Matthew

*Sigh* I really miss my weekly visit to Amoeba.

That is what I think too, but I just read an incredibly stupid AP piece that basically said it does nothing to stop him from playing next year, on the basis that baseball can't act to suspend based on an indictment, and that other players have been "caught" and given second chances. The idiot even claims that the Union could charge "collusion" if he doesn't get signed by someone. It is unbelievable to me that an AP editor would not hand it back and say, "yes, but what about the fact that its been widely reported that few teams were going to be interested in Bonds and the circus atmosphere he brings even before the indictment, plus the fact that if he goes to trial, he could very well have to leave his team for three weeks in the middle of the season? Your column completely ignores these issues!" See for yourself: http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/arti...onds_off_field/ I simply cannot believe these complete, utter, stupid comments I'm reading in this article: So, according to these guys, Bonds has done nothing but be a great player, and because of this, the government is after him to put him in jail. Un-freeking-believable.

He has already admitted to using the "Clear" when it wasn't illeagal to do so. I'll bet you dollars to donut holes that is the positive tests the feds are presenting. You still have no grasp of the facts. That isn't surprising, nor is it that you have no grasp of spelling. Bonds has never acknowledged using the "Clear" or any steroid whatsoever. The illegality of it has nothing to do with a charge of perjury. Interesting section from the ESPN legal expert: Are there any surprises in the indictment? Most of the material in the indictment is familiar to anyone who has followed the BALCO investigation, but there is one surprise. The surprise is that, according to the indictment, during the criminal investigation evidence was obtained, including positive tests for steroids and other performance-enhancing substances for Bonds and other professional athletes. When asked about it in front of the grand jury, Bonds denied a positive test. It will be one of the most difficult charges for Bonds to deny. He will be scientifically connected to a positive test with DNA and other techniques. It doesn't look good for Bonds at the moment... Its also interesting about the perjury charge based on a denial of using anything that involved an injection. Do they have evidence of steroid use for injectables specifically? Or do they actually have syringes with DNA material? I love how his lawyers are bitching about leaks and "unethical misconduct" (as opposed to the ethical kind!). None of that has any legal significance at trial (beyond the fact that it was Conti's own defense lawyer who fessed up to being the source for the grand jury testimony, not the prosecutor's office). They can talk all they want but at trial they are going to have to deal with mountains of evidence siezed at BALCO and elsewhere. The crap about "misconduct" amounts to an attempt to poison the jury pool and their only hope (and I have to admit, its always a possibility) is Jury Nullification or a hung jury because they make sure they get some moronic Giants fans who don't care what the evidence is, he's "our Barry". I am still waiting to hear something definitive about the tax evasion charges. Did the Grand Jury refuse to indict? Did the prosecutors only ask for a vote on the perjury charges? I'd say if it turns out that the Grand Jury has been dismissed, then they didn't come up with the goods on the tax charges, which is a big positive for Bonds. If they are still impaneled, then the possibility of a superseding indictment has to be considered. I'm also wondering about the tax evasion issue. For Bonds, that would be a more serious charge than the perjury because that would definitely involve jail time if convicted. I also wonder at the timing of the indictment, the DAs office had all the information for a longtime, and with the new DA finally pushing the process, I think the office made a concession to Bonds by not bringing charges during the season. Also, I don't see any team wanting Bonds now with this over his head -- can you imagine the circus that having Bonds on your team would involve? I think we've seen the last of Bonds in a baseball uniform. Late edit for grammar and spelling: must not have made the coffee strong enough this morning.

Been listening to the San Bernardino: Live at Swing Auditorium February 26, 1977 and it's become one of my favorites -- highly recommended

Grateful Dead: Road Trips -- Fall '79.

He has already admitted to using the "Clear" when it wasn't illeagal to do so. I'll bet you dollars to donut holes that is the positive tests the feds are presenting. You still have no grasp of the facts. That isn't surprising, nor is it that you have no grasp of spelling. Bonds has never acknowledged using the "Clear" or any steroid whatsoever. The illegality of it has nothing to do with a charge of perjury. Interesting section from the ESPN legal expert: Are there any surprises in the indictment? Most of the material in the indictment is familiar to anyone who has followed the BALCO investigation, but there is one surprise. The surprise is that, according to the indictment, during the criminal investigation evidence was obtained, including positive tests for steroids and other performance-enhancing substances for Bonds and other professional athletes. When asked about it in front of the grand jury, Bonds denied a positive test. It will be one of the most difficult charges for Bonds to deny. He will be scientifically connected to a positive test with DNA and other techniques. It doesn't look good for Bonds at the moment...

Just a heads-up. Dusty Groove has some Hatolgy cd on sale at a great price.

I've spent a lot of time the past two days reading the Grateful Dead thread, and I noticed that I haven't seen a post by gdogus in a long time, anywhere. Gdogus, if you're out there, I hope you're O.K.

