michael Joseph Murphy, Peter Joseph Murphy, Ryan James Murphy, James David Nantz, Michael Edward Neudeck, Jennifer Marie Niebaum, Michael Thomas Oleszek, Melanie Oliastro, Jesus Rafael Ortega, Heather Rae Parola, Charles William Phillips, Elizabeth Yvonne Pickering, Matt Taylor Radcliffe, Nino Recko, Matthew Kendall Reid, Lisa Michelle Shaw, Stephen Alan Swain, Morgan Lynn Terrell, Marcus Oneal Thomas, Scott James Thompson, Robert Scott Tidmarsh, Sead Velic, Mary Kate Walsh, Natona Reachell Whipple, Andrew Christopher Will, Kristin Leigh Wolfersteig, Brian Albert Woods, Michael William Young.
Economics: John C. Ayers, Angelica Berrios, Jayson O. Campbell, Christy Mae Childers, David Tyler Frazier, Tessa Lynn Howell, Adam Joseph Locklear, Joshua Jacob Moews, Michael Christopher Redding, Jason Elliot Roberts.

jacksonville.com

NEW YORK — Three detectives were acquitted yesterday in the 50-shot killing of an unarmed groom-to-be on his wedding day, a case that put the NYPD at the centre of another dispute involving allegations of excessive firepower.
Scores of police officers surrounded the courthouse to guard against potential chaos, and as news of the verdict spread, many in the crowd began weeping. Others were enraged, swearing and screaming “Murderers! Murderers!” or “KKK!”
Inside the courtroom, spectators gasped. Sean Bell’s fiancee immediately walked out of the room; his mother cried.
Bell, a 23-year-old black man, was killed in a hail of gunfire outside a seedy strip club in Queens on Nov. 25, 2006, as he was leaving his bachelor party with two friends. The case ignited the emotions of people across the city and led to widespread protests among those who felt the officers used unnecessary force.
Officers Michael Oliver, 36, and Gescard Isnora, 29, stood trial for manslaughter, while Officer Marc Cooper, 40, was charged with reckless endangerment. Two other shooters weren’t charged. Oliver squeezed off 31 shots; Isnora fired 11 rounds; Cooper shot four times.
The case brought back painful memories of other NYPD shootings, such as the 1999 shooting of Amadou Diallo — an African immigrant who was gunned down in a hail of 41 bullets by police officers who mistook his wallet for a gun. The acquittal of the officers in that case created a storm of protest, with hundreds arrested after taking to the streets in demonstration.
Moments after yesterday’s verdict was announced, Trent Benefield, a friend of Bell’s who was wounded in the hail of gunfire, staggered down the courthouse steps with a look of angry disbelief on his face, a friend’s arms tightly wrapped around his shoulders.
“Not guilty. Not guilty. It’s real,” he said, while dozens of people wearing Bell’s face on hats, T-shirts and buttons burst into sobs.

