Big Al

Up for air!

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I hope you guys get a chance to hook up. Chuck's a great guy to hang out with!

Yeah, I hear ya about the drumming bit. I dig the drum solos, tho!

Yikes Almighty!!!! Have any of you heard this sucker?!!!?!?!?? This must be where Sweets used up some o' that class he hadn't used yet!!! This one swings like one bad mother-SHUT YO MOUTH!!! Barney Kessel damn near steals the show with his Freddie Green-like strumming! YOW!!!!!

Miles & Wayne Art Blakey & Sam Jones Byrd & Adams Andrew Hill & Richard Davis GRANT GREEN & BIG JOHN PATTON!!!!

Mine was at the house at lunchtime, and Noj & Catesta will have their copies out in tonight's mail! Like everyone else has said, this is some staggeringly beautiful music!

I don’t disagree with you that the Yankees are a dominant team, but I believe the reason they are as good as they are (and have been) has more to do with an unbeatable chemistry between the players than whatever money Steinbrenner is throwing around. Sure, Steinbrenner will buy players just to keep them from being on other teams; but he’s gotta do something with them besides just pay them to sit all year. (Again, this assumes he wants more of a return-on-investment than to just make BoSox fans angry. I certainly wouldn’t put that past him.) Anyway, the Rangers may have blown their wad on A-Rod, but at least they got something back when they traded him, and that is the chemistry that has been missing for years (and I believe that A-Rod contributed to that lack of chemistry by dominating both on and off the field). Besides that, the Rangers are notorious for blowing wads on complete wash-outs: Chan Ho Park anyone? Please????? The difference between the Rangers and the Yanks (among other things) is that Steinbrenner isn’t beholden to Scott Boras like Tom Hicks is.

It’s been unbelievable. I’ve lived here all 34 years of my life, and have NEVER seen it rain this much. Thankfully, our neighborhood was spared, but there were many areas around us that were hit pretty hard.

Oh yeah, my guys are now 2-8 and OUT of first place since making the big announcement. At the end of the season, when the Rangers are dead last (AGAIN!) and are looking for that turning point, they'll need to look no further than Wednesday, July 21. The baseball gods strike again.

Buying any player you want is no guarantee of success: ask the Rangers, who finished dead last despite having Mr. $252 at shortstop every year. Or the Marlins, who BEAT the Yanks despite having a payroll that wasn’t even the same stratosphere as the Yanks. Personally, I think keeping the Red Sox fans miserable is more important to Steinbrenner than actually winning the Series these days.

Well, the Canada package arrived yesterday, a full eight days after being sent. From the looks of things, I think they used it for some in-house batting practice, as there was a tear on the package, the “teeth” inside one of the jewel cases cracked off in my hand, and BOTH hinges of the cases had comeUN-hinged. Which is about what’s gonna happen to me! Thankfully, the discs were in good shape. So, one down, two to go..........

Yeah! I can't wait to get to that one!

I hate to interrupt the Yankees-Red Sox thread, but in other baseball news: has anyone else noticed the sharp downturn the Rangers have taken since they announced that John Hart was gonna remain as GM, instead of Grady Fuson whom they promised the job to (and, in the opinion of practically everyone, is far more deserving of the job)? They're 2-6 since that decision. Coincidence? I don't think so. Tom Hicks may be the most clueless owner in baseball, and that's saying a lot.

Where should I start? I read a review of his latest novel, which looks very funny. Also visited his website, and from what little I've read, he seems to be on the same level as Dave Barry. Another hilarious author I've started digging into is Christopher Moore. Saw FLUKE at the store, but decided to start from the beginning, PRACTICAL DEMONKEEPING. That was great! Now I'm halfway through COYOTE BLUE, and laughing even harder! Looking forward to plowing thru the rest of his catalog!

Priority Mail!!! Hence the complaint! Thankfully, it was still in an unmelted stage when it arrived (a milder than normal summer is also helping right now!)

For the most part, I am usually left thinking, "what the fuck is wrong with the USPS in Texas?" Seriously, anytime something I've shipped takes extra long to get there, or never makes it at all (Sangrey knows about this) its going to your neck of the woods. So, since the trouble seems to be spreading, maybe the USPS is using Texas as its training center and sending out the graduates around the company, to spread the crappy service everywhere? I think you may be on to something here. I sent something to Lon on a Monday a few months back and it took three days to get to him. Bear in mind we only live about three hours apart. Heck, I coulda WALKED it to him faster!

Man, I've blankety-blankin' HAD it with the US Postal Service. Just a few instances recently: 1. I had some fudge mailed to my office while I was in Mackinaw City, MI. Now, I mailed it myself from Mackinaw on Tuesday, the 20th. It didn't arrive at the office until LATE Monday afternoon, the 26th!!! 2. Marcus sent me BFT #15 on the 20th. As of today, still no delivery. Meanwhile, folks who live farther away from me (who also had theirs shipped out on the 20th)have received theirs!!! 3. A Canadian board member mailed some CDs to me on Friday, July 9. THOSE haven't arrived yet either!!! 4. Finally, a board member in Kansas mailed me a CD on Friday, the 16th, before I left for vacation. Again, THAT one hasn't arrived yet, either! With regard to the unnamed members in the last two lines, I have no reason to doubt their integrity and honesty, as I have dealt with them in the past and always received good service. So, I'm left thinking, what the fuck is the deal with the Postal Service?!?!?!? I know that there was a lot of trouble with the postal service getting the last batch of BFTs to everyone in the US (and even the replacements I sent, some of them broke in transit!). Have they just gone (pardon the pun) postal on us allofasudden? Thanks for letting me vent. Share your horror stories here.

Y'got me...... I was planning on getting the two PIANO discs before BLUES IN ORBIT.

I'm very definitely in the minority on this one. I think it's one of his lesser efforts, rather boring, and in the case of "Just a Closer Walk with Thee," repetetive. Just my $.02.

You can sometimes play with the code (usually the last digit) to get either of the following: 60% off w/no shipping (my favorite) 70% off, but you gotta pay the shipping. (this one still works out better than the 50% off!)

Well, my computer currently has Microshaft Picture It Express 7.0, which allows for trimming, zooming, red-dot removal, tint, contrast, brightness, etc. The last set of pictures I uploaded seemed to be awfully fuzzy, and the program said I could upgrade to the fully-loaded version, which would allow for sharpness adjustments. (I guess I find it odd that the "Express" version wouldn't include that on it.) But in the end, it would be fun to have some creative fun with pictures (providing the software didn't cost an arm & leg). I'll have a look around Best Buy sometime.

I've got a Kodak DX3700 3.1 megapixel camera, uploading to a (don't laugh) eMachines running Windows XP. Now, after you've picked yourself up off the floor and have recovered from laughing, stifle the urge to yell "BUY A MAC, FERCRYINOUTLOUD!!!" and recommend some software that I can use to touch up and edit the pictures I'm taking with this little toy! Thanks!

Ehhhhh, it happens......