Uncomfortable days in Beantown

It's hard to figure out what is generating more discomfort around the Hub these days.

First there are the nauseating stories about what has been done to the remains of the great Ted Williams -- the closest thing to a deity in this town.

If even a fraction of what is being reported is true, John Henry and anyone else associated with these cryo-criminals should be arrested.

Teddy Ballgame was not merely a great ball player, he was a national hero.

But, as one sports radio host suggested recently, today's children may grow up remembering nothing but this embarrassment perpetrated by members of the Splendid Splinter's own family.

Whether future generations will know more about his DNA and where he's being stored, or about his hitting prowess and great service to his country remains to be seen.

In our recipe for a grueling New England August, mix your frozen Ted with some (whipped?) Red Sox. Stir vigorously.

Grady Little's club has gone into a freefall, dropping further behind the hated Yankees, and more recently, losing their grip on the Wild Card lead in the American League.

Not only has Boston's pitching failed the Fenway Faithful, but their fearsome lineup appears to be bringing No. 2 pencils to the plate instead of their bats. Perhaps this is the team's attempt at empathizing with all the kids headed back to school within the next couple of weeks.)

Hand wringing is the official hobby of Sox fans, so it's not surprising that the airwaves of WEEI are ripe with "dump Manny" and "trade Nomar" exhortations.

But, one has to wonder whether these callers would rather be rooting for the Mets or the Tigers.

Place ingredients in a large roasting pan and bake for, well, 4-6 weeks.

To say that the Boston weather over the last 10 months has been horrific would be an understatement.

A horrendous winter was followed promptly by a sopping wet spring.

Spring manifested itself not in crisp, bright April days, but in raw, gray, when-will-winter-roll-over-and-die days.

The full heat of summer followed closely behind.

With a few exceptions, the summer in eastern Massachusetts has been lousy. It seems that it has rained constantly.

Flooding has transformed even simple commutes into hellish, two hour rides.

The humidity won't quit. There even have been reports that local fish are sweating.

Through it all, there was a sense that there was something positive developing over on Yawkey Way.

A playoff berth should be a certainty.

Quite possibly, the team of Pesky and Tiant, Fisk and Boggs could be headed back to the World Series. Or so they thought.

Perhaps the end of August will bring some relief for Bostonians.

A break in the humidity would be nice, as would a five-game winning streak for the home team.

It also would be nice if -- just for once -- a violent thunderstorm would actually succeed in cooling things off around the Hub.