I would like to someday read the real story behind what happened to ARod in the past month. Thinking about it, the Yankees took a huge financial hit because before, Texas was paying a lot of ARod's salary, now the Yankees are on the hook for the whole amount. The whole saga strikes me as strange -- I have a strange feeling that at the winter meeting, when the GM's "shared" their visions of what their teams needed, that somehow it was communicated that no one was going after ARod, so the Yankees had a smooth path to resign ARod. Still, I see trouble for ARod in New York, and I do not expect to see ARod in a Yankee uniform in five years, much less ten.

Yeah, and it cost him some ca$$h too.... PS: Here's his apology: When you take it out of context, it wasn't funny," Jackson said. "It was a poor attempt at humor and I deserved to be reprimanded by the NBA. If I offended any horses, Texans, cowboys or gays, I apologize." Asked if he had left anyone out in his mea culpa, Jackson said, "Well, children." Phil is Phil....

Then you are the only one who doesn't see it. Reports out of New York are that they are now discussing contract language and incentive clauses, which means they've reached agreement on the dollars and cents. If the reports are accurate - ten years, 275 million, then the upside is very obvious: by going and groveling, A-Rod still gets the richest contract he could have received, and as we all know, that is what matters to him (and his agent). The upside for the Yankees is that the enormous hole in their lineup is filled - but signing him through age 42 is the height of insanity. His numbers will start to decline within three years (and probably won't match this season ever again anyway) and that will leave seven years of a 27 million dollar salary as he tries to pass Barry Lamar. ---------------------------------------------------------- I understand what you're saying, but still, it just doesn't feel right, if you know what I mean. Then again, the way ARod / Boras have handled the situation has been very strange from the start: Announcement during game four, not really going after other teams for the money -- though, as you say, maybe no one is willing to shell out 300,000,000 for someone that will decline in years to come. Maybe ARod just isn't on board with what Boras is doing, but it seems to me if ARod waits a little longer, the atmosphere might change and other teams will go after him. Then again, there's always the incredible possibility that ARod really wants to stay with the Yankees, but if so, why all the drama that came at the end?

I don't see any upside for ARod going back to the Yankees. That team is aging fast, isn't going anywhere in the next couple of years, and ARod will get hammered by the fans when things go wrong. I still think he'll wind up with the Angels, home team fans will be easy on him, he'll be in the Hollywood spotlight (along with the wife ), and the Angels will have an easy time winning the West. Don't see ARod and the Yankees happening, but who knows, stranger things have happened.

Grateful Dead: Dick's Picks, vols. 32,33,34,35 & 36. That makes a complete set of DPs for me.

I'm one of those who regret that I bought so many. I sold over forty of my sets at one go, and now I'm down to just eight Mosaics. Most of the time I think that even that is too many. In terms of their mistakes, I think right now, the sets are overpriced.

Live at the Cow Palace: New Years Eve 1976 I dissed this one when it came out, but now that I'm listening to it again, it's much better than I first realized. It has one of the better first sets I've heard, especially a great Playing In The Band to close out set one. The Second set is outstanding, I really dig the Not Fade Away>Morning Dew close, very cool.

Speeding Arrow is very easy to use. I believe that anyone who requests registration gets it very quickly. Are they legal? Well, maybe pseudo-legal. They have a policy of not providing anything that is available (in print) as official product. Check it out. I registered yesterday, and the confirmation email was sent immediately. Haven't downloaded anything yet though, I'm doing Dime right now.

You have to love the Knicks. Marbury is left of out the starting line-up and walks out in a huff, but he leaves this parting shot for Zeke: "Isiah has to start me," Marbury fumed, according to the source. "I've got so much (stuff) on Isiah and he knows it. He thinks he can (get) me. But I'll (get) him first. You have no idea what I know." Starbury at work again....

Just ordered the DP's I was missing this morning, so I'll have the complete set in a couple of days. Does that now make me a Derd? (Dead + Nerd=Derd).

Still bums me out that you can't find a copy of The Complete Fillmore West 1969 for anything under $450, when is the price every coming down on this one? After almost a year of no Dead, I'm back in the fold...

Grateful Dead: Beyond Description (1978 - 1989).

It may have been the 60's, but I don't have the resource to verify it. I believe the same thing happened to Ornette Coleman. From what I remember reading from somewhere, he was "paid" or "told" to sit out a couple of years (somewhere between '63 and '66; The Empty Foxhole was his first studio album in years) by thugs who may have been hired by the major labels because artists like Coleman and Taylor were taking a chunk of the business away from the commerical acts. Again, no way I can verify the story, just remember reading it and I could have it wrong. Does anyone know if that actually happened or not? I think Sunny Murray was also targeted, which he talked about in an interview he gave awhile back. I think the other stories came from an article I read about the BYG/Actuel label and their dealings, but I'm not sure. Further comment/information would be greatly appreciated... I've never heard either of those stories.

Happy Birthday!

Ray Charles, Jerry Lee Lewis and Fats Domino, rocking it hard

How is it, Matthew? Recommended? I happened to like it, but it has to be in small doses though. If you like Christy or Lee, then it would be a good buy, but if it's your first exposure to those two singers, I would buy some single cds first, just to test the waters. The style of these sides are very 1950ish, kind of laid-back, slower, in other words, it won't knock your socks off by any means.

The Peggy Lee & June Christy Capitol Transcriptions Disk one.