Aggie87

Free has no time for Live Chat! Priorities, bro, priorities!

There's a whole lot of middle men that make a living on that gallon of gas you pump - from the convenience store clerk to the delivery truck driver to the distributors to the refineries, engineers, and so on. It's not *ALL* profit that goes into some huge faceless corporation's coffer. That said, I think prices should be $2/gallon or under myself. It just ain't gonna happen when the cost of a barrel of oil coming into the country is so high.

Why would it be anybody famous in particular? It clearly isn't Coltrane (to me). But it could be anybody else. Is there a reason you think it's someone famous?

The Complete Nessa Studio Recordings of Bobo Stenson

Happy Birthday!

(moved this article from the Tour de France 2007 thread, since it's more appropriate here) Landis loses doping appeal before sports' highest court LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) -- Floyd Landis lost his final chance to retain his 2006 Tour de France title Monday, the last step of a long, multimillion-dollar process that poked holes in the anti-doping establishment but ultimately left the cyclist as just another convicted cheater. A three-person panel at the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld a previous panel's decision, ruling his positive doping test during the Tour two years ago was, indeed, valid. Landis also must pay $100,000 toward the legal fees of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. "I am saddened by today's decision," Landis said in a statement. "I am looking into my legal options and deciding on the best way to proceed." He has 30 days to appeal to the Swiss Federal Court. In its 58-page decision, the panel at sports' highest court said the lab that analyzed Landis' positive test results used some "less than ideal laboratory practices, but not lies, fraud, forgery or cover-ups," the way the Landis camp had alleged. In the end, the panel saved its harshest criticism for Landis, who it said essentially tried to muddle the evidence and embarrass the French lab, and continued on that course even after the evidence was shown not to exist. "Appelant's experts crossed the line, acting for the most part as advocates for the Appelant's cause, and not as scientists objectively assisting the Panel in the search for truth," the decision read. The decision comes just six days before the start of the 2008 Tour. Landis won the 2006 edition after a stunning comeback in Stage 17, a rally that turned out to be fueled by synthetic testosterone. "We are pleased that justice was served and that Mr. Landis was not able to escape the consequences of his doping or his effort to attack those who protect the rights of clean athletes," said USADA chief executive officer Travis Tygart. The ruling upholds Landis' two-year ban from cycling, which is due to end Jan. 29, 2009, though at this point, the ban wasn't the real issue. Landis hoped to be exonerated and to get his title back. He also wanted to use the protracted case to shed light on procedures at USADA and the World Anti-Doping Agency, which he says are unfair and rigged against athletes who often don't have the resources to fund their defense. "That's always been part of the system, that they've always had more resources than the athlete. This is the first time it's even been close," Landis' attorney, Maurice Suh, said in an interview last year. Bankrolled through several private sources, including a fundraising campaign he launched on his own, Landis forced a case that cost more than $2 million -- a burden on him, but also a strain on the bottom lines of both USADA and WADA, which shared the cost of prosecuting the case. After his unprecedented public hearing at his first arbitration case last May, the arbitrators upheld his doping ban but scolded USADA and the labs it uses for practices that were less than airtight. That appeared to give Landis the opening he needed to justify an appeal to CAS. The hearing took place in March in New York, and was considered a "trial de novo" -- not technically an appeal, but a chance to have the case heard anew. Although the CAS panel agreed with the idea that the lab was less than perfect, the evidence presented over the five-day hearing didn't change the final outcome. "The Landis case will set a precedent not only for the issues related to the application of the standard for laboratories but also for the management of CAS procedures," said CAS secretary general Matthieu Reeb. "CAS appeals must be conducted promptly, efficiently, in a fair manner and with reasonable costs involved." Thus ended the longest, most expensive and most bizarre case in modern anti-doping history. It included some scandalous revelations during the public hearing, nothing more shocking than when former Tour de France winner Greg LeMond entered the hearing room. LeMond told of being sexually abused as a child, confiding that to Landis, then receiving a call from Landis' manager the night before his testimony threatening to disclose LeMond's secret to the world if LeMond showed up. Though it made for great theater, it was damaging for Landis. In the end, the only aspect of the LeMond testimony the panel considered was LeMond's claim that Landis had admitted to him that he doped -- and the panel disregarded that testimony, saying it couldn't be used as an admission. The cyclist's future plans aren't yet known, though he was said to be hurting financially. What's for sure is he will go down as the first cyclist in the history of the Tour to have his title stripped for a doping violation. "Cycling has moved on already," said Pat McQuaid, president of cycling's world governing body. "It just puts this episode behind us now, we can forget it."

Toshiko Akiyoshi - Let Freedom Swing (2 cd)

Welcome home, Free! now drinking - Waving Wheat, a Belgian style wheat beer from the Choc Brewery in Oklahoma.

It all depends on how much you're interested in paying probably, but I'd check out Trek's roadbikes, they're good, solid "everyman" bikes. I bought a Trek 1400 in 1991, which at the time was their high-end aluminum bike. Composites and carbon-fiber frames were the new thing at the time, and priced quite a bit higher. Nowadays a Trek 1.5 (aluminum frame) has an msrp of right around $1K. Maybe a good entry level road bike, and if you discover you really enjoy it, you can upgrade later to a lighter framed bike. I'd also consider buying locally if it's your first bike in a while. They'll size it to you properly.