edmontonsun.com

Tipperary: Eoin Kelly 0-7, 4 frees, 1 65; Lar Corbett 1-0; Shane McGrath, Tommy Fitzgerald, Seamus Callinan 0-2 each; Seamus Butler 0-1; Eamonn Corcoran 0-1 s-cut.
Kilkenny: PJ Ryan; Michael Kavanagh, JJ Delaney, Jackie Tyrrell; Tommy Walsh, Brian Hogan, James Ryall; James ‘Cha’ Fitzpatrick, Michael Fennelly; Richie Power, Michael Rice, Willie O’Dwyer; Eddie Brennan, Martin Comerford, Aidan Fogarty. Subs: TJ Reid for M Fennelly (19); PJ Delaney for J Ryall (26); Eoin Reid for M Comerford (44); Richie Hogan for A Fogarty (57).
Tipperary Player Ratings in Brackets
Tipperary: Brendan Cummins (Ballybacon/Grange, 8); Eamonn Buckley (Drom-Inch, 8), Paul Curran (Mullinahone, 9), Conor O’Brien (Eire Og Annacarty, 8); Eamonn Corcoran (JK Brackens, 8), Conor O’Mahony (Newport, 8), Shane Maher (Burgess, 8); Benny Dunne (Toomevara, 7), Shane McGrath (Ballinahinch, 9); Seamus Butler (Drom-Inch, 7), Ryan O’Dwyer (Cashel King Cormacs, 7), James Woodlock (Drom-Inch, 7); Eoin Kelly (Mullinahone, Capt, 7), Tommy Fitzgerald (Roscrea, 7), Lar Corbett (Thurles Sarsfields, 7). Subs: John O’Brien (Toomevara, 7) for B Dunne (52); Micheal Webster (Loughmore-Castleiney, 6) for T Fitzgerald (55); Seamus Callinan (Drom-Inch, for S Butler (59); Darragh Hickey (Boherlahan-Dualla) for L Corbett (70+1).
Referee: Michael Wadding (Waterford)
1st Half2nd Half 1st Half2nd Half
Man of the Match: Paul Curran (Tipperary)
In a game where Tipperary’s defence needed to be on top of their game, Curran gave an outstanding display at full back. In direct combat with Martin Comerford, he never gave the Kilkenny man a sniff and ate on when Kilkenny launched attack after attack, more often that not, it was the Mullinahone man who came out with the ball.
Score of the game: Nothing spectacular in this score. A monsterous clearance from Brendan Cummins at one end was gathered superbly on the run by Lar Corbett and he gave PJ Ryan no chance.
Save of the game: Brendan Cummins had to get down well at the feet to deny Willie O’Dwyer when Tipp were ahead by just two points with ten minutes remaining.

nenaghguardian.ie

D-Backs starter dominates…BALCO case conviction…Junior’s on the pole
DENVER (AP) Micah Owings struck out a career best nine hitters and gave up one run on two hits over six-and-two-thirds innings as Arizona topped Colorado 8-1. Mark Reynolds homered and drove in three runs to help ruin the home opener for the defending National League champs.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Former elite cyclist Tammy Thomas has been found guilty of lying to a grand jury about her steroid use as part of the BALCO investigation. Thomas was convicted on three counts of perjury and one of obstruction of justice, while the jury acquitted her on two other perjury charges.
FT. WORTH, Tex. (AP) Dale Earnhardt Junior has captured the pole for Sunday’s Samsung 500 at the Texas Motor Speedway. Carl Edwards qualified second, followed by Kyle Busch, Ryan Newman and Jimmie Johnson.
FT. WORTH, Tex. (AP) Nascar rookie Michael McDowell has to be feeling lucky after walking away virtually unscathed from a horrific looking crash during qualifying at Texas Motor Speedway today. His Toyota went nearly head on into the wall, bounced off onto its roof and rolled over at least eight times. McDowell walked away from the wreck.
HARBIN, China (AP) Jenny Potter, Meghan Duggan and Karen Thatcher each scored two goals to lead the United States to a 8-1 win over Germany in the opener of the World Women’s Hockey Championship. The Americans outshot the Germans 42-to-4.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 04-04-08 1906CDT|
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kxmb.com

