20 MINUTES INTO THE FUTURE

Beleaguered Kevin Millwood, arguably the highest paid underachiever in Texas Ranger history, took the mound  last night.

For the season Millwood was 7-7 with an earned run average well above 5. And in recent starts anything beyond the fourth inning was uncharted territory for him.

Tuesday night against the streaking Detroit Tigers Millwood pitched a complete game, giving up six hits and one walk in earning a 9-1 victory.

Hopefully the Rangers brass will now pay heed to what I have been preaching the past couple of years.

Forget about a free agent pitcher.

Put a retractable roof over The Ballpark and air condition the thing.

Please take note

THE TEMPERATURE WAS 75 DEGREES AT GAME TIME.

And Millwood was cavorting like a rookie.

Catcher Gerald Laird said Millwood did not have his best stuff Tuesday, but he dominated the hitters throughout the game.

All things become clear with the passage of time.

I have wondered ever since this presidential campaign began what was causing the media's blatant fantasy and approval of The Bomber.

The Federal Election Commission answered my question with the filing of the July expense report of the Presidential candidates.

The Bomber spent more money on media advertising during July than John McCain spent on his entire campaign.

The Bomber spent a total of $52.7 million dollars in July in running for President. This included $33 million for advertising.

During the same period of time McCain spent $32.4 million, which included $18.7 million for advertising.

Can the media be bought for $33 million?

The answer to that is on your TV screens and in your newspapers -- every day.

Total reported spending (through July):

The Bomber -- $335.5 million

McCain -- $150 million

If the office of President of the United States can be bought, The Bomber will pull it off.

The nation breathlessly awaits the opening gavel of the Democratic Convention in the mile high city of Denver.

For the first time since the Colonies overthrew the British monarch in 1776, America is preparing for the coronation of a King.

And not just a king...a Messiah...The Bomber Hisself.

And citizens of Denver are awakening to the fact just how brain dead they have been in wanting to host this mess.

Latest snafu to peaceful public life is the Secret Service's disclosure it will shut down I-25, the major traffic artery through the Rockies, for four hours while The Bomber delivers his acceptance speech to the masses chanting for change.

The Interstate will be shut down for AT LEAST four hours, starting at 5 p.m. and lasting until The Bomber, our Messiah in Waiting, decides he has basked enough in the adulation of his supporters and decides to leave Invesco Field at Mile High.

Meanwhile, Chinese officials have promised as soon as the Olympics ends they will actively lobby to have the Chinese horoscope changed and the year 2008 officially proclaimed

THE YEAR OF THE BOMBER

This convention is truly going to be "must see TV".

The Aids awareness program in India, designed to make the natives feel more confident in discussing safe sex, is now being bankrolled by Microsoft's Bill Gates and his wife and they have pulled out all the stops.

A cellphone ringtone.

That's right -- a ringtone for your cell phone.

When you receive an incoming call your cell phone chants

"CONDOM, CONDOM"

Until you answer it.

Oganizers of the ringtone campaign which is funded by     Gates hope the "condom choir" becomes a craze among India's young people.

May the Lord bless Democrats for the sacrifices they make for the common good.

Sylvester and Ghandia Johnson are the owners of a hair styling salon in downtown Denver and began to fret over the fact the Democrats were trying to sweep the homeless under the rug and out of sight during the convention next week.

So the Johnson's decided to do something.

They staged an all-day cut-a-thon this past week in which they gave free haircuts, styles and shampoos to 150 homeless adults.

Bianca Powell is one of the stylists in the salon to donate her time and talent to the cut-a-thon.

"She's pretty cool," said Joe, a 43 year old homeless man who claims he has not had a haircut since 2004, as Bianca shampooed his shoulder length hair.

Somewhere The Bomber has to be smiling.

Wendy Williams is the rage these days -- especially on Fox websites.

Actually, Wendy Williams is one of four different people.

For our purposes this would be the new darling of the Fox TV Network.

This Wendy -- before coming to Fox -- was the hottest thing on radio -- hosting The Wendy Williams Experience.

