I leave Friday for a two-week vacation. I should probably crack the guidebook about where I’m planning on going, shouldn’t I?

Between innings at the game, they showed video of Bonds passing the Babe, and everyone in the stadium booed heartily, myself included.

Cleo and I went to the O’s-Angels game out in Anaheim, and I remembered how much I love baseball. Especially when my team wins.

Cleo and her rental car took off after the 8th to beat the traffic, but I stayed until the end, which was very fun. Especially because of how the bottom of the 9th played out.

It was 7-5 O’s heading into the bottom of the 9th. The O’s manager had long since been tossed for arguing a foul ball, so I was not optimistic that the O’s would actually pull it out.

Then the Angels’ leadoff hitter got a triple. Then that guy got knocked in with a sacrifice. Finally, they (wisely) walked hot-hitting Vladimir Guerrero to load the bases.

And then, the most remarkable thing happened: Garrett Anderson grounded into a double play to end the game, with the O’s winning 7-6.

And I shouted a shout of happiness, realized I was one of about 10 people in O’s jerseys in the entire stadium, and ran like hell for my car.

Ok, I’m only half an hour in, but I’m already laughing my ass off.

The effects are spectacularly horrible, Kim Delaney should demand her money back from her plastic surgeon, and anyone who read a fucking word about the tsunami that hit southeast Asia knows that the first 10 minutes of the movie are complete bullshit.

But mostly, I’m laughing because they called “Bald Mountain, in Sun Valley” an extinct volcano. This is what Bald Mountain actually looks like:

Not terribly volcanic-looking, right? So they used an ENTIRELY DIFFERENT MOUNTAIN, which looked like the bottom third of Baldy with Mt. Hood photoshopped on top of it.

And what kills me is the lengths they go to for accuracy otherwise. They talk about Ketchum, Sun Valley, and Hailey (all of which are right around Baldy) being devastated.

I mean, if you’re going to photoshop yourself an entirely different mountain, at least have the decency to make up some different town names.

Although watching a little more, I suspect the Sun Valley Company, which owns the mountain, wouldn’t let them use images of the actual mountain (since they also aren’t using the names of the actual ski lodges on the mountain when they talk about rescue operations).

And then, they cut to the rescue operations…with Carlos Bernard of 24 leading them.

God, this is going to be phenomenal.

However silly Congress gets, I don’t think it can beat this Czech Health Minister Sissy-boy Slap Party.

Although it’d certainly be amusing to see them try.

I think just two hours of the clip played here on a loop would have been a lot more satisfying and entertaining than that crap-ass finale.

I mean granted, given the corner they wrote themselves into, there wasn’t a ton they could do with it. But wow, they really didn’t even try.

I think this whole season would have been much better as a 10-minute preview for next season. Just cut out all the shit with the nerve gas and the questionably Russian terrorists, and just have what happened in the last 5 minutes happen.

That would have nicely set up what I pray will be a much, much better season next year. Everyone has an off year, I just hope this is 24′s only one.

It begins tonight. It’s already begun on the east coast.

My full review will go up when I watch both parts Thursday night, since I’m watching the Desperate Housewives finale tonight, the 24 finale tomorrow night, the House finale Tuesday night, and the Lost finale Wednesday night.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I think I might watch too much TV.

UPDATE: I’m informed that the Apocalypse goes directly after Sun Valley, Idaho, a place I’ve spent a lot of time, early in tonight’s portion. I think I may just stay up and watch this, because it sounds way too awesomely bad to wait for.

How did a casino get named the Morongo Casino Resort? I mean, I realize it is operated by the Morongo Indians, and they’re happy to have a symbol of tribal pride…

But I can’t be the only person who parses the casino name as the “Moron, Go” Casino Resort. Didn’t anyone notice that in the branding discussion?

I think I just figured out what I’m doing Saturday.

Someone cue up “She Blinded Me With Science”.

This is a bit weird.

My boss’s assistant’s boyfriend’s roommate is one of the winners of this edition of The Amazing Race. He’s the wee dark-haired hippie, not the gangly red-haired hippie.

I haven’t met the hippies, but I do find the connection quite strange, given how huge a fan of the Race I’ve been the last couple years.

And to answer Joel’s hilarious question, no, none of them knows Kevin Bacon.