From time to time, I like to tackle topics of personal interest, especially now that I have been so graciously afforded the time and column space to do so. This week is just going to be another one of those articles. So be prepared! The goal for you is to partake in a one-way conversation that, with a bit of luck, will ignite interest and responses in next week's Justice like some fresh-person did last week. Now, on to topic one: With the leaves beginning to turn and the Red Sox already out of contention, the World Series should be what everyone's talking about. Well, when you have two teams playing 3,000 miles away, you can't fault the people of the East Coast for being disinterested. Unfortunately, that ignorance is not an excuse, so I will cover the essential questions of the 2002 "Fall Classic."

First, what the hell is up with those "thundersticks"? Apparently, no one has seen the 1992 instant classic, "Mr. Baseball," starring Tom Selleck and 12 guys no one knows. Hopefully, you own the movie on laserdisc (like me) and recall all the rabid Japanese fans slapping sticks together quicker than a bottle of Mexican water forcing out my insides. Now, some 10 years later, they have become the newest gimmick in all of professional sports. Will they remain relevant in five years? Probably not. For one, they are awful for television. Does anyone else get sick watching a sea of red? And, they make it even more difficult to understand what Tim McCarver is attempting to butcher. He is quickly taking over Pat Summeral's position as worst announcer in sports.

The other important question is why people so fervently believe in the freakin' Rally Monkey. For those who don't know yet (and never will), the people of Anaheim have become obsessed with their monkey. They believe that it has some mystical powers that can will the Angels to victory when they are down late in the game. Now, little children all over southern California are forced to dress up in monkey suits a la Paul Giamatti in "Planet of the Apes."

What people fail to realize is the origin of the monkey. Two Junes ago, two interns (not much unlike ourselves) on the video crew at Edison Field were bored when the Angels played home to the Giants. So, they slapped a clip from the movie, "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" on the stadium JumboTron. The furry little fellow jumped up and down on all fours, exhorting the team with the subheading "rally monkey."

Of course, the Angels came back to win and a new tradition was born. So, where was this monkey last year when Anaheim finished 75-87 and missed the playoffs? Maybe the little primate was just scared that Mo Vaughn might be hungry. No matter, this year has been different and this season might forever be known as the year of the rally monkey.

My personal pick for the series is the Angels in seven. Francisco Rodriguez, 20, will be the youngest MVP in many a decade. Disney stores everywhere will be selling out of the popular rally monkey costume for this year's Halloween. And, we can all thank the two former interns and newly minted vice-presidents of Disney for the furry madness that has ensued.

Now, on to my favorite news story of the week. Ten days ago, Terrell Owens celebrated his third receiving touchdown of the season in special fashion against the Seattle Seahawks. Instead of crouching over the football and mocking a bowel movement or tossing the ball over his head and falling over like a bomb just exploded, my main man Terrell decided to pull out a Sharpie from his left sock and sign the ball before handing it off to Seahawk cornerback Shawn Springs' financial adviser - the same Springs who got burned on Owens' catch. This act has to go down has the single best celebration since the Icky Shuffle. Hopefully, Owens will last in the league just a little bit longer.

Of course the NFL, short for the "No Fun League," is already threatening action if it happens again. "We sent a memo to the clubs clarifying that a player possessing a foreign object - an object not part of the uniform - is subject to a 15-yard penalty," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Friday. "If the referee deems the object to be a safety hazard, the player will be ejected from the game. An object such as a pen will be considered a safety hazard."

Right. A pen is a safety hazard. In a game in which people are consistently sent to the hospital for concussions and broken limbs, the commissioner is most concerned with a measly writing instrument causing bodily harm. When did this league become so boring?

My last commentary of the week is also my most serious. The troubles at Augusta and their "selective" membership should be questioned. Of course, this implies that Augusta only offers an invitation to join this exclusive club if you are a primarily a white, Anglo-Saxon Protestant. That is, unless, you are famous. This double standard shouldn't be accepted. Women, African-Americans, Jews and all other minorities should have every right to join such an exclusive golf club. Charles Barkley is right to criticize Tiger Woods for not making this a larger issue. If Tiger is going to establish himself as THE athlete of the 21st Century, settling this issue will go a long way in validating his worldwide appeal. It is a shame he shies away from the spotlight of controversy because he wants to protect his commercial deals with Buick, Nike, etc. Tiger, step up and shed some light on this issue. It is your time to shine.