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I get a package this afternoon at work from UPS, and I think, what could it be? I looked at the label and it said Office Depot. Great, I did order a hard drive last week, wait, why is it in such a small package? So I open it up, and lo and behold, it’s paper clips! And it’s crushed! I mean, the box is crushed, I think the paper clips are okay, and still usable, but I still thought about returning it or exchanging it, just for giggles. But, naw, that’d require me to take time out of my busy day.

So Office Depot pays UPS, what, at least $3 to ship this item from their warehouse to my work? Oh, did I mention the invoice was for 18 cents? I would think they would charge my credit card only once since I ordered the hard drive and paper clips together, but nope, it looks like it was individually charged. AmEx surely charges more than 18 cents per transaction fee? I don’t see it on my bill yet though, so I’m not sure exactly what went on. I only bought the paper clips to pad an order a little bit so I could use a $20 off $100 coupon. I don’t have some weird paper clip fetish that I know of.

I was just astounded by the absurdity of it all. They could have easily shipped the hard drive and paper clips together. But here they go out of their way to get me my paper clips early and yet they totally destroy my paper clips box and lose money on this transaction. I’m just baffled. My hard drive is still scheduled to be delievered in a few days, so we’ll see…

Maybe it was when Alex Rodriguez decided not to go to the Boston Red Sox, but instead go to the New York Yankees. Maybe it was when he decided to don the number 13, which for most superstituous folks, is unlucky. But if the Yankees lose Game 7, perhaps it’s due to the curse of A-Rod. Much like the often mentioned Curse of the Bambino, where the Red Sox sold George Herman “Babe” Ruth to the Yankees for $125k and a $300k loan in 1920. The Yanks went on to win their first championship just three years later, and many, many more after that, while the Red Sox have never won a championship since they sold the Babe.

So Alex Rodriguez shunned the Red Sox before the 2004 baseball season, instead going to the most hated team in baseball, the Yankees. Of course the Yankees are good, but their payroll is a zillion times higher than any other team. A real fair playing field. He had to give up his position of shortstop as well, going to third base, as Derek Jeter refused to move anywhere. So A-Rod produces decent numbers during his first season in the Bronx, batting .286, 36 HR, and 106 RBI, but it wasn’t exactly jawdropping to Yankees fans, especially considering his $252 million contract, the richest in baseball. A-Rod has never been on a championship team, from the Mariners to the Rangers. So maybe winning is just not in his tarot cards.

Tonight, in Game 6 in the American League Championship Series, A-Rod purposely chops the pitcher’s hand while running to first base, trying to avoid the tag. Initially, he was called safe and it led to Derek Jeter scoring, but the umpires actually confered and ruled that A-Rod’s swipe was illegal (which replays showed clearly was) and called him out, sending Jeter back to first. See A-Rod whine after he doesn’t get his way is what happened after that.

I see it as the beginning of the A-Rod curse. Hey, it gives me a team to root against, seeing as I don’t care about any of the teams left in this playoffs.

You’re a great role model A-Rod, pulling a Razor Ramon and spitting your gum out and swatting it towards the ump after the inning was over. Fox caught you on tape doing it. Did you forget you were on camera?

So remember, when 70 years down the line the NY Yankees still haven’t won a championship, where you heard first about the Curse of A-Rod… The again, the Yankees could win the World Series this year and a certain lowmazda won’t shut up about it for another year.