Points of law
My partner and I have to move out of our apartment, where we have lived for 30 years as exemplary tenants while essential maintenance is carried out on the property. The landlord is providing us with alternative accommodation at his expense, but the document his solicitors have drawn up, stating details of the work to be done, the transfer and storage of our furniture etc, includes this clause: “the parties agree to keep the terms of this Agreement confidential and not to disclose or authorise the disclosure of the terms… save for the purpose of obtaining professional advice, etc”.
Are gagging orders like this standard practice? It seems to us to trespass on our human right to freedom of speech.
David Fleming writes:
I agree it is rather strange to have a confidentiality clause in a simple agreement to provide you with alternative accommodation while works are carried out. It may be that the landlord has other tenants and does not wish them to know about his arrangements with you for fear of setting a precedent. Many legal contracts do contain confidentiality clauses - particularly those used to settle disputes.
While you are right in saying that the Human Rights Act does protect freedom of expression, to a certain extent it also grants a right of privacy. There have been a number of well-known cases in recent years where the courts have tried to balance these competing rights - in particular in the case of Hello! and the wedding of Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta- Jones, and in the case of Naomi Campbell versus the Daily Mirror.
Clearly, you would not wish to litigate on this matter, so the sensible thing to do is to ask the solicitor why they require such a confidentiality clause. Your landlord may be prepared to withdraw this clause in order to reach an agreement with you.
David Fleming is head of property litigation at William Heath & Co.
I am considering buying a derelict cottage on a three-acre plot in the green belt. Local planning policies would seem to allow the building of a replacement dwelling so long as it is not more than 15 per cent bigger than the original. If we were granted permission to do this, could we later apply to sub-divide the new house into two or separate part of it off as a holiday let? I can see it might not appealto a planning officer, but it does seem to be the only way of creating two properties legally, and some much-needed rental income.
John Winter writes:
Green belts are there to restrict development so that towns retain some identity rather than continually spreading outwards and merging together. I realise that the concept is under attack and the law may change, but I regard this as one of the few successes of post-war planning.
Planners have doggedly protected green belts, which is why they still exist. The fact that there is a derelict cottage on the land may give a presumption that a new house can be built in its place and, while there is certainly nothing to stop you applying for permission to sub-divide your house at some future date, I think it unlikely you would be given consent for an additional dwelling. You would certainly be pushing your luck.
You should also be aware that the fact that the cottage is within a green belt is not the only difficulty. Many local authorities have minimum space standards, and it is likely that the extra dwelling you hope to create will be on the small side. There may also be problems with parking and highway access. I am loth to suggest that you cheat, but there is a way around the situation. Internal alterations to a house are not the concern of the planning authorities, so you could always put in a second kitchen and bathroom, lock an internal door and make part of your house a holiday let that way.
John Winter runs his own architectural practice.
We have moved to a large house with a 300ft rear garden looking out over the countryside. The view from the kitchen is partly spoilt by a double garage 35ft away from the house on one side of the plot. It is a well-built and useful, but we are considering cutting the garage in half to make it less obtrusive or removing some walls to create a carport on one side. There is plenty of room behind it for a shed or to extend the garage and park nose to tail. But would we be devaluing the property for the sake of a lovely view?
Lorna Vestey writes:
I think a nice view from the kitchen window will actually increase the value of your property by far more than the difference between a double and a single garage. If a single garage is sufficient for your needs, I would reduce the existing double as you suggest and plant climbing roses or shrubs against any wall visible from the house to soften the visual impact. A shed hidden at the back will give you extra storage. However, I would avoid a carport; while they can be useful, they are seldom attractive.
If subsequent owners of the property want extra garaging in years to come, there is plenty of space for them to arrange things to suit their requirements. Right now it is your home, so your needs and wants are most important, though you are obviously being sensible to bear in mind any implications for its future value.
Lorna Vestey is a former partner of a blue-chip London estate agency.
My brother and I own two houses next door to each other. We live in one and rent out the other. My brother is self-employed and has to fill in a tax return each year. His accountant has said it is easier to show the rental income wholly in his name, so I have never filed a return. Is this right? And could we swap shares, so that we each own 100 per cent of one house, without having to pay CGT or IHT?
Maggie Fleming writes:
As you own the rental property jointly, you should each be declaring 50 per cent of the income, less expenses, to HM Revenue & Customs every year. Your brother’s accountant has taken a short cut. So long as you both pay tax at the same rate, the Revenue will not have lost out and there will be nothing extra to pay, but you should still put matters on a proper footing. Tell your tax district that you need a selfassessment return for the current tax year, and they will send you one in April.
If you and your brother pay tax at different rates, or if either of you has been a nontaxpayer while you have been renting out the property, you will have to go back to earlier years to work out if you owe money to HMRC or if you are due a repayment.
There are provisions that enable people to exchange joint interests in land without incurring a CGT charge, but these apply where each property is the principal private residence of one of them or neither is a main residence. Because one property is rented out, you or your brother would have to pay CGT if you sold or gave your share to the other. As regards IHT, giving each other a share of either property could be exempt if the givers survive the transfer for seven years.
Maggie Fleming is director of Isis Financial Planners and a member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation.

telegraph.co.uk