Loose ends tying department:

- New MP3 - "4th of July" by X. Yeah, obvious choice for the holiday, and you've probably heard it already, but go listen to it again - it's a great, bittersweet little slice of life story that could've been written by Raymond Carver, if he was a songwriter for a cult midlevel rock and roll band instead of a internationally acclaimed author.

- My official position on the White Sox trades of the past week: unsure about the Alomar trade, but at least Kenny Williams didn't give away the store like he usually does; dislike releasing D'Angelo Jiminez, who is an underrated player unfairly maligned because of some glaringly boneheaded decisionmaking at times; like the Everett trade, since Cotts/Honel/Rauch apparently weren't dealt, but he's a brutal centerfielder so I hope they stick him in left or DH.