It's Craptastic!

Pete Rose admits in his upcoming autobiography that he gambled on baseball, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Saturday.

The newspaper cited an unidentified source who was briefed on the book.

The New York Times, citing a source in major league baseball, reported Wednesday that Rose admitted to betting on baseball at a meeting with commissioner Bud Selig.

Gray: Pete, let me ask you now. It seems as though that there is an opening. The American public is very forgiving. Are you willing to show contrition, admit that you bet on baseball and make some sort of apology to that effect?

Rose: No, no, Jim, not at all. I'm not going to admit to something that didn't happen. I know you get tired of hearing me say that, but I appreciate the ovation. I appreciate the American fans voting me on that All-Century team. I'm just a small part of a big deal tonight.

Still think the Patriot Act and similar legislation won't be used against you? Then we hope you didn't go to Vegas for New Year's. The FBI ordered Las Vegas casinos and airlines to give them information on guests and travelers:

Las Vegas hotel operators and airlines serving McCarran International Airport are being required by the FBI to turn over all guest and passenger names and personal information, at least during the holiday period, several sources said Tuesday.

Limp Bizkit, which suffered sales of its long-awaited new album, has been named worst band of the year by readers of Guitar World magazine.

Creed, another act that draws sharp reactions, came in at No. 2 even though the Christian combo took the year off.

President Bush cited "angry attacks" by Democrats in a fund-raising appeal to potential donors on Wednesday.
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"Whoever wins the nomination will have done so by energizing their party's left wing with angry attacks," Bush wrote.
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"As we saw so clearly in 2000, every vote matters," Bush wrote.

Cashing in stock options before the market crashed, presidential brother Neil Bush made at least $171,370 in a single day by buying and selling shares in a small U.S. high-tech firm where he had previously been a consultant, according to tax returns that give a glimpse into his business dealings.

The July 19, 1999 purchase and quick sale of stock from Kopin Corp. of Taunton, Mass., came on a day that the company received good news about a new Asian client that sent its stock value soaring.

"My timing on this transaction was very fortunate," Bush told The Associated Press.

Assuming a normal 2000-hour work year, congressmen make about $75/hour right now. How about simply making the minimum wage equal to 10% of that? Congress can then increase their own salaries anytime they want, but only if they're willing to help out the working poor at the same time.

Alan Ralsky, according to experts in the field, has long been one of the most prolific senders of junk e-mail messages in the world. But he has not sent a single message over the Internet in the last few weeks.

He plans to resume in January, he said, after he overcomes some computer problems, and only after he changes his practices to include in his messages a return address and other information required by the law, the title of which stands for Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing.
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"The law was not written for a commercial e-mailer," he said. "I don't think what they are doing is fair." He suggested that the law was largely a plot by the big companies that connect homes and businesses to the Internet to keep all the profits from online marketing for themselves.

"I have never once been ashamed of what I do," he said. "I feel this is a business that has afforded me and my customers a better way of life."
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"I have changed the way we mail totally," he said. The spam fighters, he added, "have no idea what I'm mailing. They could never pinpoint it and say this is from Al Ralsky."

Ralsky said that he was uncomfortable about this deception, but that he had no choice. "Is putting bogus information in your registrations the right way to do business?" he asked. "No. But the Internet world has forced me to do that."

"They've signed me up for every advertising campaign and mailing list there is," he told me. "These people are out of their minds. They're harassing me." Ralsky is indeed annoyed. He says he's asked Bloomfield Hills attorney Robert Harrison to sue the anti-spammers.

Capping a year of sports drug scandals, the U.S. Olympic Committee announced Tuesday that sprint champion Kelli White and six other American athletes tested positive for banned substances.

White and five other track and field athletes tested positive for the banned stimulant modafinil. Hammer thrower John McEwen tested positive for modafinil and the newly discovered steroid THG, and cyclist Adham Sbeih became the first U.S. athlete to test positive for the endurance-boosting hormone EPO.

Also testing positive for modafinil at the national track championships were sprinter Chryste Gaines and hurdlers Sandra Glover and Eric Thomas. Another hurdler, Chris Phillips, tested positive for modafinil at the world championships.

In a move cheered by Democrats, Deputy Attorney General James Comey announced that Ashcroft had stepped aside to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest after reviewing evidence recently developed in the inquiry. He would not specify the nature of that evidence.
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The leaker could be charged with a felony if identified. The FBI (news - web sites) has interviewed more than three dozen Bush administration officials, including political adviser Karl Rove and press secretary Scott McClellan.