She's a very brash and in your face type interviewer who once got in hot water for cussing out  Whitney Houston for her alleged drug habits.Wendy herself is a recovering cocaine addict.

If you are a bit more worldly, the second Wendy Williams is one of the hottest products in the porno industry today -- transvestite star Wendy Williams.

If you are a sports buff instead of a worldly type, you will recognize today's third WW as Wendy Williams, a world class diver who won a bronze medal in the 1988 Olympics.

Us old timers recall still another Wendy Williams.

She was known professionally as Wendy O. Williams.

She rings a bell, huh?

Lead singer of The Plasmatics in the late 70's and 80's. Committed suicide in 1998 at the age of 49.

So there you have it -- who Wendy Williams is and was....

And more Wendy Williamses than you really bargained for.

I just got off the phone with Crystal Leonard of Farmers Insurance --at least she said that was her name.

I had called Farmers at 800-445-7911, asked to speak to Crystal Leonard and this is the person they gave me.

I talked to Crystal about Farmers claim No. 1011768858 and the dealings I had with their car rental company, Enterprise Leasing of DFW.

Farmers paid $250 toward the car rental.

If the agreed upon fee had been used my total bill would have been $366.21.

Enterprise, for an unexplained reason, upped the rental rate $6 a day and I was billed a total of $432.96.

Crystal said she would get to the bottom of this by calling someone "higher up" with Enterprise.

A few minutes later Crystal came back on the line.and said:

"It does not matter what rate Enterprise decided to charge you --Farmers paid $250 of that total in either instance so it could not have cost you a penny more."

And the girl was serious!

Said Enterprise management explained it to her in detail.

I think young Crystal has a long and promising future in either government work or politics.

Be 4 warned.

If you are insured by Farmers and ever have to file a claim you are likely to be in a world of trouble.

Especially if you used the same agent I did

Mike Pierce, 2625 North Josey Lane, Carrollton TX.

At least they have already stolen from me -- to the tune of $57.96 -- which the three companies combined to steal from my bank account yesterday.

Granted, the amount is not a big deal.

The principle, however, is.

Sometime back an uninsured wrecker backed into out car, ruining the hood.

Our coverage with Farmers Insurance fixed the car and paid $25 per day toward a car rental while ours was being repaired.

Farmers arranged the leasing through Enterprise Car Rental, 6515 E Northwest Highway,Dallas.

The manager of that unit, Adam A, Scott, wrote out the contract calling for $14.55 per day car rental fee plus $15.99 per day for insurance coverage. A total of $250 was billed to Farmers and we were responsible for the rest on a 10-day rental.

We paid Enterprise, through a debit card with Bank of America, $50, then another $75 and when the rental car was turned in they debited out account for an additional $57.96 -- which I questioned.

I contacted Bank of America, sent them a copy of my rental contract and they agreed and refunded my account the $57.96.

Enterprise protested and sent the bank a copy of the contract (which clearly shows the rental figure of $14.55 per day with no modifications) and a summary sheet showing I had been billed $20.55 per day.

I called Enterprise and Mr. Scott had been fired.

He was replaced by the new manager, Merhawi T Gherezg, a graduate of the University of Houston.

The new manager explained I had been billed at a higher rate because Farmers only agreed to pay UP TO $25 per day for the car rental, not the insurance. If he had used the lower figure they would have paid less and I would have paid more.

In other words Mr. Gherezg altered a contract to put the screws to Farmers Insurance.

But Farmers said this is not so -- they paid $25 a day toward the entire cost of me renting the car.

I called the Enterprise district office and spoke to an agent who would only give his name as Edward.

He advised he would get a copy of the contract, study it and call me back the next day.

That was over a week ago and he has yet to call.

Today BOA refunded the refund they had given me to Enterprise despite the fact they have a copy of a contract of me renting a car for $14.55 per day and a billing summary showing me being billed for $20.55 per day.

Enterprise has repeatedly been asked to produce anything signed or initialed by me or my wife authorizing being billed at a higher rate than the contract calls for.

They cannot -- and Bank of America could care less.

I most likely would have fared better with BOA if my last name had been Mendoza and I could not have produced a green card.