If, like me, you have a hankerin' for some adventurin' this weekend, and want to see "The Mummy: Curse of the Dragon Emperor," you should be aware of the following information.

"TM:COTDE" (now there's an unwieldly acronym) is not directed by Stephen Sommers, who, after giving us the highly entertaining "The Mummy" and "The Mummy Returns," almost killed his career with the cinematic atrocity known as "Van Helsing."* No, this third installment in the Brendan Fraser "Indy"-wannabe series is directed by a Mr. Rob Cohen.

In early July, House Speaker Michael Madigan said this about gambling expansion: "Given the conditions that exist here in Springfield, I think that the proposed expansion of gaming is a dead issue." To which Gov. Rod Blagojevich told the Springfield State Journal-Register that it was "mind-boggling" that Madigan would use his "resourcefulness and cleverness" to defeat a construction spending plan that relied on gambling for financing. But on Thursday, the governor offered up a new plan that contains none of the new casinos he'd fought so bitterly for just a few weeks ago. See, the spirit of negotiation is alive and well in Illinois government. Another century or two and we'll get that construction plan approved.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich has abandoned adding more casinos to Illinois as the way to pay for his $34 billion construction spending spree. Instead, he's continuing to call for leasing out the lottery for billions upfront and using the extra money the state gets in sales taxes from higher priced gasoline to pay fo rthe construciton plan. His backing away from the gambling table comes a week after the Daily Herald ran a three-part series examining the casino industry in Illinois and how the state lags in its help for addicts and how casinos roll out tighter slot machines to make up for fewer patrons.

Offensive coordinator Ron Turner says he knows nothing about the possibility of Brett Favre being traded to the Bears, a scenario that the Packers are considering, according to a Thursday story in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I went back to my room after (Thursday morning) meetings, turned the TV on and heard it, saw it, and I just kind of chuckled because I, have no idea where it came from,” Turner said. “I don’t know what’s going on up there (in Green Bay), but I know what’s going on here, and we’ve got two quarterbacks that are competing, and they’re doing a good job and we’re getting ready for our season.” The Journal Sentinel story also said Favre is interested in playing for the Vikings.

In 11 years on the Cubs beat, I've covered enough simulated games to be inducted into the Simulated Writers Wing of the Simulated Hall of Fame. This morning brought another, and it brought with it a rush of memories. Today, Kerry Wood threw 26 simulated pitches, 16 for simulated strikes, facing bullpen catchers Edgar Tovar and Corey Miller, who is celebrating his 32nd birthday and was reveling in the birthday gift of being able to face Kerry Wood. Both players made a little contact, with Tovar hitting a single (simulated, of course) to center field. Wood even played along, "shaking off" catcher Tim Buss when Buss flashed a simulated sign.

Both Lou and Cubs players made a point last night to talk about the importance of Alfonso Soriano's return to the lineup. Since Soriano came off the DL July 23, the Cubs are 6-2, and they've outscored their opponents 49-28. "It's a power threat at the top of the order who can steal bases when he gets on," said center fielder Reed Johnson. "If you decide that you want to pitch around him and walk him, then you've got to be conscious of him stealing bases. All that does is give fastballs to the guys that are hitting behind him. Theriot's been getting some fastballs, not only because Derrek (Lee) is hitting behind him, but because Soriano can run, too. It benefits everybody throughout the lineup in ways that the normal fan really wouldn't realize. We all recognize how valuable he is."

What happened to the Looney Tunes?

When I woke up this morning, one of the 73 HBO channels I get was showing 2003's "Looney Tunes: Back in Action," a quasi-sequel to "Space Jam" that I'm guessing you either forgot existed, or never knew existed at all. As I watched some of it, I realized that I could not remember the last time I saw a Looney Tunes cartoon on television.

Passed Kerry Wood in the clubhouse today. "Nothing new," he told me. Wood was supposed to throw a simulated game today, at least according to Lou, who told us that Monday and Tuesday. Turns out there was no real plan, perhaps some wishful thinking on Lou's part. "Initially, we had talked about a simulated game, bringing a few hitters here, and let him get a little work in with a pad on his finger," Lou said this evening. "It didn't happen because he's really not close to coming back." Lou didn't define what "close" meant but he amended it to say it wasn't "imminent close." Lou also wouldn't comment on talk of whether Wood will soon need to start pitching through some discomfort with that pesky blister on his right index finger.

Much to the dismay of many White Sox fans (I’m taking a pretty educated guess here), Paul Konerko was back in the starting lineup against the Twins Wednesday night. I think it’s the right decision. Konerko was batting .213 going into the game, which ranks last in the American League among qualified hitters. He’s having a miserable season, but Ozzie decided against benching the Sox’ captain for two reasons. First, Konerko lined out hard to second base in the sixth inning Tuesday. Second, in his final at-bat in the eighth, Konerko drilled a single up the middle. If he’s starting to come out of a season-long slump, the White Sox are going to be a much better team. If it was just a flash, Ozzie can sit Konerko Thursday for as long as he wants.

Talk of big new casinos paying for roads and schools has been the focal point of Gov. Rod Blagojevich's construction spending proposals. But the key component is leasing out the Illinois Lottery for decades in exchange for billions of dollars upfront for the state. The state gets gobs of cash now to spend, a private company would collect the losing lottery players cash.

Chicago Democratic state Sen. John Cullerton and former lottery director Michael Jones sent out this piece delving into some possible pitfalls regarding the lottery deal.

MEGABILLIONS

By Senator John Cullerton and Michael Jones, former Director of the Illinois Lottery, 1981-1985