Happy Birthday Phil!

I think maybe it's partially because on-line people get to think they're the expert on something, instead of being open to other's opinions and points of view. And they try to steer everyone else into the mindset that works for them, because it is the "right" one.

That's true. Unfortunately, though, it's not aimed at you, either. I think part of this goes back to my original comment in post three that it's an age thing. I think JETman has simply grown out of the age group that contemporary rock/pop/etc is made for, whether he can accept that or not. And there's nothing wrong with continuing to think Clapton is the greatest guitar player ever. If he does it for you, enjoy it and be happy. My daughter currently likes Chris Brown, Rihanna, Lil Wayne, etc. I don't see it as breaking any new ground, but ultimately who cares? It's not stuff that touches me, but she enjoys it. And she will look back at it fondly some day, as her mother did to ABBA (and other things that make me shudder). As you look back on Clapton now. edit - I agree with impossible too, in that there's plenty of music out there that's "aimed" at me, that may have been recorded 10, 20, yrs ago or whenever. It's just up to me to discover it, not just look at what's out there today and bemoan that stuff.

Happy Birthday!!

Already mentioned in the Blue Note 2007 reissues thread. Along with 4 other apparent Rare Grooves.

What happened to Chuck? I haven't noticed any posting in a while. Hope all's well - maybe he's wrapping up some reissues?

Beatles '65 is in both stereo and mono, on cd, on the Beatles Capitol Albums Vol 1 (along with Meet the Beatles, The Beatles Second Album, and Something New): Vol 2 includes The Early Beatles, Beatles VI, the Help! soundtrack, and the U.S. version of Rubber Soul.

I'll disagree with that. Though I'd love to see (and would surely enjoy) Fripp & Bruford playing like that.

It seems pretty clear that NOBODY'S arguing that point. Nobody wants to see a child suffering, clearly. That goes without saying. If that's what you believe you're defending against the hordes of Org board members who think children *should* be abused, we're clearly not speaking the same language. What is being argued and you are about the only one defending is the credibility of a psychic's word. Again, a psychic's word is no more believable than a person who plays with a ouija board or someone who reports abuse because the giant purple spaghetti monster told them a kid with pig tails is being abused.

Lionel Loueke - Karibu Freddie Redd - Shades of Redd

ChaunceyMorehouse writes like Clem and mysteriously writes about the same issues as Clem. Smells like Clem. Walks like Clem. Looks like Clem, apparently I'm not the only one who thinks so. But Chauncey claims to be a 64 year old grandmother! Though a grandmother that's equally at home discussing handjobs and Thom Yorke's solo album and Radiohead's humor-impaired fans. How many 64 yr olds would even have a clue about what Radiohead fans are like? Or know Organissimo board members as well as she does after only being on the board for 10 days?

So the only reason she was reported WAS because of the psychic, not her behavior. Amazing! The words of a psychic who doesn't even know the name of his "target" is credible, in the school's eyes. At least the Children's Aid Society has some common sense.

I seriously, SERIOUSLY doubt that. If that's the case, there are plenty of other ways to make that argument. His response "There you go, now we know" isn't substantial enough to consider it to be referring to law enforcement, IMO. If he had intended to make some sweeping statement about blacks & law enforcement, he knows he would have had to clarify that statement on the spot, to not leave any doubt. That he didn't speaks volumes. Maybe - MAYBE - if he hadn't made previous racist remarks, your argument might have a tiny bit of merit.

What difference does Pacman's skin color have to do with anything? The fact that Imus asked the rhetorical question, and then responded with "well there you go, now we know" suggests that Jones' skin color is significant to him. This one may blow over, or it may blow up, who knows. But with Imus' track record on race, why did he make this an issue?

bump..... IMUS AT IT AGAIN Less than 15 months after losing his gig on WFAN and MSNBC for making racially charged comments regarding the Rutgers women’s basketball team, radio icon Don Imus has danced dangerously close to, and arguably over, the line again. On Monday, Imus had the following exchange with Warner Wolf: Wolf: “Defensive back Adam ‘Pacman’ Jones, recently signed by the Cowboys. Here’s a guy suspended all of 2007 following a shooting in a Vegas night club.” Imus: “Well, stuff happens. You’re in a night club, for God’s sake. What do you think’s gonna happen in a night club? People are drinking, they’re doing drugs. There are women there, and people have guns. So, there, go ahead.” Wolf: “He’s also been arrested six times since being drafted by Tennessee in 2005.” Imus: “What color is he?” Wolf: “He’s African-American.” Imus: “Well, there you go. Now we know.” Last time around, the comments represented a partial effort at humor. This time around, it was a matter-of-fact statement, with no chuckles, yuks, tee-hees, or ha’s. As we see it, if the comment wasn’t overtly and blatantly racist, then what the hell was it? Maybe we’re wrong on this one. Even so, it was nothing short of stoopid to fly so close to the flame that already burned him once.

It's probably an age thing, where you simply grow out of what's popular, and stick with what was popular when you were a certain age. Teens today will probably look back with nostalgia about the music they're listening to now, once they reach our ages, just as we do with the music we liked back then.