Matthew

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.

Yeah, well, he wants to win a championship and figures that the Red Sox have the best chance to win more than one over the life of a contract. Note that he isn't hot to join San Francisco because he thinks they are going to win anytime soon. That's not what I hear. SF would be the best fit for him as a shortstop [his natural position] and in the high praise and accolades squandered on him in NY. Boston could give a shit from what I have heard. Boston is going to monitor the situation going forward as they attempt to re-sign Lowell. And my point stands uncontested: A-Rod wants to go to Boston to win a championship. A-Rod hasn't said squat that he wants to go to SF to win a championship, because it ain't happening anytime soon with that roster. And it won't happen anytime soon when his 35 million dollar salary represents 25%+ of the team's payroll. Or did you not notice how that worked out for Texas? It's all about money with Boras / ARod. It's going to be who gives the most cash that gets him, whether it's Boston or Tampa Bay, Arod is going where the money is, end of story.

A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide by Samantha Power. This is a book that examines America's response to the various examples of genocide that occurred during the 20th Century. Very depressing to see American politicians turn their backs on so much suffering and death. I know we can't save the world, but when I think of the millions of lives that have been intentionally wasted and we've said and done nothing... well, I found it a very depressing book.

Disk Three: Day Two, Tuesday, March 16, 2004. Set one. Disk four: Day Two, Tuesday, March 16, 2004. Set two. Disk five. Day Three, Wednesday, March 17, 2004. Set one.

I was just thinking today: "Boy, I miss baseball already!" Nothing but football on sports radio now and do I ever detest football

Very good article to open the Hot Stove season by Nick Cafardo of Boston.com sports. Too long to c&p, but well worth the time to read.

I notice that Boras continues to use his b.s. negotiating tactics by saying there are some "surprise teams" interested in ARod -- yeah sure there is . My list of possible teams: San Fransisco, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles, Anaheim, Boston, and New York. Any team other than these is just wasting a ton of money on a player that can't get you over the top.

Can't say I'm too surprised by the WS blowout, I over heard some fellow Americans talk about the Series Wednesday at a restaurant in Rome ( !) , they said it was close, but Boston way out classed the Rockies. I just read this morning that ARod didn't even talk to the Yankees before opting out, and the Yankee offer looked very good to me. What a money hungry player , if he doesn't take his new team to the WS fast, he's going to find out his credibility sinking fast.

Disk Three: Day Two, Tuesday, March 16, 2004. Set one. Disk four: Day Two, Tuesday, March 16, 2004. Set two.

This is going to sound shallow, but the only two kinds of music I've ever "got" in any real way were rock and jazz, everything else has left me cold. I never have been touched by classical, blues, or R&B.